Elizabeth’s Point of View "Good morning." Richard’s voice cut through, as I forced my eyes open. My whole body ached, my head pounded, and the moment I was fully awake, last night came crashing down on me. My fingers clenched the blanket, and I quickly pulled it over myself, as if that would somehow shield me from reality. "Did you sleep well?" Richard asked, sounding unusually… chirpy? Did I sleep well? I asked myself the same question. How could I, after what he had said? After he had whispered her name. My chest tightened, my heart sinking lower into the pit of my stomach. "I made you breakfast." Richard smiled as he placed a tray on the bed table, looking way too pleased with himself. I stared at the meal, my stomach twisting. Breakfast in bed—he had told me about having breakfast in bed with her. He really just wanted me to be her. I clenched the blanket tighter, my eyes shifting from the tray to him. "I’m not hungry," I muttered, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Elizabeth’s Point of View A week had passed. Everything was quiet—strangely so. Richard had kept his word, and I was free. But I missed him. I shouldn’t, but I did. My life was finally falling back into place. Jessica was returning soon, preparing for her finals, and I had money—more than I’d ever had before. Aside from the twelve thousand Richard had paid me weekly for the past month, he had deposited a hundred thousand dollars into my account after the contract ended. I didn’t even notice until I was halfway back to Kingston. Ideally, I would have called him to ask about it. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I refused to give myself any excuse to reopen that door. Aside from the dull ache in my chest and the way my mind annoyingly refused to stop thinking about him, I was fine. Completely fine. Now, I was counting down my remaining days at S. Tech, ready to finally start my own business. Elizabeth’s Point of View "Elizabeth," Sabrina’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I blink
Elizabeth's point of view; "What!" We exclaimed getting to our feet and rushing to the hallway where the commotion was going on. There people gathered, whispering among themselves. I was still trying to process what was happening when I heard my name. "Elizabeth," Sabrina’s voice was hushed as she walked up to me. I swallowed hard. "Ma'am?" "You were the last person to see Mr. William in his office," she said, her voice low but firm. "What happened?" My heart pounded in my chest. "I—I don’t know," I stammered, shaking my head. "I just heard that he collapsed. Is he okay?" And Sabrina sighed running a hand through her hair, "no one knows yet" she said looking through the window where and ambulance and police van stood. Her words were followed by a eerie silence which was interrupted by the sharp ding of the elevatorAll eyes turned as the doors slid open. Beatrice stepped out, her gaze locking onto me."You!" she yelled. "You were the last person to see Mr. William al
Elizabeth’s Point of view;"What?!" My heart pounded. All this—just because of what I said? Sylvia was truly ruthless. "Don't worry about it," Richard assured me. "I’ll handle it. We just need the CCTV footage from my father’s office and anything else before they tamper with it." I furrowed my brows. Was it really this serious? Was this what Sylvia meant when she said I’d regret it? Nodding, I followed Richard down a hallway I hadn't even known existed until we reached the security room. Inside, multiple screens displayed live footage from every part of the building—including the C.E.O’s office. "Martin, I want to see the footage from thirty minutes before my father’s incident," Richard instructed the security guard stationed at the monitors. The guard nodded, swiftly pulling up the recording. The screen flickered, showing the moment Sabrina and I entered William’s office. "No audio?" Richard asked. Martin shook his head. "Video only, sir." Richard nodded, his eyes glu
Elizabeth's Point of View: A week had passed, yet I hadn’t heard a word about the accusations against me—not even from the usual gossipmongers in the office. The silence was unsettling, but I liked it. I had considered using Mr. William’s absence as an opportunity to leave the office for good, but it turned out to be impossible. The place was in complete chaos. Mr. William had been an underestimated glue holding everything together. With him gone, the director of accounting was made acting CEO, and the man was a menace. In no time, he managed to frustrate everyone. Many employees were already considering resignation. He canceled lunch breaks, made the company restaurant start charging us for meals, and, to make things worse, refused to acknowledge my leave request, claiming I had to reapply under the new administration. What a jerk. "You know we can sue him, right?" James whispered, his eyes darting toward the security cameras as he spoke. "Sue the whole company and get a set
Richard's Point of ViewI was bored. Bored to death. The club had a beautiful ambiance, but apart from that, nothing else was amusing—not the women dancing in front of me, nor the cheap wine I struggled to sip. "You enjoying yourself?" Maxwell asked, leaning closer. I shot him an annoyed look. "Do I look like I’m enjoying myself?" I spat, leaning back into the leather chair. The seat let out a sharp squeak under my weight, worsening my irritation. If Maxwell hadn’t stolen my keys and dragged me to this cheap strip club, I would have spent my night doing something a thousand times better. "C'mon, Richie Rich," Maxwell teased, his grin widening as if he enjoyed my discomfort. "You've been celibate for three years. Look around this room. There are plenty of women here—women who would happily help you forget about that—" He stopped himself, swallowing his words. Laura. He’d almost said the name I couldn’t stand hearing, I gave him a warning glance, and he raised his hands in surre
Elizabeth's point of view "Your sister's condition is critical. If we don't operate on her soon, I'm afraid you may lose her," the nurse's words hit me like a sledgehammer. 'Lose her' The phrase echoed in my mind as I stared at Jessica's still form lying on the bed, her frail body plugged into various machines like a puppet. "Is there any way you can help me? Just do the operation before I get the money," I pleaded, even though I knew it was futile. "I'm sorry, we can't. Not without at least a deposit," she responded, her words making my legs feel weak. Jessica was the only family I had left. I couldn't afford to lose her. But where was I supposed to find fifty thousand dollars? I had no money, and the bank had only offered me a fifteen-thousand-dollar loan on the condition that I had a white-collar job. "Ms. James, I can only give you three days to bring the money. If not, I'm afraid we’ll have to discharge her. Our hospital can't be responsible for what happens to her," the n
Elizabeth's point of view: The next day."Are you Ms. Elizabeth James?" the receptionist asked, her voice cutting through my haze. After what happened yesterday at the club, I spent the rest of the night applying for a white collar job, anything that would make me eligible for a loan from the bank, "Ms. Elizabeth James," she repeated, her tone sharp with impatience. "Ah, yes, that's me," I stammered, realizing too late she’d been addressing me all along. My heart raced as I stood, silently berating myself for zoning out at the worst possible moment. "The CEO will see you now," she said, giving me a look that screamed she had better things to do. 'Calm down, Elizabeth. You’ve got this,' I tried to give myself a little pep talk, this was my last interview for the day and I had spent the whole day listening to the routine, "we would get back to you". After this I had no backup plan, no safety net. 'Please God, help me get this job" I prayed silently as I stepped into the offic
Elizabeth's Point of View: A week had passed, yet I hadn’t heard a word about the accusations against me—not even from the usual gossipmongers in the office. The silence was unsettling, but I liked it. I had considered using Mr. William’s absence as an opportunity to leave the office for good, but it turned out to be impossible. The place was in complete chaos. Mr. William had been an underestimated glue holding everything together. With him gone, the director of accounting was made acting CEO, and the man was a menace. In no time, he managed to frustrate everyone. Many employees were already considering resignation. He canceled lunch breaks, made the company restaurant start charging us for meals, and, to make things worse, refused to acknowledge my leave request, claiming I had to reapply under the new administration. What a jerk. "You know we can sue him, right?" James whispered, his eyes darting toward the security cameras as he spoke. "Sue the whole company and get a set
Elizabeth’s Point of view;"What?!" My heart pounded. All this—just because of what I said? Sylvia was truly ruthless. "Don't worry about it," Richard assured me. "I’ll handle it. We just need the CCTV footage from my father’s office and anything else before they tamper with it." I furrowed my brows. Was it really this serious? Was this what Sylvia meant when she said I’d regret it? Nodding, I followed Richard down a hallway I hadn't even known existed until we reached the security room. Inside, multiple screens displayed live footage from every part of the building—including the C.E.O’s office. "Martin, I want to see the footage from thirty minutes before my father’s incident," Richard instructed the security guard stationed at the monitors. The guard nodded, swiftly pulling up the recording. The screen flickered, showing the moment Sabrina and I entered William’s office. "No audio?" Richard asked. Martin shook his head. "Video only, sir." Richard nodded, his eyes glu
Elizabeth's point of view; "What!" We exclaimed getting to our feet and rushing to the hallway where the commotion was going on. There people gathered, whispering among themselves. I was still trying to process what was happening when I heard my name. "Elizabeth," Sabrina’s voice was hushed as she walked up to me. I swallowed hard. "Ma'am?" "You were the last person to see Mr. William in his office," she said, her voice low but firm. "What happened?" My heart pounded in my chest. "I—I don’t know," I stammered, shaking my head. "I just heard that he collapsed. Is he okay?" And Sabrina sighed running a hand through her hair, "no one knows yet" she said looking through the window where and ambulance and police van stood. Her words were followed by a eerie silence which was interrupted by the sharp ding of the elevatorAll eyes turned as the doors slid open. Beatrice stepped out, her gaze locking onto me."You!" she yelled. "You were the last person to see Mr. William al
Elizabeth’s Point of View A week had passed. Everything was quiet—strangely so. Richard had kept his word, and I was free. But I missed him. I shouldn’t, but I did. My life was finally falling back into place. Jessica was returning soon, preparing for her finals, and I had money—more than I’d ever had before. Aside from the twelve thousand Richard had paid me weekly for the past month, he had deposited a hundred thousand dollars into my account after the contract ended. I didn’t even notice until I was halfway back to Kingston. Ideally, I would have called him to ask about it. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I refused to give myself any excuse to reopen that door. Aside from the dull ache in my chest and the way my mind annoyingly refused to stop thinking about him, I was fine. Completely fine. Now, I was counting down my remaining days at S. Tech, ready to finally start my own business. Elizabeth’s Point of View "Elizabeth," Sabrina’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I blink
Elizabeth’s Point of View "Good morning." Richard’s voice cut through, as I forced my eyes open. My whole body ached, my head pounded, and the moment I was fully awake, last night came crashing down on me. My fingers clenched the blanket, and I quickly pulled it over myself, as if that would somehow shield me from reality. "Did you sleep well?" Richard asked, sounding unusually… chirpy? Did I sleep well? I asked myself the same question. How could I, after what he had said? After he had whispered her name. My chest tightened, my heart sinking lower into the pit of my stomach. "I made you breakfast." Richard smiled as he placed a tray on the bed table, looking way too pleased with himself. I stared at the meal, my stomach twisting. Breakfast in bed—he had told me about having breakfast in bed with her. He really just wanted me to be her. I clenched the blanket tighter, my eyes shifting from the tray to him. "I’m not hungry," I muttered, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Richard’s point of view; I felt like a complete jerk. Everything I had been doing—every touch, every word—was to get Elizabeth in my bed. But I didn’t want her to give me a performance like she did with other men; I wanted her to fully give in to want it, to want me. And then I found out she was a virgin. A fucking virgin. I felt like a monster. How had I been playing with someone who was truly innocent? What did that make me? No better than Laura. I stopped immediately. I couldn’t even explain to her that it had all been a game, that it was all a play. she looked upset—hurt, even. If I didn’t know her to be so damn stubborn, I would’ve thought she was in love with me. No more games, Richard. That’s what I told myself on the ride back. But what if it wasn’t a game anymore? What if this was something real? She was amazing. Innocent. Everything I had once wanted Laura to be. I stood at her door, apologizing, realizing too late that I had embarrassed her. She probably didn’
Elizabeth’s Point of View "I'm sorry," Richard said, his gaze dropping briefly to the ground before meeting mine again. "For what?" I asked, my voice steady. "You didn’t do anything wrong" I dismissed.Richard exhaled deeply. "I had no idea you were really a virgin. I would never have wanted your first time to be in an old cottage, on the bare floor," he said, his tone heavy with regret. I let out a low sigh. Was that really it? "You could’ve at least said so," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I know. I was just… shocked," Richard admitted. "Everything I thought about you was wrong." I rolled my eyes again. "Right. And now you’re sorry." "I am," he added, and something about the way he said it unsettled me. It felt like he wasn’t just apologizing for this—but for something else entirely. "It’s fine," I said quickly, eager to end this conversation. "I had a great time today. Goodnight." But Richard didn’t move. He stood there, watching me, hesitation written all over hi
Elizabeth's point of view:Richard pulled me closer, His lips claiming mine, like a predator who had finally found its prey, demanding, possessive and hungry. I gasped, my hands instinctively wrapping around his neck as I let him in, kissing him back. His tongue claimed my mouth.And another gasp escaped me as his hands moved down my back, tracing my body like Braille before pulling me closer. I slammed against his chest, holding him tighter, my body trembling with anticipation. Without breaking contact, he gently lowered me to the wooden floor. The moment my back touched the ground, another surge of desire coursed through me. “Richard!” I moaned, eyes fluttering shut as his hands slid toward my thighs, gently tugging at the hem of my dress. I arched my waist, making it easier for him, and before I knew it, my coat and dress were gone, leaving me in nothing but my underwear. He paused, his gaze raking over me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “You’re perfect,” he whisp
Elizabeth's point of view: I opened my eyes to find that Richard was already off his horse, his hands stretched out to help me down as if the moment we’d almost had never happened. This was the second time he had passed on the chance to be closer, and it was getting to me. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I adjusted my hair, pretending it wasn’t awkward as I let him guide me to the ground. "Next time, try not to nearly kill yourself in the process." I rolled my eyes. "I had it under control." Richard chuckled. "You sure did," he teased, his gaze lingering on me before shifting toward the orchard. My eyes followed his, taking in the beauty before me—endless rows of apple trees, their branches heavy with ripe, red fruit. A wooden ladder stood beside one of the larger trees, inviting. "As the winner, you get the honor of picking the apples for the day," Richard announced, guiding me toward the tree. I reached up, carefully plucking the reddest apples I could find and placing them