Calista was still getting over the second kiss from the stranger when she heard giggles coming from the front desk but along with the giggles was some serious Q and A. Hudson had given her quite the stare after Chad left but that wasn't of much concern to her.The exhibition was tomorrow and she was finally going to get a shot at meeting Hell's Demon. A lot of things had changed since the accident but she was sure her life was slowly getting back on track. All that was needed was for her to find a suitable dress and meet up with her anonymous artist. “Why would you allow her to go out with a total stranger? A rude one at that? Did that sound safe to you, Hudson?” Cameron's voice floated down the hall as Calista pushed her wheelchair away from the exhibition hall to where the conversation was coming from.“You know it's almost impossible to stop your sister from doing what she wants to do. I had no idea she was going out with anyone until she came back!” Hudson's voice was louder than
The rest of the day went smoothly for Liza but she could barely concentrate on anything at all. How did he find me? was the question that kept swirling around in her head as she struggled to adapt to her new job.“Your shift ends in a few minutes, Liza. Would you like to go off now? I heard you have to pick your daughter up from school.” Maria—the new friend she had made—called out to Liza as she handed a cup of coffee to the customer standing in front of her. Liza would have preferred keeping her personal life a secret but everyone had been very welcoming and her boss had advised her to treat them likewise. Besides, Annie had nowhere else to go after school. She had to go pick her daughter up and take her home.“Is it okay if I get off now?” Liza asked quietly and Maria nodded slightly. “Alright, Maria. I'll be leaving now, thank you so much.” she called out to the woman who had already moved to the other side of the Cafe. Maria waved slightly before turning her attention back to th
Normally, Chad would have woken up with a frown on his face as rays of sunlight caressed his face but this morning, he was anything but upset. Infact, he was elated and try as hard as he had to deny it, the feeling was proudly sponsored by a certain gallery woman.Wipe that smug look off your face, Chadwick, he chastened himself as he dragged his body out of his narrow bed. The bedding had started to rip apart and the foam itself felt like rock. It was due for a change but Chad felt he couldn't afford to change it.It was ironic that the son of a multi billionaire would not be able to get a new bed set but Chad wasn't about to go back to his family or their wealth. Leaving had been the best decision he had ever made and now, almost 10 years later, he still had no regrets.Pushing thoughts of his rumpled bed space aside, Chad dragged himself into his cubicle sized bathroom and reached for his brush. His eyes met his reflection on the small mirror he had hung above the sink and he almos
The last time Calista had felt this much unease about dressing up was the first date she had gone on with her fiance. Not even Emily had been able to get her to relax. Now, two years later, she found herself panicking again and Emily was nowhere to be found. Ever since the accident, Calista had gotten used to putting on whatever her hand could reach—in her wardrobe—but this wasn't a regular day. The exhibition was due to start in two hours and even though she had spent her entire morning looking for the right dress—it had been unsuccessful. Groaning loudly, she pushed aside the black strapless dress she had thought of wearing but suddenly decided against. The dress joined the pile of dresses she had changed her mind about and Calista felt her patience wearing thin. How could she not find a decent dress to wear?!Just when she was about to call Chad to cancel, the sound of her phone ringing claimed her attention. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Calista searched for the phone on the
The only thought on Chad's mind as he walked out on Calista, was to get some fresh air. He had no idea why he was upset but he knew he was brimming over the top with anger. Even though he was clueless as to why her reasons for coming to the exhibition had triggered him, Chad felt his anger was somewhat justified.“What was I expecting from such a woman?” he asked out loud, even though he could barely hear himself over the opera music that was blasting out of the hall. “She told me from the start that she was interested in looking for Hell's Demon. Isn't that what I had used as bait to get her to attend the exhibition?”Talking to himself wasn't something Chad did often, infact, he was solidly against it. But standing at the balcony, leaning over the railing, he found himself engaging in a conversation with himself—out loud for that matter. Calista Axford had rattled him in a way no woman had for a long time.“I mean, she had voiced out her concerns regarding me, right?” he went on, “W
Cameron's face had been filled with surprise when his phone rang a few minutes past eight and Calista's name was displayed on the screen. The only thought that ran through his mind as he picked up the call was, Did something bad happen to her again?The exhibition Calista had reluctantly mentioned to Cameron was fixed for 4pm, which meant that she had most likely already gone for it. And knowing how present Calista liked to be at events, Cameron felt uneasy that she was calling him. It was very unlike her. As soon as he had picked up the phone, Calista's voice had flowed out of the receiver in a very contained manner, “Come get me, Cam. I don't want to be here anymore, I want to go home.” The address of the venue had come next and Cameron found himself driving to the destination without hesitance.Never in his life had he seen such a gathering—of the strangest set of people alive—before. But the crowd wasn't what had kept him spellbound to the place, it was the art that swept him off
Chapter 31Acting impulsively was not something that could be linked to someone like Chad but since Calista came into his life, he found himself doing things he never would have even thought about. Kissing her, was definitely top of that new list.But it wasn't the kiss that had rattled Chad, it was the fact that she had allowed him do it—again. Just like the first time, Chad realized it was almost impossible to stop himself from getting a taste of her very sumptuous lips. He could barely hold himself for as long as he had done.Looking around for her that gotten him so agitated that relief had swarmed his body when he finally laid eyes on her. Never in his life had he seen someone so illuminated by the moon, looking as gorgeous as Calista Axford had looked. The best part was how oblivious she was to the spell she had cast on him. The spell had drawn him to her and before Chad could chide himself, he had kissed her. Immediately their lips touched, Chad felt her stiffen for a second b
With the big show scheduled for the next day, Liza had not expected to be called to the club that night but just as she tucked Annie into bed, her phone rang with an unusual request from the manager of the club.Making sure to lock every door and window, Liza shrugged on her jacket and rushed out of the apartment. The manager had sounded very desperate and as much as Liza had wanted to turn down his request, she couldn't find the heart to do it.She couldn't easily forget how he had given her a job at his club, irrespective of her lack of experience. According to him, hiring Liza had not been part of his plans but when she had waltzed into his space with a clear need for money, he had not thought twice about fixing her somewhere.I have to do this, was the thought on Liza's mind as she stood at the bus stop a few blocks away from her apartment, looking to get a bus or even a taxi—if possible. She glanced quickly at her watch and almost changed her mind when she saw it was five minutes
EPILOGUECameron felt nostalgic, sitting down in the same seat he had been sitting—six months ago—when he met the woman of his dreams. She had walked on the stage with a grace only a swan could possess and she had captivated his attention and stolen his heart not long after. But compared to Cameron's first visit to the bar, he noticed how empty the bar was. It was heavily decorated—surprisingly—but also unoccupied. Cameron's eyes swept over the room, taking in every decoration that seemed to have been done with precision. Balloons, ribbons, candles, everything felt strangely comforting.He was still sweeping over the area with his eyes when the lights suddenly went out, leaving him in the dark. "Hey, is anyone here?!" He called out into the darkness, hoping someone would hear and come to his aid. It was odd that he heard no noise at all but what felt even more odd to him was the fact that he had agreed to go over to the bar in the first place.Calista had caller earlier and said some
"Don't you think it would be better to just ask her stuff about them? We know them individually but Liza knows them personally." Emily said to her knucklehead sister, knowing she had just found a solution to their six hour long problem but another one was secretly embedded in Calista seeing her suggestion as a good approach to things or if she wouldn't. Luckily for both of them, Calista bought the idea. "Why didn't I think of that sooner?" She asked no one in particular as she flashed a huge smile at her little sister, wondering how their parents had given birth to such a brilliant child. It wasn't like Calista and her twin brother, Cameron, were a disaster, it was just that, Emily was, well, better.But smart or not, Calista was in the middle of planning for the best proposal ever and she wanted everything to be perfect. Cameron had—unsurprisingly—entrusted her with the task of making sure everything went well with his proposal to Liza and Emily had just given Calista a stepping sto
Turns out reconciliation wasn't as hard as Chad had assumed it to be. It was just surprising how easily his family had accepted him back, as if he had not walked out on them over ten years ago. How could they be so loving after everything he had put them through? Chad couldn't wrap his head around the whole situation at all. But that wasn't all he was battling in as he stood at the balcony of his new apartment, looking down at the street just opposite his place. From where he was, Chad could see different people moving around in pairs and some, even in groups.Anyone could clearly see how different they all were, occupied in their little worlds, without any knowledge of what was to come next for any of them. But still, they kept moving, defying the odds over and over again and just basically living life the way they pleased. It was scary but very admirable. The strangers reminded him so much of Calista, the artist that had woven her way into his heart as unexpectedly as the rain wou
"I don't think we should be doing this every morning, Annie. I will be late for work and Calista wouldn't like you coming in late either. Do you want to upset your coach? I thought you adored her, it seems like I was wrong." Liza knew the best way to get her eight year old out of the house was by emotional blackmailing and at the moment, it was working perfectly.In no time, Annie raced down the stairs, carrying her carrier along with her. Liza found herself staring at her daughter and thinking about how things had changed so much in just two months. It felt surreal but then, change had always been a scary thing for her, this time wasn't an exception. "Are you ready, mum?" Annie asked with an accusing glare fixed on her face. Liza felt she was ready but according to Annie's standards of being ready, she was far from it. Her hair wasn't yet in its usual ponytail and Liza's bag was somewhere in the apartment, instead of her arm. But how could she get her bag as quickly as Annie wanted?
Waking up didn't seem as tiresome as it used to be anymore for Chad, infact, the start of a new day excited him–especially this day. It was the day he was finally going back home but that wasn't what was exciting to him. Just the thought of introducing a woman like Calista Axford to his family was thrilling. There was a chance that his enthusiasm would be shared but Chad was past caring. Calista was his and that was all that mattered to him. His father had always been a critically judgemental man and if anyone could thaw his ice cold heart, Chad was sure Calista was the perfect candidate for the job. Wasn't he proof enough of her skills?Chad couldn't believe he had walked into a random gallery and had met tye woman or his dreams. It was even more dreamy because he had never envisioned the kind of life he was now getting accustomed to. In his case, seeing really was believing. Calista's love was something he had to experience to believe it could happen to him. Standing up with a sm
“Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you to the hospital? It does'nt seem like thats the only place you'd be visiting today, though.” Emily spoke under her breath, watching her sister turn the wardrobe in and out, looking for an outfit to wear to her doctor's appointment. No, it wasn't weird at all that Calista suddenly wanted to put an effort into her choice of clothing. Weird was not the word, surprising was. Emily felt something was going on with her sister but she wanted Calista to spill the beans herself. It didn't make waiting for the reveal an easy task.Calista could barely see her sister's suspicious stare, her head had been in the wardrobe for what seemed like an eternity. Pulling herself out for a second, she shot Emily a blank stare, “What do you mean by that?” her question was as confused as the look she had plastered on her face.“I am not a child, Cali,” Emily retorted, moving towards the wardrobe. “I know something is up with you, something sweet and most like
Driving to Liza's place, Cameron found himself entertaining the same thoughts as Chad. Forever didn't look bad at all but how was he going to get there? How was he going to show this defensive single mother that he was ready to lend her a helping hand for a long time?Cameron was brainstorming when his phone started ringing, snatching his attention back to the present. He quickly turned off the radio—that no one was actually listening to—and picked up the call. Stephanie's voice echoed in the car, claiming even Annie's attention.“Good day, Sir,” she greeted politely, “I wanted to let you know that the contract has been drawn out for the deal but it requires your signature, sir.” there was urgency in her voice, it made Cameron feel uneasy. Usually, deals of this magnitude didn't require much stress.“Didn't we already do that in the meeting?” he inquired flatly, flashing Annie a quick smile. For some unknown reason, he felt she could sense his unease. “Alright then,” he said in resign
Chad's first thought was to kill Jason for going behind his back and selling off the painting but when he had been told who the purchaser was, he had wanted to kill himself instead. There was no other way around it, he just had to get to Calista first.As Chad rode his bike to the gallery, he realized he had no idea what to say to her. His initial plan had been to show her the portrait at the exhibition and then have her take it home as a present. But that would have been after Chad had revealed his identity as her anonymous artist.It was a simple plan, it should have worked. Only that it didn't work at all. Infact, it had gone terribly wrong. They had been too occupied—kissing in the balcony—and Calista had ended up leaving without seeing the portrait. Then, the potrait had ended up in Cameron's possession.I will just have to let her know that I am Hell's Demon and apologize for not telling her sooner, Chad concluded in his head as he pulled into the street that led to the gallery.
Motherhood, they say, always came with some exciting changes but to Liza, they were more terrifying than fun. She couldn't deny the fact that she used to enjoy it but with Annie growing older with each passing day, Liza found herself questioning her sanity, along with a good number of things.“Mum, you know the bus leaves in ten minutes, right?!” Annie called out to her mum as she hurriedly packed up her paintings. They never went early to anything at all and even though Liza detested tardiness, she had unconsciously become an ambassador of it.Breathlessly, Liza rushed into the living room, hauling her purse along with Annie's art equipments. That was the name for Annie's art supplies because she felt 'supplies' was a mundane word. The eight year old had put up quite a lengthy explanation —afterwards—and Liza had been forced to go along with it.Ignoring her very sweaty mother, Annie quickly grabbed the materials from Liza and started stuffing them into her carrier. The school had od