“Here you go.” Mr Lee handed me a cup of black coffee as per my wish.
I gave him a grateful smile. Behind him, the morning sun was glaring into my eyes but it felt rather relieving to be basking in its rays.
“You look tired, Miss Harper.” Mr Lee said, “Rough night?”
Right then, Enzo placed his breakfast tray beside mine on the table and took a seat. My face reddened, and I meekly nodded.
“I guess I’m just tired. Can’t wait to go back home.”
“When is your flight?”
“In four hours.”
I anxiously waited in the living room of what was once my home.I could hear my mother and sister approaching then, and as I looked up they were taking a seat in front of me. I could sense a familiar resentment in Liza’s eyes.“What’s the matter?” I asked, “Why am I here, mom?”She smirked, “Your father is back in town, Cassie.” She said, “And looks like he wants to meet you.”I was taken with surprise. It had been ages since I last saw my father, and I was yearning for it more than anything.“Really?” I sighed out in disbelief, “Mom, that’s suc
“What the hell, Mom.” I said, “You cannot give me an ultimatum like that.”“Well, call it what you want, dear. I don’t care.” She said, “All I know is that you need to make a choice. Are you going to choose Enzo or are you going to choose your father?”Suddenly, angry tears brimmed in my eyes. I could not help but hate my mother for saying those words. For forcing me to choose between two people I cared immensely about.“You’re a cruel woman.” I said, “No mother would do this to her child.”“That’s true.” She said, “That’s why I’m doing this to you. After all, you are not my child
“I said I love you. I always have.”Was I hearing him right? Did he just say that he… loved me? It was futile to hold back my tears now. They were streaming past my cheek in anger.Why was this happening now? Just when I thought I could be happy again, everything was being taken away from me!“No, you don’t.” I said, turning away from him. “Don’t say that.”“I can’t lie about my feelings, Cassie.”“Don’t make this any harder than it is.” A sob coming out of my mouth.I could feel my he
Two months laterI ran my eyes over my studio, a relieved smile playing over my lips. After weeks of hard work, my art studio was launched and slowly picking up. For now, there were just two people running it, me and my friend, Kelly. But I was sure that we would slowly expand. “Hey, Kelly.” I said, “Any appointments for me?” She quickly folded the newspapers that she was reading and hid it under the desk. Giving me a smile, she said, “No. You’re free today.” “Wow, first time in ages right?” I said, “Why don’t you see the guests who have just arrived? I’ll sit at the reception.” “Sure. You got it. Shall I get you some coffee to kick start the day?” “No, thanks. I just had it.”As soon as Kelly was out of my sight, I carefully pulled the newspaper. The headlines on the front page caught my attention. ‘The city’s most eligible bachelor spotted with his girlfriend. Are things heating up?’ It wasn't the text but the picture below it that made my heart skip a beat. I closely watched
Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at me. She was trapped now. “Hello, mom.” I said with bitterness, “I hope you’ve been well.” “What are you doing here?” She asked, her tone stern. “Why, I’m just here to talk to you regarding our arrangement. You’ve been ignoring me for the past few weeks, conveniently forgetting to fulfill your end of the bargain.”She rolled her eyes at me, “That was for a reason.” “Oh, yes? What reason could you have for keeping me from meeting dad?” I said, “I did everything you told me. I broke Enzo’s heart and left him. I even left my job and started a new life. I have done everything you asked me to do.” “You’re finally doing something good,” She said, “Now don’t expect any rewards for that.” My mouth fell open in surprise. “Wow, you have some nerve saying that.” I said, “I only did what I had to do because I wanted to see dad, not because it was the right thing. So you better be grateful for that and let me know when you will let me see dad. You
Enzo’s POV“Mr De Luca, Miss Liza is asking for an appointment with you. Shall I schedule it for tomorrow evening?”I groaned as I heard my assistant’s words on the intercom. Fucking Liza. Ever since Cassie moved out my house, Liza would not let me take a breather. She was around me the entire time, begging me to take her back. She was so persistent that even the paps have noticed it and are writing long columns in the news that we might be together.“No, tell her I’m not free.”“Mr Deluca, she will not listen to me. She is already very angry with me.”I frowned, “Why
Enzo’s POVHospitals.I hated them.I hated the smell of it. The people in it. Most of all, I hated the waiting room.I got here twenty minutes ago, but there was still no update about Cassie. The suspense was killing me. I knew she was not in danger, but why was she rushed here? What could have gone wrong?Just as I was about to lose my patience, a female doctor walked into the room. She ran her eyes over the crowd, and as I got up, she realized that she was looking for me.“Mr De Luca?” She said as she approached me. The doctor seemed to be in her forties
Cassie’s POVI did not expect that I would be seeing Enzo so soon.In fact, I was barely making peace with the fact that he was out of my life forever. So seeing him in a hospital right now ought to feel better, but it wasn’t. He looked pale, as though life was sucked out of him.I was sleeping on the bed when he walked into the room. He was the same man who loved me, but so much changed in the past few weeks that I felt like I no longer knew him.I wondered if he even wanted to be here.“Hi, Enzo.” I said, my voice broken. “Come on, in.”He closed the door
The meeting went on for another half hour before we decided to call it a day. Enzo and I were about to head out when Raymond called my name. “Yes?” I said, turning around. “That software you used…” He started, “Is that your company’s?” “Nope. It’s mine. It was my project in college.”“I see.” He mused, scratching his jaw. “Well… I think we would benefit from it. Do you have any plans of selling it?” I smiled, “Sell? Raymond, I’d give it to you for free.” His brows went up, “Seriously?” “Of course.” I said, surprised that he even thought I would accept his money. “How about I rent it then?”I scoffed, “No, I’m not accepting any money from you. I never created this to make money off of it. Use it for as long as you want. I’d be glad that it is of some use to someone.” “Well. I don’t know what to say.” He said, giving me a grateful smile. “Thank you so much, Cassie.” “As long as you don’t regret hiring me, I’m happy.” He laughed, “Never.” Wearing a smile I got into the elevato
The morning of our Italy trip, Raymond called us for an emergency meeting. Enzo and I had already finished our packing for the trip, so we were able to find time to go to his office. I had an idea about what this meeting was going to be about, and my suspicion was proved right once we arrived there. “The bidding for our new project in the UK is just a week away,” Raymond announced, a tired look claiming his face. I could tell that he must have endured many sleepless nights over this. “I have a feeling that Calvin Anderson is going to win this one as well. Like he always does.” “That will be what, his third time in a row?” I asked. He nodded, “He bids the lowest amount for every government project that he wins. If you look at the numbers, it’s practically impossible to finish the project with that budget. Forget breakeven, you will run into losses with that amount. I don’t know how he’s making profits from it.” “Well, do you have the data of your last three biddings?” I said, “I ha
I couldn’t believe this woman. She didn’t change a bit. Every time she finds an opportunity to exploit, she makes sure she gets it by hook or by crook. And that’s exactly what she’s doing now too. I clearly underestimated how smart my mother could be when she wanted something.“Of course you are, Mrs Harper.” Mrs Ashford said. “You’ve raised Cassie all these years. You must attend her engagement.” Mrs Ashford was not familiar with my mother’s game. She probably thought she was meaning well, but the truth couldn’t be farther from it. “Thank you, Mrs. Ashford.” She said, “I wouldn’t miss her engagement for the world.” “Of course, you won’t.” I said, walking away from her. Mrs Ashford followed me as I got the dress packed. As expected, the two evil women left us alone after they got what they wanted with victorious grins on their faces. Shaking my head in dismay, I walked out with Mrs Ashford and got into the car. She noticed my troubled face and reached out for my hand. “Don’t wor
I folded my arms across my chest, glaring at her. Did they plan this? Of course they had to. There was no way they were here by coincidence. They were so eager to kick me out of their lives back then, so why did they want to speak to me now? “Fiona?” Mrs Ashford said, “What are you doing here?” Right. I forgot they were friends. Great. “Mrs Ashford, I just came to meet my daughter-in-law.” She said, “I wanted to see how she was doing. I heard there has been a lot going on in her life after the divorce…” “First of all.” I said, “Calvin and I are divorced. I’m no longer your daughter in law. And you never treated me like one when I was married to your son, so I don’t get why you’re talking to me now. If you’ll excuse us, I need a lot-” “Oh, don’t be so upset, Cassie.” She said, “What has happened is in the past. You know we don’t have to remember everything. Why can’t we make a fresh start?”“A fresh start?” I scoffed, “I’m already doing that and I urge you to do the same.” “No, C
As I walked along the pavement of the busy streets of New York, I couldn’t help but miss the smell of the ocean, the humid air that added curls to my hair and the fresh breeze that kept me alive. Miami turned out to a perfect escape for Enzo and I. After spending our days by the ocean, strolling through the streets and exploring beautiful cafes, flying back home left a longing in my heart. I couldn’t wait to go back to Miami. “Hello, dear.” Mrs Ashford said as she saw me approaching her. Opening her arms open for me, she welcomed me into a warm motherly embrace. “You look wonderful. How was your trip?”“It was perfect.” I said, pulling away from her hug. “When have you come back here?” “Just last night.” She smiled. “I promised I would help you pick the dress, didn’t I?” “Oh, you didn’t have to come all the way here for that. I could’ve asked one of my friends to help out.” “But I wanted to be here.” She said, “I never got to celebrate my daughter’s wedding. Life’s giving me a se
I watched with anticipation as Enzo spoke to that man. The man’s face twisted with fear, and before I could understand why, he got up from his seat and headed outside. Enzo came back to the table with a neutral expression, making sure nobody suspected anything. Once he was seated, I turned toward him to ask, “What did he want?” He shook his head, “He was someone from the press. He wanted pictures of us together.” “Press?” I frowned. He didn’t look like he was from the press. Why would he ask me to take care of Enzo if he was a journalist? “I don’t think so…” “He was under a disguise so he would look like a tourist.” He said, “It’s fine. It’s nothing we should be worrying about. I warned him to not bother us anymore.” I nodded, but somewhere deep inside, I knew that the man was not telling the truth. There was more to the story than he let on. But for now, I let it go. If I saw him again, of course, I would confront him. Right then, Enzo touched my forearm. When I looked toward h
He was looking at me with a curious gaze, as if he was trying to figure me out. “Excuse me?” I said, urging him to move. “You’re Cassandra?” He asked. He didn’t seem like a native english speaker. “Uh… yes.” I said, “Do I know you?” He shook his head, “No.” He said and glanced behind him toward our table. “You’re with him?’I looked at Enzo. “Yes. What do you want?” “Nothing.” He said, stepping away. “You take good care of him, young lady.” I frowned, but took the chance to walk away. As I walked back to the table, Enzo turned around to reach out for my hand. As I took the seat beside him, I turned around to see if the man was still there. He was gone. “What’s the matter?” Enzo asked, looking at my confused face. “Nothing.” I said, turning away. “It was nothing.” ***After lunch, Enzo took me to one of Miami’s tourist attractions- Wynwood Walls. It was an art museum of sorts situated in the streets, with many famous artists displaying their work there. As a fellow art lover
The next morning at breakfast, I made everyone some coffee for their hangover. After Enzo and I went to bed, the party continued till morning downstairs. It was Phoebe’s birthday today, so we had an entire day planned. Sadly, we'll probably have to cancel a few of them today to let these guys rest. “You were wild last night.” Enzo complained, “How long did the party go? Three? Four?” “Three thirty in the morning.” Leo said, clutching his head, “I’m just glad we made it back to the villa in one shape. We were drunk off our faces last night. It’s a miracle one of us hasn't jumped into the ocean.” “Jesus, I should not have left you guys alone.” Enzo said, sipping on his coffee.“It’s fine, Enzo. at least we had a blast.” Phoebe said, looking toward me with a sorry look. “We missed you. I hope you’re rested well for today.” “I am.” I said, tucking behind a strand of hair. “Wait.” Phoebe said, catching my hand mid air. She examined my finger then and showed it to Enzo. “Is that an eng
I lost track of time as I fell into bliss. By the time I found my way back to Enzo’s lap, I was utterly exhausted, yet not satisfied. “Tired already?” He said, brushing some wet strands away from my face. “Shall we go to bed?” “No.” I said in a stern tone, fixing him with a glare. “Get your hands off of me and let me do my thing.” He gave me an amused look and watched me struggle against him. He then stabilised my hip, and that’s when I found the chance to wrap my hands around his dick. And then, I slowly guided it toward my slit. “So wet, baby.” He said, taking me in for a kiss. “Always.” I said, and gently started rubbing against him, coating his length with my wetness. I could feel it harden with every stroke, his breath growing heavy with each passing second. When he had had enough, Enzo gripped my grips tightly, forcing me to freeze. Then, he took his dick and thrust it into my vagina. “Ah!” I groaned as he suddenly filled me up with his girth, digging my nails into his sho