It was morning in HAVAN, the ambiance abuzz with anticipation of what the day was to hold, and at exactly 8:00 AM, the elevator doors slid open, as Skylar stepped out onto the last floor with elegance and poise, looking more gorgeous than ever. Dressed in a white three-piece tailored suit that accentuated her shape perfectly, she exuded sophistication as she walked down the hallway, her stunning heels clicking against the polished floor of the company. Her voluminous hair was no longer in its usual loose waves, but had been swept back up in a high ponytail, revealing the elegant curve of her neck, and her earrings which complemented her ears glinted beautifully whenever they caught the rays of light. To her, it was a mechanism to improve her confidence and be able to stand unfazed before Ivan, regardless of what he had to say about the uncomfortable situation they both had almost been placed in. She had also made up her mind to stop being so down, and being affected by his atti
Skylar had arrived minutes earlier than the time she and Carlos agreed to meet, and she sat comfortably at the spot in the classy restaurant that he had suggested via a friendly call earlier that morning before she left the house. Subconsciously, she adjusted the hem of her suit jacket nervously, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles on her pants, as her eyes darted nonstop to the entrance which was miles away every few seconds. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the table before, betraying her impatience and anxiety about the guy she was meeting, her mind trying to think of what to expect or how it would go. Earlier that day, Skylar had informed Ivan that she would like to leave as early as possible since she had nothing to do with Taylor around, but she was not sure that he was truly allowed to leave because he gave her a conflicting answer.“You can do as you please,” his response was curt, and she didn't know if he gave her permission or not. She had known Ivan long enough to kno
“Yes,” Carltos nodded affirmatively, “So I wanted to meet up with you, and Amelia was so willing. I wanted to know the real Skylar,” he had both his muscular hands resting beneath his jaws, as he continued to look at her without breaking eye contact. “Arh,” a knowing smile stretched Skylar's lips, as she broke eye contact with him, and quickly drank from the bottle of water she was taking initially, “There is nothing much to know. I am just still the same. Still working as much as before,” She chuckled nervously, hoping not to get him bored with talking about her work or life. She had a very boring life and nothing much to talk about even if she was asked about herself. She wasn't even sure she had anything she enjoyed doing in her spare time except working. “Amelia told me you work at a company, but that you will soon resign or something. Said you are job hunting?” He flashed her a questioning look, still fully focused on her. “Arhh. Funny,” Skylar mouthed, unable to believe t
The inner door of Ivan's house resonated strongly as he made his way inside, and slammed the automatic door so hard, frustration and weariness boiling through his blood like water. He hated how the day went so much that he was so stressed out from working, as he ran a hand through his dark hair, feeling the day's tension settling in his muscles. And not just that day. He hated the entire week. He sauntered up the stairs that led to his bedroom, and immediately stripped off his suit jacket, tie, and shoes as he headed straight for the bathroom to take a cool bath. However, the more droplets of water washed down his skin as he leaned against the tiled wall while letting the steam envelop him, the more his anger shimmered within him for reasons he had no idea. Still not feeling better, after he stepped out with a white towel around his waist, he oiled his body and changed into his gym clothes, ready to go and exercise in the gym room. ‘Hailey. Play some music,’ Ivan commanded, an
Skylar stood in front of the office of the doctor who was in charge of her mother, as she drew in a short breath, her heart pounding with worry and exhaustion. She hesitated briefly before knocking on the door, trying to steady her racing thoughts which speculated she would hear another disappointing news yet again. “Come in, please,” the doctor’s voice called out from behind the door, and she pushed it open to find Dr. Derin, whose demeanor seemed calm while awaiting her.“Hi, doctor,” Skylar tried to improve her mood, as she moved closer to the doctor's table. “Ms. Bailey,” Dr. Derin acknowledged her presence, “You may take your seat,” she gestured for her to sit down as she instantly brought out the medical charts of her mother to inform her of the progress regarding her health. “How is she, Doctor?” Skylar asked, her voice barely above a whisper.An insignificant sigh escaped the doctor as she leaned forward and adjusted her glasses, “Your mother is stable for now, Ms. Bailey,
Ivan sat at his study desk in his expansive, opulent room, being busy with some company work since it was the weekend. The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop, the only subdued noise in the background was the sound of the ruffling file papers he reviewed through. All day, since he woke up and had berry and ricotta pancakes for breakfast, he had been working instead of his initial plan to go and see the ongoing volleyball tournament that was going on in HAVAN sports center. He just felt languid towards everything. Though he had been trying to keep up with working into the late hours of the night as planned, he couldn't continue anymore when he had been too weighed down by the weariness in his heart and just went to bed early. However, he was unable to sleep. He tossed endlessly with sleep, offering him no respite, as his thoughts meandered endlessly, unable to find a clear path amidst the mental fatigue that had gripped him. Arising from his bed with a hollowness
The vibrancy and vitality at the bar where Skylar sat was evident, with the club pulsing with the bass of the music which seemed to resonate in her ears, making her quite awkward in a place like that. It had been ages since she last set foot in a place like this, and the only thing she could do was allow her eyes to meander around, and observe everything that seemed to be going on around her. She had forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by so many people, with each one lost in their world of fun and excitement.She was wearing a backless loop dress which was snatched by the waist by more straps, and a matching heel Amelia made her buy months ago, even if she ended up ditching the event that were both supposed to wear it to. It was the only dress she had that was eligible for that kind of setting, and Kali had complimented that it was fire. However, she was more interested in watching Kali, who moved effortlessly behind the counter, pouring drinks with practiced ease and exch
Amelia was fuming so much as she pushed through the door of the bathroom in the restaurant she was in, her heels clacked sharply against the polished floor as she stormed her way back to the table where Carlos was waiting, while sipping his drink with a relaxed demeanor. As she reached the table, she pulled out her chair with a sharp tug and sank on the chair so heavily, her breath coming in short, furious bursts which made him look up, surprised by her quick return, and the obvious rage scribbled on her face. “What is wrong?” his questioning eyes searched hers, “Were you not talking with Skylar a minute ago?” “You won't believe this! She is out at a club right now with a new friend she just met. I cannot believe her!” Amelia was so pissed as she struggled to contain her anger by chugging down the contents of her cocktail glass. Carlos raised an eyebrow, trying to process the reason for the sudden outburst with what she had said, and was still unable to comprehend, “Is that a pro
The lucent rays of sunlight permeating the room bashed the face of the young man sprawled on the bed, prompting him to subconsciously stir out of his sleep and instantly squint his eyes. A soft moan escaped him as his eyelids jumped open simultaneously, causing him to reflexively shut his eyes instantly the moment the rays of light seeping in through the drapes of the floor-to-ceiling windows assaulted his eyes. Instantly, he rolled his body to the other side and turned his face, before a low groan suddenly escaped him the moment a throbbing headache plagued his head. ‘Shit. Why did his head hurt this badly?’ Grayson wondered as he slowly tried to own his eyes again, and instantly brought his hand from his side to massage his temples as tenderly as it could. It was at that moment that he realized. The room he was in smelled of expensive liquor, faint perfume, and the remnants of a reckless night, causing him to compulsively turn to look at the other side where the light had been
Ivan wanted to do something grand, so he took Leo's advice and decided to plan the biggest surprise package ever in a way that would make Skylar's heart move past whatever anger she had toward him. He hadn't even thought of it at all before. With a final tap on the screen of his laptop, he sent her a message that contained information about the luxurious six-star hotel that he wanted her to meet him at for a private rooftop dinner under the stars, and also had a custom-designed dinner dress and heels package sent to her door already.Anticipation of how everything would turn out perfectly at the very end of the date thumped through his heart as he confirmed the last minute appointment he made, which was going to be a drone display that would proclaim his true feelings for her. It was going to be the highlight of the date. And just right at the moment when a satisfied smirk tugged at the side of his lips, his private phone which was sitting on his dresser suddenly began to vibrate, a
The main door of the mansion slammed so hard with a force that threatened to fall off behind Grayson, as he stormed out of the mansion the moment he left his mother's sight with so much anger coursing through his veins. His balled fist trembled with repressed fury and his face scrunched up in a mask of steaming rage, as he made his way toward the sleek black car that he parked outside in front of the mansion. He got behind the driving wheel, ignited it immediately, floored on the accelerator, and drove out of the mansion at a crazy speed, as his mother's words echoed in his head again and again. “Step out of your brother's shadow and prove that you are worthy of the responsibility and her.”“Damn it!” He cussed angrily and hit his steering wheel angrily as he drove, unable to even think of where to go. ‘His mother had given him the worst option ever! How could she toil with his emotions like that?! How could she tell him to take over HAVAN so that he could keep a woman?’ ‘As muc
With a heavy heart, Skylar sat motionless in her chair all day, her gaze fixed on the same spreadsheet she had been pretending to work on for hours, with her mind far away from what was even going on around her. She had expected to see him a few hours later, after she thought that the storm concerning his mother proposing the most ridiculous idea must have passed, because the news that the votes turned against her quickly went like wildfire in the company. She anticipated that he would come back so that she would have the chance to explain herself, but it didn't seem like it at all. He didn't return till she clocked out late at night. The emptiness in her chest grew heavier and sadness seeped into her bones as she walked out of her office, her footsteps heavy on the quiet halls of the building, like her thoughts were drowning out of the world around her. As Skylar sauntered out of the main building, the cool night air kissed her puffy cheeks, but it did little to clear the haze c
Skylar was seated behind her work desk, motionless and absent-minded, as her fingers remained limp against the keyboard. In her heart was a heaviness that she couldn't even speak of, and it ached with the pain of confrontation that she had just endured. She couldn’t focus at all. The memory of Ivan's angry face that flashed at her the moment he entered the room refused to evade her, and his accusatory words that hinted at frustration and disappointment made her heartache. Nothing even hurt more than the fact that he didn't wait to hear her explain herself. He was just mad that she had met Grayson. “I can explain what happened,” she fought with her shaky voice as she tried to explain herself, but he had been too mad to even listen. “So you have been meeting him behind my back?! Since when?! And why?! Is that why you have been giving me an attitude for almost two days now?” He raged at her with words that slammed her heart against a wall with excruciating force, as her eyes watered
A man burst through the double doors of the executive hallway, his shoes thudding against the polished marble floor as he sprinted with a desperation that was fueled by panic, his hair disheveled and dampened with sweat. He barreled into the secretary’s office after an impatient knock, as he entered with the intention of informing Skylar of what was going on, only to come in direct contact with Ivan, who was also standing in the room. His steel-blue eyes flicked up in measured curiosity as the man skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding slamming into a sleek leather armchair, almost melting as he tried to balance himself, barely catching his breath amid the suffocating tension that settled in the air. “Sir?” the man gasped, struggling to contain both his breath, almost stuttering, “Your…mother. No. I mean,” he shook his head in an attempt to correct himself, “Mrs. Hamilton is here.” Ivan, who still had flickers of rage scribbled over his face, arched a single eyebrow, with the fainte
The restaurant they were seated in crackled with tension as Amelia's sharp gaze locked onto Carlos's, her arms crossed, and her lips pursed in a fiery scowl, “You don’t even call me anymore,” she snapped, her voice slicing through the charged air like a whip. “Is that why you asked to meet me early this morning?” Carlos stared at her in disbelief, wondering if that was all she had to say when she called and asked to see him so urgently at the restaurant that was nearest to his house. “Is that what I am saying, Carlos?! I said that you don't even talk to me anymore! You would have called if I hadn't,” her face scrunched up into a frown, unable to stand the fact that he was disregarding her concern. Carlos met her glare, his jaw tightening in repressed anger, “You said that it was what you wanted,” he countered, his tone calm but strained, as if walking a tightrope over a chasm of resentment. He couldn't even believe she would be asking him that. “You would have called regardless,”
“Why?” Her eyebrows were raised in confusion, as she wondered why he was saying that. “The public announcement will be worth more,” he told her and skipped talking about it quickly, and she nodded slowly as if absorbing in bits what he meant. “Are you okay, though? You don't sound like yourself,” Carlos observed. Skylar pressed her lips together and shut her eyes for a moment, as she smiled again, “Yeah, I am fine,” she lied, “Just... tired. You know how it is.”“I get it,” Carlos sounded so concerned, “But if you need anything, you know I am here at your beck and call. And I mean anything,” he reminded her. Skylar felt a rush of gratitude in her heart because of his unmerited kindness towards her, and she couldn't help but be emotionally thankful at the moment, as she repeated, “Thank you, Carl. Thank you so much. You have been amazing, really. As soon as I am able to, I will take you out to eat. Anywhere you want. It is going to be my treat,” she promised. Carlos chuckled again
In the silent hospital room where nothing but the rhythmic beeping of the machines that monitored her mother’s vitals, Skylar sat again beside the bed, this time properly dressed in a pale-blue disposable safety suit, with her gloved hands gently wrapped around her mother’s frail right hand. She was unable to think properly after she returned from Ivan's house and knew she wouldn't even be able to perform well if she went home immediately. Instead, she returned to the hospital, asked to see her mother again, and was granted the grace to see her properly this time. However, her thoughts were far from at ease or where she was seated, as she stared blankly at her mother's bed, her mind spinning in a relentless tide of worry and self-doubt. Amid her fear for her mother and the fear for herself, her head was blowing up with pain, and her heart was racing with so much angst.She pressed her trembling lips together, struggling to contain the storm brewing inside her, as she tried not to l