Chapter 6
/-Thomas-/ “Honey, you've been staring at that woman for almost twenty minutes now, what's so special about her?” Alisa asked.“What can I say? She is quite interesting,” I shrugged and she stopped filing her nails. Her eyes narrowed at me and I chuckled. “Come on, you know what I mean.”
A frown crossed her face.
“I don't, tell me.”
I knew where this was heading. Alisa was an insanely jealous person, even when there was nothing to be jealous about.
“She is the CEO of Lumina Luxe, Annabelle Delagdo,” I started and she rolled her eyes.
“Oh, the spoiled heiress of a billionaire empire. Tell me something I don't know,” she huffed.
“Maybe, but Lumina Luxe doesn't belong to her father. It is her company and you can't deny she has been doing quite well,” I stated.
“With her father's influence, it'd be a shock if the company folded. Her family has already built a name over the years, so it would be a piece of cake for her to own a company. So what makes her interesting?” Alisa asked.
“I recently approached her for a partnership and she rejected me, saying her company chose LuxeGlow after careful consideration,” I huffed and her jaw dropped for a second, before she burst into laughter.
“Did she really say that now?” She asked amidst laughter. “Just as I thought, she is indeed a fool. LuxeGlow might be our business rivals but they are nothing compared to us. Their daily stats are nothing compared to ours.”
“Exactly my point! She didn't even give me an explanation. The little brat just blurted in my face that Damian's company was better than mine,” I chuckled, then dropped my tablet and stood up.
I walked to the bar and took out a drink and two glasses. After pouring, I offered one of the glasses to Alisa.
“I am going to crush her. By the time I deal with that arrogant little shit, she will understand that the business world is cruel and not one of places her father's influence and power can control,” I said.
Alisa got up and wrapped her hands around me.
“I am so going to enjoy watching her crash to the ground,” she chipped in.
I took another sip of my drink.
“Daddy! Mommy!” The door opened immediately and the little human burst in, running towards us with an excited expression.
“Attend to your son, Lisa. I have important things to deal with,” I told her, dropping the glass on the table.
Just as I made to leave, I felt his little arms wrap around my legs. I stiffened immediately.
“Daddy, Mr Quin helped me fly a kite. It went so high in the sky. I couldn't reach it anymore and…”
“Lance,” Alisa called softly. “Come over here and tell me all about your kite.”
“But I want to tell Daddy too…” he argued and I found myself losing my patience rapidly. I tried my best not to let it show.
I was well aware that the servants’ eyes never left us. One wrong move and we would have the media chewing us out the next day.
“Don't be stubborn, Lance. Get over there,” Alisa insisted and his hands unwrapped around me. My clenched fists opened and my tensed shoulders slouched in relief.
I walked away from him and headed upstairs. Just as I prepared for work, the door opened and Alisa walked in.
“You know you're going to have to do better than that, right? You can't even hide your hatred for him!” She crossed her arms.
“You know why, Alisa. That little boy is going to destroy everything we both have laboured for. Forgive me for not jumping for joy when he shows up,” I scoffed.
“Not for another twelve years,” she tucked my arm gently. “For now, he is just a boy and knows nothing. The media knows nothing either…”
“But the maids do!” I hissed. “And the freaking lawyers too!”
“It would have been suspicious if we just fired everyone at once. Come on, Thomas, don't be so paranoid. When the time comes, we'll know what to do about him,” she assured me.
“I'm going to pick up Blair from school. You can keep that one by your side,” I said and she chuckled.
She took sexy strides towards me and wrapped her hands around me. I lowered my head, taking in the sweet taste of her lips.
I was ready to lift her when she broke away from my touch.
“Not so fast!” She teased, stretching her hand. “Your credit card?”
I raised a brow.
“I'm getting charged for kissing my wife now?” My lips twitched in amusement.
“No, you are getting charged to keep your wife beautiful. I already booked my appointment, so I'm expected to meet with the doctor tomorrow. I need to get a few things ready before then,” she said.
A puzzled expression settled on my face as I racked my head to recall any discussion we had about going to the hospital.
“Come on, darling, don't tell me you've forgotten that I'm going to get my nose and lips done,” her tone held amusement as she noticed my struggle.
“Right! I totally forgot. I didn't think it was tomorrow, though. Didn't you just mention this last week?” I asked and she looked at me like I was the dumbest person she'd ever met.
“Fine, whatever,” I shrugged. “What do I know about beauty anyways? As long as you remain this gorgeous, you can have all the surgery you want. You are afterall the face of SkinGlow. I wouldn't want you to fall below standards.”
“That is not even possible, love. You've seen the way other models struggle to live up to me? It's going to be that way for a very long time,” Alisa said confidently.
“Definitely! Let's just hope the stupid doctor doesn't ruin your pretty face. I'd sue him for everything he's worth,” I stated, grabbing my wallet from the bed.
I took out the credit card and handed it to her.
“Make me proud, honey.”
“You bet I will!” She winked.
“Tell Blair I love her, alright. I might be back home late so don't make her stay up, alright?” Alisa added, planting a kiss on my lips.
“Why would you be coming back late?” I frowned.
“You know, girl stuff. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?” She planted a kiss on my lips and walked out.
My frown remained. What girl stuff would keep her out so late?
I shook my head, unwilling to give it much thought. I'd just pick up Blair and stop by the office.
There was so much to be done. Like dealing with a certain arrogant heiress.
Chapter 7/-Annabelle-/“What happened, young miss? You've been sulking since you came back,” Miss Henrietta, my personal maid, asked. I wasn't ready to discuss the heartbreak with anyone. It would only make me hurt more.All my work in the last few months had just been in vain. What was the need of getting close to him when he already belonged to someone else?I wasn't one to steal another woman's man. That would simply make me Alisa. I also couldn't put in any conscious effort to make him mine. That would still be snatching.I buried my face in my pillow, resisting the urge to scream out the pain and frustration. “Should I get your mother, young miss?” She asked. I turned my head away, backing her to hide the tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn't want her dragging the entire family in here, just because I was having a bad day. “Don't bother her, Miss Henrietta. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could manage. “Are you sure? Is t
CHAPTER 8/-Annabelle-/Sally’s Cafe was my next stop. Not only did it have the best coffee but their doughnuts were heavenly. It was the reason I set here as a meeting place with Damian. The grump insisted on his office, of course, but it had too many memories I would rather forget. He was running late, so I ordered a latte. Thirty minutes went by and he was still nowhere in sight. “If I were the one running late, he would give me a lecture on punctuality and call me a brat,” I huffed, taking a sip of the hot liquid. I contemplated giving him a call to remind him of our agreement but decided to give him thirty more minutes.The possibility of him showing up with his little girlfriend made my stomach tightened. I choose this place to escape her. She was his employee, and certainly, she would want to mark her territory when female clients were involved; at least, that is what I would do.I didn’t want her shoving their relationship in my face. I took another impatient glance at my
CHAPTER 9/-Annabelle-/I sat at my work table going through the partnership contract he sent to me. Miss Henrietta walked in to serve some snacks.“I brought apple pie for you, young miss, with some juice,” she informed me. “Thank you, Henrietta. Put them here,” I cleared the files on my table quickly. I was more comfortable working from home, and my room was quite massive, so I created a work section for myself. It didn't take much to set it up, thanks to Mrs Henrietta. Just a desk and chair, a small shelf for all my office files, along with my laptop. I worked from home at least twice every week and on weekends. My family did their best to stay out of my way during that time. I didn't take it lightly when someone interrupted my work, except Mrs Henriette, of course, and that was mostly because she came with entertainment.I noticed that she remained in the room, even after serving me. “Is there a problem, Henrietta?” I asked her. A sceptical look crossed her face. Like she wa
Annabelle-/The boy stared at me with a huge grin but I couldn't bring myself to return it. He hugged me immediately.“It feels so good to finally meet you!” He exclaimed. “Uhm… yeah…” I said awkwardly, patting his back so he wouldn't feel like I wasn't returning his hug. He pulled away to study my expression. “You don't seem too happy to see me. Is it because of the way I spoke over the phone?”“No… no, it's not that…” I said quickly. “I just… you know, wasn't expecting to…” I didn't know how to put the words without hurting him. He was just a kid after all. “Just expecting my brother? He had to handle something real quick. His flight will be coming in tomorrow,” he explained and relief washed through me.I almost developed a heart attack thinking she was dating this little boy. “I'm just a little disappointed, you know. I told my family I was going to introduce him,” I sighed. “Oh, you can introduce me; I don't mind,” he grinned, and I chuckled. “Introduce you? My father wo
Chapter 11My phone buzzed, breaking my focus from the endless documents on my laptop. The screen lit up with Travis’s name—my manager. I sighed, already knowing this call wouldn’t be pleasant. Lately, it seemed every time he called, it was more stress piled on top of an already impossible workload.I answered. “Hey, Travis.”“Good evening, Miss Delgado. I’ve sent the daily report to your inbox,” he said, his voice steady.“Thanks, but did you really need to call?” I asked, feeling the weight of the day's work on my shoulders.“There’s been... a development,” he hesitated, and the tone in his voice made my stomach tighten. Something was wrong.“What happened?” I demanded, already bracing myself.“You haven’t checked the company’s official page, have you?” he asked quietly.“No. What’s going on?” My anxiety spiked.“There’s a video that went viral. A customer claims our anti-aging product caused serious side effects. Her face—it's swollen, covered in burns and boils. She shows before-a
/-Damian-/“Hey, you’re up early,” Sarah said, walking in with a tray. “Thought I’d serve you breakfast in bed.”I was buttoning my sleeve, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. “I’ve got a meeting with Annabelle. Last time I was late, and I’m not letting that happen again.”Her smile dimmed slightly. “Annabelle again? Do you have to meet her every single day?”I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re going to be partners soon. We’ll probably be seeing even more of each other. Besides, something serious came up with LuminaLuxe, and I need to help her sort it out.”Sarah crossed her arms, frowning. “Why can’t she handle it herself? Why does she always need you involved?”I turned to face her, noticing the tension in her voice. “Because we’re partners. And there’s a chance I may have to buy out her company.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Why do you seem so eager to do that?”“Why do you seem to have a problem with it?”“Maybe I just don’t like her.”I raised an eyebrow, teasi
Damian-/After a long day of checking out photography sites, we stopped by for dinner. I could tell there was something bothering her, but I wasn't going to bring it up unless she did.The low murmur of conversations in the restaurant seemed distant as Sarah absentmindedly swirled her iced tea.This was supposed to be a nice dinner for just the two of us, but the tension from earlier still hung in the air.I could sense it in the way she had been casting glances my way ever since we left the office. I knew what was coming."Damian, we need to have a conversation," she said, her voice deceptively calm.I exhaled slowly, already bracing for what was next. "About what?""Annabelle," she stated plainly, placing her glass down. "Her company is in deep trouble, and you're getting too caught up in it.""Sarah, we’ve discussed this before," I started, but she immediately cut me off."No, we haven’t," she countered. "Every day it’s something about Annabelle. I can’t keep pretending it’s not af
Chapter Fourteen/-Annabelle-/Back at the office, I was a mess. My head hurt, and my feet were killing me as I walked back and forth in frustration.The office phones ringing only intensified the chaos in my head.“Come on, think. Think, Annabelle,” I said as I moved my hands through my already disheveled hair.Then, a light bulb went off in my head.Proof. I just needed proof that I was being sabotaged, right?With calming breaths, I picked up my phone, dialing the number of the person I dreaded speaking to with all my heart.After the second ring, he picked up. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Thomas Anderson's voice sent my skin crawling, and I gritted my teeth.Taking a calming breath to manage my emotions, I responded with a fake smile, “Can you come to my office? I'm considering your offer, and I want to know your terms.”There was a pause at the other end before he drawled, “I knew you were eventually going to come around. I'll be there. Nine a.m. tomorrow.” The line went dea
Chapter Twenty Three/-Annabelle-/We had focused on finishing our food after we realized that we wouldn't find any answers anytime soon.I just had to be patient and let Damian find out more information about her.A sigh of satisfaction left my mouth as I sprawled in my seat, my hand rubbing my belly. “Wow, when was the last time I ate this many hamburgers?”Damian, who had long finished his two burgers, was watching me in amusement. “Do you always eat like this?”My heart fluttered at the small smile on his face. “No. Just when I'm stressed.”“Hmmm.” That same look passed across his face.I sat up. “You called me out here for something. What's up?”He threw me a grin, his teeth sparkling under the lights in the restaurant. I ignored the flip of my heart. “I've gotten information about Sarah that could not only hurt her but also throw her entire family in jail.”I blew out a whistle as I straightened my spine, awe filling me. “That right there is the Damian I know. Remind me not to e
Chapter Twenty Two/-Annabelle-/Taylor Swift's voice wafted into my ears from the background as Damian sat at the table with me.My gaze lingered on his muscled chest, which was covered by a black T-shirt. I ignored the butterflies in my stomach that came alive at the sight of him, only realizing just now that he too was staring at me. Watching, even.Heat rushed to my face, and I blinked vigorously. “Stop looking at me like that,” I let irritation mask the fluster in my voice.He peered closer. “You don't look so good. Did something happen?”“You would not believe what happened.” I waved to the waiter, catching his attention.Damian raised a brow, his piercing eyes studying my face as if I were a math textbook or something.“God, I'm so stressed, I could eat twenty whole burgers.” I sighed in frustration, wincing at the pounding in my head.Something flashed in Damian's eyes.I threw him a concerned look. “Again, why are you staring at me like that?” It wasn't that I had a problem w
Chapter Twenty-One/-Annabelle-/My appetite was nowhere to be found, and I glared at the food before me.“I'm pretty sure the sushi was not the one peering into your car,” Frankie said in a teasing tone.I transferred the glare to him while he stole a piece from my plate.“What? You're clearly not eating that,” he said, wide-eyed, with his chopsticks in mid-air.“Who the hell was that woman?” I said, more to myself than to him. “What was she searching for in my car?” “I'm sure it's something you don't have to worry about, Anna,” he chewed on. “You said you could eat a whole elephant earlier, and now you're here with a whole lot of food in front of you, and you won't eat. Come on. Don't let one bad thing stop you from enjoying the good things in life.” His eyes softened as he spoke.I released a sigh. “You're right. I shouldn't let it bother me.”Three beats passed.“But what if she's somehow linked to those threats I keep receiving?” Frankie released a groan. “I'm serious, Frankie.
Chapter Twenty/-Annabelle-/The feeling of unease in my bones didn't go away even as I studied the ongoing projects for the next line of products my company was releasing. Normally, immersing myself in work made me forget my problems.I let out a sigh of frustration when I caught myself reading the same line ten times in the past minute. I just couldn't concentrate.I was grateful when a knock came on my door. The distraction was very much needed.“Come in,” I called out, frowning when Frankie's head bobbed into the office. That was definitely not the distraction I needed.He gave a small smile before letting himself in and taking the seat in front of me. “Did you have a fun night?”I narrowed my eyes. “Do you enjoy having a big mouth?”His eyes slightly widened as confusion filled his face.“You told Gerald about the drinks we were getting and about Damian, who happens to be nothing more than a friend and a business partner,” I said through gritted teeth.Frankie shifted where he sa
Chapter Nineteen/-Annabelle-/My head pounded like my brain cells were having a party or something. I let out a curse. I shouldn't have drunk so much.My heels clacked against the tiles as I headed to my office. It was ten in the morning, and despite my put-together appearance, I was a mess inside.As I tried to settle into work, a message from Gerald popped up. Confusion graced my face when I scrolled up and saw the many messages he had sent me last night after Frankie left. Then, I remembered that I had turned off my phone after that threatening message was sent to me.Gerald: Frankie told me you were at a bar with your business partner.I raised a brow as I scrolled down.Gerald: Why aren't you responding to me?Gerald: I hope you aren't doing what I'm thinking.My hand fisted on the table as I read on.Gerald: Why aren't you responding to your texts, Anna?Gerald: If you're cheating on me, Annabelle, I swear to the goddess…My blood boiled as I took in the last message. First off
Chapter Eighteen/-Annabelle-/It was official. I hated Sarah with every cell of my being. First, for making Damian hurt, and next, for daring to blackmail him.We were sitting side by side at the counter, the soft piano music still playing in the background. Damian's eyes were glazed over, proof that the alcohol was beginning to get to him.“Why would she hurt you like that? After everything you both shared together?” My hands were fisted on the counter as I glared at my drink.“People change when they realize they can't get what they want.” He took another sip of his drink. “I don't blame her. Anyone in her position would probably try to do the same thing.”I gave him a look of disbelief. “Not everyone, Damian. There are good people out there,” I said softly.He snorted. “Everyone wants power and riches. Some people's level of zeal is just higher than others.” He scowled at his drink, his eyes intense.Silence settled between us. “What does she want you to do?” It was the one questi
Chapter Seventeen/-Annabelle-/Warmth filled my body as I downed another drink. The bitterness of the scotch stung my throat, making my face scrunch up.“Your brother is being an ass,” I drawled as I gestured at Frankie with my empty glass. Yep, I was definitely tipsy.Amusement flickered in his eyes. “I second that, and I'm so sorry about the way he's acting.”I frowned. “Don't be sorry; your brother's an ass. It's not your fault.” I drawled on, gesturing to the bartender for a refill.“Am I missing something?” Damian, who had been silently watching our exchange, finally asked.At first, I had been worried about how quiet he was, but now that he spoke, I was thrilled that he was finally coming around.“I was supposed to take Gerald to meet my parents, but the dickhead keeps canceling on me for no apparent reason,” I whined to Damian, who tilted his head in thought.“And where is this Gerald?”“He's away on a trip,” Frankie answered before I could open my mouth.“Yeah.” A giggle esca
Chapter Sixteen/-Annabelle-/“Never mind. Congratulations, by the way, on fixing the bug. I'll talk to you later.” I raised a brow at the tiredness in his tone. “Okay, but—”He hung up.That was rude. I glared at the phone as if he could see me from his end. What was his deal anyway? “I guess I underestimated you too, huh?” Those words resonated in my mind.Curiosity gnawed at my insides. Who else did he underestimate? I opened the door to my office, and for the first time in days, I welcomed the silence.No shrill rings from office phones, just utter quiet. As I headed to my desk, I inhaled deeply while I settled into my chair.I opened my laptop and went straight to the video of the woman who had spread fake rumors about my products, apologizing profusely.“I am deeply sorry for having spread false information regarding the products. I admit that I was bored and needed attention. I apologize for the harm this has caused to Annabelle, her company, and everyone else involved. Again
Annabelle-/“You, Miss Delgado, I want you.”I almost scoffed. So predictable. But like I said, two could play this game.My fist tightened under my desk while I gave him a sultry smile. “Don't you have a wife, Mr. Anderson?” I asked as I leaned forward. “I don't want any trouble.” My voice turned soft as my gaze fell.“Of course she won't give you any trouble.” He hurriedly spoke as his eyes slightly widened, seemingly taken aback that I easily fell into his games. “You'll be my little secret, and together we will move this company forward, taking the world by storm.”I looked away, feigning sadness and defeat. “But I don't want to be your little secret.”“Then you won't be, I promise. Just give yourself to me, and I'll do anything for you.”I almost visibly smiled to myself before I caught myself. This was going easier than I had planned.“Anything?” I asked coyly, letting my hands circle the mouth of the coffee cup as I feigned contemplation.He nodded vigorously, his eyes wide, no