(ARIELLE'S POV) I pushed open the door to my office, and as usual, the feeling of anticipation I always receive whenever I arrive in it enveloped me. It was a new day, and I was looking forward to the activities it had in stock. But as I strode inside, my eyes landed on what had come to be a famil
(ARIELLE'S POV) He flashed a charming smile my way, and I felt my heart skip. Can he stop with the annoying boyish charms already? Rebecca and Stephen returned the greeting, taking their seats respectively. I followed suit, trying to compose myself. "Today's session will be the last we're having
I blinked again, silently pinching myself to ascertain that I had not been plunged into one of my noon daydreams. What's going on? “And just so you know,” he added, leaning back in his chair with a small sigh, “I won’t interfere in your business anymore unless you ask me to. I’m sorry for the times
(ARIELLE’S POV) I walked towards my car, handbag slung over my shoulders, jotter tucked securely under my armpit, its edges poking out slightly from the confines of my arm. On my other hand, I clutched an important file; it contained a mix of the new business plan I had drawn courtesy of Jared's cl
The call ended, and I let out a sharp breath, my chest practically buzzing with excitement—and a pinch of nerves. Contracting a dinner on a ship wasn’t exactly uncharted territory for me. I’d learned all about it during my time in Italy: you have to contact the cruise line or ship operator, hammer
(ARIELLE'S POV) The drive to the Harrison beach house was quiet and a bit long. The driver barely spoke, keeping the ride uneventful. After an hour, we arrived at a massive iron gate, which opened immediately as the car stopped. The driver pulled into the driveway and parked. "Here, let me help yo
I blinked in shock, pieces falling into place. So the driver who brought me had been part of this evil plan all along, deliberately taking the long route so everyone could arrive first. “So, this wasn’t a business meeting at all,” I said slowly, shaking my head in disbelief. “You all kidnapped me f
(ARIELLE'S POV) As the party got underway, I insisted on stepping aside for a moment to call Rebecca and Stephen. I needed to let them know about my decision to take two days off. They readily agreed, assuring me they’d keep things running smoothly at the restaurant in my absence. Relieved, I than
“I won’t be long in the shower,” he promised as he dashed into the bathroom. I picked up my phone and found a couple of missed calls from Michael Langley. A little frown crossed my face until I realized he might’ve worried after checking on me at my suite. I didn’t owe him any explanations of cours
(ARIELLE’S POV) I was awake—eyes closed, but very much aware of my surroundings. I could feel the gentle early morning breeze dance over my skin as it traveled across the room. The warmth of Jared’s skin against mine, his spring arms wrapped around me like a second blanket, brought back very vivid
(MICHAEL’S POV) I was on a zoom conference call with my strategy team back home when my phone rang. Normally, I’d just ignore it and let it ring out until whoever it was on the other end got the message. But when I looked at the caller ID, I thought better. “Jared. Is everything okay?” I asked my
“That bounce in his step? You’ll only ever find it in a man who’s in love. And you.. your skin has a different glow this morning. Plus you arrived an hour late for our appointment,” Ellen finished with a shrug. “Morning, Dr. Keystone,” Jared nodded as he walked into the room. “Good morning, Mr. Sm
(ARIELLE’S POV) I woke up in his arms, this time, fully aware and hardly willing to break the contact between our bodies. I slowly turned around to look at his face, to be sure none of it was a dream. Jared’s lips stretched in a smile and his eyes peeled open gradually. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” I e
She opened her mouth to speak, but her words died away in the back of her throat the moment I slid myself into her. It felt like heaven. It felt like returning back to a place I’d vowed never to set foot in, only to realize I’d never really left in my heart—if I was being honest with myself. She
(JARED'S POV) When we arrived at the hotel, Arielle insisted on stopping by her room first for a quick shower and to change her dress. I didn’t object because I thought I could use the time to surprise her with a little culinary adventure. The poor chicken I put in the oven would have fared better
(JARED’S POV) It was all I could think about for most of the day. And I feared it bothered her somewhat too. It didn’t help my case the slightest bit that she built a wall between us, pushing me off every time I tried to broach the topic. Of course I knew that had to be the reason—our adventure of
“Sorry about that. I just wanted to go through everything we have to do first,” Julian explained, earning a little roll of the eyes from his ex-wife. I was glad that I didn’t need to be sedated for the tests they were about to conduct. Something about lying still and unconscious again with no defin