H-he remembered that?
Though our visits here were vague in my mind, I still remembered the day when Tobias brought him along to our family to introduce his new best friend.
How could I forget the day I got encountered with those stormy grey eyes for the first time?
The reserved yet shy boy was uncomfortable among so many unknown people until his gaze locked with mine. The soft smile that had tugged across his lips in the return of my own toothy one, had engraved into my heart since then.
He gently brushed his thumb on my cheek. "Those adorable freckles are almost non visible now."
"I still have them. It's just the make-up." Words came out of my mouth of its own, lost into his grey pools.
A tiny frown set between his brows. "The make-up that hides your beauty, you should avoid them."
"Again back to dictating me, are we Mr. Valencian? I'm not
Warner? Why was he calling me?The phone buzzed again. But this time, it was a message from him."Who's it?"My thumb halted in the mid way from opening the message. Slowly turning around, I put my phone back into my purse. "It's Mom, she asked if we've reached the party safely."I couldn't mention Warner's name now. No matter how sweet he was right now, jealousy didn't sit well with him. He proved it many times before. And I didn't want to ruin this night when it just started.I'd just talk to Warner later.Nodding, he put the trays of food on the table and gestured to me to sit. Of course, pulling my chair for me.Shaking my head, I smiled. "Thank you."When he settled at the opposite chair of me, my eyes fell on his broad shoulders. Gone his jacket, now he was only in his black shirt. And it clung to his sculpted chest and a
Taking a sip on the tea, I ran my eyes on the newspaper. The noise of Mom's chopping vegetables and moving utensils in the kitchen rang across. But nothing moved my attention from the paper, not even her curious glances."You know, the Blackwood's daughter ran off with her cousin's fiance?" Her sigh resonated from the opposite side of the counter. "I got to know from the kitty party last night. Children these days, I don't know what runs in their head."I flipped another page. The business column."Your aunt called me this morning to inform me how she's enjoying her vacation in Switzerland with her third husband and soon will be sending me some pictures of their little honeymoon." She snorted. "As if I wanted to know anyway. I'm glad that your Dad didn't go after his elder sister. Thank God she's not in the country right now. At least I got some relief from her frequent visits."I stayed quiet. Not warning her about
"Warner?" I stared at him in shock and surprise.He'd called and messaged last night, but through all this going on I couldn't check his message. And now seeing him standing before me again, rose the guilt inside me again."Hey!" Tucking a strand behind my ear, I greeted him with an awkward stance.His brown orbs roamed over my features, a frown set between his brows. "You alright? You seem… not well."Even after what I did, he was still concerned for me. That's why I didn't want to lose a friend like him. Before we started dating, he was my best friend in NY.All of a sudden, I'd a sudden urge to hug him tight and share all my problems with him. But I knew I couldn't.Gulping, I nodded my head. "I'm fine, don't worry. Come in!" I held the door wide open for him, flashing a small smile.Once we were settled in the hall, I got him some coffe
"What's wrong with him? I don't know how can that insane man impress you that much?" Warner asked, baffled.Sending him a look, I walked back to my bed and plopped down on it."What's going on here, Em? Will you tell me now?" he queried again. "Did you two already break up?""We were never together for the break up you're talking about.""Then?" Raising his brow, he probed me to explain further.Sighing, I told him everything. And he listened, taking a seat beside me.But I kept some of the parts from him. Ace's past, especially his being a drug addict back then. It felt wrong to disclose his extremely personal and sore past to Warner. So I kept that part left out. Instead I told him after Ace's father's death, he went into depression and decided to push me away from him taking my sister's help.It was all I could come up with.
Huffing, I slammed the files on the desk. I've been brainstorming since the breaking news, but I couldn't come up with anything.So Achilles Valencian literally destroyed Antonio Reymond's image before the whole world. From the gossip I heard from others around the office, after this blow, Antonio's company's shares dropped in the market drastically within some hours. Apparently, he was doomed.I even heard police had some proof against him doing illegal businesses far in small towns.I was sure Ace had a hand behind it. Otherwise how did police get all the proofs, strong enough to destroy a powerful businessman just in a day?Only Achilles Valencian could do it.After what that man did to Caleb, I should've seen it coming. But this was a big blow. How did he manage it?My legs itched to go to his cabin and ask him directly. I wanted to know what
Fuming, I strode to the door and tried to open it. But his pair of strong arms snaked around my midriff and hauled me to the middle of the cabin.A shriek left my mouth. "What the hell, Valencian! Leave me right now!""I will. Once you hear everything I've to say."His calm tone made me boil. I didn't let him explain things, so he would literally keep me captive in his cabin, in his arms?I can't believe this man!"No! I won't hear anything! You'll do what I want, and then let me go!" I said, putting on the scariest face I could manage on my face with a stern voice.But he ignored me. Because he was too busy roaming his grey eyes across my every single feature. As if he hadn't seen me for years. Not tolerating being disregarded like that, I stepped on his feet. With my five inches heel.A hiss left his mouth, his filled with adoration orbs now watched me in sh
Pressing the bell, I waited.The elevator opened and a lanky middle aged man came out in a floral shirt. Stopping at his track, he eyed me up and down with his slightly red eyes. I faced away from him and tapped the bell again.What's taking her so much time to open the door?Once the creepy man unlocked his apartment next to the one I was standing before and got inside casting me one last lingering glance before closing the door, I sighed in relief.God knows how she stayed here with this creep at the other side of the wall.With a click, the door opened and her blonde head peeked through it. Surprise was etched into her brown eyes."Emerald? What're you doing here?""Hi, Sierra!" I smiled. "Sorry, I tried to call you but it went unreachable every time. I heard from Matt that you weren't well, so thought to give you a visit."
YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!An equal owner of everything he owned? That's ridiculous! Why the hell would he do that?Only Achilles insane Valencian would be able to answer that.With eyes formed into a scowl, lips pressed into displeasure and rage running hot through my veins, I stormed into his cabin. Well, I wasn't required to knock.His eyes snapped up from his mobile. Standing in the middle of his cabin, his features matched my emotions right now. He was glaring holes at his phone.I knew what ran into his head. Of course he would be mad if I wouldn't receive his non-stop calls and messages. My phone stopped vibrating as he cut the call."Where the hell were you?" Throwing the phone on his desk, he fired."And what the hell did you do?" I countered back, glaring at him.The place between his thick brows crinkled. "What did I do? Shouldn't I be aski
The last time I saw him was at the police station. After that night, Ace handed him over to the police for trying to force himself on me. And as much as that night managed to send a shiver down my spine for months after that, I pressed down on my grudge against him and thought rationally. Yes, what he did was wrong, but he was drunk at that moment. Not that it gave him any excuse to do that to me, but I decided to let things end and requested Ace to withdraw his complaint.Even I did wrong to him, though it was nothing compared to the deed he tried to do. But for the sake of our years of friendship, I decided to let him out after fifteen days of his jail, much to Ace's dismay. He wanted him to rot behind the bars forever.Even though he apologized for his actions endlessly, I had told him to stay away from me and not to try to reach out in any way.But here he was today, probably with his fiance. I just hoped Ace wouldn't see
Dragging myself out of the car with some struggles, I got out the box and looked up at the enormous glass building towering before me.EMERALD ENTERPRISES was written in bold red letters at the top.A goofy smile tugged up my lips. With the warmth that surged through my chest, emotional tears burned my eyes.Valencian Corp's new branch, which he opened with my name. It was his gift for me on my birthday, passed just last week.Rolling my eyes, I let out a breath through my lips.I was getting sentimental again.Shaking my head, I closed the car door behind me with a thud and dawdled inside.Once in, my eyes took in the interior. As fancy and elegant as I remembered from a week ago. Though there weren't many people working here that day. But today, the way everyone was at their best speed, it seemed like they were working here for years.
The color of Arthur's face drained. With wide eyes, he watched Ace in horror."Y-you can't do that to me! I won't let you!"I grimaced at the feeling in my stomach. The world around me started to spin.Stepping back from him, Ace wrapped a hand around my waist. "I can and I will. You've seen my respect for you these years, and now you'll see my enmity. You should've thought ten times before you joined hands with Antonio and decided to go against me and tried to hurt my Rosebud. You did what you wanted, now you suffer the consequences. May God send you to hell. Goodbye, Arthur.""No! You can't do that…"Not being able to contain it in anymore, I clutched my stomach, hunched forward and threw up."Shit! Rosebud! Are you alright, baby?" Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he pulled my hair back as the cops and Arthur jumped back from my puke."Wh
"Rosebud?" His deep voice murmured into my ear, followed by a lingering kiss on my neck. "Wake up, baby. We're here."Groaning, I moved on his lap and made myself more comfortable against him, snuggling my face into his chest. "Let me sleep."His husky chuckle sent a shiver down my sore body. Well, the reason behind my tiredness was him. After our fifteen days trip to Greece and Turkey, we were supposed to meet my family at dinner directly after landing in California. So here we were, outside my parents' home. But here I could barely move without wincing.Because this man just can't keep it in his pants.Just because a male cabin crew flashed me his biggest smile, he literally banned that man from his private jet and took me like a ragged doll in the posh cabin of his, claiming me again and again as his.As if I wasn't already his!Not that I didn't beg him for more and
His pupils darkened more in rage even if it was possible. "You remembered the accident when we were returning from the house I bought for us?"My eyes widened. "H-he was behind it?"He nodded, a muscle of his jaw ticked. "It was him. Even though I was his target, he shouldn't have involved you in this."I let out a breath.So that was the reason behind his intense hatred against Antonio. That's why he was so mad at Tess' wedding when Antonio came to meet me."When Arthur brought up the Russians offer to me, his desperation for me to sign it and his being the head of this project had me suspicious. So I had his phone tapped. To know what was brewing in his shrewd head. And I was right. I got to know about his intention behind the project while he discussed it with Ivanov on the phone. But as cunning as he was, he never unfolded his whole plan to him. Until this morning, when everything in h
Across the open field, a black car that I knew really well passed through the empty road. No other sign of vehicle or human was there.Then a truck sped through the field, going directly to the car.I tensed. The rate of my heart beat peaked up. I had to stop it.But when I tried to open my mouth to say something, yell his name, my body didn't move. A panic set in when I attempted to open my eyes but they didn't move either.No!I watched as the truck neared the car with full speed. It was going to hit it!A desperation to stop it rolled inside, making me restless. I wanted to move but as if my body got paralyzed, I couldn't move even how much I wanted to.I wanted to scream, thrash to be set from whatever that held me back. I wanted to stop that truck. But all I could do was watch as the truck went ahead and hit the car with a force that it flew
An eerie silence fell over the ambience for a moment while I stood there frozen. Only the sound of my own heavy breath reached my ears.Then I heard heavy footsteps of boots approaching from the other side of the room they were in.Oh no! They're coming!I need to hide! I wouldn't be able to run from them. They'd catch me if I ran.Looking around frantically, I searched for a place to hide.I couldn't use the flower pot this time. They'll find me.Rushing to the one of the doors lined up beside theirs, I tried to open it without making a noise, but to my utter bad luck, it was locked. I tried another, but no avail. They were locked.No, no, no! I can't get caught! I can't! I need to inform Ace about his plan.My heart pounded under my rib cage as I went to the opposite side of the hallway and pushed at a door. And this ti
Six men stood there in the middle of the room. Before Arthur, stood a man in his early fifties with short height, a thin mustache on his upper lip and a shining bald. Four more much younger men surrounded him with the same black clothes the guards wore before the VVIP entrance.The way they stood behind and around that bald man, indicated theirs being his men.And obviously working with Arthur."Pozdravlyayu, Mr. Valencian," said the man with his thick Russian accent. His mustache twitched as a smirk tugged onto his dark lips.Arthur shook his hand with his. "Congratulations to us, Ivanov. After all, it's the result of both of our hard work."I frowned.Ivanov? Why did this name sound familiar…My lips parted in shock. Ivanov, one of the partners of the Russian company Ace was going to sign the deal with.He was with Arthur? Oh
Walking through the endless corridors, I walked watching out for the room numbers not to get lost.The hotel was huge. Not just a hotel, it was a palace built in the middle age, now turned into a lavish five star hotel. With the mixture of antique architect and modern decorations, it gave out a feel of royalty. From the masterpiece paintings on the walls, to the gorgeous chandeliers shimmering with golden glow. Not to forget the huge gold plated flower pots at the both sides of the corridors, aside the red carpet down the way.As soon as I neared my destination, I found the whole area totally separated from the others by a pair of glass doors. VVIP Area was written in bold red letters on the glass. Two bulky men in black stood at the both sides of the door.Not again!I remembered Carter warning about some restrictions.Mentally groaning, I approached the VVIP conference area.