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
Chloe was shocked again, but forced herself to nod her head. She was blown away by this woman. Just then, she realized the trespasser wasn't thrown out like a wet sock. Being schooled like this in front of the person she had worked so hard to gain his respect, her face continued to glow red. Was this stranger intentionally embarrassing her? Chloe secretly took a glance at Damien again and her heart dropped instantly. Whilst she was being scolded by some stranger, Damien's lips were curled up into a smile she rarely sees. "Well done," Damien said, his hardened voice sounding less rough. He grabbed the file and stretched it towards Shane. “Have them refix this report as well as the others I sent." He told Shane who nodded his head. Chloe felt like someone had just smatched her heart into a thousand pieces with a huge hammer. She shot a glare towards the woman. She never asked for feedback, thus, didn't appreciate this one. She tightened her grip on the report, enough to crumble th
Damien frowned before standing up from his seat and grabbed the bag and walked towards where Eva was sitting. He placed the bag on the coffee table, his tall figure towering Eva who was watching his every move. “Did you come all the way just to bring lunch for me?" He asked, his gaze burying on her before he took his seat on the single sofa next to her. “Yes." Eva nodded her head as she looked at him, hoping to hear some praise from him. “Did you come here by yourself?" He asked again. Eva shook her head before she spoke. “I asked the driver to bring me here?" “It's dangerous to wander around by yourself. Not after the drama you caused and after exposing yourself." He told her. “I know that. Don't tell me you don't appreciate me coming here to bring lunch for you?" Eva asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she peered at him. Damien didn't say anything and just stared at her quietly. He was glad that she actually thought about him and brought it for him, but he wasn
Eva stared at him for a few seconds before a thought popped into her mind. Instead of collecting the spoon from him, she leaned forward with her mouth open. She used her hand to grab his hand and pushed the spoon into her open mouth and swallowed the food. “There, are you happy now?" She asked after chewing on the food. Damien just stared at her because he wasn't expecting her to make a move like that. He simply hummed and turned his head away at Eva's question. “Hubby, I have a question to ask you?" She suddenly spoke, making Damien turn to her. "What?” " What is your favorite food?” Eva didn't waste time and asked. "None," A quick response came from Damien without thinking about it. "Oh... how about movies? Do you have one you wanted to watch?" Eva tried again. "I don’t watch movies," "Ohh... ah, sport. What’s your favorite sport?" "Nothing in particular," "Then how about celebrities?" "None," Eva was speechless. Why did it end up with a question and answer? And what’s
Damien had his eyes on her watching her movement till she stood beside him. He slowly turned his chair to face her properly since he wasn't sure what she was up to this time around. Eva bent her body down and leaned closer to Damien's face with a smile on her face before planting a small kiss on his. “Goodbye kiss." She told him and was about to straighten her body up when Damien's strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She was surprised by his actions which made her slip and sat down on his lap. “What are you-" Damien's other hand went to the back of her head and pushed her face closer to him before she could finish her sentence. “Do it properly." He replied. Just as she opened her mouth to say something again he took advantage of it and crashed his lips against hers. ‘This man, what does he think he is doing?’ Eva thought, getting lost with the way Damien was kissing her so passionately. This kiss was getting beyond what a ‘goodbye’ should be like. E
Eva sat down in the car with a smile stuck on her face when she recalled what had happened in the office with Damien. Things were getting really heated back there. ‘Should I haven't stopped him?’ She thought to herself when a mini Eva dressed in all red, a red halo floating above her head and a black trident staff in her hand appeared on her right shoulder. ‘You stupid fool! You had the chance a while ago and just let it slip off your hands. Did you know how hard I have worked to make sure of an opportunity?’ The mini devilish looking Eva scolded with a disappointed look on her face. Before Eva could reply, another mini Eva dressed in a white dress, golden halo floating above her head as well, with a white long staff in her popped out on Eva's left shoulder. ‘Don’t mind her, that is how dark minded creatures like her think. You did a great job.’ Unlike the mini devil who spoke in a harsh tone, the angel spoke in a soothing voice. ‘How dare the likes of you interfere in my business
She had her naturally wavy hair straightened and tied into a low ponytail which made her face appear cuter yet mature. Her entire outfit was completed with a black designer purse and black stilettos heels. Although she was dressed a bit cooperative today, she had purposely worn this because she had a press conference today and wanted to look more different from the way she normally looked in the past. The moment she walked out of the dressing room and saw Damien in the room, a smile appeared on her face. She walked up to him and stood in front of him, still wearing her smile. “Good morning, hubby." She greeted and moved closer to him, before tilted her head a bit and landed a kiss on his lips. Thankfully she was wearing heels, all she had to do was tip toe a bit to reach his face. She pulled away to look at Damien who looked calm but she could see the surprise flashing in his eyes which almost made her want to laugh at him. Well, this was also part of her research she had made, a
“Well, you don't have to say it because I can read it on your face." Eva replied with a casual wave. “I can also read your expression as well, beautiful.” He said, making Eva tilt her head to the side. "What does my expression say?” She asked. "You seem to be in a really good mood today. Did something happen?" "Is there a time I have never looked happy? I was happy yesterday, so am I today.” Eva replied. "You're right, you were happy yesterday. But there are different types of happiness and today you are radiating and glowing in a way that I've never seen in a long time.” Even though he didn't grow up with Eva as a child like Nathalia, he can easily tell when she had changed in demeanor. Eva smiled when she heard him. Was she happy? She isn't sure either. All she knew was that she was just in a really good mood and she knew that there was nothing that could make lose this feeling as of now. “Don't tell me something happened between you and your new husband? That's the only thi
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