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
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.
Millie's POV " I think it will be all for today, " I said, standing up. The members of my board nodded and left the conference room. I sighed with relief. Budget meetings were always long, but today, we managed to finish it in record time. I was buzzing with excitement as it was my and Mark's anniversary. Since all urgent matters were sorted, we had time to celebrate it properly. He was recently complaining about the time I was spending at work. I could understand it, but on the other hand, I did not want to disappoint my father. This place was like a child to him, and I promised to take good care of it. But today, I was done with my work. " Goodbye, Lucy," I offered a warm smile to our receptionist on my way to the taxi. " Goodbye, boss." She replied with a slight nod. I'm not too fond of cabs, but Mark asked me to borrow him my car since his car broke down not long ago. He was not working today, but I was sure he had planned something for us that required a trip.
Millie' POV " This bi*ch has no shame!" My best friend said, forcing a glass of whiskey on rocks into my hand. " She was not alone there, you know," I replied, dropping on her plushy, pink couch. Gabrielle could be a successful lawyer, but she always said being a princess was her absolute dream. Her place was almost all pink with some glittery and sparkly accents. It was not my style, but I felt at home here. Especially since my family home was not so welcoming anymore. My father remarried three years after my mother's death. I was ten at the time. His new wife, Deborah, moved in with her nine-year-old daughter, Sandra. I felt happy for my father and wished him to have someone close. Unfortunately, I knew that Deborah did not like me much from the beginning. She was always cold and distant, but my father was smitten with her. He often told me I should give her more time to know me better, and I followed his advice, but nothing changed. Deborah could not accept me. O
Millie's POV And there I was, sitting on the bench with a cup of coffee beside my feet. In just a matter of minutes, I became homeless and lost my job. The only thing that did not bother me was Mark. Sandra could keep him for herself. His betrayal stung a little, but I had serious problems to think about. First, I will have to find a new job. My phone rang again. It was Gabrielle. She had been calling me for the last twenty minutes, but I was not ready to talk to her right now. I sipped my coffee, thinking about my current situation. What was the most hurtful was my father's betrayal. I always knew he wanted to be Sandra's favourite stepdad, but I would never imagine he would turn his back on me. But there he was, sitting quietly while Debora and her good-for-nothing mother were humiliating me in every possible way. He allowed them to take everything from me like I was nothing to him. If my mother would be still with us, nothing like this would happen. But she was long gone.
Alexander's POV I looked at my father, trying my best to hide my annoyance. How many times can we go back to the subject I was not too fond of? Why they can't they let me live my life the way I want? " Seriously, Dad? This again?" I asked, shaking my head. " Yes, son, this again." He replied coldly. Maxwell Foster was a tough man who built his empire and ruled it with an iron fist. He never gave up, no matter what. Now, as his son, I became the CEO of Forster Inc. I have worked at this company for many years, starting at the bottom and climbing. I could be the only son of my father, but he made sure I would learn to respect everyone's work here before handing me the highest responsibility. I proved myself, and now he could retire with peace of mind. Our company was one of the largest in the country and needed to be supervised without a break, but I loved it. Someone would say I was a workaholic, but my office was my favourite place, right after my apartment, which was
Millie's POV I arrived at Gabrielle's place fifteen minutes later. She was busy preparing the dinner and setting plates on the table. I quickly noticed that there were three plates. " Is someone else coming?" I asked, even if I knew the answer already. After all, I was greeted with the smell of curry at the entrance—Gabrielle's boyfriend's favourite dish. My best friend blushed, and I knew I was correct. Michael was coming. Awesome, that was precisely what I needed today. Me and Michael never got along. Gabrielle met her boyfriend at one of those fancy lawyers' events and got smitten almost instantly. They were a couple for more than four years, and he still did not propose to her, even if she was the best thing that happened to him. I doubted he could see that. Of course, as any good lawyer, he could play any role perfectly. In front of Gabrielle, he was a loving and caring boyfriend, but I had more than one chance to see him glancing at other women for much longer th
Alexader's POV I could not stop thinking about the woman I accidentally met not long ago. After the first impression when I thought she was the drama queen, I changed my mind. Apparently, she was going through some hard times, and I only saw a woman who cried over the spilt coffee. " I usually do not act like this." She told me back then, and those words replayed in my mind. I knew nothing about her, but when I heard the words homeless, jobless, and cheated, I could not stop myself from offering her my number. Now, I was questioning myself why on earth I did that, but at the moment, it seemed to be the only right thing to do. What the hell was wrong with me? I blamed my parents for my actions. Why? Because they taught me to show compassion to those less fortunate. My parents set themselves as examples by being active members of several charity organisations. When I was younger, I could not understand how privileged I was by growing up in a wealthy family. All I could s
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
Alexander's POV My heart broke when I saw a taxi that took Millie away from me. When she left our apartment, I called after her, begging her to stay. I ran to the hall to find out the elevator door closing. I took the stairs, hoping I would catch Millie before she left the building, but I was too late. I caught a glimpse of her wavy hair in the back of a cab just driving away.After returning to the apartment, I trashed half of my living room. Everything here reminded me of her and the future I may have lost for good. Everything bore her touch and scent. Millie's absence was overwhelming. The woman of my life had left me, and I had no idea what to do now.She had every right to hate me because I could not muster the courage to be honest with her, as I should have from the start. I kept telling myself I had time to tell her the truth, but now the time was over. I tried to act like I always did in the business, keeping my head cool and considering the pros and cons. I kept finding exc