---------- Meanwhile, at the time the word was being spread, Christine was still sleeping sweetly in Mark's home. A few days ago, she had adamantly refused to continue with the stupid act of staying in the hospital by her company so she went directly from the hospital to Mark's mansion. As his fiance, Mark couldn't argue with her and even asked the maids to take extra care of Christine while he was away at work. Christine was busy having a nice snack in the afternoon and watching a movie in the living room with no worries. Surely, she had nothing to be worried about for now since she's got a deal that would boost her rank and status. Or so she thought she still got the deal. Unfortunately, her little, peaceful afternoon was cut short when a maid came to inform her that she had a visitor. She immediately asked the maids to let the visitor in because she already knew who it was since she received a call earlier. “Tanya, you’ve arrived?" Christine uttered when she saw her secon
"Well, I only found out today as well. And it was President Adolfo's assistant that told me before I went to ask him directly which he confirmed was true. Don't blame me without knowing the full story.” Tanya retorted back angrily, making Christine glare at her. "Don't speak to me in that tone, Tanya. Olivia would have informed me about situations like this if it was her, but ……” " So what? I get that I might be skilled as Olivia but isn't she the one who betrayed you now? She sold you out and went back to her real company. Stop comparing the both of us because I'm incompetent but loyal to you.” Tanya didn't wait for Christine to finish her words before she interrupted her. Christine rolled her eyes and did not bother to reply back to Tanya since she was right. "Let’s go back to the office now. This incident, I want President Adolf to give me an explanation in person." She knew that if she was to discuss the matter with President Adolf over the phone, he would somehow sweet talk
President Adolf let out a sigh and adjusted properly to his seat. "Christine, this matter has gone beyond my control. Don't worry, I’ll help you secure an even better deal." He told her. "What are you talking about? You know as well as I do that Miss Lexy, who is one of the judges at the Top Ten Model Awards is the sister to Mr.Carl from HB Industry. This deal was really important to me and most importantly, how could you let them take it from me and hand it over to Elite Entertainment?" Christine angrily slammed her other hand on the table. "She……she had already stolen a great spot from me and the show, so wasn’t that enough? Why does she have to fight over everything with me? I don’t care about your excuse but.....if I lose this deal, then I won’t stay in BTG either." Christine declared, making President Adolf raise his brow at her. "Don’t speak out of anger, Christine." President Adolf replies, trying to control her temper, "How could you give up so easily. You know that the
On the other hand, Eva was busy with the task Gwen gave her but out of laziness she escaped from the task and went to hide in Kai's office instead. “What are you doing here? You've been lying on that couch for the past thirty minutes, why aren't you with Gwen?" Kai asked as he glanced at Eva. “Am I disturbing you? I've maintained my silence ever since I came here though." Eva replied, still lying on the couch. “You are not a disturbance to me and at the same time you are. Gwen told me she has some things she wanted you to train on, most especially now that you've got some work to do." He remarked and flipped to the next page of the documents with him. “Exactly what I came here for because I'm running away from Gwen." Eva answered. "And please, stop making the deal I accepted as a big deal. Compared to the deals I get in the past, this deal would be considered and classified as a C rank dealership contract for me.” She added. It was true, if it was in the past when she still ru
Eva smiled as hung up the call but it soon disappeared when Kai interrupted her moment. “Somehow you are happy and glowing brighter than I've known you to be." He commented, making Eva turn to look at him as he stood up and walked towards her. “I don't understand you. I've always been happy all the time.” Eva replied after he sat beside her but Kai shook his head in disagreement with what she said. “Nope. You always wear a happy mask on your face in the past when you are still together with that Johnson prick but I choose not to say anything as long as you are always with both me and Nathalia. Honestly, it hurts then seeing that you are under much pressure and you're just too stubborn to let go of him. This is the first time I'm seeing you not wearing a mask ever since the day I saw you again." He told her. Eva blinked her eyes at him. “I guess you're right about what you said…..” " You shouldn't be worried about it because it's a good thing to see you happy now for real.”
Meanwhile, both Christine and Mark were having dinner together but Mark kept staring at Christine's dull and gloomy expression ever since he returned back from work. Though he had things to do, he couldn't ignore Christine, especially when she looked like that. He had not yet been informed of the news involving the change of ambassador since that wasn't his own line of business. He only gets involved with the entertainment industry because of Christine and nothing more. “Christine, is there something troubling you? You can always tell me and I will fix it for you." He asked, making Christine look at him. “Nothing is wrong. I don’t want to trouble you with my problems, you have things to face as well.” Christine shook her head. Her words were saying she didn't want to disturb Mark but her actions were enough for him to tell that there is a problem with her. “You are not troubling me with anything, so tell me what it is." Mark told her. Christine looked at him with a bit of he
******* The next day at HB Industry. Just like Christine had told Mark, she headed to HB Industry along with Tanya and President Adolf. Although President Adolf had things he wanted to do and would have refused to go along with Christine, after he received a call from Mark, he had no choice but to go along with Christine. “Sir, you have some visitor waiting outside for you." Mr. Carl's secretary walked into his office and announced. “Visitors? Where are they from?" He asked his secretary. “President Adolf from BTG Industry and Christine Carter are here to see you, sir." The secretary quickly replied back to Mr. Carl who creases his brow a bit. He didn't remember setting an appointment with people from BTG Industry today so why have they come to see him, most especially President Adolf. There was only one person he had an appointment with today which is obviously not President Adolf. “Bring them in." He instructed his secretary who bowed and walked out of the office to carry out
“That's exactly the reason why I came to see you because I know and I believe that you have a way to convince the Bling corporation. My fiance, Mark Johnson wanted to give you a call when he heard about this but I told him not to because he might not speak nicely like I am doing right. Besides, this is a matter that is involved with him.” Christine remarked while looking at Mr. Carl with an innocent smile on her face. Although she didn't say it or make it sound that way. However, a person with high IQ would be able to tell that she was secretly convening a threat message to Mr. Carl. Of course, he wouldn't want to offend one of the city's powerful men. A deep frown appeared on Mr. Carl's face when he heard Christine. He wasn't a child that needed explanation to what she just said. “What are you implying, Miss Christine? Because I have every right to think that you are trying to threaten me with your fiance's reputation. I do know you're the lover and fiance of Mr. Johnson, however, I
Just as Rex reached for his expensive wine again, the door to the room burst open with a thunderous crash, silencing the revelry in an instant. Crimson laser dots swarmed the room, targeting every man, freezing them in place.Rex barely blinked when he saw the commotion. It was not something new to have enemies barge into the place he was having fun. Probably, it would end with another threat conversation before the other party leaves. Calmly, he sipped his drink and set it down. But just as his fingers released the glass, a bullet shattered it, spilling the expensive liquor onto his custom Dior shoes."Bold little bastards," Rex muttered, his patience wearing thin. Reaching into his waistband, he pulled out a pistol.Upon seeing the lethal weapon in his hand, the women beside scattered like frightened mice, their shrieks piercing the tension-filled air. They weren't women who worked for the clan, instead, they were just simple escorts and prostitutes called in to please these big-sho
After switching the light on, her eyes landed on a set of bags near the couch. The scent of familiar dishes wafted through the air, and her heart twisted painfully. He had brought her favorite foods, likely intending to eat with her.He had wanted to eat with her. Her chest prickled with guilt and for a moment, she hesitated.But then she glanced at the shattered vase she had thrown in anger, and the guilt was replaced by frustration. Gathering the bags, she marched to the door and opened it to find Damien’s bodyguards standing stiffly outside.“You must be hungry standing out here all day,” she said, shoving the bags into their hands. “Take these. I’m not in the mood to eat.”The men exchanged bewildered glances.“Lady Boss, are you sure—”“If you don’t want them, throw them away,” she said curtly, shutting the door before they could protest further.“We can't really toss this away, can't we? This is too expensive." One of the bodyguards said, glancing at the bag while the others nod
His scowl deepened, and for a moment, she thought he might explode. But instead, he bit back whatever retort had been on the tip of his tongue. He knew that pushing her further would only backfire.“I understand you hate hospitals,” he said after a long pause, his voice gentler. “But staying here and resting is for your own good. You’re too stubborn to take care of yourself, so I have to do it for you.”Did he view her as a child? Why was he so persistent in keeping her here? She could recuperate somewhere else with a personal doctor — anything was fine, as long as it wasn't this chemical-filled location brimming with painful memories.Eva’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t need your intervention.”His eyes narrowed, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Don’t be stubborn—”“You’re a hypocrite,” she shot back before she could stop herself. Well, to some extent, she was hypocritical."Ehm, ehm……you demand me to not be stubborn, but here you are again, also being st
Eva felt her heart ache at the tone of Damien's voice, so small and fragile, like that of a lost child. Her chest tightened with guilt for having pushed him to this point. Her logical mind chastised her for taking things too far, while her heart yearned to soothe and comfort him.“Will you do it again?” she asked softly, her fingers tracing gentle circles over his rough, calloused hands.Immediately, his hand shifted to clasp hers tightly, intertwining their fingers in a firm yet comforting grip. Her heart skipped a beat at the gesture, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.“I can’t promise you a definite no,” he admitted, his deep voice muffled as he rested his head on her shoulder. He breathed her in—the intoxicating, calming scent of jasmine filling his senses and clouding his mind. “But I will try my hardest to be lenient.”She paused, unsure how to respond. Sensing her silence, Damien tightened his hold on her fingers, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.“Are you sti
Eva’s heart pounded as she searched for a way to diffuse his anger. She knew that escalating this tension would only make things worse. Desperate, she decided to play a different card—a gamble.“Tell me, how would you like to handle the consequences? Perhaps I should start with—" He was interrupted when she abruptly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. The suddenness of her action made him freeze in place.“What are you doing?" He blinked. "Damien," she murmured softly, her voice sweet and soothing. She pressed her face against his chest, rubbing her cheek against the silk of his shirt.His body stiffened, his clenched fists trembling at his sides. "This won't work," he said, though his voice had lost its sharp edge."I'm cold," she whispered, her words muffled against his chest."Eva," he warned, but his tone lacked conviction."Won’t you hug me?" She tilted her head up, gazing at him with wide, pleading eyes and a slight pout on her lips. Her heart ski
After bidding Belle goodbye and promising her one last time that she would return tomorrow, Eva walked down the hospital halls with a spring in her step. A soft hum escaped her lips, her arms filled with snacks Belle had insisted she take. The little girl had brightened her day and made her feel less alone in the dreariness of the hospital."You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you sayI'm talking loud, not saying muchI'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochetShoot me down, but I get up," Eva softly sang, her favorite song playing in her mind as she strolled back to her room. She smiled, wondering if her friend Nathalie would enjoy the snacks she was carrying.“I'm bulletproof, nothing to loseFire away, fire awayRicochet, you take your aimFire away, fire awayShe was in such a good mood that she even gently danced along the hallway to her. “You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium………..”“You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium” a low voice suddenly com
She paused, her mind flashing back to the countless fights, the shattered dishes, the cold silences that followed her every rebellion. "But I didn’t let their expectations control me. I chose my path, even when it meant walking away from them entirely." Eva let out a sigh, her gaze still focused outside the window. " I really loved it when I refused them, even though it would earn me being slapped senselessly. I always find pleasure somehow and I took pride in becoming the perfect, graceful black sheep of that damned family.” Belle hung on every word, her eyes wide with admiration and curiosity."But," She continued. “I only did it when I was a grown adult, legal enough to make my own choices. My plan wasn't perfect nor did it work in pleasing my family, but then again, why should I continue to please them when they were never family to me in the first place?" Eva gently moved her gaze back to Belle, leaning forward, "However, as someone who has gone through all that, you should k
"So, Belle," Eva began, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down. "Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? What brought you here to this hospital room?" Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the overflowing flowers and gifts surrounding the small child."I caught a fever a few days ago," Belle replied glumly, her voice quiet. Though it was just a fever, she’d been stuck in this hospital for a week. She felt fine now, but her parents insisted she remain."I'm all better now. Nothing hurts anymore. I just want to go home, but they won’t let me." Belle’s lips turned down in a bitter frown as she recalled how her parents refused her calls and ignored her requests to leave. Deep down, she knew they preferred her absence."Why not?" Eva asked softly, though she already sensed the answer."Because they hate me."Eva’s heart clenched at the words, so full of pain and resignation. She studied the young girl, who stared back with guarded eyes that looked far older than her years.
Once the door shut, the girl turned her head slightly. "You can come out now."Eva pushed the gifts aside and slid out from under the bed. She straightened up, her gaze meeting the child’s lifeless, cold eyes. They lacked the innocent sparkle of youth."Why were those men chasing you? Who are you?" the girl asked, studying Eva intently. Despite her disheveled hair and rumpled gown, there was no mistaking the elegant air that surrounded her.Eva smiled faintly, deciding to test the girl’s intuition when she noticed how she was studying her. ‘Let’s see if you're smart. "Who do you think I am?"The child’s eyes narrowed. "You’re not a simple patient.""Oh? What makes you say that?""This is the VVIP floor, accessible only with a private keycard. Your gown is made of high-quality cotton, reserved for VVIP patients.""Well, I could’ve stolen the keycard and clothes," Eva countered.The girl’s gaze didn’t waver. "Despite your messy appearance, you carry yourself with grace. Your posture, ev