*MAXIMUS*
The next morning, when I walked into my mansion, I was exhausted. Yesterday I received a sudden business cooperation call. I had to cancel my engagement in order to fulfill the order. My father told me that a man must seize his career before a woman can love you.
I have always regarded this sentence from my father as my attitude towards life, and Anna has always accepted it. I am sure that calling off the engagement yesterday is not a big deal, which is why I can accept Anna by my side for five years. She is like a pet dog I have. She needs me, which makes my desire for control extremely satisfying.
When I needed her, she would come running over with a smile. She was so cute.
I tried to move my stiff neck, but the pain kept me from moving. but I had a fast remedy at home.
Anna gives the best neck massages.I especially like how her fingers felt against my skin.
Not that I'm going to ever tell her that though.
"Anna."I called.
“Gianna."I called again as I settled onto the couch.
This was so unlike her.She always comes running up to me to welcome me home,looking all happy.
“Grace."I called out to the housekeeper who walked in almost immediately.
"Where's Anna?Doesn't she know that I'm home?"
"She…she left."
I frowned."Left?"
"Yes,she packed up her things last night and left the house."
I rubbed my temple knowing she must be upset about the canceled engagement party.
What was the big deal?
We could always have an engagement party anytime.
I knew she might have sent me tons of messages so I brought out my cellphone and scroll to her name.
I saw just one line.
"It's over between us"
I frowned in annoyance, how many times has she said it?
Even if the earth is destroyed, Anna will not break up with me. I give her two days and she will come back to my house.
I need to take a shower and get ready for my business trip.
As I went upstairs, I heard Grace's disgruntled voice behind me.
“You went too far last night,sir.It's all over the news.Even a simple apology isn't enough this time,you owe her…"
“Grace,don't overstep your boundaries.Anna understands why I had to leave like that last night and she'll be back so mind your business."I warned her that I was going upstairs.
Negotiation time is very urgent, I am sure that a man's favor will make a woman become arrogant and lose her temper without a bottom line. Anna is like most women, which is why I don't like to coax her.
So far, Anna knows this, she can always digest bad emotions quickly.
I'm certain that when I come back, Anna will come back here again.
***********
*GIANNA*
After arriving in Burbank, I went straight to the house where my parents used to live. It wasn't a mansion, just a cozy little apartment, but I spent my entire childhood here. I saw that the flowers in the vase on the front lawn had withered and looked messy. I remembered when my parents were still alive, they always kept the front lawn tidy, and we even won an award for having the neatest garden in the community. Thinking of this, my eyes became moist. My parents loved me very much and raised me well.
It made me question why I had been obsessed with Maxim.
It wasn't as if I had lacked anything growing up.
Was it his charm,his gorgeous look and how good he is in…
But Maxim always believed that I was just a shameless gold-digger, because compared to Nadia, I was just a small-town girl.
Stop!
I had to stop thinking about him.I had left him for Nadia now so he doesn't have to keep canceling on me to be with her.
He can have her now.
I won't be in the way.
I never saw myself as the other woman and I have to work on forgiving myself for begging a man to love me.
Settling down didn't take much time.I felt so much at home and at peace.
Just three days after returning, I ran into my childhood friend Griffin. Griffin lived nearby, and we attended elementary, middle, and high school together, but I went to the capital city of Meloria for college.
He didn't look as skinny as I remembered from childhood. Instead, his muscular physique was evident. He was just wearing a simple striped shirt and jeans, but you could see the results of his workouts, complemented by his tanned hair, deep eyes. God, he really was a perfect hunk.
Griffin was surprised that I had suddenly returned. I smiled and said, "You know, Meloria is always so cold. After living there for five years, I realized I still prefer Burbank."
"Anna...you're always so optimistic and positive. You know I've always liked that about you," Griffin said.
Liked me? Griffin had a crush on me? I didn't know how to respond, especially since I had just ended a long-term relationship. I planned to find an excuse to leave, but Griffin held me back.
"Anna, are you married?"
I frowned, why would he ask that?
I shook my head. Three days ago, I was supposed to get engaged to my boyfriend, but he called it off for another woman. I saw Griffin's eyes light up. Then, his next words made me stare at him in shock.
"Anna, will you marry me?"
*GIANNA*Marry him? Did I hear it wrong?"What…what are you saying,Griffin?""Please, Anna. I know this is sudden for you, but I'm running out of time. I need to find someone to marry me."I immediately brought him to my villa. Griffin didn't seem like a casual guy, so I had to know his reasons for this. I got him a cup of coffee, then sat down looking at him. "Listen, Griffin, I want to know why you're doing this."Griffin took a sip of coffee, then took a deep breath and began telling his story.Griffin told me that he had just returned to our small town as well. He had married the daughter of a wealthy family overseas. Unfortunately, Griffin's wife passed away about a year ago. After that, his in-laws had been fighting him for custody of the child. His in-laws insisted that their daughter's death was related to Griffin, but the truth was, his wife was willing to marry him because she wanted to escape her overly controlling parents. She had no freedom and felt like a corpse.In their
*GIANNA*So far,I’ve been having a good time settling down except for my sudden marriage.Griffin has gone to Country B since he registered with me, and I'm sure he can't wait to bring back his children. I hope he succeeds.Maxim, my lips keep popping this name in my spare time. It's been almost a week now, and I've blocked anyone or news related to Maxim, and I'm sure he won't be uncomfortable with me leaving because I'm just a cheap toy for him, and he can always find a replacement.I read some books and mostly spent the time at the garden.I planted a lot of flowers and vegetables and while working on the garden,I realized what I wanted to do for work for now.I wanted to be a florist.I quickly made a mental note to immediately start looking for a store.This house was beginning to take shape again and feel like home since I was back to look after it.My doorbell rang.I quickly set aside my shovel.I had ordered some takeouts and I was starving.I washed my hands in a rush and headed
*GIANNA*My doorbell rang again.I smiled knowing it must be my takeouts.I couldn’t wait to get those crispy chicken into my mouth.I opened the door and my jaw dropped seeing Jacob.Seriously?!And why the heck was my order taking so long?!“Didn’t I tell you to get lost just now?”I asked him.I saw him fall to his knees.“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you just now.But please,Mr Lewis really wants you home.Please come with me.”I laughed.It was funny watching him beg like this.I know Maxim must have probably reprimanded him on the phone and that is why he was here again,begging me.I had no idea why Maxim was so determined to have me back in his house and frankly,I didn’t care.I had given him what he wanted.Freedom to be with Nadia without me begging him to stay faithful to me so why can’t he just accept that?Why can’t he just go be with her?!Does he seriously enjoy torturing me?I recalled the times I tried to leave in the past.There was a time I stayed in a hotel for about a m
*MAXIMUS*I rubbed my temple feeling a terrible headache.My stomach felt so empty and I was starting to feel weak.I recalled that I hadn’t eaten in two days.The cold eyes Anna was giving me made me feel worse.She had never stared at me like this before.She always had this bright look in her eyes,those eyes were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.But now, they look hostile, like beautifully boxed Barbie dolls that have suddenly jumped out, telling me that from today onwards, they will fight for their freedom.I felt a pang of panic inside for a moment.My intuition tells me that if I don't do something, I might really lose Anna. No, my neck is always stiff, I must enjoy Anna's massage when I get off work.For this purpose, even if I don't admit that I was really wrong, I will ask for her forgiveness."Let's go home, Anna. I'm very tired now. I've been very busy, and I feel my physical condition isn't very good now," I said in a low voice, while Anna's lips remained tightly cl
*MAXIMUS*“Don’t worry about me and Anna.Take care of your health,Nadia.Peter will take you to the hospital tomorrow.”With that,I hung up.Peter is my best friend and Nadia's family doctor. He has always liked Nadia, and I believe this is the best opportunity for them to get to know each other.I remembered how many times Anna had complained in the past that she resented my tendency to run over as soon as I got a call from Nadia. Even though I told her she had no reason to worry about Nadia, who was like a sister to me, and I never had any romantic thoughts about her, Anna just didn't believe me.That woman was just too stubborn and I had no idea why I can’t just cut her off.Why can’t I stop chasing after her?I am Maximus James Lewis.I can have any woman I want.A lot of women were willing to be at my beck and call but here I am chasing after Anna.It was so infuriating.My phone rang again.It's peter."Mark?""What happened?" I pinched my nose, my stomach still aching like it had b
NadiaI saw Peter's embarrassed gaze, but I deliberately ignored it. I've always known Peter had a crush on me, but the only man I want is this god-like man of the country, Maksim Lewis. His wealth is unmatched by any family.I know no man can resist my tears, and I've been practicing this, so I easily burst into tears, looking pitiful. That's why Maksim always appears by my side the moment I need him.My mother and Maksim's mother are good friends, and they obviously want us to get married. I used to reject political marriages, but the moment I saw Maksim, I fell in love with him. I vowed not to let anyone take Maksim away from me.I felt blessed, having a loving mother and an outstanding man by my side. Perhaps God envied my perfection, so in the year I turned 15, a car accident took my mother away. I was devastated, unable to accept this painful reality. My father had been neglecting me since I was little, always busy with work. Seeing this, Maksim's mother took me into their home,
*GIANNA*I didn’t have any problem running from city to city.Heck,I used this opportunity to go sightseeing.Soon,Maxim will stop coming after me and I’d go back to Bellbanks to continue with my life.In Mayfair, there was a flower store close to the hotel I was staying in.I visited there regularly and even ask for the owner’s contact.Later in Bellbanks when I open my flower store,I would like for them to be my suppliers.I busied myself with setting up a plan on how I wanted my flower store to look like and also browsing through the internet to find out more about being a florist.I decided to take a break and try out a restaurant.I heard of a very popular but expensive restaurant in the city.I booked a reservation so I can try out their highly praised delicacy.At 7:pm,I got dressed up and headed out.I was loving my new life.Where I felt pretty and needed no man’s validation.Getting to the restaurant,I told the waiter my reservation number.“Come with me.”He said,leading me to m
*MAXIMUS*I stared more at the sleeping Gianna,knowing she’d not let me look at her once she wakes up.Her indifference towards me chilled me to the bones.I had never see her like that and I really miss the Gianna who exuded warmth and affection.I needed that warmth right now.I gently got into the bed and settled behind her.Being this close to her made my blood pound in my veins.I tried to control myself but this was Gianna.I lacked control when I’m around her.I moved closer to her on the bed,taking in her sweet and refreshing scent.I pressed my face against her hair but it still wasn’t enough.I closed the distance between us and placed my arms around her.But as soon as I did that,she woke up and quickly turned to face me.“Am I not allowed to sleep anymore?!”She thundered.I shrugged.”I was sleeping too.”“Go sleep on the chair.”She really had no respect for me anymore.“You want me,Maximus James Lewis to sleep on the chair?!”She then sat up.”Fine,I’ll go sleep on the chair
"You want Josh’s cell phone number? Alright, I'll give it to you right away!" Trevor immediately sent Josh’s cell phone number to Gianna.But he was curious.Why did Gianna ask for Josh’s phone number?Was it relating to Maxim?Did she still care about Maxim?Maybe they really had a chance together.**********************Gianna got Josh’s phone number and immediately dialed it.Josh helped in following up on Ashley’s robbery and was up at this hour.He picked up his cell phone when it rang.An urgent voice came from the other side of the phone.“Josh, this is Gianna."Josh was surprised that Gianna called him.“What do you want?”"Do you know anything about Ashley? She said I was the one who got someone to rob her."Josh was helpless."She's rather emotional and mouthy, and I know it has nothing to do with you, so don't worr
Josh frowned, looking at Ashley’s maniacal demeanor, he reminded.“Ashley, your words are spoken with evidence, think before you speak. This is a serious accusation. Are you sure about this?”Josh didn't know much about Gianna.If Gianna was so tactful and capable of making bad things like this happen, she would not have put up with Nadia interfering with her relationship for the past three years.She would have tried to get rid of Nadia, right?Ashley was miserable now, and she had to find someone to divert her anger to.Gianna was the best candidate.“I'm not making this up, it was her, Gianna is responsible for this."Ashley kept insisting that Gianna was responsible for the robbery attack, the police could only put Gianna on the suspect list.*************Gianna had already fallen asleep, beautifully.Her cell phone rang insistently.She glanced at the caller ID.It was an unknown number.She picked it up."Hello.""Hello, is this Ms. Weston? We're calling from XC Police Station.
This was shocking for Ashley.The person who saved Declan was Gianna?!Why?!Why her?!Surprisingly, it was Gianna again!Declan’s muse was also Gianna.His savior was still Gianna.Was Gianna going to hold on to Declan?Would she give Declan a chance?Ashley couldn’t let that happen!She would not hand over this footage to Declan.She wouldn’t give Gianna a chance to get to Declan!In fact, the surveillance camera was so far away that you can only vaguely see the figure of a girl, and it was very difficult to accurately distinguish the person in the picture in this situationIt was because she knew all about Gianna that she could identify her.Still she had to destroy this!She smirked when she thought of a plan.**************When Declan called to ask Ashley if she had gotten the surveillance footage, he was informed that Ashley was robbed and now seriously injured.Declan was still in a bad condition and he couldn’t leave the bed yet so Josh went to see Ashley instead.Josh was sh
It was exactly what Gianna said.If she and Maxim got back together, she wouldn't love him like she used to.Was this really what he wanted?”The problem was never Gianna.It was Maxim.He was the cause of all these.Trevor said to Gianna, "I'm sorry that my recent stand has made you uncomfortable. I admit that I had selfish intentions. It's just that I felt pity towards Maxim, I'm sorry. You have every right to make any decision that is best for you. You can leave now. I’ll talk to him.” Trevor wanted to properly advise Maxim.Only that he wasn't sure he could be persuaded.Gianna glanced at Maxim on the bed and sighed feebly.She was really tired.There was only one thought in her head right now.She didn’t see her future with him.**********Declan woke up at seven o'clock that afternoon."Water...”Before Josh could act, Ashley quickly picked up the water and moved closer to bed, making Declan drink the water.Declan strained to take a few sips.The burning sensation in his throat
“When I made that promise, I was stupid!”“But you genuinely loved me.”He argued.“And what did you do?”“Haven’t I been trying multiple times to gain your forgiveness? Why can’t you just forgive me.”“Because nothing good can come out of being with you!”She informed him.Maxim was speechless.Gianna sneered."Now, get your people out of the way! Don't stop me!"Maxim’s eyes were indifferent and numb, but his tone was very firm."I'm not going to let you go to Gupa. Calm down, stay, I'll have someone help you with whatever you need, but you can't go."Gianna’s pretty face was resolute."No! I'm going by myself!"She wanted to see Griffin in person.She was away from Griffin and Lily, and knew nothing about their situation, in the final analysis, it was still because her mind was all about Maxim.She needed to be there for her friend now.Maxim seemed to be about to say something else when Gianna’s cell phone rang once more.She glanced at it, and a look of surprise instantly surged ac
Gianna couldn't care less about Maxim and directly ran towards the elevator entrance with quick steps.Maxim tried to get up from the ground, his movements were too weak to support him.Trevor had been hiding in the doorway, and when he heard that the two had gotten into an argument, he immediately ran out.Seeing Maxim’s condition, he was shocked.He hurried up to help Maxim.“Are you okay?"Maxim couldn't care less about his own body, and with a pale face and shaking hands, he pointed at Gianna.“Don't…let her go."It was those few words that made Maxim’s entire body tremble.Trevor was going crazy.“What was all the bickering about again?"The coziness between Maxim and Gianna definitely couldn't last ten minutes!When Maxim saw that the Trevor didn't act, he roared in anger, "She's going to Gupa, stop her!"When he finished speaking, he started coughing violently from over-stimulation.Trevor’s face changed and he hurriedly said to the bodyguard."Quick, stop her!"Trevor original
He wasn’t willing to take it.Trevor helplessly said, “Gianna went to buy food for you, and if she comes back in a while to see you like this. She is going to be so worried.”Maxim, who had his eyes tightly closed, frowned slightly.He sat up anyway and took his medicine.It was just so that he didn't want her to worry.Trevor looked at the various changes Maxim had made now because of Gianna , and he almost didn't recognize him anymore.Now Maxim became difficult.But as long as it had something to do with Gianna, he’d compromise.Love?Definitely love.If he loved her so much, why didn’t him care about her before?If he had shown it before, it would have already been a sweet, sweet romantic relationship between him and Gianna.Why are they torturing each other like this now?Seeing that he had taken the medicine, Trevor asked him, "The fact that you have found four experts to teach you about relationships shows that you are really changing, which is a good thing. But you should unde
Regarding Ashley, it was only recently that she appeared Declan’s life.Declan was very special to her.Gave her a lot of resources.To be honest, Ashley was good looking.But definitely not pretty enough to be stunning.Even with so much work done on her face, Josh, the doctor, could see it at a glance.He really didn't understand the vision of this brother of his.Beautiful women like Ashley are a dime a dozen on the street.Declan really wanted to play with his life, he could totally find a better one.But he was just special to Ashley.He respected her.Josh shrugged, to each with their own.Josh looked at Ashley crying and knew that he couldn't ask anything from her.His cell phone rang.He picked it up and looked at it.His face instantly became hard.He went to the corner and picked it up."Big brother."A low voice came from across the room."What's going on with Declan?"“He's in the emergency ward, things are still being investigated, and the message from the police is that
"Yes.”Maxim’s voice was dry and hoarse.There was a determination in his weak voice.Trevor shut his eyes.In the past, watching Gianna care for Maxim, watching Gianna love Maxim, he felt bad for Gianna.Now looking at Maxim care for Gianna, love Gianna, he felt bad for him as well.These two people were in love, why did they have to engage in this kind of torture game.Can't they just have a nice conversation, make up or break up for good?Gianna held on for three years without letting go.Now the situation between the two turned around and Maxim who was unwilling to let go.Trevor was genuinely tired.Maxim didn't care about his body, the pendant was firmly held in his hand, as if it was his saving grace, like the pendant was his future with Gianna.Trevor knew he’d spent the whole day in that pond until he found it.Maxim said weakly to Trevor, "Don't tell her about today