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'
E L L EI saved his address and closed my phone. I couldn't believe I was doing this, but it was too late to back out now. I was going to have to meet James tomorrow and see where it went.I let out a sigh and got back to work. I tried not to think about what could happen, and just focus on my work. But, the anticipation and excitement was there, and it was hard to ignore. I didn't know what was in store for me, but I was ready for whatever it was.I was curious and a little nervous about meeting James at his house. But, I was also excited. It was a chance for me to get to know him better, and get my mom off my neck. I spent the rest of the day working on the new product line, trying not to think about my date with James. But, it was hard not to.After a long day at work, I headed home. I was excited to get some rest and relax before my date with James."How was your day, darling?" My mom said through the phone. "It was hectic, but it's always that way when we're preparing for a laun
E L L EMy body stilled and the blood drained from my face as I stared into the eyes of the man who had broken my heart.I didn't know how long j stood, staring at an equally shocked Sebastian, but eventually, James cleared his throat and broke the silence."Elle, this is my business partner, Sebastian. Sebastian, this is Elle, the woman I was telling you about," he said, introducing us."Nice to meet you," Sebastian said, his voice low and his eyes full of anger. I was thankful that he didn't tell James anything. He only played along and acted like he was also meeting me for the first time. Sebastian took my hands, his grip tight, and the tension was evident. His gaze was piercing and his jaw clenched. The air was thick with tension and I could feel my palms sweat."Nice to meet you too," I managed to say.James' phone rang and he excused himself, "Excuse me, give me a minute," he said, leaving Sebastian and me alone. We stared at each other, the air between us thick with tension and
E L L E"We need to get to know each other better before making any decisions. This is a fresh start for us, and I don't want either of us to get hurt. I would like to take this slow as possible, start off as friends and see if it could lead to something greater. But, I definitely wouldn't want to rush it." I finally said, waiting to see his reaction. "Are you saying you don't like me then?" James asked, his face falling."No, not at all. You're a great guy, James. But, we're both in vulnerable positions right now, and rushing into a relationship would not be wise. I don't want to be the rebound girl, and I don't want you to be the rebound guy. We deserve better than that. So, can we start off as friends and see where this goes?"It sounded like I was basically rejecting him, but the last thing I wanted to do was make any promises that I wouldn't be able to keep. Rushing into anything when my heart is a jumbled mess wouldn't be the smartest thing to do.James seemed to think about it
E L L EI was invited to dinner at my parent's house. My mom insisted because in her words, 'we are all too busy and haven't spent quality time together as a family.'My family wasn't big, which was the reason why my mother wanted grandkids, because Varian and I are all grown and didn't have as much free time as we used to have. She said the house was too quiet, and that we needed to get together more often.She didn't ask me about James, which surprised me. Normally, my mom would pry about my personal life and try to find out as much information as she could. But, I knew that topic would definitely come up during the dinner.I arrived at my parents' house, and the first thing I noticed was that Varian's car was already in the driveway. My younger brother was usually late to everything, so I was a bit surprised to see that he had beat me there.I parked my car and walked inside, the familiar scent of my mother's cooking hitting my nostrils. My mom loved to cook, and her food was always
E L L EI stood in the middle of my walk-in-closet, wearing a silk, short, red robe, trying to figure out what to wear."What do you think?" I asked, holding up a blue dress, and then another, showing Mina.She was here with me, helping me decide on a dress for the party. She had a few dresses herself and would try them on after helping me."Hmmm. Both are great. But, you have to keep in mind that your man is the Russian Billionaire, right? You can't be wearing something too simple, especially when he's going to be by your side the entire night. So, go for the red." She said and I sighed, knowing that she was right.I had a lot of beautiful dresses, but most were simple and casual.But, Mina and I were determined to change that.We wanted to make sure I dressed up and made myself look the part."Fine." I said, and placed the blue dress back into the closet."Try on the red one." She said and handed it to me.I walked into the bathroom and changed.The dress was a V neck, tight-fitting
E L L EI haven't even gotten over the shock that Mikhail had done that for me. Why? He barely knew me. Didn't know if I was worthy of this, but he did it without a second thought.Was this a dream? Because I didn't want to wake up.But, then again, a part of me wished he had listened.I was a strong believer that God has a plan for everyone. He doesn't do anything randomly. And, there's a reason Mikhail came into my life. There's a reason why I was saved by him.And, he has a reason to like me.Mikhail.The same man that has been painted bad by the public for being rude, arrogant, cold, uninterested and emotionless was doing this. I've come to realize that they were spreading false news about him, because he wasn't giving them that attention like other celebrities do. Women flocked around his every time, but he doesn't even bat an eyelash at them or give them the time of the day. He wasn't just saving me.He was making me believe in miracles.He was showing me a life where the past
E L L EI applied the final touch of make up to my face as admired my reflection through the mirror.I felt amazing and happy, like i didn't have any problems to deal with. It's been about five years since I genuinely felt happy, felt like there was light at the end of the tunnel. Spending just a little time with Mikhail was a feeling I haven't felt in a long while. I felt young, I felt beautiful, I felt worthy of being loved.Mikhail was the light at the end of my tunnel.He was bringing a new meaning into my life. And fast. It was scary. We've only been spending time together for the past two weeks, but, he's managed to make me smile, laugh and just simply enjoy my life.He's made me realize that I didn't have to put a halt on my life because of my failed marriage.But, that fear still lingered I'm my mind. I haven't accepted his proposal yet, but I knew I'd have to make a decision soon. But, that was where my fear lies.I was afraid that things would turn sour and he'd be another
M I K H A I LThe next day, after my morning workout, a hot shower, a nice meal and a coffee, I was in my study, ready for work.Sipping my coffee, my mind went back to the previous night.She was something else.I've never been this smitten over a woman before.She was the one.And, she's the only one I'd do anything for.Anything.She's a fighter. A woman full of surprises.My phone rang on the table and I picked it up.It was my best friend, Ivan."Hey, brother.""What's up?""Just calling to see if you're alive. Haven't heard from you in a while. You okay?""Yeah. Yeah. I'm good. Sorry, I've been busy.""Too busy to call me?""Sorry, bro. How have you been? Anything new?""I should be asking you that. Who's the new chick you've been seen with. It's all over the internet.""I knew you'd find out. But, yeah. She's someone special.""Special? So, this isn't just a quick fuck? What's going on?""Her name's Eleanor. But, she likes to be called Elle. And no, she's definitely not a quick
E L L EI looked around and noticed that the sky was filled with stars."It's so beautiful." "Far from the city. No light pollution. Just you and me. Come on." He said, his hand wrapped around mine and led me towards a bench.We sat down and enjoyed the view.The lake was shining underneath the bright stars. The moon was shining beautifully. It was a perfect view."Wow.""You like it?""I love it. Thank you.""No, thank you. I didn't expect to be able to come here tonight. But, here we are.""I thought you'd come alone.""No. I had to show you. The reason why I love to drive late at night. It's not always about clearing your head. It's also about the beautiful views you can see at the same time. Something worth seeing and experiencing. Like tonight.""You're right. Tonight is beautiful.""Thank you, Elle. For giving me this opportunity. To spend the night with you. Even though, it's only for a few hours, but, you gave me that chance."Why was he so sweet?It was weird, and, at the sam
E L L EI just came out from the shower, drying my wet hair when I heard a text notification.I sighed and sat down on my bed.What now?I picked up my phone and saw that the message was from an unknown number.'Hey princess.'Princess?Who the hell is this?Wrapping the towel around my wet hair, I laid on the bed and texted back.'Who is this?' I replied. 'Don't tell me you've forgotten your boyfriend's number. I'm hurt.''Boyfriend?''Yes. Boyfriend.''You have the wrong number.''Do I? I don't think so.''Yes.''Okay, okay. You've got me. It's me, Elle. Mikhail.'Mikhail?What the hell?I stared at my phone.Mikhail is texting me?How?After our last meeting two days ago, he didn't collect my number, neither did I get his. So, how?'How did you get my number?' I asked him.'Let's just say, I have connections.' I could already imagine him grinning.I smiled to myself, feeling all jittery that he was actually texting me. I felt like a teenager having her first crush.It was pathetic.
E L L EMy body went numb as I heard the words coming from her. I felt utterly disappointed as I watched Marie through the glass separating us. Her eyes met mine and she was quick to avoid eye contact.What did they do to her?She definitely wouldn't come out and say she had lied. Emory must done something to shut her up. Maybe offer her a ridiculous amount of money to retract her statements.Either way, I knew that there was no point in trying to change her mind. She has already made up her mind and it was impossible to convince her otherwise.I took a deep breath and decided to leave the interview room.As soon as I walked out, a man was standing outside, leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face.He looked at me and his smirk widened. "Well, well. Hello there, Elle. What a surprise."I took a step back and stared at him."W-what are you doing here?" I could swear I'd seen his face somewhere. Bali. Hooded guy. Chasing after me with a knife trying to kill me.I swallowed the lump
E L L EToday is the day of the interview and I drove into the driveway of Marie's apartment.I should have known that something was wrong when I arrived into her apartment and she wasn't dressed yet.I went over to her on the couch and looked at her. "Are you okay?""Yeah. I'm fine." She mustered up a smile. "Is everything alright? You look a little pale.""It's nothing. I'm fine. Just a little nervous. I don't know why. But, let's get ready.""You'll be great, Marie. You're literally saving the lives of a lot of people by doing this. And, I really want to thank you for doing this for me. It means a lot.""I'm happy to help, Elle. Now, let's get going. We're gonna be late." I still couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something off about her. She stood up and went to get dressed. While Marie was being prepared for the interview, I decided to call my mom."Hey there, sweetie. How are you feeling today?""Hey, Mom. I'm doing fine. A little stressed, but okay. I just wanted t
M I C H A E LI was standing in front of the girl's apartment.Marie was her name, according to the background research done on her. She thinks she could try to ruin my woman's reputation and she'd get away with it easily?Big fucking mistake.The worst thing she could have done is work with my enemy, and try to harm the woman carrying my child.Emory and I dated right from college and when she came to me with a new strategy to extort money, I was hesitant to watch the love of my life get married to another man, but as soon as I heard the money involved, I was game.Now, that we are in the second phase, everything has gone smoothly.She is already pregnant with my child and we are getting closer each day.She is the only woman who is perfect for me, and no one is ever going to break us apart.Not even her own husband.Knocking on the door, I waited patiently.A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing the same girl who appeared in the background checks we had done.She looked at