RUBBY'S POV I sat curled up against the door my arms wrapped tightly around myself as the car sped through the streets. My body shook as I sobbed quietly, why was I so unlucky?First, it was Nolan, after three years of obsession, now it's Alex, just when I thought I was getting happy, but he had just seen me as a toy too all along.But why was I so hurt? I knew this wasn't real; I knew from the beginning that what Alex and I had was nothing more than an arrangement; it was just a contract. It was purely built on convenience not feelings. So why do I feel as though my heart has been ripped apart? Why Is my heart this hurt? I even felt worse compared to when I found out about Nolan's infidelity.But it's just an arrangement, why does it hurt so bad? I whispered."You talking to me?" The driver asked."No, no," I replied and sniffed, wiping my tears angrily and scolding myself.You know better than to let yourself get attached, Rubby, I whispered again to the hearing of the driver."Are
MIRABELLE'S POVI lay on the big bed in Alex's penthouse, my silk robe draped loosely around me and a satisfied smirk playing on my lips. I had him exactly where I wanted him, in my palms and I was ready to milk this situation for all it was worth.I was furious when Kevin sent that photo. Why would he go as far as kissing her? After his parents found her worthy, I couldn't sit still; it was the only way to get him to stop whatever arrangement it was he had with her.I looked at the pregnancy result sitting pretty on the nightstand and laughed softly, My golden ticket.I quickly adjusted my expression when I heard the door creak open, allowing my eyes to glisten with unshed tears as Alex walked in. He looked totally exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, and small wrinkles forming at the corner of his eyes.Good, I muttered to myself, he has been thinking and worrying about me and his baby, of course, that's if the baby is his."Hey babe, how are you feeling today?" He asked taking
ALEXANDER'S POV There comes a time in every man's life when he makes decisions that break him. I was at that time, and I was broken. Mirabelle's pregnancy meant I would marry her, not that I don't love her, but not enough to spend the rest of my life being committed to her. I was scared of my future with her, scared of how extravagant she was, but with this child, I had to make that bitter decision of settling for her, hoping I wouldn't fall into ruins.I adjusted my cufflinks as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My parents had called for dinner, and I had agreed, thinking it was the perfect opportunity to tell them about Mirabelle's pregnancy and my plans to marry her.As I inserted my car keys, I caught of glimpse of something through the window. It was Mirabelle's car pulling out of the driveway.Where the hell was she going? I thought to myself. And why didn't she tell me she was going somewhere?I thought of calling her but decided against it. I had bigger issues to cont
KEVIN'S POVBastard! I muttered, clenching my fist so tight that my nails dug into my palm. He had the guts to punch me, but I swear, he was going to regret it. He was the golden boy, the one who never did what was wrong in our parent's eyes, but now I would pull every string I could and make sure he disappointed them.My Jaw still throbbed from the force of his blow, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the rage burning inside me.I had waited for years for the perfect opportunity to watch him fall, and now he was handing me that opportunity on a platter of gold.It was obvious that he liked the Rubby of a girl, but it was stupid of him to also get Mirabelle pregnant. Well, that's even if the child was his, so it's even more stupid of him to accept responsibility for Mirabelle's pregnancy. Idiot! He spat when he walked to the door, I couldn't do anything, at least not when I was trying to gain my father's favour.I watched from the shadows as my parents sat in the living r
RUBBY'S POV I sat gently on the couch, tracing invisible patterns on the couch, while replaying the events of the past few weeks. I had been fooled, but that wasn't the problem. The main problem was that I had been fooled twice; now, the thought of Alex seemed to be plastered all over my head. No matter how much I painted it, I felt he didn't do nothing wrong; I was just so unlucky with love.I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear my mom's footsteps until she sat close to me."Hey, Mom, when did you get here?" "Sweetheart, your dad and I have been thinking, we think it's time we went back home."I looked up at her, momentarily caught off guard."You guys are leaving already? We should spend New Year's Eve together, please," I pleaded, fighting the tears that seemed to choke me."Look, Rubby, we've been here long enough, and we can't keep inconveniencing you, you know, initially...." Mom said, biting her fingers, I knew the next words that would come out, but I allowed her to s
RUBBY'S POV The night air was thick with the scent of different perfume, alcohol, and something else I couldn’t quite place. Maybe it was fear or even regret, Maybe it was the feeling of being somewhere I didn’t belong.The club was the last place you would see me, but today was different, Cynthia finally had her way.I tugged at the hem of my dress as Cynthia led me deeper into the club, her laughter ringing through the reverberating music. I hadn’t wanted to come. I had made that clear. But Cynthia had a way of twisting words, of making things sound like a good idea when they weren’t."Come on, Rubby," she had coaxed over the phone. "You’ve been so down lately. Just one night out, I swear. No strings attached."I should have said no, owing to the fact that I would leave with my parents that day, But after the call from the orphanage, after realizing I had to stay behind a few more days to support a little boy through surgery, I felt restless. The young boy kept insisting I come, s
RUBBY'S POV I woke up with a dull, persistent throb pulsing behind my temples; my body was heavy with exhaustion as I forced my opens to open.Finally, my eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. For a minute or so, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling the remnants of sleep clinging to me like a fog.Then, suddenly, it hit me.The club, The drink, The dizziness, And then… Alex.I sucked in a sharp breath as the memories rushed back in fragmented flashes. Cynthia’s laughter, the way my body had betrayed me, how the world had spun uncontrollably. The panic. The helplessness. And then those strong, familiar arms caught me before I collapsed.Alex.My fingers curled into the sheets as I forced myself up, wincing at the sharp ache in my head. Oouch my head.How did I get home? My last clear memory was of Alex holding me, his eyes locked onto mine in an unspoken conversation filled with things I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.H
ALEXANDER'S POV It was embarrassing to say that I had stalked her all day.From the moment she came to the office till that night at the club, thankfully my presence had saved her from danger.I couldn't take away my eyes from her face as I carried her to my car, even as I lay her down on her bed, I just stared at how peaceful she looked. The next morning, as I remembered all that had happened, I kept telling myself that I just cared about her wellbeing and nothing more; I would have helped any other girl in that condition.I exhaled deeply and went downstairs to the sitting room.The city lights stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, but they did nothing to distract me. My eyes flickered to my phone for what felt like the hundredth time, hoping, no, praying for a call or a text from Rubby.Nothing.I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over my jaw. She was still angry. I couldn’t blame her. After everything Mirabelle called her, after lying to her. What reason di
RUBBY'S POV My cheeks finally gave me away; it turned pink the instant he winked at me; thankfully, he was the only one who saw it."I should be the one protecting you, not the other way round," he said as we walked back to our various offices."And who said I was protecting you?" I asked feigning seriousness. "I was only doing the right thing, maintaining peace and order.""Now that's a chaotic way of maintaining peace and order," he smiled. "Just admit that you were protecting me.""You are so full of yourself young man," I tugged at his arm playfully."I like your pink cheeks," he whispered, sending cold shivers down my spine.The moment I got back to my office, I rushed to the email. It sat bold and unread in my inbox. I took a deep breath before clicking on it, my fingers slightly trembling against the mouse.Dear Mr. Wolfe,Your presence is required at the international business summit in Beijing, China, scheduled for January 9th. Please confirm your attendance at your earlies
RUBBY'S POV I was embarrassed on his behalf. I knew Alex did that intentionally; there were lots of staff that were lower than Nolan, yet he chose Nolan because he wanted to humiliate him."Why did you do that?" I asked when the hall became empty."Did what," he asked feigning ignorance."You know what I mean," I responded rolling my eyes."I do not know," he answered. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked more professional. "I will be in my office, you can start to work Miss Rubby.""Miss Rubby?" He nodded and walked out, leaving me alone in the conference hall.A few minutes later, I sat at my desk, and the rhythmic clicking of my fingers against the keyboard filled the silence of my new office. I had barely gotten used to this space, yet it already felt oddly familiar.A new email notification popped up on my screen.I reached for the mouse, my eyes scanning the subject line, only for my focus to shatter when a commotion erupted outside.There were voices outside, Yelli
ALEXANDER'S POV Her cheeks turned pink immediately, it made my heart swell with pride anytime I made her blush like that.To be honest, she did look breathtaking that morning; she wasn't on her usual trousers, shirt and Crocs; this morning, she wore a well-fitted blazer top with trousers that clung to her tiny perfect curves. My grin grew wider when my eyes fell on the necklace she wore, the same one I had gotten for her on the eve of the new year.The moment she said those words “I will be your personal assistant," I felt a rush of satisfaction unlike anything I had felt in a long time. Not just because she had accepted the role, but because of the reason behind it.She had seen those desperate women, all vying for a position that meant being close to me, and she had chosen to take her place instead.I smirked, then muttered to myself. Good choice, sweetheart.Adjusting my tie, I looked at her, arms crossed. “What changed your mind?”Rubby flicked her gaze towards the waiting room
RUBBY'S POV The new year had come and gone.I lay awake, staring at my ceiling, my mind spinning with thoughts about Alex’s offer. Work for him? In his company? As his personal assistant? It was tempting, too tempting, but there was one glaring issue.Nolan and Trisha. Their presence irritated me, and I didn't think I could function well with both of them in the same building as me.I sighed, rolling onto my side, clutching my phone as I debated texting Alex. The offer was a big one, and as much as I admired him, working as his personal assistant felt too close, too intimate, too risky.But then wasn't it what I wanted? There was no use lying to myself, I wanted that closeness, but on another thought, I remembered he wanted us to be just friends, so what's the need? Being his personal assistant required much professionalism, but I wasn't sure I could do that with him around.Still, the idea of working in a different role intrigued me. I could prove myself and make something of my car
TRISHA'S POVThe restaurant was alive with screams from kids and laughter from couples, the atmosphere buzzed with the joy of the New Year, but I felt none of it.I sat alone at a corner table, my hands wrapped around a cup of untouched coffee, my eyes scanning the entrance again.Still no sign of Nolan. Had he forgotten we were supposed to be together today?I exhaled sharply, glancing at my phone for what must have been the hundredth time.No text. No call. Nothing.The message thread was still the same; my last few texts were unanswered, and my calls were ignored.But I already knew, didn’t I?I knew where he was.With Rubby begging like the miserable fool that he was.A bitter laugh escaped my lips. How pathetic was I? Sitting here on New Year's waiting for a man who had never truly chosen me?I stirred my coffee absentmindedly, watching as the dark liquid swirled. It felt symbolic, like my own emotions, spiralling, mixing, drowning.How long could I keep up with such a miserable
RUBBY'S POV The moment my eyes landed on the man standing there, all the air rushed out of my lungs.Nolan.With a bouquet of fresh red roses in his hands. On New Year’s Day.My body stiffened. Why on earth was he here? Shouldn't he be spending it with his real love Trisha? Would they even allow me a moment of peace at all? Does my change of environment mean nothing to them? How did they even find me? Both he and Alex.He looked quite different. He wasn’t in his usual pressed suit, just a simple sweater and jeans. Mom had given him a chair and didn't even bother to call me; I loved how cold she was to him; she needed to make up for times she totally ignored me for his sake.Before I could open my mouth, I heard a familiar laugh behind me.I had totally forgotten that Alex was chasing me playfully from the back, likely still amused by my embarrassing exit from the bedroom earlier."Rubby, why are you running, we both know..."His voice died the moment he stepped into the front area an
RUBBY'S POV "Where is the room?" He asked."You were walking so bold as though you know where it was," I shot at him. "Over there," I said pointing towards the direction of my room.Minutes later, I shifted uncomfortably on the couch, hugging a pillow to my chest as I tried to find a position that didn’t make my back ache. This was a terrible idea.From across the room, I could hear Alex sigh dramatically from the bed."Rubby, come on. The bed is big enough for both of us."I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see me in the dim light. "I’m fine here.""No, you’re not," he countered. "You’ve turned about a hundred times in the past five minutes."I pursed my lips, refusing to answer."You’re being ridiculous," he continued. "It’s just a bed. It’s not like I bite."I scoffed. "I wouldn’t be so sure about that."He chuckled. "Okay, you got me. But only when invited.""Alex!" I threw a pillow in his direction, but he only laughed harder."Fine, fine. Stay on the couch if you want,
RUBBY'S POV "What!" I stared at Alex, completely thrown off by his request. Spend the night? In my house?"Yeah," he replied casually as though he had not just asked for the most impossible thing.I opened my mouth, then closed it, struggling to find the right words. Why here, of all places? What happened to all the luxurious hotels around? Besides, he was the famous Alexander Wolfe, and all he needed was a phone call, and he would be home in minutes. Why choose here?"I know it’s a lot to ask," he said, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. "But it’s late, and I don’t want to be alone tonight. Not on New Year’s Eve. I've always spent it alone; allow me to spend it with you and your family."The way he sounded melted my heart. He was so sincere and vulnerable.I hesitated, my heart warring with my mind. Every logical part of me screamed to say no, telling me there were better options, but then my little heart thought about how lonely he must be. How different he seemed tonight."W
RUBBY'S POV I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs. That voice belonged to the man I thought I had left behind.I slowly turned around and my breath caught in my throat. Alexander Wolfe stood before me looking as effortlessly handsome as ever. His dark suit fit him perfectly, his sharp jawline more defined under the dim restaurant lights. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to find my voice."How did you find me?""Happy New Year in advance, Rubby," he answered in response."You weren't responding to your texts and you weren't taking your calls either, so I figured it was better to come in person."I blinked, caught off guard by his response. He had travelled all that way just to wish me a happy new year? Before I could press further, I noticed my mother watching us from a few feet away. Her lips curled into a soft smile before she turned and walked away, giving us privacy. I then glanced at the woman I had spoken to earlier, she grinned and gave me a thumbs-up before slipping ba