EMBERZaire held her to help her gently climb up the car. She froze for a good second and looked to her side, only to see him looking back at her. He raised his eyebrow slightly to hint at her and she took it, immediately looking in front of her and climbing up, into the car. She placed herself on the outermost seat and looked away, trying to avoid his gaze."You're trying hard, aren't you?" Zaire whispered, suddenly leaning against the car door, right beside her. The others were still farther than them."I don't have to try," she said, trying to keep their interaction to a minimum, mostly to not get caught. His eyes were lingering on her face for more time than usual. That's when his hands reached out towards her face and she flinched back immediately as a defense. And he smiled right then as if his theory had worked miraculously. As if he hadn't wanted it to work."Good job," he smiled with a strange feeling spread across his face that felt rather reluctant. She kept staring at him a
MBEREmber stepped out into the garden area, together with Will to get some fresh air. It hadn't been long since they were at the welcoming party but after Zaire's announcement, something had broken deep inside her that she immediately felt tired.Maybe because it was finally time to give up no matter whatever had passed between the both of them. It wasn't like it ever mattered to him anyways. But that was the end to it, thinking anymore about it would only mean sabotaging herself. She didn't want that. It was unfair to Will."You feeling better now?" Will smiled down at her, making her look around to take in the atmosphere. The wind was a little chilly and the stars spread out beautifully above them. The garden was huge with benches and flowers and lampposts. There was an unobstructed view of the sky and that made Ember a little excited."I feel.. great. Come on!" She said with a mouthful grin. Will opened and closed his lips like he was a little taken aback by the switch in her mood.
"Look! There it is! Orion," she pointed at the sky, at the constellation she had spotted. Excited, she looked over at Will to see his reaction. "Do you see it? It goes like this.."She pointed and showed him the pattern it goes like and also where it was because she thought he didn't know enough about the star forms. She looked at him after that to see how he would react now. She watched him curiously as he looked up at the sky for a second or two with a small smile and then back at her face."It's not as beautiful as you," he said. It made Ember's face fall a little because she hadn't expected that. But she forced a smile and looked away. "This is my favourite constellation. I remember it was the first time I ever spotted a constellation and then I suddenly became quite interested in-""I got it, haha. You're really excited now, you were distracted before. Do you like me that much?" Will said with a teasing smile and Ember stopped short. She waited for a moment, thinking about how it
Ember looked up to really lock her eyes with him. Everything around them was perfect, even the way he had made her feel. She could tell he was thinking of the same thing, just like she was as she let her eyes drop to his lips. He noticed that and immediately tightened her grip on her hand slowly. That's when he leaned in and she gently closed her eyes as she felt him warm breath on her lips. And then, as if dreaming, he placed his lips on her ever so softly. He kissed her, his hands on her waist, and she kissed himn back, her hands on his neck. They kissed gently, slow paced but matched. There was peace and comfort that she almost hated it when they parted. He then smiled wide at her and she smiled back.After that, they sat and talked for a long time, back and forth into an easy and comfortable rhythm between them. Talking to him made her feel a lot better and carefree about the things that had gone downhill. She was glad she could have that moment that made her happy to have this li
RUBYRuby Ramirez had been standing among the other members of Sarte for almost an hour, listening to their stories and jokes. She had already decided that they were all good people, she actually did enjoy being with them even when Ember was away.Maybe it was just the extrovert in her but she liked the fact that she could fit in so well with the others. The ones she liked the most were Candice and Gilbert, they were really fun to laugh with. She was just about to add something into the conversation when she froze because her eyes had travelled right at the grasp of the man she had been waiting for, for so long.Travis Prescott had disappeared after the first few minutes and he had come back just now. She could feel her heart beat louder at just the sight of him, he was that gorgeous. His green eyes scanned the crowd and his light stubble couldn't hide his perfect jawline. He had his hands placed gently on the table and he wasn't really listening to the others.Ruby felt her skin crawl
EMBERWhen Ember said every word Zaire said can fuck up her mind by dragging it through an endless spiral, she meant it. And she was the living example of such a moment, she was embodying it. Shaking her head repeatedly wouldn't stop his words from echoing in her mind. It felt like his voice was blasting her eardrums.And she was looking at him, wide eyed and flabbergasted. He was calm as always while she was too close to a full blown panicked moment. Had he really just suggested she should date him instead? How much more cruel can he be to joke around with such things, what did he even want to do?"What?""You heard me. I was away all this time so I couldn't say this to you. But I'll be here from now on, around you," he said, fixing his collar like he was talking absolutely normally and like his words were making sense. She just stared at him like he was speaking a different language."What is.. wrong with you? To what extent can you go to just mess with me?" She said with accusing ey
EMBERDaisies in her hand, she looked around her room, pressuring her brain to come to any other conclusion but the one that was inevitably true. There was no one who could send her flowers out of the blue except Will and if it wasn't him then..."You're awake already?" Ruby groaned as she woke up for a few seconds, toppling back to sleep without seeking for an answer. That made Ember shake her head and focus back on reality. She gently placed the flowers in the jar on the bedside table and turned away to go and freshen up. She wanted to be early that day and make herself so busy that she wouldn't have to think about work the next day. She really did want to go to the exhibition but she decided going to the restaurant was also okay. She did want to see which place made him that passionate.Ember had to do all the work of the weekend in that one day before she could allow herself to truly relax. She put on her white baggy trousers and blue shirt with her brown sling bag. She put her ha
EMBEREmber wanted the ground to split apart and suck her inside so that she could just disappear and never had to show her face again. She walked ahead of him, her steps quick and awkward because she knew he was staring with a big smirk and that made her stiffer than she was.They travelled down to the reception and then out of the gate in utter silence and reached the car. Ember went ahead to reach the car door to hold it open for her but he was quicker to grab hold of it, he opened the car door. Ember stepped back, letting him go in first but Zaire didn't move. She looked up to find him, waiting."Get in," he said."You get in, you're the boss," she shrugged, a little intimidated."I have courtesy, especially when it comes to a date," he said, matter of fact, and she almost gasped how he was still holding on to the same joke."Would you please stop calling it a date? It's simply a lunch because you are my boss, that's what it is," she declared sternly like that would tell him. It wa
EMBER"But I never talked to you because I knew I didn't deserve you yet. You were all I could imagine wanting and it only grew after that night when I tried to make you stay but you left the next morning. I knew I'd see you again and I was determined to have you the next chance I got with you," Zaire said with a grin because she knew he meant that the next chance meant them right at that moment."I.. had no idea.. but.. why me?" She asked, not being able to understand."You're seriously asking me that question? Have you ever known yourself enough? What exactly do you think you don't have? You're perfect, you're absolutely perfect. And you're the only one I need. I'm sorry for all the times I've hurt you, it was all because of shortcomings. But none of that would happen again. I promise to keep you happy with all I have," he said and it sounded so genuine, it wrenched Ember's guts. She was too high up on the clouds."I think I'm falling for you," Ember let the words slip out."Glad. I'
EMBER"We totally understand and apologize for this regrettable situation and we are deeply sorry-"."For nothing," a voice came from the opposite side of them that dragged all the attention. Someone had walked in with a bold voice and a knowing smile on their face. Ember's eyes widened and so did others. That's when Ruby Ramirez walked into the scene, bringing a wave of shock and confusion. "They have to apologize for absolutely nothing.""What do you mean.. and who are you?" Mrs. Davis asked but not with conviction but curiosity. Her eyes widened as she recognized her from the news all over, Travis Prescott's alleged girlfriend."I am Ruby, a former employee of Sarte and currently an employee in Iris. And I can assure you that you'll believe me when I saw Sarte has done nothing unprofessional," Ruby said, confidently."Hey! What are you talking about?" Melvin Harvey chimed in, trying to control the situation."That's right, I should just show you what I'm talking about," Ruby said wi
EMBER"We'll see," she muttered. His hold only got tighter on her, making her lips part a little."I'll show you. You're trapped, I'll show you how long you can be trapped here, hmm?" He said, and Ember's blush turned into something just a little more sinister. The game wasn't over yet. She looked to her side to see someone passing by, towards their direction. Zaire saw Ember look at people passing by who can easily spot him holding her, which would be quite scandalous. But her eyes were set, and afraid he would read into it wrong, he started moving his hand away to not be noticeable. That's when Ember's eyes snapped up towards him."Keep holding me, that's the next challenge," she said, knowing for sure that this would push him way out of accepting. Her job was only to make the challenges hard enough for him to back down. And he definitely wouldn't want a scandal so he would surely accept defeat. He surely wouldn't..."Perfect," he said immediately and that's when his hand wrapped ar
EMBEREverything looked exceptional. So magestic and gorgeous that there was no way anyone could even think of a better way than this. Every inch of it looked straight out of a mythical movie.Ember sure had to know they were all professional and talented enough to modify the theme "heaven" given to them to something like this. Sarte has added lots and lots of detailings that embraces the dark elements. Like black vines and rust like textures on the while that looks like the darkness or hell is infiltrating the heaven's gate.It was grand and if Ember could recall it properly, she knew the kind of costumes Iris had prepared, it would look so good together. If only the whole idea passes and no one steps in to say a word against it. Technically, Sarte was breaking the rules by not following the theme entirely but incorporating heaven theme into hell because they were misled by Sarte.The only saviour would be if the fashion show preparations overall look so good that it impresses Mr and
RUBYIt went on and on, the only entertainment being Melvin Harvey's scowling face at her. She tried not to laugh at his face every time, it was weirdly entertaining."So, because Sarte asked for some more time, we are going to have to display the fashion show we prepared once again so we need to get everything ready by the end of the day," Max said and everyone noted something down but Ruby didn't bother."And what about the models? What timing were they given to report here so that we can do the rehearsals beforehand?" Travis asked and suddenly it got a little silent as they all looked at each other. "What's going on?""W-we didn't know we had to give them the time right away before the meeting so we didn't give them the time yet," Cara explained and that made Travis visibly annoyed."What does that mean? Shouldn't you have completed that before coming here? I didn't expect this from you," Travis said but Ruby noticed something very strange. It was unusual but not surprising but prob
RUBY"W-what did you just say? What does that-""You know exactly what that means. I am demeaning you for the way you run your team by gaslighting hate into them. You're misusing your authority, bet half of them don't even know why they actually hate Sarte," she shrugged like she had said enough."You think you can badmouth our company and I'll just stand here and hear you out?" He was visibly running out of words to say because of being caught off guard. He was threatening to report her to someone but that was just funny at that point."You can say whatever you want. You can even bring the board of directors, the managers, even your Chairman out here and I'll still repeat the exact same words. Don't take me for a fool like you do with everyone around you, you are a coward anyways," Ruby could feel the satisfaction coursing through her veins as she told him off, watching the colours fade from his face too fast. "It doesn't matter who I am dating, I'm not afraid to speak up so don't ev
RUBY"Fine then, you really think you're that slick when you are anything but that. If that's what you're deciding to do then I'll do something too. And something that you won't be able to hold against me because in your style, technically, I am not going against the deal as well. That's okay, I'm guessing?" She said, with a menacing look on her face that emitted what she actually felt and it certainly cannot be faked."You can't do that, it will be a clear breach of the contract and it certainly would not be as well explained as mine because there's no such detail written in the papers as well," he said, a little defensive in her opinion but something that can be very well recognised through his body language. She knew she didn't have to work that hard to unleash the goal.Ruby offered him a bitter smile before turning around and pulling out a piece of paper. It was the copy of the contract they signed and Travis watched her carefully as she opened the paper and started running her ey
RUBYRuby didn't know on a scale of one to ten, how angry she was and how larger it can grow. Maybe her anger might just break and split open the scale because she was furious.She had no idea how this happened or how it was even possible because when she agreed to the deal with the unscrupulous man he clearly said he wouldn't come in the way of Sarte or disrupt the project at all. But they did it, they completely sabotaged Sarte by giving them information about a fake theme. They had been planning on doing Hell as the theme the whole time but Sarte was told the theme was Heaven.This was clearly breaking the deal and the rules, it was totally unacceptable.Ruby could feel her mind going blank with anger as she rushed through the gate of Florence building and up to the floor given to Sarte and Iris. This was her first day of work as a member of Iris and it was bound to be strange. But when she got the news from the Iris group chat, how they fooled Sarte into believing a completely diff
EMBER"What are you thinking?" He asked, finally breaking the silence."So, anything, right? Anything I ask you, without questions," she made sure, as a trick to test him."I already said it, anything you want," he answered right then, with no hesitation at all. Ember thought, if he wasn't hesitant, what was her excuse? The drive was still going on and the wild idea took over her. "Okay so..", she started, not giving him time to comprehend he was going to be given a task right at that moment. "Stop this car in the middle of the road and kiss me."His head snapped to her at that rash and unusual task but Ember knew she was doing it to see to what extremes he would go. That seemed fit enough for the first task. He scanned her face and realised she was serious. A quick look behind him and he immediately brought the car to a stop at that exact moment, 0 questions or hesitations.Hurrying, he leaned in and snapped off her seatbelt and in one moment, he had swept her off her seat and placed