Rosalie
"Rosie?”I look up, surprised to find David Muller, one of our fund managers, standing by my desk.“I’m sorry,” I tell him. “I was lost in thought and didn’t notice you standing there. God, I’m so sorry. What can I do for you?”He smiles at me sweetly and shakes his head. It’s clear he’s been standing here a while, but I didn’t even notice him. I need to pull myself together.“There was an error in the report I sent you, so I printed a new copy for you ahead of the meeting. I hope I’m in time?”I glance at my watch and nod. “We have about forty minutes left. I can’t thank you enough for catching and correcting that so swiftly.”He shakes his head bashfully. “I never should have made a mistake in the first place. If the boss caught it, my job would’ve been at risk.You know what he’s like.” I do know what it's like, but I refrain from telling him that not only his job would have been at risk, but mine too. With how much, Mr Sinclair detests me, I'm surprised he hasn't fired me yet.I smile ruefully and nod, the mere thought of Nicholas bringing a frown to my face.“Are you okay, Rosie?” David asks. “In all the years I’ve known you, an error like the one today has never slipped past you. If there’s anything I can do for you, I’m always here.”I force a smile on him. “I just haven’t been sleeping well, and it’s impacting me during the day. Maybe I’m just a little overworked?”David throws me an understanding smile, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he walks away.I haven’t been myself since James came home bloodied and wounded. And now even my colleagues are starting to notice. I need to do better.I keep trying to convince myself that I shouldn't care since he told me to mind my business and keep the money, but all I've been doing is worrying. I intend to ask Mr Sinclair for an advance today but he's been occupied on a phone call since I got in this morning, so I've not gotten the opportunity.I need that advance to help my family, I don't want them thinking I'm useless to them when they need me this much. "Rosalie, get in here, now!" The loud sound of Nicholas' voice and the usual sternness in his tone, have me quaking as I walk to his office."You called for me, sir?" I ask after entering into his office."Do you like your job?" He asks."Y-yes, sir," I reply instantly. What is that question supposed to mean?"I doubt that." He loosens his tie around his neck before taking it off and dropping it on his table. I watch him take small steps towards me and my pulse quickens with each step he takes."I did everything you asked for today, sir. A-and I don't think I've forgotten or left any chore out." I explain as I try to plead my case.If this is what I think it is, I'd go on my knees if it means, Mr. Sinclair won't fire me. If it guarantees that I will not lose my job. I can't lose this job, not when my family is counting on me“The next time you want to flirt with any of my employees, you do it elsewhere, and not in my company,” he tells me, his expression hardening. “You're here to work, not to act like a cheap whore during office hours."I look into his eyes, my racing heart beating in a different rhythm than before. “What are you… what are you talking about, sir?”He smiles humorlessly and brushes my hair out of my face, his gaze cold. “If you want to become one of your co-worker's girlfriends, then do it in your own time. Do not use my network for personal gain, especially not during work hours like this. It’s fucking embarrassing to see you flirt with him so blatantly when you’re here to work for me. Do I need to remind you of the contract you signed? If I ever catch you behaving this way again, I’ll fire you."My heart sinks, "I- I wasn't flirting with him, sir," I blink away my tears. "I can't lose my job please," I beg patheticallyNicolas glares at me and closes the distance between us, his eyes on mine. “Tell me, Rosalie. Are you tired of working?""No...No, sir," I mutter."Then don't give me a reason to fire you," He snaps.I nod weakly, "May I leave, please?" I could feel the tears threatening to fall, but I had no intention of letting that happen until I left this office.He turns away, his back to me. "I'm expecting a visitor soon, Natalia Oslo. Let her in when she arrives." I mutter a weak yes and nod in agreement even though he can't see me. "Leave." As soon as the word leaves his mouth, I'm out of the door.I inhale shakily and try my hardest to clear my mind, to no avail. Cleaning the stray tears that managed to fall from my eyes, I will myself not to let any more tears drop. Things have always been different between Mr. Sinclair and me in the past. I never thought he saw me as a.... cheap whore.My eyes sting as the conversation fills my head again and I feel a wave of new tears threatening to fall.I settle back in my chair and get to work. Staying busy is the only way for me to escape the thoughts I can’t control. For as long as I can remember, I’ve chosen to lose myself in either education or work. I’ve always felt like those are the only things in my life that I’m fully in charge of, and it’s no different today. Just as I get in the zone, I’m snapped out of my workflow by the sound of heels clicking on the floor loudly. I look up to find a woman, I'm guessing is, Natalia walking toward me, her short blonde hair perfectly straight and her makeup as impeccable as always. I’ve seen her at a variety of events on TV, and she always looks as though she walked straight out of a fashion magazine. She’s exactly the kind of woman someone like Nicolas should marry. I shouldn’t envy her, but a small part of me does.Natalia glances at me and smiles smugly before heading straight for Nicolas'office. I follow after her instinctively to announce her presence, but she does it better. “Darling,” she says, drawing out the word.From where I'm standing by the door, I can see how lovingly he looks at her. "Hello, darling." Mr. Sinclair greets her before giving her a brief kiss.I clear my throat loud enough not wanting to feel like too much of an intruder. "Excuse me, sir," I mutter before turning to take my leave."Rosalie," the sound of my name stops me in my steps. "Get a reservation for two at Mayfair. And order a bouquet of red roses for me please." He commands and I hear Natalia giggle happily."Yes, sir." I obey.I'm about to leave again when, "Thank you, Rosalie. It's nice to meet you, I'm Natalia Sinclair, Nicholas' wife."The news has me frozen in my steps for what seems like minutes, but soon after I turn, "Nice to meet you too, ma'am. Excuse me please." I smile hiding my surprise, and then close the door behind me after leaving.I walk back to my office, quietly and trying to mentally digest the fact that he's married. I’m snapped out of my thoughts when my phone rings, and I frown. My mother rarely calls me while I’m at work or at all. Worry instantly has me sitting up in my seat, my heart racing.“Mom, hi.”“Rosie,” she says, her voice trembling.“Grams… she left home a couple of hours ago, and she hasn’t come back. I’m worried.”I rise to my feet, my heart hammering in my chest. “What? How long has she been missing? Doesn’t she have her phone on her?”“No. She left it on her nightstand. I took your brother and searched around the block, but I can’t find her anywhere.”“Did you check the store? Maybe she’s chatting with Auntie Daliah?” Grandma and the convenience store owner have become friends over the years, and sometimes she’ll go over there to chat.“They haven’t seen her. Usually, she would’ve dropped by to say hi to them on her daily walks, but not today.”“What about the park?”“I’ve looked, Rosie. I can’t find her anywhere. I checked the park, I’ve asked all the neighbors, I’ve gone into every store near us. I can’t find her anywhere. This is all your fault! If you had listened to us when we said you should take her to a retirement home all this wouldn't be happening." She coughs clearing her throat. "You always like doing whatever you want! Even though you have the money, you are just too selfish to help your grandmother. Instead, you prefer to save money for the stupid house you want to get! Do you think I should file a report?” she asks, ending her rant and shattering my heart.“Yes!” I yell, my eyes filling with tears. “Mom, of course. We need to find her as soon as we can. We have no idea what could’ve happened. What if she fell somewhere, and she can’t reach us? What if she needs our help?”Tears start to run down my face, and I inhale shakily.“Rosalie,” Mom says, taking a long sniff, and I can't help but think she's high. “There’s something I need to tell you. We’ve been keeping this from you because your grandma insisted that we shouldn’t worry you.”I start to tremble and tighten my grip on my phone. “What is it?”Mom inhales shakily. “Grams was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Lately, she’s been forgetting things more and more often. She keeps getting confused, and sometimes she can’t remember who I am, other times she thinks we’re years in the past and your grandfather is still with us. What if it’s one of those episodes, and she’s trying to find your grandfather? That’s happened before, and I have no idea how far she could go. What if she’s trying to get back to our old house?”“I’m coming home right now,” I tell her as I grab my bag and rush out the door, barely able to see through my tears. “We’ll find her. It’s going to be okay.” My voice breaks, my mom is right. I should have just listened and taken her to the retirement home. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself.Mom has already checked every single place I can think of. Where could Grams possibly be?Worry makes me sick to my stomach, and it takes all of me to stay calm. I need to think clearly. I’ll find her if it’s the last thing I do.I grab my things and rush out of my office, making sure not to draw attention to myself. I walk speedily out the main doors before stopping a taxi. And completely forgetting about the task Mr Sinclair gave me.Nicolas Sinclair I stare at my phone, willing myself to reply to Natalia’s messages and failing to. I should have been putting some effort into getting to improve my marriage with my wife, but instead, I ignored her for a week straight until she showed up at my office.Three years ago, I could not see myself marrying her, but I had no choice. One way or another, I’ll have to learn to live with her. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, my thoughts turning back to last night.Sitting through that dinner with Natalia was much harder than I expected it to be. All night, all she talked about was fashion shows and holidays she wanted to go on. She was somewhat concerned about what our fourth yearly honeymoon would be like, and whether it’d be extravagant enough for her tastes, but she was never remotely interested in what a marriage between us would look like.But then again, neither was I.The idea for a yearly honeymoon was hers, I don't even know what that means. But I've gone along wi
Rosalie As I took the slow intentional steps towards my office, with my heart in my throat and my palms clammy from nervousness. I hope to God that Mr Sinclair showed up later than usual or didn't even come to work today at all.I haven't seen him since he helped with the search for Grams. I was so scared when I heard she went missing. I remember going home and searching for hours on end. My mind kept straying to places I couldn't accept.What if something happened to her? What if she slipped and fell... No, Rosalie! All these thoughts became much worse when my mother told me that Grams was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and said it was my fault she went missing. And she was right. If only I had just taken up a second job or used the money I've been saving up for a house, I should have been able to scrap up a fair amount to pay for a retirement home for Grams.I was so fucking scared of losing her that I didn't realize how much keeping her home could have been worse.I got a bigger kick
Rosalie It's been a week since I signed my life away to the devil. Literally.After I signed the contract, I assumed Mr. Sinclair would demand my presence immediately but he's been radio silent for a week. Even at work, he doesn't acknowledge the contract or the contents of it. He is as professional as ever and it's driving me mad. The way he has been acting has made me begin to think that the entire thing was a scenario I made up in my head.I mean why would my boss ask me to be his Mistress? It would have been so much better if this was the handiwork of my crazy imagination, but the two-page contract occupying more space than expected in my handbag said otherwise.I had sent him an email about the STD test I took. It's not like I needed to take one anyway, I'd never had sex before.It's not like I didn't want to have sex or it didn't interest me, I guess I've just been too busy taking care of everyone to consider any sort of sexual relationship.And now there's a high chance that
Rosalie It's currently six-thirty p.m. I got to my parents' home around five p.m. and had a late dinner with Gran because she refused to eat unless I was there. After dinner, I cleared out the dishes before preparing to go to my house."Rosalie!" My father's loud voice calls out to me. I rinse my hand and go to the parlor where he must be. "Where the bloody hell is it?" I hear him murmuring before I turn the corner and see my father searching for my handbag."Dad, what's the meaning of this? What are you doing?" I snatch the bag from the table and out of his reach.He gives me an outstretched palm, "I-I need some money, Rosie. Give me money." He staggers a little before getting his balance. He's drunk. Nothing new here I guess."I don't have any cash on me. The last one I had is what I used to buy Gran some dinner on my way home.""Liar! Give me some money or I'll sell the fucking shop," he tells angrily before tossing the table across the room.My heart breaks, "Dad I don't have any
Rosalie "Take the rest off," Nicolas commands referring to my blouse. I reach for the hem of my blouse before pulling it over my head. A sharp inhale of breath leaves his mouth when I'm standing in front of him in just my underwear and heels.The way his eyes rake my body makes me self-conscious and I slowly wrap my arm around myself covering my body from his preying eyes."Don't," He warns. "Drop your hands." He comes closer till there's only a mere inch separating us. "You're fucking perfect." He exclaims breathily before claiming my mouth with his. The first few seconds of the kiss are rough. It's a battle for dominance as he bites my lower lip so I can give his tongue entry. I finally give in and kiss him, taking what I’ve been wanting all along.Nicholas groans and fists my hair, his touch rough as he forces my lips open, deepening our kiss. His hands roam over my body with such urgency that he’s almost got me believing that this is more than just simple lust.“Fuck, Rosalie,” he
Nicholas I've always thrived on control. All my life, since I can remember I've wanted certain things to go the way I want them. If it's in my power and I want it, then it's happening.Which is why Rosalie Maxwell has spent the last two nights in my bed with my cock buried deep inside her. When I asked Rosalie to become my mistress in exchange for my help, I knew she'd do it. I had no idea why I was so desperate to have her sexually, all I knew was I could no longer deny the sudden sexual attraction that had sprouted for her. It was within my control so I decided to do something about it.I know I'm an asshole for manipulating her into signing the contract but I got what I wanted and that's all that matters to me. My mind travels to our first night together, I assumed Rosalie wasn't a virgin I had no idea why I did. She solidified that assumption after I got a copy of her STDS test in my email. And now that I think of it, I'm sure she only sent it because I asked.We never had any co
Rosalie "Hi, Grams!" I exclaim excitedly once I see her sitting in her favorite rocking chair."Rosalie, my darling. I've missed you. You haven't come to see me in days," she tells me and a hint of guilt makes my chest tighten.I've been really busy these past couple of days with work and... other things. There's a new contract that Mr. Sinclair is trying to acquire so it's been a stressful couple of days and nights for me. "I'm sorry, Grams. I've been busy at work, but I brought you your favorite burger to make up for it." I tell her happily before kissing her cheek and taking a seat beside her.I turn the fan on and I'm happy to see that the electricity isn't out anymore. I almost forgot to pay the bill because I've been too caught up with work during the day and then attending to Mr. Sinclair later at night. I've been meeting up with him every day for this week and it has always been the same. We have sex and then I leave, doesn't matter what time it is. He never objects, but he h
RosalieNicholas looks up in surprise when I walk in, a frown marring his handsome face as his gaze roams over my attire. I look down at myself, taking in the jeans and t-shirt I’m wearing, embarrassment rendering me speechless for a moment. I can count the times I’ve been around him in casual clothing on one hand. I never compromise on my professionalism, and neither does he.He crosses his arms and leans back in his seat, his eyes on mine. There’s something captivating about Nicholas Sinclair. He has this habit of making women feel like they have his full attention, and I’m not immune to it either, despite my best attempts to resist him."Rosalie, good evening.""Good evening, sir." I hope my tone doesn't expose my lack of confidence and the fact I'd been crying on my way here. "I had no idea anyone was here tonight," I add."Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I decided to come here and get some work done.""Oh, yeah me too." There's a short awkward silence, "I'll be in my office." I tell him
Rosalie A year had passed since the whirlwind of my tour ended, and now I stood at the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Nicholas and I had returned home, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how far we had come. I remembered the day I announced my engagement to Anna, her face lighting up with joy as she squealed and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Oh my gosh, Rosalie! You’re getting married!” she had exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. We had laughed and cried and laughed again while we watched romcom and drank ice cream, feeling a warmth in my heart that I had never known before. After that, I had rushed to visit Grams to share the news. I could still picture how her face would lighten up and what she would say if she was here, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “Oh, my sweet Rosie, I always knew you’d find someone special,” she would say, her voice filled with pride. I had told her everything—the proposal, the plans, and how Nicholas had swept me o
Rosalie It's been a month since Nicholas proposed to me. We decided to keep it a surprise from everyone until after I was done touring. At first, I didn't know how Anna was going to feel about Nicholas and I getting back together, and I told him about it. That was until he told me how she had come to his office and gave him the longest and most useful pep talk of his life. He also kept his word and followed me to work and waited every single day. And the gifts never stopped even though we were back together.The tour ended with a grand exhibition attended by the movers and shakers of oak view’s art world. The exhibition took place in a big hall, and every photgrapher had their own section in the pop-up gallery.It was exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and utterly surreal.I stared at my little slice of heaven and the people passing through it, dressed to the nines and examining each piece with what I hoped were admiring eyes.I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a photographer over the
Nicholas That’s Scorpio.” Rosalie pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”I followed her gaze toward the constellation. It looked like any other cluster of stars.“Mmmhmm. Looks great.”She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you lying?”“I see stars. Lots of them.”Rosalie huffed out a half groan, half laugh. “You’re hopeless, Nicholas.”“I told you, I’m not and never will be an astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view and the company.” I kissed the top of her head.We lay on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort in Caravans Desert, one of the top stargazing destinations. After all the shit that’d gone down last month, this was the perfect place to reset now that she has given me another chance. So I brought her to this resort six days ago. We’d spent the past four days hiking volcanoes, luxuriating in hot springs, and exploring sand dunes. My assistant had nearly keeled over with shock when I told her I was
Rosalie My dates with Nicholas had been really successful. And he lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my daily photography time. Other times, especially when I was with other people or exploring the city on the weekends, he was less conspicuous, but he was there. I felt his presence even though I couldn’t see him.I never thought Nicholas Sinclair would become my stalker, but there we were.On top of that, gifts arrived every day. By the boatload.By the end of the first week, my apartment looked like I was opening an indoor garden. I donated everything to a local hospital—the roses of every color, the vivid purple orchids and sweet white lilies, the cheerful sunflowers and delicate peonies.By the end of the second week, I owned enough jewelry to make the Duchess of Cambridge green with env
Rosalie After our date, the gifts didn't stop. They kept coming. By the end of the third week, I was knee-deep in gourmet chocolates, gift baskets, and custom-made desserts. I didn’t care about fancy jewels or flowers, so those gifts didn’t matter to me. It was the little things that tore holes in my heart—the red velvet cupcakes that spelled out I’m Sorry; a rare, vintage Japanese camera I’d searched for for years but had never found for sale. By the end of the fourth week, I was torn between tearing my hair out in frustration and crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide. “We need to talk,” I said Friday afternoon after I left my lighting techniques workshop. Nicholas lounged against a light pole outside the building, infuriatingly gorgeous in jeans and a white T-shirt. Aviators hid his eyes, but the intensity of his gaze seared through the glasses and burned into my flesh. “Sure,” Nicholas said, unfazed by the attention he was getting. He was probably used to it. While he foll
Rosalie I didn’t move back in with Nicholas. Part of me wanted to, but I wasn’t ready to jump in with both feet again so soon.I did, however, agree to another date with him.Three days after our movie night, we arrived at a quiet corner of the Oak View Botanic Garden. It was a gorgeous afternoon, all clear skies and golden sunshine, and the picnic setup looked like something out of a fairytale.A low wooden table stretched across a thick ivory blanket, surrounded by huge cushions, gold and glass floor lanterns, and an oversized wicker hamper. The table itself was set with porcelain plates and a feast of foods, including baguettes, charcuterie, and desserts.It was amazing. And Nicholas lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my workshops.Other times, especially when I was with other peo
Nicholas "My sweet girl, it’s so nice to see you!” Freya brushed past me and swept Rosalie up in a hug. She only used the sweet girl endearment for her grandchildren, but apparently, she’d extended it to Rosalie. “The house isn’t the same without you.”I scowled at her pointed tone. She’d given me the cold treatment all week. I was pretty sure she’d burned my pork chops on purpose the other night. I’d forced down two bites before I gave up and ordered takeout. It wasn’t just her, either; even Edward my driver had cast disapproving glances my way when he thought I wasn’t looking.My staff didn’t know what happened with Rosalie amd I. They only knew she was gone, and they blamed me for it.Hell, I blamed myself too, which was why I was trying to make amends.I’d spent the past couple of days since my call with Rosalie planning the date, and my nerves were a humiliating wreck. I hadn’t been this nervous since I was a high school freshman asking out the most popular girl in school.
NicholasOne ring. Two. Three.I paced my room, my stomach twisted with nerves as I waited for her to answer.It was ten-thirty, which meant she was getting ready for bed. She usually took an hour to wind down with a shower or a bath, depending on how stressed she was; a bafflingly intricate ten-step skincare routine, and some reading, if she wasn’t too tired.I’d timed my call so I’d catch her after she got out of the shower.Four rings. Five.Assuming, of course, she picked up my call.My nerves pulled tighter.Rosalie gave me her number that afternoon, which meant she wanted me to call, right? If she didn’t, she would’ve simply left. Hell, a part of me had expected her to.I’d lingered in that damn coffee shop for almost two hours on the off chance I’d see her. She went there every day, but her timing varied depending on her workload.It wasn’t the world’s greatest plan, but it’d worked, even if it’d meant skipping a lunch video call meeting.Six rings. Sev—“Hello?” Her voice flow
Rosalie “Hey, Rosalie. The usual?”“Yes, please. Make it four,” I said as the barista rang me up. I frequented the coffee shop near the main building so often they’d memorized my order. “Thanks, Sue.”“No problem.” She smiled. “See you tomorrow.”I paid and moved to the pickup area, only half looking at where I was going. I was too distracted by the flood of new messages scrolling across my screen. Mostly from Anna and maybe one or two from Ares.With the way she sent numerous messages at once, one would think she's in trouble.She probably wanted to congratulate me on the success of the Picture Ball. According to her and Sarah, news outlets had deemed it “one of the most exquisite balls in the Picture Balls history” in their Sunday style roundup, which meant I woke up that morning with even more messages crowding my inbox.It was only Monday, and I already had twenty-two new client inquiries, five interview requests, and countless invitations to balls, screenings, and private par