After ending the call, Eva placed her phone on the small garden table and picked up the watering can again, intent on tending to the roses that had flourished under her care. But before she could continue, Damien’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into his chest.“You’re not going to escape that easily,” he murmured, his voice a deep rumble in her ear.Eva turned slightly, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “Escape? I didn’t know I was being held captive.”Damien tilted her chin up with his hand, his dark eyes locking onto hers. Without another word, he lowered his head and captured her lips with a passion that stole her breath away. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a declaration, intense and consuming.Eva sighed into him, letting the watering-can slip from her fingers and thud softly onto the lush grass below. Twisting in his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck, pressing herself closer as she returned his kiss with equal fervor. The garden seemed to fade int
Eva stood, smoothing her dress with deliberate grace. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Feel free to send any legitimate offers my way—ones that aren’t tainted by ulterior motives.”As she turned to leave, Rick called after her, his voice laced with frustration. “This isn’t over, Eva. You’re making enemies you can’t afford to have.”Eva paused at the door, glancing over her shoulder with a calm, confident smile. “Director Rick, I’ve faced far worse than this. If you want to play games, just remember—I always play to win.”With that, she exited the office, leaving Rick stewing in his defeat. Eva knew the battle wasn’t over, but she was ready for whatever came next. After all, she wasn’t just surviving in this industry—she was thriving on her own terms.—---The next day, HB Industry and the event organizers issued statements, instructing the public on how to obtain tickets to see Eva at the upcoming event.As soon as the announcements went live, the backlash followed almost
Upon entering the house, Eva immediately noticed Damien already home. His tall, imposing figure was stretched out on the sofa, his right arm resting across his eyes to shield himself from the bright lights. Eva smiled softly, her presence unnoticed at first. She quietly approached him and sat beside him, gently running her fingers across the sharp angles of his face."Why aren’t you in bed?" she asked, her voice tender."The company you're endorsing tomorrow," Damien began, his tone serious, "Cross Enterprise’s legal team has already sent them a letter, suing for fraud. The news should be spreading tomorrow afternoon."Eva rested her head against his chest as she replied, "It’s fine. I'll only be appearing in the morning."Although she didn’t elaborate further, Damien seemed to sense what she was planning. He understood that her actions tomorrow would have consequences, and the client wouldn't let her off easily. Hence, Cross Enterprise, a company that rarely involved itself with such
------------------The venue for the event was modest, with the main hall accommodating roughly 200 seats. Despite its size, Eva knew that the real audience extended far beyond the people present. Countless eyes would be watching her through live streams, hoping to see her stumble while endorsing this low-tier brand. They were eager to find ammunition for gossip and ridicule. But Eva smirked inwardly—they were in for a rude awakening.After a spirited introduction from the host and a reassuring nod from Trix, Eva stepped onto the stage. The spotlight bathed her in a warm glow, and though it had been a while since she stood in such a position, her confidence remained unwavering. She paused for a moment, letting the silence settle as she adjusted to the glaring lights and curious gazes.The host, an energetic man eager to hype the event, grinned widely. "Ladies and gentlemen, our dazzling Eva is here! Doesn’t she have the most enchanting presence? Let’s give her a warm welcome!"He hand
But as Eva stepped off the stage, the storm brewing backstage awaited her. Director Rick and the client stormed toward her, their expressions thunderous."Eva!" the client barked, jabbing a finger in her direction. "What the hell were you thinking? A model like you, daring to cause a scene in front of so many people? Have you lost your mind?""You turned this event into your personal press conference!" Director Rick snapped, his voice low but venomous. "Do you realize what you’ve done?"Eva remained calm, her gaze steady as she met their furious stares. Her poise, far from pacifying them, only seemed to infuriate them more."Eva, I’m warning you," the company representative growled, his tone filled with arrogance. "If you still want a career in this industry, you’d better get out there and apologize. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret ever setting foot on this stage."Eva’s soft laughter filled the tense room. Her calm expression, betraying no hint of fear, seemed almost mocking. "The wo
It was a bright and sunny day. White fluffy clouds drifted across the clear, blue sky.The distinguished guests dressed in their fanciest attire gathered on the top floor of a five-star hotel. They were here to celebrate the wedding ceremony of Evangeline, the Oldest daughter of the Carter family. She was getting married to Mark Johnson, the man she had been dating and engaged to for the past four years.The floor was covered with white snow lilies and red roses with a long red carpet cutting through from the entrance of the hall down to the aisle. The fresh fragrance filled the air. The guests happily stood along the carpet, all smiles and sending their best wishes.Evangeline was in a grand room getting dressed by the two stylists and their assistant that was hired to help her with her makeup. She sat in front of the dressing table as one of the stylists was applying make-up on her face while the other one was styling her hair."Miss Evangeline, you look perfect in this dress. The d
Standing across the road, Eva glanced back at the hotel where the event was being held for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the road. She reached out her hand to stop a cab that was driving towards her way.After the taxi stopped in front of her, she got in and settled down in the back seat of the cab."Where to Miss?" The cab driver inquired."T-take me to Grand land hotel." Eva replied in a weak and calm tone. She would rather be in another place than to stay back at the wedding event and witness the happy smiles on both Mark and Christine's face while she gets mocked by everyone. Grand Land hotel is a well-known and popular hotel. She didn't know much about the hotel but she heard about it on television and saw it on online platforms. The hotel was not only popular because it was a very nice hotel, it was said that the hotel has a club where people went often to have fun and spend their money. The club even had a private separate club which was known as the VIP
Inside the Grand land VIP section. The VIP section didn't have any glaring neon lamps or loud music. On the contrary, the environment was rather quiet and intimate. This was where the urban white-collared workers and wealthy rich individuals came to relieve their stress. However, in a private room, a small social gathering was taking place. The gathering consisted of all the well- known bachelors in the city and highly wealthy businessmen. In a dark corner, A man who had a cold and aloof aura with an indifferent expression was being surrounded by a group of people. These groups of people present weren't just ordinary wealthy people, most of them were the top giants of Miami and seeing them was very rare, however, they were all gathered here in one place not because of the event but because they were here because of a special guest who was no other than the man sitting in the dark corner. "It's very rare to see Mr. Cross in this kind of social gathering. This time must have been an
But as Eva stepped off the stage, the storm brewing backstage awaited her. Director Rick and the client stormed toward her, their expressions thunderous."Eva!" the client barked, jabbing a finger in her direction. "What the hell were you thinking? A model like you, daring to cause a scene in front of so many people? Have you lost your mind?""You turned this event into your personal press conference!" Director Rick snapped, his voice low but venomous. "Do you realize what you’ve done?"Eva remained calm, her gaze steady as she met their furious stares. Her poise, far from pacifying them, only seemed to infuriate them more."Eva, I’m warning you," the company representative growled, his tone filled with arrogance. "If you still want a career in this industry, you’d better get out there and apologize. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret ever setting foot on this stage."Eva’s soft laughter filled the tense room. Her calm expression, betraying no hint of fear, seemed almost mocking. "The wo
------------------The venue for the event was modest, with the main hall accommodating roughly 200 seats. Despite its size, Eva knew that the real audience extended far beyond the people present. Countless eyes would be watching her through live streams, hoping to see her stumble while endorsing this low-tier brand. They were eager to find ammunition for gossip and ridicule. But Eva smirked inwardly—they were in for a rude awakening.After a spirited introduction from the host and a reassuring nod from Trix, Eva stepped onto the stage. The spotlight bathed her in a warm glow, and though it had been a while since she stood in such a position, her confidence remained unwavering. She paused for a moment, letting the silence settle as she adjusted to the glaring lights and curious gazes.The host, an energetic man eager to hype the event, grinned widely. "Ladies and gentlemen, our dazzling Eva is here! Doesn’t she have the most enchanting presence? Let’s give her a warm welcome!"He hand
Upon entering the house, Eva immediately noticed Damien already home. His tall, imposing figure was stretched out on the sofa, his right arm resting across his eyes to shield himself from the bright lights. Eva smiled softly, her presence unnoticed at first. She quietly approached him and sat beside him, gently running her fingers across the sharp angles of his face."Why aren’t you in bed?" she asked, her voice tender."The company you're endorsing tomorrow," Damien began, his tone serious, "Cross Enterprise’s legal team has already sent them a letter, suing for fraud. The news should be spreading tomorrow afternoon."Eva rested her head against his chest as she replied, "It’s fine. I'll only be appearing in the morning."Although she didn’t elaborate further, Damien seemed to sense what she was planning. He understood that her actions tomorrow would have consequences, and the client wouldn't let her off easily. Hence, Cross Enterprise, a company that rarely involved itself with such
Eva stood, smoothing her dress with deliberate grace. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Feel free to send any legitimate offers my way—ones that aren’t tainted by ulterior motives.”As she turned to leave, Rick called after her, his voice laced with frustration. “This isn’t over, Eva. You’re making enemies you can’t afford to have.”Eva paused at the door, glancing over her shoulder with a calm, confident smile. “Director Rick, I’ve faced far worse than this. If you want to play games, just remember—I always play to win.”With that, she exited the office, leaving Rick stewing in his defeat. Eva knew the battle wasn’t over, but she was ready for whatever came next. After all, she wasn’t just surviving in this industry—she was thriving on her own terms.—---The next day, HB Industry and the event organizers issued statements, instructing the public on how to obtain tickets to see Eva at the upcoming event.As soon as the announcements went live, the backlash followed almost
After ending the call, Eva placed her phone on the small garden table and picked up the watering can again, intent on tending to the roses that had flourished under her care. But before she could continue, Damien’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into his chest.“You’re not going to escape that easily,” he murmured, his voice a deep rumble in her ear.Eva turned slightly, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “Escape? I didn’t know I was being held captive.”Damien tilted her chin up with his hand, his dark eyes locking onto hers. Without another word, he lowered his head and captured her lips with a passion that stole her breath away. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a declaration, intense and consuming.Eva sighed into him, letting the watering-can slip from her fingers and thud softly onto the lush grass below. Twisting in his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck, pressing herself closer as she returned his kiss with equal fervor. The garden seemed to fade int
As Director Rick read the magazine offers, he hesitated. But before he could act decisively, Christine intercepted.“We agreed not to accept any work for her, didn’t we? Are you ignoring what I said?” Christine snapped, her voice dripping with entitlement. She had also taken a glimpse of what is written in the file from where she was standing.Trix smirked inwardly at Christine’s audacity. It was almost amusing how she acted as if she already owned this company.Director Rick sighed, he wanted to shut her up but he knew things wouldn’t end well for him because she had Mark Johnson backing. So he tried calming down and tried to placate her. Unbeknownst to Christine, Trix had already switched sides, reporting every move back to Eva. When Trix relayed both Christine and Director Rick's plan to use her as a shield, Eva’s response was swift.“Reject the offer. Tell them I’m not feeling well if that so-called Director Rick asked about me,” she instructed, her tone calm yet firm.Trix nodde
Christine stormed into Director Rick’s office, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Without knocking, she pushed the door open with enough force to make it bang against the wall. The sudden force made Rick look up from his desk, his expression turning sour.“Christine,” he said coldly, setting down his pen. “I wasn’t expecting you. To what do I owe this surprise visit?”She strode to his desk, her anger barely contained. “Don’t play dumb with me, Director Rick. I just signed a contract with these companies, and now all my other deals are being revoked. I want an explanation, and I want it now.” Christine demanded.He was one of the directors at HB Industry, tasked with overseeing most of the models working in collaboration with the company. Beyond his professional role, he maintained a close friendship with President Adolf of BTG Industry, a connection that often allowed Christine to leverage favors from him. It was through his influence that Trix was appointed as Ev
*******The next morning, the air hung heavy with humidity. Eva was roused from sleep by the persistent ringing of her phone. It was Trix, and her tone was surprisingly softer than it had been the day before."Eva, I just arrived at your house, but only your assistant is there." Trix said. She has gotten Eva's current home address from Gwen but unfortunately she met Olivia there."I’ve moved," Eva replied flatly. Of course, she had given Olivia the key to her apartment before she left to California and since she heard Olivia was currently looking for a place because of the incident that happened."I came to tell you something important," Trix began, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "After HB Industry announced you would be appearing at the corporate event, your fans are in an uproar. They’re arguing fiercely among themselves. They say if you attend this event, it means you’re endorsing unreliable products. They’re threatening to abandon you if you go through with it."Eva re
After a moment of silence, Damien finally spoke. “Let me change your bandage now,” he said gently. Though he was savoring the moment with her, her health remained his top priority, and he couldn’t let it slip his mind.Eva pouted, letting go of him with a hint of disappointment at his response. She couldn’t argue and allowed Damien to change her bandage carefully."Since we're done, let's head outside," she finally said once he finished. But before she could get up, Damien scooped her up effortlessly in a bridal carry."Hey! What are you doing?" Eva exclaimed, caught off guard by the sudden gesture."You’re not walking on your own," he replied firmly, his expression calm and unyielding as he made his way to the door."I have my own legs, and they work just fine! I’ve been walking around all day," she protested, even as she instinctively leaned into his embrace.“You’re at home now. You don’t need to walk when I’m here. I’ll carry you until you’re fully healed,” Damien responded, his t