ClaireToday had to be perfect—no exceptions, no mistakes. I was about to give my boyfriend the surprise of a lifetime.A marriage proposal. The beginning of our forever and a perfect way to mark our anniversary—he'd never see it coming.Every detail was planned out—from the bouquet of roses in my hands, to the reservations at one of the city's most exclusive restaurants—reservations I'd only managed to secure weeks ago through countless calls and relentless follow-ups; something other people would consider harassment, but to me, it was just simple tenacity. As the saying goes, ‘You want something? You go for it,’ and I wanted this anniversary to be flawless.Clutching the roses in excitement, I approached the receptionist at Alex’s department with a bright smile. “Oh, hi, Laura. Won’t be long—I’m just meeting Alex. He’s still in?”“Sure.” She started to smile as she looked up, but it faltered—just for a second. At the sight of me? The hesitation was fleeting, but it was gone almost
ClaireWhat the hell are you doing?!” Alex’s harsh whisper startled me so badly I nearly dropped the ring. I hadn’t even realized he was that close. I’d been too caught up in this insane, reckless moment that was sure to blow up in my face!My heart pounded like a jackhammer against my ribs—and I hated that he was right, because what the hell was I doing?!“My sincerest apologies, Mr. Giancarlo,” Alex said, turning to the stranger in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation. His forced smile faltered. “She doesn't know what she's saying, she’s upset and—”The heat of embarrassment crawled up my neck, burning my ears at his belittling choice of words.But the man—Giancarlo—had already interrupted, silencing Alex with the single commanding lift of his hand, before I could say anything. “Let her speak,” he'd said, his piercing grey-blue eyes then shifting to me and holding me captive as he waited for me to speak?“Well?” The question sliced through my haze and for a moment, I forgot
GiancarloI didn't know what it was about Claire that intrigued me.Ordinarily, she wasn’t the type of woman I usually dealt with—too bright, too unpredictable, too… real. But there was something... compelling about her that kept me seated here, instead of putting an end to this ridiculous situation and heading off a long time ago. This farce was a distraction I didn’t need. And yet, I’d somehow found myself asking her to dinner. She’d hesitated before saying she’d already made reservations for two somewhere else—likely for her and the fool she’d been seeing. That she'd mentioned the reservation at all kind of amused me more than I cared to admit. None of the women I knew would've risked pointing it out and passing on the chance at dining somewhere far superior—especially with a man like me. But I’m learning… Claire wasn't like most women. I’d offered to take care of it though, seeing no sense in letting her effort go to waste. I had no obligations to—I wasn't a man who acted wit
Claire~The restaurant doors burst open, plunging us out into the chaos beyond. Flashes of light seared my vision as the roar of the crowd outside reached deafening proportions. How were there so many people in one location?The blinding lights were accompanied by a barrage of voices yelling over one another.“Claire! Over here!”“Is it true you’re engaged?”“How long have you been together?”Their words barely registered before I felt his hand on my back—firm and steady, guiding me forward. I tried not to lean into his touch, but my feet were jelly and the warmth emanating from that small point of contact made it almost impossible."Keep your head down,” Giancarlo murmured softly, his voice controlled as his even warmer breath fanned my ears, making me weak in the knees.I tried to follow his lead, but the noise was suffocating. Panic clawed at me, my breaths turning heavy.“Hang on," he said, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me closer to his side as he shielded me from the on
Chapter 5Giancarlo The beeping sound of my alarm rang through my ears, drawing me out of sleep. I stretched, my muscles pleasantly sore from the best night’s rest I’d had in weeks. A laugh slipped out before I could stop it, soft and warm. I couldn't explain it, not in words that made sense, but I felt good. Light, even. The kind of good that clings to your skin and makes you grin like a fool for no damn reason. Or maybe it's the thought of Clarissa…I rubbed my hand on my face and let out a breath before stumbling out of bed. By now, it was clear that it was the thoughts of Clarissa that brought a smile to my face.She's just weird in all the perfect ways. As I got dressed for work, the thought of how my day would play out went through my head. I'll drive out of my compound with paparazzi hoarding me, drive to the company and still try to bypass another hoard of paparazzi. I'll get into the company and my assistant will ask me what she could do about the string of news that is f
“Leave us alone, Sydney.” I said to Sydney, my eyes fixed on my grandfather walking into my office like he owned the place. With a simple bow of her head, Sydney walked out of my office but not without giving my grandfather a greeting.Instantly, my eyes caught the sharp lines of his tailored Italian suit, the dark fabric clinging to his frame like it had been hand-stitched by God himself. Every inch of him was polished to perfection, from the gleaming cufflinks to the crisp pocket square folded with military precision.Even before he spoke, the air shifted. Authority clung to him, ringing from every step he took. He didn’t need to raise his voice to command attention; he just existed, and people straightened up.Pride swelled in my chest, I had always admired my grandfather. And I still do. He was my role model. “Grandpa! You didn't tell me you were coming around.” I said with a smile on my face, leaving my desk and walking towards him. He pulled me into a brief hug, a fond smile
Claire I stared at the blank screen of my phone, battling in my mind on what to do. Since the news about Giancarlo and I started flying around, I hadn't logged into my social media accounts. The hoarde of paparazzi I had to push through last night gave me PTSD and made me dread the amount of people I'll have on my social media. At least I didn't need to go to work since Giancarlo owns the company I work for. I wouldn't be able to deal with coming up with a lie or going regardless, supposing I wasn't working for his firm. “Oh God! How could I be so stupid to propose to a complete stranger on impulse?” I whined to myself as my hand slumped on the bed, my head collapsing into the pillow. “At least let me take my phone off flight mode.” I turned on the screen of my phone and tapped on it, putting off the flight mode. I feared my phone would somehow be hoarded with calls so I placed it on flight mode the moment we came back from the restaurant. It wasn't up to a minute when my phone
Giancarlo “You still haven't answered my question.” Enzo's voice series into my ears, bringing me back to the warm glow of my office. “What question?” I asked, clearing my throat to get a hold of myself. There was no way I was thinking that. “What do you intend to do about your sudden engagement? It's not just you, Claire and the public in play. Your grandfather is also now in play, and he takes the top of the chart.” He's right, and I didn't know what to do. I had taken a line out of Claire's playbook and impulsively told my grandfather we were going to get married.“I'll think of something. Bring up some kind of drama to call off the engagement, something my grandfather would believe.” His gaze slipped away for a few seconds as though he was in deep thoughts before he nodded his head in agreement. “I hope you're going to be fast on that.” Lifting my weight off the sofa, I made my way back to my desk. As much as I had a crisis on my hands, I had work to do. “For now, I need t
Claire.My chest knotted and my heart pounded as I read the news headline, my head swarming and eyes blinking rapidly to be certain that I had not seen wrong and that my ears hadn't mistaken the female reporter's spick and span voice.What was she even saying? My blood level fell, goosebumps sprouting from my skin and my ears twitching with the unfortunate news that went straight to the pit of my stomach.I looked to Carlo for an explanation and he too was shocked, more shocked than I thought I was. His eyes were wide opened, bulging like a stubborn boil and hanging open like an open pot. Colour had drained from his face—his whole body, lashes remaining unblinking and eyes staring into space."Carlo," my worry drew back to him, forgetting for a moment the weight of the situation on me; the reason Theodore committed suicide and the best way I could stop myself from connecting the sad dots together. "Are you okay?" I asked him, concern weighing heavy in my heart and twisting it painfu
Giancarlo.I could read the fear in her eyes as I spoke about doggy. I knew she enjoyed doggy or had enjoyed the doggy that day so I was going to give it to her no matter what. Her satisfaction was my priority and I was more than ready to give her that.Whether I collapsed after or not wouldn't be a problem. "I'll just rise again," I tried to assure myself as I looked at her fear-stricken eyes, that were growing watery."It's fine, Claire. I won't collapse, I promise". I winked reassuringly at her, trying to uplift her spirit."We'll do it on the bed and you won't have to stand.” The fear reduced in her eyes but didn't disappear completely as she spoke, voice trembling and low.She wriggled her fingers nervously, kneeling on the bed and giving me a pleading look. "You'll take it easy, won't you?" She looked like she was going to cry as she pouted at me, hands pulling into a pleading position."Come on," my heart softened the more as her pink lips pouted and her blue-green eyes grew
Claire.I returned almost immediately, my urge burning hotter and my heart dancing in a flame of fiery passion, pulling my nipples upright again.I wanted to suck his dick so bad that my mouth ached and my tongue lolled out, falling helplessly over my lower lip.His dripping cum was so sexy to look at that I fought with little chance of winning, to resist the urge to grab his dick and lick them all up.His standing figure and dangling pink penis was hungry to be grasped, watching me with puppy eyes and begging me to give in to the tempting thought.I gave up on trying to fight my cravings and caved in, pushing all rational thoughts from my mind and letting the moment engulf my senses like smoke.I lifted myself in one blow and grabbed the slightly weak penis and pushed it into my mouth, pushing it deeper to the back of my tongue and bending my neck a little backwards.I began to suck the remaining cum that was dripping from his dick, savoring the taste wonderfully and wishing he had c
Claire.I squirted uncontrollably, legs vibrating like a freezing hen and some of the liquid pouring on his face, bathing him like a shampoo and staining his red cheeks with its milky color.To my surprise he licked them all up, tongue dangling outside in a seductive way that turned me on the more. He went down again, hands widening my legs the more for easier access and tongue flicking the topmost part of my vagina hungrily.He licked all of the squirt, taking time to lick most of them from my clitoris and breathing oxygen to cool it down. My head went back in satisfaction as the pleasure increased more than the last, slowly taking over my thinking faculty and pulling me closer to the brink of slipping out of consciousness.But he stopped, hands still pulling my legs apart and head raised, smiling at me with his lips and his eyes, some squirt dangling on his chin. “I love you,” he said with emotions sitting comfortably in his eyss. The words sent more shivers into my body, filling m
Claire.I didn't even know where it had all began, whether it had been from the hospital or from the cab we just alighted from. My mind was swimming in ecstasy, hands searching for places in Carlo's body to explore, brain blank but echoing with the feeling of his hands under my thighs, hot and promising and not the least deterred by the short I was putting on.My eyes danced with a merger of love and lust blinded by it so much that nothing else made sense nor mattered. I couldn't even remember anything but his presence beside me, domineering and sexy, making me feel more loved than I had ever felt in my entire life. How we had escaped the hospital was a wonder to me. All I remembered were his touches that tingled my skin with pleasures and that kept multiplying tenfolds with his fast moving fingers. My mind was dazzled with just the fire in his eyes, burning so fiercely that it was enough to roast a cow.We were already crashing into our room, mouth plunged in each other's and hand
Claire.I drew my fingers hastily from Theodore's arms, wincing at the pain that seared it. How could he have been so savage? Anger bristled in my chest and my head banged musically from the struggle.Carlo was already by my side, tending to it and casting sharp furious looks at Theodore with each bruise he found on my fingers. I could feel the electic-charged raw anger that flowed through both of them and could hear their laboured breathing. The tensed environment grew worse as they both clenched their fists at the same time, glaring hard at each other and pouring a truckload of carbon dioxide on me.I nudged Carlo to pull him out of the rage but he only noticed me flippantly.The last thing I wanted was for Carlo's name to be stained together with Theodore's. It didn't matter that it would portray him as a weak man. As long as it wasn't something suiable by law, I was okay with it. I averted my eyes to Mrs. Grayson and she was still staring at the camera in a gape, her face scarle
Giancarlo.My head reeled with so many obscene thought but the most prevalent was the thought of murder. My mind danced with another good idea, an answer to the reeling in my head. The idea of squeezing all the devilish wickedness in her soul untill she vomited them out and repented from her wickedness."Of course we're most grateful to you for adding yourself to the witness list," she added and I was certain I would lunge forward and bite her head off, ground it perfectly into dust and spit it out on Theodore.My lips quivered, moving up and down as I breathed rage in and out and my skin burned fierily with her confidence in telling me to watch as my fiancee married someone else. My intestines entangled with my kidney as the mocking smile she and Theodore shared did not waver one bit, enlarging the more as they saw anger simmering in me.Claire stirred and everyone turned to her, each person having his own intentions towards her. She looked like sleeping beauty awakening from her s
Giancarlo.The crawling car finally arrived at the hospital after two business days and I couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. More because my worries were to be satisfied than because of their tortoise speed. I thanked them for the ride with gritted teeth and hurried away. I recognized grandpa Ettore's security as two were just stepping out."Where's she?" I asked breathlessly, eyes scanning everywhere as if I would find her hanging around."VIP room 2," one of them replied and I rushed in, almost pushing a pregnant lady down. Let her be fine please! I begged under my breath as I navigated my way through the hospital, panting heavily like a dog. After much running, I finally got to the room.Grandpa and Lorenzo were in already alluding to the fact that the police van had taken more than a week to get me to the hospital. "She's fine," Lorenzo said after taking one look at me. "She just fainted from shock. She's sleeping now," he tried calming me but I wouldn't have it. I wen
Giancarlo.My heart ripped into two and hands trembled epileptically as Claire disappeared from the rail. Oh God, let it not be that she had fallen. Let it be that my eyes were failing me. My mind went wild with the fear and my nose suddenly found the oxygen around too suffocating. My brain thumped hard as the world spun continuously, stopping to remind me that time couldn't freeze.I rushed in a jiffy to the rail to see if something had happened, if she was peehaps suspended on air or if there would be some miracle, any trick that would stop her from falling.I looked down, eyes wary in search and blood flooding my face as I checked every angle. My mouth grew bitter and my teeth chattered with the ice cube of fear and panic making my mind reel with anxiety as I kept searching.I could barely breathe without feeling a ragging in my heart, pulling all the strings of emotions together and tying them to my ribcage. My hands clasped hard on the rail, as I continued the search, looking u