Alexander's POV I furrowed my brows, looking at my best friend. " What do you mean by saying it didn't go well?" John fidgeted his fingers and started talking. The more I have heard, the more pissed I got. " Finally, they said, all her stuff went to charity, but Millie thinks, no, she is sure, it all has been destroyed. So we came back empty-handed." John finished his story with a sad expression. I, on the other hand, could barely conceal my rage. How could people be this shameless? " Do you remember the address? Where is Millie's apartment?" I asked in a dry tone, and John nodded. " Sure, it is saved in my GPS, but why do you need it?" My friend gave me a suspicious look. He knew me too well. In the past, I did a few things I was not proud of, pushed by my anger. Maybe he feared I would burn the whole place to the ground, but I was never this drastic. " I want you to find out everything about the people that live there now. It looks like Millie's family is a littl
Millie's POV John brought me back to Alex's apartment, and I could not find myself a place, so for the first hour, I was pacing around the room, thinking about the previous disaster. All my belongings were gone. I could imagine the smug smiles on Sandra's and Deborah's faces when they were destroying them. I was left with nothing. How am I supposed to look for work if I have no single suitable piece of clothes to attend any potential interview? I could not buy any as my wallet was empty. My family really put a lot of effort into taking me down, and it looked like they succeeded. I would have to ask Gabrielle for help and borrow some clothes from her. My friend will surely give me some unless her charming boyfriend won't stop her. My stomach grumbled loudly. Thanks to my family, I lost my appetite, but now my body begged for some nutrition. I rushed to the kitchen, thinking about what to prepare to eat. I scanned all the cupboards and fridge, and they were loaded. I found f
Alexander's POV When Millie disappeared behind closed doors, my head was buzzing. What the hell was I thinking? She called me her husband, and I played along. I even kissed that girl. What was she feeling right now? I had to fix it as soon as possible. I turned my attention back to the person responsible for this whole mess. Carmen. " I told you once that we were done. How dare you to show up at my place wearing this," I hissed, pointing out to her ridiculous outfit. " I thought we could work on our relationship," Carmen replied, fixing her coat, but I only rolled my eyes. " There was no relationship. We had an agreement. It was fun and nothing else," I offered her a dry response. " It is because of her?" Carmen raised her voice. " It has nothing to do with her. You crossed the boundary," I answered immediately. I should go and check on Millie, but instead, I was wasting my time here. " Then she is not important to you, is she? We can go back to how it was. Just fun
Millie's POV I still could not believe how Alexander convinced me to take his card. After the initial agreement, I changed my mind and tried to return it to him, but he rejected it and called me a deal breaker. He said I could use it to buy my clothes, and it was not a big deal, but I saw it differently. It was too much, way too much. Alexander allowed me to stay at his place and eat his food. I should not use his money. But I was desperate. I could not show myself in any interview, wearing the only clothes I had that were good for a grocery run but not the work hunt. I arrived at the biggest mall in our town. It had various shops that offered a wide range of prices and brands, from designer brands to some more affordable items. In the past, I would probably visit some of my favorite shops, but today, I had to think of a budget since I was not spending my own money. I chose one of the shops on the ground floor that looked promising. Through the windows, I noticed a nice
Alexander's POV I was enjoying my late breakfast when John entered my office without knocking. I would scold him for that, but my mouth was full of scrambled eggs, which I did not prefer to spit all over my desk. Instead, I gave him a look filled with disapproval. " Sorry to bother but I have a manager of one of your shops on the line. He says it is something urgent, " John smiled at me. It did not look like he was sorry at all. " Can't you deal with that? Is it not what I pay you for?" I spoke as soon as I managed to swallow my food. " He only wants to talk to you," John replied, shrugging his arms. " Fine, put him on the line," I hesitantly agreed. God help this guy if that was something trivial. John nodded and left. Seconds later, my phone rang. " Yes," I answered on a speaker since John was already back in my office. I gave him a sign to sit. " Good morning, Mr Foster. It is Ben Clark, store manager from Dress to Impress." I heard on the other line. It was
Millie's POV My anxiety hit the roof when the store manager disappeared behind the door. The girl behind the counter was eyeing me, and her look was very judgmental. Do they really think I stole this card? Unless it was Alex who stole it, and now he pushed me under the bus. I quickly dismissed that thought. Why would he do it after helping me so much? Every passing minute felt like a year. Customers filled the shop, and I felt like they already knew about my crime. What crime? Pull yourself together, girl. After what felt like an eternity, the manager came back, but his expression had changed. He looked apologetic, scared even. Yep, the card was stolen, and I was the main suspect. " I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting," he finally spoke, taking me by surprise. " It is not a big deal," I managed to answer, instantly cursing my stupidity. No big deal. It was a huge deal. " Thank you for your understanding. I hope you understand I had to make sure ev
Alexander's POV I watched Millie, who was now blinking uncontrolled, stunned by my words. I know I acted too fast, but I did not have much choice, not after the earlier conversation. " I am really disappointed with you, son," my father's tone was cold as ice. " What are you talking about?" I asked, frantically thinking about what could be the reason for his phone call. " I thought we were close as a family, and we could trust each other, but I guess I was wrong," he spoke again without giving me a hint of what could make him so upset. My father's words were true. We were close indeed, as we kept no secrets from each other. Of course, in the past, as a stupid teenager, I tried to be rebellious, but this faze was long gone. Now, I had no doubts, my family would always have my back as I had theirs. " Dad, I really need some clarification here if I am going to deal with your accusations, " I said, slightly offended by his words. I could not think of anything that could
Millie's POV I noticed that Alex was watching me with growing interest. His eyes were sparkling, and I was grateful he could not hear my thoughts. Did I just agree to be his wife? That was insane, but it was done. I do not take my words back. " Well?" Alex asked, and my mind went blank. Well, what? " Sorry?" I asked suprised. " Your conditions," he reminded me politely while I wondered what Gabrielle would say right now. He would scold me for my stupidity, for sure. " Ah, yes, conditions," I mumbled, thinking about any I could come out with. " I would like to keep my last name." Yes, this one was good. If this marriage was going to be a facade, then it was better to do it in case of unavoidable divorce. I glanced at Alex. He looked like he was considering my proposition. " Fine, we can discuss it further if you decide to change your mind," he said slowly. " We will split the living costs evenly. I will find work and contribute to the household, " I said, enc
Millie's POV I woke up completely exhausted. Last night, I cried myself to sleep while Gabi hugged me tightly. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could see Alex sitting in that coffeehouse, smiling widely at the woman before him. He seemed relaxed, happy even. That showed me how much our relationship meant to him. I was an emotional mess, and he enjoyed his life. How did I end up like this? Why do I have to make bad choices? And why am I attracted to the men who do not care about me? Those questions spun inside my head as I dragged myself under the shower. The hot stream of water washed off the tears that rolled down my cheeks again. I punched the wall in anger. What have I done to deserve all of that? First, my family and Mark betrayed me, and now I have lost the last person I cared about. The person I loved. The person who changed my life. I dried myself and brushed my wet hair, avoiding looking in the mirror. I could not stand seeing my face. My eyes were red and puffy, and I
Third-party POV" That is impossible! " I have heard my mother's raised voice coming from the hall. " It has to be some mistake. Why would they leave?"" It is more than possible. If the situation worsens, we won't make enough money to pay people," my stepfather replied quietly but loud enough for me to hear. " Then we won't pay them! Give them some speech about temporary struggles." " And then what? Do you think they will stay in a company that can not pay for their work? Besides, I honestly have no work for them. The office phone is silent, and there are no projects we can work on. Our old clients are long gone. Let's be real: Soon, we may file for bankruptcy." I looked at my bitten nails, listening to the conversation I was not supposed to hear. It looked bad, really bad. My fists balled. What was going on? Why did my stepfather lose his clients? This company has been on the market for years, and now they are talking about bankruptcy. This business was supposed to be my future.
Alexander's POV" It is... nice, but I have better. More revealing, if you wanna know " Natasha nodded, pushing the bag back to me. " " I do not know, and I am not interested at all. Even the thought of this is repulsive." I mumbled, glaring coldly at the man staring boldly at my companion. Natasha furrowed her brows, pretending to be offended by my tone, but then she noticed my expression." Is everything okay?" She asked, utterly oblivious to her presence's effect on this place. Men were gaping, and some were almost drooling. I wouldn't mind if they were here alone, but most weren't. I felt sorry for the women accompanying them. " I shouldn't take you to public places," I said, shaking my head, embarrassed in the name of all good guys. " Why?" Natasha looked around and sent a dazzling smile to all the guys who were not fast enough to turn their heads fast enough. " Let them look. That is all they can have." " I do not care about them. But those women do not look happy." "I'm s
Millie's POV The closer to Friday, the more anxious I was. I could not explain that, but I felt this day would change my life. I still hold on to the idea of asking Mr Foster to give me a chance to work for him, but at times it seemed inappropriate. Maybe I should stick to my original plan and consider my small business. Probably, I would have to leave town as my family would find a way to sabotage it somehow. Maybe moving out would be the best for me. The new place seemed great for a fresh start. I would miss Gabrielle, but I am sure she would understand my decision. I thought about Alex. He kept invading my thoughts more and more often during those last days. I did not want to admit it, but I missed him. Even with my friend's support, I felt that something was missing. Last night, I had a dream that left me with an aching pain in my core. Alex's hands were exploring my body. Goosebumps covered my skin, and I shivered in pleasure. His smooth fingers were dancing aro
Third-party POV The conversation with Mark left me completely drained. This man seemed to be the perfect tool for my revenge, and was found useless. It felt like a sign from the gods when I met him a couple months ago. His being Millie's boyfriend was an excellent opportunity to come after her. When I met Gabrielle, I knew I had found a perfect woman. She was utterly smitten with my charm, obedient, ready to fulfil my every need. That was the woman I could keep by my side. She was in love with me, and I used it to the fullest. Gabrielle was beautiful and intelligent, she looked good by my side. With her law education, she could keep up with the conversation. Gabrielle was like a perfect accessory; all my lawyer colleagues praised me for finding such a woman. Our relationship seemed perfect, and I could not ask for more, at least for now. Of course, she sometimes brought up the marriage, but until now, I could devise perfect excuses to keep her on a leash. I was not ready
Millie's POV. I was job hunting again. I could not rely on the money I received. Maybe it was a mistake, and I would have to return them. In the last months, I stopped believing in my luck. There was always something that would turn the events against me. I scanned the offers, and nothing seemed interesting, but I had to start somewhere. My laptop pinged, announcing the new email. Maybe one of the companies I applied to decided to give me a chance. My breathing sped up when I noticed it was from Foster Inc., and my mood instantly dropped. That was the moment. They checked everything, and I had to give the money back. I clicked on the email with my shaking hand. I read it carefully once and then again. The CEO really wanted to meet with me. I could barely imagine how such a busy man could find time for some irrelevant conversation. My hands were still shaking when I typed a reply. Well, I guess I was going to talk to one of the most powerful people in this country. I
Third party POV" Of course, I understand. No, that is not a problem. I hope we will have a chance to work again in the future." I hung up, gritting my teeth. What the hell was going on? It was the fifth phone call since morning, and it was only 11 am. I hit my desk with fury. This was not looking good. One by one our partners were calling to cancel their contracts with us. No matter how convincing I was, I could do nothing to make them change their decisions. Some of them worked with us for years and had no complain about our service. I could not think of a single reason that could suddenly change their minds. I pressed my temples, thinking about the solution, but I could not come up with any idea. The situation became dramatic, and I knew what I had to do. I grabbed my phone, dialling Brown's number. He would find out anyway, so I preferred him to hear it from me. " Hello," Brown picked up almost immediately. Judging by the sound in the background, he was back in the hospital with
Alexander's POV" She caught the bait, " I smiled at John when he put the phone down. " She did, but I still think it is a bad idea," my friend gave me a side-eye, but I only waved my hand at him. " Let me remind you that it was your idea," I pointed out, and he gave me a nasty look. "That was not what I meant by helping her," John replied dryly, and I rolled my eyes. " Maybe, but it worked, and that's what matters. I knew Millie would not let such a thing slip. She is too honest for that." I knew exactly what to do when transferring money from the company account. Millie would never accept something she did not work for, and the amount was much higher. Of course, in my opinion, she deserved all the money in the world, but two million was enough to put her on edge. There was no way she would not try to get to the bottom of this. And that was what I was counting on.John shook his head, defeated. " I hope she would not get mad again. I thought you were going to win her back, not p
Millie's POVWhen Gabrielle entered the room, I kept staring at my phone, unable to move. " Is he already begging you to come back to him?" She asked jokingly, but I had no strength to join her. Thinking about Alex was not on my list right now. I was still mad about all his secrets. He could keep them to himself for all I cared. " That is not funny, " I mumbled, and Gabrielle raised her brow. " Well, I did not press on you yesterday, but today, you need to tell me what is going on." I shrugged my arms. That was the point. What was happening? " Okay, you don't have to tell me yet, but we will return to that. What do you want for breakfast?" Gabrielle offered me a questioning look, heading towards her kitchen. " Look at this," I said, making her stop. " You phone? Sorry to break it for you, but I have seen it before." " I highly doubt that you have seen something like this before, " I replied, and now she was intrigued. " What is it?" " I just received two million dollars," I