As if David would stick around Walter's side at a time like this. What was he, looking for trouble? No way he wanted to end up like that other assistant, getting chewed out until he was a blubbering mess!"Wait a second."Walter's eyebrows arched like the blade of a sword, his piercing eyes locking onto David. "David, remind me, what's your role again? I seem to have a bit of a memory lapse."David eyed Walter warily.Could a bout of anger reduce cognitive abilities? No, definitely not. Thus, this loaded question from Walter had to have a hidden agenda.If he could not grasp the underlying message, all he could do was... give a straight answer."I'm here to assist you with whatever you need, sir.""Good." His response was sharp and clear, no beating around the bush.Walter shot him an approving look, a rare smile playing at the corners of his usually stern lips.'Question answered. Can I get out of here now?' thought David.He gazed at Walter hopefully while his inner self wa
"That plan was a fluke—I've never seen it," lied David through his teeth, hoping to dodge a bullet.Internally, he was praying like mad. 'Dear God—anyone up there—send me an angel to fend off the boss' wrath, will you?'As he braced himself to look Walter in the eye, the steady knock on the office door cut through the silence like a drumbeat. David's eyes sparkled with hope.Could it be? Was there power in a silent wish?Walter, clearly miffed at the interruption, barked at the unseen visitor, "Enter!"As the door swung open, a pair of sleek black high heels made quite the entrance. Minnie, the office bombshell, strutted in. Her cobalt blue suit hugged her figure perfectly, radiating a vibe that was anything but uptight. She was the epitome of cool and collected.David could not help but stare, dazzled.Minnie! She was like a gift from the universe—absolutely perfect!Before Walter could even get a word in, David jumped at the chance to escape. "Boss, Ms. Kast is here. She's pr
Since David's departure, Walter had been a workhorse, barely looking up from his desk. He picked up a report, gave it a quick once-over, and nodded in approval. All the while, Minnie stood there, invisible to him.Everyone was working at lightning speed, not just to get their tasks done, but because it gave them a chance to rub elbows with the big boss during document drop-offs."Thanks," said Minnie, her voice dripping with respect.She was the only one who could leave the CEO's office without a lecture. Anyone else would be walking on air.However, Minnie, who had been waiting forever for a moment with Walter, could not be content with just a brief exchange."Anything else you need? I can relay the message, save you the trouble of a call."Small talk was Minnie's superpower. She was so bold because she was convinced Walter looked distant just because he had not realized she was the one visiting.If he just glanced up and saw her, she was sure he would invite her to stay for a
"Hard work matters, but choosing the right thing to work hard on... That's what's really important."Walter towered over Minnie, their height difference adding to his allure.He looked down at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, capturing the moment with an intensity that was hard to look away from.Life could be so unfair. Some people would spend their whole lives searching for that perfect someone and would never find them. For a lucky few, just one look was all it took to fall head over heels.Walter was definitely one of the lucky ones.His drop-dead gorgeous looks had Minnie head over heels, and she could practically feel the magnetic pull of his charm."M—Mr. Walter Gordon." Her words tripped over themselves, her heart racing like it had never raced before.Walter usually played it cool with her, only giving her the time of day when she practically threw herself at him. Even then, his replies were short and formal, keeping her at arm's length.On this day, strangel
There was a brief pause on the line, then the answer came. "No trouble. They just aren't a thing anymore."'They aren't a thing anymore…'By the time it sank in for Minnie, all she heard was the dial tone echoing in her ear.Evangeline's ties with Walter were history. Was it not her time to shine?…At the Emerald of the Highlands villa, Evangeline lounged on the couch, her ears twitching.She rubbed her achy, puffy nose and grumbled, "I bet someone's bad-mouthing me. It's not Walter, is it?"His name popped out before she could stop it, giving her a jolt as it echoed in her ears.Had she not sworn off anything to do with Walter? Why was his name still on the tip of her tongue?'Get it together, Evangeline,' she chided herself.With her thoughts a jumbled mess, she could not focus on the magazine anymore. She tossed it aside and munched on the fruit Julieta had sliced up.Keeping stress-free and rested was key during pregnancy.That was why Evangeline had smartly hired a nu
Pregnancy was turning out to be boring.However, what really got to Evangeline was how her relationship with Walter had gone down the drain. With her emotions already on a roller coaster because of the baby, she felt more down in the dumps than ever.She needed to vent, and who better to turn to than Alex? Of course, she did not expect him to show up so fast."Evie, are you and Walter seriously done for good?"Alex had seen the storm clouds on their marital horizon for ages and had braced himself for their split. However, it was actually happening, and it felt strange to him in many ways."Obviously. What other choice is there?"While munching on a slice of juicy melon Julieta had cut up, Evangeline did not miss a beat and offered a piece to Alex. "Wow, this melon's super sweet. Here, have a taste."Evangeline had not used her own fork but had grabbed a clean one to give him the fruit. That little move of hers made his chest tighten.If Walter were here instead of him, would sh
"Yeah, it becomes a part of me somehow. Never felt the need to switch it out," Alex replied, trying to sound casual.However, Evangeline's mind wandered to a different time, a time of endless scales and arpeggios under their teacher's watchful eye. It was during one of those intense practice sessions that she first spotted the watch on Alex's wrist.Alex, the Gordon family's second son, always wore this surprisingly modest timepiece. The face was no bigger than a quail egg, its surface bare except for the maker's mark. It had no bling, no flair, nothing that could be expected from a guy of his stature.Nonetheless, he never took it off, not even when the strap dug into his skin, not even when the paint started to chip away. The same answer he gave her a few seconds ago was the same answer he had given her back then.That was why, when it came time to pick out his gift, Evangeline knew it had to be a watch. She felt a warmth flood through her—she knew Alex always had her back.His
A week's time…Had Yale not reminded her, the whole thing might have slipped Evangeline's mind.Between grappling with the news of her pregnancy and drawing a line with Walter, her mind was a whirlwind of worry. She dreaded the thought of her uncles and grandpa making a big fuss over her news.Thus, she gave herself a week to get her head straight before letting them in on her little secret."Isn't today just day seven? Why the hurry?"She had to count it out on her fingers to be sure Yale had not pulled a fast one on her."Evie, you have to talk to us sooner or later. Does one more day make a difference?"That was Holden on the other end of the line, chiming in.Evangeline did not hesitate with her answer. "Yes, it does! Tomorrow, I'm visiting Grandpa. Let's meet at the Foster family's old place."Evangeline had no clue that her offhand comment had sent her uncles into a frenzy of excitement."Did Evie get back to us?""Is she finally going to say something about being preg