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
"Miss, please allow me to introduce this house’s butler. This is Mr. Lee, you can ask him whatever you need." Shane introduced the old man to Eva.So he’s a butler? Eva wasn’t sure how to react so she bowed at him as a sign of respect to the elder when the two men’s eyes suddenly widened. If it was the past Evangeline, she wouldn't have bothered to show this level of respect, but given the fact that she had changed and the old man was an elderly man almost around the same age as her grandfather, she couldn't help but bow."No, no. Please don’t do that Miss. The precious wife of our young master shouldn’t bow to a mere butler like me." The old man looks so apologetic while Eva doesn’t know whether she was supposed to laugh or cry."By the way Miss, the young master, I mean, your husband will be arriving back to the country in a week." Shane told her then he asked the butler to tour her around the mansion. He handed Eva's suitcase to one of the maids before getting into the car and dro
“A little bit of brightness should brighten up this dark room.” Eva muttered as she drew the thick curtains open. And just as she predicted, the thick curtain was blocking the brightness from entering the room. Although the sun was already setting and it was getting to evening time, but she was still thankful that the little brightness alightend the room.After a few minutes of shamelessly checking out everything in the big room, Eva finally landed herself in the walk-in closet which was packed and filled with men's suits, pants, ties, shoes and wrist watches. “As expected of a tycoon." Eva smirked, she could easily guess each and every piece of clothing and accessories in the walk-in closet were worth a fortune. “That must be where the maids placed my suitcase." She sighted her suitcase in a corner and walked towards it. After she was fine exploring the room, Eva decided to take another shower to wash off the sweats from her body. A few moments later, she was done in the bathroom
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