StellaI slowly raise one of my eyebrows, crossing my arms over my chest. Adrian’s face contorts into confusion before it settles on shock. He clears his throat, eyes flickering between the laptop screen and my face.The laptop screen is filled with explicit and suggestive pictures of men. It’s an o
I jump into action, knowing that I have about one minute to undo all of their work and conceal my IP from them before they can get it.I count down the seconds in my head, furiously typing countermeasures into the keyboard.Fifteen seconds left to go…I bite my bottom lip to the point where it almos
StellaAs I slowly enter the room, arms crossed over my chest, and set my bag down on a seat by the door. I watch as Adrian drapes an elegant diamond necklace into Clara’s hands. The room fawns and gasps over the sparkling jewelry.“Congratulations on waking up from your coma, Clara,” Adrian looks d
StellaI tear my gaze away from Adrian’s unable to even look at the man that stands before me. I spot a nearby hotel employee, signaling them over. They slowly approach me, nodding their head, ready to receive my command.“I want to see the security footage,” I gesture to the security cameras that h
“The diamonds don’t even look real!” Clara boasts and turns her chin upwards, looking away as a form of protest.The jewelry appraiser from before approaches me with a kind smile.“May I?” He kindly asks. I nod.The man leans in and closely inspects the necklace. My heart races inside of my chest.W
Third Person POVStella sighs and closes her laptop screen, rolling her head back into the headrest of the car. A small smile creeps up onto Sebastian’s face as he watches her.“Your hacking skill shave gotten better,” his praise catches her attention, opening one eye to look at him, “you’re much fa
StellaI roll my eyes and click a button on the side of the car door. The window rolls up, Adrian drawing his hands away. Without another word, Sebastian steps on the gas pedal and the car speeds away.“Stella,” Sebastian says my name like it is butter rolling off of his tongue, “if you need to talk
The man’s jaw clenches, eyes widening from surprise. He clears his throat and turns to exit the room without another word. I straighten my back and look at the rest of the men.To the side, Sebastian begins to slowly clap, an amused and proud smile on his face. Nobody dared to speak up against my br
Adrian“Stella!” I repeat, forcing my feet to move in her direction. “Stay right where you are!”Random people on the street stare at us. They point and stare, a few of them even taking out their phones to record us. I glare at them as I pass by, making them turn away and mind their own damn busines
AdrianLast night’s news report stuck with me. Are stock prices nowadays truly dependent on how a company’s leader’s life looks like? Will I soon be under the microscope when people turn to invest in my pharmaceutical company?The thought sends chills down my spine. I can see the news articles and h
I sigh and look out the window. The clouds are big and fluffy today. Maybe it’s a sign that good things are coming back to me.“Stella?” Sebastian asks. I hum in return. “Do you need to talk about your…situation with Adrian?”I turn to look at him. He glances over at me and meets my gaze for a brief
StellaAfter spending hours with Dominic in the mansion’s office, I found myself in the comfort of freshly washed and dried sheets in my designated bedroom. Sleep overtook my body almost instantly. My intense emotions from earlier in the day have made my body feel so tired.I woke up to the feeling
As soon as the car pulls into the vicinity of the house, I can spot all five of my brothers standing outside the doors, every single one of them having their arms crossed over their chests. I step out of the car and Sebastian steps forward, leaning inside the car and handing the taxi driver a wad of
StellaMy marriage to Adrian has been nothing but lifeless and one sided. Sure, I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed the marriage contract with him, but I never thought my life would end up like this.Has the past five years of my life been for nothing? Was it worth it being married t
I park my car in the driveway. Shutting off the engine, I slip out and head towards the front door of my house. My eyes remain trained on the ground, head hung low as the questions about Stella’s behavior and motives float through my mind.“Long time no see, Adrian,” Clara’s voice rings out from in
StellaConfusion flashes across Adrian’s face. He leans away from me, his green eyes unable to pull away from mine. His mouth opens then closes, just to open and close all over again.I stand right where I am. My fists are balled at my sides, fingernails digging into the palm of my hand. I can feel
Clara is awake now, though, and is back in his life. This is the outcome he silently wished for, is it not? I am simply letting his dream come true by leaving his life, so why does he feel the need to hold onto me as if I am his property?I sigh and fall back onto the bed. The ceiling is a boring wh