"Look at me." He ordered, not wanting her to jump to conclusions anymore.She refused to listen and dared to look away from him, making a loud "Hmph!"His eyes narrowed when he saw how stubborn and childish she was behaving."There is a limit to my patience." He warned her, despite the fact that his brain was screaming at him for saying something so foolish. Was there a limit to his patience? Yes. But was there a limit when it came to this daring girl in front of him? There was none.A simple rejection like this was enough to cause a sharp stabbing pain to spread in his chest. But regardless of his frustration, the overwhelming affection he had for her was enough to suppress his anger.The moment she had stepped foot in his office, it seemed that the sleepless night he had endured with her running through his mind had vanished. It was then that he realized just how much of a tight grip she had on his heart."I don’t care about your stupid patience. Let me out!" She demanded, refusing
“I-I came here to deliver this to you directly.” She mumbled gently." Is that so?” With that said, he dragged her towards the couch and sat down while placing her on his lap. Even though he spoke coldly and indifferently to her, he still treated her gently with care.“You came in with an envelope. What did you want to show me?" He asked her, pulling back a bit to finally give her some space. But he didn’t let her go very far and kept her securely seated on his lap."Let go of me first. We can talk on the couch." She told him as she awkwardly squirmed on his lap, wanting to sit on her own. She tugged at his arms that had caged her in and kept her from moving.His gaze darkened as desire filled him. Did she not realize that she was sitting on a delicate part of his body?"You can tell me what it is right here." He said to her, refusing to let go."How can you read like this?" She rolled her eyes as she referred to their position, leaving almost no room for anything to come in between.
Damien easily shifted Eva from his lap to sit beside him before he stood up from the couch and assisted Eva up to her feet again. “What are you trying to do now?" Eva raised a brow and asked him.Damien ignored her question and walked with her to his big desk. He sat down on the black enormous, emperor looking chair and pulled Eva again to sit on his laps.“What are you doing, Mr. Cross?" She asked again, trying to release his grip off her but to no avail as she was sitting on his lap again. She had an inkling of what he was trying to do but couldn't help but ask.“I have to work." Damien curtly replied."Okay, I understand that. But why did you drag me here? Since you have work to do then I will just go now. Besides, I've already handed in what I came here for.” Eva spoke, she tried to stand up again but Damien's grip around her was firm, making her sigh in helplessness.“Don't be stubborn and stay still. I have to confirm what you brought.” Damien gently muttered very close to her
"I don't want rumours to get out if your employees misunderstood that we are doing dirty things in your office. People might think I seduced you into collaborating on a project with Smith Enterprise!” She said, referring to the fact that she walked into Cross Enterprise without an appointment and even asked the receptionist to deliver an envelope to the CEO."I will fire anyone who dares to badmouth you. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you could seduce me to accept proposals. How about we start now?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her to him with a grin on his face.Eva sighed in her head, knowing that she would be entering the dragon's cave if she eventually married Damien but she had no choice. "Let go of me and let the employee in. It must be something urgent." She said and pushed his chest for distance."It better be." He grumbled something under his breath. He was prepared to not only have the employees who dared to interrupt him fired but cut off the employees he
************Just as Eva arrived and parked her car in the parking lot of her apartment building, she received a phone call from her grandfather, making her raise a brow at why the old man was calling her.She picked up the call before she stepped out of the car. However, before she could even greet him, he had already started speaking."What are you doing at Cross Enterprise?" He didn’t bother beating around the bush and decided to confront her on the most pressing issue.Eva frowned at his words. She couldn’t help but look around for his people, but alas, they were well-hidden. She figured one of her hidden bodyguards reported to him but she didn’t think they would move this fast."You always seem to skip the greetings, grandfather. That’s not polite." She said, twirling a strand of her hair."Greetings are pointless phrases to establish a good relationship. We already have one, why establish it further?" He told her, his words an obvious stab to Julian who always greeted him. The p
Eva glanced at the time on her cellphone before she stood up from the bed and stretched her body. After stretching her body a little bit, she started arranging the bed and pillow since she had enough time left to do that before she left. She grabbed her towel after she was done and made her way to the bathroom to take her bath. A few moments later, Eva walked out of the bathroom dressed in her bathrobe and strolled to her large wardrobe and opened it. Her eyes scanned through the clothes she had in there and a small scowl appeared on her face. Despite having a full wardrobe filled with clothes, Eva felt none of the dresses was suitable for her to wear.“How come none of the dresses here are suitable to wear? Should I have gone shopping for clothes yesterday?” Eva mumbled under her breath as she traced a few dresses with her hand.“Don’t be ridiculous Evangeline. It’s not a big deal. There is nothing to be worried about, there are enough clothes for you to wear.” she chastised herself
She couldn't help but wonder if she was making the right choice at this moment. A part of her was still terrified about the thought of getting married. Anytime she thought about what happened to her nine months ago on her wedding day it scared her and that was one of the reasons why she had tried to Damien desperately after he made the offer of marriage to her but he was unavoidable.‘Eva, take it easy. This isn't a real wedding, it's just a contract marriage about two people getting married for their benefits. It's not going to be like the last one because there is no ceremony, you just have to go to the Civil Affairs Office and get the marriage certificate.’ Eva thought to herself. ‘Don’t be delusional, marriage is marriage. How are you so sure of yourself that Damien wouldn't disappoint you just like Mark did.’ she had the voice of the little devil in her head. “Young Miss, we are here." Eva snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the voice of the driver. She looked outside th
‘Don’t be disappointed Eva, if you take a proper look at this situation this is just a marriage of convenience.’ Eva thought to herself.After asking that question, she remained silent and didn't utter anything other than just staring out of the window. Shane peeked at the silent Eva through the rearview mirror and saw how gloomy her expression was. For some reason he felt pity and guilt for Eva. “Are you okay, Mrs. Cross?" He suddenly asked. Eva turned to look at him with a raised brow, she was surprised and not used to the name he addressed her with. For a second she actually forgot that she was married and her name would automatically change from Carter to Cross. “I am. And please just address me the way you used to. I'm not used to that title yet." Eva quietly replied, turning back to stare out of the window. “I'm sorry, Miss Eva." Shane apologized in a guilty tone, making Eva turn to look at him again and this time she had a small scowl on her face." Why are you suddenly ap
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
"U-uhm, Boss?" Clara noticed he had been spacing out for quite a while.She couldn't deny the appeal of her worldly boss whose face resembled the statues tucked away in museums. His face was the polar opposite of his personality. His clean-cut appearance was amplified by the fact that he was smoking.In the dim room where the cigarette smoke was more prominent, his eyes were slightly squinted, sharp jaw clenched, and ruffled hair giving off a very dangerous type of man — the kind you wanted to convert into good."Clean my office." Mark flicked the ashes off of his cigarette.Because of the scandal, he had been having issues with Christine nonstop the past few days, with this morning being their worst… Today was not a good day for him."I'll contact the Janitor right away—""I don't have the time to wait for the janitor. Do it yourself." He commanded her, his tone not leaving any room for discussion.Disgruntled at his request, but with no option to disobey it, Clara could only grit he