“Why were you drinking alone tonight?” Vincent asked Aira leaned back on her seat closing her eyes and trying to fight against the fogginess that came with being drunk. This was bad, she really did drink too much. “I’m pretty sure you can guess why,” She answered not bothering to open her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to hear about it like that from me,” He said and Aira opened her eyes to look at him surprised at how sincere his voice sounded. He was looking at her with those steely green eyes his unwavering gaze seeming to gleam regardless of whether his face was cast in light or in shadows by the discontinued street lights. “Now you’re apologizing?” She said with a slight smirk which he returned. “I know I must have been a bit too blunt with you. But I have my reasons and you seemed like the perfect person to solve this dilemma. I didn’t want to let the chance that practically fell on my lap go.” Vincent said and in Aira stored his words knowing that her drunk mind wouldn’t
Aira opened her eyes. Then she closed them Again. Did she leave the curtains open yesterday?She tried sitting up her head pounding, then she heard it.“Sweet dreams, Aira, I will see you tomorrow,” Those words, that voice….No, there was no way that she…She looked around her room. Everything seemed as she left it. No sign of another person.But there definitely was another person here yesterday. A person she was trying hard not to remember right then.Getting out of bed, she made her way toward the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.Don’t think, Don’t think…“Seriously, just how trashed you must be to be saying this,”“Are you going to do it or not?”Water sprayed out of her mouth as she choked on the remaining drops.No! NO NO NO NO!That didn’t happen! She couldn’t have been with Vincent yesterday! She wasn't supposed to meet him!“Jeez, just when I think you can’t get any cuter. My only regret is that you may or may not remember this when you wake up tomorro
“ You’re here,” Vincent said as he stood up to greet her leaving the document on the desk and going around it to reach her.“Glad you could make it,” he said pressing a kiss to her cheek and reminding Aira too much of what she had been trying so hard to forget.“Hi,” She responded simply before taking a seat on the couch with him settling in beside her,“You look awkward,” He said with a small smile,“Of course, I would be awkward after last night,” She answered and Vincent chuckled, “Let’s get straight to the point, there are two things we need to be clear about before talking about going through with your plan,”“What are those things?” He asked his focus on her,“First, it probably would be for the best not to think too much about what happened yesterday. I mean, this is already complicated enough, and if we add that to the mess, I’m afraid our relationship wouldn’t make it,” Aira declares ignoring the voice inside her head who wanted more and more.“I would rather have you as a fr
Aira signed the last spot on the contract and her lawyer smiled at her. “Great! Now all we need to do is take send it over to them and get a copy,” Her lawyer said with an enthusiastic smile and Aira smiled back at him.After a few small talks, she made her way of his office. She was going to marry Vincent.Oh god! She was going to marry Vincent.Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down as she made her way toward her car. She needed to get home and get some work done before it was time for her to have dinner with Vincent tonight.As soon as she started the car, her phone started ringing and she pilled her AirPods out to answer it.“Hi, mom. How are you holding up,” Aira asked“Good, honey. You don’t need to worry about us,” Her mother said, “Your dad and your brother are already in a business meeting with a potential investor. Hopefully, everything will be okay soon.” “I hope so, mom,” Aira responded knowing that it wasn’t going to work out with any investors. That fami
“W-what compa-” Aira cut herself off as she glanced behind vincent who was practically framing the door for someone who was trying to tell her that there was someone else there.“Hi, Dane! How are you today?” She asked as she sidestepped Vince to talk to her neighbor who was holding a wine bottle, clearly heading toward her apartment.“Hi! I’m fine. I was thinking about inviting you to drink with me. I got my hands on a good bottle and thought we could share it.”Vincent was immediately behind her his hand on her lower back. Not so much for not wanting to intimidate her neighbor.“Oh, sorry. We were just going out,”“Yeah. Maybe another time,” Dane said with a cocky smile,“Yeah, maybe all of us can get together. All of us,” Vincent responded instead and Aira wanted to groan. He was playing his role too well.“Oh, right! How can I be so rude!” Aira exclaimed, “Dane this is my fiance Vincent. Vincent, this is my neighbor Dane.”“Vincent Valory, nice to meet you,” Vincent said leaning f
“Okay. Something is going on with you tonight,” Vincent said “What?’ Aira asked “You seemed down since I picked you up earlier. Is everything okay?” He asked,Aira looked down from his steady gaze. Was he concerned about her? She wondered if she was being this obvious all the time. To the point that he could see that she was concerned about something.“I didn’t realize it was that obvious,” Aira responded “It isn’t. I just noticed that you’re a bit preoccupied this evening.” he answered, “Is it something that you can’t tell me?”“No. Not at all. It’s not something worth mentioning that’s all,” Aira respondedVincent reached out across the table and took her hand in his squeezing a little bit.“If it’s enough to make you worry then it is worth mentioning,” He said with a soft tone that made her heart melt, “Aira, we’re going to be partners for the next three years. If we can’t stand by each other in times like this, it’s going to be much harder to deal with everything that we’re go
“Hi mom! Sorry for calling this late. I just wanted to talk to you as soon as I heard the news!” Aira said as soon as her mother responded on the phone.Okay. That wasn’t her high-pitched voice on the phone with her mom right now. No way!“It’s wonderful honey! Your father was so happy when he came back home. Ian is over the moon too. Poor thing must have been feeling guilty,”“That’s great! But, is it a done deal? I mean, is it sure that they won’t change their mind?” Aira asked.She was not able to bring herself to ask her mother the question she’d been wanting to hear from her.“Yes! They signed the papers and everything this afternoon. Although I wonder if it’s going to be okay with you, honey,” Her mother said“Why wouldn’t it be?” Aira asked her heart falling.What was going on?!“Well, your father’s new business partner is someone you know,” Her mother stalled,“Who is it? Jace?” Aira asked“God no!” Her mother said immediately, “We would never do that to you, honey,”“Then who
Aira opened the door to her apartment and threw her arms around Vincent’s neck hugging him tightly. “Woah,” He said barely stepping back from the impact and circling his arms around her waist hugging her back, “To what do I owe this pleasure?” He said stepping inside her apartment with her still in his arms and closing the door behind them.“Thank you,” She said burying her face into his chest while her nose was being assaulted by his woodsy soothing cologne, “My family called me yesterday. They told me everything,” She leaned back enough for Vincent to put her back on the ground and face her while his hands still held her waist.“You’re welcome,” He said with a smile, “I told you I was planning to go through with the deal anyway,”“But, this was going on long before this. Even before you spoke to me about marriage!”“Yeah. I kind of had always been a fan of your work. This is why Meghan had to come scout you before I stormed into your apartment and demanded a chance for my projec
Vincent pressed Aira against the door kissing her face and neck frantically and she chuckled upon the contact her melodious laugh making him relax and smile back at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. "Are you really here with me?" He asked cupping her cheeks and she smiled up at him and nodded. "I really am here with you. Vince. I'm not going anywhere," She said looking him in the eyes and he nodded his eyes looking vulnerable, "This feels like it's another dream," He said and she circled her arms around his waist leaning into him. "Did you have a lot of those? The dreams I mean," She said and he simply nodded. "Since the very first day that I met you. I had been dreaming about you since that day," He said looking at her with a serious look in his eyes making her wonder if that was really the truth. It can't be... He must be pulling her leg. Before she could think about anything, she felt Vincent pull her up against him and kiss the daylight out of her as he
Aira stood at the side and watched as the crowds all dressed in lavish black, circled around the huge gallery. She was standing to the side wearing a tight-laced black dress and black string high heels which made her feel both exposed and a little bit uncomfortable.There was something about dressing like this while attending an event alone. It made her feel as if she was being followed around by the gazes of any man hoping to get an easy lay tonight.Her only consolation is that this was a family event. A memorial for her grandmother.She wanted to laugh at that. This was more like a full-blown exhibition. The exhibition of the century.Her mother had went and outdid herself again with this event.Both her grandmother and Paul had been working nonstop on this. They even employed interior designers and event planners to coordinate everything to make sure the event was what their grandmother had hoped for.The woman sure had a fancy taste.Aira had been mostly working on the painting m
"It was believed that the legal battle between The CEO of Valory groups and his uncle was going to go on for years before the score is decided. But a sudden turn of events makes us wonder if that assumption is going to be proven wrong.Today, Warren Valory had been arrested for no disclosed reasons closing the chapter of a long battle that had been going on for years since the young CEO took over the company in his early twenties being one of the youngest entrepreneurs to reach such a position at such a young age.In answer to our questions this morning, Vincent Valory revealed that his uncle was only getting what he had always deserved. He said that the days when he would cover up for his uncle because he was family were gone and that the limit was set at hurting other people and committing real crimes.Other sources revealed that the real crime Mr. Valory was talking about was the attempt his uncle had made to harm his beloved wife in a hit and run causing her car to almost roll up
Aira sat down beside her mother and looked at the members of the family around her.Her uncle sat back on his chair looking as if he still believed his mother would walk into the room and announce that this was a joke. His wife sat quietly beside him as he clenched her hand in his offering him all the comfort he needed.Grace sat on the other side of the sofa leaning against paul her eyes red-rimmed and Paul held her close gently patting her shoulder while Ian stood be her side looking down at her from time to time looking worried.It paid to be the youngest member of their family.Her father on the other hand stood behind her mother his hands on her shoulders comforting her the best way he could.Aira on the other hand sat there alone as everyone wondered where her so sweet and loyal husband went at such an important moment.They were about to know why.The lawyer who sat before them cleared his throat as he pulled a piece of paper out of the envelope that he had been holding linking
There was one thing about goodbyes that Aira knew very well. And that it was a form of closure that people seek in order to make peace with the person they were never going to see again. And also with the part of them, that was attached to that person.Aira now was saying goodbye to both. And she knew that it was going to be hard, but she didn't expect it to be this hard.Standing before the coffin and away from it enough for her not to see the insides of it she remained rooted in place for a while fear gripping her heart like a vice.Her mind was like a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts and she even started trembling again.But then she remembered."I am proud of you." That's what her grandmother had said back then.As if her mind calmed down all of a sudden from the turbulence of a storm to the calm of a sunny morning by the beach, Aira slowly stepped toward the coffin where her grandmother was laying peacefully looking like she was simply asleep. And maybe she was, but her sle
A few days later, Aira sat down in the second row as she watched her mother present her eulogy. She felt drained and cried out. In the three days since her grandmother died, Aira had been doing very little.Other than painting or staring at the painting, she spent half the time crying and the other half trying to suppress her tears. Her family was grieving and each time she found her mother sitting in a corner crying by herself, she felt her heart break a little more as she went to try to comfort her.She was tired. So tired that she felt like she was going to sit anywhere and fall asleep as soon as the funeral was over.She felt a hand sneak around her waist and pull her sideways against a muscular chest. Grateful for the support, she didn’t tell Vincent anything. She didn’t need to.He had been hovering over her since that day but she couldn’t say that his presence bothered her. Sometimes she barely noticed his presence but most of the time, he would always be in the right place at
Aira opened her eyes after a few hours from her nap feeling rested and peaceful for the first time since she discovered what Vincent had done.Jumping out of bed, she could barely fight the urge to take the brush into her hands. So without stopping to think about anything and like a lunatic with an illusionary fire chasing after her, she changed into her jeans not bothering with a new shirt, and made her way toward the workshop.Opening the door. She headed toward the untouched painting left as she had left it before the butler had come to get her.A bang in her chest sobered her but she still made her way toward it and stared at it for a few moments before she picked up a new brush and started mixing the colors and preparing for everything.After a while, she was already painting the rest of the painting unaware of what was going on around her.Vincent came barging into the room at some point and she looked at him absently wondering why he looked so worried. Then he sighed in relief
Vincent stood by the door and watched as Aira’s family fussed over her. Her mother and sister were hugging her tightly as they cried and her uncle stood away awkwardly as her father spoke to him clearly giving him a piece of his mind about what he said to her.“Thank you for finding her,” Ian said as he came up to stand beside him, “Amongst all of us, she is the one who has the hardest time.” He said.“I know. They were pretty close together,” He said with a smile his eyes never leaving her.“They were. Which is probably why she sold the mansion to you. She wanted Aira to have it one way or another.” Ian said and Vincent remained silent for a while not bothering to answer that comment.“She told me that you had a fight. She seemed upset over it, I was wondering if she would agree to come with you.” Ian added and this time Vincent looked at him.“I was wondering the same too. To be honest, I screwed up pretty badly this time and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had refused. I had
Aira stood there in front of her mother and uncle staring at the table.“Honey, I know how hard this-““No. You can’t do this to me,” she muttered.“You have no choice, Aira, you’re an artist, you need to finish that painting. It was her last wish,” Her uncle said in a hard tone.“No!” She screamed and they were both taken aback, she took a step back startled at her own outburst.“No… I- I mean…” she stuttered taking a few steps back feeling stares on her piercing through her skin.Suddenly she felt overwhelmed, dizzy, and out of air. She wanted to throw up.“Aira, honey, are you okay?” Her mother asked looking at her with concern Aira took another step back when her mother reached out for her.“Don’t touch me…” she said dazed and her uncle stood looking at her with confusion.“Are you like this because we asked you to finish the painting?” He asked and she felt the mocking tone in his voice.“Don’t talk to me,” she gritted out glaring at them, then she turned around to find everyone l