“You missed again. Has your hand become so weak lately that you can't aim properly anymore?" Kai said with a taunting smile on his face. "You this crazy man, you're just trying to anger me to death." Nathalia huffed and puffed as she glared at him. “You know, somehow Kai is a little bit right with what he said." Eva suddenly commented, though she was now lying on the couch, not caring about her image or whatsoever. “What? You're going to support this thing now?!” Nathalia pointed at Kai who had a victory smile on his face. “It's not about supporting or not, I'm just telling the truth. We women tend to mistake our obsession for something as love and in the end we get hurt by the same thing we're so obsessed with.” She calmly replied, turning to look at Nathalia while still lying on the couch. Besides, she was speaking from experience. "But, those words shouldn't be coming out from a man that doesn't have a girlfriend to begin with.” Nathalia clearly knew what Eva was talking
After a while of laughing and joking with eachother, Kai turned to look at Eva who was busy skimming through the magazine she had picked up from the table. “Eva, the press conference will be held tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" He suddenly asked. Eva didn't close the magazine she was looking at even when she heard him. "I'm cool with it.” She calmly replied. She knew there was definitely going to be another at the press conference but was prepared for it. "Woah! Just look at that calm demeanor. It seems like our Eva had gone to re-polish herself. You're always a person that shouldn't be messed with in the past but now you look way calmer and collected with the way you handle things.” Kai couldn't help but remark, his eyes flashing with admiration. Eva rolled her eyes at him when she heard him. He was obviously teasing her and she didn't want to reply to him. Remembering something, Eva suddenly closed the magazine and sat up on the couch and faced Nathalia who was busy scrollin
After a while, Eva was done giving Nathalia a brief explanation of what the contract was all about. “Gosh, I knew he was crazy but didn't realize that he was completely mad." Nathalia sighed as he rubbed her forehead. She can't imagine what kind of hardship her best friend would have to go through to achieve this kind of task. Damien, he was not human and can resist anything not to talk of woman flirting. He also wanted a child from her best friend which she understood where he was coming from in that aspect. She was aware of her parents, mostly her mother and her maternal grandfather keep pressuring Damien lately to get married and have a child. That was even one of the reasons she and Edwin had been avoiding going to see her parents because they didn't want their mother to turn her attention on them and start nagging them as well. In fact, she had been ignoring her mother's call lately because she had been caught in a stupid scandal recently and her mother had been calling her
She knew Kai was right, it would easily take effect on a normal man but Damien wasn't normal. She's sure that he wouldn't feel anything if she was naked though he had seen her naked before but that was because she was drunk and he was drugged. “They can work but it depends on the man you want to seduce like I said." Kai replied. " I wouldn't get smitten by these mere tricks if it's used on me.” He added. "Alright, the man in question is my husband.” Eva finally revealed. “What?!!" Kai jolted up like he was shocked by electricity when he Eva. He quickly sat up and looked at Eva in bewilderment. Taking the opportunity that he had gotten up, Nathalia quickly placed the bottle of juice down and seized the opportunity to lay her head on Eva's lap this time. Both Eva and Kai wanted to say something when they saw Nathalia's action but they were interrupted by her before they could speak. “You heard her right, sweetie. She's married. Which means you're the only certified loner among us."
“So, did you think I'm way more handsome than your new boyfriend?” Kai asked, folding his arm in front of his chest as he looked at Nathalia. “Geez! What did you think of yourself? Of course, my Stanley is way hotter than you are and even more looking." Nathalia replied, which was obviously a lie. Although Stanley was handsome and looked older than Kai by a year or two since he was in his early thirties and Kai was about the same age as Edwin- her older brother who was twenty nine years old. Compared to that Kai was even very much older than both she and Eva by four or five years. That aside, despite Stanley being handsome, he still couldn't be compared with Kai who was on another different level of handsome. “Is that so?" Kai raised his brow at her response. He hadn't seen Stanley before so he wasn't sure if she was saying the truth or not. “Yeah. Come to think of it, both of you share the same surnames." Nathalia suddenly remarked, she was just realizing that now. “But you st
Meanwhile, the people in the elevator glanced at her with an incredulous expression on their face. They were wondering if this woman had a death wish or a desire to go to jail. It must've been both, for she pressed the button to the highest floor that the elevator could go to. The higher up the floors, the higher up the position. Just who the hell was this woman? They were unable to tell that Eva was the same woman that had been trending online and internet lately because she was wearing a face mask and dark shade sunglasses. "Uhm, excuse me—" Eva trailed off as she turned to glance at the people behind her. "I believe this is your floor," She curtly said, stepping aside to let the people behind her out. She quietly watched as they exchanged glances, then looked at the floor she was going to stop at, and finally, they said nothing. Eventually, the employees all exited the elevator. They muttered amongst themselves and quickly called the security downstairs to notify them of her
And he had to say, his boss was using a cunning way with Eva to get what he wants. He knew about Damien's real intention with this marriage between Eva and Damien and also his purpose as well. Poor thing. For some reason, Eva felt awkward in the elevator with Shane. She sensed that he was thinking about something which was obviously related to her but she can't point it out. “What about Eric?" She suddenly asks, making Shane snap out of his thoughts and turn to look at her. After all, it was Eric she met the last time she visited and he still owes her something and that was for locking her up in Damien's office during her last visit. “Boss sent him on an errand." He replied. Of course, Eva would know Eric because they must have met some time ago when he was away to carry out the task Damien gave him. “I see." She slowly nodded her head, still holding the paper bag in her hand. "What brought Miss Eva here?” It was Shane's turn to ask this time and he took a glance at the bag in h
Shane held back a laugh, choking it down with a cough. He cleared his throat behind a fist, but his lips threatened to break out into a smile. "Get out." Damien jutted his chin towards the door. Chloe scoffed again. "I've made the journey all the way from the mall as your Director. At least look at the reports I've painstakingly crafted for you." Eva quietly stared at Chloe. She was the same woman she had seen at the mall a few weeks ago when both she and Nathalia went out to buy a dress for the Grason patriarch's birthday banquet. She is Chloe Patson according to Nathalia. Being the Director of one of the most successful malls in the country was quite a status to achieve. Her attention shifted to the way the sunlight fell on Chloe's bright blond hair and beautiful ocean blue eyes. Even though she was obviously more beautiful than Chloe, she felt this woman was capable of making a man fall beneath her feet. She wondered if Damien was also attracted to this kind woman. ‘Didn’t
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