The meal went smoothly. She now felt more at ease with his company. Although Justin looked stoic and arrogant, deep down he’s a warm person. And gosh, that laugh. It hugged Serene’s heart and sent shivers down her spine. She has not felt this good in such a long time.
After the meal, Justin drove her back to the hotel she was staying.
“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” Justin gave her a quick glance.
“This weekend? I’ll be in Coast City.”
“I see.” Justin nodded.
He stopped the car a few meters from the hotel’s entrance, which earned a confused look from Serene.
He cleared his throat and looked at her. He scanned her face, not
It’s finally the weekend. Serene packed her overnight bag and headed over to the airport. She’s bound to Coast City. This was an unexpected break she needed. Things between her and Justin had her heart in a tight knot. Thankfully, she did not need to go to Rain International, or else she’d feel more messed up. She was not ready to face Justin. She cannot help but sigh whenever she remembers him. And like the past couple of nights, the thought of Justin stung her eyes. Feeling the imminent tears, she shook her head and picked up her bag. After sitting in the plane for 45 minutes, she’s arrived in Coast City. She took a taxi home but did not stay long. She just left her bag in her room, then drove away to Mary’s boutique. Mary’s boutique was in a mall owned by her fami
The night finally came. Loud EDM music filled the air. Serene sat in the makeshift tent for the models. She was sitting on a stool as she waited for her hair and makeup to be done.Once finished, she collected her first outfit and changed. She wrapped herself with a robe, feeling the goosebumps forming on her arms from the cold.After a short while, the organizers called them and arranged them in order of appearance. Serene gently blew her breaths as she calmed her nerves. It’s been a long time since she last walked the runway. The task looked and sounded easy, but it was daunting. A lot could happen in a live show, from missing a step to wardrobe malfunction.She heard the emcee introduce the show, and the light from the stage darkened, adding to the drama. One by one, the girls before her disappeared as she found herself closer and closer to the stage.She let out a big sigh, removed her silk robe and gave it to the assistant. The moment she stepp
“Serene…” Justin’s voice was raspy. His eyes took in the features of her face, then lingered on her lips. He inhaled sharply, trying to control his emotions.She looked up to meet his gaze. She felt the burning warmth in his eyes. Her eyes darted to his lips and she could not help but lick her mouth as she remembered how his lips tasted.Her tongue’s movement did not escape him. He lost the last ounce of control he had left just by watching her reaction. His hand lifted her chin, and his head dipped to capture her mouth once more. He gently bit her lip before his tongue traced her lower lips, then met with hers.Their kiss which started with soft gentle pecks slowly increased in intensity and passion. Serene felt her knees slowing losing their strength. She clung on t
The weekend came and went. Serene’s heart and head were at odds with each other. Her heart simply reminded her how good Justin felt and how naturally they fit in each other’s arms. It spoke of the hard truth that they were in. He’s Bryan’s brother-in-law. Although it should not really matter since hers and Bryan’s story ended when he chose Chester, it still put her and Justin in a messy situation.Fate just had to bring them all together at such a time and predicament. So what happens when the four of them meet? Wouldn’t it be awkward?Serene mustered all her strength to get out of the bed and ready herself. She had a scheduled meeting with Arthur’s team. As much as she wanted to skip work, she couldn’t. This deal mattered to Al so much, and she did not want him to lose face. So, she dragged herself to the bathroo
Serene felt that the odds were against her. Of all the days that she’d miss an elevator, it had to be today. The elevator doors slowly closed on her and descended. She could not help but cry inwardly. There was nothing left to do but to wait for the elevator to come back up. Her eyes fixed on the closed doors, not daring to look anywhere. She felt that there were invisible eyes looking at her and were judging her. A warm hand enclose her icy ones while internally lectured herself for once again falling for Justin’s charm. She looked at the hand’s owner and she saw Justin looking at her, his lips stretched to a smile. “You forgot your bag,” He motioned his other hand that held her bag. Serene’s face burned up. She moved to retrieve her bag from his grasp, but he evaded her. “It’s OK, I’ll hold it
Serene and Justin had lunch at the Japanese restaurant at Hotel Le Grande. It surprised her when Justin ordered the same dishes she ordered the last time they had lunch there. It was already a few weeks back since they last dined here, and she ordered quite several dishes then. She cannot help but marvel at Justin’s attention to detail and memory.They ate in silence. Serene did not know what to say to him. The conversation they had in the car kept playing in her mind. She looked at the man opposite her in between bites. At first glance, he looked stoic, but she knew that deep down, he’s warm hearted.She also studied how she was feeling. If she were to compare how she felt during the early stages of her relationship with Bryan and with what she’s feeling with Justin now, she would doubt that she’s attracted to him. Although her heart throbbed when she saw Justin, she was not giddy like when she first knew Bryan. Bry
After sending Serene back to her hotel, Justin drove back to Rain International. He had a couple of meetings to do in the office, after which he’d meet a client at the hotel where Serene was staying. He planned on surprising her by bringing her dinner.Knowing Serene was just in the same building as him, he wanted to rush his meeting. However, it was for a significant acquisition for Rain International, so he made sure that he got all details covered.The meeting concluded a little later than usual. Coming out of the hotel’s function room, he went to the restaurant to pick up his reservation. His heart was aflutter and had a bit of a spring in them. He cannot help but smile at the thought that the last time felt this was perhaps back when he was still a teenag
“Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my family” Serene looked at Justin. Without a word, he reached in his pocket and handed him his phone. She quickly dialled her mother’s number. After a couple of rings, a panicked voice of a woman answered her. She gave a quick summary of what happened. Her mother wanted to take the next flight to Hyacinth City to see her, but she coaxed her mother and assured her she was out of danger and it’s unnecessary to fly out. She only calmed down and acquiesced when she told her she will come home the following week. After talking to her mother, she called Albert to inform him of what happened and assured him of her safety. Finally, she called Mary. Her friend was more hysterical than her mother and was even harder to soothe. After assuring her multiple times, s