JealousyIsabella's POV*Hmph...think you're better than me, hun?* I scoffed inwardly, maintaining a perfunctory smile.So bold of her to have asked why I left Korea to come work at Spotlight Desk. Not even the higher-ups knew the truth.My mother had died a long time ago and...."Miss. Fernanda, Miss. Moretti" A thick voice called, interrupting my thoughts. My smile faded away as I shifted my gaze off Luisa to see who had called.It was a young-looking looking naive man dressed in a blue suit and a pair of black pants."What is it?" Luisa asked indifferently.The man bowed slightly. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your peaceful time. The thing is Mr. Gabriel wants you to come for a photoshoot right now with Miss. Moretti.""Now?" I arched an eyebrow. "How come we weren't informed about it beforehand?""We also weren't informed, but who are we to refuse the directors" the man replied."Ugh...who leads like that?" I scoffed, looking at Luisa who strangely remained silent.She sighed and ut
A bold moveElizabeth's POV"Who told you I'm engaged to Diego?" I questioned, stupefied by the accusation.Raphael scoffed in disgust. "Isn't it obvious? He clings to you like a leech and you never shun him. Your parents are also not against him.""Wow, your imagination is beyond my understanding" I smiled mockingly, then snorted. "Don't tell me you keep tabs on me. If that's it, you better stop. You won't get anything good out of it. Besides, my dad won't be lenient with you if he finds out you're stalking me. You're dad's job...""I'm not stalking you" He cut me off sharply, his expression grim. "I'm not that irresponsible. I should also make one thing clear - I won't get over my feelings easily, so till I'm over you, stay out of my sight. Please...""That's my line, Raph" I retorted coldly. "It's my father's house and his company. I'm free to do whatever pleases me and appear wherever I want."Raphael's jaw clenched and his hands balled into a fist."Fine. Suit yourself" He grumbl
SuccessAdrian's POV"Let me go or this man is going down before your very eyes" Ivan yelled, stepping back. He pressed the gun tightly to the detective's skull and it clicked, causing everyone to shudder in fear.Everyone froze in fear, watching the detective try to wiggle his way out, but it was pointless. No one had expected such a swift change of position. A life was at stake and a single misstep could waste every effort we put into getting the company from Ivan.I glanced around to see everyone quivering. It seemed I was the only one who still had my sanity intact. I felt a hand on my shoulders and turned to see Javier standing behind me with confusion etched on his face."What do we do?" He asked, his voice barely audible. "I doubt he can be convinced with words.""Of course not. He's out of his mind" I hollered bluntly. "Just give me some time to find us a way out of this mess.""Alright," Javier sighed and stepped back.My head snapped back to Ivan, who was breathing heavily w
A set-upLuisa's POV"So weird" I shrugged and sauntered into my dressing room. It had been mine for years, and someone was trying to intrude. Even if it was a mistake, it still felt weird.As usual, the dress I needed to wear was hung on a human model. Yes, as the number one model in my industry, I had cleaners, make-up artists, and fashionistas assigned to me.Immediately, a knock came on the door, interrupting my thoughts. I guessed who was at the door, so I didn't hesitate to let the person in, or rather, people. The door creaked open and the make-up artist and her apprentice walked in with smiles on their faces. I wasn't friendly with them, but we were on good terms."Hello," I greeted curtly."Good day, Miss. Fernanda" Anna, the boss greeted and her apprentice bowed."Mr. Ruiz won't be available to help you wear your dress, so we'll be in charge of it for today" Anna added, and I nodded in approval. I had nothing against that."Okay, let's get to work" Anna dramatized, giving u
DeceivedIsabella's POV"Let's see how long it's going to take you to endure before your fall" I mumbled incoherently, my eyes fixed on Luisa who kept posing from different angles with a proud smile on her face.I was even proud of her. I mean, for someone who didn't have people on her side, she became great with just her talent and hard work alone. Too bad, it was all going to end soon. While smiling perfunctorily, I studied the surroundings and noticed the cameras above and behind. Thankfully, none was on me.Without informing Gabriel, I maneuvered my way out of the room and waltzed back to the dressing room. I had a hunch that the maids would always clean up when the room owners were done and my guess was right. Two ladies were walking out of Luisa's room, holding cleaning equipment.Ready to put my plan in motion, I dug out the eye pencil I had hidden in my dress. I smeared my face with it and tightened my eyeballs repeatedly to force tears out of it. Apart from being a model, I w
Hurtful wordsAdrian's POV"What's going on here?" Miguel questioned, his voice cold.He hadn't noticed my presence yet, which was a good opportunity to know what was going on."I came to see Adrian" The brown-haired lady responded proudly, and it made me wonder if we were that close to having her call me by my first name.That alone made Miguel livid."Did you just call the CEO by his name?" Miguel berated. "I thought you would be as cultured as your dressing."Wow!!That was savage. Miguel was never the one to disappoint in areas like that."How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who Adrian is to me?" The lady snarled. "If he finds out you embarrassed me, you might lose your job."I laughed inwardly, trying to imagine the scenario that could make me choose a badmouthed woman over my competent assistant."You don't know what you're talking about," Miguel said mockingly. "If you claim to know him, how come I haven't seen you anywhere near him before?""He's my fiance" She dec
FramedLuisa's POV"What's going on here?" Gabriel asked with an angry look. "What in the world happened to courtesy?""We're sorry, Mr. Gabriel, but you have to see this," One of the ladies said, and the other turned a bag to the ground and emptied the contents."What the hell...?" Gabriel trailed off. It was all drugs and pills."These are hips and buttocks enlargement drugs that we found in Miss. Fernanda's dressing room" The first lady announced."Huh..." I pouted in confusion, my mouth agape, and my body froze on a spot. No way. I probably misheard her.I subconsciously glanced at Gabriel whose face looked distorted. My gaze shifted to see other workers watching with keen eyes. I could feel a cover of darkness looming over me.Gabriel took a deep breath and uttered. "Care to explain?"Melissa, the second lady, avoided my gaze while speaking. "We decided to clean up Miss. Fernanda's dressing room as usual. Violet was wiping the make-up table when she found this bag behind the jewe
ArrestedIsabella's POVTwo hours agoI knew that just claiming to have seen the bag in the room was baseless. The ladies would be questioned. However, I didn't care about them getting locked up. I mean, even if my name was mentioned, they had no proof, and I had more say than them. Still, my goal wouldn't be achieved.I stood in the dressing room, scanning the area carefully. A moment passed before I sighted a camera fixed on the ceiling."Ahhhh!" I gasped in shock.I had a lot of work to do, or I would be the one rotting in jail. I couldn't believe I didn't think of that before framing Luisa.I paced back and forth for the next few minutes before a smart idea popped into my head. I was joyous. Yes, it was going to work.I dug my phone from my pocket and opened it, I dialed a number and placed the phone against my ear. The call was picked up on the first ring."Hello, Bella," The alluring voice rang out, sending shivers down my spine.I was speechless but later found my voice. "Hello
ConfessionAdrian's POV"Boss, I found something" Miguel announced. "Pardon me, but I hacked into Madame's phone.""Go on" I urged."The second to the last person she spoke to was a colleague of hers in Spotlight Desk. Her name is Rose" Miguel further revealed. "They were supposed to meet at Madame's house, but she met with someone else. That isn't the important thing right now. The main thing is the same Rose was seen going into Elite Club through the CCTV footage an hour before Madame got there."I was confused. "Unharmed?""Yes, boss" Miguel affirmed. "She went in on her own accord. We need to find her before she escapes. I believe the men you captured are in the best position to help solve the mystery.""Can't you dig further?" I queried, clenching my fist."I can, and I'm on it, but we need the men's confession too" Miguel stated with conviction.A moment passed before I replied. "Fine. I'll head to the basement when I'm done sorting the hospital issues. For the time being, focus
RescuedAdrian's POV"Get your filthy hands off her now" I commanded with an indifferent voice. I realized showing my emotions would only put me at a disadvantage. Yes, it was my territory, but I needed to maintain my image."Or what?" The man challenged, snapping his fingers. Two of his men tossed their guns aside and dashed towards me with their fist balled, ready for a fight."Hmph...." I pursed my lips and dodged the first fist effortlessly. I grabbed the second one and twisted it, making the man wince in pain.Satisfied, I sent him flying backward with a strong kick. The first man was staring at me with shock written on his face.It wasn't my fault. I barely showed my skills unless I was pushed to the wall. Also, controlling my strength was quite difficult. My blood was already boiling with excitement. They had angered me, awakening the demon in me.I swiftly grabbed his neck with his hands and slammed his head against the wall. I repeated the same actions again and again till he
AttackedAdrian's POV"He's gay!!" James yelled, his face etched with horror. "What the actual heck?!"I smirked. "I know, right? I texted Miguel before Philip arrived. I told him to prepare more men and get incriminating evidence that could bring the enemy down.""You mean you knew about this all along?" James questioned, looking upset.I shook my head in denial. Not like I owed him any explanation, but he needed to know the truth."I didn't know about the truth until you mentioned it" I countered. "I'm surprised too, but nothing in this world is supposed to catch us unaware. There's still more we haven't known of yet."James laughed wryly, scrolling through his phone. "I get your point, Big boss, but this man is old. Videos are trending online, except for the fact that his face is not visible. He's lucky.""He's not" I argued. "We made it that way. If he doesn't get his people off my land within the stipulated time, the full video will be released.""Gross!!" James whined. "It's dis
HopelessLuisa's POV"How much is the money?" I berated, cutting him off."Money?" The man laughed. "Who told you we needed your money?""What then do you want?" I asked, sensing an ominous sign."Keep quiet and hear him out. Stop jumping to conclusions on your own" Spencer chipped in, his tone threatening. I didn't dare speak after that.I remained silent, waiting patiently to hear their demand. Suddenly, the door opened and men holding guns trooped in with a grim look on their faces.My heart jumped into my mouth as I stared at them with fear written on my face. It was not what I planned for.My head snapped to the two men sitting in front of me."What's going on here?" I questioned, my voice trembling. "I thought the deal was between the three of us.""It is" Spencer replied, smirking. "We just need to make sure you follow every instruction given to you without showing even a tiny little bit of resistance. Stanley, over to you.""Now, listen" The elderly man called Stanley said, hi
A shocking revelationAdrian's POV"You killed him?" James asked, his brows raised. "Why?""He became worthless the moment he failed to perform the simple task given to him" The old man stated, blowing the smoke off the pistol in his hands. "I don't hold on to cowards for too long."I scoffed inwardly, observing the man. It was quite rare to find old men like him with such guts. Others would have left their lackeys to do the dirty work."Now, back to business" He broke the silence, glaring hard at James. "Were you the one who knocked my right-hand man down?"James swallowed hard and threw a glance at me. He wasn't scared, was he?The old man's gaze was piercing. Even the rest of the men my people had managed to subdue were shaking in fear. I guessed it was understandable.Getting involved was inevitable then."He did" I replied with an indifferent voice, dipping my hand into my pocket. "Your men trespassed by working on the land that legally belongs to me, so they had to pay. Don't te
First VisitLuisa's POV"Elite Club" I declared, getting into the cab I had ordered a few minutes ago. "Please, be quick."Strangely, the cab didn't move. I saw the driver frown through the rearview mirror."Elite Club?" He questioned, sounding displeased.I nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Elite Club. What's wrong?""Haven't you heard the rumors surrounding that place?" He questioned, his voice laced with warning. "You should have heard of people going in and never coming out again."I broke down in cold sweat. "What?!""Yes, it's a club everyone is familiar with here in the Philippines. You should have heard of it" The driver stated. "I don't mind taking you there since I'll be parking outside where the crowd would see me. But if you go inside, your life won't be in your hands anymore."It was my first time hearing about Elite Club. It sounded unique at first. Maybe it was unique in its way. At that point, I recalled my conversation on the phone with the strange man.I shook my head to
DefeatAdrian's POV"Big boss, I'll take care of the ponytail guy" James whispered, his lips curved into an eerie smile as his hands balled into a fist.I smiled knowingly. "I know. You can do whatever you want. Just don't get hurt, and try hard not to show all your trump cards; I can't risk allowing the enemies to predict our every move.""Roger that, Big boss" James replied absentmindedly. I was certain the wind had blown half of my words past his ears.Our men had already engaged in one-on-one combat with the enemies. The strength and teamwork of the enemies were way beyond what I had imagined. It was going to take a lot of guts to deal with them. I just hoped it wasn't going to lead to the part where I got involved."Okay," James snarled and dashed towards Scorpio, who already took a fighting stance.Instantly, the sound of fists echoed through the air. To my uttermost surprise, the Scorpio guy was quite deceptive; I could see it in his moves. James had received a few blows alread
AbductedLuisa's POVWhat in the world was she doing here?Immediately, our gaze met, and her eyes glittered with excitement. The thought of turning back and leaving crossed my mind, but for a reason, I couldn't move."Luisa!" She screamed out, rushing to me. "I've been trying to reach you for a week now."I inhaled sharply to calm my racing heart."How did you get my house address, Sarah?" I questioned with a cold voice, my gaze darkened.Sarah shrugged. "I had to speak to someone at Spotlight Desk. Don't blame me, it was the only way I could get to you. I was here last night, but you weren't around."I kept listening to her blabbering, anger rising in the pit of my stomach. Whoever disclosed such confidential information to her had put my life at risk. What if she came here with bad intentions?I took a deep breath. "Sarah, now that you've seen me, you can leave now."I tried to walk away, but she pulled me back. The image of the last incident flashed before my eyes. I swatted her h
SOSAdrian's POVIt was the audacity for me. Alvarez Innovation was a growing company that started four years ago, unlike Santoria Industries which has been in existence for decades now.Perhaps, their head knew nothing about the power we held in Asia. It seemed some people just needed to be lectured the hard way to instill discipline into them."Big boss" My bodyguards acknowledged me in unison.I nodded in approval and turned to one of them. "Go tell the head of our construction workers to keep working. Whatever's going to happen shouldn't bother them.""Noted, boss" He replied, and walked away.The rest of them didn't need to be told. They all marched towards the place the enemies claimed to be their territory. I didn't even need to be at the front line. Soon enough, bones cracked and shrill screams echoed through the air.James walked up to me with a satisfying smirk on his lips."Big boss, the man we spoke to earlier wants to say something" He revealed."Bring him over" I ordered