LIANA I sat at my desk in the bustling office, surrounded by the familiar sounds of typing, running coffee machines, phone calls, and coworkers chattering. My best friend, Lara, sat in the cubicle next to mine, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun as she focused on her computer screen. We had been friends since college, and I couldn't imagine working in this office without her. Her sweet, comforting words always made everything much easier. I glanced up from my work and caught a glimpse of my diligent boyfriend, James, walking toward me. He flashed me a quick smile before disappearing into his own cubicle across the room. James and I had been dating for over seven months now, and I was grateful that he also worked in the same office. I have heard people say it's a bad idea to date your colleague, but I, on the other hand, thought it was nice to have a beloved someone to share lunch breaks and vent about work with. There were so many topics we could relate to, and we just
ZAYLEN I watched three pairs of eyes on me, entirely shocked at my appearance, as if I had manifested out of a UFO with three heads on my shoulder. Judging by their astonished look, it totally slipped their minds that this was my office and I always worked overtime. But today, I wasn’t in the mood to work much overtime, so I decided to go home, only to find the guy named James getting sandwiched between two women. How can boys be so dumb? First of all, you shouldn't cheat. And even if you do, do it carefully. How can you get caught? It just ends up with everyone having bad blood. Anyway, it was not my business, but I had to step in because it was happening in my territory. I couldn't tolerate enmity among co-workers. It affected the work environment and work quality; besides, that James guy wasn't even making great reports either, despite having two women in his arms, which made me a little bit curious: what did either of them see in this dude to fight over him? “What’s going
LIANA “Where to now, Boss?” I inquired, not knowing his full address. He had just told me the area he lived in, not the exact location. “Which block do you live in?” “Well…” Zaylen twitched his lips as he thought. “Keep going straight for a bit.” I kept driving according to his instruction, and when we were passing by a park, Zaylen spoke up abruptly, “Stop here.” Immediately, I hit the brakes. “What happened?” He shrugged and opened the door. “I want to take a walk at the park for a while,” saying so, he stepped out of the car, leaving me alone and absolutely clueless. Should I leave him here? I was assigned to drop him home, which I had done already—technically. But surely, the park wasn't the place he called home, was it? So in other words, I still had to stick with him. Instead of waiting inside and getting bored, I decided to follow him. Looking up at the dark sky, I thought I would spend the entire night crying in my bed with a sad tub of ice cream in my lap. But here
ZAYLEN “So if you don't mind, I would like to ask you something again, Zaylen,” Liana started after I told her to start using my name from now on. She had a hesitant look on her face. “Yeah, sure. Ask me whatever you want,” I gave her permission. She looked into my eyes and asked skeptically, “Why do you really want to help me?” “I already told you my reason, didn't I?” I shrugged. “No, no, there has to be a legitimate reason. It's not charity that you don't need a reason for. You agreed to take revenge!” she pointed out, her voice slurred. “Plus, I'm pretty sure it's not just out of goodwill.” “What? I don't look like a person who has goodwill or does charity?” I teased, which seemed to have caught her off-guard. “No… that's not the case. I mean… you know what I mean!” she rambled. “Now tell me the real reason why you would help me.” Getting curious, I took a closer look at her face. Her eyes were a little unfocused due to the alcohol getting to her head, but they were red an
ZAYLEN My eyes widened in shock, my breath caught in my throat. Before I could react, she pulled away herself and slumped her head on my shoulder, lulling herself to sleep. I was left flabbergasted at her action. It took me a whole minute to come back to reality. I let out a sigh as I mumbled, “Drunk people really are the worst.” I looked down at the girl on my shoulder and ended up chuckling. “Pretty sure you won't remember this, will you?” I stood up with her in my arms. “I will let you off the hook for that peck because you are drunk and heartbroken. Anyway, let's get you back home.” It was after I reached her car that I realized I didn't know where she lived. “Guess I'm going to have to take you to my place,” I said to her knocked-out self. I put her in the car and called the maid to prepare a guest room for her. Once I got home, I laid down Liana on the prepared bed and took off her heels before covering her with the duvet. I was used to putting drunk girls to bed, thanks t
LIANA I knew nothing, but all I knew was, I had to run away from here now. I grabbed my phone and purse and put on my heels. Before leaving, I glanced at my messed-up self in the mirror and it didn't at least look like we did anything else last night, despite my haggard state. But now was not the time to be bothered with that. As I got out of the room, it just occurred to me how rich my boss actually was. His mansion was huge, and it had a vintage vibe as well. I had no idea he came from old money. I mean, of course, I knew Fournier has been a long-standing brand with a reputable history. Who could have guessed we had such a similarity in the type of place we grew up in? I told my dad to keep the mansion vintage, but no, he had to renovate it to become modern. Well, whatever, not like he ever listened to me. Shoot! Now is not the time to compare our mansions! On my way down the stairs, I noticed a big painting, which made me pause again. It was of a woman with long white hair st
LIANA Zaylen and I walked out of the elevator together, earning a lot of stares. Definitely, everyone was wondering why the boss was using this elevator while the smart ones started working more after realizing the boss was on a round now. As Zaylen started roaming around, I went to my desk—I disliked this desk now. The image of James and Lara having sex appeared in my mind. Moreover, my desk was near theirs since we were all in the same department. Nevertheless, I kept my bag on the chair unwillingly. Lara seemed to be at a meeting today because her desk was empty. Sighing, I thought I should get started on work as soon as possible since I was already late to arrive. James appeared in front of me all of a sudden, making me scrunch my nose in disgust. As if my morning couldn't get any worse! “Hey…” James greeted him, but I ignored him and took a seat. I thought James would move when he would notice I was ignoring his existence. But boy, was I wrong. “Liana, can we talk pleas
LIANA With a genuine smile on my lips, I followed Zaylen to his cabin. Thank God, I don't have to hear that stupid James’ blabbers anymore. “You misunderstood,” “I love you,” blah blah blah. Once I stepped into Zaylen’s neat and clean cabin, he instructed, “Please take a seat.” I took a seat and asked, “So what did you want to talk about?” Zaylen sat on his office chair and crossed his arms against his chest. “Since I agreed to help you and I don't like to delay things, I need to know. Do you have any plans ready on how to take revenge against James and Lara?” “I am still thinking,” I said, biting my lip a bit. “Do you want me to take your revenge in one-shot?” he suggested. “I can fire them and give them a terrible recommendation, making sure they don't end up with any decent job anytime soon, or not even in the coming twenty years minimum.” His revenge plan was really tempting, knowing he has the power to do so. However, I didn't want things to end so easily. So I annou
LIANAThe morning sun poured through the curtains, casting a gentle light across our bedroom. I woke up to the soft, familiar hum of the world outside, the sound of birds chirping in the distance. I turned to see Zaylen sleeping beside me, his face relaxed in peaceful slumber. The sight of him always filled me with a profound sense of contentment and love.I stretched, carefully sliding out of bed to avoid waking him. Today wasn’t just any day—it was a day I had looked forward to for a long time. The house was still, the calm before the storm of our bustling family life. I tiptoed down the hallway, my heart swelling with excitement as I made my way to the nursery.Our twins had brought a new kind of joy into our lives, their arrival a culmination of love and anticipation. The nursery was painted in soft pastel colors, with a cozy crib in the corner and shelves lined with toys and books. The gentle hum of the white noise machine filled the room, blending with the soft sunlight filte
LIANA It was mid-morning, and the office was bustling with the usual activity. The gentle hum of conversation and the clacking of keyboards filled the air, but I could barely focus on anything other than the growing discomfort and irritability that had become a constant companion over the past few weeks. I sat at my desk, my fingers drumming impatiently on the surface. The pile of paperwork before me seemed to mock my inability to concentrate. I sighed heavily, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. Zaylen, ever observant, noticed my agitation from his office. He appeared at my desk, a look of concern etched on his face. “Hey, baby. How’s it going?” I glanced up, trying to muster a polite smile. “Just peachy,” I said, though the words were more of a snarl than anything else. “If you consider battling an insurm
LIANA The next few days, I couldn’t shake a strange feeling. I was more tired than usual, and the scent of coffee, which I normally loved, was suddenly making me nauseous. Sara noticed my discomfort. “Liana, are you feeling okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed with concern. “I’m fine, just a bit tired” I replied, trying to brush it off. “Been feeling nauseous and my head is pounding these last few days.” Sara gave me a knowing look. “Maybe you should take a pregnancy test.” I blinked, surprised by her suggestion. “A pregnancy test?” She nodded. “There might be a possibility.” The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. Could it be possible? I decided to take Sara’s advice to heart. During my lunch break, I headed to the pharmacy just a few blocks away. The fluorescent lights and the hum of the store seemed unusually bright as I picked out a pregnancy test kit. My heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety as I made my way back to the office, clutchin
LIANAThe past few months had flown by in a blissful haze. Our honeymoon had taken us from the Maldives to the enchanting streets of Paris, and finally, to the serene countryside of Tuscany. Each day had been filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments. But now, it was back to reality—our reality, where Zaylen and I were not only husband and wife but also Alpha and Luna, and for the time being, colleagues.I walked into the office, the familiar scent of coffee and paper filling the air. As I made my way to my desk, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement mixed with nerves. This was our first day back after the long honeymoon, and though I was eager to dive back into work, I couldn’t ignore the butterflies in my stomach.Zaylen’s office door was slightly ajar, and as I passed by, I saw him sitting behind his desk, engrossed in a document. He looked up, catching my eye, and a slow, mischievous smile spread across his face.“Good morning, my Luna,” he called out, his
LIANAThe following morning, we decided to explore more of the city. After a quick breakfast, we set off to visit the Louvre Museum. As we walked through the grand halls, admiring the masterpieces, Zaylen kept me close, his hand never leaving mine."Look at this one," he said, pointing to a painting. "Doesn't it remind you of one of our dates?"“The one we had just before you proposed to me?” I asked to be sure. As he nodded, I laughed, remembering that endearing evening. "It does. We have come a long way, haven't we?""We have," he agreed, his eyes softening as he looked at me. "And I wouldn't change a thing."We continued our tour, losing ourselves in the beauty of the art and the history that surrounded us. As we exited the museum, we found a street vendor selling crepes. Zaylen insisted on buying one for each of us, and we sat on a nearby bench, enjoying the sweet treat."These are delicious," I said, licking a bit of Nutella from my fingers."Almost as sweet as you," Zaylen tea
LIANAThe Eiffel Tower stood tall and majestic against the twilight sky, its twinkling lights casting a romantic glow over the city of Paris. I marveled at the sight, my heart swelling with awe and excitement. Our long honeymoon had brought us from the tropical paradise of the Maldives to the enchanting streets of Paris, and I couldn't have been happier.Zaylen and I strolled hand in hand along the Seine River, the soft murmur of French conversations and the distant sound of street musicians creating a magical atmosphere. He looked dashing in a tailored suit, and I felt like a princess in my flowing dress."Isn't this beautiful?" I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder."It is," he agreed, pressing a kiss to my temple. "But not as beautiful as you."I blushed, my heart fluttering at his words. "Always the charmer.""For you, always," he replied with a playful wink.As we walked, we passed a quaint café with outdoor seating. Zaylen tugged me toward it. "How about a little dessert?"
LIANAThe soft rustling of palm trees and the rhythmic lapping of waves greeted me as I stepped onto the sunlit balcony. The warm, salty breeze of the Maldives caressed my face, bringing with it a sense of serene contentment I hadn't felt in years. The crystal-clear waters stretched out endlessly, a shimmering expanse of turquoise that promised days of relaxation and intimate moments with Zaylen.I leaned against the railing, closing my eyes and letting the sounds of paradise envelop me. A gentle smile tugged at my lips as I thought of Zaylen still asleep in our villa, the man who had turned my world upside down in the best way possible."Liana?" Zaylen's voice, husky with sleep, reached me, making my heart flutter.I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his dark hair tousled and his eyes still heavy with sleep. He looked so different from the domineering, fierce leader I had first met. Here, he was just Zaylen, my husband, the man I loved with all my heart."Good morning, sle
LIANAToday was the day—the day Zaylen and I would finally stand before our loved ones, pledging our hearts to each other in marriage. The anticipation and excitement in the air were palpable, mingling with the fragrant scents of blooming flowers and the soft rustle of leaves. Our wedding was set against a backdrop of lush greenery, the venue a picturesque garden that seemed to be alive with joy and celebration.The sun shone brightly, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The ceremony was to be held in a charming outdoor setting, with a floral arch adorned with cascading white roses and delicate greenery. The aisle, lined with white rose petals, led to a beautifully decorated altar where Zaylen and I would exchange our vows.I took a deep breath, feeling the flutter of nervous excitement in my stomach as I prepared to walk down the aisle. Noelle, radiating beauty even with her eight-month baby bump, adjusted her position next to me. She looked stunning in her deep emerald g
LIANAThe morning sun filtered through the canopy of trees, casting dappled light across the campsite. The soft, golden rays glinted off the sparkling surface of the waterfall, creating a mesmerizing display of light and water. The gentle roar of the falls provided a soothing soundtrack as the water cascaded into a clear, shimmering pool below.The campsite, nestled beside this natural wonder, was waking up with the day. The cool, fresh air carried the crisp scent of pine and morning dew. The grass was still damp from the night, and the tents stood slightly crumpled, evidence of a night spent in cozy slumber.Trevor, ever the early riser and mischief-maker, had a gleam in his eye as he set his plan into motion. He crept quietly towards Zaylen, who was enjoying a leisurely breakfast by the fire, unaware of the prank that was about to unfold. Trevor had filled a bucket with water and carefully rigged it to tip over when Zaylen’s chair was moved.I observed from a distance, sipping my