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. It was never in my grand plan to marry a stubborn woman. Sometimes, things I take an interest in end up becoming a source of trouble for me. What riled me up the most was the fact that I couldn't get a satisfying answer to my question. I had told Miguel earlier today to do a background check on Luisa. He mentioned her having a sister, but suddenly, she disappeared. Miguel offered to dig into it, but I declined. I was just going to act ignorant for now. The truth was going to unfold sooner or later. "Charles" I called. My butler walked out of the kitchen and stood before me. "You called, Master." "Clear the table and make sure you lock up the refrigerator and the store" I stated, grinning sinisterly. Let's see how she plans on surviving this night with an empty stomach. I stood up and headed straight to my study room. I grabbed my phone and placed a call to Miguel, who picked up immediately. "Hello, boss." "Miguel, find out who Luisa's manager is and send an endorsement deal to him" I ordered. "Do it now. I want him to leave her apartment." "I'll do that now" Miguel replied, and I attempted to end the call. "Sir, I...." I heard him hesitate, making me pause. I frowned deeply and queried. "What is it? Out with it." "Sir, there's a big problem" He began. "I planned to tell you tomorrow morning, but since you called, I should tell you now." "Get straight to the point then" I snapped. "It's Mr. Ortega. He's refused to keep his hands off the City View project we're trying to get from the government" Miguel revealed. "Huh..." I pouted, my fury rising. "I thought you settled him with another project already." "I did, but he's changed his mind again" Miguel explained. "Our sources claimed to have seen him at the governor's office this morning." I let his words sink in and asked. "Where is he now?" "He's at the Elite club celebrating his success in advance" Miguel replied, and I chuckled amusingly. "Good. Make a reservation for me and tell James to monitor his movement and meet me there with some of our well-trained men" I declared. "I'm going to have a glass of wine or two with me." "Alright, boss" Miguel replied. I ended the call and took deep breaths three times consecutively to keep my anger in check. That greedy bastard dared to backstab me after taking a contract from my company. He needed to be taught a lesson so that others could learn not to ever think of trying to fool me. I stormed out of the study room and headed straight for the exit door. It was dangerous leaving without an escort, but my safety was the least of my concerns. Soon, I hit the road. I received a cryptic message from James and smirked mischievously. James wasn't my tech guy for nothing. I sent a reply and sped up my car. Arriving at the club, I was allowed in since a reservation had already been made. Talk about my assistant's efficiency. Elite Club wasn't just a regular club for parties. It was built mainly for the rich and those who had dealings with the business world. The founder was quite calculative and manipulative, and I knew better that he had everyone in that club wrapped around his fingers. All eyes followed my movement as I walked towards the elevator. Unlike the masses, businessmen held vital pieces of information about their partners and opponents. Being at the top of the food chain had made me a target, but I was untouchable. With a smile of triumph, I got into the elevator and pressed the button to the VIP floor; a place meant for the stinkingly rich ones. As I stepped out of the elevator, I glanced at my wristwatch and nodded in satisfaction. It was just 7pm. I had time to clean up the mess I intended to make. My phone buzzed and I dug it out of my pocket. It was a message from James specifying the room number and notifying me of their arrival. I turned on my live location and traced the room. At this moment, I was grateful I came alone. I thrust the door open, startling those in the room. It contained men in their prime, drinking to their satisfaction. The stench of cigarettes and vomit enveloped the air, causing my nose to twitch in disgust. My eyes scanned the area until it settled on the exact person I was here for. Our eyes met. He looked sober, and the smile on his lips was enough to know he had been expecting me. He snapped his fingers and the men in the room ran towards the door. I stepped away to avoid having bodily contact with them. "Well, well, well... Look who we have here" Mr. Ortega drawled, gesturing to a seat. "Come and have a drink with me. I've been waiting for you." I scoffed in disgust and placed my hands in my pocket. "I didn't come here to get drunk. I need an explanation." "You'll get that after you've had a glass" Mr. Ortega retorted with an evil smirk, and suddenly, I heard a loud bang. I looked back to see some men in black walk in with guns in their hands. I returned my gaze to the bastard who seemed to be enjoying himself. "What's going on here?" I bellowed. "What do you think?" He shot back.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
A partner Luisa's POV"I did" Mr. Torres replied curtly."What?!" I exclaimed, my eyes widened in horror. "Why didn't you inform me about it first? I have the right to choose who I want to work with.""No, you don't" Mr. Torres rebuked, his face morphed into a frown. "I understand that your name was mentioned in the mail, but that doesn't mean you get to make the decision. I..."He paused, his frown deepening. "Wait a minute. How did you know about the endorsement deal? I haven't even told the CEO yet?""Huh... I...I heard some rumors" I stammered, scratching the back of my hair nervously. "I wasn't even sure the rumors were true until you confirmed it."An awkward silence reigned as Mr. Torres' piercing gaze lingered on me."Okay," He stated with a sigh. "Number one thing I need to correct here is that no employee has the right to state whether we accept a proposal or not. You could reject it, and another model will take it up. But think about it, Martinez Corporation owns the large
Plan BValerie's POVI took a deep breath, sparing Jude a glance. He understood immediately and moved around, placing a file on each person's table. As soon as he was done distributing it, I gave him an order."Go through it and tell me what you think. Remember, this is all about business.""Such impudence!" An old man roared, banging his fist on the table and standing up violently, causing his seat to fall backward. "How dare you? This is the highest order of disrespect."I burst into laughter. "Disrespect? Impudence? You use those words like those papers aren't telling the truth. They're authentic and just one mail to the police would get you all arrested.""We won't accept this!" Another board member yelled. "Who on earth gave you the audacity to dig dirt on us? Even your father doesn't have the guts."I shrugged, unaffected by their deathly glare. "That's one of the reasons why I intend to take over from him. He has been quite lenient with you all, which is the reason why you all
MadrilenoAdrian's POVGeorge of all people??She knew how to ruin the mood. We hadn't been on a talking note since last night. I was thankful she never answered my question last night.Meeting my grandfather was equivalent to opening the gate of hell. At this point, I wasn't ready for trouble. I would consider letting him in on the truth, but not anytime soon.As soon as I was done getting ready for work, I headed straight to the dining area. I met Charles supervising the maids to set the table."Good morning, Master" He greeted the moment our eyes met.I nodded in response. "Did she have breakfast before leaving?" I questioned.Charles shook his head. "Madame said she couldn't wait, but she'll surely come home for dinner."I scoffed. "Of course, she will. Unless she wants to test my patience."I sat down to have breakfast, and in just ten minutes, I was done.I grabbed my jacket and devices and strutted out of the house. Kyle was already waiting by the car. Soon, we hit the road.Ar
Dangerous ideas.Valerie's POV"Jude, have you sorted out my dress for the ball?" I questioned as he drove.He looked at me through the rearview mirror, his brows furrowed. "I thought you wanted to go pick your dress yourself. I already made a reservation for you.""Very good, but before that, kindly release a picture of that brat and the evidence of the surrogacy procedure" I ordered, smirking. "It's past the deadline and they haven't met our demands. Perhaps, they don't want to take us seriously. We need to show them we're not playing.""Alright, ma'am" Jude responded, holding his phone with one hand and controlling the steering with the other. "I'll text a friend of mine now."My eyes narrowed. "A friend?""Yes, he is the one who's good at the tech stuff. He's also very reliable and trustworthy" Jude explained confidently.I kind of had a bad feeling about it, but I brushed it off.My eyes brightened as I recalled something."Jude, what do you think we can do about Alicia and Jason
Ruined moodLuisa's POV"What's going to happen to them?" I questioned, breaking the awkward silence in the car.Adrian's sapphire blue eyes landed on me."Miguel will take care of it. I already sent him a text" He replied. "As for the video, it's been taken down. Those fools are only going to offer an apology to make things clear. You have nothing to worry about.""I know," I said, and cursed inwardly. What's that going to make him think I found him reliable?I looked at him, and our eyes met. I couldn't stop staring at his lips as it reminded me of the kisses we shared."I don't mind you staring" I heard him say, snapping me out of my daze.Damn! Can't believe I got lost in his eyes.I scoffed, and looked away, praying silently for an opportunity to get away from me. Though, I doubted that was going to be possible.A few minutes later, the driver drove through a large iron gate attached to a high fence. The outside was quite ordinary, but the inside......it was mind-blowing."Where'
ExposedDiego's POV"The young lady in there was never pregnant" The doctor dropped the bombshell, and my heart stopped beating for a moment.What?! That's impossible. In fact, why should I stay quiet and listen to such nonsense?"What are you saying, doctor?" I voiced out fiercely. "She told me she was pregnant with a pregnancy test result as proof."The doctor sighed. "Those kinds of things can be forged. It's easy to detect, especially when the hospital's seal is not on it. Most people tend to ignore the seal because of the shock or excitement, so I understand your plight."No way. She didn't just fool me with that. What for?My head was spinning as every other word I wanted to speak got stuck in my throat."Then what was the bleeding all about?" I heard my boss ask.The doctor let out a throaty chuckle. "It was just red wine stored in a ball. She put it in between her legs, and crushed it when the moment was right."Red wine? So hilarious!I still couldn't process the fact that I
Damages Luisa'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
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