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
George raised a brow upon hearing that. Hazed state? Did something happen to her?He turned towards Julian and wrote down on a piece of paper to investigate what happened to her last night.Nodding at his command, Julian quickly grabbed his phone to call their team in Miami to dig out what happened to Eva. After a while, he spoke up again. "Will you do it again?" He asked her. He knew she could easily lie to him and say no, but he had enough trust in her to believe she wouldn’t attempt to break another promise."I can’t say I never will. But I will try my hardest not to drink any alcohol unless I’m under the supervision of someone I can trust." She truthfully said, not wanting to make another promise she couldn’t uphold.At her words, George felt his lips twitch. She didn’t lie to him, nor did she promise him anything. That was what he expected of her. "Do you remember what you did when you were drunk?"Eva paused at his words, thinking back to her hazy memories. She faintly remember
When the two people noticed the presence of people in the room, they quickly broke off from each other's grasp. Mark's lips tilted up to a pleasant smile when he saw Damien. "Mr. Cross, you’re here." He greeted, happily walking up to him to shake hands but one of Damien's security details came forward to prevent any contact.Mark’s eyes twitched at the disrespect as he ruthlessly scanned the men in his path. "What is going on?"Damien ignored his question and brushed past his men. He disdainfully eyed Christine who was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. Her off-shoulder silk top was low and revealed too much cleavage and she was wearing a short skirt. The sight of her only grossed him the most.Eric was also surprised by her unprofessional attire. His boss had also ordered him to dig into her past, and he quickly realized that she had zero notable talents, except being a model which was due to her older sister's help. This was a professional meeting regarding a contract worth
Christine flinched at his harsh words, tears building up in her eyes. She didn’t think of herself as a mistress. Mark came onto her first and he ignored all of her protests! Instead, Eva should be the one called that because she was the one who was supposed to marry Mark before Eva came and stole her chancemWhy did she have to look like the bad guy when all she did was help him escape a loveless marriage? So what if that crazy woman , called her sister, was in love with her Mark ? Did he have to love everyone that loved him?! He willingly proposed to her and not to that woman!"Yes, but she’s only a mistress if she was the other woman in my current relationship-""She was the other woman in your previous one." Damien boredly said."She’s also an eyesore. If you want to discuss business, get her out of here." Damien added the final blow, motioning security to step forward.It took every fiber within Mark’s body to prevent his jaw from dropping to the floor at Damien’s insult."And her
"This is a proposal for a resort. Why are you approaching Cross Enterprise instead of Smith Enterprise?" Damien lifted his head, a listless expression on his face.Mark’s smile instantly faltered a bit at the blunt question. Why else? Smith Enterprise had already rejected him! "Currently, Johnson Corporations does not have a good relationship with Smith Enterprise at the moment."Damien didn’t need him to say it because he already knew the truth. But to him, since Mark knew that he had screwed up, it was satisfying to know. Mark should’ve just left his stubborn little kitten alone by calling off the wedding between the two families gently. Instead, he crossed the line and went as far as to humiliate and embarrass her in a public place."But that is not the only reason why this proposal was rejected in the first place." Damien remarked with a straight and blank face making it hard to tell what he was thinking. A smirk which was invisible appeared on his face when he saw Mark's baffled
"No amount of money can buy my loyalty to my boss." Eric disdainfully said, sizing Mark up and down. He could not help but wonder why his boss would fall for a woman who had once fallen in love with this kind of man. What does it say about her taste? And his boss’s preference?!Clara handed over Mark's checkbook and he wrote down a check for ten million. He waved it in front of Eric who seemed unfazed by the seven zeros."Ten million."Eric turned on his heels and was about to open the door when Clara stepped in front of it, blocking the exit."Twenty million." Mark doubled the amount without hesitation. Ten million or twenty million meant nothing to him because if the proposal gets approved, Johnson Corporations would be raking in at least a few billion annually!"Tell your secretary to step aside or else brute force would have to be used." Eric glanced down at the petite woman in front of him.Clara felt her back stiffen and her body clenched in fear when she looked into her older
**********“You're late." Damien, who was sitting behind his desk in his office remarked when Eric strolled in."I apologize, boss, I had to take care of something that came up." It was as if a switch had been flickered within Eric's brain because, at the sight of his boss, he was no longer the fearsome man who mocked CEO Mark and beat up his bodyguards. In his place was a respectful and loyal secretary who was willing to risk his life for his boss.Damien raised a brow and glanced at Eric's appearance. Not a single hair was out of place, but he saw his slightly scratched knuckle and already knew what had happened. "I hope that giant pest was taken care of?""I’m afraid not. Those weren’t my orders so I only took care of the underlings of the scum." Eric apologetically said, his shoulders slightly hunched over in disappointment. Boss wanted him to hurt Mark? Why didn’t he say so sooner?"Mm, that’s alright. Dealing with them head-on would be swift and easy, but the consequences will b
The sound of glass shattering echoed through the luxurious hotel suite as Christine hurled a vase across the room. Her chest heaved with rage, her nails digging into her palms as she glared at the headlines flashing on her phone screen. Her latest scheme to ruin Eva’s reputation had backfired, and instead of dragging her sister through the mud, she had only strengthened Eva’s position. Every carefully placed trap had been countered, every lie had been exposed. Christine had never felt so powerless. Sitting on the couch, Tanya crossed her legs and sighed, watching Christine throw another decorative piece to the floor. She had been working with Christine for years now, and while she had always known that Christine despised Eva, it was becoming clear that this wasn’t just about competition anymore. ‘It was an obsession’ she thought. Tanya remained silent as Christine raged, knowing full well that any attempt to calm her down would only make things worse. Instead, she waited for the
— That evening, Eva arrived at the mansion, feeling a strange sense of relief as she stepped inside. After staying in a hotel for so long, returning here felt like coming home—not just because of the place but because of who was waiting for her. She slipped off her heels and sighed, stretching her sore muscles. Just as she was about to call out, a deep, familiar voice came from the living room. “Took you long enough.” She turned and found Damien leaning against the doorway, watching her with that quiet intensity that always made her heart skip a beat. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie loosened, and despite the exhaustion she knew he must have felt from his long day, there was a softness in his gaze reserved only for her. A slow smile spread across her lips. “Miss me?” she teased, walking toward him. Instead of answering, Damien reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. His embrace was warm, steady—like an anchor. Eva let out a soft breath as she melted into his hold, re
—-- Meanwhile, at Cross Enterprise, Damien was already aware of the situation. Sitting in his office, he scanned the online articles, his expression darkening. Christine had dared to attack Eva through the media, hoping to cause irreparable damage. Big mistake. Damien didn’t tolerate anyone trying to harm what was his. Without hesitation, he placed the tablet down and looked at Eric. “Tell the PR team to shut it down,” he ordered. “And make sure every major outlet retracts the story and destroys whatever companies are involved in this scandal.” Eric frowned slightly when he heard his boss. Again he was trying to protect Eva all again. However, he couldn’t voice out his displeasure so he quietly nodded his head. “Yes, sir.” Within an hour, the suspicious articles started disappearing. Gossip blogs that had been flooded with scandalous headlines were suddenly quiet. Comments under posts were being flooded with contradictions. The narrative was crumbling before Christine’s eyes.
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