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
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 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
Right through the revolving doors of the company building that swirled around so sharply in the early hours of the morning, a lady was seen running as fast as she could towards the sliding doors in the lobby, so that she could quickly get into one of the elevators ahead. She was dressed in a beautiful peach chiffon shirt that was well tucked into a chocolate skirt, her hair was packed up in a high ponytail, and her face, which was perfectly framed by light makeup, effortlessly revealed her charm.Her heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor as she moved fast, while trying to avoid collision with the few employees that were roaming around and making their way to their own offices. “Shit, I am late again,” Skylar's eyes glanced through her wristwatch, which indicated that the time was not on her side, as her face contorted into displeasure, knowing that she really had to reach the top floor as fast as possible. She made it into one of the elevators sharply as soon as i
Stepping into the luxurious party that had the perfect mood and vibe, filled with elites and socialites that had been invited as guests too, Skylar walked behind her boss, dressed in a perfect, gorgeous silver dress that was picked by the sales assistants, while Ivan waited outside the clothes mall impatiently. It took them time to find her perfect size because of her round figure, which was quite an uncommon size in a lady as petite as her, and it required a brief fitting too.And after they finally found the right fit for her, she gasped out in shock mixed with happiness to see how good it looked on her. He paid for the dress and a matching heel even before she came out in the luxurious combination, and they arrived at the event grounds a few minutes later. Skylar's eyes took another glance at her boss as she walked slowly behind him after they alighted the car, and she could not help but roll her eyes, ‘And just once again, he had to look very perfect for the event! He didn't eve
“Do not take me to the hospital. Just take me home,” Ivan groaned as his heart pounded like an erratic drum in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears as sweat beaded on his forehead. ‘Where did it go wrong? He didn't eat or drink anything, so how?’ he continued to ponder in his heart, as the car sped through the city streets and went straight to his house. All through the ride, Skylar continued to watch him in anxiety that something might go wrong on their way home, the more she mopped the sweat that beaded around his face with a towel. She wondered what had happened to him at the party while she was not there, but he wasn't in a good mood to even answer whatever questions she might have for him. Ivan's breaths came in ragged gasps under his breath, each inhale, tasting of the musky, intoxicating air around him, as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to compose himself. But all he could see were flashes of burning desire that seared themselves into his mind, as a flush of heat rose
“Arhhhhhhhhh!” It was the nth time Skylar had screamed her lungs out, the more she wallowed in self-memory, her body cringing at the memory of what happened with Ivan Hamilton. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh the moment she had woken up from his house in the early hours of the morning, and how she packed her load and ran out of the mansion in a frenzy, leaving him still sleeping in bed. She knew she had lost all sense of reasoning. And all day since she got home, the only thing she could do was cuss herself out and blame herself while still in pain for the damage he had done in between her legs. ‘How could she? How could she be so unprofessional and lose herself?! How could she lose herself to Ivan Hamilton of all men?! A man who could have any lady at his disposal and would not give a damn about her.’‘What if he thought she was like other girls that threw themselves at him like some cheap whore?!’ And she knew he loathed ladies without self-control. What would she do if
Waking up to an empty bed with the memories of the previous night rushing into his head as soon as he awakened, Ivan could not help but scold himself for making such a stupid mistake and for losing himself. He paced around his room restlessly as soon as he got up from his bed and put on his clothes, running a hand through his messy hair in frustration. He could not believe he had allowed himself to be so careless at the very wrong time, when he had always been so cautious of everything he did. He prided himself on great discipline and self-control, yet, he was caught in a situation that felt entirely out of his control. Ivan scratched his hair even more aggressively, his thoughts badgering his head, ‘How had he let this happen?! Skylar was his secretary, for goodness’ sake! There was nothing that should be between them more than the contractual relationship between a boss and an employee. But that was ruined already!’ “Damn it!” He cussed out loud, his voice laced with self-rep
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