Hearing the hint of exasperation in her voice, Noah found it quite adorable."Is that so?" Noah replied, stepping even closer until their shoulders touched. "Maybe I'm trying to rub off some luck from you."Vivienne managed to focus enough to make a shot, the ball sinking into the pocket. She turned to Noah, raising an eyebrow, "Nice try but I don't let anyone take anything from me. Even if it's luck."The game progressed, each move more intense than the last. They were neck and neck, each shot more crucial than the previous one. Noah's competitive streak came through, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride every time Vivienne made a good shot.Finally, it was Noah's turn again. He lined up for what could be the winning shot, his expression serious. He shed away his flirtatiousness and teasing demeanor. His attention was entirely on the ball right now with only one thought that he wanted to win. He hadn't felt this competitive in ages and today, he had to win this bet and take
Vivienne was stumped by his question and her hand on his head also stiffened. Only now did she realize what she was doing unconsciously. But she didn't take back her hand immediately in a fluster too, that would show that she was embarrassed. Besides, she loved the texture of his hair and really wanted to run her fingers through his hair like she did the other night.Thinking of the other night, her eyes flickered and she cleared her throat unnaturally as she replied, "I'm appreciating you for your effort and help."Noah raised his brow at her inquisitively, "Oh?""Don't look at me like that," Vivienne wanted to pull her hand back from his head but Noah placed his hand on hers and stopped her movement. "You can continue if you want," he said very naturally with a subtle smile in his eyes. "I don't mind this kind of praise. I was just taken aback that you were treating me like a kid.""That's not the case," retorted Vivienne. "You should know that I traveled a lot in the recent years s
"When did you become so self-deprecating?" questioned Vivienne when she noticed the change in his expression. Earlier, he seemed to be just jokingly or teasingly asking her but now, she could tell that he was genuinely curious about why she was so firmly refusing to go out with him. "The Noah Sullivan I loved would never speak about himself with such modesty."Noah raised his brow at her as he stepped back and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Oh? Then why don't you tell me more about the Noah Sullivan you loved? I'm intrigued now."Vivienne raised her hand to pat her chest and took a few deep breaths to calm her excited heartbeat. Now that he had taken a step back, she finally could breathe again. The feeling of suffocation that his proximity brought to her was lifted and she felt a little bit lost.She looked towards the sun that had almost dipped down making the sky turn darker and darker. Her silence made it feel like she had no intention of answering his question. For a mi
"Let go!" ordered Vivienne in a stern voice, but because of the breathless kiss from earlier, she didn't notice that her sternness was diluted.The tone of her voice only seemed to make Noah feel like someone was scratching his heart, making him want to do something. Noah was really reluctant to let go once he was able to wrap his arms around her. She didn't have a petite figure, in fact, she was rather on the taller side and yet, she seemed to be able to fit perfectly in his arms as if it was where she belonged. This thought made Noah smile in satisfaction as he licked his lips where he could still feel her soft lips' warmth and her sweet, intoxicating taste. "Can't we stay like this for a while?" "Huh?"Noah added, "Just for a minute."He really wanted to just take a break like this. And even if he had some dirty intentions, he didn't act on those impulses as he had already decided to take things slow. Since he couldn't deny that he was attracted to her, and it was a fatal attracti
It was a clear sunny day when Vivienne planned to go out with Angelina. Needless to say, Angelina was still the person who stayed true to her words. As she was the one who pointed out the need to buy some paintings for Vivienne's new house, she had to act upon that too. She managed to get the invitation to an exclusive art exhibition and came to pick up Vivienne."It seems Aurora won't be joining us, again!" said Angelina as she swerved the car around with her eyes focused on the road ahead. As she drove out of the residential area, she picked up her drink from the cup holder and took a sip. "If I didn't know any better, I'd feel like Aurora's editor has a crush on her or something."Vivienne pursed her lips before telling her, "He does.""What?!" Angelina turned her head to look at Vivienne in shock.Vivienne forced her to look at the road ahead saying, "Focus on driving! I don't plan on dying so young and beautiful."Angelina chuckled when she heard her saying, "Don't worry, darling
Vivienne and Angelina strolled through the art exhibition, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished wooden floor. The gallery was bathed in natural light streaming through large, arched windows, casting a warm glow over the walls adorned with vibrant paintings. The air was filled with quiet reverence as if everyone was entranced by the artistry surrounding them.Vivienne glanced at Angelina, her heart swelling with affection for this old friend who didn't stop chatting even in such an environment. Angelina's voice was low but she still was eager to share her thoughts regarding the paintings with Vivienne and considering the fact that Angelina was herself a painter, her insight regarding the paintings was rather fascinating. Vivienne on the other hand wasn't so well-versed when it came to abstract art. She really couldn't appreciate these art pieces the way Angelina could. After all, an expert knows better than a layman and they see more than a layman too. This was why Viv
Angelina wasn't expecting such an answer from her but at the same time, it wasn't all that surprising either. In fact, she was someone who was unable to understand Vivienne's obsession with Noah. Yes, obsession! Angelina had no doubt that Vivienne had an obsession named Noah. There was love but it was kind of an obsessive love. The kind where Vivienne would forget the world around her once Noah was around. Although it seemed to have gotten better from what she observed the other day, it still wasn't completely cured though perhaps because Vivienne herself didn't understand this obsession.Or maybe she did understand it. "Have you been judging men around you with Noah's standard? Is that why you are still single?" asked Angelina straightforwardly as she didn't feel the need to beat around the bush with Vivienne. It was clear that Vivienne wouldn't mind such a question."How is that possible?" questioned Vivienne. "You don't really think that I've been single all this time and waiting
The astonishment on the newcomer's face was too obvious and along with it was her disdain that she didn't even try to hide. How could Angelina not see it? Angelina wondered what kind of relationship was between these two for Vivienne to look so cold all of a sudden and the other girl to show her disdain."Celeste Johnson," greeted Vivienne coldly but didn't seem enthusiastic. In fact, even her ever-present politeness was nowhere to be seen. Angelina finally learned who this person was and stared at Celeste with zero interest. She might not know the girl in person but she had heard of this name. After all, Vivienne's mother remarried into the Johnson family how could she have not heard of it?But since the Johnson family's social circle was different from theirs, Angelina wasn't very familiar with anyone from that family including Celeste. However, she had heard a few things about her from here and there that only gave her one impression of Celeste that this young lady was a spoiled b