**********“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
After she left, Dylan turned his attention to the secretary sitting behind her desk. “That lady isn't the type of person you need to ask if she has any appointments with the chairman before you let her in. Even if you are doing your job, you should inform the chairman immediately next time she comes here.” He instructed. He could tell that the secretary was not allowing Eva to enter, that was why he had met her outside.“I understand, sir." The secretary quickly bowed her head at Dylan watching him walk away.Inside the office, Eva entered after she got permission from Lawrence to enter when she knocked on the door.“Hi, Grandpa Smith." Eva greeted, a smile on her face as she walked in. She saw Lawrence sitting behind his desk as usual and his personal assistant standing in front of him.“Oh, Eva. What brought you here? You didn't tell me you were going to visit today." Lawrence asked gesturing Eva to sit down on the couch in the office.“I didn't plan to as well. I just came here to
She was at a banquet and was drunk out of her mind, causing a hysterical scene. At the time, Mark had brought Christine as his partner to the banquet, making everyone in the party surprised by his sudden choice of partner when Eva was supposed to be his partner. It was at that moment Eva started to believe her own theory that Mark and Christine had something going on together. Noticing that guests were starting to think that Christine could be the love of his life and that the bond between him and Eva was nothing more than ink on paper.Heartbroken and thinking irrationally, she had confronted Mark about why he had brought Christine as his partner and refused to bring her along when she was his fiancee. Mark's response to her was that he didn't think Eva would want to, since she didn't seem to value him by her side.Not understanding the ploy Mark was pulling on her, she declared to him she was willing to do anything to get him back as her partner in the party in order to say her fac
************On her way to the Cross Enterprise, Eva couldn't help but wonder if it would be weird to directly stroll into the Cross Enterprise building to deliver something to their CEO.A definite voice in the back of her mind was quick to speak up and reprimand her for being so dumb. "Yes, idiot. It would be weird." She said to herself, blaming her delirious thoughts on the fact that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. Why didn't she think about this thoroughly before telling Lawrence that she would take it.There was no going back now, since she had already collected the document. “I definitely haven't been thinking straight ever since I woke up from that damn nightmare." She muttered under her breath. Unconsciously, she thought back to the dream she had and it was about her getting humiliated in public by Mark while she became the joke that had everyone insulting and mocking her.‘ I don't deserve to be treated like that. Even if I'm an evil person, I shouldn't be brought down like tha
Eva sighed was aware that like most big companies, the structure of Cross Enterprise would be similar to the one in her grandfather’s company. The higher one’s office was located in the building, the more powerful and outstanding their position was. Aside from the people from the security team, only the receptionists were on the ground floor and they were usually rankless.She knew that if anyone adhered to her request, it would result in their immediate expulsion and they could also possibly be blacklisted.Eva knew it would be pointless to continue pestering the receptionist and saw the obvious relief on the receptionist’s face when she politely thanked her without making any unreasonable demands.With another heavy sigh, she could only walk away and think of an alternative. But she didn’t want all her effort to be in vain, so she pulled out her phone and saw if there was anyone she could call that wasn’t Damien. Probably she would have to call Lawrence to help her out since his inf
Cross Enterprise, Top Floor"Where is the report that the boss wanted this morning?""It’s being photocopied right now and will take two more minutes-""We can’t afford those two minutes. He wants it now!""It’s not like I can rush the machine!""Well, do something about it!"The employees on the top floor scrambled to get all of their paperwork done as soon as possible. The usually quiet and organized office was in complete chaos. Since yesterday, their boss had become more demanding and unpredictable. Everyone was kept on their toes at the idea that they would suddenly get fired."Why is the coffee machine not working today out of all days. The boss wants his coffee and he wants it now!" A secretary cried out in panic, unable to work with the stress and pressure on her shoulders. The separate room for Damien’s personal team was doubly chaotic with people fighting over who gets to use the copy machine first, and people walking back and forth to compile files from their report.“I tho
When Racheal got to the front of Damien's office, she nodded her head politely and sweetly greeted Mary who was sitting behind her desk.“Hello, Mrs. Mary." She greeted her mentor. “Ah, Rachel, it's you. I see that the others have prepared what the boss asked for and they've made you the scapegoat again.” Mary gestured at the files and documents she was holding. She was already aware of the nature of Damien's personal team workers."Haha, I guess so.” "Anyways, you can drop them here. I will take it to him.” Mary replied, gesturing to her to drop everything on her desk."No, I can take it to him. You seem busy as well.” Racheal shook her head. "Okay then, just be careful Racheal. The boss isn’t in a good mood this morning." Mary warned her."I know." She slowly nodded and made her way to the office before knocking on the door.Just then, a gruff voice can be heard from inside the room. "Come in."She pushed the door open while balancing a stack of paper on one hand and a cup of cof
Racheal snuck a glance at her handsome boss. She always thought it was strange how he treated her better than most of his employees. Her colleagues had all pointed it out before. They would tease her that it was because he liked her since she was never in danger of being fired or harshly scolded. Not even the Ice King, Eric and the Sky king, Shane, had disciplined her before!Unknowingly to her, both Shane and Eric had only ignored her mistakes because they knew their boss’s plan of organically growing his own subordinates.Damien only favored her a bit more than the rest of his secretaries because her behavior and attitude truly resemble that stubborn child from the past…Racheal bent down a bit to properly examine the contract. "Oh, there’s another one here." She said, pointing to the top of the page. Her hair fell beside her face, and she pushed it back, revealing her tiny face and sharp jawline. With her neckline revealed, a soft and sweet scent exuded from her, but Damien didn’t
Eva tried to push him away, but Damien effortlessly pulled her back, pressing her body into his chest, solid as a wall. “I don’t have enough experience for that,” she muttered, her gaze shifting away to hide her embarrassment. She was skilled in many things, but kissing wasn’t one of them.At her admission, a surge of possessiveness coursed through Damien. His voice was firm and resolute as he said, “You don’t need experience. I’ll teach you.” His dark eyes held a depth of devotion that sent shivers down her spine.Eva thought he was joking, but the intensity in his gaze told her otherwise. Reluctantly, she smirked, “Alright, have it your way.”Seeing her compliance, his lips curved into a contented smile that only brightened his mood further.“"I have somewhere to take you," Damien said, his deep voice drawing Eva’s attention.She glanced up at him, her curiosity piqued, but instead of asking questions, she handed him her purse and cell phone without hesitation. "Hold this for me," s
The next morning, when Eva woke up, she let out a sigh as her eyes landed on the empty side of the bed.Last night, Damien had called to inform her that he wouldn’t be able to come home due to some work he needed to handle at the office.Even though she didn’t argue with him, Eva couldn’t help but feel that his absence was because he was still upset about their disagreement the previous afternoon. Regardless, she missed his presence deeply.Little did she know, Damien’s absence was part of a carefully planned surprise.After her morning routine, Eva dressed in a simple white top paired with black jeans, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs. Her mind was set on going to Elite Entertainment for a meeting.However, when she reached the staircase, her eyes widened in surprise. Standing near the entrance of the living room was a tall and lean figure, exuding casual elegance.“Damien…?” she murmured, his name slipping from her lips before she could even think.He turned, a pastel blue box
"Wait, really?!" Nathalia squealed, her sorrowful tone vanishing in an instant, replaced by over-the-top excitement. Usually, she had to scream, throw tantrums, and threaten to hold her breath until she turned blue to get her brother to relent."On one condition," Damien said, impressed by her earlier accomplishments. If anyone understood Eva best, it was his obnoxious little sister."What is it? Is it about that boy toy? Don’t worry, I kicked him to the curb ages ago! I have already turned into a new leaf, in fact, I now have a boyfriend. He is a CEO and very good, someday I will introduce him to you. Just tell me anything you want me to do.” Nathalia wagged her metaphorical tail, eager to agree to anything."Have you spoken to Eva recently?"The question caught Nathalia off guard. She almost blurted, Of course I did! But thanks to you, I can't speak to my friend for long. But she lacked Eva’s boldness, so she replied, "No. Why?""Never mind. You’re useless too," Damien muttered, rea
Shane sighed, reaching into his briefcase to pull out another ready-to-use phone, already preloaded with all the necessary information from the previous one. "Is something the matter, Boss?" he asked cautiously, his words slow and deliberate, as though treading on thin ice. He handed the new phone to Damien with both hands, his posture tense.Damien inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly, attempting to calm the storm brewing within him. He understood why she had hung up. She didn’t want to escalate things, especially not after their most recent argument.Damien, who had little knowledge of relationships or how they worked, turned sharply to Shane, a scowl etched onto his perfectly chiseled face. "How's your relationship with your fiancée?"Shane blinked in confusion, his usually composed demeanor faltering. His expression went blank as if he hadn't heard the question correctly. Scratching the back of his head, he stammered, "P……pardon my incompetence, Boss, …could you repe
Eva exhaled deeply, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as Damien's words echoed in her mind. She hadn’t meant for the conversation to spiral into this, but his response had struck a nerve she hadn’t realized was so raw.He doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say. He keeps assuming I don’t see him as my husband. Damn it, of course, he’s everything anyone could want in a husband—perfect, dependable, and... maddeningly oblivious! she cursed inwardly, frustration bubbling beneath her calm exterior.What Eva truly wanted, though she could never bring herself to say it, was for Damien to ask her out the traditional way—a formal, heartfelt gesture that would solidify their relationship in the way she longed for. But she was too proud, too stubborn, to admit it aloud. Instead, she had resorted to subtle hints, hoping he’d pick up on them and take the next step.Yet Damien, with all his intelligence and sharp instincts, was painfully oblivious when it came to matters of the heart. He
After finishing her meal with Kai, Eva was ready to head home but paused, noting how bright the afternoon still was. Her grandfather’s words from their call replayed in her mind: Damien bought you a property.The curiosity nagged at her. Should she ask Damien about it? What if he thought she was being too demanding? After a few minutes of careful deliberation, she decided to call.The phone barely rang once before Damien picked up. His voice was calm but tinged with concern. “Eva, are you okay?”In the executive meeting room, heads turned in astonishment. Their boss, who usually disregarded calls during meetings, had not only answered his phone but done so without hesitation. His phone, typically kept out of reach, now sat prominently on the table—a change that hadn’t gone unnoticed.Eva hesitated briefly. “I’m fine, Damien. It’s nothing serious. I just wanted to ask you something.”“Go on,” he encouraged, his tone soft and attentive.“Well…” she began cautiously, unsure how to phrase
“Did Dustin Banks insist you attend the banquet, or was it your grandfather?” Kai asked, his tone laced with curiosity. It puzzled him why Lawrence couldn’t attend the event himself. Sure, the man was getting older, but didn’t he just make an appearance at a similar event three months ago? What has changed now?Eva blinked at the question, momentarily taken aback. She hadn’t thought about it in depth before, but now that Kai mentioned it, the whole situation did seem odd. Why was her grandpa Smith so adamant about her attending in his stead?“Now that you mention it, I’m not too sure,” Eva admitted, her brows furrowing as she contemplated it. She took a bite of the beef she had prepared, the flavors melting in her mouth, followed by a sip of soup to balance it out.Kai went quiet, his thoughts running wild as he considered different possibilities. His sharp eyes rested on Eva, who was too preoccupied with her food to notice his gaze.Even as she ate, there was an undeniable elegance t
Arriving at Elite EntertainmentThe sleek glass doors of Elite Entertainment gleamed in the morning sunlight as Eva stepped out of her car. The reception area buzzed with activity, but the moment she entered, heads turned. Being one of the agency’s most prominent models, Eva’s presence never went unnoticed.Ignoring the whispers, she made her way to the elevator, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Moments later, she was stepping into Kai’s office, where he sat behind his massive desk, engrossed in a document.“Kai,” Eva greeted, her voice drawing his attention.He looked up, his sharp eyes softening slightly when he saw her. “Eva. What brings you here so early?”Eva placed the container of food on the small glass table with a sly smile. “Bribery.”Kai raised an eyebrow. “Bribery for what?”“For what I’m about to tell you,” she replied, sitting down on one of the couches in his office mini living room.Intrigued, Kai leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “This shoul
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the Miami sky in shades of orange and purple, Eva leaned back on her couch, flipping through a stack of papers. Her phone buzzed on the table beside her, and she glanced at the caller ID. “Grandpa Smith,” she answered with a smile as she picked up the call. “Eva, my dear, how are you feeling?” Lawrence’s warm, deep voice came through. His concern was evident, as always. “You’ve been overworking yourself lately, haven’t you? Tell me, how’s your health?” “I’m fine, Grandpa,” Eva assured him, her voice was light and soothing. “I’ve been careful, and I’m almost fully recovered. There’s no need to worry.” “Good, good,” Lawrence replied, though his tone suggested he wasn’t fully convinced. “I just wanted to check up on you—and remind you about the banquet. I assume you’ve prepared for it?” Eva chuckled softly. “Of course, Grandpa. I wouldn’t dare forget something so important. I’m getting everything ready, and I’ll be there on time.” “Good