It's fine, you don't have to feel embarrassed." But, if you still feel that way, then go out with me, for lunch or dinner. That way, you'll be repaying me for my little ride, and you wouldn't have to feel embarrassed anymore. What do you say?" Orleans asked. "Hmm…" Veil muttered, eying Orleans suspiciously. "Why does it sound like you're asking me to go on a date with you?" "Oops!" Orleans whispered, "You caught me." Veil giggled lightly, a light feminine laugh that evoked something in Orleans. "I'm not really a night person, so let's do lunch. Veil thought briefly about Orleans' suggestion. He was a sweet person, plus she had a favor to repay, so she agreed. At least, unlike Anderson Rodriguez who gave her the need to worry and always put her on the edge just as he had done tonight, Orleans was quite friendly. Wait! What's with the sudden comparison between the two different men, and why was she even thinking about Anderson Rodriguez right now? "So, tomorrow at noon, is it?"
It was almost lunchtime when Veil went to the restaurant she had visited with Anders the other day to get him food. "Hello, ma'am!" Veil rang the bell at the entrance. The lady from the other day came hurrying out. Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she saw Veil. "Oh! It's you!" The old lady smiled at her. She opened the door and waved her hand, gesturing for Veil to come in."The handsome man sent you?" She asked.Handsome man? Anders sent her. 190cm tall, with defined well-built curves often visible through his shirt, and those smokey brown eyes that could bring anyone to their knees if they stared too long. She'd rather say he was hot and sexy. "Yes, he did." Veil nodded. The old lady ushered her to a seat, before walking over behind the counter. The restaurant was spacious and tidy, but there were barely any customers inside, just like the other day when she had come with Anders. It seemed the shop barely had anyone walking through the doors. How then does she manage to run the s
"Get out!" Anders yelled. Standing in the opposite direction to the woman who was still sitting on his desk. He knew she had come to his office for a reason, but he didn't think it was this. "She's really the reason, isn't she?" Vera's tone broke toward the end. "What is it she has that I don't?" That question not only was it the most disgusting thing he's ever heard."Do you want to leave quietly, or do you want to be thrown out?" He was quickly losing his patience. He had stopped his trope of bodyguards from accompanying him to work, but for the sake of people like Vera, he was ready to reinstall them.Panic flashed across her eyes. She knew Anders' threats were never mere threats. If he said he'd throw her out, then he most certainly will. That'd ruin her plans."I'll leave, Mr Rodríguez, but don't expect this to be the last of me. Whatever you plan to have with her won't last, I'll make sure of it." She flashed him a mischievous smile, then with head held high, she turned aroun
Veil freshened up and slipped into the dress Anderson gave her. The floor-length ink-black gown was an embodiment of elegance and allure. It seemed to be crafted from luxurious flowing fabric that draped gracefully. The silhouette was sleek, accentuating her curves tastefully. Not so tight, and not so free. It was the right size. How did he know her exact size?She assessed her reflection in the mirror and her jaw almost dropped. The dress was way too exposing than she'd have liked. Its plunging neckline left cleaves that she preferred to cover up in the open, and the thigh-to-foot length slit, exposed her tanned legs each time she walked. Why did it feel like this event was mostly to see her naked?She slipped into the pair of shoes and gave herself one last look, then went downstairs to wait for the driver's arrival. She was surprised to find the car already standing by, waiting for her. The chauffeur hopped down and opened the back seat for her. Her eyes went wide as saucers the mo
All eyes turned in the direction where the voice had come. "Sold for 20 million." Veil stole a glance at Anders behind her. How rich was this boss of hers really? she couldn't help but wonder.Soon after the auction, the party took a different swing. Anders' phone rang right before the dance began. He walked out to take it. Veil looked around rubbing her arms nervously. She wasn't used to events like these. Where was Anders?"Hello, Veil!" She turned when she heard a slightly familiar voice call her name. And there, in front of her, on a black tux that stretched to contain his broad chest and muscular arms, was Orleans, looking like a Spanish male model. Her eyes lit up."Hello," she smiled at him. Orleans stole a furtive look around as if searching for something... Or someone."You're here alone?" Veil shook her head. "No, I'm here with my boss. What brings you here though?" "Same as you. Here with the boss." His facials flexed, revealing a beautiful smile. "And... where's this
The city bustled all around them, yet all Veil could think about was the man holding onto her hand so strongly that she couldn’t decipher the emotions behind his dark eyes. She hadn’t done anything wrong, at least none that she could remember. And what was that bold declaration about touching what was his?Anders let go of her hands the minute they reached the rooftop, and he sighed exasperatedly. Running his hand through his hair, he stopped pacing and stood in front of her, towering above Veil. “What the hell do you think you were doing?” Veil’s heart thrashed against her chest as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening. It was just a dance, right? And she could dance with anyone she chose. It was a party, for God’s sake? So, why did it feel like she had committed a great offense?“He asked me to dance, and I…”“And you what?” He cut in, his face red with anger. “You allowed him to snake a hand around your waist like he owns you? Are you that cheap?”The minute Ande
Veil's enjoyment of the party was marred by Anders' silent presence, his unspoken command keeping her in her seat. The arrival of a distinguished older man, his false gray hair a stark contrast to his vibrant personality, only added to the tension. This was Mr. Charles, the person Anders had promised would be in attendance tonight. They started talking about a new business idea with the aim of expanding the products put out of auction, and from habit, Veil whipped out her ipad and started taking notes. “How about touring museums and other homes that houses art for now? Some of these things are due to be put out to the public for ownership, and we wouldn’t know until we approach them.” Anders suggested, waving one of the servers over. He asked for a refill of his glass, as well as Veil’s, still not talking to her. “That’s a brilliant idea,” Charles opined, nodding enthusiastically. It was obvious that he held Anders in high esteem, and would do anything to prove that he was worth ha
Veil's eyes met the clock hanging above the wall, realizing that she had only been working for an hour. Her feet still hurt like hell even though she had taken off her shoes and replaced them with the pair of slides she found beside the desk.They obviously belonged to Anders, with how huge they looked on her feet. Veil wasn't even sure it was a good idea to have them on, seeing as Anders looked for every way to make her life a living hell.Her ankles were swollen and she desperately needed to lay on the couch beside the desk.“It will be just for a few minutes,” she told herself, getting out of the office chair and stretching her small frame on the couch. It was uncomfortable sleeping in the dress Anders got, but she had no other choice. The couch felt really soft underneath her body, and she couldn't help snuggling into the arms of sleep. Even when Anders walked in an hour later, in his black pajamas, her soft breaths still serenaded the room.Anders stopped by the foot of the stai
MONTHS LATERElvis Presley's “can't help falling in love” reverberated across the full hall as Veil walked down the aisle slowly, in the arms of her father, with June behind her, unable to stop smiling so wide. Veil's best friend seemed to be the most excited about this wedding, as she had been in such a great mood since Veil returned with Anders to Mexico, the news of their engagement in tow.She and Amanda had been responsible for all the planning, leaving Veil nothing to do than being doted on by Anders and taking care of her gradually bulging stomach. Veil thought it was better to do the wedding before she wouldn't be able to walk easily, and Anders was cool with whatever she wanted.Anders was at the aisle, with Lucas by his side, the roles reversed so beautifully. His wife, Amanda, was at the front pew, dabbing at her eyes and at the same time, glancing at her watch. She was in charge around here and since Amanda was the queen of perfection, she wanted everything to be in place
Anders walked into the house with trepidation since Veil hadn't said anything about welcoming him with open arms. He had taken too long to realize he was in love with her, and the thought plagued him as he stood in the center of the small and cozy living area, struck at how homely she had made it look.“This is nice,” he noted, not expecting Veil to dignify him with a response. That explained how his eyes raised in surprise when she smiled at him, a sigh escaping her slightly parted lips. “I'd always wanted my own space,” Veil explained. “But living with June has made me realize that perhaps, solitary living isn't for me.” She laughed awkwardly and sat on one of the mismatched couches. “It's been a little bit hard living alone. I don't know how to cook just for myself, and there's no one to fix me a quick snack when I'm too tired to lift a finger.”Anders wanted to tell her that he would happily do all of that for her, but something kept him mute. He wasn't certain how open she would
Anders didn't bother to change into something else, getting onto the private jet from his landing. The tuxedo made him look like he was going to a ceremony, but there wasn't any time to go back home, especially since Anders made the decision in the spur of the moment.The usual readings of the weather, flight safety information, and weather forecast were announced before the jet took off from the ground, and Anders wished they could go faster. His legs bobbed in the aircraft and he shuffled between looking out through the window and scrolling through the magazines before him.He wasn't going to get to Veil in the next five hours and now that Anders was midair, he was beginning to think about the spontaneous choice he had just made. Perhaps, he should have celebrated the day with his best friend, then waited till the following morning before making the trip. He hadn't even considered if Veil would be open to receiving him. If that happened, was he just going to come right back?The ans
Anders was in the room with Lucas, helping him with his brooch before he went to the aisle to wait for his bride. Lucas hadn't stopped talking about how special he thought Amanda was and how lucky he was to have her as his bride. At first, Anders was receptive to the emotions flowing, even handing Lucas a napkin when tears threatened to fall from his eyes. But three hours into the day, Anders decided that it was getting on his nerves. And not in a bad way. The more his best friend spoke about love and the beautiful things it had done to him, the more he feared that his choice not to believe in love was more damning than it did him any good. It was becoming oddly real to him, that Lucas and Amanda were going to need their privacy after today, so he wouldn't be able to disturb them as often as he was used to.“Don't look so sad, Anders,” Lucas drawled, patting his friend's face affectionately. “We're still going to be your friends. Things are just going to be a bit different.”“How so?
“Veil!” June yelled from the living room, where she was huddled with her laptop, peering up at the screen. She had been at it for a couple of hours now, muttering that she had a deadline to meet up with, more urgent than having a shower or eating. Peeking out from the kitchen where she had been trying to whip up a snack for her best friend, Veil rolled her eyes and muttered something about her yelling being worth it before leaning on the door frame. She was only about six weeks gone, and the pregnancy hadn’t started showing yet. “I hope it isn’t something as mundane as getting you a glass of water,” Veil murmured, eyeing June, who still had her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop. “You got the job!” June said at the top of her voice, and for once, Veil didn’t complain about her best friend yelling when she was right beside her. Veil covered the distance in one second, planting herself by June’s side as she peered down at the mail open on the screen. Veil had logged on to her ema
Anders was in Lucas’ studio, watching his best friend and Amanda gush over the idea they had for their wedding. They wanted it to happen there since it was not only cost-effective but they could, at the same time, have an influence over the decorations.Lucas wanted the paintings he had made of Amanda gracing the walls that day, with the pictures they'd taken together showing the journey of their dating life. They giggled when they saw an old picture of the four of them - Amanda, Lucas, Anders, and Camila, and tears pooled at the corner of Amanda's eyes. She whipped them off hastily before Anders or Lucas could notice. She only wanted to have happy memories of her best friend.“What do you think about beige?” Amanda threw at Anders who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. Unfortunately, he had nowhere else to go. The bar sounded like a very tempting idea right now, but Anders knew it was too much of a show since the whole of Mexico knew who he was and there wasn't goin
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIXJune couldn't get rid of the surprise etched on her features, no matter how hard she tried. And oh boy, she did try. She walked behind Veil like a shadow, following her every moment and popping the question a million times, so much so that Veil started locking her room door to keep June out in the middle of the night.She had to inform her parents too about the development, and they were supportive of her decision. Veil had resigned from Kingston Groups and sent her CV to the English Investors’ company. She was awaiting feedback from them. On the day she sent in her resignation letter, Veil ensured she was in and out of the company like a breeze, too fast before Anders could realize she was there in the first place. She came just after lunch, meeting Simon at the desk who was about to make a sharp U-turn to stay out of her way.It made Veil laugh about the comedy that had become her life. Just a couple of months ago, Anders was threatening every sing
June was waiting by the door when Veil got home, and she allowed herself get whisked into the living room, with June watching her like she would drop to the floor at any minute. June was not far from the truth because the only thing holding Veil up was the fear of doing anything to harm the baby.It was still pretty early and she had read somewhere that the first few months of a pregnancy were usually the most delicate, and extra care needed to be taken in order to get through it.June said nothing until later in the night, when Veil came out for a snack. She was working in the kitchen, a huge pair of frames on her eyes when Veil sauntered in, covered in her cute small pyjamas.“Hey,” June called, taking off her glasses. Veil hadn't told her anything since she returned because she didn't want to overburden her best friend with the drama that had been going on in her life. They felt unending, from one level to the other. Veil couldn't remember the last time June had complained about so
Those words would have rocked the whole of Veil’s world if she wasn’t so certain of what she had seen in Anders. He was one of Mexico’s greatest businessmen, but the one thing he couldn’t do as expertly as running a business was lying to her. He tried to be mean, to act like he didn’t give two fucks about Veil. But she could see through the walls he had put up, and he had no one to blame for that but himself. The days he had spent with her had opened him up more than he had thought possible, and now, he was left staring at the face of the woman who didn’t believe him one bit when he said he wasn’t in love with her. “I can’t lie about my feelings for you,” Anders said, his tone almost pleading for her to reason with him. “And I have tried my best to make it clear from the beginning that I want nothing more from this than what you want, or at least, what I thought you wanted.” Veil shook her head. “Maybe at first, you believed those words as much as you try to convince yourself now