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 surgery had just ended and was successful,” the surgeon, who had just come out of the theatre room still dressed in her blue scrub, and had a nose mask hanging below her chin, told Skylar with a reassuring smile that didn't brighten her face.Instantly, the world around her paused for a millisecond as the tension that had been hanging in her body crumbled instantly, and dissipated into the air. Her legs gave way below her body, and before she knew it, she had fallen on her knees, as she felt the hard, cold floor press against her palms that rested against the floor, the weight of the news sinking into her mind. Her right hand which was trembling covered her mouth, as a stifling gasp that felt like it had been locked in her chest for hours escaped her, alongside the tears that trickled down her cheeks. ‘She was alive. Her mother was alive,’ she heaved a sigh of relief, unable to handle the excitement. “Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much,” were the few words her voice could u
“I am sorry, we cannot be together,” those heavy words hung heavily between the two standing across from one another, and the receiver, Leo, blinked hard as he stared at Kali, who had broken the news to him.“What.. What is wrong, Kali?” His lips barely found the right words to utter because his brain was barely functioning coherently. That was the last news he expected her to bring to him, just when he was planning that they would go hiking together since she liked doing that. ‘Things had been going fine between them for the past few days. What went wrong?’ His eyes took a haunted look as if awaiting an explanation from her. “Nothing is,” she looked away from him while resting her back on the railings of the rooftop recreation spot they were standing, because she said she wanted to go there when he asked what she wanted to do. “Kali, meet my eyes,” Leo stared at her, his heart wanting to reach out to her in the most intentional way, as his right hand stretched and caught hers in
Skylar made her way into the five-star restaurant, her eyes glancing briefly through the few people that were seated in the room, until they landed on Grayson, who was seated by the window, his face brightening with a warm, sweet smile the moment he raised his head. She instantly flashed a warm smile at him from where she was standing, and he rose to his feet, as a gesture to welcome her which almost melted away her initial nervousness instantly. It made Skylar's eyes almost roll in shock because she never thought she could see him smile considering their first and second encounter. “Hi, Sky,” he greeted her with a sweet smile, and politely offered her a seat across from him, “You look absolutely gorgeous,” his eyes lingered as he took in her dress, and her smile.“Hi, Gray,” she responded with a nervous smile, “You don't look bad yourself,” she finally settled into her seat. “How have you been these days?” He initiated the conversation, his eyes peering at her. “Been great,” Skyl
The evening breeze brushed gently over the terrace of Ivan's home, and the beautiful scents of marigolds and lavender from the garden which was situated not far from where the two friends sat, permeated the cool evening breeze with a nice fragrance that was soothing. Sitting across from Ivan, was Leo, who was dressed in a finely pressed summer shirt and slacks, as he slouched comfortably against the chair he was sitting on, with a light grin sitting on his lips. Gently, he swirled the glass of whiskey that was nestled between his fingers, as he stared at Ivan, who had been gazing hard at him for the past few seconds, as if thinking of what to say first. And then, he finally spoke. “So, you are telling me it has taken you two days since you landed to get a drink with me all because of a lady?” Ivan cocked a brow at him. “You know I have not seen or spoken to her since that …….” “Says the man who shows up on my doorstep after disappearing for half a year, and felt like he had to
It was late at night already, but the skies were still as bright as evening, which gave a physical misrepresentation of what time truly was, and had tricked Amelia into believing that the night was still young. She had quickly dressed up for work and sat in front of the dresser for a quick makeup touch, as she used the curling iron to press her hair while trying to gloss a shining red lipstick across her lips at the same time. However, while in haste to leave for her shift that night, her eyes caught sight of Skylar's restlessness through the mirror, whose body was sprawled lazily on the bed, with one hand tucked under her head, the other holding her phone close as she stared at the screen with an unreadable expression. “You never told me what happened last night,” Amelia began, trying to sound casual as she fluffed her hair over one shoulder, “You came home so gloomy and sad,” she glanced at the mirror again, while observing her closely.Meanwhile, Skylar was so engrossed in wha
Ivan stepped into his office after the meeting had ended, and was so surprised to see Skylar sitting at her desk, as calm and composed as ever. It was as if she had not refused to pick up his call all day, or failed to inform him as usual that she would not be around in the morning. She had him so worried. Regardless, a sense of relief washed over him in the most exhilarating manner, before he walked across to the front of her table, a little worried that she seemed bothered by his palpable presence, “Where were you, Sky? Your phone has been off since yesterday,” he gazed at her so intently when he questioned, as if beckoning her to look up at him. Without meeting his eyes, Skylar continued to type fast on her computer as if she had a deadline to meet, and murmured a sincere apology, “I am so sorry for missing the meeting, Mr. Hamilton. It won’t happen again,” she spoke calmly and eloquently. Ivan was taken aback by her very professional tone, as if to shut him out and install
With a weary and bothered heart, Ivan made his way to the office the next day, bothered that Skylar's phone had been off since the previous night. He was a little later to work than usual because a minor collision occurred with his car that morning on his way to work from a rough driver, and it distorted his plans to come early by a few minutes because he had the car towed and another brought to him.Quickly, he stalked out of his elevator as soon as it chimed open on the last floor with large strides in the most elegant way, and instantly made his way to the front of his office, as he opened the door to the office instantly, hoping to see her. However, disappointment clouded his face as soon his eyes fell on the empty desk where Skylar was supposed to be sitting behind. The chair was pushed in, and her papers were still untouched from the previous day. ‘Where was she?’ He wondered, his eyes raising in concern as he hesitated for a few seconds before entering inside, and made his w
The morning sun which Skylar had always loved suddenly felt unkind as it cast its harsh light on her weary face as she trudged into the main doors of the huge company, because it seemed as if it amplified the ache in her heart and the anger she felt from deep within. She made her way into the CEO's VIP elevator with its access card because she gracefully wanted to avoid bumping into any of the company workers, not minding the talks they might make again as to reasons why she got to ride the elevator when Ivan was not even with her. She could barely look at herself in the elevator mirror that she was surrounded by when she got in, and each glance she took at her reflection revealed her tired, hollow eyes and puffy cheeks, which she had spent half an hour trying to conceal. Despite the makeup, traces of last night’s turmoil clung to her like an embarrassment that she couldn’t wash away. It was obvious that she had cried so much. Skylar just wished that she was so open and cared less
Skylar stepped into her apartment with deep weariness engraved deep into her bones, as the weight of what she had just witnessed sat heavily on her chest, crushed her with each breath she took, and blurred her eyes with suffocating tears. The image of Ivan and Gwen kissing replayed in her head like a broken record over and over again, and it was as if a knife had been thrust into her gut. It was almost too hard to bear in mere sight, and the thoughts it brought to her mind severed her heart mercilessly. It suddenly felt as if all the moments that existed between her and Ivan meant nothing. Like she didn't even exist, enough for him to respect what happened between them. Like she didn't matter. Nothing hurt her more than the fact that the sight confirmed her fears and made her feel smaller than ever. It was even more terrifying because she didn't have the right to get angry at him. After all, they were just flings anyway. They didn't even have a name for what they were doing, so she