Evadne’s emotions were welling up again, tears threatening to spill.“Y-you,” she couldn’t help but blurt out as she eyed the man thoughtfully. “W-what are you doing here?”“This is my favorite camping spot, especially when I’m in Manhattan. I was surprised to see you here too. I even thought you were someone else until I caught your attention. When you turned around, that’s when I recognized you.” He sighed.“Did you hear what I said?” she asked, tears welling up again.Nodding, he lowered his face and quickly caught the tears falling from her eyes with a tissue. It was embarrassing to have someone witness her misery. She bit her lower lip.“It’s okay, Miss Coffee Shop Owner. I don’t mind. You better eat first. It’s late.”“My stomach can only handle water,” she said, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. The tissue in her hand was already damp.Evadne, there’s nothing you can do if that man saw you like this. The important thing is, you’re not close, and he doesn’t know
“Is there no more beer?” Evadne asked Gavin, extending one hand towards him.Gavin lowered Evadne’s hand. “No more. You finished it all.”“What about me? You also drink,” Evadne said, rubbing her forehead. The six cans of beer she had earlier seemed to be taking effect. He only had ten beers with him when he thought of going there to camp.Who would have thought he would fine a woman in a place where he often set up his tent to escape the noise and chaos of the city?Not many people go there, and usually, he doesn’t encounter anyone. Unlike now. There was someone there whom he never thought he would see.He didn’t plan to go home that night to Buffalo in New York, where his penthouse was located. So, he proceeded to set up his tent earlier while a woman was screaming and crying. Crying her heart out. He didn’t want to interfere, so he let her be. It seemed like she didn’t notice him anyway.He had just finished setting up his tent a while ago, and the woman was still not done venting
Evadne’s eyes fluttered open, awakening to a blurry world. Her consciousness abruptly returned, and the sun had yet to fully burst into the sky. However, there was enough light from outside for Evadne to see her surroundings.She was slightly puzzled by what her eyes beheld. She found herself inside a tent.A tent?!She quickly scanned her surroundings until her gaze settled on what was behind her.Her eyes widened when she saw a man there. Especially when she took a closer look at the man.“What—”Gradually, the events from yesterday replayed in Evadne’s memory. She spent the day in The High Line, Manhattan. She even had a few beers. And... and...Her lips parted as the memories of what transpired between her and the man last night flooded back. Evidence of their intimacy lingered under the blanket during those moments.“Evadne! What have you done?!” she screamed in her mind.Before the man woke up, Evadne carefully got up, located her scattered clothes, and meticulously dressed her
Evadne was gazing out the window of her rented apartment again. Memories flooded back to her when she had to give up her life in their mansion and settle for a small apartment, just enough for someone living solo like her. Now, here she was again. It wasn’t the mansion she had to give up, if it wasn’t not the cold relationship with her husband, Orion.Instead of opting for a condo unit, she searched for an apartment to move into. She had spent days accumulating various belongings, all funded by the credit card under her husband Orion Ashford’s name.In the over seven months they had been married, she had never used that card even once. Until now. She was certain he would be surprised by the number of items she bought with his credit card, nearing its limit.In a way, she wanted to retaliate by extravagantly spending his money.He was the one who told her to use it whenever she needed to. Despite having substantial savings, she never touched a penny of it.Being alone felt strange.She
The entire company of Orion Ashford was in chaos that morning. It was announced that day that his father, James Ashford, who served as the president and CEO of Ashford Empire New York branch, had something important to announce.Orion’s father, James Ashford, had returned from Seoul, South Korea, adding an air of anticipation to the atmosphere. Orion himself was surprised by the sudden call from his father, that he was coming back to the country.Almost everyone was already inside the spacious boardroom, but the meeting had not yet started. James Ashford, an older man with grayish hair, arrived, and even Orion bowed his head in respect upon his father’s arrival.“Aren’t we starting yet?” Orion couldn’t help but ask his neighboring board director.“We’re still waiting.”“For whom?”The person beside Orion shrugged. “I don’t know either.” His gaze followed the opening door of the boardroom. “Looks like they’re the ones we’re waiting for.”Orion turned his gaze toward the door where two
Gavin attended the party, a personal invitation from Mr. James Ashford. The event served as the formal announcement of Mr. Ashford’s resignation as the president and CEO of the ASHFORD Empire, with Gavin set to take over as the new CEO.Even before the party started, Orion Lee was already accompanied by a glass of alcohol. Gavin intentionally chose to sit next to him.“You’re Mr. Ashford’s son, right?” he asked.Orion nodded. “Supposed to be his successor. But little did I know that my father had other plans,” he added, shaking his head.“Why didn’t he pass it on to you then?”“My father had many conditions. If it all leads to this, wasting my time on that woman was pointless,” he said with a sigh.That woman? Was he referring to Evadne?Gavin pursed his lips. If Orion dismisses her that easily, so be it. He never cared for her.“I heard you’re married,” he mentioned casually.Orion shook his head, tightly gripping his wine glass. “Did my father tell you? Well, not anymore.”And you’r
Because Evadne was once again alone in life, she decided to expand her business. She planned to open another branch of her coffee shop. She was just contemplating on the ideal location for it.She couldn’t rely on the sole branch of her coffee shop forever. Even if it’s not too big and just the right size, slightly smaller than the main branch.Evadne rubbed her temples. She felt dizzy again, even though she had eaten breakfast. She also went to bed early last night.From sitting on the sofa in her small living room, she moved to her kitchen and drank some water.When her cell phone, placed in the living room, rang, she hurriedly went there to answer the call.Her college friend, Galilena was calling. “You called?”“Evadne, it’s been a while. I wanted to invite you,” Galilena said on the other end.“Where?”“Party,” she replied shortly. “Isaac is throwing a party on Saturday night. I’ll text you the address. Come, okay? Don’t be absent.”Evadne hesitated. Will she go? She’s sure Orion
“I’m glad you came,” Galilena greeted Evadne with a wide smile as she arrived at the venue of the party. It was held at the pool area of a five-star hotel.Their friend, Isaac De Delta, was about to migrate to the US. Many of their college batchmates, who were also frequent attendees at parties and events, were present. Isaac’s personal friends were also there.Evadne breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see Camila or Orion at the party. If the two were present, it would surely ruin her mood, and she might not even continue with the party.“I might upset Isaac if I didn’t come,” Evadne said to her friend.“Let’s go, many are waiting for you,” Galilena urged Evadne to move.Why were many waiting for her? Was she too late?Most of their acquaintances were standing around, engaged in lively conversations. They were professionals in various fields, such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and successful business owners.“Evadne,” Isaac said with delight as he saw her. He hugged her. “It’
“Forgive me, Evadne,” Galilena apologized to Evadne.They met at a restaurant. Initially, Evadne had no intention of meeting any of her ex-friends, but Galilena pleaded earnestly. Galilena gathered the courage to face her, feeling embarrassed because she had also believed Camila’s accusations.“I didn’t intend to backstab you. Camila created a group chat,” Galilena confessed. “She added all of us and revealed what happened between you and Orion. I had no idea she was saying the opposite. I’m really sorry. I never thought she could take Orion away from you.”Evadne sighed. “Don’t worry, Galilena. I don’t regret losing Orion in my life. Because I don’t deserve someone like him. He’s too selfish, only thinking about himself.”“What Camila did was awful,” said Galilena shaking her head. “She really managed to steal someone else’s husband.”“Legally, Orion and I aren’t really married. He convinced me of that. So, when I tried to get a new ID, he always gave excuses to postpone it. Turns ou
“Did he notice that I didn’t finish my food?” Evadne whispered to Gavin. There was anxiety in her chest because of that call from Arturo Roberto.“I don’t think so,” Gavin reassured Evadne before helping her stand. “Arturo won’t stop bothering us until we get closer to the front,” Gavin whispered to her. “Just relax,” he gently reminded her.The nervousness in Evadne’s chest persisted. No matter how much she tried to relax, the anxiety remained.Evadne couldn’t decide whether to smile at Arturo when they approached the very serious owner of UHB Leisure Club.“Is there a problem? Are the trees we planted not enough?” Gavin joked with Arturo, just to break the ice.“Yeah. One hundred fifty is the limit for each person.”Arturo’s seriousness made it unclear to Evadne if he was joking or not.“Ah, okay. We’ll come back later,” Gavin replied.“Anyways,” Arturo continued, addressing someone in particular, “not everyone here knows your girlfriend. Maybe you can introduce her on your own? Sin
“Wait, sweetie,” Gavin interrupted Evadne, who was about to dig the soil again using a dibble.“Why?” she asked, puzzled.They were currently planting mahogany trees in that part of The High Line, which was still under the jurisdiction of Malibu. They brought various types of trees with them, including lanzones, rambutan, and mango.“You have sweat,” Gavin said, wiping Evadne’s forehead with the face towel he brought.“Thank you,” she said, smiling. Gavin was undeniably sweet and caring.They woke up early that morning despite their playful antics in bed the previous night. She remembered his prank from last night. He said it would only be one round, but it ended up being two.“Still good?”She nodded. “Absolutely. Even if we plant one hundred more trees, no problem.”That was already their sixth tree. Four more remained. Once those were planted, they could request more to plant. She enjoyed what she was doing, and Evadne knew that Gavin and the others, especially her boyfriend, enjoy
“SWEETIE…”From the dessert she was savoring, Evadne looked up at Gavin. They were at Restaurant’s Side that night, having just finished dinner. Evadne was casually finishing her dessert.“Hmmm?” she replied with her mouth still full.“Do you want to come with me tomorrow?”“Where?”“The UHB Leisure Club is organizing a tree planting activity in The High Line, still within the Malibu area. Do you want to join? For us, it’s mandatory because that’s Arturo’s order.”Tree planting? She wanted to give it a try. If he’s going tomorrow, she doesn’t want to be left behind either. With a smile on her face, she nodded in agreement. “Sure. I also want to plant trees.”“We need to plant more trees to save Mother Earth,” Gavin said with a sigh. “I’ve been too busy lately, and I haven’t been aware of environmental issues. That’s why Arturo encourages all members to have our employees participate in tree planting activities all over the Country. Especially in mountain areas prone to landslides or d
Evadne was the first to wake up that afternoon. The handsome face of Gavin was the first thing she saw. The sight of his attractiveness was truly captivating.She wanted to caress his cheek, but she hesitated, fearing he might wake up from his slumber.Earlier, she had doubts about what her boyfriend might want to do before they went to sleep. Her mind wandered because of his undressing earlier. However, none of the sensuality she imagined happened. They just slept. He didn’t take advantage of the situation. It seemed like he had no intention of christening the place they were in. Or maybe he was just holding back?She smiled at her thoughts.Gavin was still embracing her while lying on his side facing her. She closed her eyes again and snuggled closer to his body. She felt him pulling her even closer. A smile played on her lips.She didn’t intend to go back to sleep. But for some reason, she fell asleep again. When she woke up again, Gavin was no longer beside her.She got up as if
“Let’s talk about business later. I want our conversation today to be about us. Hmm?”She smiled at Gavin. “No problem with me.”When his lips descended to hers, she didn’t hesitate to respond to his kiss. They were alone, and she didn’t see anyone else. So, she thought it was safe to respond to the kiss of the man she loved.***Does many in Evadne’s circle of ex-friends know Gavin well because his name is also famous as a member of the UHB Leisure Club?Now she pieced together that information. She was already familiar with the UHB Leisure Club; she had heard about it before. However, she couldn’t pay much attention to it or join in the hype because she preferred to focus on her business. And when Orion came into her life, that’s when her world mostly revolved.She felt even more overwhelmed by Gavin’s status in life. He was surrounded by friends who were also billionaires. Gavin practically had a golden spoon in his mouth.She sighed as she watched Gavin approach her. They were in
“GUYS, not now, please?” Gavin requested as the guys approached their table.Evadne remained silent and refrained from joining the conversation. Deep inside, there was a part of her that couldn’t help but feel a bit starstruck by the men surrounding her and Gavin. It was her first time being surrounded by this kind of divine blessing from God.“Why does it seem like the girl with you on your last visit was different?”“Yeah, right?”Confusion was evident on Evadne’s beautiful face. Did Gavin bring another girl aside from her?“Don’t believe them. They’re good at teasing,” Gavin retorted, turning to her with a very apologetic expression. It was as if he wanted to warn the guys that he could get protective. “I’m warning you guys,” Gavin added as they stood up. “Coming here was a big mistake.”“If Arturo hears you, you might not even step foot here,” Kwame scolded.“I don’t care,” Gavin replied, approaching Evadne to help her stand.“Leaving already?” Armando asked Gavin.“Yes, and my gi
As the private jet soared smoothly through the sky, Evadne unfastened the seat belt strapped around her and approached Gavin for a hug. It seemed they had the same intention, as he was about to remove his seat belt as well, only to be preempted by her. As she embraced Gavin, he, in turn, pulled her onto his lap. He reciprocated the hug.“I love you,” Gavin once again expressed with full affection.Tears still welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. “You do?”“Isn’t it obvious yet?”Evadne bit her lower lip slightly to prevent herself from bursting into tears. She was too emotional, unable to help it.Gavin took a handkerchief from his pants pocket, gently wiping away the tears on her cheek.“Sweetie, don’t cry,” he pleaded softly.“I can’t help it, Gavin. I’m just happy to hear those words from you.”A smile formed on Gavin’s lips as he hugged her again, using the handkerchief to wipe away her tears this time. Evadne pressed her face against Gavin’s neck, and he didn’t complain ab
FROM the cellphone, Gavin’s gaze lifted to Evadne, who had been staring at him for a while now. He smiled and stopped peeking at his online business. He shifted his attention to his girlfriend.“It seems like you want to melt me with your stares, sweetie?” He teasingly grabbed Evadne’s attention.She blinked and realized what she was doing. Blushing slightly, she averted her gaze back to the TV.If only she knew how cute she looked to him while staring. And his heart? It seemed to overflow with joy seeing the emotions in her eyes, all her attention focused on him.When he caught her looking at him, he couldn’t miss the slight reddening of her cheeks.“Or maybe you’re still thinking about what we did in the bathroom? Want a round two? Maybe you’re just shy to say. You know there’s no judgment from me. My body is yours,” he teased her.“Gavin,” Evadne scolded him, making her cheeks even redder. “I thought you were watching, but you seem too engrossed in your cellphone.”“Yet, when you l