ADRIAN'S P.O.VThe walls of my office seemed to close in on me as I sat there, utterly drained from the dual onslaught of my demanding position and the storm raging inside of me. The dim lights seemed to intensify the shadows that had taken a place in my life recently and the air felt heavy as the weight of my tumultuous life burdened me.The office room felt like a prison of polished wood and cold steel and the distant hum of the city just outside of the office walls did nothing to ease the feeling of being trapped. The room that was usually a place of productivity and creativity, had. now become a battlefield between my professional obligations to the company and my personal emotions.Rubbing my temples gently, I tried to erase the persistent ache that clawed at my skull, but I couldn't seem to find relief from it. Weariness weighed heavily on my shoulders, and burden on my heart as I could not seem to get away from the shattered pieces of my broken life.The weight of my responsibi
ADRIAN'S P.O.V.It had been a month since the storm called Chase Sinclair, had hit our lives, leaving destruction and doubts in his wake. The air hung heavy, in my office, with the weight of unspoken words as Omar Zayn, my lifelong confidante and best friend, sat across from me. His eyes, filled with understanding, met mine, as if searching for the turmoil that had etched its mark onto my soul over the past month. The weight of the past month lingered heavily on my shoulders, and I couldn't shake the guilt that gripped my conscience."Omar, I messed up big time," I sighed, rubbing my temples.Omar leaned in, concern etched on his face."What happened with you two, Adrian? Last time I knew, you guys were solid. Tell me everything. Maybe there's a way to fix this." Omar said, his expression empathic.In a flash, I recalled the doubts that had plagued me and the message that had led to my questioning Danielle's fidelity" I doubted Dannie's loyalty, questioned her commitment, and worst o
DANIELLE'S P.O.VI stirred from my slumber, my eyes blinking open reluctantly. The room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn and a lingering sense of unease clung to me.As consciousness found its way back to me, I felt the sting in my eyes which were heavy from a restless night. My eyes stung as I tried to focus on the familiar surroundings. A few remnants of the nightmares that had plagued my sleep replayed in my mind, their vivid images taunting me.A groan escaped my lips as I tried to sit up, the dryness and ache in my throat were evidence of the tumultuous night I had. The taste of fear lingered in my mouth, leaving me parched and exhausted.When I finally sat up, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I could still hear the faint echoes of my own screams and I took a quick glance around, half expecting to find shadows lurking in the corners of the room. The sheets clung to my skin- further evidence of my night which had been filled with restlessness.The room, usually a peaceful haven
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The sea waves, unlike the turmoil in my mind, were calm and peaceful. They rolled slowly and crashed with their white caps cresting over and plunging back into the water, displaying the beauty of the sea from the shoreline on which I stood. I buried my bare feet deeper into the sand which was wet from the sea water and took in a deep breath of the fresh, salt tinged air before letting out a deep sigh.I had hoped that walking along the beach would clear my head and my mind, but it had only barely managed to somewhat soothe my nerves. The tension that had driven me all the way to the beach's shoreline still sat heavily on my shoulders while the wheels of my memory kept spinning the burning scene of abject betrayal that I had been privy to earlier in the day.I recalled how I had stood, frozen with shock at the doorway to Tony's room earlier that day while my brain had refused to process what my eyes had been subject to. I had refused to believe the scene that unfolded
DANIELLE'S P.O.V"Wake up!"I heard the voice before I felt the tapping and I wondered who exactly could be disturbing me so early in the morning."Wake up!" the voice repeated.This time the tapping was more painful and hurried. I groaned in pain as I sat up on the bed.What do they say about alcohol?It is said to induce inhibition loss, enhance poor decision making, and encourage impulsiveness.So, why do we keep taking alcohol?The answer is very simple actually. We do so because we always want what is bad for us.I questioned my decision to ingest as much alcohol as I had last night. My regret deepened further as the rays of light, which escaped from the shielding of the curtains that covered the windows; fell on my face, causing my already banging head to split further apart in pain. Usually, the feeling of the early morning sun rays on my face was comforting, but this morning, they reminded me of the reasons why the intake of spirits should be declared illegal.I applied pressu
ADRIAN'S P.O.V.I stood, gazing out of the window in my hotel suite. The events of the past few hours of the day replayed in my mind, and with it came a seething anger that coursed through my veins and caused my fists to ball up.How could one person, a mere woman at that, get the better of me?I recalled the way in which she had insulted me and I could still feel the sting of the paper bills as they slapped against my skin.How the hell had she dared to insult me in such a manner?I hated the fact that she had gotten under my skin. I was not easily phased by anything or anyone, and I had never imagined that a mere woman would be able to annoy the hell out of me like that woman had.What?My performance in bed was unsatisfactory?I had never received such a huge blow to my pride before, and the memory of the expression on her face when she had said that caused my ears to redden from fury. I could not even bear to digest the fact that a woman had spoken to me so rudely; the fact that a
DANIELLE'S P.O.V30, 31, 32, 33,...I counted from the car window as the trees passed by in a blur. It had always baffled me; the way the trees seemed to be the ones moving instead of the car. I was no physicist so I registered it as one of the numerous wonders of the world. Although the internet recorded only seven wonders, I believed the world had more mind-blowing, as well as, inexplicable events and sites that should have also be considered wonders of the world.I was sited in the back seat of Dad's SUV while he sat across from me, typing away on his tablet at the same time as he made and received seemingly endless phone calls, as usual.Work, work, work; all my dad ever did was work. It was so frustrating that sometimes all I wanted to do was to scream in his face. I wanted to tell him to just take a goddamned break from all of the work, but I knew that he would just remind me that the reason why he worked so exhaustively was because he wanted to secure my future. I believed tha
DANIELLE’S P.O.V.The news of Dad’s illness continued to echo in my mind and yet, it remained a struggle for me to process it. I tried to wrap my head around it, but the reality refused to settle in. The ground felt like it had shifted beneath me and the weight of the news pressed against my chest, making it hard for me to breathe. I wanted nothing to do with the men sited at the dining table, I wanted nothing to do with the arranged marriage, and I most especially wanted nothing to do with the snotty, rude bastard that sat across from me at the table, but I had a choice no more. Dad’s confession had practically forced my hand, and now, I had to endure the torture. For his sake, and his sake alone, I forced myself to go through with the introductory dinner with Adrian Valentino and his father, Alfredo, putting on my best behavior as if having to act so civil with the rude bastard were not killing me inside.As the evening slowly wore on, I stole quick glances at Adrian, expecting to s