E L L EA FEW MONTHS LATERLife was not going the way I wanted it to go.Everything was falling apart.I could see the look on my father's face, and how defeated he was.The company was losing clients, and sales were getting lower each day.No one was buying our products, and the market was dominated by Emory's company.It was not like the clients were complaining.It was the opposite.Everyone was happy, and satisfied with their purchase.But, there was no comparison.Rome Beauty had taken over, and there was no stopping them.Everyone was excited about the launch of the new product.An eye shadow palette, and it was selling out.In fact, they were launching a whole new line of eye shadow palettes. They were the talk of the town and everyone was excited.Everyone except, me.I was angry and frustrated.We'd worked hard and tried so much to maintain our status.But, it was like a huge slap in the face.We were losing.And, it hurt."Elle, I need you here, please." My father spoke, and
E L L EThe next morning, I got a call from Avery."Elle, something crazy happened last night. Check your WhatsApp, I sent a picture to you."I did as she said and went to my WhatsApp."Holy shit. Same thing happened to me, Avery. I have this small gash on my face and reddish patch.""What are we going to do? Should we sue them or something? I knew something was definitely off with their products, it was too good to be true. There must be a dangerous chemical in their products that's harming our skin. This isn't right.""I'm going to do a little digging, Avery. We need to find out what is in their products.""Elle, they're launching another line. A skincare line. Can you imagine what could happen to everyone? To us? This is ridiculous. And, to think they'd release another line after damaging the skin of people who bought their other products. That's ridiculous. Do you know how many women will buy that product? Millions. That's what's going to happen, and we're just going to stand and
E L L EI invited Daniel out to have lunch with Giovanna and I, while we discuss how everything goes.He arrived ten minutes late, already having an apologetic face as he approached our table. Daniel has been my friend for the longest time, and he's one of the sweetest guys I know."I'm sorry for being late, ladies. You know how New York traffic is.""It's okay, Daniel. You're not that late. Come, join us." I said and gave him a smile."Thanks.""Do you know Giovanna?" I asked and they shook hands."Nice to meet you, Daniel.""Nice to meet you, too. How have you been, Elle? It's been a while.""It's okay. I'm fine. You?""Yeah, good. So, what's up? Is there a problem?""Yes, there is. And, it's not a small one.""Okay. What is it?""Well, remember when we were at my house and I showed you the product samples from Rome Beauty?""Uh-huh.""Well, they did something really fucked up.""Like what?""They hurt a lot of people.""What? How?""I have no idea. All I know is, a lot of people ar
E L L E"That's what we've been trying to tell you, Elle. We've seen a lot of advertisements on their social media platforms. I can't believe this is happening."I was lost for words and was fuming with anger."They have no limits. Those bastards. I can't believe they are doing this.""They're going to release another line, and hurt millions of people.""And, their profits are going to double, or even triple. Those fuckers. She doesn't care. People's lives are at risk, and she doesn't give a shit. They don't deserve this. All she cares about is money. What a fucking bitch!""What are we going to do now?" Mina asked."We have one month to find out what's in their products, and the side effects. If something happens to a single person, we're suing their ass. And, we'll make sure everyone knows about this.""Are you going to tell Sebastian? Maybe, he's not aware."I looked at her, the sound of his name leaving a bitter taste on my mouth. "No, Mina. I'm not. He's the last person I want to
G I O V A N N AThe drive home was filled with thousands of thoughts, my mind was all over the place. I felt anxious. Was there something wrong? Why did Avery seem so distant lately? Did something happen? What did I do?Questions upon questions ran through my mind.I had no idea what to do.My palms were clammy, and my heart rate was through the roof. It couldn't be that she saw Claire's texts, could it? I shook my head, and continued driving.There's no way. She's not like that. She wouldn't do such a thing. She'd let me explain.I parked the car and took the elevator, taking a few deep breaths, hoping I'd be able to calm down.Once I reached the door, I took my keys out and unlocked the door. I placed them on the coffee table, and walked to the kitchen.Avery was sitting on a chair, staring out of the window, looking so peaceful.She's gorgeous.Her golden locks cascaded down her back, framing her face. Her eyes looked sad, and I could tell she was upset.She must be hungry."Hey,
G I O V A N N AI was out for my morning run and decided to take a rest and get coffee at my favourite coffee shop, before heading home.Once I got there, the place was full of customers and I waited for my turn to order.After a few minutes, the line got shorter and the lady behind the counter greeted me with a smile."Hey, Gio. How are you doing today?""I'm great, thank you. Just getting my daily dose of caffeine." I chuckled."Haha, yeah. It's not even 8 in the morning and I'm dying already. The usual?""Yes, please.""One caramel macchiato, coming right up. Would you like anything else?""No, thank you. Just the drink, please.""Okay, here's the bill." She said, handing me a piece of paper.I handed her the money, and waited for her to prepare the drink."Here's your order." She said, handing me the cup."Thank you, have a nice day.""You too."I took my drink and walked towards a table, when a voice that I hadn’t heard in years said my name. A voice that I had almost forgotten ju
G I O V A N N AWhen I got home, I saw that Avery wasn't around. She usually comes back home at the same time as me, unless she has a photoshoot or interview, but those are usually scheduled after lunch.I went into our bedroom, and grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.After a quick shower, I walked out and changed. I was wearing a black tank top and sweatpants.I walked downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water.As I sat on the sofa, the front door opened and a smiling Avery walked inside, carrying her gym bag and a bottle of juice."Hey, baby. Did you have a good run?" She asked, walking towards me."Not exactly.""What happened?" She asked, placing the bottle and bag on the floor, and then sitting next to me."I ran into an old... friend.""Who? Do I know her?""Claire.""Claire? You mean...""Yeah. I was at the coffee shop and she showed up, trying to make conversation with me."The switch up in her mood was so evident that I immediately regre
E L L EIt's been a couple of days since I gave the products to Daniel for the tests, and the wait was killing me. But, I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to rush him.I couldn't afford any mistakes. Not now.I took the day off from work, because I love been feeling a little under the weather and had been trying to manage it, but I couldn't. So, I thought I'd call it a sick day.I was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with a blanket draped over my legs and my laptop on the coffee table.I was attending to the documents Mina sent to me, basically doing my office job at home and relaxing.My head was banging, and I was feeling too feverish. I could literally feel my bones shivering. A sudden knock on the door brought me out of my daze, and I walked over to the door, and opened it.Giovanna was standing by the door, a smile on her face, as she looked at me."Good morning. I went to the office and was told you're a little unwell. How're you feeling?" She asked and pulled me into a hu
E L L EI was home all alone today because I just didn't feel like going to work. I wanted some peace and quiet, and quite frankly, I was too lazy to go anywhere.Today would be my off day. To sleep, watch a movie, snack and repeat.I had a huge bowl of popcorn and my eyes were glued to the TV, watching the romantic comedy I had rented from the library.It was a beautiful Friday and the weather was perfect, and I wanted to relax and spend the day alone.My phone was on silent and the door was locked. I was having a relaxing time, and no one could mess with me. I placed the huge bowl of popcorn on my belly. Yes, this baby was growing too fast that my belly was not big enough to hold the popcorn.I was a quarter through the movie when my doorbell rang, and I frowned. I paused the movie and sat up. Who could that be?It rang again, and then there was a loud banging on the door.I groaned and got up, walking to the door."Hold on a second!"I opened the door and was met with wide grins. "
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