Alexander's POV I was in the middle of a heated conversation with John regarding my next-day schedule when my phone rang. Since the amount of people that required my attention already made me annoyed, I answered the call with my coldest tone. " Hello?" I asked, skipping any pleasantries. " Hello, it is Millie..." I heard the voice on the other side. " Wrong number," I replied shortly, ready to hang up. I had no memory of the woman whose name was Millie. It was probably another journalist who bribed someone in the company to get my private number. I almost pressed the end-up call button when I heard the words that stopped me from doing that. " I am Twelve." She said, waiting for my response. " Give me a second," I told her in a much calmer tone, at the same time motioning to John that it was an important call. He left the office, shooting me surprised glances, but I ignored him. " Hello, Twelve. How are you?" I almost cursed myself for such a pathetic question.
Millie's POV I looked around Alexander's place and from one glance, I could say it was a man cave. But to be honest, it was surprisingly neat. I wondered if he cleaned it before the meeting or if it was just his habit. Most men I know are messy, and their homes look like dumpsters. This was a pleasant exchange. " I will show you your bedroom," Alexander said, pointing to one of the doors. I followed his directions and found myself in the cozy little bedroom with a built-in wardrobe, double bed, and a bedside drawer. It was a perfect guest room. " Thank you," I said so quietly it almost came out as a whisper. " Not mention it." Alexander waved his hand dismissively. " I will get us something to eat. It is not healthy to only survive on coffee. Make yourself comfortable. With those words, he left the room, and I sat on my new bed. It was time to let Gabrielle know I was going to be moving out, so I pulled out a mobile and searched for my friend's number. " Hey Ga
Alexander's POV After Millie left, I sat on my couch with a drink in my hand. It was a crazy day, yet somehow satisfying. Of course, somewhere at the back of my mind was a thought I could make the biggest mistake of my life, allowing a stranger to stay at my place. But on the other hand, Millie looked trustworthy. She just had a tough time right now. Someone would say, how can a businessman trust others without doubts? I will take care of that, as I always do. Now, I had to sort out another urgent matter. " Hi, baby. I was waiting for your call." Carmen's voice pierced my ears. Honestly, I was wondering how I could endure her for this long. She was annoying, and even her perfect body could not compensate for this. " Carmen, we need to stop seeing each other for now, " I went straight to the business. " What? Why?" She asked, and I could swear my ears bleed a little. " Because I said so," my response was emotionless. " We had a clear deal, no attachment. Now, I w
Millie's POV A few hours earlier. The last evening I spent with Gabrielle was bitter-sweet. No matter how much I tried to relax and enjoy our time, Michel's words kept replaying in the back of my head. I think it finally occurred to me how dangerous this man could be. And he was the one my best friend chose for her lifetime partner. This thought was devastating, but my hands were tied. I could only pray for Gabrielle to see his true colors one day. Hopefully, it won't be too late then. Now, I had to focus on another task that awaited me. I left my friend's apartment, and immediately, the handsome man approached me. " Millie? Are you Millie?" He asked in a warm, friendly tone. " Yes," was the only word I said before a wide smile spread across his face. " Hi, my name is John. Alex asked me to give you a hand with collecting your stuff. Please follow me. I had a car that may be useful. " With those words, he pointed to the small van parked nearby. " Thank you, and sorry fo
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
Third-party POV " Why are we here? Tell us what is so important that I had to leave my daughter's side." The woman in front of me asked in a demanding tone. " I will explain it in a moment," I said calmly, fixing papers on my desk. " I asked you all to come, as there are a few more things to settle." Deborah Brown raised her brow and glanced at the two men beside her. Mark Green was sitting relaxed with his legs crossed. Only Millicent's father seemed to feel uneasy here. " What else do you need to settle? We answered all the questions honestly," Deborah was the one to speak again, and I could tell that this woman was in charge of this family. Too bad, because I did not like her. " Chief Cleaveland, is there anything else we can do for you?" Mark Green asked, putting his hand on Deborah's arm. " Calm down, please. We all want justice." I could not agree more with him. " You all testified that you saw Miss Sandra Brown falling down the stairs. " I said, scanning the
Aleksander's POVI watched Adam sit in his chair, pressing his palms against his temples. In the meantime, I sent a message to John, letting him know where to find me. Moments later, my friend entered the office, with Gabrielle following him closely. " Should I ask who those people are?" Adam looked at me questioningly, so I introduced my companions to him. He waved his hand dismissively and focused back on me. " So you got married? And your wife is now a suspect in the case?"I confirmed his words with a slight nod, and Adam continued. " And you are telling me that she is innocent?" Another nod. " This woman tried to kill her sister, pushing her down the stairs. I have witnesses who confirmed that. I had blood stain on the floor. "I heard Gabrielle and John gasping in unison. This has to be a shock for them as well. " My wife is innocent. I am sure her family stands behind that. It would not be the first time, " I said, running my hand through my hair. " Millie wouldn't do it. Y
Aleksander's POVI was on cloud nine. I was in love, and the woman I chose loved me back. My body and mind were buzzing with excitement, and I could not find myself a place in the apartment that seemed so small right now. Since there was nothing better to do, I grabbed my back and headed to the gym. I had to release some steam as I felt my body could explode from the happiness. There was only one thing bothering me. I had to tell Millie the truth about who I was. If we were to build our future together, I could not keep her in the dark anymore. I hoped she would understand why I kept my identity secret. When she would come back from a party, I would take her for dinner at La Rosa, the restaurant my mother mentioned a while ago. Then, I would confess everything. My body was trembling from excitement and nervousness at the same time.I spent a few hours at the gym before heading home. There was no message from Millie, which was a good sign. Maybe her family understood their mistakes?
Millie's POV I felt like I was in a dream, watching Sandra falling down the stairs, almost as if it was replayed in slow motion. My eyes were wide open in shock while my brain tried to process what happened a moment ago. Sandra was right; I should have stayed away from them. Coming here was a bad idea, but even in my worst nightmare, I could not expect such a turn of events. " Sandra!!!" Deborah's deafening scream brought me back to reality. She was running through the hall with her eyes fixed on her daughter. I still could not make a move, frozen in place. Everything seemed surreal." Baby, wake up. Say something." Deborah fell to her knees next to unconscious Sandra. Mark and my father joined her seconds later. None of them looked in my direction, but I was sure that would change soon. " Sandra, my baby, please wake up," Deborah's voice reached my ears. It was filled with concern. My step-sister moved on the floor and let out a painful groan. I guessed she tried to say somethi
Third-party POVMy father and Mark closed themselves in the office an hour ago. I could feel something was wrong, but none of them was willing to share more details—not that I cared. It was my birthday, and I had to focus on the plan I had worked on for the last few days. Their problems were irrelevant to me right now. " Honey, you look stunning, " my mother said, entering the living room. " You too, Mom," I replied, glancing at her. My mother was always an attractive woman. Even her age did not ruin her figure, and her skin was still smooth like silk, with no trace of wrinkles. Of course, it was easy to take care of herself now when she had all my stepfather's money to use. " I can't believe you are already four months pregnant. Good genes run in our family."I smiled gently at those words and adjusted my tight silver dress, ensuring my little surprise remained well hidden and intact. If everything goes according to plan, this tiny thing will play a crucial role this evening. " W
Millie's POV " Is this really for me?" I asked Alex in disbelief. It was a lazy Saturday morning, and we were still in bed when he placed a small box on the sheet. " Yea...," he replied absent-mindedly, too busy playing with my hair. " It is stunning," I squealed, opening the box and revealing the beautiful brooch. It had a deep red stone in the centre surrounded by a dozen smaller stones. Between them, delicate golden leaves were visible. " I can not accept it," I said, closing the box with a heavy heart. " Why?" Alex looked at me, shocked. " Because you should not spend money on such things." It was obvious that this piece of jewellery cost a fortune. Even with the money from the project, I would never allow myself to buy something so extravagant. " You should not bother yourself." Alex glanced at me, and I noticed a flash of embarrassment. " Those stones are not real. Maybe one day I will buy you the real one, but those are fake." " You know I don't need that," I said, openi
Alexander's POV " You can't be serious," John gave me a doubtful look. " No one is that dumb." " Are you sure about that?" I asked, raising my brow. Then I turned the screen of my laptop and showed him the video Brian sent me not long ago. John sat on the chair when he noticed Green's smiley face. " I take it back," my friend mumbled, and I could not help but giggle upon seeing his face. " Any idea why would he do this?" " I have been thinking about that for a while now," I shrugged my arms and leaned back in my seat. " I guess they want Millie to give up. They tried that from the beginning. That looks like a last, desperate attempt." " Are they aware that the project is almost over? Only the earthquake could destroy it now," John looked at me, trying to process what he had just seen. " I would like to find out what they know and how they will play that. Can you arrange the meeting with Green and Millie's father?" I looked at John and gave him a mischievous grin. My friend under
Millie's POV ***Warning***Sex scene.*** I stretched myself on the bed. Alex kept his word and left me exhausted. My body was sore, but it was all worth the pleasure I felt last night. I should be at work right now, but I could not find the strength to do it. Brian would have to take care of everything alone today. I closed my eyes, replaying the last events in my head. The night was more than passionate. It was wild. Alex carried me princess-style to our bedroom and placed me gently on the bed. His eyes were dark, almost scary, but that only made me want him more. I rubbed his neck while his fingers swiftly moved under my shirt. My skin burned from the contact, and I pulled him closer. Alex's fingers traced my bra, making my nippl*s hard instantly. He circled his thumb around them, teasing them through the thin fabric. A moan escaped my lips. It was filled with pleasure and annoyance at the same time. Alex chuckled, realising how impatient I was, and pulled off my sh
Third POV I could not believe my own eyes. I was standing hidden behind the tree, watching the construction site. My fists were balling; my nails left a painful mark on my skin. How was it even possible? The work was going at full speed and looked like it would be done any day now. Since I could not endure it anymore, I jumped into my car and drove off. The whole plan was falling into pieces. My entire plan that was supposed to be a masterpiece. I took all precautions to ensure Millicent would fail on this task. She was going to face an ultimate disaster. I made sure she would have no materials to start work. I have convinced her father to decline her request for workers. Millicent should be crawling back to ask, begging for help. Which we would gracefully offer her in exchange for her profit share. She would end up penniless and humiliated. And yet, there she was, handling it all perfectly. I could not imagine how she managed to get the material or the building crew. I