Zeke Mathews was a businessman. Not just any businessman, but one of the youngest bachelors to establish such a successful empire in New York.Thalassa had heard about him in business conversations but had only seen a picture of him once. Perhaps that was why she didn't recognize him immediately.The morning after their agreement, Zeke came to pick her up to take her to his house to meet his grandmother.On the way, he tried to make conversation, but Thalassa wasn't in the mood. She gave him one-word answers until he gave up trying to get her to speak.The car pulled past automatic steel gates, and Zeke drove until he parked somewhere in the compound.“Let me get your door," he said as he got out.He intended to open her door for her, but Thalassa quickly got out by herself. Her brows creased as she stared at the house in front of her.“Is that your house?” she questioned.“Yeah. Why?”Thalassa frowned. “I thought you said you'd only be in Baltimore for a month.”She looked back at th
“Aren't you the woman who's all over the news? The gold-digger who betrayed Kris Miller and stole from the Miller family?”“Brandon!” Luisa chastised her boyfriend in horror. “What is wrong with you?”“What? I'm only telling the truth!” Brandon shrugged.“I've always said that you speak without thinking, and you've never proven me wrong," Zeke gritted out.Thalassa, on the other hand, was still and stiff, her eyes blazing coldly as she turned them towards Brandon.“Bro, I'm not lying. She even has the same name: Thalassa. Don’t you guys read the news? It's definitely her. She was married to Kris Miller, and he divorced her because he found out she was embezzling money from his family company. She–”Thalassa cut him off, her voice as frigid as her eyes. “The only thing you know is their side of the story, which the media is perpetuating, but there are always two sides to a story. You don't know anything about me.”She felt bitter that the Miller family had destroyed her name so much th
“You stupid bitch! How dare you lay a hand on me?” Brandon growled furiously as he clutched at his burning cheek.He leapt forward, obviously ready to bounce and attack her, but before he could get to her, Thalassa picked up the knife on the kitchen counter, aiming at him.“Don’t you dare take another step forward, or I won’t be blamed for what I will do. If you think I’m some weak bitch who can’t defend herself, then think again.” She warned furiously.Her breathing had become ragged, and her body was shaking from sheer anger and adrenaline as she remembered the night she was attacked. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. If she had been able to defend herself that night, then her unborn child wouldn’t have been killed.She was never going to allow herself to be that defenseless woman again.“You’re going to regret this, you stupid woman.” Brandon gritted out, but he didn’t dare take another step forward.Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard
Zeke was completely taken off guard by his sister's demand. As far as he knew, Luisa and Thalassa had been getting along well for the past three weeks. He'd even thought they were friends, so where was this sudden decision coming from?“Luisa, what did you say?” he prompted, thinking he might have heard wrong the first time.“You heard me, Zeke. I want that woman out of this house.”“But why? What happened?” Zeke blinked in confusion.Thalassa was just as confused, though she had an idea about it. She stepped forward, but Luisa cut her off before she could speak.“Don't even speak to me!”“Luisa! Don't talk to Thalassa like that!” Zeke chastised. “What the hell happened to make you so angry with her?”“She’s a traitor! Everything the media is saying about her is true,” Luisa sneered.Zeke was even more agitated now. “Speak clearly, Luisa!”At that moment, Brandon approached. Luisa said, “Brandon, tell him everything that happened in the kitchen.”Zeke scrunched his nose. So this was a
"Babe... you hit me?" Brandon asked in a stunned voice as he clutched his burning cheek. Tears glistened in his eyes, but Thalassa knew it wasn't because of the slap. It was because he'd realized he had probably lost his money bank. "You're a despicable piece of shit!" Luisa was still raging as she slapped him on his uncovered cheek. "You dared to try to make me believe a lie about Thalassa." Brandon was panicking. "But babe, you can't possibly believe her. The recording is fake. That woman is nothing but a bitch who..." Before he could finish, a swift and hard blow connected with his mouth, sending him to the floor. "Another insult against Thalassa and you're going to see the worst I can do to you," Zeke growled. Brandon groaned in pain, clutching his mouth where a bit of blood was dripping. "Brother-in-law, please believe me. I don't know how she got that recording, but it's not real. She—" "Stop fucking calling me that!" Zeke hissed. "I knew there was something off about yo
Karen covered her beating heart with a short laugh. “Mum, what are you saying? You must’ve heard wrong. I didn’t say that. I said, ‘now that Thalassa is out of the way’-“”“That is not any better!” Her mother cut her off sharply. “Why would you even say something like that? And don’t you try to treat me like an idiot because I know what I heard. You said, ‘now that we’ve managed to get Thalassa out of the way.’ Who’s ‘we,’ Karen? Who were you talking to on the phone?”“It was just a friend,” Karen said, clutching her phone tightly in her hand as she feared her mother would snatch it away.“It always struck me as so strange what they were accusing Thalassa of. In all the years she came to our house, she never stole a single thing from us. I still find it hard to believe that she could do what they are accusing her of.”She paused, narrowing her eyes at her daughter. “Was it you, Karen? Did you have a hand in destroying Thalassa’s life?”“Mum!” Karen said it in horror. “I am your daught
Thalassa was taken aback, staring at Zeke. “What are you saying, Zeke? Go with you guys to New York?” The disbelief in her eyes made Zeke wince as he explained, “Hear me out, Thalassa. I see how unfairly you're being treated here in Baltimore. There's so much hate for you here, and it's going to be hard to continue your life here.” “You just said it yourself. It's going to be hard, not impossible. They shot me down, Zeke, but I won't stay down forever. I'm not going to let them win,” she gritted out, and the look in her eyes was so hateful that Zeke was scared for a second. He really hoped she wasn't thinking of going down the path he was imagining. He tried again. “Thalassa, there's also my grandmother. She's going to need you." Thalassa blew out a breath, having known that this would come up again. She should've known that once she accepted to help with Granny, it would be hard to walk away without affecting the old woman. But she couldn't continue living her life accordi
When the time his mother had given him was up, Kris drove to her company, The Miller Fashion House.It wasn't exactly a separate company from the Miller Group; while his company dealt mostly in textiles and the like, the Miller Fashion House dealt in clothes, jewelry, and other beauty accessories.His mother had wanted to set up the fashion business side of the Miller Group for so long, but his father had refused, believing it would be a waste of money. When his father died, and his mother took over the Miller Group fifteen years ago, she set up the Fashion House and managed to turn it into one of the most successful ventures in Baltimore, raking in billions every year. It was part of the reason why their family was so powerful.It was so dear to her that even after Kris took over the Miller Group five years ago, she refused to step down from the Fashion House for someone else.Kris shook his head with a small smile as he reached the parking lot. His mother was already waiting there
Tessa hesitated. Gendry’s hand remained outstretched, waiting.A part of her wanted to reject it, to sit back and refuse to play along with whatever game this was. But she couldn’t. Everyone was watching and waiting. Besides, if she backed down now, she knew Gendry would use that to mock her.So, with a quiet breath, she placed her hand in his.The moment their skin made contact, she felt it—an electric zap shooting up her arm.It was the same sensation she felt the day he kissed her years ago after asking her to be his prom date.Tessa's grip tightened in his for a second, then she gritted her teeth and looked away. That was years ago when she’d been a naive, stupid teenager. It didn’t mean anything now.Gendry’s fingers curled around hers as he helped her to her feet.“Alright, lovebirds!” Maya clapped her hands together, grinning. “Go stand over there at the entrance so we all have a clear view of the show.”Tessa’s head snapped toward her friend, a glare already forming. She didn’
The two of them stared at each other in stony silence while everyone watched on expectantly.“Uh… can we continue the game now?” someone finally broke the silence, looking at Tessa. “Tessa, it's your turn to spin the bottle.”Tessa blinked, snapping back to the game. Without a word, she got up and walked to the middle. Grabbing the empty bottle, she gave it a spin. It spun for a few seconds before finally stopping, pointing at Kevin.A grin spread across Kevin's lips. “Well, well, are you not going to ask me the magic question?”Tessa forced a smile. “Truth or challenge?”“Challenge,” he answered immediately, without hesitation.Tessa had been expecting him to give that answer, wondering what was going through his mind. She wasn’t exactly interested in the game, especially with so many people around, so she couldn’t think of any dares to give him.One of Maya’s female cousins groaned. “Ugh, Tessa, just pick something already!”Kevin winked, leaning forward slightly. “Don’t worry, you
He was still staring at her.Tessa didn’t even have to look to know it. Gendry wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it. He was staring at her openly and shamelessly, as if daring her to acknowledge him.Well, she refused to.If he thought he could rattle her with his staring, he was dead wrong. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of looking his way.A shoulder nudged her gently on the side, making her blink and breaking her out of her thoughts.“Tessa,” Kevin murmured, leaning in slightly. “Were you listening?”Tessa turned to him quickly, pasting on a bright smile. “Of course. Go on.”Kevin grinned, taking her response as encouragement, and continued with his joke. She didn’t actually catch most of it. It was something about a bartender, a confused monkey, and a very unfortunate misunderstanding, but when he delivered the punchline, the ladies around them burst into laughter.Tessa threw her head back and laughed too, a little louder than necessary.The sound felt fake to
"—and then the parrot looks him dead in the eye and says, ‘That’s not what you said last time!’”Laughter rang out across the large summer hut, loud and easy, cutting through the night air. Kevin was in the center of it, grinning like he owned the place. He was surrounded by a group of women who seemed hung onto his every word. Whatever he had just said must have been hilarious because even Tessa, who had been acting like an ice queen all day, was laughing too.Gendry watched from where he sat, off to the side, nursing a bottle of beer. His grip on it tightened as Tessa threw her head back, her mouth parting as she laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly.He hadn’t seen her smile like that once today while they were going over the guests assortment. She had barely even looked at him. Just cold, clipped responses and stiff nods. But now? Now she was glowing, eyes bright as she looked at Kevin like he was the funniest man alive.What the hell was so funny anyway?Gendry was almost 90%
As expected, working with Gendry was anything but smooth. He seemed intent on criticizing everything she did, much to Tessa's irritation. “The seating chart’s a mess,” Tessa said, spreading the papers across the table. “Half the guests don’t even know each other.” “That’s what makes it fun,” Gendry quipped, leaning back in his chair. “Throw them together. It’s a wedding, not a board meeting.” She glared at him. “We’re not throwing people together like it’s some kind of experiment. We’re creating an enjoyable atmosphere for Maya and Jace’s guests.” He smirked, clearly enjoying her irritation. “You’re taking this way too seriously.” “And you’re not taking it seriously enough, as usual,” she snapped. The back-and-forth continued, their bickering drawing occasional amused glances from other guests passing by. At some point, Gendry got up from his chair. “I’m going to get a drink. Want anything?” Tessa blinked, surprised that he’d asked her. But she immediately decided he w
The dinner was being held by the poolside. The beach house belonged to Jace's family, and Tessa had been there before when she and Maya came for a vacation, but she was still stunned by how gorgeous everything looked.Maya began walking towards the table where Jace was sitting, and Tessa followed her. However, she stiffened when she realized that Jace wasn’t the only one sitting at the table.Gendry was there too.He looked maddeningly relaxed, wearing a blue T-shirt that left his tan, hairy forearms exposed. He was laughing at something Jace had said, his head tilted back just enough to show off the strong line of his jaw. Tessa felt tempted to turn and walk somewhere else, but Gendry had already seen her, and she didn’t want him to get any ideas that she cared about his presence.So instead, she squared her shoulders and went to sit at the table with Maya, right beside Gendry, since it was the only chair remaining.“Hey, Tes. Glad you could make it to Jamaica early. Sorry I wasn’t
“Tes, I can't stop marveling at that wedding dress you made me. It's just too exquisite, and I know Jace is going to be floored when he sees me on our wedding day. Thank you so much,” Maya gushed as she sat on Tessa's bed. The two of them were still talking minutes after Maya had helped her unpack her stuff.Tessa feigned a sound of annoyance. “How many times, Missy, must I tell you to stop thanking me for it? I did it with all the love in the world."Maya swooned. “And that's why you're the best. Oh, Tes, I have so many plans for activities before the wedding, and you're...”Maya paused when Tessa let out a yawn. They both chuckled.“Oh, sorry. You must be exhausted from your flight, and here I am rambling on about my upcoming wedding.”Tessa would've told her that she didn’t mind if she truly wasn’t exhausted.Maya got up from the bed. “Let me leave you to get some rest so you can be prepared for the dinner tonight.”Tessa raised a brow. “Dinner?”“Yep. Dinner party at seven,” Maya
SEVEN YEARS LATERThe warm, salty air of Jamaica greeted Tessa as she stepped off the plane, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor of the airport.She adjusted her sunglasses and smoothed down her sleek blazer. On the outside, her aura exuded confidence, but on the inside, her nerves were all over the place.She'd come to Jamaica for her best friend Maya's destination wedding, so she was supposed to feel nothing but excitement, right?Of course, she was happy for her best friend, but there was nothing remotely exciting about having to spend a whole week with him in the same house.Tessa balled her hands into fists. Seven years later, and the thought of him—or the sight of his face—never failed to fray her nerves.If it were up to her, she would never have to deal with him again, but of course, it was just her luck that out of all the people Maya could've fallen in love with and decided to marry, she'd settled on Jace, Gendry's best friend.Yes. Gendry Graham.And since Gen
Inside her room, Tessa was pacing anxiously. It was already past seven, and Gendry hadn't come yet to pick her up.By 8 PM, Tessa stopped pacing. Gendry was supposed to have picked her up an hour ago, so why wasn’t he here yet? Maybe he was running late for some reason.She immediately grabbed her phone from the dining table and dialed Gendry's number. It rang for a few seconds before the loud beep indicated that he’d hung up on her.Tessa swallowed the lump in her throat, her excitement fading. The blue dress that had made her feel special now felt like it was mocking her.At 8:30 PM, her bedroom door finally opened. Tessa shot to her feet, hope welling inside her. Surely, Gendry had finally arrived, and her mother was here to take her downstairs.However, it wasn’t only her mother who entered the room. She was followed by her father and brother.“It’s obvious that the bastard isn’t going to come,” Alex said, as if it wasn’t already clear enough.Tears stung Tessa’s eyes. Her brother