Luxury
Luisa's POV Go to jail and ruin my whole career? No way! I'd rather stay married to him. He wasn't bad anyway; I was certain I would be fine. Still, I felt uncomfortable. I should have known rich men were hard to please. Can't believe I'm married to a stranger, because of my foolishness. "We're leaving now" I heard him declare, and my thoughts ended abruptly. "I beg your pardon?" I exclaimed. "You heard me" He smirked, and stood up. I took a step back and stuttered. "I... I'm sorry, but I have to pack." "Don't worry about that. I already have that in control" Miguel chipped in, his eyes on his phone and he typed on it. "I already texted someone to come help you with that." "But, sir...." I trailed off, seeing the angry look on his face. "What's it?" He walked up to me and grabbed my chin. Honestly, I hadn't seen that coming. He leaned forward and whispered into my ears, his breath hot. "You should know my name by now." "Huh...." The words stuck in my throat and I shuddered, my lips pursed. A moment passed, but no words were exchanged. He was probably expecting me to say his name, but I was quite stubborn. His eyes squinted and he let go of me. "The next time you call me sir, you'll be punished. Don't take my words for granted" He warned sternly. I swallowed hard and stepped away from him. "At least, let me get some of my stuff. I can't leave empty-handed." "Fine. You have ten minutes" He declared. I bit my lips to stop the curse threatening to fall and dashed to the stairs. Getting to my room, I picked up the marriage certificate on my bed and checked the name. Adrian Gonzalez. Never heard of him before. I was more into people in the entertainment industry than the business world, but I needed to know more about this man so I made a mental note to dig into his profile on the internet. I was quite confused, so my packing was in disarray. Within five minutes, I managed to pack whatever came to my mind into a small bag. I grabbed it and stepped out of the room, and suddenly, Miguel appeared before me. "Let me help you with that, Madame," He said and snatched the bag from me before I could even think of disagreeing. I watched as he turned and left, and sighed. It seems Adrian was outside. I walked behind Miguel and locked the door. Then, I handed the keys to Miguel after much thought. My body was kind of stiff as I tried to sit in the car. I just felt it was too expensive. Lord!! Where did my self-esteem go? The ride was silent until Miguel drove the car through a large black gate. I hadn't even gotten a better view of the place and my heart was already beating erratically. The moment I stepped out of the car, I froze on my spot, my mouth agape as the magnificent towering structure stared down at me. I didn't realize I had stopped moving until I felt a nudge. "Move," Adrian said coldly and walked ahead of us. I snorted in disgust and trailed behind him. The moment I stepped foot into the penthouse, the sweet scent of freshly cut flowers wafted through my nostrils, instantly calming my mind. My widened eyes wandered around the expansive room, taking in the sleek modern decor. The polished marble floor beneath my feet was endless, leading me to the floor-to-ceiling window that wrapped around the perimeter of the penthouse. I was mesmerized. I had been to luxurious houses for shoots and business meetings, but this one was off the charts. "Joyce, when you're done staring, the butler will take you to your room" called Adrian with a prideful tone and I turned to see a middle-aged man standing next to him. "This is Charles, my butler. You can always turn to him if I'm not around" Adrian added. "The maids are also available to attend to your needs. I have something urgent to attend to, so we'll talk later." Adrian walked away and I turned to the butler. "Where's my room?" "Come with me," Charles said and took the lead. Surprisingly, we took the elevator instead of the stairs. The room was luxurious as I expected. "I'll leave you to get yourself settled. You can press the intercom button if you need help with anything" Charles stated, pointing to my bedside table. I exhaled heavily and nodded. "Thank you." I spent the next two hours sightseeing. To my uttermost surprise, the room had its garden, balcony, lounge, and pool. The wardrobe was also stuck with a variety of clothes made by different designers, and I couldn't help but wonder how he got my accurate size. The opportunity to live a princess life had already presented itself, but I felt uncomfortable spending the money of the man I had forced a ring on. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life and I would never forget it. My stomach grumbled suddenly and I froze. I was torn between waiting till I was called for dinner or leaving to get it myself. At that moment, a knock came on the door. "Come in," I said, and the door creaked open. A young girl walked in with a nervous smile on her lips. "Yes?" I urged her to speak. "Master demands for your presence. He's in his study room" She replied meekly, her head bowed. Her actions were annoying, but the sound my stomach was making was my major concern right now. I inhaled sharply and glanced at the wall clock. "When are we having dinner?" "In fifteen minutes, Madame" She replied, and I sighed in relief. "Good. You can go." "What exactly did he want to see me for?" I mumbled incoherently as I stepped out of the room. It had skipped my hand to ask for the direction of the study room. Luckily for me, a maid was walking along the corridor, so she directed me to the place. My blood ran cold as I stood before the door. I raised my hands to know, but the door suddenly opened by itself and Adrian's face appeared, catching me off guard. "Hmph... Let's go have dinner" He stated coldly and walked past me. My legs moved on their own. We trotted downstairs and got to the dining area. The dishes were already set, and the aroma itself was tantalizing. I was trying not to drool as I watched Adrian take his seat. "Ugh... What a perfect gentleman" I grumbled silently, and his head snapped to me. "What was that?" I shook my head vigorously and said. "Nothing." Suddenly, my phone rang out. My eyes widened as I glanced at the screen. What a wrong time for my manager to call. I reluctantly answered and placed the phone against my ear. "Hello," I muttered, my voice barely audible. "Hmph... Where are you? I'm standing right in front of your house" Mr. Torres berated. "What?!" I spat and glanced at Adrian. "Wherever you are, come over here right now!" He ordered and hung up before I could say a word.A trap Adrian's POV "What is it?" I asked sharply, annoyed by the interruption. One of the things I valued greatly was table manners. A fearful glint flashed through her eyes as she stuttered in reply. "My... My manager is at my house. How do I tell him I've moved out? If he finds out about this, my career is over." I exhaled heavily and dropped my cutleries on my plate. At one point, I shrugged. "You insisted on keeping our marriage secret, so you have to deal with it yourself." "What?!" Luisa exclaimed. "What are you saying? I'm not the one who insisted on moving in today?" "That's not my problem" I fired back. "I didn't force a ring on your finger." Luisa stood up abruptly and banged her fist on the table. Her cheeks were burning red with anger. She wanted to lash out but was probably short of words. "Have your seat and finish up your meal" I ordered. "You're not my father" She snapped and walked away, dashing to the stairs. My cutleries hung in midair as I sighed deeply.
His territoryAdrian's POV"You're making a big mistake, you know" I let out a deep scowl."Nah... This is a golden opportunity for me" Ortega retorted nonchalantly. "I had my men keep an eye out for your assistant. That was how I got to know you were coming. It's so stupid of you to have come here alone.""Well, I guess you still have that mentality of you being the most powerful" He added."And what's wrong with that?" I berated. "I'm undeniably the most powerful.""Not for long. I'll be taking that title away from you tonight" Ortega declared with a frosty voice, his eyes narrowed. "Have your seat."I remained adamant but had to comply when his men cocked their guns. I needed to make him have a little taste of victory before turning the tables. That way seemed interesting.I crossed my legs on the sofa and smirked. "Now, tell me, Mr. Ortega, what do you want?"The man chuckled amusingly and stood up. He walked to a desk and picked up a document. He walked back to me and dropped it
Chapter 9PrideLuisa's POV"Oh, no!" I exclaimed as my stomach grumbled for the umpteenth time.Thankfully, my manager had called to tell me he had left my apartment. I was relieved. His call had saved me the trouble of telling a lie.I rolled on the bed and punched the pillow to vent my anger. That silly man thought he could play me like a fool. I wanted to suck it up, but the worms in my stomach were uncooperative. I needed to snack on something, but my pride wouldn't let me leave the room, so I decided to get some sleep.A few minutes passed, and my eyes were still wide open. I lowered my so-called pride and jumped out of bed. I tried wearing my footwear but changed my mind instantly.I glanced at the wall clock and it was just five minutes past eight. I walked to the door and opened it, I peeped out to make sure no one was lurking around, before tiptoeing out of the room.Soon, I found myself at the dining table. It was already cleared up. The only option I had was to head to the
RegretsDiego's POV"Mr. Sanchez, the report you asked for is ready" Michelle stated the moment she walked into my office.I looked up to see her walking seductively as usual. Ever since Luisa ended things with me, she's been hellbent on finishing what we started, but the truth was, whatever I felt for her during those times was just pure lust.She wasn't even close to my type. Unfortunately, I had a high libido; I couldn't resist her. My life had never remained the same since Luisa left. I couldn't even do anything properly.I wanted her back. I just hadn't figured out a way to get to her. Wait. I could use.....A loud bang jolted me out of my thoughts and my eyes settled on Michelle, who had a deep frown on her face.I was furious. "Did you just bang your fist on my desk?"Michelle snorted in disgust and folded her arms with a challenging posture. Took me a lot of courage to take my eyes off her body figure."You've been spacing out lately. Is it because of that bitch?" She question
SnitchesLuisa's POVHow come I didn't know he worked here? I'd never paid attention to the company's name itself, or was it a transfer? He looked so terrible, but I didn't feel even an ounce of pity for him. What was more shocking was the fact that he worked for my husband, the CEO himself.It was hilarious, I must admit.His pleas were so absurd. Now, I regretted telling the bodyguards to allow him to speak. He has further ruined everything with his last statement.Get back together? In his wildest dreams. I'd rather become a penguin than be with someone as useless as him again."Please, Luisa. You know you love me" He pleaded desperately. "I know you still do. You're just angry.""There you go again; making me feel like I was the obsessed one" I stated. "What you're asking for is beyond my capabilities. It's best you move on and find someone else to love you, or you stick to your assistant. She can satisfy you in bed, can't she?""It's you I want" Diego argued. "Unlike you, she's s
Testing her patienceAdrian's POV"You have five minutes to tell me the truth" I stated.Hmph... She thought she could hide it from me. I had already received a text from the bodyguards before she got here."Tch..." She clicked her tongue. "Fine. He's my ex-fiance.""Oh," I smiled mischievously, leaning my back against my seat. "Was he the man who made you force me into marriage?""I didn't force...." Luisa trailed off, her cheeks burning with anger."You want to say something?" I questioned with a teasing tone.Luis's inhaled sharply and snarled. "Can we not talk about that again? We've gone past that.""Nah... We haven't" I refuted. "It was never my intention to get married like this, so I'll always remember.""Fine. Suit yourself" She snapped and folded her arms."He's going to get fired" I declared nonchalantly."What?!" Luisa spat. "You can't do that."I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why? He caused commotion in my company, didn't he?"Luisa hesitated a bit before responding.
SpitefulLuisa's POVI was so furious that I didn't see the person coming my way until I bumped into something hard."Ouch!" I screamed in pain, ready to transfer my aggression to the person who was not at fault."Are you okay?" I heard a soft male voice say. It kind of reminded me of Adrian, which fueled my anger.I swatted his hands away and pushed him aside with the little strength I had. "Get out of my way."Surprisingly, he didn't stop me. I walked into the elevator and arrived at the first floor as soon as possible, but it seemed today was going to be quite dramatic.Guess who I met standing outside the elevator? It was Joyce, Diego's secretary.Initially, her face was etched with surprise. It instantly morphed into a look of contempt."Hello, Luisa. It's been a while" She greeted with her chin slightly raised. She thought she could intimidate me. One thing she wasn't aware of was the fact that I wasn't scared of anybody but myself.I didn't have friends, so I didn't feel entitl
BlackmailDiego's POV"Get your disgusting self out of my office!" Mr. Cruz barked, throwing the report at me.I raised my arm just in time to stop it from hitting me.I knew I needed to explain myself. I was at fault for not reviewing the reports before bringing them to his office. Joyce did me dirty."I'm sorry, Mr. Cruz. I can rectify the mistake before the end of today" I pleaded with caution."It's pointless" He snapped. "I've had enough of your incompetency. I'm submitting a report to the CEO himself. Wait till you hear from him, then you can beg all you want."Begging him further was a waste of time. I went to pick up the scattered papers on the ground, I stood upright and turned to leave.I got to the same spot where I had encountered Luisa earlier."Tch..." I gritted my teeth in rage. What happened then was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I had been carried like an animal and thrown on my butt before the employees on the first floor.It was a disgrace. I had to use m
Chapter 87DamagesLuisa's POV*Oh, my* I exclaimed inwardly, feeling uncomfortable.I could sense trouble brewing. I mean, why Diego of all people?The moment I got out of the car, and walked over to Adrian's side, I met our driver having a conversation with the annoying being. The argument seemed to be heating up, but Adrian wasn't moved one bit."You have to pay for damages or get ready to face the consequences" I heard the driver say with a sharp undertone laced with a warning, but Diego wasn't willing to back down.I doubted he knew who the car owner was."Pay for damages? Never!!" He snarled. "Why don't you go ahead and tell your so-called boss to get the hell out of here? Get your garbage car off the road.""Are you talking to me?" Adrian finally voiced out, his voice stern.Diego's head snapped to our spot, his eyes widened in shock, and his mouth agape.Good for you, I scoffed inwardly, anticipating what could happen next."Sir... Sir, I... I didn't know it was you" Diego stu
Wrong timingLuisa's POVA few minutes since Miguel left, and George hadn't arrived yet. My heart was beating hard against my chest as I anticipated his arrival. It was never in my plan to meet with him while Adrian was present. I just hoped he wasn't the mischievous type.Soon enough, a knock on the door broke the silence. The visitor didn't wait to be invited and walked in."Hey, brother. You called" A sarcastic voice resonated through the air as George walked in with a weird smile on his lips.Our eyes met for a moment before I looked away."You have just one chance before you lose what your grandfather gave to you" Adrian stated threateningly.The tension between them was palpable, and I was prompted to leave, but George just had to draw me into their conversation."I see you have a new secretary" He mentioned, giving me a wink.I could tell Adrian was furious, but his control was just too good."It's none of your business, George. That's not what I called you here for" He stated
TensionValerie's POV"Hello, Bestie" I greeted, and her pupils dilated, her face etched with horror.She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out."I know you're happy to see me. Can I come in?" I asked, my smile broadening."Why are you here?" She finally managed to utter, her breath hitched.My smile broadened. "To see you, of course. How long has it been? Five years?"Alicia inhaled deeply. "There's nothing between us. Our friendship ended the day you....""Come on, Alicia. I thought you were always ready to forgive" I cut her off, my voice full of mockery. "I'm sure we can both settle our differences and go back to how we used to be.""Not happening" Alicia snapped. "Leave my house."I laughed. "Nah... Not when I haven't seen your beloved husband and your son yet."I chuckled, then added. "I'm surprised you got married before me. Remember we both agreed to be each other's bridesmaid. What happened to that promise?"Alicia inhaled deeply, tightening her eyelids. "Please an
RevelationsAdrian's POVWhat could have made her have the thoughts of eating at the company's cafeteria?It was totally weird and uncalled for. Our relationship for the past few days had been distant, and it stunned me when she brought a tray of food to my office.It was strange, and my years of working as a CEO with many enemies trying to kill me ignited my distrust, so I decided not to touch the food. She seemed upset, but I pretended to not see it.The dinner was just a chance to at least get back to the way we used to be. As for the ball, it was an invitation I received late, but it was from someone of utmost importance to me; that was why I accepted. I didn't even bother giving her room to argue or decline.She was legally my wife, and I couldn't afford to go with any other woman for the sake of peace and my reputation.A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Luisa surprisingly stood up to get the door, but she scoffed and walked back to her seat. I finally saw Miguel walk
Dinner InvitationLuisa's POV"Hello, there" I heard him say, making me halt. "You look familiar. Have I seen you anywhere around here before?"I froze for a moment, processing the whole thing. From his words, he only recognized me from seeing my face around.I slowly turned with a perfunctory smile on my face. The man was undeniably handsome with facial features that almost resembled Adrian. Funnily, I hadn't seen anyone who could beat Adrian's gorgeousness."Hello, sir" I greeted shyly. "I'm the CEO's temporary secretary."His brows furrowed slightly. "Oh... Is that so?"I nodded affirmatively, then his lips curved into a smirk. "Well, my name is George. Nice to meet you... Huh..""Luisa" I answered coyly."Nice to meet you, Mr. George" I added, my voice barely audible.A throaty chuckle escaped his lips. "I'm surprised my brother got himself a new secretary; a hot one at that. I thought the other one was on leave."I blushed hard. "It's just for a while. That's why I said temporary
Valerie's POV"Ma'am, I'm surprised you haven't done anything about that woman yet" Jude mentioned, belching after emptying his glass of whiskey."I thought you already knew me well enough," I said, my tone laced with disappointment. "I don't strike while the iron is still hot like they always say. I strike when they least expect it."My smile broadened as I added. "I want them to be comfortable in the meantime. They would be so shocked when I take action."Jude belched again. " Haha... Nice one, ma'am. We should celebrate our victory in advance."He tried to grab the almost emptied bottle of whiskey, but I was faster than him."You're drunk, Jude. You've had enough" I stated, eyeing him disgustingly. "I'm not spending the night with a wasted man.""I'm not so sure about that. You know pretty well that I'm more active like this" Jude bragged foolishly. "We should get going. The bar is almost empty."I looked around and confirmed his words. Last time, the bartender had called the secur
ManipulationGeorge's POVA few days ago"Tch.. that bitch" I cursed silently, pacing back and forth in my office. "How could she let herself get caught like that?"Though I understood that the influence of the aphrodisiac was what led to her sleeping with a guard, I still thought she was disgusting anytime I recalled the scene. Still, I was a bit guilty.Elizabeth had to face the repercussions of the evil plan I instigated myself. Thankfully, Grandfather cared about the family's reputation, or I would have been in jail right now. Regardless, the whip was much worse.Thinking about it reminded me of the excruciating pain I had to endure. I could feel my fragile back ache from the beating. I didn't dare stand in front of a mirror to check the gruesome scars left on it.Instantly, I froze in my steps. What if she told the police I was involved? What if it gets to the masses and they insist I appear in court and face trial?No way... I needed to shut her up.Yes.The earlier the better.
A fightLuisa's POV"Who's Rachael Lopez?" I questioned curiously.Two pairs of eyes rested on me. The tension between the two men was so obvious, making me ponder more on what exactly was happening. Something fishy was going on."Er.. Luisa, there's a mini kitchen on your way out of here, by the right" Adrian stated. "Go get me a cup of coffee; black and less sugar."I was taken by surprise. "Won't people see me?""This floor is safe. Not many people work around here" Miguel replied hastily.I had the urge to probe, but intruding would be improper, so I left. Miguel didn't waste time slamming the door in my face while mouthing an apology."Ugh... Why are all businessmen secretive?" I scoffed silently in disgust and turned to leave.I followed Adrian's direction and made my way to the kitchen. The interior designs were advanced compared to a normal kitchen. Most things done by humans have already been replaced by technological devices. It was extraordinary.I walked to the coffee make
Sent to her graveRachael's POV"You bitch!!" Louis cursed furiously, banging his fist on the iron bar of the cell. "Find a way to get me out of here. I don't care about that spoilt brat you call a daughter; one more night in this cell and the company will crumble... I'm pretty sure you don't want to go back to the slum you came from."I shuddered, hearing his words. "But.. but the lawyer isn't responding" I stuttered, avoiding his disdainful eyes.Louis snorted. "Who cares? Lawyers aren't the only ones who can help. Find someone else. You can bribe the police officers."I swallowed hard. "But we need a huge amount of money for that. The company can't bear any outrageous cost at the moment. Our private accounts have also been frozen.""What?!" Louis spat in disbelief. "That old bastard went too far."Silence reigned as he seemed to be thinking of the next suggestion to make. Ever since I woke up on the hospital bed, I'd been running helter-skelter, looking for ways to get my family ou