"Women are like roads, the more curves, the more dangerous they are."-Mae West-***“Vodka on the rocks, please.” Ian ordered as he entered sat in front of the bar. Once he got his drink, he brought it to a table where a red haired woman was seated. She was looking down on her drink and lifted her face up as soon as he was seated. Her icy blue eyes met his.“What are you doing here? How do you know where I am?” She asked with a slight Russian accent that she developed from her mother.“It has been a while, Catherine.” Ian spoke as he took a shot of his drink. She was about to stand up and leave when he grabbed her hand and held it so firmly it was impossible for her to leave. She turned her head around with a displeased expression.“What do you want?” She asked as she tried to release her hand.“Sit down, there is something I need to talk about with you.&
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."-Winston Churchill-***“Ezra, what’s my schedule for the day?” Victoria asked as soon as she arrived in the office. Ezra was a bit surprised by her sudden change of attitude. Somehow, she became more serious than she ever did that day.“Okay, let me see. You will be having a meeting with some of our new investors. Most are new money. They have a different set of methods and mindsets from our early investors and I think the reason why they have taken an interest in our company is due to your idea of expanding our products range.” He explained.“I know. How many of them?” She asked.“Around three. Here are their profile.” He handed her over the profile of the new investors. All male.Victoria thought they would be easier to deal with than female investors. It was a relief from her side because she
"Conceit is incompatible with understanding."-Leo Tolstoy-***“Who exactly are we waiting for?” Andreas asked Victoria as soon as they met up. She had contacted him in advance to tell him that there would be an additional party but she didn’t mention who it was because she didn’t want her brother to google this man in advance.Andreas was an easygoing man but he was also somewhat skeptical of the people around her, some called it brotherly protection but for Victoria, it was just him having some cautious side. It was only when Andreas was present did she tell him about Ian.“His name is Octavian Carlson. He’s a business associate of mine. I have this personal deal to meet him once a week on the weekend but you called and I was about to cancel on him when he made a suggestion that the three of us are going together. So here we are.” She explained.Andreas had never met this man before but for some reason he had a bad feeling about it. A few minutes later, the door was opened and Ian
"Misfortune never arrives alone."-French Proverb-***Ian just got back from his date with Victoria when he was approached by Lucas who looked like he was running out of breath. He was panicking and Lucas wasn’t exactly a man who panicked easily. Ian didn’t like how things were looking.“What’s going on!?” He asked.“One of our warehouse has been attacked by someone and they are burning all the stocks inside. We don’t know who’s doing this but we need to make another shipment in two days and it’s impossible to get the same amount at such short period of time. I’m afraid our clients will complain and start seeking the supply from Qunston.” He explained.Ian knew one day something like that was bound to happen but he wasn’t exactly prepared for it. He couldn’t let some of his most loyal clients get their supply from Darren Quinston, his lif
"Life isn't just about darkness or light, rather it's about finding light within the darkness."-Landon Parham-***“Get him to the emergency room.” Lucas barged into the hospital with Ian and quickly asked for the staff to help him.Before he was brought inside the room, on the brink of his consciousness, he held Lucas’ hand and asked for a favor.“Victoria, you have to call her. I want her to be by my side when I am awake. Do you understand?” He asked.Lucas didn’t know why he would ask for Victoria but he nodded anyway and then Ian was brought out of sight.Lucas didn’t know what he was supposed to do in that situation so he only did as Ian requested.He picked up Ian’s phone that was left in his hand and searched his contact until he found Victoria’s name in there.He dialed her number and not long after, she picked up the phone. Victoria
"I learned the real meaning of love. Love is absolute loyalty. People fade, looks fade but loyalty never fades."-Sylvester Stallone-***Darius was anxiously waiting for Victoria in the living room. She was late and it bothered him. She was supposed to arrive home around two hours ago but even after dinner was ready, she still wasn’t there and there was no news of her.He couldn’t contain himself any longer and decided to pick up his phone to call Jasper. His job was to drive her to and from work that day, he should know something about it.“Jasper, do you know where Victoria is right now, she hasn’t been back and I’m worried for her.” He admitted. Jasper was silent for a few seconds before he answered.“Right now she’s at the hospital.” He confessed.“What? What’s wrong with her? Is she injured?” He panic and Jasper had to quickly calme
"A villain always preferred luring the heroine to his lair."-Susan Elizabeth Phillips-***“You seem distracted.” Lucas said as he sat in the hospital’s room seat.“What do you mean by that? I am perfectly fine. I got shot on my shoulder, not my head.” He replied with a hint of sarcasm.“That’s not what I mean. I saw the way you looked at Victoria when she came over. You definitely wasn’t acting around. You were truly smitten with her.”“I don’t know what you are talking about. If I’m going to seduce her, isn’t it better to make it appear as realistic as possible. If you thought I looked genuine it means my acting is believable, because there is no way I am smitten with that woman.” Lucas sighed.This man could deny it all he wanted but he saw something sparked in his eyes the moment Victoria stepped inside the room. It was completely out of character for him and Lucas was getting really worried about it.“Just remember the reason why you are around her in the first place. If you fal
"We've all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on, that's who we really are."-Sirius Black-***Victoria felt incredibly awkward as she was seated across Ian in his own home. They were at his dining room and she thought the gathering would mean everyone would stand up and eat or each would have their own seats, but no.It was an exception with her because she was the only one seated and she also noticed there was absolutely no other women even inside the house.“If this is a gathering, how come there are no women around?” She asked.“That’s because I only work with men. Women are troublesome to work with.” Victoria was slightly offended by his rather misogynistic remark.“I am a woman and you are working with me.” She argued.“That’s because you are special. You are more capable. With other women, it’s usually a different story.” He replied back.For Ian, it was also troublesome how women who dealt with him in the past always ended up posse
"There is always a choice, even if the alternatives don't appear to be equal."-Garth Nix-***After Darius rescued her, they were supposed to go to where Ian was. However, in the middle of running, Darius suddenly grabbed her hand and made her look at him in the eyes. The sudden gesture surprised Victoria.There was something in the man’s eyes. It was a deep longing and a little bit of pain in his eyes.“Darius, what are you doing?” She asked, confused.“We need to hurry back to Ian.” She continued.“Madame, I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t keep watching you get yourself in danger because of that man. You deserve better, Madame.” He finally admitted it directly to her face.“Darius, what do you mean by that? This isn’t the time for jokes. We have to get out of here.” She reminded him calmly.“I am being extremely serious right now. There are still things you don’t know about me, Madame, but if you want to, I can help you disappear. I can help us disappear.” He proposed.“What
"Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it." -Nicholas Sparks-***A month had passed since Victoria was kidnapped. They made a few adjustments after that day starting from the security and Ian had been quite brutal and launched several attacks on his enemies to ensure none of them could hurt Victoria.It had been a rather chaotic month and Victoria didn’t even go out that often except for work because she was worried for her own safety. But one day, she was getting sick and tired of it so she approached Ian with a sulking look. She told him,“I can’t do this anymore. I need to get out. I’ve been suffocating with this kind of life.” Ian who could understand her perfectly agreed.“Okay, I know I’ve been too strict with the security lately but it’s for your own good. However, I also know I can’t keep you all locked up so you know what? Let’s have a vacation.” And that was how she ended up on the private jet on her way to Athens, Greece.He booked a five-star resort in
"I belong to the people I love and they belong to me. They and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could." -Veronica Roth- *** Victoria walked out of the building and rushed over to Ian side. When Ian saw her, he was relieved. Darren was baffled because he didn’t expect her to be out of the room so quickly. There was a man he had never met before, it was Darius following behind her with a huge gun on his hand to guard her so no one could shoot her as she approached Ian. Once she was safe in Ian’s arm, it was time for Ian and Victoria to flip the situation. “You have crossed your boundaries, Darren. You dared to kidnap my wife, my woman. You will be paying for it.” Without thinking twice, Ian pulled a gun and shot him. Even though Darren also had a few big men around him, none of them could protect him from Ian, who carried his own army of soldiers with him. It might seem to easy, but time slowed down for Victoria who witnessed
"Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. It's all a matter of perspective." -Mary Anne Radmacher- *** Victoria and Ian was attending a business party held by his associate. It was a grand party with a lot of guests, quite crowded but since the space was vast, it didn’t feel suffocating. Victoria was wearing a beautiful sapphire dress with silver crystal on the top part. It fit her curves perfectly. She was innately more of an introvert but since she was married with Ian, she made the attempt to keep up with him here and there. Since she was also in business, it wasn’t that difficult. But the long time spent with socializing was taking a toll on her. She needed some alone and quiet space from the hustle and bustle of the party. She headed to the bathroom and tried to gather her thought together. She washed her hand on the sink and reapplied her lipstick for the evening. The only thing on her mind was she wanted to go back home because she wasn’t feeling her absolute be
"Taking bold, focused action creates explosive results."-John Di Lemme-***A few months had passed since Victoria got married to Ian and she was slowly getting used to the married life again.A lot of things had happened and she was starting to see the difference and compared her current life with her old ones just as a self-analysis.During her first marriage, she was the youthful princess of the household and this time, she was the queen. It was definitely different, but it didn’t matter since she enjoyed both sides. Ian was a surprisingly gentle husband considering his personality.It was not something she would expect from him. The relationship between the two of them had indeed became a lot closer than before.As Victoria tried to keep an open mind about the relationship and did her best to understand Ian.They were already married anyway, what other choice did she have but to try and make it work?Darius had also been on his best behavior. He helped her a few times during work
"Nothing is more common than mutual dislike where mutual approbation is particularly expected."-Samuel Johnson-***“It’s a pleasure to meet you again. I almost couldn’t believe myself when Ian agreed to have dinner with me. It has been a long time.” Darren greeted them with a huge smile on his face. Victoria politely smiled back at him while Ian pulled her seat so she could sit down and then he sat down in between the two of them.“I appreciate your invitation but I believe we shouldn’t waste each other’s time as much. Tell me, what is the reason for this dinner. Surely you wouldn’t just invite us out on a good whim, would you?” Ian didn’t even bother to hide it. He could be a little impatient indeed.“I just thought maybe we could have a better relationship moving forward. Nothing wrong with rekindling with an old friend, now, is there?” The waiter came before they could make a reply and they made their order first before continuing with the conversation.“Sure, but I am sure that
"Schemes are like fruit, they require a certain ripening."-George R.R. Martin-***“What is this?” Ian asked when Lucas came with an invitation letter in his hand.“It’s from Darren Quinston. The man is inviting both you and Victoria to have dinner with him.” Lucas replied.“What? Why would he do something like this? That man has never reached out to me in the last few months.So why would he suddenly take interest in my business after I am married?” He questioned even though Ian already knew the answer deep down. Darren was definitely scheming something.Even though the two of them already made a treaty to stay out of each other’s business, something was definitely shifting in the time when Ian was busy with Victoria.It was something he couldn’t predict yet but he knew right away he needed to be careful about the way he handled this.One w
"The best romance is inside marriage. The finest love story comes after the wedding, not before."-Irving Stone-***Darius couldn’t sleep that night after the wedding day. His mind kept wandering toward Victoria and he wondered if she was doing the deeds with Ian at the moment in their hotel room.Just thinking about it was enough to drive him mad and he wasn’t even the reactive kind. He always managed to compose himself since it was all that was necessary, but this time, he found it difficult to just remain idle in his room.It was so difficult for him to suppress his feelings. He hated the thought of that man touching her.He couldn’t stand it, he decided to go to the balcony and pulled up a piece of cigarette and lit it up. He didn’t like smoking for the most part but this time he thought he definitely needed it.As he reflected back on what happened, he recalled on how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. She looked like an angel. Victoria has always been beautiful but she
"All, everything I understand, I understand only because I love."-Leo Tolstoy-***Victoria was getting ready for her wedding day. She didn’t think she would end up getting married again so soon after Wilfred passed away, worse, to a man who wasn’t even an option for her in the first place. Someone she didn’t think she would want to spend the rest of her life with.Even though she had some feelings for him, she wouldn’t say she married Ian for love. However, she was not dreading the marriage as well because she knew all the technical aspect of it had been taken care of through the prenup.He had also agreed that her business would still remain with her so she didn’t have to worry about him trying to take over her business at all.He had hired an entire team of makeup artist, hair dresser and stylist to help her throughout the day, it reminded her of when she was married to Wilfred, only this time the pressure was so much less since the age gap between her and Ian wasn’t that much so