CHAPTER EIGHT Just in the middle of their conversation, Bruce’s phone buzzed and he sighed, cursing the interruption, but duty called. “Duty calls, huh?” Vivian asked, already knowing the answer. She could see the shift in his demeanor—the easygoing smile replaced by the serious look of a man dedicated to his job. “Yeah,” Bruce replied, sounding apologetic as he glanced back up at her. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to take care of this. Eight pm sharp” In the end, she had managed to send Bruce away with a promise to meet later, hoping it would cool the situation. Now, as she walked back into the building, she felt a knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach. Half anticipating her outing with Bruce tonight, she tried to push the encounter out of her mind, focusing instead on the tasks at hand. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, the lingering sense of unease remained, clinging to her like a shadow. Damien watched her from where he stood, a few paces behind, his eyes fol
CHAPTER NINE *KNOCK*KNOCK* Came the rapping on his door which was then followed by a familiar voice calling out to him. his thoughts which were put on overdrive suddenly calmed when Vivian pushed the door open. Her expression serious and her brows scrunched together. She didn’t look too happy and he could only guess why… “Dami-Mr. Sullivan” Vivian caught herself in time as she stepped into the office, her heels echoing in the expanse of the office as she walked towards his desk. “Vivian,” VIVIAN’S POV In all honesty, today when I had come in to work, I had not expected to be bullied by Lisa and her proxies. I swear to God, sometimes she could be such a child and I wanted to put her in her place. But for the peace, I took every snarky and gut-wrenching comment she had spewing out of her gutter mouth. But, above all I sure as hell hadn’t expected to bump into Bruce at the agency. My heart nearly dropped when Damien was added into the equation. To be honest, It was kind of hot be p
CHAPTER TEN “I—uh,” she stammered, trying to process the sudden shift. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how to respond. On the one hand, she was still angry with him for cutting the interview short, but on the other hand, the idea of having dinner with Damien was…tempting. Very tempting. A side of her really wanted to say yes, jump up for joy and scream yes to his offer, but then she remembered her earlier plans. The dinner with Bruce. Not to mention a petty side of her that desperately wanted to get back at him for letting Lisa cling to him like that. And for giving her the cold professional shoulder these past few weeks. This was perhaps her chance to get even. “I have plans tonight,” Vivian said, her voice steadying as she regained her composure. “I’m meeting Bruce for dinner.” She watched as Damien’s expression subtly changed, the easygoing smile fading as his gaze darkened with something that looked suspiciously like possessiveness. His blue eyes fixed on hers, and
Damien had left earlier than expected, something about pressing matters that demanded his attention. She didn’t know what it was, and frankly, she didn’t care. The tension between them had been too much, and the distance, though temporary, felt like a liberation.Pulling her coat tighter around her, she rushed through the lobby, her heels clicking against the marble floor. As she pushed through the glass doors and into the cool night air, she spotted Bruce’s car parked at the curb. The sight of him leaning casually against the side, dressed in his usual modest way, brought a small smile to her lips. A simple blue cooperate shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and black slacks, a reminder of simpler times.Bruce’s face lit up when he saw her, and he straightened, opening the passenger door for her. “Right on time,” he said with a smile, his voice warm and inviting.Vivian slid into the seat, grateful for the warmth of the car’s interior. “Thanks, Bruce,” she said softly, retur
CHAPTER TWELVE Bruce's smile widened as he caught sight of the spark of curiosity in Vivian's eyes. He always loved how eager she was to learn, how her enthusiasm for even the smallest things could light up her entire face. It was one of the things that had drawn him to her in the first place, her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and her genuine interest in the world around her. “Alright, I can’t tell you everything, you know. Classified and all that,” he teased, taking another sip of his drink as he leaned back in his chair, relaxing into the moment. “But I can give you a little sneak peek.” Vivian leaned in closer, her eyes wide and focused on him. She had always been fascinated by crime stories—the more twisted and complex, the better. It was a habit she picked up in college, spending countless nights glued to her laptop, watching documentaries and true crime series. Now, with Bruce right in front of her, a real-life detective with real-life cases, she was practically buzzing
CHAPTER THIRTEEN My stomach tightened at the sight of the name. Rico Montelli was not just any criminal; he was a high-ranking member of the Montelli crime family, known for their ruthless control over the drug trade in the city. They had their hands in everything from narcotics to extortion, and every cop in the precinct knew better than to undervalue them. “We’ve got intel,” Harrison said, lowering his voice as if the walls had ears, “that Montelli’s making a major move. We’re talking a huge shipment, high-grade stuff, enough to flood the entire city for months.” Luca let out a low whistle, finally showing some of the tension he had been holding in. “This is big, Cap. Real big.” Harrison nodded gravely. “Bigger than you think. We’ve got reason to believe that this shipment is being facilitated by someone on the inside—a mole in our ranks or someone connected to the higher-ups. We’re talking about potential corruption, and if this blows up, it’s going to bring a lot of people dow
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Four years later, he got what he wanted, but Vivian looked happier now…without him in her life. Bruce watched the clock closely, making sure not to miss a second. Finally, 8pm was here and he now leaned against his car, waiting for Vivian with a smile on his face. Sometimes he wondered if it were possible to turn back the hands of time, to do things a little differently. Just about the same time Vivian had left the office. 8pm sharp. On the other side of the city, near the waters edge where the docks were, a small group gathered. It was a desolate place with barely a living soul to be seen loitering, and other than the one singular street Lamp that casted a light over a group of men in tailored suits, the entire place was shrouded in a thick layer of darkness. And at the center of these men, one was kneeling, tied up, and bloody, barely on his last breath. In the shadows, one of the men remained obscured from the light. taking a slow drag of his cigar and the embe
CHAPTER FIFTEEN VIVIAN’S POV Day 1 The annual fashion show to usher in the new season was fast approaching and there was a lot to do. Too much that the mere thought of it made me sick to my stomach. I thought I would pass out just thinking about it. Every year it was like this. The clamor of sewing machines, ringing phones, and gossiping staff created a chaotic symphony of fashion preparation. And my days had become a blur of urgent meetings and meticulous planning. The upcoming fashion show was a rather big deal for us, designers from all over gathered here and with the fashion show which was only mere days away, and the pressure was mounting. And it also meant I would be -oh so privileged- to be in the presence of Lisa Jonathan more than the usual. I sighed. The girl was a nightmare, thankfully I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Yet up until now, faced in the flood of activities, my thoughts kept drifting back to Damien, he hadn’t called in yet and that worried me a bit.