Céline got to work in record time, thirty minutes after she had left her house. The traffic was low and she had no delays on the road at all. It was one of those days the heavens were on her side. Everything was going smoothly.
She walked to the office she now officially shared with Damien and dropped her bag on her corner, the lounge. She brought out her aunt's laptop and placed it on the coffee table she had turned to her working table.
Céline did plan to get a laptop for herself at the end of the month by all means, but her aunt's laptop would have to do for now.
Her aunt hadn't complained about her constant use of the device, mostly because she was still at home awaiting the police to call off the investigation abou
Damien walked into the office and a smile of relief and happiness immediately appeared on his face.Saying he was happy to see her was an understatement. Damien was elated.Céline was on her chair, working on her laptop. The laptop was something he needed to change soon. It affected the perfect woman in front of him. Damien wanted everything Céline used to be of top notch quality and the most expensive in the markets. She deserved that and more."Somebody looks happy today." Céline sang as her eyes rose to meet Damien ogling at her from the door.Damien tried to cover the smile on his face but failed. "Where have you been all day?" He asked feigning anger.
Céline's heart was in her stomach for the rest of the day, it refused to return to its position in her chest.She questioned her actions over and over through out the day.Did she go too fast? Had she messed things up?Should she have mentioned that to him now?Damien hadn't said much after she told him over lunch that she was a virgin and would only sleep with a man she married. He wasn't cold towards her but he was lost in thought through out the meal and even when they got back to the office. He became withdrawn and more to himself.She tried to focus on work but it was useless. Her mind kept reminding her that she had messed up. She w
It was finally Saturday night. Damien and his friends found themselves in their usual strip club to catch up on their activities.They were seated at the VIP section as usual sipping their drinks over their conversations, enjoying the low lights and ambience of their favourite place."Damn! Can you guys see that hottie working the pole?" Lucas called his eyes fixed straight ahead to the dance floor below them.A brunette was at the pole. There was barely any piece of clothing covering her large breasts as she wiggled them against the pole. She turned, twisting her body, so that her big ass was now in the air.Damien looked at the stripper showing off her body and he snatched his eyes away from her, like the sight alone irritated him. She was not his dinner for tonight. Not because she didn't have the right assets but because he was not in the mood for women, not after the bomb Céline dropped on him.Ever since she dropped the news on him, he couldn't
"Some silly nerdy guy at my company." Brian improvised quickly. He gulped the last of his drink and tried to look less suspicious.Charles and Lucas grunted in agreement with what he said. They didn't know how Damien would react if they told him what they were talking about.But Damien knew exactly what they were talking about but decided to play along, like he didn't. "Let's toast!" He declared, pouring the golden liquid into their glasses.It was true that marriage wasn't his thing, but it didn't scare him. He just didn't want it. Not after what happened with the first girl he ever truly fell in love with, Céline. Céline Curt."What are we toasting to?" Charles demanded, raising his glass.There was more to life than being obsessed about one woman. He deserved to have fun, he worked hard for it."To a life without worries!" Damien said, beaming with renewed joy.They raised their glasses in the air and clinked them together.
"I need the files on Trés chic's order, can you forward them to my mail?" Damien's voice rang through the phone.He was no longer sweet and tender like before.Heck, he wasn't even seductive anymore. He sounded thoroughly professional. He sounded like Céline was exactly what she was, an ordinary assistant.He only called when he needed something concerning the office and she barely even saw him. She kept getting a cup of coffee for him but that was it, nothing else remained the same.Céline was truly in trouble now."Yes, I will do that right away..." she stuttered. The line went dead immediately and she was left with the to
The familiar smell of black coffee welcomed Damien into the office and he couldn't help but smile.He wanted to forget Céline but there were some things he couldn't force his body to stop doing. Like the smile that grew on his face every morning when he got to work and found his coffee waiting. The fact that Céline made it, was even more difficult to keep a straight face.Thankfully, he had gotten a separate office down the hall prepared for her. That way, he didn't have to worry about showing his weaknesses to her. He could maintain his cold attitude for as long as he wanted, till he was certain of what he wanted.Despite the fact that he had changed drastically towards her, Céline hadn't stopped taking care of his morning coffee nor his office.
It had been three weeks since Céline started working with Damien Culhane. Two weeks since they had a major lapse in their relationship, thanks to Céline's inappropriate timing. Life at the Culhane group of companies, had become a dilemma.She had to worry about John, her psychopathic ex-boyfriend and still worry about Damien. Sometimes she didn't understand him. Did he want her did he not want her? The questions were unending.The last time she was in his office, right before his friend came in, she saw his stern eyes soften. He even sounded like he was loving what he was seeing. She had specifically worn that gown to test him. She left her red hair flowing to seduce him. Though, she didn't get to physically seduce him, she saw the change in his eyes. He looked like he wanted her, but she couldn'
It was a few days to the Trés Chic's sale gala and Damien had decided to take a break from work, so he could have time to practice his speech and prepare himself for the big day.Trés Chic was one of Damien Culhane's most popular high class boutique. It was not your average clothing boutique. It was a first-class boutique that provided exquisite pieces for the high class. These facts made the sale gala attract a lot of publicity, even from media outlets his publicity and marketing department didn't hire. It was the talk of the town.Everybody who was important was going to attend. Any body who appreciated high end fashion made it a date. So, Damien had to make sure everything from his speech to his mood went flawless.He sat
Céline's phone dinged, notifying her of a message. She checked it and heart stopped."Céline, what is it?" Her aunt asked.Céline was unable to talk, she passed her phone over to her aunt to check for herself. Elizabeth took the phone and squinted over the device to check. She read the name but it didn't ring any bells."Abel? Do you know this person?" Elizabeth could not figure out what had gotten Céline so worked up over a simple name."Check again, aunt." Céline whispered as tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening.Elizabeth furrowed her brows and checked the message again. "Is this message from John?"Céline only nodded, using her hands to muffle her cries. It seemed to her that her problems where never ending.Elizabeth checked the message again and gasped. Like a difficult puzzle, she had been able to put the pieces together in her head."Oh my God!""Abel
"His name is John Sherman. He dated Céline back in high school and they broke up when she had to leave for college." Lucas read from the file in his hands.They were in Damien's office going through reports they were able to get their hands on about Céline's caller."It says here, he was admitted for psychiatric care but vanished with no trace months ago." Damien said pacing the office.They were dealing with a psychopath here and it made the hairs at the back of Damien's neck stand erect. Céline must have been so scared, that was why she accepted to do it."Don't worry bro, we'll catch him. Brian has contacted the best hands in the police department. The best private investigators are searching
Céline was in deep thoughts. She would be a mother soon. She wouldn't want her child to think of her as the thief she was going to be after taking the money Damien had giving to her.Yes. He gifted it to her and that meant she could use it. Yet, her mind rejected the option. Where else could she find legit money to pay off John and within the hour; because John wasn't happy at all, making him wait would only get him riled up.She would just have to call that bank officer and make use of that money. But she would work hard and pay it back, somehow.Elizabeth returned shortly after Mrs Culhane and Damien had left the room. She brought a plate of baked rice and chicken for Céline with a fresh jug of water.
"What have you done!" Mrs Culhane's screeched."Mom, it is not as bad as you think... We just wanted to spend sometime at home-" Damien tried to explain to his mother but she was not having it."Do not give me that Damien Culhane! Do not even try it! Why would you call off your honeymoon! Didn't you think of your innocent wife?""Look at her! She is sick and pale because of you!" She barked pacing the room."Poor girl would be worried sick!"Somehow, Mrs Culhane had found out about Damien calling off his honeymoon and she got to the house when Céline had gone unconscious."Mom, she is sick b
The day after the conversation she had with Damien and even the weeks that followed, Céline remained in her room. She couldn't go to see her aunt as he had suggested. She had finally understood why he was acting coldly towards her. She had gotten the answers to all her questions.He knew.Damien somehow found out about her deal with John and just like she feared, he misunderstood her. He thought she was a gold-digger. A woman who only came after him for his money. A woman who had pretended to love him so she could get her hands on his wealth— and he was right.Whatever he was feeling or thinking about her was true. She was a gold-digger. A cheat, who deceived him. She was a woman without morals. She had seduced him to get his money.&nb
Céline was worried to the bones as she paced around the room that had somehow become her prison. What she had feared had finally happened.She knew the moment Damien brought in Sarah that whatever plans he had would go down the drain. Someone had to notice Sarah's movement in and out of the house and somebody eventually did! Lucas noticed.He came into the house unannounced and he had met her at a very vulnerable position.She had been thinking about her life and how she hadn't been able to see her own husband in almost two weeks, that was when he walked in on her. The shock and fear of seeing him in the house when Damien had wanted to stay hidden from all of them made her unable to control her panic.
"What do you mean by that?" Lucas asked, slowly moving to sit with Damien on the bed."I- I don't have any prove yet but I think she only married me for my money." Damien explained.Lucas stared up at Damien like he had grown a new pair of eyes. "You think?" He asked, laying emphasis on the last word with his eyes almost falling out of their sockets."All these..." Lucas said referring to Damien's marital situation."...you are doing is based on a fucking thought you have? Come on Damien, you are way smarter than this. Give me something concrete.""Well, I over heard her talking to her boyfriend on the phone about it!" Damien said kissing his teeth.
Torturing Céline proved to be even harder for Damien than he had initially thought.He had underestimated his love for her. His body couldn't watch her cry. His heart broke whenever he caught a glimpse of the sadness in her eyes. He couldn't do it.He had called Sarah in so she could handle his meals and maybe a few other things because he feared Céline might poison him. He had to be careful her character was questionable even if he loved her, he didn't trust her.His love for her made it impossible for him to do the things he planned to do to her. He couldn't handle seeing her break down again. Even if he knew she was only faking it, his own heart couldn't take her pain. If he kept seeing her, it wouldn't be long before he ran to her begging for forgiven
Damien helped her make a decision.He walked right pass her like she was a real statue. A monument and nothing more.Swallowing her pain, she went after him. At some point they would have to settle their differences. They couldn't continue like this. They were two adults and they had to come into some sort of arrangement at least.Damien headed to the room. Céline followed but stayed by the door watching him as he took out a bag from the closet. He started picking out his clothes from the neat pile of clothes folded in the cupboards and threw them into the bag.Maybe he was also packing for the honeymoon, Céline thought. Maybe there was a way of solving this problem of theirs all she had to do was star