So can you guess what's the deal with Katherine?
“Why was she removed from our store again?” the other saleslady asks on time. The same question I am wondering.“She ordered several pieces of fancy jewelries but can’t make the final payment. The manger offers to resell those jewelries on her behalf, yet she didn’t like that option either. She kept telling us to show her some respect because her family is very respected in town.”“Is it?”“Well, yes, a few years ago. But the Booth family is going downhill and is facing financial crisis right now. Oh her poor fiancé. If he marries her, he’ll face so many troubles, like money wise.”“Her fiancé is so hot. I think he can do so much better…”And then they leave the lady’s room together.I stand still in my little stall, taking a time to process what I just heard.So Katherine is only marrying Eason for his money? Does he know about this? Does Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Griswold know??I bet Eason doesn’t know. He didn’t even bother to get to know Katherine, let along her family. But one thing f
“Come in,” Ms. Griswold steps aside and lets me into her presidential suite.The room is enormously large. While I’m still carefully studying the layout of the room, Ms. Griswold already walked past me to the liquor cabinet and poured herself a scotch.“So,” she takes her seat and crosses her legs, “Why do you need to see me?”Her eyes are full of distant. She doesn’t even hate me. She just thinks that I’m a dirt that doesn’t deserve her time and attention.“Well?” she urges me. “Hurry. I don’t have all day.”So I speak, straightforwardly, “Call off their marriage now.”She pauses for a short moment, and then burst into a booming laughter. She laughs so hard that her scotch spilled out.“Oh dear, oh dear,” she shakes her head still laughing. “Are you coming here to beg me? If you are, at least give me the proper attitude, like crying, pleading, dropping to your knees?”“I’m not here to beg you,” my jaw tenses.Yet she carries on as if she didn’t hear me, “Your mom was really good at i
I knew he would definitely come and confront me after listening to the recorder. But I didn’t know that he couldn’t even wait till the morning.“Have you listened to it yet?” I ask.“Of course!” he huffs. “Why did you do it? Why did you go find my mom?”I’ve expected him to be angry and confused. No one wants to be told that his fiancé is an evil person right before the engagement. But he doesn’t love Katherine, that I can be sure of, so he can take the bad news. I just need to break it down to him slowly.“Your mom asked me not to tell anyone. But you have the right to know.” I sit down by my bed, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “Your mom is dating Katherine’s father, which is why she has ganged up with them to steal your money. If you marry her, you will lose all your family wealth to them.”Yet he remains silent. He just stands there, staring at me with a set of dark eyes.I frown, frustrated. Doesn’t he trust me? The fact is so plain and simple. Why is he still doubting
When we come downstairs, there’s already a large group of people gathered in the living room. The center of the crowd is Katherine, who is bragging her diamond ring to a few well-dressed ladies. So Eason still bought the ring for her? I snap my head back glaring at him. He frowns and whispers back: “I was so caught up by our little argument that I didn’t notice she took my credit card.” That little bitch! I puff my chest up and march into the living room. The chattering group lapses into a short silence when they notice the unexpected intruder, me. The cold expression on my face immediately sets everyone on the edge of their seats. Mom stands up from the seat besides Ms. Griswold (seriously I don’t know how she can stand being in the same room with that woman) and welcomes me, “Natalia where have you been? Come and look at Katherine’s engagement ring. It’s so pretty.” I ignore her and look straight into Katherine’s eyes. “Give me the ring.” She sits there holding the ring box wit
Mr. Ramirez sits down behind the desk, his eyes fixing on my face. Now I can understand why Mr. Booth shivered like a piece of leaf earlier. This man is fucking intimidating. “Do you have anything to say?” he asks in an indifferent tone. Eason is about to say something, but I speak up before him. “Sir, I probably shouldn’t have exposed their schemes and lies in front of everyone downstairs, but I do not regret it. Eason doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. He needs someone to look over for him.” Eason’s grip on my hand suddenly tightens, as if a strong wave of emotions is surging inside of him. I lock eyes with him for a brief second and notice his eyes filled with nothing but love and gratitude. Mr. Ramirez taps the desktop with his knuckle and brings out attention back. “So you just decided to step in and take over everything without a word with me first? Natalia, from your perspective, don’t I deserve to know first?” I bite my lower lip in embarrassment. He is right. But ho
Eason’s POVI wake up in her bed the next morning.The first thing I look for is her. Luckily, she is still sleeping soundly besides me, her face bathed in the golden morning sunlight. She’s like an angel.I let out a long sign, feeling relieved. I don’t remember how many nights that I dreamed about her sleeping in my arms and woke up to find that everything was only in my head. It almost crushed me.I went through the darkest period time in my life three years ago when she left me. I couldn’t cope with the fact that the love of my life was gone, and everything was my fault. So I fled back to New York from Miami and locked myself up in the apartment. I wanted to rot in that dark room, so that I didn’t need to face the reality.I drank myself to sleep but just kept being woken up by nightmares. So I drank more, forcing myself to sleep. It’s like a vicious circle. My life had fallen into a dark, endless pit.I remember one time I drank an entire bottle of vodka and passed out on the bat
Natalia’s POVI weak up pretty late this morning.Yesterday has been a real emotional rollercoaster. So we let ourselves sleep in and stay in bed till it’s almost noon.“Did mom knock on the door?” I let out a small yawn and watch Eason get dressed, which is a scene that I can never grow bored of.“No. She is probably out with my dad. It’s Christmas season. They can be quite busy.”I frown. This doesn’t seem like mom. So many things had happened yesterday, and she must have noticed that something is going on between me and Eason at this point. The mom that I am familiar with would drag me out of my room at the middle of the night and interrogate me brutally until I give her an answer.But she stays put. Didn’t even come to check on me this morning.How weird.A peck on my forehead interrupts my line of thinking. I look up and find Eason grinning at me. Amusement is gleaming in his emerald green eyes.“Penny for your thought?” he asks.“I was thinking about—Umm!”He catches my lips with
Natalia’s POVThe rest of my Christmas holiday is amazing.Eason and I get to cuddle on the couch all day watching our favorite movie or reading books together. Now that everyone in this house knows about us, there is no need for us to hide anymore.The only people I am still worried about are Mr. Ramirez’s friends and business partners. Those upper-class people can gossip.I just gave them one huge scandal to chat with when I exposed Ms. Griswold in front of a room full of guests. If they find out that the Ramirez heir is dating his stepsister now, God knows what more vicious words will come out of their mouth.Yet my deepest fear is bound to come true.One day, Eason and I are in the living room. He was playing his guitar. And one thing led to another. We start making out on the couch.No one is around. Our parents won’t come back until after dinner. We both let our sanity slip away.None of us notice the front door opening.And when we hear a horrified cry, it is too late.I jump o
A large group of people escort me downstairs. Because it is absolutely impossible to move in this dress by myself. The delicate lace of my gown sweeps along the polished wooden steps. I must move very slowly and carefully to avoid any mishaps. I grip the banister, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.At the bottom of the staircase, servants hold open the grand double doors leading to the garden.The scent of fresh flowers wafts in, mingling with the warm early summer breeze. I take a deep breath, letting myself savor this magical moment.And there my dad is, tall and dignified, dressed in his sharpest suit, waiting for me just by the doors.“Dad.” I whisper, reaching out to hold his hand.He turns, his eyes softening as they meet mine. “Nat, you look absolutely—”“Stunning.” I smile, “I know. Mom told me the same thing earlier in tears.”Then I am shocked to find that there are tears gleaming in his eyes as well.My dad is never a man of emotions. This is literally th
The next morning, I am woken up by the early sunlight and a series of noises.Still half-asleep, I groan and rub my eyes, frustrated.What is going on…Who is out there screaming and yelling…Somebody is trying to get some sleep here…Then something snaps me back to reality like a whip—Fuck! Today is my wedding day!!!Then I hear my mom’s shrieking in the living room, “Is she still asleep? She should be up half an hour ago!”“She is probably in the bathroom. Let me go check on her, Mrs. Ramirez.” That is Jenna’s voice.“Oh thank you darling. You are a life savor…”Light footsteps approach the bedroom door. I only have one quick second to grab the sheet and cover up my naked body before the door flies open.“Morning Nat—OMG, you ARE still in bed!”“…I couldn’t sleep last night.” I swallow, pretending to be calm.Meanwhile, I quickly scan the room—Good, Eason is gone already. I can’t imagine what kind of temper tantrum mom would throw if she finds out that we spent the night together.“R
Today is the last night before my big day tomorrow.Everything is under control. All the guests have checked into the mansion already. Through the window on the 5th floor, where my bridal suite is located, I can see workers working on the final decoration of the wedding venue in the garden.Everything is on the right track. Except for one.My mom.“Natalia, have you seen the seating chart?!”I stand in the center of preparation room, seeing my mom bustles around with a fervor that is both impressive and exhausting.Dresses hang from every available hook, shoes and accessories are scattered across the floor, and my mother’s meticulous lists cover the desk. The room buzzes with pre-wedding chaos, a stark contrast to the calm I crave.I sigh, “Mom calm down…”“I can’t find the seating chart anywhere! And we need to make sure the caterer knows about Uncle Frank's shellfish allergy!”“Mom—”“And where the hell is your wedding planner!!!” mom raises her voice and cries, “We paid him 1000 buc
Eason and Mr. Ramirez heard about what happened later that day.“Katherine?” Eason’s voice darkens immediately. “She is a fucking nobody. Her family went bankrupt. Their reputation stinks! How dare she fight you on this venue?”“And I hate it when people go behind my back and bother my family with things from work.” Mr. Ramirez says with a frown. “I will give my people a heads-up, telling them to cut off any connections with her and her husband immediately.”Looks like Rosa’s husband’s proposal will go down the drain even before it got a chance to be presented to Mr. Ramirez.It feels so great to be protected by your own family.Eason still seems mad, “I can’t believe anyone is still willing to marry Katherine! Don’t they know that this woman is crazy?”“Rosa’s family is new to the town,” mom says.Eason lets out a snort, his green eyes gleaming icily, “Maybe they will be interested in Katherine’s history.”I know what he is thinking.If he finds a way to leak Katherine’s history to Ro
I stare at Katherine with shock.Seriously, I am the thief?!She is the one who tried to steal Eason’s inheritance!She doesn’t look at all like the sweet and kind girl I first met, the one who exuded elegance.Now she is sharp and bitter, but her expression gives away how weary she really is. Her cheeks are pale, and her hair is dull and split. It must have been a long time since she last visited the salon.The bankruptcy really taken a toll on her. She doesn’t need me to make her more miserable. She has taken care of that herself.“Mom, let’s go.” I give Katherine a look of disgust. “Don’t waste our time talking to her.”I grab my mom and try to walk around Katherine.But Katherine blocks our way again.“Why are you leaving? Are you afraid? Afraid of facing me?” her voice is sharp and shrill. “Do you know what people have been saying about you? You are a slut, Natalia! You steal other people’s fiancé because you can’t stand them living a happier and more wealthy life than you are! Lo
I widen my eyes slightly in shock.That is the last thing that I expect.Honestly, where does that come from?“What letter?” my dad asks with a frown.“Oh, there is a letter that Eason wrote to Nat years ago, when they first met. He chose to do ask her out in the most traditional way—by putting it down on the paper. Don’t you think it would be so romantic and meaningful to read that letter on the wedding? You know, to commemorate the beginning of this relationship?”“What does the letter say?” Hallie asks curiously.“Well that is the main thig—none of us know, except for the two of them.”I let out a dry laugh.My mom doesn’t know about this but the letter actually means more than that. It not only marks the beginning of our love, but also the years-long prejudice and misunderstandings between us.It is literally the start of everything.I look over to Eason and want to see his reaction toward this.…He is blushing like a red ballon.I am so damn shock.Eason is the most barefaced, ego
I am too stunned to say anything.“We are in Fiji? How??”The last thing I remember from yesterday is drifting into sleep in Eason’s arms. So did we take a flight after that? How come I didn’t have any memory of that?!“Did you drug me?” I eye him suspiciously.He laughs heartly, “I didn’t. It all thanks to your own magic potion. Two bottles of them.”I rub my forehead embarrassedly. I was really hammered last night. I should have known that Eason was up to something to get me drunk.“So,” he smiles. “Do you like my surprise?”I stand on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips, “I love it.”Nothing is better than a getaway trip to Fiji after an exhausted month.Eason knows exactly what I need.The smile on his lips gets wider as he says, “Well, wait till you see this.”He holds my hand and leads me down the stairs, through the villa’s back yard and out to the beach.The sand is white and warm. The ocean is turquoise-blue. And there is a long table set on the beach, surrounded by roses and lilie
Our lives go back to normal after we return to New York.I have my school work and job hunting to do. And Eason has his company. We all have our own ways to stay busy and occupied. Yet since we already live in the same apartment now, we still get to spend plenty of time together.And living with Eason…is such a magical experience.He has lots of works to do, and yet he still manages to find time to buy me flowers, make us dinner and pick me up from school.He also sent away the cleaning lady. Because I didn’t like a stranger walking around in our apartment. And he was eager to share the duties.He broke a glass the first time he did the dishes, since—apparently—someone like him has never washed anything in his entire life.But he is a quick learner.Now every time I come back to our apartment, the laundries are done, the sheets are changed and all the dishes are nice and clean.I felt bad that he needed to find time after work to do those chores when he could easily hire someone to do
Natalia’s POVThe rest of my Christmas holiday is amazing.Eason and I get to cuddle on the couch all day watching our favorite movie or reading books together. Now that everyone in this house knows about us, there is no need for us to hide anymore.The only people I am still worried about are Mr. Ramirez’s friends and business partners. Those upper-class people can gossip.I just gave them one huge scandal to chat with when I exposed Ms. Griswold in front of a room full of guests. If they find out that the Ramirez heir is dating his stepsister now, God knows what more vicious words will come out of their mouth.Yet my deepest fear is bound to come true.One day, Eason and I are in the living room. He was playing his guitar. And one thing led to another. We start making out on the couch.No one is around. Our parents won’t come back until after dinner. We both let our sanity slip away.None of us notice the front door opening.And when we hear a horrified cry, it is too late.I jump o