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
ZOE walked towards the counter. “Hi,” she greeted the cashier.The cashier smiled brightly as if she was already expecting her visit.“You must be Zoe, right?”Zoe pressed her lips together and smiled as she nodded.“I’m Cindy,” the girl said and extended her hand.Zoe then reached for it and shook her hands. “Aunt Millie told me that I can—”“Yes, yes. She reminded us. Anyway, it would be best if you met our baker,” she said and gestured for her to follow.She then walked around and stepped in front, following the lead of Cindy.Cindy opened the door, and the aroma boosted soon as they got inside.“Mr. Reynolds…” Cindy called the baker, who was currently mashing a huge dough on the left side of the baking room.“Over here, Cindy,” he said.Zoe’s forehead knitted when she heard that deep voice.Cindy turned to her. “Come on. You need to meet that awesome old man,” she said and laughed.“I heard you, Cindy!” It was Mr. Reynolds.Cindy snickered and covered her mouth.Zoe couldn’t help
“THIS is your fault, Helios. Why would you listen to your father?” Grant’s voice keeps on lingering inside Helios’s mind.He opened up his problem to Grant so that his cousin would help him to find Zoe. And as promised, Grant will look after it.“You’re a son of a mafia boss, a future mafia leader after your father. Yet, you’re scared?”“Fuck!” Helios throws the glass on the wall of his office inside his penthouse.‘Grant’s voice is really troublesome,’ he thought.Helios went mad like this… for a woman. But Zoe is different. She possessed something that enchanted him, and she was hard to forget.Speaking of who, Grant entered his office and clapped his hands soon as he sat on the side of his desk.Helios arched his brow. “What are you doing here?”Grant smiled. “Hmm… visiting my dearest cousin, whose heart—”“Shut the fuck up, Grant. I am not in the mood for your jokes,” Helios cut off the hum of his words.Grant shrugged his shoulders. “Well, if you say so. Anyway, I came with a pi
Zoe’s POVIndeed, it’s strangely different mingling with others. But Cindy never failed to entertain me while we were inside the bar. She finds a seat for us at the corner, where lights were somewhat not passing through.“Drinks here are awesome, Zoe. It would be best if you tried it,” she said as she leaned on the couch.I smiled. “I’m okay with flavored beer. I don’t drink alcohol with higher—”“Come on. I swear you will love it. Let’s try?” she asked, making me shake my head.“You can go. I’ll stay here with my beer,” I said as I raised the bottle.Cindy laughed. “Okay, if you say so. Anyway—oh shit!” she exclaimed when her eyes darted to the entrance, I guess. I followed the direction of her eyes and arched my brow.I saw two men, one with blonde hair, while the other one was black.I arched my brow. “Who are they?”I can’t see any special thing with them. They’re like Helios, and I could smell their luxury.“Girl…” she bit her lower lip when I met her gaze, “The one with black ha
Zoe’s POVMonday morning, I was awakened by the noise of my alarm and greeted by the rising sun, which lights beamed past through the window.My eyes widened when I realized that I had work to do. And I am late!I dashed inside the bathroom to take a quick shower, and afterward, I wore a simple white shirt and jeans. Since it’s summer, the weather is fine, and it suits my clothing… er, I guess?I don’t want to wear any sexy stuff like sleeveless or summer dresses. There’s no way. I am more comfortable with shirts and jeans.When I got out of my room, I smelled freshly baked cookies. I know that Aunt Millie’s cookies smell like that, and we’ve been here in Cali for almost a week now.Mr. Reynolds, the baker, has excellent baking skills so as cooking and I can sense that he likes Aunt Millie. So as my aunt. It’s just that they’re like teenagers who still feel shy with tints of cowardice.Even though mom always teased Aunt Millie, the latter still didn’t accept it. And she reminds me of