This city had a gentrification problem, which had skyrocketed just in the past year. In the year when I was oblivious to mortal issues because of my rich ex-fiance. I should never have gotten used to that comfort. Or dreamed of more than I could earn with my own hands. My mother was right: depend on a man, and your life would depend on something volatile and unstable."How many months' advance do you need?" I asked, resigned to my fate."Three months' deposit, and six months' rent in advance. Oh, and the curfew is 7 PM. The doors are double-locked after that.""Excuse me... what do you mean the doors are locked? Who locks them?""I do. I live in the next room."My mouth clamped shut in shock. I couldn't say anything in response to the woman's brazen expression. The only sound I heard was Lucius's suppressed laughter in the background. He was struggling not to burst out laughing. The woman gave him another reprimanding look."Sorry, I just remembered a joke," he excused himself, c
Never underestimate how fast a woman without a home could move. Within hours, she had filled out all the forms and gathered most of the documents she needed to apply for the mortgage. It would be enough for an average-priced, cozy, two-bedroom apartment near the city center. Nothing luxurious, but a great investment for the coming years.“Did you manage to save us months of work and sell the project?” Jenna asked, leaning against one of the walls of my cubicle at the company.“No. But they promised to get back to me for negotiations. It was a good first meeting,” I said, gathering the files I needed to print.“Well, that’s good news, but maybe not good enough to justify drinking two more cups of coffee,” she said, eyeing the empty cups on my desk skeptically. “Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack? Or are you aiming for a hospital stay to cash in on health insurance? I promise, I could be a better roommate.”I made a face to show that wasn’t the case and invited Jenna to c
“We can’t have more surprises with my marriage and your nephew being so close,” Amanda said, emphasizing the juiciest words so others would overhear. “On Saturday night, Andrew and I are hosting a welcome dinner at our apartment for your new partner. Mom and Dad will be there. Trust me, we’re all excited to learn more about your relationship and see if it will end in marriage. I mean, your hand is still empty.”With a pointed look at my bare fingers, that witch walked away. She left those who had overheard the conversation with questions about who on earth my new boyfriend was, whether it was true that he was one of our superiors, and confirming the rumor that she was pregnant with my ex’s child.“You think you can beat me, princess?” I ground my teeth, craving revenge.I got up and headed to Lucius’s office. I didn’t knock. I walked right in because I knew he was alone, not talking on a video call or anything.“I need a ring. The biggest, gaudiest engagement ring you can find,” I
Friday arrived, and with it, the night I had dreaded finally came. My panicked face was probably worth a portrait as I announced myself at the entrance of Lucius’s new building. They let me in quickly, and the elevator moved faster than I would have liked. In a few seconds, I was knocking on his door, and a few more seconds later, he opened it.“Look who’s here. I thought you wouldn’t come, considering you think I bite,” he greeted me with that shameless smile. The most shameless part was that he was wearing pajama pants, no shirt, and his hair was messier than ever.“Were you sleeping? Weren’t you supposed to have some appointment earlier?”“Did I? Well, I’m a nocturnal creature anyway. Come in,” he mocked, stepping aside to let me enter.I did, biting back my tongue and holding back aggressive comments. My boss had fully moved into his new apartment. He hadn’t changed its design since he’d arrived, but one thing had changed—the smell. It was a noticeable, masculine scent. His sce
“I don’t have a mother, Marianne. Any other questions I might actually answer?” he offered.I got the message instantly. The mother was worse than the father, and he didn’t even want to joke about her. Noted and filed away as a forbidden topic. I reorganized my thoughts. I had a purpose for tonight.“Do you have the engagement ring you told me about?” I changed the subject.“That’s not even a question,” he downed his glass in one go. “Follow me. I keep it under the Bible.”“What?” I asked, thrown off as Lucius sneaked away like a mischievous child toward the study area.He had to be mocking me—I’d discovered that that was his favorite activity when it came to me. I left my purse on the island and followed him. When I entered the elegant study with its stunning nighttime ocean view, I found him opening a safe in the bookshelf. I didn’t believe his cursed ring story for a second. I walked closer to him, crossing my arms.“What kind of lie are you going to come up with this time, Lu
“When will you give it to me? We need to plan the proposal,” I said as I sat in the nearest chair.“Does tomorrow work for you? I was thinking we could do it then,” he suggested.I loved the idea.“It would be perfect to do it at that dirty cheater’s apartment, with my whole family there,” I envisioned, and another idea hit me. “Could we arrange the timing and maybe even hire a serenade? Imagine it: Amanda will probably pull one of her stunts to be the center of attention, but then we swoop in with the proposal and that ring. She’ll die of frustration.”Lucius didn’t seem too thrilled with my idea.“I’d leave out some of those details. I’d prefer to keep it simple. Let me handle it.”Since he was lending me the ring, I agreed not to push him beyond his comfort zone. That sounded fine, and I let him know with a nod.“So, how did we meet, then? What story are we going with?” I asked, starting to build our narrative.“We could say we met last year from a distance. Then, when I cam
I wasn’t usually a nervous person. But there I was, breathing heavily as Lucius’s car approached my ex’s residential complex. That unpleasant sensation climbed from my stomach to my throat, burning all the way up.“Stick your head out if you’re going to throw up. The car’s new,” Lucius suggested from behind the wheel.I shot him an irritated look. He had picked me up from Jenna’s apartment for our date with my terrible family. There was no need to mention how attractive he looked tonight in his casual suit or how sharp his tongue was at any hour.“I’m not going to throw up in your car. The memo was unnecessary,” I assured him as we reached the gatehouse, and I had to speak with the guard to open the gate. “Good evening, John. We’re guests of Andrew.”I knew John. I had lived with my detestable ex-boyfriend for a long time. Even so, he didn’t respond with a friendly smile like the one I had given him. He looked at me uncomfortably.“Miss Marianne… you’re not allowed to access this
“That’s what happens when you’re in good company,” he replied with a smile, his hand sliding down my back. The gentle movement sent a shiver through my body.I ignored the sensation as Amanda invited us into the apartment. As soon as we walked in, bad memories flooded my mind. The worst ones came when Andrew and I made eye contact. He had been deep in conversation with my father and stepmother, but now his attention shifted to me. I read disapproval in his face, but when he focused on Lucius, there was only disgust, which grew when his gaze dropped to where Lucius had his hand on me.Amelia’s expressions weren’t any better. Her neck tensed as she watched us. Serge seemed to be handling it the best of the trio. He pretended to be welcoming, getting up from the sofa where he had been sitting to shake Lucius’s hand.“We weren’t sure you’d join us tonight. Please excuse the informality of this gathering,” my father said.My hand itched at his comment. From Amanda’s reaction and my fath