I nearly tripped when I got to the door of Mr. Railway’s office. “Keep it together, Vera,” I whispered to myself and knocked before walking in. Mr. Railway was at his desk with his coffee in his hand. He relaxed into the chair while his eyes were glued to his laptop.
“Good morning, sir,” I greeted as I approached him and stood in front of his desk. He locked with mine, piercing my soul and sending a shiver down my spine. He wore a black shirt that hinted at the muscular build beneath, paired with dark gray slacks. His blazer was draped over his chair, exuding effortless power. “Did you set the meeting time with the press?” His deep voice sent a pleasant jolt through me, making me weak in my knees. “Yes, sir. Twelve thirty in the conference room,” I managed, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible even though I was gracefully failing. I watched his eyes rake over my body, drinking in each detail lazily like he didn’t care of I noticed. How could a man be so relaxed and yet so intimidating? He nodded and picked up the documents I had submitted on his desk. “Mr. King has agreed to sign the contract,” He announced, surprising me. After yesterday, I was sure we had lost him, but I guess TerraLink’s reputation was hard to resist. “I guess that’s…good news?” it sounded more like a question than a statement. He shrugged as he looked through the papers. My eyes fell on his fingers. They were slender and long, almost perfect. “You can take your leave. I’ll call for you when needed,” he waved me off and I nodded. “O-okay, sir,” I said and turned around to leave. I walked out of the office and made my way to mine. I grabbed my coffee and chugged it down when I got into my office. I needed as much caffeine as I could get, unfortunately I couldn’t get high even if I wanted to. The day went on normally, involving the encounters I had with Mr. Railway. His aura was really powerful and everyone could feel it. I could even see the surprise on people’s faces when they saw us walking together today. According to Katie, it had been a long time since Mr. Railway had an assistant. The last one was fired for mixing up his meetings and making a fool out of him. I could understand why he was this strict. But working for a man that made me beg for him throughout the night wasn’t my idea of a perfect job. My phone dinged and I opened it to see a text from him. ‘Come to my office’ My heart skipped a beat as I quickly grabbed my mirror to check my reflection. My hair was still in its neat ponytail and my makeup was intact. I needed the highest amount of confidence I can get. I grabbed my notepad and walked out of my office. I knocked and stepped into his office. “You asked for me, sir,” I said as I looked at him and my eyes widened when I saw another man seated across him. He turned around to face me and then a surprised grin formed on his face. “So the rumors were true?” he teased, looking back at Mr. Railway before turning his attention back to me. He was flawlessly dark skinned with a nice low cut and his goatee made him more attractive. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and fitted black pants with his expensive black leather shoes matching his clothes. “Eyes up here, sweetheart,” my eyes instantly snapped to his. My cheeks burned, and I could feel my heartbeat in my ears as Austin’s words hung in the air. My eyes found Mr. Railway ‘s and he looked like he was going to kill me. “I’m so sorry,” I quickly blurred out, lowering my gaze to my feet as I hugged my notepad closer as if trying to shield myself from his gaze. I didn’t even know who I was exactly apologizing to, but I knew I was seconds away from getting fired. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, pretty lady,” the man continued and Mr. Railway cleared his throat, making me internally cringe. I was definitely getting fired. “No flirting with staff, especially within these walls. You know that, Austin. I’m sure you remember what happened last time,” he sounded annoyed and yet, unbothered. How was that even possible? What happened last time? “My bad, I just couldn’t resist,” Austin chuckled giddily and cleared his throat. “What is your name?” he asked me, making me look up at him. I turned to Mr. Railway, silently asking for permission. Only God knew what I could do to irritate him immediately and get myself fired. He nodded and I internally sighed in relief. “Veronica,” I said and Austin hummed. Before he could say anything, Mr. Railway spoke up. “Message Gavin and tell him to get my jet ready in two days. I have an event to attend in France,” he said and I nodded. Two days time? That’s on Sunday. “Yes, sir. Anything else?” I asked. He held out a file to me. “I need you to make copies and email the softcopies to the editorial manager and the marketing manager,” he said to me and I nodded as I quickly walked over to him to take it. I couldn’t ignore the way Austin’s eyes fell over me. It wasn’t in a creepy way, it was like he was trying to understand something about me. I turned to him and smiled professionally, “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Austin.” He smiled back and nodded. I held my breath as I approached the door and stepped out. “Oh my God,” I breathed out and held my chest as I leaned on the wall beside the door. My cheeks heated as I let out a sigh of relief and cover my face with my hand. Just as I was trying to get myself together, my phone buzzed, startling me in the process and pulling me back to reality. I looked at it to see it was my uncle calling. I frowned as I wondered why he could be calling me. After my parents disowned me, none of my family members made any effort to contact me. I never actually had a stable relationship with any of them, so I wasn’t expecting anything. So why was he calling me now? “Good afternoon, uncle Patrick,” I answered the call, trying not to let my curiosity show through my voice. “Princess, how are you doing?” he asked as I walked to my office. I raised a brow at the endearment but chose to ignore it. “I’m going good, uncle. How are you and your family?” His sudden concern felt as hollow as the promises my parents once made, and I refuse to let myself be drawn back into a web of their false sympathy. “Everyone is doing great. I heard the news about your engagement. My condolences, my dear. You must be very heartbroken,” he said and my frown deepened. I tried my best not to get angered by his words. I was definitely not heartbroken. And condolences? Nobody was dying! Uncle Patrick had always been pompous and arrogant. I knew he didn’t care about whatever happened, he just wanted to catch up with me and look like the good uncle. Unfortunately for him, I was smarter than that. “Thank you, Uncle,” I said in a monotone voice. “I heard what your parents did to you too. If you ever need help financially, I am here for you,” he tried his best to sound genuine and that was all I needed to make sure I never turn to him for anything. “Of course, uncle. But I really need to get going now. We will talk later, thank you,” I faked being in a rush and he hummed. “Goodbye, Vera,” he said and hung up. I scoffed and dropped my phone on the desk. Who did he think he is? Was this how everyone saw me? A joke? They saw me as a god-damned joke?I woke up to the loud ringing of my phone. My head rang as I searched for it on my nightstand, wanting to get rid of the loudness. I finally found it and picked up. “What?” I snapped in annoyance, my eyes still closed as I rubbed my temples with my free hand. “What a nice way to talk to your boss, Ms. Maslow,” Mr. Railway’s deep voice exploded in my head making me jolt into a sitting position. I lost my balance and fell off the bed with a loud thud. “Ouch!” I cried in pain when I hit my forehead on my nightstand. Another cry left me as the pain shot through my head making me groan loudly. My eyes snapped open as I remembered I was still on a call with Mr. Railway. Embarrassment filled me and I was tempted to hang up. I covered my face in shame, not saying anything as I tried to hide myself in the silence. “Veronica?” My ears perked up and my fingers parted to let my eyes peek through. Did he just call my name? Like my name? “Sir?” my voice sounded so awful that it made me cringe
Sunday came earlier than I had anticipated and I was already in a taxi taking me to the airport. I couldn’t even explain how nervous I was about the trip. It wasn’t like I hadn’t travelled to places with my dad, but this was Mr. Railway. It was totally different.When I told Yvonne about it, she wouldn’t stop making up different scenarios and telling me about them. It was funny at first but later, I wanted to throw her out of the window. That woman can imagine unimaginable things.“We are here, miss,” the driver said, bringing me out of my trance. I grabbed my bag and paid him before stepping outside. It was just a trip for two days, so I didn’t need to take much clothes or other things.I was dressed in a pair of black suit pants and a brown shirt. I wasn’t keen on dressing up today but Mr. Railway had a meeting to attend to immediately we arrive at France. I had my hair tied up in a ponytail and I exchanged my heels for flat shoes. I was going to look shorter but it didn’t matter.“
The party was in full swing, a glittering affair of high society elites mingling effortlessly, their laughter and chatter echoing through the grand ballroom. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting fragmented light across the room like stars in a polished night sky. Servers glided through the crowd, offering trays of champagne and appetizers, their practiced grace blending seamlessly into the opulence of the evening.I was impressed. Even I, couldn’t pull it off at all.I clutched my champagne flute tightly, it’s cool stem grounding me as I fought the creeping unease breathing to choke me. The faces around me were unfamiliar, save for the occasional nods and greetings directed Mr. Railway. I was, quite frankly, out of my depth.“Smile, Veronica,” I whispered to myself, pasting on the same polite expression I had on all evening. Mr. Railway had been kind enough to introduce me to a few of his clients earlier, but I quickly grew weary of the thinly veiled judgements hidden behind
Boredom had led me to drink three glasses of champagne in the last twenty minutes, and I was certain that if I had one more, I’d be seeing stars. I could feel myself getting tipsy, and I needed to find a way to excuse myself before I embarrassed myself in the worst possible way.“Excuse me,” a beautiful blonde lady approached me. Her bright blue eyes were the first thing I noticed as she came closer. Then I took in her height—she was tall, slim, and had beautifully tanned skin. She was the epitome of beauty, and she knew it.“Good evening, my name is Adeline,” she introduced herself, her thick French accent adding a certain charm to her words. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure, trying my best not to get intimidated .“I’m Veronica,” I replied, suddenly self-conscious under her gaze. Her hair was almost golden, and I found it difficult to look away from her. If anyone had told me she was a model, I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. I envied her beauty—it was magne
NEILI was furious. I wanted to punch something—scratch that, I wanted to punch that sick bastard in his fucking face. The only thing that was stopping me from going to the police station to beat the living daylights out of Aubert was the woman laying in my bed.“She may suffer a mild concussion because she really hit her head hard,” Dr. Kelsey said and my jaw clenched.I looked down at Veronica, her face pale against my dark sheets. My shirt looked impossibly large on her, swallowing her petite frame. Anger boiled in my chest again. I could still see the faint trace of blood on her arm, even after Dr. Kelsey cleaned the wound. That bastard.“She’ll heal,” Dr. Kelsey said, her voice gentle but firm. “You’ll just need to make sure she rests. No stress.”I nodded, forcing the lump in my throat down. Stress was an understatement. Veronica hadn’t just been hurt—she’d been terrified. And I couldn’t shake the memory of her trembling in my arms as I carried her home.“It will heal, I’ve trea
VERAI sat there, staring at the door that Mr. Railway had left through for the past thirty minutes. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t comprehend what happened. My heart hadn’t calmeddown and my mind wasn’t still clear.I swallowed and got out of bed. My head aches a little, but I knew I needed a shower if I wanted to let everything sink in. My legs nearly gave out on me as I walked to the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes before getting into the shower.The water was warm, making my muscles relax. I then remembered the incident that led to me being here like this. I wrapped my arms around my body, it was like I could still feel that man’s eyes on my body. It made shudder and I closed my eyes shut, wanting the feeling to go away. I could still feel his dirty eyes and touch on my skin.Then I remembered how Mr. Railway came to save me. How he had beaten the life out of that slug and called the police. A small smile made its way to my face as I remembered how he carried me in
VERAI couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided to return to my room. Grabbing my dress and heels from the edge of the bed, I picked up my phone and slipped out quietly.A sigh of relief escaped me when I finally reached my room. Tossing my things onto the chair, I made my way to the bed. Stripping out of Neil’s shirt, I stood completely naked for a moment before climbing under the covers.Oddly, the bed felt harder than his.Wait—why was I calling him Neil?I cleared my throat and sat up, running my fingers through my hair. From where I sat, I could see my reflection in the closet mirror. My eyes traced over my body—from the curve of my small breasts down to my wide hips.I’ve never been ashamed of my small chest, but almost every man I’d been with seemed to prefer women with more. It didn’t bother me until they started cheating.Funny how I thought Berlin would’ve been different. Even though he was an asshole most of the time, I thought he respected me. I really did.I glanced down a
NEIL“Just because they’re from a royal family, they think everyone can take their shit,” Austin scoffed as he sipped his Bourbon. He was pissed off that his British client was being a stick in his ass. It was funny but I wouldn’t dare laugh because I knew he was pissed off.Being a lawyer meant he had to encounter people who wouldn’t mind if their pride would get them being bars for more than ten years. People like me.“Honestly, I don’t care if he rots in jail. Who the fuck rapes a girl and then forces her to abort the child?” he snapped and downed the rest of his drink with one go.“The duke’s cousin,” I stated and he glared at me, making me chuckle. “You what another whiskey or vodka?” I asked and he scoffed.He was about to say something when his eyes caught something behind me and a smile pulled on his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him, “What?”“She knows how to capture every man’s attention without even trying,” he said with a chuckle and, somehow, I already knew who he was refer
NEIL“Just because they’re from a royal family, they think everyone can take their shit,” Austin scoffed as he sipped his Bourbon. He was pissed off that his British client was being a stick in his ass. It was funny but I wouldn’t dare laugh because I knew he was pissed off.Being a lawyer meant he had to encounter people who wouldn’t mind if their pride would get them being bars for more than ten years. People like me.“Honestly, I don’t care if he rots in jail. Who the fuck rapes a girl and then forces her to abort the child?” he snapped and downed the rest of his drink with one go.“The duke’s cousin,” I stated and he glared at me, making me chuckle. “You what another whiskey or vodka?” I asked and he scoffed.He was about to say something when his eyes caught something behind me and a smile pulled on his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him, “What?”“She knows how to capture every man’s attention without even trying,” he said with a chuckle and, somehow, I already knew who he was refer
VERAI couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided to return to my room. Grabbing my dress and heels from the edge of the bed, I picked up my phone and slipped out quietly.A sigh of relief escaped me when I finally reached my room. Tossing my things onto the chair, I made my way to the bed. Stripping out of Neil’s shirt, I stood completely naked for a moment before climbing under the covers.Oddly, the bed felt harder than his.Wait—why was I calling him Neil?I cleared my throat and sat up, running my fingers through my hair. From where I sat, I could see my reflection in the closet mirror. My eyes traced over my body—from the curve of my small breasts down to my wide hips.I’ve never been ashamed of my small chest, but almost every man I’d been with seemed to prefer women with more. It didn’t bother me until they started cheating.Funny how I thought Berlin would’ve been different. Even though he was an asshole most of the time, I thought he respected me. I really did.I glanced down a
VERAI sat there, staring at the door that Mr. Railway had left through for the past thirty minutes. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t comprehend what happened. My heart hadn’t calmeddown and my mind wasn’t still clear.I swallowed and got out of bed. My head aches a little, but I knew I needed a shower if I wanted to let everything sink in. My legs nearly gave out on me as I walked to the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes before getting into the shower.The water was warm, making my muscles relax. I then remembered the incident that led to me being here like this. I wrapped my arms around my body, it was like I could still feel that man’s eyes on my body. It made shudder and I closed my eyes shut, wanting the feeling to go away. I could still feel his dirty eyes and touch on my skin.Then I remembered how Mr. Railway came to save me. How he had beaten the life out of that slug and called the police. A small smile made its way to my face as I remembered how he carried me in
NEILI was furious. I wanted to punch something—scratch that, I wanted to punch that sick bastard in his fucking face. The only thing that was stopping me from going to the police station to beat the living daylights out of Aubert was the woman laying in my bed.“She may suffer a mild concussion because she really hit her head hard,” Dr. Kelsey said and my jaw clenched.I looked down at Veronica, her face pale against my dark sheets. My shirt looked impossibly large on her, swallowing her petite frame. Anger boiled in my chest again. I could still see the faint trace of blood on her arm, even after Dr. Kelsey cleaned the wound. That bastard.“She’ll heal,” Dr. Kelsey said, her voice gentle but firm. “You’ll just need to make sure she rests. No stress.”I nodded, forcing the lump in my throat down. Stress was an understatement. Veronica hadn’t just been hurt—she’d been terrified. And I couldn’t shake the memory of her trembling in my arms as I carried her home.“It will heal, I’ve trea
Boredom had led me to drink three glasses of champagne in the last twenty minutes, and I was certain that if I had one more, I’d be seeing stars. I could feel myself getting tipsy, and I needed to find a way to excuse myself before I embarrassed myself in the worst possible way.“Excuse me,” a beautiful blonde lady approached me. Her bright blue eyes were the first thing I noticed as she came closer. Then I took in her height—she was tall, slim, and had beautifully tanned skin. She was the epitome of beauty, and she knew it.“Good evening, my name is Adeline,” she introduced herself, her thick French accent adding a certain charm to her words. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure, trying my best not to get intimidated .“I’m Veronica,” I replied, suddenly self-conscious under her gaze. Her hair was almost golden, and I found it difficult to look away from her. If anyone had told me she was a model, I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. I envied her beauty—it was magne
The party was in full swing, a glittering affair of high society elites mingling effortlessly, their laughter and chatter echoing through the grand ballroom. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting fragmented light across the room like stars in a polished night sky. Servers glided through the crowd, offering trays of champagne and appetizers, their practiced grace blending seamlessly into the opulence of the evening.I was impressed. Even I, couldn’t pull it off at all.I clutched my champagne flute tightly, it’s cool stem grounding me as I fought the creeping unease breathing to choke me. The faces around me were unfamiliar, save for the occasional nods and greetings directed Mr. Railway. I was, quite frankly, out of my depth.“Smile, Veronica,” I whispered to myself, pasting on the same polite expression I had on all evening. Mr. Railway had been kind enough to introduce me to a few of his clients earlier, but I quickly grew weary of the thinly veiled judgements hidden behind
Sunday came earlier than I had anticipated and I was already in a taxi taking me to the airport. I couldn’t even explain how nervous I was about the trip. It wasn’t like I hadn’t travelled to places with my dad, but this was Mr. Railway. It was totally different.When I told Yvonne about it, she wouldn’t stop making up different scenarios and telling me about them. It was funny at first but later, I wanted to throw her out of the window. That woman can imagine unimaginable things.“We are here, miss,” the driver said, bringing me out of my trance. I grabbed my bag and paid him before stepping outside. It was just a trip for two days, so I didn’t need to take much clothes or other things.I was dressed in a pair of black suit pants and a brown shirt. I wasn’t keen on dressing up today but Mr. Railway had a meeting to attend to immediately we arrive at France. I had my hair tied up in a ponytail and I exchanged my heels for flat shoes. I was going to look shorter but it didn’t matter.“
I woke up to the loud ringing of my phone. My head rang as I searched for it on my nightstand, wanting to get rid of the loudness. I finally found it and picked up. “What?” I snapped in annoyance, my eyes still closed as I rubbed my temples with my free hand. “What a nice way to talk to your boss, Ms. Maslow,” Mr. Railway’s deep voice exploded in my head making me jolt into a sitting position. I lost my balance and fell off the bed with a loud thud. “Ouch!” I cried in pain when I hit my forehead on my nightstand. Another cry left me as the pain shot through my head making me groan loudly. My eyes snapped open as I remembered I was still on a call with Mr. Railway. Embarrassment filled me and I was tempted to hang up. I covered my face in shame, not saying anything as I tried to hide myself in the silence. “Veronica?” My ears perked up and my fingers parted to let my eyes peek through. Did he just call my name? Like my name? “Sir?” my voice sounded so awful that it made me cringe
I nearly tripped when I got to the door of Mr. Railway’s office. “Keep it together, Vera,” I whispered to myself and knocked before walking in. Mr. Railway was at his desk with his coffee in his hand. He relaxed into the chair while his eyes were glued to his laptop.“Good morning, sir,” I greeted as I approached him and stood in front of his desk. He locked with mine, piercing my soul and sending a shiver down my spine. He wore a black shirt that hinted at the muscular build beneath, paired with dark gray slacks. His blazer was draped over his chair, exuding effortless power.“Did you set the meeting time with the press?” His deep voice sent a pleasant jolt through me, making me weak in my knees.“Yes, sir. Twelve thirty in the conference room,” I managed, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible even though I was gracefully failing.I watched his eyes rake over my body, drinking in each detail lazily like he didn’t care of I noticed.How could a man be so relaxed and yet so int