After hanging up the call, Eva had a dark expression on her face. She hated it whenever Mathew had to always have to bring up her mother's name to get her to do whatever he wanted.The marriage between both Eva's mother- Shenley Black and Mathew Carter was a political marriage. The Black family is one of the top five influential families in California, and since the Carter family have a close relationship with the Black family. At that time the Patriarch of the Black family was looking for a suitable husband for his daughter Shenley Black, so the Carter family used their close influence to make Shenley marry their son who was no other than Matthew.The two people were reluctant to marry one another but they couldn't refuse their family. The first three years after their marriage the two people living under the same roof had a very distant relationship. However, the heavy pressure Matthew received from his family elder to copulate the marriage and make Shenley bore a child. The elders
When Nathalia opened the door of the office, she couldn't help but be captivated by the view of the office. First, the entire office was big and spacious, it was even bigger than her best friend's entire apartment. Second, it was spotless clean, no spec of dusk could be noticed. Nathalia was sure that the cleaning team had taken a whole day to clean this whole office. Third, everything in the office all the way to the bookshelf and documents, was neatly arranged in an orderly manner. The thing in the office that captivated Nathalia aside from the enormous black desk was the walls of the office which were made of glass which gave the perfect view of the skyscrapers lining the city. This wasn't Nathalia's first time being in the office, but everytime she visits Damien she couldn't get enough of this view."At least, he gots something that I like in this office apartment from those annoying looking papers." Nathalia muttered as she walked to the small mini living room in the office and
Sia immediately raised her head up, shocked by what she just heard. She knew that she was on the course of losing her job which she couldn't let happen, knowing how much stress she had to go through before being employed.In this situation, she had to think of a fast way to sort things out. "T-there seems to be a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to trip on you Mr. Cross. It was a mistake, please, I beg you. Forgive me just this once and I promise it will never happen." Sia finally understood how severe her situation had become so she quickly abandoned her plan of seducing Damein and crawled on her knees towards Damien."If you don't wish to lose your job, next time you don't allow people like this in my company." Damien stated not sparing the woman another look before he walked out the department along with Shane."W-what?! No, you can't fire me!! I'm sorry….. Manager, plead to the CEO on my behalf." Sia immediately turned her attention back to Manager Perry who was still stupified by
“Who are you talking about?” Nathalia asked, faking a clueless expression to what she just heard.“That daring woman, what is her name again?” Damien repeated his question again, but Nathalia became anxious at the question. She stared at Damien's face trying to figure out what he was thinking, but Damien was too good at masking his emotions and his facial expressions remained the same which made Nathalia feel scared and an unsettling feeling began growing in her stomach.She gulped hard seeing his dark expression. Was he trying to get more information about Eva and was planning to ruin her best friend's life? “Cousin, she is my closest and best friend. You can't do anything to harm her at all, she is off limits. That girl has been through a hard time and her experience in life was not something good. Don't do anything that would harm her again.” Nathalia stated with a serious facial expression. Since she already knew what had transpired between both Eva and Damien and knowing Damien
“Since, you know, then coming here was useless.” Damien stated coldly, standing up from his seat and wearing his coat.“Really, you can't!” Whining, Nathalia grabbed his hand as she also stood up from her seat too.“Don't try to stop me.” Damien gently brushed her hand off, before turning to look at Shane, “Let's get going.” He remarked and headed towards the entrance.“Ha, wait! We aren't done with this discussion!” Nathalia had a scowl on her face as she followed him out of the office and entered the elevator along with Shane.When they got to the parking lot a black Rolls-Royce cullinan was waiting for Damien. His bodyguards who were standing in the parking lot quickly bowed when they saw him step out of the elevator. One of the bodyguards wearing a black suit immediately opened the car door for him.Damien turned to look at Nathalia who was still following behind him when he got to his car. “Since you won't tell me her address then make sure you continue to keep our relationship a
Eva didn't overthink about the issue on ground. After all, they were equally at fault and he was the one that dragged her into the room. She sighed thinking about how she had to receive two phone calls early in the morning. ‘I hope I don't receive any phone calls for the rest of the day.’ Eva thought as she pulled out the items in the shopping bag she had placed on the cabinet.Earlier after she hung up the call with her father, she couldn't sleep any longer because of the bad news she had to receive so Eva wore her coat and head out of her apartment and went to the grocery store close to the apartment complex. She had noticed some ingredients were missing yesterday when she cooked for both herself and Nathalia. In the past few months Eva had stayed hidden in her apartment, whenever she was tired of sleeping, she found a new hobby which was cooking. Eva took her time to learn how to cook, she watched cooking videos on the internet and food network channels on the TV. Seeing the deli
“You asked to see me?” Shane quickly asked after he closed the door behind him.“Have you found the person?” Damien's eyes remained glued on the documents in his hand. ‘Is he really inquiring about that woman when it's lunchtime?’ Shane looked at Damien in disbelief. Earlier after Nathalia left, Damien had ordered him to find everything about Eva. “Did you or not find anything before you stand there thinking of some weird things.” Breaking his train of thought, Shane snapped out of it and cleared his throat.“The lady's name is Evangline Carter, she is the eldest daughter of the Carter family, one of the most influential families in Miami. She is a model in the entertainment industry but from my resources, despite being a model it seems like she has retired for the past four years now, but she still has a five year signed contract with the agency. She has been living a normal life and currently her reputation isn't very good at the moment.” Shane reported the information he found o
Damien who was busy contemplating on how to catch his face tilted his head slightly with his piercing gaze that can even cut diamond. For some odd reason, his mind had been occupied and it kept drifting to that woman's face and her voice, most especially her mesmerizing and captivating eyes. When he stood closer to her yesterday he noticed the color of her eyes, it was bluish-green, like beautiful soft emeralds. Even with her ink-black hair and snow white skin, her eyes stood out, making them more alluring and mesmerizing. Despite the fact that she spoke to him, he didn't find her disgusting like other women.On the other hand, Shane wondered if Damien being attracted to a woman is a good thing or not. Damien was oblivious to the fact that he was torturing his assistant with his very chilling presence. Regardless, he would still act as if nothing had happened even if he knew. Damien turned to walk towards the couch. He leaned comfortably and inclined his arm over the couch and cros
Eva who was moments away from hitting him with the IV pole again when his pitiful plea caught her attention. “You can tell your boss to rot in hell—” she started, but the man cut her off.“Please, Lady Boss!” he cried, desperation in his voice. “I have a wife, kids, and a family to feed—”Eva's brow twitched at his words. Of course, he definitely wouldn't be a monk like his boss, however, she had a feeling he was saying this to make her feel guilty. “And you have a dog too, I bet?” she quipped sarcastically.His eyes widened in shock. “Y-yes! Exactly! His name is Chase!”She grit her teeth in annoyance, snatching the phone from his shaking hands. “What do you want?” she demanded, her patience wearing thin. She could guess that he was trying to stall time until he got here but she wasn't planning to let him meet her here.The bodyguards flinched in fear. They truly applauded her for her boldness, but they also feared for the poor woman's head! It would really fly if she continued talk
Turning back to the bodyguards, she picked up the IV pole and tested its weight in her hands. It was lighter than she expected, perfect for swift strikes. She had a lot of experience fighting with wooden sticks in her days in the military.Her gaze landed back to the men, a dark scowl on her face.“I’m sure everyone of you all heard the conversation,” she said coolly, her voice steady. “If you value your limbs, step aside.”The men stood their ground, but the unease in their expressions was clear.When reinforcements arrived to block the entrance entirely, Eva's lips curled into a dark smile. They’ve made a mistake.Gripping the pole tightly, her eyes blazing with determination as she scanned the men creating a barrier at the entrance.“Fine, you've all made your choices. Let's see who’s leaving with bruises.”Eva's grip on the metal IV pole tightened as she positioned herself to strike. Her eyes locked on the bodyguards standing in her way, each one ready to brace for her next move
She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. If they were working for Damien, they wouldn’t stand insults against him. She smirked, deciding to bait them.“Fine. Is it your unbelievably stubborn, hideously jealous, and completely insufferable boss, Damien Cross?”One of the guards instinctively stiffened, muttering, “Our boss is not—” and immediately cut himself off, his face paling. He can't believe he just fell for that trick.“Aha!” Eva said triumphantly. “We have our catch. So it is Damien.”Smirking, she stalked back to her bed, grabbing her phone. She dialed Damien’s number, and unsurprisingly, he answered on the first ring.“Evs, you should be resting—”“Young man, tell your men to step aside,” she interrupted, her tone sharp.Damien frowned when he heard her. Asking him to order his men to step aside meant that she had gotten out of bed!His voice hardened. “What are you doing out of bed? Get back to bed right-”“You’re not the Boss of me. I’m not goi
**********The soft rustle of fabric accompanied the nurse as she finished adjusting Eva's bandages. Moments later, a team of doctors shuffled into the room, meticulously checking her vitals and updating her chart. Their scrutiny felt endless, but Eva's irritation wasn’t aimed at them—it was at the glaring absence of Gabriel.Upon inquiring, she discovered he’d been reassigned and replaced with another doctor, a woman.Her lips twisted in a knowing smile. Damien. Of course, it was him.She sighed at the thought. Gabriel was probably one the best doctors in his department at Solace Hospital. Replacing him with someone else, especially out of jealousy, was as unnecessary as it was predictable. Damien's overprotectiveness knew no bounds, even though her blind date with Gabriel had been a complete dead end.‘Typical overbearing Damien Cross.’After the doctors left, Eva found herself sinking into boredom. The day dragged on, and as the sun set, casting long shadows across the pristine roo
“Who is the person? Is it someone I know?" “No, you don't." Oliver's eyes narrowed. “You said the person is important? Like… a woman?”Damien was surprised by Oliver's question as he turned to look at the boy. She? It suddenly hit Damien at the moment that he probably still had some of Eva's floral feminine scent on him and Oliver's dog nose already smelled it.“It is a woman, right? Why is she at the hospital?” Oliver continues to question.Damien sighed. “Yes.”“Why was she hurt?” “Because she’s clumsy,” Damien replied, his patience wearing thin.Oliver's questions continued unabated until Damien zhot him a sharp glare. “Enough, Oliver. Go back inside. I have work and can't answer all your questions.”“But-" Oliver was about to protest but he couldn't anymore when Damien shot him another glare.“Alright, Big Boss...I'll stop asking questions…" There was no other expression on Oliver's face than the expression that made him look like a neglected child yearning for his mother's lov
A faint smirk played at the corner of Damien's lips. The answer didn’t surprise him in the slightest. Velvet Vipers was infamous for managing low-level gangs to handle their dirty work—robbery, intimidation, and petty abductions. While they weren’t a significant threat to someone like Damien, their audacity to target his woman made them a problem that needed eliminating.Eric, already anticipating his boss’s next move, pulled out his phone to contact the necessary people. Damien stood, slipping on his coat as he prepared to leave. His work here was done for now.Just as he turned toward the exit, he noticed Oliver sulking in the corner, his hands gripping the knife tightly as he muttered under his breath.Damien approached the young man and rested a hand on his head. “You did well,” he said simply before walking towards the room exit. He didn't need to see the expression on his face for he already knew Oliver would be brimming with joy.As expected, Oliver's face lit up instantly, his
Eric immediately set up a chair for his boss, and Damien sat down, crossing one leg over the other. He leaned back, his expression a cold mask of control.“Then let’s begin.”“Why did you and your men target my woman?” Damien asked, his voice calm but laced with deadly intent.The man’s trembling intensified as he stuttered, “W-we were hired… Just told to rough her up, n-not kill her!”“Who hired you?” Damien’s tone darkened. He wasn't sure if the person behind what happened to Eva was one of his enemies and rivals. Maybe they found out about Eva and tried to use her against him.“I-I don’t know…” the man sammered, his words faltering under Damien's piercing glare.Wrong answer.Damien frowned, the subtle movement sending a ripple of terror through the room. Oliver’s grin faded, replaced by a cold, sinister expression. He turned his sharp gaze toward the prisoner, who whimpered at the realization that he had failed.The dim, flickering light overhead cast sinister shadows across the ro
“Big Boss! Mr. Eric! You’re here!” Oliver exclaimed, bounding toward them with unrestrained glee. His high-pitched voice carried an unsettling enthusiasm, a jarring contrast to the gruesome scene.“Look, Big Boss, do you like it?” he gestured to the mangled man with the pride of an artist unveiling their masterpiece. His manic grin stretched wide, eyes gleaming with a deranged joy. “This one was fun to play with.”Oliver wasn't someone people could trifle with. He was insane and wouldn't hesitate at the idea of skinning a man alive or brutally mutilating them. As long as it made Damien happy, he would do it.Damien's expression remained unreadable as his gaze swept over the prisoner’s broken body. Skin flayed in neat squares, fingers severed, and nails torn off. Oliver's handiwork was as meticulous as it was horrific.Oliver’s grin widened as he gestured to the man. “See how cooperative he is now? I just had to give him the proper motivation. Isn’t it perfect, Boss? Do you like it?” h
Underground BaseDrip. Drop. Drip. Drop. The faint echo of liquid splattering against the cold, unyielding cement reverberated through the vast underground labyrinth.The air was suffocatingly heavy, saturated with the metallic tang of blood and the putrid stench of decay. The dim lighting barely illuminated the grime-coated walls, their surfaces smeared with dark stains that told stories of torment. Rusted metal bars bore blotches of dried crimson, and the distant groans of agony twisted through the eerie silence like mournful ghosts. If one strained to listen, muffled screams pierced the oppressive quiet, drifting from the far end of the pitch-black hallway.Two figures emerged at the base’s entrance, their presence sending a chilling wave through the already frigid atmosphere. The prisoners in the cells froze mid-breath, fear carving deep lines into their faces. The rhythmic echo of their footsteps grew louder, a cadence of doom that tightened throats and sent shivers racing down s