Saturday morning.
Ansel Adams looked to his side and sighed at the empty space in his bed. The space that once belonged to his ex-wife Jessica. That witch who betrayed him. Twenty years of a relationship destroyed in a whim. It was thrown out like garbage.
Oh well.
It wasn't like he was still torn up about it. Far from it. He was Ansel Adams, the CEO of the Adams Corp. A CEO of a major advertising industry does not spend his days moaning and crying about his cheating whore of an ex-wife. He blows it off and moves on to the next big thing. Or, in his case, the next piece of as-...
"ANSEL! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"
A shrill voice of a woman pierced into his ears. So loud even his heavy wood door couldn't silence it.
No, it wasn't one of his lovers whom he rejected after one night. Although, he had formed a habit of doing just that. It was his twin sister, Anya who was impatiently knocking on the door. Who always barged in on him, unannounced.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" he yelled back.
"Open the door, or I will break it," she replied from the other side.
"With those twig arms. You're making me laugh this early in the morning, bravo," Ansel scoffed.
"Ansel, for god's sake...."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," he sighed and got out of bed. he was looking forward to sleeping in after last night's adventure.
Ansel opened the door, still in the process of waking up. He didn't even bother to put a shirt on. This was his apartment, so who cares what she thought.
"Eww, why are you naked?" Anya commented as soon as he opened the door.
"First of all, this is my apartment, and I can be in any state I want to be in. Second of all, I'm not naked. I have my pants on." Ansel said irritably.
"Whatever, did you forget we were supposed to have lunch together?" Anya glared at Ansel.
Oh shit...he did forget.
"Go shower and get ready in five minutes before I explode," Anya barked.
Ansel didn't argue anymore and went straight to shower. Anya had the sassy mouth like their mother, Ariel Adams and she didn't take crap from anyone. Ansel could stand here and argue all day, but it won't go anywhere. She'd drag him out of the penthouse one way or the other.
Ansel finished showering and wrapped a towel around his waist, then started shaving. He had a prominent jaw and a pair of grey eyes that he inherited from his father, Ivan. The features he was most proud of. He should thank my father for having the 'handsome' gene time to time since it got him laid almost every night. And, of course, being a billionaire also helped.
"Are you done jerking off in there? I don't have all day!" Anya cried from the other side of the door.
"You're disgusting. Just give me a goddamn minute," Ansel snarled and continued to shave. He loved his sister but somedays she drove him up the wall.
***
They went to a French café near the company they owned. Their mother used to come here every day for lunch before she retired from Adams corp. She used to be their father's secretary and they ended up falling in love with each other.
Anya looked at the menu and wrinkled her forehead. "I don't see macarons in the menu. What kind of French café doesn't have macarons?" she said and complained some more, but Ansel stopped listening to her halfway through the complaint. His eyes landed on a beautiful creature. She was only four feet away from them, so he could see her clearly.
"You aren't even listening to me. Anseeel!" Anya whined and threw a straw at him, so he snapped out of his trance.
"What?" Ansel asked distractedly. His eyes were still fixated on the girl in her waitress uniform. A white button-up with a short black skirt which he imagined ripping off her body,
"Who are you looking at?" Anya asked. She sounded annoyed since he ignored her completely.
"It's her," Ansel said quietly.
"Who?" Anya was confused.
"Her! The girl from the restaurant, remember?" he motioned towards the waitress, who was too busy to notice him staring at her.
Anya squinted her eyes at the waitress and tried to remember although, he couldn't imagine how she could forget that firecracker of a woman. The woman possessed a rather exotic look. She had long, wavy hair that was as black as midnight. Her skin was caramel-colored that looked bronzed under the sunlight. She had brown eyes that were big and expressive. And best of all, she was tall and voluptuous. What was she doing working at a café when she could be out there modeling for Victoria's Secret or something.
"Oh my god, it's her!" Anya exclaimed after remembering. "It's the girl who kicked your ass months ago!"
"She didn't kick my ass," he said irritably.
"She totally did. It was the funniest shit I've ever seen. I wish I took a picture of your face when she gave you an impromptu bath," Anya laughed.
Ansel tried recollect what had happen with the girl and grinned at the memory.
He met that waitress a few months back when he was at a restaurant having lunch with Anya and her husband, Connor. Anya was giving him hard time because he was fooling around with women after being heartbroken. After their argument, Ansel proceeded to storm out of the restaurant, but the waitress bumped into him, spilling drinks all over his expensive Armani suit.
Normally, Ansel acted more gracious about it, but since he was in a bad place at the time, he was in a sour mood 24/7. Ansel took his anger out on the poor girl and insulted her. She retaliated by telling him to fuck off and quitting her job, followed by pouring an entire glass of mojito on his head.
What a turn-on.
He couldn't stop thinking about her since that night. He wanted her. He started to think of ways to take revenge on her by using her body anyway he wanted, then making her his. Usually, he lost interest in a woman after sleeping with her once, but he knew she was going to be different.
Ansel felt his pulse race as he finally found her again. He watched her giggling at some douche with a hat and knew what he had to do.
This was his second chance to get what he wanted and he'll get at all costs.
"Are you just going to stare at her the whole time?" Ansel could tell Anya was irritated, but he didn't care. He was too busy drinking in the sassy girl's beauty. Whoever thought he would find her in this café for all places? He couldn't believe his luck. "I'm just trying to strategize my next move," Ansel said, never breaking his gaze, which kept falling directly on her butt. She had such a nice butt. "Stop ogling her. It's sexist and gross. If you're so infatuated, Why don't you go talk to her?" Anya asked. "If I remember correctly, she said her name was Elisa." Ansel turned his attention back to Anya. "Are you kidding? Don't you remember what happened at the restaurant? She hates me," he smirked as he remembered her smart mouth. For most of his single life, He had dealt with subm
Elisa Campbell tried to shake off the annoyance she felt after talking to that jerk wearing expensive clothes. She threw his business card in the trash as soon as he left the café."Do you know him?" Annie asked while wiping down a table. She was supposed to be the one taking care of Mr. GQ's table, but Elisa was the one who got stuck doing it. What a nuisance that was!She recalled the first time she met the guy at her old job. He was so arrogant and obnoxious just because she accidentally bumped into him. Elisa had always been the most temperamental out of all five of her siblings, so she couldn't control herself and went off on him then quit her job before her manager could say something to her. She regretted it as soon as she walked out and realized what she had done. She was now unemployed. She wished she kept her anger in check."No. I don't know that self-preening asshole," Elisa shook her head."Looks like someone rubbed you the wrong way,"
"So remind me again why you dragged me out here in the middle of the afternoon?" Connor narrowed his eyes.Ansel was looking at the view of the city through his wall-to-wall glass window. His best friend and brother-in-law came to visit per his request."I need your help to find more information on Elisa. The waitress who insulted me a few months back," Ansel said.Connor smirked. "Anya told me about her. Maybe you should leave the poor girl alone. It seems like she has no interest in an asshole like you, so just buzz off."Ansel shook his head. It wasn't like he acted like an asshole all the time. Sure, he liked to have a lot of one-night stands and ghosted a few of them, doesn't mean he was a bad person. Last week, he donated a large amount of money to a charity event. Would a complete asshole do that? He didn't think so."Whatever, dude, just give me the number of a private investigator. Didn't you say your cousin's friend did that for a living?
Elisa looked at Kevin with a horrified look on her face."I don't understand," her voice shook."I am afraid I'm going to have to let you go," Kevin cleared his throat and repeated himself. He knew it'd be hard as Elisa didn't do anything wrong, but he couldn't refuse Ansel Adams. Aside from the money he offered him, he was a powerful man. Who knows what he would do if he crossed him."But why? There must be a reason," Elisa asked.The timing couldn't be worse. She just found out her father needed money from her, and she was almost getting evicted alongside her six year old daughter. And now she was about to lose the only job she had. It was as if her whole world was crumbling down. What did she do to deserve this?"All I can tell you is that you offended someone very important. I can't give you any more details. He is very powerful and well. He donated a huge amount of money to our café, so I can't afford to lose his support," Kevin said ev
Ansel smirked as he saw Elisa's shocked expression. He thought about staying out of the interview and reveal himself later but then changed his mind. Besides, Anya would have a fit if he didn't show up."So, Ms. Elisa Campbell. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ansel said, acting as he had never met Elisa. He looked over at Anya. She was giving him a dirty look. He guessed his sister figured out that he had something to do with it, and she wasn't too happy with his tricks."Can I talk to you in private?" Anya forced a smile and grabbed Ansel's arm. "Excuse us for a moment, Ms. Campbell," she dragged him outside before he could say anything.Anya punched him on the arm."Ow! What was that for?" Ansel winced."What the fuck is she doing here? Is this one of your dumb pranks? You are too old to be doing this, Ansel," she hissed."What are you talking about? She has every right to interview for a job," Ansel feigned shock."Don't play dumb wi
Elisa looked like she'd burst into flames anytime now. She didn't say anything for several moments and just stared at him. Most likely contemplating his murder."Are you threatening me?" she asked. Ansel could tell she was trying her best to control her anger which excited him even more."Absolutely not, darling. I don't have to threaten anyone to sleep with me. Women usually fall right on my lap. I'll admit you're turning out to be a challenge but trust me, you are just like all the others and will eventually end up in my bed. Mark my words." Ansel said. His eyes never left hers."You're infuriating and completely delusional. Since this isn't about work, I'll excuse myself now." Elisa stood up."Until next time. Oh, I know! Why don't you join me for dinner after work? Since you owe me and all," Ansel smiled sweetly.Elisa let out a low groan and stormed out of the office. Ansel laughed to himself. This was turning out to be a lot of fun. He knew h
Elisa tried to focus on work after Ansel left, but she was so annoyed. No, not just annoyed, furious. Darn that arrogant man. Who does he think he is! Just because he was rich and good-looking, he had no right to act that way. He is the worst!Elisa stormed inside her apartment and slammed the door shut."Ugh!" she groaned."Um...are you okay, miss?" Esmeralda asked with her eyes full of worry.Elisa almost forgot Esmeralda was babysitting Audre. She looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I am fine. I just had a rough day.""Are you sure? You looked really upset just now. Anything I can do to help?" Esmeralda asked.Elisa didn't want to burden Esmeralda with her personal problems, so she decided to laugh it off. "It's nothing really. Just some work-related frustration I needed to let out. Don't worry about it," she said."Oh, by the way, A man called earlier," Esmeralda said.A man? The first person who came to mind was Anse
Anya stared into space and frowned. It was Sunday afternoon, and her husband Connor was making her favorite breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes with real maple syrup. The kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma, but even that wasn't enough to cheer her up as she had something in her mind."Alright, what's going on?" Connor finally asked. He had been observing her for a while now."What do you mean?" Anya looked at him."You've just been sitting there, not saying a word. Normally you wouldn't keep your mouth shut even if I tried," Connor smirked."Ha, ha... well, I've been thinking," she said."What else is new?""Connor!" Anya scolded.Connor chuckled. "Sorry, just joking. What are you thinking about? Do tell.""I am worried about Ansel. He has no respect for women, and one day he'll get himself into real trouble," Anya said.Connor shook his head. It was normal for Anya to worry about her twin brother, but Ansel was a
Elisa felt ill as she was on her way out. She almost changed he mind three times and decided to stay home and wait. But, she gave herself a pep talk and forced herself to go see Ansel. She couldn't wait until he came home from work. She needed to tell him now. The secret she had been keeping was driving her crazy. She felt like she was about to explode! She saw Audre in the kitchen and expected her to ask where she was going, but Audre was too busy chatting and laughing on the phone. "No, I love you more," Audre declared on the phone, then giggled. It's been a month since she came from the camp. Ever since then, she had been seeing Aleks. She is always on her phone texting him or having long conversations. Ansel groaned and complained about it at first, but he had eventually accepted their relationship. Aleks was a good kid, after all. "I'm going to have lunch with your dad. I'll be back soon," Elisa announced before leaving, even though she w
It was the last day of Summer Camp. Audre was sad that it ended, but she looked forward to going back home and be with her sisters. But then again, she knew she couldn't see Aleks first thing in the morning after she leaves and thinking about it made her sad. She wanted to see him before they all went their separate ways. She still had a few hours left before Steven came to pick her up. Aleks was in his cabin packing up his things. His eyes lit up as he looked up and saw her standing by the door. "Hey Curls, came to say goodbye?" he asked. Audre nodded. She couldn't hide her sadness. "I don't like this. I want to be with you," she said quietly. Aleks took her hand and pulled her closer. "It's not like we'll be separated forever. I'll see you when we get back home." He wrapped his arms around her. "Then we can continue the naughtiness," he whispered in her ear. Audre giggled. "My dad would kill you. He said I'm not allow
"I'm coming with you," Aleks announced. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Audre asked. "Why wouldn't it be?" Aleks looked at her questioningly. Then he remembered he never told Audre that he met her parents already. "Well, I forgot to tell you. I met your parents so it wouldn't be awkward. Audre looked at him with surprise. She didn't realize when she would ask her father for help. He'd actually want to meet Aleks personally. She felt horrified as she thought what kind of questions her father might've asked Aleks. "Um...how did that go? Meeting with my parents, I mean," she asked awkwardly. Aleks chuckled. "They aren't that bad," he said. Audre felt relieved. "Okay, then you can come with me. I could use your support." Aleks pulled her into a hug and kissed her hair. "I am always here for you, Curls." Audre felt grateful. "Okay," she said and smiled. Steven drove her to her parents' house alongside Aleks. Audre
Audre took a shower and got ready to meet Aleks at the treehouse. Her heart was beating fast as the time drew nearer. She felt restless. She swore to him that she wouldn't let him touch her unless they finished their talk, but she didn't know if she would stop him. It's not that he was the only one who gets turned on when they are close to each other! She quietly left her cabin. Kim and Kimmie were fast asleep. They went to bed early after working an almost 12-hour shift. "Hey you." Audre halted as she heard a voice behind her. She stepped back as she saw a shadow of a man approaching. "Little Audre. Don't you remember me? It's your uncle Kaelan," the man said. Audre remembered instantly. She had seen him passing by when her mom took her to her grandpa's house. He never bothered to say hi to her or tried to have a relationship as her uncle. What was he doing here at her camp of all places? "Yes I know you but why are you here?"
"Do you think Kaelan would go after Audre?" Ansel looked at Elisa thoughtfully. "I wouldn't put it past him. I just can't believe what kind of man he had become. He had always been a kid who got himself wrapped up in bad situations. I tried to help him as best as I could, and I never thought he would fall this far," Elisa shook her head in disappointment. "I know you did, baby," Ansel said and kissed her forehead. "But he doesn't know where Audre is. How would he know that?" "I know, but still...what if he had been following her or something?" Elisa frowned. "You are right. We need to keep a lookout. Good thing the camp is almost over, but until then, maybe I should send someone to keep a watch over her," Ansel said. Elisa shook her head. "Audre will not be happy about this," she said. "I'll make sure she never finds out. So who is it that Kaelan owes money to?" Ansel asked. He hadn't thought about Elisa's brother ever since he almost
Audre was confused after hanging up the phone with her mother. It seemed that everyone remembered Aleks but her. Also, she sounded worried. What was she so concerned about? Audre decided to confront Aleks about how they met the first time since the last time she asked, he gave her a vague answer. She waited until she was done with work. Then she sneaked away after everyone was asleep. Aleks asked her to meet him at the treehouse earlier, so this was her chance to ask questions. "Aleks, are you in ther..." she gasped as he grabbed her arm and pulled her under him. "Hey!" she protested and tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down. "I missed you," he said and covered her mouth with his before she could say anything else. She moaned as he nibbled on her lower lip softly, then slipped his tongue inside her parted mouth. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, then pried his lips off of hers. "Wait...Aleks...I wanted to talk to you abou
"Guys, stop fighting! You can both play the game," Elisa said irritably as she watched Ira and Ivy fight over the controller. "No, we can't! This is a one person game, and Ira had been hogging it for two hours," Ivy complained. "No I'm not! It has only been 40 minutes," Ira said. "You are a liar!" Ivy screamed. "Am not!" "Are too!" "Alright girls, that's enough," Elisa scolded. It was a quiet afternoon and she wanted to lie down by the window and read. But now, it was not so quiet and relaxing anymore, thanks to the twins. Ira threw the controller across the room. The girl always had the worst temper. And now, at thirteen years of age, it has gotten even worse. "Ira! Do not throw things. I'm not buying you another one if it's broken," Elisa told her. Ira sighed. "I miss Audre. When will she get back?" "Me too. I miss her too," Ivy nodded. "The summer is almost over, so she'll be back soon. Until
"What?" Audre asked as Kim kept staring at her in the morning. Audre managed to sneak back inside the cabin with her roommate's knowledge and quietly went to sleep. "Something is different about you this morning," Kim squinted her eyes. "You need glasses because there's nothing different about me. I'm the same old, boring Audre," Audre said. "I bet Aleks would disagree," Kim grinned. Audre blushed. Does Kim suspect something? But how could she know? "You're crazy. I'm going, I gotta lot to do," Audre giggled and ran out before Kim suspects anything more. The rest of the day, she spent time teaching kids and helping other counselors what whatever they needed. She stayed out of Blair's way as much as possible. She passed by Aleks, who was setting up woods on the firepit for the campfire later tonight. He flashed her a mischievous smirk, and it was turning her cheeks red. Memories of last night flashed before her e
"Audre, don't. I told you I was only joking." Aleks grabbed her hand and chuckled before she took his shirt off completely. Audre breathed slowly as she looked at his naked chest. He may be playing around but seeing him like this turned her on. "But I'm not joking," she whispered and trailed her fingernail across his chest. "Audre I..." Aleks stopped talking and moaned instead as she pressed her lips on his chest. She smiled as she felt him shudder. So she wasn't the only one sensitive to touches. She unbuttoned his shirt and took it off entirely. Aleks tangled his fingers through her hair as she covered his chest with small featherlike kisses. "This isn't going to end well," he growled. "You talk too much." Audre trailed her lips from his chest to his neck then stopped when they met his lips. Aleks's grip on her hair tightened. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and kissed her harder while slowly backing her against the bed. She f