“Sir, I do not think this is the best time to travel together,” Skylar told Ivan, just at the moment when they were both ready to leave in his car for the conglomerate's private hangar. “Why?” He flashed her a questioning look that had bewilderment lingering in them. “Because of the rumors. We barely had it in control just a few days ago,” she gave him what felt like the suitable answer in her head, and not the one she had as an answer for herself. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible. “Trying so hard would only make people assume that we are trying to hide the fact that there is more. You just need to be professional as usual. Nothing special,” he responded with firmness and clarity, his eyes still looking for doubt at her expression. “But, sir,…….” “Not, buts, Sky. The plane leaves at twenty. Besides, it is not public. That makes it even better,” he got into the car instantly, which made her concede finally, as she drew in a short breath before getting into the
As usual, the dimly lit bar vibrated with the low hum of conversations, the clink of glasses, occasional bursts of laughter, and pop music playing in the background, without overpowering the excited voices floating in the air. Behind the bar, Kali moved so deftly, pouring, shaking, and garnishing each cocktail, her every motion confident and precise as she mixed the perfect ratio of drinks to the line of patrons that were waiting to be served by her, whom she held the shortest conversations with. She was dressed in a free tight tank top that clung to her curves and big black shorts that hugged her waist just right. Her hair which was now dyed beige, was waxed flat, with a few loose strands framing her sharp, striking features. Her beautiful striking hazel eyes were cold and impenetrable as usual, as if daring anyone to try and look deeper or try to hold a dumb conversation with her. Finally taking a rest after having served for almost thirty minutes straight, she began wiping dow
Skylar blinked, Ivan's sudden apology catching her off guard, “Sir?” she thought that she had heard wrongly. Ivan's eyes darted to the floor for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, before meeting her eyes again, “For everything that has happened… for the trouble I might have caused you, I am sorry. I realized that this trip, the scandal, everything has put you in a difficult position, and I apologize for that,” his eyes mirrored sincerity as he spoke. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard him apologize, her mouth dropping open in shock, because she had not expected it at all. She had been so focused on maintaining her professionalism during the trip, and had been so wrapped up in her own confusion and emotions that she hadn’t considered that he might have been bothered too. Hearing him apologize and seeing regret linger in his eyes, made something within her stir even more, her heart skipping beats. ‘He cared. He genuinely cared enough to apologize,’ were words her head
Slowly, Skylar kissed him with gentle pressure and soft caresses that sent shivers down Ivan's spine because he had not expected it, as the feel of her soft, warm lips against his, ignited a burning fire of suppressed emotions through his veins, and left him breathless with desire.Instantly he took charge, and grappled his lips between hers so ardently and fiercely, as the air between them seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their desire, and the heat of their bodies fusing. The rhythm of both lips dancing so passionately within one another gave them a delicious torment that left them both gasping for air, while drawing Ivan deeper into the intoxicating whirlpool of desire that he could not hold anymore. Skylar's toes curled to the ground when he pulled away from her lips and kissed her chin, to her cheeks, to her eyes, as a slight moan which she swallowed, struggled to escape her. His warm breath fanned her neck before his torturous lips kissed her neck, and she felt cold tin
Skylar sat in the meeting she had attended with Ivan the next day at the newest branch of their company in Munich, Germany, while taking detailed minutes of every important point, decision, and action that was concluded in the meeting. And even as she tried to keep typing on the keyboard of her laptop, her mind would suddenly wander away, to the events of the night before, her heart fluttering with anxiety as well as excitement, and would skip several beats whenever she thought of it. The memory of his touch all over her body, the way his eyes had locked with hers, the bites, the pleasure, and everything he did to her, had her head up in the clouds, and had loitering effects on her body at the sight of him the next morning. She could still feel the crawling effects his breath on her neck, and his scent that lingered on her like a sweet intoxicating perfume. The night before, he gently told her that she should take her bath after she came back to her mind and suddenly became
The event was for the launch of their company's latest achievement; a cutting-edge virtual assistant technology, automated to perfection, was being held in one of the most luxurious venues in Munich known for its high-tech innovations, and the atmosphere was nothing short of awe-inspiring.A sleek, red, newest edition luxury Rolls-Royce glided to a stop in front of the grandeur venue, as its polished surface reflected the multitude of flashing lights from paparazzi, and an able-bodied chauffeur stepped out of the car instantly to the back side of the car. He opened the back door smoothly, and Ivan stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that highlighted his tall, athletic frame, as he stood with an effortless allure and sophistication. As the spotlight caught his face, he turned slightly, extending a hand into the car, to Skylar, who was already trying to help herself out. Her heart skipped and she hesitated where the kind gesture was coming from. Still skeptical about t
The sound of Skylar's fall echoed through the event room, drawing the attention of nearby guests, as laughter rippled through the crowd when they all saw her sprawled on the ground. “Clumsy,” someone muttered, and the hateful word stung more than the pain in her ankle. “She doesn't deserve to even be here. Now she just ruins the mood,” another spat maliciously, her eyes rolling disdainfully. “That is what happens when you try so hard to fit in,” A jibe escaped another. “Such lowlife.” “An embarrassment!” Their mean words painted Skylar's ears dirty, and shattered her head mercilessly, so that she almost cried right on that spot, heavily mortified by what had just ensued. “You should watch where you are going,” the lady, whose heels she had tripped on muttered, her eyes rolling contemptuously, “I am sure your dress wouldn't hurt so much to reimburse. It is a knockoff after all,” her words dripped spite. Just as Skylar was about to push herself up and scurry away from the m
The morning light filtered faintly through the floor-to-ceiling windows and shone brightly on her sleeping face, which caused her to stir noticeably, and her eyes slowly fluttered awake as she came to the awareness of her surroundings. As she stretched languidly, her eyes suddenly widened in shock as the memories of the previous day flooded her head in vivid detail. She couldn’t help the awkwardness that settled in her chest as a soft gasp escaped her, and the thoughts of him sleeping behind her made her heart skip. Carefully, she slowly began to turn her head, hoping that he would still be sleeping, so that she might save herself from further embarrassment from seeing his face. However, he was gone when she turned her face. Instantly, emotions swirled within her as she sat up and glanced around the room, half expecting to see him pop out somewhere, even if there was a sort of uncertainty settling in her heart from the hesitation about seeing him already. Nude, Skylar cl
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
“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