ZOE reminded herself one fine morning not to be affected by Helios’ cold demeanor toward her.‘It’s for the better, Zoe,’ she thinks to herself as she enters the building.She made the decision to get up early and get to work before seven a.m. And, much to her surprise, the guards informed her that Helios had already entered his office.Helios had begun to treat her coldly since the accident. And here she is, standing in front of his office door, thinking if she will get in or not.She had already printed her resignation letter the day before. But she wasn’t sure if she would give it to him. Finally, she conceals it in the drawer of her table.At the time, she was holding a stack of documents that needed to be signed by Helios, and as her secretary, Zoe couldn’t avoid the fact that he would see him every day. It’ll be fine if she’s in the other department. But sadly, she’s just outside his office.She took a deep breath and sighed before knocking on the door. She twisted the doorknob
IN THE afternoon, Zoe was surprised because Helios really attended his meeting with the investor when in fact, he informed her that he would postpone it because he needed to be in Cali. And what puzzled her more was that he brought her.Helios never brings her to any meetings outside the company. This is the first time.What’s wrong with him?Zoe kept on sighing while they were on their way to the restaurant. She was looking passed through the window. She could feel the awkwardness between them. Their silence is deafening.She’s not used to this, but she will bear with it. It was her choice. If only she got the courage to pass her resignation letter. She will do it right away. But something is stopping her, and she doesn’t know what it is.“This is a new partnership. You should listen and take down notes properly,” at last, Helios broke the silence.Zoe turned to face him, but she saw him looking in front. She pressed her lips together and gave a faint, “mm.”“How’s the report that I
SOON as Zoe arrived in front of their apartment. She frowned when she saw men in suits.‘What are they doing here?’ she thought.She was confused, and suddenly she felt her heart thump fast as she had a terrible hunch about it. She walked towards the door, and her eyes widened when she saw Helios’s father sitting on their old couch while her mother sat across from him.“Mom…” she mumbled and drew the old man’s attention.She saw how a smirk formed on Don Lincoln’s lips. “It was nice to see you, Zoe Levine,” he said, wearing his cold and stern voice. If Helios is scary, his father is more terrifying. As she can at least talk back to Helios but to the old man in front of her, she feels intimidated, and with one wrong word, she thinks she’ll be doomed.“Sit down, Zoe and let us talk,” he said, making Zoe follow like a robot and sit beside her mother.“What do you really want, Don Lincoln?” It was her mother.The old man leaned backward as he rested his arms on the armrest of the old couc
LATE at night, Zoe and her mother talked about moving in, and the good thing is… her mom has a friend in a town in Cali.Of the thing that had happened earlier, they’re afraid that they will get involved with the Lincolns’ businesses. And Zoe knew that what she was doing was for the better.They packed their things before going to bed, and the following day, Zoe went to work early to prepare herself. She waited for an hour before Helios arrived with Ambrose and Cliff.Ambrose waved his hand at her, and Zoe just bowed her head and smiled slightly.Soon as Helios got inside his office, she waited for a few minutes before she pulled out her drawer and grabbed the resignation letter.Whether Helios was going to accept it or not, she had already made her decision. She needs to get away from him.She heaved a deep sigh and smiled at Ambrose and Cliff, who were standing side by side at the door.“What’s wrong, Ms. Levine?” Ambrose asked soon as she stopped a few inches from the door.Zoe sho
IT was eight in the evening when Zoe decided to take a chill in the nearby bar, located just a few blocks from their apartment. While her mother has work to do.They both decided that they would leave Manhattan on Friday.Since she was alone, she just sat at the bar counter while ordering some drinks—just the mild ones. She will not taste any mixtures like Sex on the beach again.“Alone?” the bartender asked while doing her drinks which made Zoe to rolled her eyes.“Did you see any accompany?” she asked sarcastically, making the bartender shake his head and smile.“I never saw you before—”“I’m not in the mood to talk.”The bartender let out a soft chuckle as he pushed her glass in front of her.“Feisty, huh? Since you’re new here, your drinks are on me,” he said.Zoe arched her brow and stared at the guy. “Are you hitting on me?” she asked straightforwardly, making the man laugh once again.Zoe picked up her glass and was about to sip on it when the man spoke again.“You can tell. An
HELIOS cursed inside his head while he stared at Zoe, who sat on the back seat with him.“Sir, where are we taking her?” Ambrose asked as he glanced at the rearview mirror.Helios pressed his lips. “At the penthouse,” he replied.Cliff, who’s in the driver’s seat, started the engine when he heard Helios.“What happened to her, Sir?” Ambrose couldn’t help but ask. He was also concerned about Zoe’s state.“You can see it clearly, Ambrose. Don’t start with me,” Helios replied.Ambrose pressed his lips and sat straight, but he saw how Cliff smirked. He just heaved a deep sigh and remained silent until they reached Helios’s penthouse.“What if Don Lincoln will know about this?” it was Cliff soon as he got off from the car.Helios frowned. “He will not know not unless you said it, right?”Cliff bowed his head. “My apology, Sir.”Helios carried Zoe towards the door, and when Nana saw them, she couldn’t help but ask about what had happened.“I’ll take care of her, Nana. Don’t worry,” Helios s
“ARE you sure about this, Zoe?” Zoe turned around to face her mother. “It’s the best for us, mom.”“You should ask or talk about everything about Helios—”“Mom, please. I don’t want to hear more about it. Look,” she scans her eyes around their luggage, “—we’re already prepared. This is the best decision, mom. Do you want to get involved with their monkey business? Look how Don Lincoln encounters cruel people who even ambushed him. And who knows if they did the same with Helios—”“Okay. All right. I understand. Since it seems like I can’t change your mind, we better must hurry. Pack your things well, and I will just get back to my room and call your aunt Millie.”Zoe nodded her head.Soon as her mother left her room, she threw herself into the small bed, took a deep breath, and sighed loudly.She stared at the ceiling as her mind traveled to Helios. She’s wondering if he’s already awake. Was he looking for her?She smiled. Why is she wondering about it?HELIOS, who just woke up, wen
WORKING at the café for a while would be safer for Zoe. She has a hunch that Helios will look after her. She doesn’t know, but she has a strong feeling about it.She doesn’t want to see him—oh, who is she lying to?“Don’t worry, sweetie. I will still give you your salary—”“It’s okay, Aunt Millie. I am willing to help.”Millie pouted her lips, which made Iris stand beside her and roll her eyes. “Stop acting like you’re a kid, Millie. You’re already forty-nine. Turning fifty in a few days,” Iris said.Zoe smiled and shook her head. It’s been a while since she last saw her Aunt Millie. She was her mother’s best friend. They both studied and worked in Manhattan, but when Millie’s parents moved to California, she had no choice but to follow.A decade after, her parents died in an accident. Thus, she lives alone.As for boys? Well… Iris said that Millie wasn’t interested in them anymore after her first breakup.Maybe she really loves the man, but they are not meant to be. Sometimes, that’s