*********“Where are the souvenirs that you said you got for me?" Eva asked as she stared at Nathalia who was sitting on the couch in that living room. “Oh, that. Yeah, I did say that. Unfortunately! When I had rushed back to the country, I was worried about my best friend not picking up her phone call for the one week with a bag of souvenirs and gifts to give her. However, when I got to your apartment, I couldn't find you and in panic I dropped the suitcase where I had brought the whole gift.” Nathalia remarked, staring accusingly at Eva.“You sure have a lot to say and I can tell that you're really pissed?" Eva asked, flashing a smile at Nathalia. This is the only way she tries to persuade her before she continues to complain.“How did you come to know that I was here?” She added, still confused how Nathalia knew was in this place."Humph! Took you long enough to ask. Anyways, I had to call Lucien, thinking that you were at the mansion but he told me that you would be here since yo
“Hey hey, you have to share! Don’t be stingy and hog all of the food. I brought you a lot of boxes, the least you can do is share a piece with me!" Nathalia huffed when Eva held the box away from her."Oh please, why should I share with you? After all they are my gifts." Eva asked, hugging it to her body like it was a precious baby.“Geez! Just because I bought it for you doesn't mean I will not get to eat. One piece wouldn't be too much!" Nathalia yelled back at her, trying to reach for the box.“No, we all know one piece will become two, and then the entire box will be gone! You’re a supermodel, think of your figure!" Eva continue to tease her when Nathalia attempted to pounce at her for the delectable pastry. “To hell with my figure. If I add some pound I won't die except for a few scolding." Nathalia retorted. Upon seeing the pout from her Nathalia she laughed and placed the box in front of her.She shook her head when Nathalia proved her right by taking two more pieces out of th
After Eva bid Nathalia goodbye, she let out a huge sigh knowing it was time to face the elephant in the room. She could practically feel Damien’s curious stare creating a hole in her soul. He had been studying her so intently from the moment she woke up that she wondered if he could read her mind at this point.Closing the door, she was reluctant to turn around and face the intimidating man sitting on her couch. Even now as she stood facing her door, she knew he was still looking at her.Damien was the first to speak up. "Don’t try to delay this conversation." His voice wasn’t the one she had gotten accustomed to. It wasn’t overly warm or welcoming, instead, it sounded remote and indifferent. It was ice cold as if he was doing a business transaction or dealing with his subordinates.For some reason, she disliked the way he spoke to her. But why did this voice sound so familiar? Why did she feel like she’s experiencing a sense of déjà vu and that once upon a time, he used to speak to he
Instead of getting offended at the simple insult, Damien smirked and decided to play rough with her. She gasped when he suddenly reached out to pull the hand she had been using with her attempt to get his phone. He did it with enough force and fluidity that she easily toppled over. The other leg gave in, and her other knee fell onto the couch that she ended up straddling him.Eva suddenly felt breathless as she looked down at him. The expression in his eyes resemble the fiery depths of hell, passionately sinful and filled with forbidden desire. His lips tugged upwards into a mischievous smirk with how intently he was looking at her.She felt a burning sensation of desire beginning to bloom deep within her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with how deep his stare was. He looked at her, a heated expression on his face as he reached up to cup one side of her cheek.Damien momentarily lost his focus. He was so enchanted by her, he couldn’t think properly for a few seconds.Her long hair fe
Abruptly, she tried to yank back but was surprised by his strength. H-how was this possible? She used to train for a very long period of time to build stamina and muscle for fighting. She blinked at her loss of strength. Was it because she had stopped going to the gym for a while? Perhaps so, for she hasn’t trained in a while due to her dislike towards the gym.She knew from Damien’s muscular build that he regularly works out, even now she can feel his muscular body against hers. Even so, she thought he should not easily be able to hold her in place.She had placed all of her weight into that tug, but he didn’t budge from his position. As a matter of fact, he was unfazed to the harsh force acting against him.His expression didn’t change and he looked as if he didn’t feel the sharp tug. She frowned at this and tried again to pull back. Once again, her attempts were futile."Stop struggling." He told her, brushing back a few strands of her fringe. His grip was incredibly strong and surp
Shane had always been able to not leave any stone unturned whenever he performed an investigation on someone. While he had been able to unearth relatively unknown facts about her such as the years she spent working as Mark substitute or the ways she had subdued other socialites to rule over them, there were still gaps in the report that they couldn’t fill in.The first five months after her disappearance, there was nothing about it. Not a single detail or evidence was left behind. It was like she disappeared from the face of Earth, never to be found."You already know the answer to that." She looked out the window and stared at the afternoon sky filled with fluffy clouds.He stared at her defensive position as she avoided his gaze by facing the window. Ever since he found her drunk and vulnerable last night, he saw her in a much better light. Instead of the confident and daring woman he was used to seeing, he saw something much more — a woman who hid her pain behind a dazzling smile an
Back in Cross Enterprise, Eric stood outside of his boss’s office, with his normal serious expression. However, he anxiously awaited the arrival of his boss internally.CEO Cross had been extremely late to the office two days in a row which was very much unlike him! His boss had always been punctual and always came to the office to spend most of his day buried in paperwork like a true workaholic. There were even times where Eric and Shane had to drag his boss out of the office just so he could stop terrorizing the employees who were too scared to leave before he did!His phone notified him of an incoming message and when he glanced at the message, his eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened to a big fraction.Cancel the entire schedule for the day?! Was he crazy?!Today was a very important day where Mark Johnson would come in person to negotiate about a proposal!Canceling a meeting with Johnson Corporation which was touted as one of the country’s "Big Five" companies was hard as it wa
Meanwhile, Eva was still standing at the same she had been ever since Damien left. She was completely stunned and dazed as she kept staring at the door. This was the first time she had been told such words, in fact, she was stunned not only because this was the first someone had spoken like that to her. But the fact that it was Damien who had just told her that.Pathetic? Revenge? Those were the only two words ringing in her brain currently.‘Am I been pathetic?. Do I really want to get revenge? But isn't that what everyone is expecting me to do?’ Eva's mind was in turmoil as she kept thinking about what Damien said before he left.“I just wanted to be alone and not get involved in anything else. Why can't he just understand that?! Did he have to go all the way and call me pathetic? Just who did he think he is to barge into my house and preach those words to me?!!” Eva finally snapped out of her daze and ranted furiously when she thought and remembered the way Damien had spoken to her
For the past few days, Christine had kept a low profile, following Tanya’s advice to wait for the right opportunity. Her previous schemes had failed miserably—each attempt to sabotage Eva had only backfired, making Eva look even more poised and untouchable. But Christine wasn’t the type to accept defeat.If she couldn’t surpass Eva professionally, then she would tear her down personally.Her mother, Laura, had been the one to plant the idea in her mind. "If you can’t win on the battlefield they’ve chosen," Laura had told her, "then change the game. Make them play on your terms."And that was exactly what Christine intended to do. This time, she wouldn’t just aim for petty sabotage—she was going to destroy Eva’s reputation completely.…………Early in the morning, Eva’s phone buzzed non-stop.Gossip sites, entertainment blogs, and even major media outlets were exploding with headlines:"Supermodel Eva Caught in Scandalous Affair with HB Industry CEO!""Is Eva Using Her Influence to Secure
Meanwhile, Eric, who had been silently watching the interaction, let out a small scoff. “So this is what I wasted my time for?” he muttered under his breath.Gwen immediately shot him a glare. “Excuse me?”Eric smirked slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You barged in here like it was urgent, but all you’re doing is dragging her out for a photoshoot?”“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Gwen said mockingly. “I forgot you were Mr.Cross's bodyguard and not his secretary. If it bothers you so much, maybe you should have stayed outside instead of following me in.” she said, though she knew that he was Damien's secretary but still said that to irk him.Eric chuckled darkly.’This crazy human being.’ “Believe me, I wouldn’t be here if someone didn’t insist I help her get past the receptionist.”“I did not beg—” Gwen started before cutting herself off, clenching her fists. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t have time to argue with an overgrown ice cube.”Eva, who had been watching the entire exch
Eva leaned back against the couch, patting her stomach in satisfaction. "I have to say, I really outdid myself picking that restaurant," she mused.Damien, who was already sitting behind his desk, raised a brow. “You outdid yourself? All you did was order the food. I don’t remember you being the one who actually cooked it.”Eva scoffed, sitting up straighter. “Excuse you, do you know how much effort it took to pick the best dishes from that menu?”Damien smirked. “Oh, I’m sure scrolling through a menu and pointing at things was exhausting.”Eva gasped, placing a hand over her chest dramatically. “Wow, Damien. I put all this effort into making sure my husband doesn’t starve, and this is the appreciation I get?”Damien let out a chuckle, the warmth in his gaze betraying his otherwise teasing expression. “Your husband could have easily ordered lunch himself, you know.”Eva narrowed her eyes. “Really? Because from the looks of it, you were buried under so many files that you probably woul
Gwen strode into Cross Enterprise’s grand lobby, her heels clicking sharply against the polished marble floor. She just got back from where she had told Eva she was going and had tried calling Eva multiple times, but as expected, Eva was too busy flirting or whatever she was doing with Damien to answer her phone.Glancing at the time, Gwen muttered under her breath. “If she doesn’t come out now, Victoria’s going to have my head.”With no other choice, she let out an exasperated sigh, and approached the receptionist’s desk.“I’m here to see Mr. Cross,” she said, adjusting the strap of her handbag. “Let me through to the top floor.”The receptionist, a young woman with perfectly styled hair and an unbothered expression, simply smiled. “I’m sorry, miss, but you don’t have an appointment. I can’t let you in.”Gwen blinked, momentarily taken aback. “What?”The receptionist gave her a polite but firm look. “Without an appointment, I can’t let you through. Company policy.”Gwen narrowed her
As Damien led her to the couch, Eva suddenly halted, making him turn with a questioning brow.“You know,” she mused, tilting her head with mock seriousness, “before you interrupted me, I was actually offering a very expensive consultation service.”Damien crossed his arms, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes. “Oh?”Eva nodded, tapping her chin as if in deep thought. “Yes, I used to charge companies millions for my insights. So technically… you owe me.”Damien let out a low chuckle, stepping closer. “Let me get this straight,” he said, his voice rich with teasing authority. “You walked into my office, sat in my chair, went through my documents without permission—and now you’re asking me to pay you?”Eva grinned. “That’s business, Mr. Cross. Nothing is free.”Damien smirked. “And what if I refuse to pay?”Eva pretended to think, then shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll take my brilliant mind elsewhere.”Damien’s eyes darkened slightly, but he played along. “That would be a shame. Tell me, Mrs
Minutes passed, and Eva quickly grew bored.She had been in Damien’s office many times, but she still found herself looking around. It was immaculate and organized, but it lacked anything personal. Nothing in this room screamed Damien—except for the towering stacks of documents and reports on his desk.Her eyes narrowed as she walked over, running her fingers lightly over the ridiculous amount of paperwork.“No wonder he barely has time to eat.” She muttered, shaking her head.The sight of his overwhelming workload triggered a familiar ache in her chest. She remembered her past—being buried in work, managing her father’s company alongside Mark. She had spent countless nights drowning in documents, starving herself to meet deadlines, and yet… no one had cared. Neither her father nor Mark had ever asked if she had eaten.Her fingers clenched slightly against the papers.She had left that life behind, yet here Damien was, doing the same thing to himself.Determined to help him, Eva sat i
The sleek black car pulled up in front of Cross Enterprise, and Eva didn’t waste a second stepping out. Instead of the casual home-cooked meal she initially planned, she had opted for something more refined—a gourmet lunch from one of the most renowned restaurants in the city.“Wait here,” Eva told Gwen as she adjusted her coat.Gwen smirked knowingly. “Of course, take your time, lover girl.”Eva rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She knew exactly what she was doing. There was no need to hide anymore—not after the scandal had already made headlines, exposing her connection to Damien. So, she walked into the building with confidence, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor of the grand lobby.The moment she stepped inside, all eyes were on her.Employees, visitors, and executives alike paused in their conversations, their gazes snapping toward the stunning supermodel who had just entered the headquarters of one of the most powerful companies in the world.It wasn’t just her
--- After the Fitting As Eva stepped off the platform, Gwen handed her a bottle of water. “You handled that beautifully.” Eva took a sip and smirked. “Christine’s getting predictable.” Trix rolled her eyes. “What’s next? Tripping you on the runway?” Eva chuckled. “If she does, I’ll be ready for that too.” Christine might have thought she could sabotage Eva with clumsy tricks, but Eva wasn’t easily shaken. When they got to her room, Eva sighed in relief as she kicked off her heels, rolling her ankles to ease the tension. “What’s my schedule looking like today, Trix?” she asked, rubbing her temples. Trix scrolled through her tablet, barely glancing up. “You have a photoshoot with Victoria this afternoon after you wrap up here.” Eva groaned, sinking into the plush chair. “Can’t we reschedule? At this point, I can’t tell if she’s just dedicated to her work or if she’s obsessed with overworking me to death.” Gwen chuckled, settling onto the couch beside her. “She’s taken a real l
The fashion house hosting the campaign had scheduled a fitting session for all the models. The room buzzed with activity as assistants, designers, and stylists adjusted gowns and accessories. Eva arrived, poised and confident, dressed in a sleek black dress. Gwen and Trix trailed behind her, chatting about the campaign’s recent success. Christine was already there, surrounded by a few stylists, her laughter deliberately exaggerated as she chatted with a designer. Eva ignored her and focused on her fitting. A stylist handed her an elegant white gown, its fabric shimmering under the lights. It was one of the most anticipated pieces of the campaign, and Eva knew this photoshoot would be critical. As she stepped onto the fitting platform, Christine made her move. A designer approached Eva with a clipboard, giving her details about the shoot. Christine, pretending to walk past, "accidentally" tilted a cup of coffee in Eva’s direction. Time seemed to slow. The dark liquid splashed on