Skylar sat at her work desk the next day, her fingers flying over her phone’s screen as she chuckled at the message that Carlos had sent to her after she told him that she had submitted her work already, and that he should wish her good luck. She was still smiling when the door creaked open behind her, and Ivan walked in with his usual, undeniable radiance that filled the room as he strutted to her table, while watching amusingly with a raised eyebrow while she grinned from ear to ear. He gazed at her for a few minutes before he cleared his throat, his mellifluous voice drawing her absentmindedness to his initially undetected presence, “What is so funny?” he asked, his deep voice holding a hint of curiosity. Skylar's eyes instantly raised as they met his gorgeous orbs, a little startled to see him and hear his voice, but the smile that was curving her lips only grew wider as she rolled her eyes sweetly at him. Without a second thought, she dropped her phone on the table, pus
It was a chilly bright day in the early hours of the morning, which was the kind that made the air feel sharp against Kali's skin as she hurried to the front of the café after she dropped from a cab from across the street. Dressed in a plain black shirt and a pair of big shorts, she shivered slightly as she fumbled, looking for the keys to the café in her cross bag, the exhalation of her breath forming small clouds in the crisp air, as goosebumps formed tiny bumps on her skin. She scurried inside so quickly as soon as she pushed the door open, and the warmth of the room enveloped her instantly, with the familiar smell of roasted coffee beans lingering from the day before. Without wasting further time knowing she still had about an hour till the usual opening time for the café, she flicked on every necessary light in the room, before heading straight for the counter to begin her job for the day, which involved cleaning, restocking supplies, equipment check, menu preparation, inven
“You are such a traitor, man!” Ivan teased Leo over the phone with mock indignation, “You are back in the city for a whole day, and you go straight to your mystery woman before even calling me? Where is the loyalty?” He rolled his eyes. A chuckle escaped Leo as his eyes trailed to where Kira was, from the corner of the bar where he sat. She stood behind the bar, dutifully mixing drinks for the customers that were standing before her, his heart swelling with excitement before he returned to process the response he would justify himself within his head. All day, he had stuck with Kali without getting tired, and had patiently watched her from afar all day, to the point where she finished her working hours at the café, as he ordered more snacks and drinks just to see her face. After she left the café for the day, he accompanied her to the bar, never leaving her side, unable to think of anything else but not letting her go. On a normal day, he would be having a sleepover at Ivan's h
Sitting stiffly across from the immaculately dressed woman, Skylar could feel the intimidating aura that Mrs. Adelaide Hamilton possessed suffocating her, as she struggled to breathe properly even if it was so hard to keep it together. Her head was floating in space, and she could barely think properly, as her clammy hands clung tightly to the hem of her dress, while trying hard not to betray the anxiety that was storming within her. She had asked through the sudden call hours ago to meet as soon as possible at an extremely opulent restaurant that was extravagantly polished in gold interiors, and exuded great heights of luxuriousness which she would never be able to afford in her entire life. But all that didn't matter right at that moment, because all Skylar wanted to know was why she was asked to meet after she had been thoroughly disgraced by her in everyone's presence.‘Was it to disgrace her more? Pour her water? Smack her hard on the face? Give her money to leave her son the
Ivan sat behind his massive, polished mahogany desk in his room, his mind wandering for a few seconds just right after he ended a meeting with the HAVAN European division. He wondered what Skylar was up to as he leaned tiredly against the chair he was sitting on, and tried calling her phone because he wanted to see her. However, she didn't pick up her phone even when he called repeatedly, and it bothered him because it was unusual. He stood up, and straightened the creases that had formed on his perfectly tailored shirt before he buttoned his jacket, as he prepared to go so that he could check up on her. Surprise framed his face as soon as he strutted out of his office, and found out that her seat was empty and that her bag seemed to be gone too, which was quite odd. She never left without checking in with him first. Ivan’s eyes glanced at the luxurious Rolex which was clasped around his left wrist to check what time it was, and he was a little disappointed with a slight frown cros
The six-star restaurant was exquisite, and exuded the kind of opulence she had never felt, as the soft jazz that hummed in the background sounded much different and desirable, just from hearing it from that kind of atmosphere. Chandeliers sparkled like tiny constellations on the ceilings, and the great display of fake droplets of water from the PC roofing powered by CGI effects made everything around look so perfect. Everything except for her. Kali sat stiffly and nervously across from Leo, awkward in her oversized black shirt, shorts, and boots that were more suited for a hike than a luxurious dinner. Her short hair, which had begun to grow a little longer than the usual length she liked to keep it at, was tucked behind her ears, and was a little too messy for the pristine environment. However, she didn’t care. Leo had made her follow him after she closed for the day at the bar even at that late hour, and she couldn't care less about how she looked or appeared, unbeknownst to
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
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
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