"Every time I think I'm free, he finds a way to pull me back into his chaos." —Elle Marino
E L L EI closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I swear I saw this coming. I knew it."You're late." Rodriguez commented."Apologies, I had a few things to do.""And what exactly are those things that were more important than being on time for a very important meeting?" I snapped, turning around."None of your business." He snapped back."It is my business. This is a very important and serious meeting and it's about your company's future. So, don't be an ass and start being professional and show up on time."He smirked. "When did you become a spokesperson for Mr. Rodriguez here? I believe Mr. Rodriguez can forgive a little lateness.""Whatever." I mumbled."Shall we begin, Sebastian?" Mr. Rodriguez butted in, looking between both of us. We didn't even try to hide the anonymity between us. "Yes.""Please, have a seat." Rodriguez instructed.Sebastian took a seat next to me, and I didn't even look at him."Mr. Rodriguez, I would like to apologize for the inconvenience and delay, but I'
E L L EMina was fast asleep on her side of the bed as I stared at the ceiling. For some reasons unknown to me, I felt restless.I took the sheets off my body and walked into the closet to change into a comfortable dress. I went down the stairs and towards the hotel's bar.The lights were dim, and a few people were scattered around the place, either alone or with their companions.I was glad it was quiet, and no one bothered me.I sat on a stool and ordered a glass of wine. I wasn't in the mood for anything strong, and a glass of wine would help me relax."I would like a whisky on the rocks, please."That voice."Sebastian." I breathed.He was sitting right beside me."Elle.""What are you doing here?""I think the question is what are you doing here?" He retorted."I'm not in the mood for your sarcastic remarks." I sighed."Neither am I.""Then, leave.""Not until you tell me why the fuck he decided to accept the pathetic deal instead of mine." He snapped, taking a sip of his drink.
E L L EIt was our last night in London and Mina insisted on we celebrating our winnings. My dad couldn't hide his happiness on the phone call when he heard I'd won the deal against Sebastian.Making him proud made me happy.We decided on a karaoke bar since it was Mina's choice and we would be able to celebrate, have fun, and drink as much as we wanted.I was wearing a skimpy white dress and paired it with white heels and a white clutch. I decided to go all out and went a little bold with the makeup, opting for a darker and sultrier look. My body was aching all over due to stress, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my night.We arrived at the club and it was packed with people. The music was blasting, and there was a crowd singing along. We grabbed a couple of drinks and headed towards a room to start the night.After a few hours of non-stop drinking and singing, we decided it was time to head home. I was a bit tipsy and felt dizzy."Mina, I don't feel well." I whispered, leaning on h
E L L E“Remind me why I’m doing this again?” I groaned, looking at my mother who had a proud smile on her face.“You’re not getting any younger, sweetie. You have to move on with your life and start having your own family. We only have you and your brother and the house is quite boring without you both.”Without exactly saying it, I already knew what she meant. She wanted grandkids. I felt a painful pang in my chest as I looked away. He or she would’ve been five. I would have had a five year old child and probably would have had another within those years, until my dreams were shattered by who I considered my best friend.I lost everything because of her. I lost my baby a few days after learning about my pregnancy. My world crumbled apart.My mother sighed, taking my hand in hers. I felt a lone tear escape from my eye and quickly wiped it.She smiled sadly at me, placing her other hand on top of mine.She was the only person I had ever told. I didn’t even tell my father. Just her. Sh
E L L EAfter a few weeks of thinking about my parent's proposal, I had finally made up my mind. I would at least meet the men they had chosen for me, and go on a couple of dates. But, if it didn't work out, I would not go on any further.I sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee and eating some chocolate chip cookies. I had an early meeting today and needed the extra caffeine to keep me awake and alert.My phone dinged and I reached over to grab it.**Mom:**Good morning, sweetie.How's work?**Me:**It's going well.Had a few meetings with potential clients. What's up, mama?**Mom:**Just wanted to tell you the first suitor's name.You're free tonight, right?I took a deep breath and nodded to myself.**Me:**I'm free, yes.What's the name?**Mom:**He goes by the name, Prince.Meet him tonight at 7:30 pm at the restaurant,La Rue.Don't be late, darling.**Me:**Fine.I'll let you know if I can't make it.Talk later.Bye.**Mom:**Okay, sweetie. Have a great day.I love you,Bye.I put
E L L EMy mother was still apologizing for the date, and promised the next suitor would be better.I sighed and sat on the sofa, drinking a glass of wine."I swear, mom. If the next date is another jerk, I'm done. I will not waste my time on any of these assholes. I am a grown woman and can choose who I want and don't want to date. I do not need your help.""I understand that, honey. But, you can't possibly expect me to believe that you would never settle down and find a partner. You need a man in your life, honey. A husband. Someone to support you, and take care of you. You're not getting any younger, darling. You're almost 28, you should be thinking about settling down, getting married, having kids. This is your destiny.""Why does destiny have to involve a man, hmm? Why can't a woman live a happy, fulfilling life without the need of a man? Is that so wrong?""No, darling. But, that is the way of life. You need a man. All women need a man. You were made for him. Just as he was made
E L L EJames was punctual.I was impressed.He was already waiting in his car when I got out of my building.My mother was right about one thing. He was tall, and very handsome. He looked a little intimidating, and had a stern look on his face, as if he was angry or annoyed about something.Maybe it was just the way he looked.He got out of his car, dressed in a black suit, looking sharp."You must be Elle," he said, his voice a little deep."Yes, and you're James?""Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you.""Nice to meet you too," I smiled.He smiled, and offered his hand. I took it and we shook hands."Shall we?" He asked, gesturing to the car. I nodded.He walked over and opened the passenger door for me. "Thank you," I said, smiling at him."You're welcome," he smiled back.After he got in the driver's side, we were off."So, where are we going?""I booked a table at The Grand," he answered."Ooh, a fancy restaurant. I love the food there.""Me too," he chuckled.The car ride was quiet,
E L L EOne month had passed, and I was quite disappointed that I hadn't gotten a call or text from James.He had wanted us to go out more after the first date, but up until now, he hadn't contacted me. Maybe he didn't like the date and only agreed because he was too nice to tell me. I thought that our date was fine. I mean, we had a lot in common, so I thought that was a good thing. We both liked to read and write. We both were very creative people. I couldn't help but feel that he wasn't interested in me.I wasn't hurt by his lack of communication, but I thought I was at least making a progress with my life. Now I felt as if all the hard work I put into getting myself back out there was wasted. I didn't regret going on a date with him, but I also didn't want to date anyone else at the moment. I was willing to at least try with James, and it seemed as if he wasn't interested in me.Maybe he was too nice to say anything. Maybe he thought that was a polite thing to do. Or maybe he didn'
L A U R AI was sitting on my couch, setting up the food I had ordered down for Sebastian and I.Just a few seconds later, a knock sounded at the door.I went to open the door, and I was greeted by Sebastian standing in a dark casual outfit, a dark blue jeans and black shirt, his hair slicked back and his piercing blue eyes meeting mine."Hi.""Hey, gorgeous." He said, smiling as he took me in, his gaze moving slowly over my body, and I blushed."Come in.""I brought some wine and dessert." He said, showing the wine bottle."Great, the food is already here, and it's all set up. Thank you.""Thanks for inviting me over. You have no idea how much I missed seeing you." He said, pulling me into a tight hug, his musky scent hitting my nose, making my insides warm and fuzzy."I missed you too, Seb."He pulled away, and I had to try so hard to fight off the burning blush crawling up my cheeks."I hope you like the dessert, and the wine. I wasn't sure which wine to buy, so I bought the red, s
L A U R AMy eyes narrowed into a glare, and I frowned. "Excuse me? What do you mean?""Sebastian Black is a ruthless bastard, and he is the last man you should be messing with. He's a heartless asshole." Giovanna stated, and her voice held authority and anger.I could hear the venom lacing her voice. Why would she be so mad and disgusted at Sebastian?"You are the sweetest girl I know, and have a heart of gold. And, Sebastian, the man is just a walking corpse. He's an animal, and has a heart of ice.""How would you know?" I asked, feeling defensive. I didn't like the way she was speaking about Sebastian. How does she know him? What exactly does she know about him that's making her say such things about him? What business does she have with him?"That man doesn't deserve your love, Laura. He destroyed my best friend. They had a very messy divorce that cost my best friend a lot. When he realized that he has been living with the real enemy, he now wants her forgiveness. He still loves h
L A U R AAfter a two hour nap, filled with tossing and turning on my bed, thinking about the events that took place this afternoon, and the visit from the evil witch, I finally managed to get up and take a shower.It was almost eight, and it was time for me to get ready for dinner at my cousin's place.I walked into the bathroom, and stripped out of my clothes.Once I was completely naked, I turned the faucet, and water gushed out, filling the large tub with warm water.I stepped inside the bath, and sighed in relief.The tension eased from my shoulders, and my mind was clear.It was time to relax, and forget about what happened earlier today.After the long, and much needed, hot bath, I stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around my body.I grabbed the brush and combed through my hair.After drying it a bit, I went to my closet and picked an outfit. I didn't dress fancy, because I wasn't planning on going anywhere afterwards.Once I was done, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed t
L A U R AMy car pulled to a stop in front of my office. "Look, I have to hang up now. Work calls." I said to Sebastian on the phone. His call had woken me up this morning and he stayed all through my shower, dressing up and arriving at work.And there was never a point where the conversation got awkward or boring. We always had something to talk about, like we've known each other our whole lives."Okay. Dinner, tonight?" He asked and a smile pulled at my lips.Unfortunately, I already had plans for tonight. "I'm sorry, maybe another time? I already agreed on dinner with my cousin and her girlfriend. But, tomorrow is my off, you could come over to my place and we could order some food and watch movies or something.""Sounds like a plan. Text me when it's time.""I will.""Goodbye, beautiful.""Goodbye, Sebastian.I disconnected the call, and smiled.This was the first time I've actually smiled and felt good in the morning, and it was all because of Sebastian. I was afraid that I was st
M I C H A E LI stood in the corner, watching as Elle and her boyfriend made their way out of the event. I rubbed a hand over my face in frustration as soon as their car sped into the distance. I didn't mean to scare her the way I did, I was just desperate for her to learn the real truth about what happened in Bali.I had expected that reaction from her, but I had thought that I would've been able to calm her down and get to talk her and tell her everything. But, I wasn't going to give up. Not until she knew the truth."Fuck!" I muttered, frustrated, running a hand through my hair. It's not gonna be easy. She hates my guts, and I was the cause of her trauma. What did I expect? I'm such an idiot.I sighed, turning to the exit.I had come here in a disguise, knowing that Mikhail's security detail would send me out as soon as they realized I was invited for this event, but I couldn't wait.This was the only way to reach Elle and tell her everything.I had followed her and Mikhail everywh
E L L EThe next day, Mikhail's friend gave us an invitation for his fashion show. It was also my first public appearance while being pregnant and I was totally excited and nervous at the same time.His friend sent me an unreleased dress from the new line and I was ecstatic, because it was the most beautiful and expensive dress I've ever owned.It was a beautiful blue mermaid gown, that fit perfectly. The fabric was soft and delicate. I fell in love with the dress as soon as I laid eyes on it, and now that it was finally time to wear it, and the night has arrived, I was beginning to have a lot of second thoughts."Are you sure I'm not going to look fat in this?" I asked Mikhail for the hundredth time, and he looked up from tying his tie.He looked shocked by my question, because this was the first time I'd ever asked such a ridiculous question."What are you talking about? You're beautiful. And, you're not fat, Elle. Stop saying that. You're pregnant. There's a difference. You're pregn
E L L EIt's been a week of finding out that our baby is a girl, and it's been absolute bliss. I felt good, happy and content. I was always excited for the kicks, although I was warned by my mother that my excitement would be short-lived, because soon enough, she'd start kicking up a storm in my tummy, and would end up making me lose sleep.I really hoped not, maybe, just maybe my baby would have some sympathy and make me an exception.Today, we were all gathered at my parents' home. My father had called for a family meeting/dinner. He has been all up his ass since last month, refusing to attend my baby shower, because he thinks I'm making a bad decision by having a man knock me up out of wedlock.In my defense, the pregnancy definitely wasn't planned, but I'm not going to keep living in regrets for the little miracle God has given me. And I'm definitely not rushing into marriage just because I'm pregnant and scared of being judged by society.However today, I was shocked when he calle
L A U R AMy last client walked out, and I breathed a sigh of relief.My day was finally over.The rest of my evening was spent going through patient files, and checking in with my boss.By the time I left my office, the sun had already set.I got into my car, and drove home. My apartment was located a few minutes away from the city. It was small, but big enough for me. And, I loved it.The moment I stepped into my apartment, my cat came running towards me, and I bent down to pet her."Hello, princess.""Meow.""I missed you too.""Meow.""Hungry?""Meow."I laughed, and went straight to the kitchen. The moment she saw her bowl, she jumped on the counter and started eating."You're so spoiled, Lola." I said and shook my head.Lola was the most precious thing in my life, besides my job.And, even though she didn't speak, her presence was soothing.Especially, after a long and tiring day.She was my rock.And, she always kept me sane.Lola was a present from my parents. She was only six
L A U R AAn unexpected smile played on my lips as Sebastian walked out of my office, and I found myself unable to get rid of it.It was a huge mistake.Asking a therapist out on a date.Unethical.I had been in the profession long enough to know what the right thing to do was.I shouldn't have said yes.But, I did.Because, a part of me wanted to.I've never been so attracted to anyone in my life.His blue eyes, the way they sparkled. The way he was smiling. The way he talked. His voice.His accent.Everything.But, it was unethical.He was a client.A client who needed my help.My assistance.He was emotionally fragile at the moment, still on the journey of getting over his divorce, I didn't want to take advantage of his emotional state.But, the thought of having dinner with him was so appealing.So tempting.And, the fact that he asked me out, and was so eager, had made it even harder to say no.But, I had to.For him.For his own good.Until he was over his divorce. I was going to