“See, even Gwen agrees with me. Seriously, apart from my brother having his issues, I think you should work on yourself." Just as Nathalia was about to dive into more teasing, her phone buzzed. She glanced down, and her face fell as she saw the name on the screen.It was her manager.A look of realization crossed her face, and her shoulders sagged. She’d completely forgotten about rescheduling her appointments to help Eva with her work schedule and also spend time with Eva in the hospital. She glanced at the clock, her heart sinking. She had a major shoot in just under two hours—one she absolutely couldn’t cancel.Eva, noticing her friend’s stricken expression, leaned a bit and saw the caller name before letting out a soft chuckle. “Looks like you’re in for a real lecture. Go to the shoot, Nathalia. It’s only five. You’ll make it.”“Well, you're the one who caused it. Nathalia had to push back her own schedule to help you with your own schedule for the past three weeks you've been h
Eva nodded her head after she heard Gwen. It's no surprise if both Gwen and Ella ask each other for help since the two of them are dealing with two supermodels.Nathalia's phone started ringing again. “I hope I'm not in trouble this time." She muttered to herself.“Pick it up and let's start going." Gwen told her with a lazy expression on her face.Nathalia had barely pressed the call button when her manager’s voice erupted through the phone, scolding her loudly enough that Eva could hear it from across the room. Wincing, Nathalia held the phone away from her ear, grimacing as she listened to the endless tirade.With a resigned sigh, Nathalia casted Eva an apologetic look. “Eva I really want to stay but we have to leave now." " It's okay, I understand. You both stay safe.” She smiled reassuringly at Nathalia before turning her gaze to Gwen. " Take care of her.” She told her who rolled her eyes." You should take care of yourself more. Nathalia is in my care so don't worry. Apart from
She frowned, her lips pulling into a line. Great, she thought. He’s furious. A few minutes passed as she waited for some sign of a response to the quick text she sent, but nothing came.“Well, it’s official. He’s mad at me,” she muttered, shaking her head. She’d have to make it up to him, maybe by cooking his favorite dishes when she was well enough. Harry could rarely resist a home-cooked meal, and she hoped food might help soften his disappointment.Eva decided to call Lucien first before she called her two grandparents. “You'd better have a good reason why you have gone MIA.” Lucien's cold voice suddenly rang out immediately he answered his sister's call. Even though he sounded cold, he was actually relieved when he saw her call.A few weeks ago when he couldn't reach Eva, he had contacted Nathalia but she told him Eva was busy, that's why she wasn't able to answer his call. However, he felt something was off and didn't fully believe her.“Hoho, are you really that angry with me,
Her next call was to her grandfather, who picked up on the second ring. “Grandfather, I can explain—”“Eva, I already know everything,” Cutting her off, came the calm, no-nonsense reply from George. His voice held an edge of both relief and mild rebuke. Two weeks ago, when he heard of her abduction, he had barely begun mobilizing his resources to find out where his granddaughter was when Damien had reached out to and sent them the location of where Eva was being held. Before he knew it, Damien had her out of danger and safely in a hospital room. The young man’s efficiency had impressed even him.“Young lady, there is only one thing left for you to do as at this point.” George's serious voice made Eva raise her brow, wondering what he wanted to say.“Is there?" Eva asked. Who was she kidding? She knew there was going to be more with George.“You are no longer allowed to take public transportation, nor will you be returning to your previous apartment when you return back to Miami.” He s
For a moment, a quiet understanding passed between them. Though she hadn’t shared every gruesome detail, her grandfather’s calm reassured her that he understood more than she’d given him credit for. As she ended the call, a wave of gratitude filled her—both for the unwavering support of her family and for the quiet, steadfast presence of Damien, who had risked everything for her without a second thought.After a few seconds of comfortable silence, George's voice broke the silence.“Don't worry about anything unnecessary, Evangeline. Your Damon and I would have everything taken care of for you." He reassured her calmly, knowing fully well that his granddaughter might have been thinking of something useless again.Eva smiled when she noticed how he’d sidestepped saying Damien’s name correctly, a running habit of his that she was all too familiar with. “Will you ever stop calling him ‘Damon’?” she asked, bemused.“Not likely,” George replied without hesitation, a satisfied grin spreadin
Eva gulped. Goodness! She was a grown woman and she is still acting like this. She never felt this nervous when she was with Mark. Lord knows how she would have to tell her grandfather that she and Damien are married. The old man might actually tie her down.“Um….A friend?“A friend? Excellent!” He replied with feigned ignorance, savoring his granddaughter’s awkwardness. “Your friend will get the chance to meet a very influential and prominent figure like me. How is that a problem?”Eva sighed, shaking her head at his persistence. “It’s not exactly a ‘friend’… but, anyway, it’s not—”“Oh, in that case, there is no problem with going there. I’ll be sure to introduce myself.” He said smoothly, giving her no chance to refuse. He clearly understood who she meant, and the thought amused him more than anything else. It was so amusing to hear her panic and struggle, especially with her stoic and rigid personality. Who knew this granddaughter can also get flustered like other women her age?J
Just as Eva dropped the call with George, Eva planned to rest when her phone suddenly began to ring. A sigh escaped her mouth when saw that the person calling her was none other than Lawrence.Honestly, she planned to give him a call too after she rest but it seems not, since he was the one calling her by himself again. Damien must have informed him that she is awake too.“Grandpa Smith." Eva called after answering the call.“Evangeline, it's a relief to know that you're awake. How are you doing?" Lawrence calm old voice rang out through the phone.“Better than ever, Grandpa. I'm sorry if I had you worried about me.” Eva replied with a small smile.“As long as it's about your safety, worrying is not something you should apologize for. Besides, Damien told me about what happened to you and he informed me that he has handled everything." Lawrence replied."Yes,.......I guess he already handled everything…..” Eva trailed off. It seems like Damien has done more than she knew.‘I have to t
Eva swallowed, the memory of the last time they’d tried to drag her back surfacing in her mind. The invitation had begun as a polite request to “talk things over,” but gradually, the meeting had grown sinister, their words laced with veiled threats. Only the intervention of her grandpa’s guards had prevented it from escalating further.“Alright,” She replied softly. “I understand.”“If you see anything unusual, anything at all, no matter how minor it is, I want you to contact me or Brian immediately. Is that clear?”“Yes, Grandpa,” She answered, though her thoughts drifted. If they truly did come for her, she would have to face a dilemma. She could fight thugs and mercenaries, but attacking a soldier simply following orders was a line she couldn’t cross. She remembered the camaraderie she had shared with her fellow soldiers, they had been like family. Hurting one of them went against everything she believed in. And even if she tried, she knew that harming an officer was no small thin
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