Silently, Genevieve looked up at Noah, who was so close to her she could feel his warm breath on her skin and the sound of his heart beating wildly in his chest, but she could also sense the fear in his eyes.There was something about the sincerity in his tone that had her heart racing as well, and as a momentary distraction, she pressed her finger underneath his lip where the cut was and tiptoed to plant a kiss there.Her soft lips touched the corner of his mouth, lingering a little longer before pulling back, and she said softly, “We don't mean nothing to me anymore, Jack. I'm tired of running away from things, and the most important thing right now is to take care of myself and keep Leo safe. But if you are going to hurt me... us, tell me now so I can run far away from here as fast as possible.”Those words knocked Noah back to his senses, knowing that he had put himself in a spot where the truth had to be delayed not to hurt her or Leo, and Noah sighed, pulling back, taking a step
Slowly raising her lashes, Genevieve's vision was blurred, but she could see a dull image of Noah staring at her with his cheek resting on his fist, and she shut her eyes again, feeling exhausted and sore from all that excitement and sex.“We should get going. Leo needs to go to school, and it is six already.” Noah said, making Genevieve snap her eyes open and glance at him. Groaning, she sat up, and when the blanket fell off her body, she realized that she was naked, and her cheeks flushed brightly.“Good morning,” Noah whispered, smirking at her as he lowered her gaze and wiggled his brows.“Shut up,” Genevieve chuckled, glaring at him.When he went silent, staring at her, she raised her gaze and mumbled, “What?”His hand slipped under her chin and tilted her face up towards his as his lips hovered inches above hers, and she stared back at him, her breath stuck in her throat, her pulse racing in nervousness.“Shut me up,” Noah murmured huskily and slowly leaned closer to her mouth,
Calmly, Noah walked over to the chair and sat down, facing his father man to man, and then said, “When I was little, if you would have witnessed a man senselessly raise his hand to hit me, what would you do?” Noah asked as his father raised one eyebrow, confused and astonished by the sudden subject change. “What does that have to do with anything?!” Mr. Stark retorted.“Answer the question, father.” “Well, he would have to answer to me, of course! I would have beaten the living shit out of him!” Silent followed those words for a while as Noah waited for his answer to sink in, and then he asked, “And if another man was to force himself on mother.”Immediately, Mr. Stark slapped the desk, looking violated in every way possible, and lashed out, “What are these questions about?” “Please, tell me how you would handle such a hindrance crime.” Noah calmly spoke, ignoring his father's outburst.The two stared at each other for the longest and then Mr. Stark sighed, frustrated with the que
When the Uber arrived at the Blue Water film building, Genevieve was about to step out of the taxi, but then she saw a bunch of people surrounding someone, shouting, “Can we get your autograph!!! Please!!!”‘Who’s the famous person out here today?’ She mumbled in her head, curious to see a face.As the crowd moved around a bit, Genevieve could see who was in the center of it, and the sight of her cousin made her jaws tighten, and an uneasy feeling washed over her.‘She has no project with this company at this moment, so why is she here? And why did the director call me around the same time she was here? Is this a coincidence or ...?’ Genevieve thought, watching her cousin beaming at the crowd, signing their books, or shaking their hands?After the crowd had walked a bit further from the entrance, Genevieve stole the chance to rush out of the car, hiding in her face behind Noah's cap, and ran into the building.A feeling of relief washed over her when she got to the counter undetected.
Smiling at the faces around the table, Genevieve set a plate of pancakes on the dining table and then pulled out a chair, sitting between Noah and Leo.It had been one month since she had gotten laid off from the Drunk In Manhattan project, and since then, she had been trying to adjust to her new life as a stay-at-home Wife and mother, and so far, she liked it, even though a part of her was still grieving her dead dreams.“Thanks, Mommy!” Leo said, beaming at her.Her hands reached for his hair, and Genevieve couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips when he leaned into her touch as she raffled his already messy curls with her fingers. “Be good at school today, okay?”“I am always a good boy,” Leo said solemnly, looking up at her through dark lashes. Everyone laughed at his cute remark, and Leo's smile reached his eyes, a big, innocent grin that melted their hearts.“Okay, eat before you give us a heart attack with your cuteness.” Genevieve uttered with a laugh, squeezing his sh
When her room door opened and her mother stepped inside, Glenn frowned and said, “Don’t you know how to knock?” “Get dressed!” Mrs. Carnell ordered, frowning at her daughter's harsh tone. “I am not in the mood.” “Do you want to get married or not?” Immediately, Glenn turned in her chair, giving her mother an eager look as she asked, “Why? Did the Stark family finally reach you?” A guilty smile crossed her mother's lips as she cleared her throat and mumbled, “No. But-”“Mother!” Glenn lashed out. “How dare you remind me that it’s already been a month and their son hasn't even tried to reach me?!”Furrowing her eyebrows at her daughter, Mrs. Carnell crossed her arm and said, “Just because the Starks has not made a move yet. That does not mean we can not take advantage of this opportunity with them. We should take this chance while he away to gets a sound footing with his parents and to secure your spot in that family.”Realizing that her mother's words made sense, Glenn hesitated wi
Pouting as she reached down the stairs, Genevieve noticed Rhodes staring at her, and she didn't want him to get concerned and ask, so she smiled at him and said, “I am leaving for a while.”“I will drop you then,” Rhodes offered, grabbing his coat off the couch.“No, it's fine, father. I will just-”“Please don't refuse this old man's pleadings. I am coming, okay?”Seeing it in his eyes that he wasn't going to accept ‘No,’ for an answer, Genevieve nodded and said, “Okay. Thank you.”The two then left the house together, and watching from the window, Noah stared at the car driveway, feeling a dull ache in his chest when his hurt voice rang in her mind, “Fine! If you don't want to go along with me, that's fine! You can stay here doing nothing!”And then he let the curtain slide from his hand and mumbled, “How should I make it up to you?” ******As Glenn and her mother walked into the penthouse, Mrs. Stark was surprised that the mother and daughter had shown up at their home unannounced
“Uncle Jack,” Leo shouted, waving his hand as he stood at school gate, and Noah smiled at the sight of how happy he was. When he reached Leo, he ruffled his curls and said, “Hi, buddy. How was class?” “Miss Richeal gave me an A+!” Leo squealed, bouncing on the balls of his feet, but stopped when he realized that Noah was alone. “Where are mommy and pawpaw?” “Pawpaw took mommy to a work meeting. So it's just you and I today, buddy.” Noah chuckled when he saw Leo scrunch his nose as he thought about something. “Oh, and congratulations on getting an A+. We can grab an ice cream for you when we buys your mom a cake.” “It’s not mommy's birthday.” “I know, buddy.” “Why are you buying her cake then?” When Leo looked up at him with curious eyes, Noah hesitated, knowing that telling Leo that Genevieve had been mad at him was out of the question, and then he said, “No. Reason. Take note... you don't need a special day to do something nice for your mom, okay?” Nodding, Leo looked at Noah
Max's eyes widened at Noah's command, but he nodded without hesitation. “Understood, sir,” he replied, already mentally preparing the necessary security measures. Noah's expression softened briefly. “Thanks, Max. Your discretion is appreciated as always.”Max offered a small, respectful nod before hurrying off to carry out his orders. Noah watched him go, a wave of hesitation washing over him.With one last glance towards the guest suite, Noah headed out of the mansion. He climbed into his car and drove towards the airport. As he navigated through the city streets, his mind raced with thoughts of the confrontation ahead.The airport was bustling with the usual activity when Noah arrived. He parked his car in a strategic location, ensuring he had a clear view of the terminal entrance. He checked his watch, noting that Hunter’s flight was due to land any minute.Noah’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. It was from one of his men, confirming that Hunter had landed and was making hi
Noah’s heart hammered in his chest as he turned back to Genevieve, her words echoing in his mind. "Hunter... why do I feel like I’ve heard that name before?" “What do you mean, Genevieve?” Noah asked, his voice low but urgent. He took a step closer, his eyes searching hers for any hint of recognition. “Have you heard about Hunter before? Do you know something?”Genevieve’s gaze flickered away, a shadow of something unreadable passing over her face. She shook her head slightly, biting her lower lip. “It’s nothing, Noah. Just... a feeling. I can’t explain it.”Noah wanted to press her, to demand answers, but he saw the resolute set of her jaw and knew she wouldn’t budge. He let out a frustrated sigh but didn’t push further. “Alright,” he said softly, his tone gentler now. “But if you remember anything, anything at all, promise me you’ll tell me. This guy has been tailing you from since I can remember, and his coming here can not be a coincident.”She nodded, her eyes meeting his with a
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city, Noah made his way through the bustling streets toward Genevieve's hotel. He had donned a simple disguise—a pair of dark glasses, a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, and a scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face—enough to conceal his identity from casual observers.Arriving at the hotel, Noah hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and striding purposefully toward the entrance. The lobby was dimly lit, the soft murmur of conversation blending with the gentle hum of the air conditioning. Noah kept his head down, avoiding eye contact as he made his way to the elevator.Pressing the button for Genevieve's floor, Noah felt a surge of nervous energy coursing through him. When he reached her floor, Noah stepped out into the hallway and made his way to her door. He hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the handle before finally summoning the courage to knock.The sound echoed through t
Hunter’s heart pounded in his chest as he dashed out of the office, the echo of his boss's enraged voice still ringing in his ears. He fumbled with his phone, nearly dropping it as he opened the travel app to book a flight. His fingers moved frantically across the screen, selecting the earliest available departure."Please, please, please..." he muttered under his breath, watching the spinning wheel of the app processing his request. Finally, the confirmation screen appeared. "Yes!" he whispered, relief flooding through him as he saw the details: a flight to the city where Genevieve's production was taking place, leaving in two hours.Hunter grabbed his coat and briefcase, racing down the hall toward the exit. He pushed through the revolving doors and into the bustling street, hailing a cab with a frantic wave. A yellow taxi screeched to a halt beside him, and he jumped in."To the airport, please! As fast as you can!" he instructed the driver, his voice breathless.The driver nodded
Glenn reluctantly reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she dialed Mrs. Stark's number. Each ring felt like an eternity, the weight of her mother's expectations bearing down on her with every passing second."Hello, Glenn. What can I do for you?" Mrs. Stark's voice was calm and professional, but there was an underlying tension that Glenn couldn't ignore."Mrs. Stark, it's me, Glenn. I... I wanted to talk to you about the situation with FoxZ and... and the role," Glenn stammered, her words faltering as she struggled to find the right way to phrase her request.There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Mrs. Stark responded, her tone cautious. "I understand, Glenn. Believe me, I wish there was more I could do to help. But given the circumstances..."Glenn's heart sank at Mrs. Stark's words, the reality of her situation crashing down on her with brutal force. "So, there's no chance of me getting back on the cast? Not even in a different production or wi
The plane ride back home felt like an eternity for Glenn. She sat in her seat, staring out the window, lost in thought. She couldn't shake off the events of the past few days—the confrontation with Noah, and the humiliation at the resort.As the plane landed and the passengers began to disembark, Glenn gathered her belongings and made her way through the airport. She hailed a cab and settled in for the ride home. The familiar sights of her town passing by felt both comforting and suffocating. She couldn't wait to be back in her own space, away from prying eyes and judgmental whispers.When she arrived home, she was relieved to find the house empty except for the maid."Young Miss, you are here?" the maid asked, her voice filled with surprise and concern.Glenn's mood, already sour from her encounter with her mother, turned even darker. She snapped at the maid, her words sharp and biting. "Of course, I'm here. Where else would I be?"The maid flinched at Glenn's tone, taken aback by her
As Noah and Rhodes sauntered away from the pool area, the tension hung thick around them, akin to the lingering resonance of an unresolved chord in a somber melody. Each step seemed weighed down by the weight of the confrontation they had just left behind.Rhodes's phone vibrated in his pocket, disrupting the heavy silence. Hastily retrieving it, he checked the caller ID before answering, his voice pitched low, betraying the gravity of the situation."Hello?" Rhodes's response was clipped, betraying a sense of urgency."Rhodes, it's Smith. We've got the footage," came the voice on the other end, crisp and professional.Rhodes's brows shot up in surprise. "Everything?""Yeah, our guy was in the right place at the right time. We've got everything, clear as day," Smith replied confidently.Rhodes nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "Alright, send it over."Ending the call, Rhodes turned towards Noah, a mix of curiosity and caution etched across his features. "Boss, what's the pla
For the longest, Rhodes stood outside Noah's hotel room, his knuckles hovering over the door, hesitating for a moment before he finally knocked. The door opened, revealing Noah, who was dressed in a simple white wrinkled t-shirt and faded jeans, a stark contrast to his usual sharp suits. With a faint smile, Rhodes raised an eyebrow, surprised by Noah's attire. "Boss, you're looking... casual," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. Noah chuckled, stepping aside to let Rhodes in. "I figured we're going incognito today. Can't have anyone recognizing us," he said, closing the door behind Rhodes. "Is everything ready?" Noah asked, getting straight to the point. Locking eyes with his sudden dark ones, Rhodes nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, boss. The arrangements have been made. We're all set." Noah leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. "Good. I want everything to go smoothly today." Rhodes nodded again, understanding the importance of the task at hand. "Don't wo
The morning sun filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow over Glenn's room. She wakes up to the insistent ringing of her phone.Groaning, she reaches over and sees her mother's name flashing on the screen. She debates letting it go to voicemail but knows her mother won't give up easily.Reluctantly, Glenn answers. "Hello?""Glenn, finally!" Mrs. Carrell's voice is sharp, cutting through the early morning calm. "I've been calling and calling. Why haven't you been answering?"Glenn rubs her eyes, trying to wake up fully. "Sorry, Mom. I was sleeping. What's up?""What's up? What's up is that I just saw the news. Genevieve is still leading the production, and you're nowhere to be seen. What have you been doing all this time?"Glenn sighs, already feeling the weight of her mother's disappointment. "I'm handling it, Mom. Don't worry.""Handling it? For three months, Glenn! You keep saying the same thing, but nothing changes. I'm starting to think you don't know what you're doing."