In the sleek, minimalist meeting room at HB Industry, Eva sat at the center, sitting by her sides were none other than Gwen and Trix, with her official company lawyer at her side. They were all dressed sharply, the atmosphere tense as they awaited the start of the meeting. On the other side of the polished conference table, Mr. Carl and his HB Industry team sat with the Whyte Corps representatives, their suits impeccably pressed and faces expressionless.It was a rare sight to see Eva waiting this long, especially for a meeting she had no patience for. She had already signed the contract in her mind, but the delays were irking her. The anticipation of what was supposed to be a routine procedure seemed to drag on indefinitely. The room had grown uncomfortably still as they all waited for the meeting to start. Eva’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of her chair, a subtle gesture that spoke volumes about her impatience .With a soft sigh, Eva glanced at Gwen and Trix, silently expre
Once the deal was official, she turned to leave the meeting room with Gwen and Trix at her side. They made their way down the sleek hallway of HB Industry, their footsteps echoing on the polished floors. Just as they neared the exit, they came across Christine and her entourage, who had just arrived.Christine’s eyes widened when she saw Eva. Her usual fake smile quickly appeared, though there was a slight tension in her features. Eva wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel disgusted as Christine approached her.“Sister!” Christine said, her voice sweet and syrupy as she stepped forward. “I am so sorry for being late. I didn’t mean to hold up the meeting like this. I just got caught up in some last-minute details.”Eva’s expression remained neutral, but she couldn’t help the slight roll of her eyes at Christine’s words. She had no intention of entertaining Christine’s faux apology, but Christine wasn’t finished yet.“Oh, and about last night,” Christine said in a tone that was just loud
Christine stormed into the Carter mansion, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, her jaw clenched tightly in frustration. She tossed her designer bag onto the couch, her lips pressed into a thin line as she paced back and forth. The events of the day replayed in her mind like a relentless reel—Eva’s smirk, her cutting words, the way she had effortlessly dismissed Christine in front of everyone. It was a humiliation Christine couldn’t stomach."That woman," she hissed under her breath. "She always finds a way to one-up me. How does she always come out on top?"Laura, who had been sitting in the adjacent room sipping tea, looked up as her daughter’s angry footsteps echoed. She set her cup down gracefully and stood, smoothing her dress as she approached Christine."Christine," Laura said in a calm, measured tone, "what’s the matter now?"Christine stopped pacing and turned to her mother, her eyes blazing with frustration. "It’s Eva! She humiliated me again today, in front
Lucien entered the living room with his usual quiet air, his school bag slung over one shoulder. His dark eyes, cold and unreadable, briefly scanned the room before landing on his mother, Laura, seated gracefully on the couch with a teacup in hand. Her posture was as poised as ever, but Lucien’s sharp gaze detected the faint smugness that usually lingered after one of her scheming conversations with Christine.He said nothing, brushing past her with the silent intent of heading upstairs. His long strides were interrupted when Laura called out, her tone laced with a false warmth."Lucien," she said, setting her teacup down. "Come here for a moment."Lucien stopped mid-step, his back stiffening. He slowly turned around, his expression blank but his sharp gaze silently questioning her interruption.Laura’s smile wavered under his cold stare, but she maintained her composure. "Christine just got back a while ago. Why don’t you go upstairs and greet her?"Lucien raised an eyebrow, crossing
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
Meanwhile, at the club on the first floor. Eva was still seated at the bar counter and completely drunk as she had already finished two bottles of alcohol and was on her third bottle which was about to finish. The bartender who had been watching her from the sideline walked up to her when he saw pouring the remaining drink in the bottle to fill her glass cup. "Miss, I think you should go home now. You're too drunk or do you have someone who can come pick you up?" He said as he cleared the bottles in front of Eva. "Home?" Eva repeated. She also wanted to go home. She wanted to sleep in her soft and comfortable king-size bed. Tonight was supposed to be her wedding night which she was supposed to share with her lovely husband. However, it was just wishful thinking. "How pathetic!" Eva muttered and downed the rest of the drink in her glass. To think the night of her wedding day would be spent at a hotel…. Well, at least it was a five-star hotel and a very famous one. "You," Eva waved
Lucien entered the living room with his usual quiet air, his school bag slung over one shoulder. His dark eyes, cold and unreadable, briefly scanned the room before landing on his mother, Laura, seated gracefully on the couch with a teacup in hand. Her posture was as poised as ever, but Lucien’s sharp gaze detected the faint smugness that usually lingered after one of her scheming conversations with Christine.He said nothing, brushing past her with the silent intent of heading upstairs. His long strides were interrupted when Laura called out, her tone laced with a false warmth."Lucien," she said, setting her teacup down. "Come here for a moment."Lucien stopped mid-step, his back stiffening. He slowly turned around, his expression blank but his sharp gaze silently questioning her interruption.Laura’s smile wavered under his cold stare, but she maintained her composure. "Christine just got back a while ago. Why don’t you go upstairs and greet her?"Lucien raised an eyebrow, crossing
Christine stormed into the Carter mansion, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, her jaw clenched tightly in frustration. She tossed her designer bag onto the couch, her lips pressed into a thin line as she paced back and forth. The events of the day replayed in her mind like a relentless reel—Eva’s smirk, her cutting words, the way she had effortlessly dismissed Christine in front of everyone. It was a humiliation Christine couldn’t stomach."That woman," she hissed under her breath. "She always finds a way to one-up me. How does she always come out on top?"Laura, who had been sitting in the adjacent room sipping tea, looked up as her daughter’s angry footsteps echoed. She set her cup down gracefully and stood, smoothing her dress as she approached Christine."Christine," Laura said in a calm, measured tone, "what’s the matter now?"Christine stopped pacing and turned to her mother, her eyes blazing with frustration. "It’s Eva! She humiliated me again today, in front
Once the deal was official, she turned to leave the meeting room with Gwen and Trix at her side. They made their way down the sleek hallway of HB Industry, their footsteps echoing on the polished floors. Just as they neared the exit, they came across Christine and her entourage, who had just arrived.Christine’s eyes widened when she saw Eva. Her usual fake smile quickly appeared, though there was a slight tension in her features. Eva wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel disgusted as Christine approached her.“Sister!” Christine said, her voice sweet and syrupy as she stepped forward. “I am so sorry for being late. I didn’t mean to hold up the meeting like this. I just got caught up in some last-minute details.”Eva’s expression remained neutral, but she couldn’t help the slight roll of her eyes at Christine’s words. She had no intention of entertaining Christine’s faux apology, but Christine wasn’t finished yet.“Oh, and about last night,” Christine said in a tone that was just loud
In the sleek, minimalist meeting room at HB Industry, Eva sat at the center, sitting by her sides were none other than Gwen and Trix, with her official company lawyer at her side. They were all dressed sharply, the atmosphere tense as they awaited the start of the meeting. On the other side of the polished conference table, Mr. Carl and his HB Industry team sat with the Whyte Corps representatives, their suits impeccably pressed and faces expressionless.It was a rare sight to see Eva waiting this long, especially for a meeting she had no patience for. She had already signed the contract in her mind, but the delays were irking her. The anticipation of what was supposed to be a routine procedure seemed to drag on indefinitely. The room had grown uncomfortably still as they all waited for the meeting to start. Eva’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of her chair, a subtle gesture that spoke volumes about her impatience .With a soft sigh, Eva glanced at Gwen and Trix, silently expre
She stood at the doorway, adjusting the strap of her handbag as she prepared to leave for HB Industry. Damien followed her to the entrance, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, though his piercing gaze gave away his reluctance to let her go.“Don’t forget to call me if anything comes up,” he said, his deep voice steady yet tinged with a protective edge.“I won’t,” Eva replied with a small smile. She turned to open the door when his voice stopped her.“Wait.”She turned back, one brow raised in question.“You’re leaving without giving me a proper goodbye?” Damien asked, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips.Eva blinked, caught off guard by his request. “A proper goodbye? You’re serious?”He stepped closer, the warmth of his presence wrapping around her like a cocoon. “I don’t joke about such things. A goodbye kiss is mandatory.”Her cheeks flushed slightly, though she masked it with a playful roll of her eyes. “Fine,” she relented, taking a step toward him. “But I’ll only give yo
After a pause, George returned to the phone. “Damon Cross,” he said, purposely mispronouncing the name to irritate him.Damien felt his nose twitch at the deliberate and grating mispronunciation of his name, but he maintained a polite tone, reminding himself he was speaking to an elder. “Yes, Grandfather?” He replied smoothly, emphasizing the title in retaliation. Two could easily play the game of pettiness.George resisted the urge to march over to the banquet and knock some sense into the boy for daring to use that title. Grandfather? He scoffed internally. ‘If you want to call me that, first show me a ring on her finger—and then give me some great-grandkids before you even think about it! I wonder what that useless grandfather of his taught him.’“Now listen clearly to me. If she stays at your house, it’s for tonight only. And if I find out you’ve done anything improper, I’ll personally see to it that you’re castrated. Do you understand?”Julian, overhearing the threat, nearly cho
---As the banquet neared its end, Damien escorted Eva to his car. He fully intended to take her home—to their home—hoping to spend the night by her side. But his plans were thwarted by an all-too-familiar figure: her meddling grandfather.The moment Eva settled into the car, her phone rang. Damien, still holding the door open for her, frowned at the sound. When he saw the caller ID, his expression darkened further. Of course, it was him.While Eva answered the call, Damien’s sharp eyes scanned the area. Hidden in the shadows near the back entrance, a figure lurked—one of George’s men, undoubtedly there to keep tabs on her. His presence only worsened Damien’s mood.“Yes, Grandfather, I’m leaving the banquet now,” Eva said into the phone, her tone polite but weary. “Yes, I’ve made a few connections… I’m heading home? No, not to Damien’s. I know, I know, there will be more rumors if—”Before she could finish, Damien snatched the phone from her hand.“She’ll be perfectly safe with me,”
Eva turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you do this?" She lifted her gaze to meet his, realizing he had been watching her the entire time, his piercing eyes fixed solely on her. She had heard whispers, unconfirmed reports that Lydia was behind the replica of the blue dress that was sent to her. But to see her now, reduced to this state, it seemed the consequences of her actions were almost... excessive. "Yes," Damien replied without hesitation, his tone calm but firm. He tried to guide her out of the banquet, his hand lightly pressing against her back, but Eva stood her ground, refusing to move. "Why?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. Damien’s sharp eyes narrowed at her question, his jaw tightening. What did she mean, why? That woman had orchestrated her public disgrace, and now Eva was hesitating, questioning the justice served? Did she not understand that showing mercy to enemies was akin to betraying herself? "She was responsible for your humiliati
Christine’s nails dug into her palm, her anger simmering beneath a mask of civility. She longed to lash out, but Damien’s presence reminded her of her place. Any wrong move could lead to her downfall.“It’s unbecoming to insult others so publicly…” Christine’s voice was a deliberate attempt at calm, but it lacked conviction.“The truth often stings, get over it.” Eva replied coldly, her unapologetic tone reinforcing her dominance. The crowd e were not even surprised by her response because they were used to this behavior of hers, but they were taken back by Christine's sudden desire to argue with Eva.Wasn't Wasn’t Christine supposed to be the passive type, the one who ended arguments rather than starting or joining them? The sudden shift in her behavior was beginning to alter everyone’s perception of her, casting doubt on the image she had so carefully cultivated.Dusti standing nearby with a glass of wine, observed the scene with quiet amusement. Eva’s sharp wit was refreshing, a st