Uncle Peter told me something that made my legs go numb. The meeting that was about to happen was to discuss the future launch of a Five star hotel in our town. Uncle Peter was to join the meeting and be a part of this discussion as the representative along with our Mayor Mr Paterson. He was worried that the future of his resort was in danger and so was the nature and landscape of our town. He wanted me to accompany him as his companion to represent his side of the things in the meeting.
He was scared because two Billionaires were going to be there to represent their plans and our Mayor would select the best one. To my Surprise Sebastian was one of them and the other one was someone called Adam Glass. I am not sure about one thing if they are so called Billionaires why are they so interested in our little town, why not big cities. I googled Adam Glass and photos of him at different events showed up, he was tall, fit with brownish, blackish hair. He looked smart and arrogant in the pictures. He owned various hotels and had vast empire of businesses all around the world. All self made if you believe the internet. I was worried about the meeting and had many questions. I needed answers and for that I had to be at the meeting. I accepted Uncle Peter’s invitation to join the meeting and went home to get changed into something more appropriate. I wore my black tunic Dress with black heels and tied my hair up to look more professional and got to the conference room in the resort. Uncle Peter was waiting for me at the door eagerly. We went in and we were the first ones there. We took seats at the farther end of the big oval conference table, I could see the lush foggy mountains from the large floor to ceiling window of the conference room. The room was well decorated, with subtle lights, a flower vase in the middle of the table, water bottles for everyone and a projector and screen. I have been here so many times but never to this room before. It looked so calm, but I could see the tension on Uncle Peter’s face. I grabbed his hand and tried to calm him down, he gave me a subtle smile . The door opened and it was Sebastian. He was wearing a black suit and looked like completely a different person, he looked nothing like the person I once knew or the one who showed up at my cafe this morning in a hoody. He had his silvery blonde hair as usual, tall and handsome, now I knew why the girls were flocking our town ‘two handsome Billionaires single and available in town together. The only thing I felt was anger, hurt and hatred towards Sebastian and nothing towards Adam Glass. Sebastian was along with two men who looked like his assistants. He greeted Uncle Peter and looked at me. He asked me “ What are you doing here Bea, I didn’t expect you here” I replied “same here, what are you doing here, don’t you have people to bully” Ok I admit that was harsh, but I couldn’t help it. He smirked and went to his chair. Followed him our Mayor and he was nice enough to let me join the meeting and greeted me with a smile. Then came in a few more people of different designations in the hotel and construction industries and followed them nature preserve community Director Mr Rudy. Last came in Adam Glass sharply dressed just like in the pictures, followed by his assistant. He had an aura that made everyone in the room quiet. He went to sit opposite to Sebastian. They greeted each other coldly and sat down. Our Mayor started the meeting by greeting and welcoming everyone. He gave a gist of the agenda of the meeting, discussing the launch of the 5 star hotel, its pros and cons and the final decision. I felt uncomfortable while this was happening because somehow I felt I was being stared. I looked up and saw Adam’s eyes staring towards me without moving. I thought to myself, is he lost in thoughts and doesn’t realise he is looking directly at me. No matter what, I couldn’t ignore it. To break the awkwardness I gave him a subtle smile in a greeting way. He didn’t smile, but kept looking at me. I saw Sebastian looking towards Adam with an anger in his eyes. I thought to Myself they are definitely business rivals. Sebastian gave orders to his assistant to start the presentation after a go from the Mayor. What came out in the presentation made me so nervous. It was definitely a plan that if passed will bring so many changes in our town and not all good.Sebastian presented a plan to construct a complete new structure to build a five star hotel just near the resort and in process plain a few forested areas and he also proposed to buy the resort fromUncle Peter. I could see the stress on Uncle Peter’s face. I couldn’t hold myself and said “so this is how you want to ruin the town and its natural beauty, this is where you were born..did you even think about it twice. There are so many other ways” Sebastian stopped me there and smirked, “so you want to say that you have better ideas, I don’t remember you being a part of the presentation team” Mayor got up and said all the questions and concerns will be discussed at the end, the presentations shouldn’t stop. I agreed. It was Adam’s turn now, one of his assistant got up to start the presentation when Adam stopped him and said pointing towards me I want to hear this young lady’s ideas first. ‘She is not presenting the deals for today Mr Glass’ said the Mayor. Adam replied ‘
I came out of the conference room a bit flustered and confused. Uncle Peter came out and held my hand saying he is proud of me and is so glad that he took me along to the meeting. The Mayor came out and gave me a nod of appreciation and left. I started walking towards my cafe completely engrossed in my own thoughts about everything that just happened. As I was walking through the resort’s garden towards the main gate, a car came from behind and stopped close to me in the driveway. Adam stepped out of the car and came towards me, I took a few steps back. He looked as elegant and handsome as a Greek God. I thought to myself the pictures on the internet don’t do him justice. I pulled myself out of these thoughts and scolded myself within for even looking at him. I asked how can I help you, he replied “you already did. I got the project and your town got the best future possible. Don’t forget that the deal is on only if you be a part of it. So I will send my assistant to pick you
Sitting in my garden with a book in my hand, for the first time I was not able to put my mind into it. My brain kept replaying the day’s happenings over and over again. Sebastian’s odd behaviour, Adam’s mistaking me for someone else, the Hotel Project, me being a part of this big project all of these thoughts were not ready to leave my mind soon. I was so engrossed that I lost the sense of time, when my doorbell rang thats when I got back to my senses and looked at my watch, it was exactly 7 pm. I ran towards the door and saw Adam’s assistant standing there, he said “ I am here to pick you up Miss Beatrix. I completely forgot about this, I said I am so so sorry. Give me 5 minutes and I will be ready. I took a light greenish dress out and slid into it as quickly as possible, for hair I had a messy pony and my white heels. I came out and sat in a Rolls Royce, for the first time. I saw a damn Rolls Royce in our town for the first time. It made me feel uncomfortable. I wanted to get
I turned around and looked at him with confusion. I said ‘ Look Adam I am not sure what is going on, first you called me Beasty today after the meeting, which I don’t remember anyone ever calling me by that name and now you are saying you know about how I dreamed of having a place like this, what is going on. I am sorry but I am not someone you know or have known before’ He smiled and said ‘don’t worry about it, lets start what we are here for’ He pulled my chair for me like a gentleman. ‘So the first thing you need to do is sit with my team and talk about your vision of the place we have decided to use for the hotel’ he said. ‘My vision, how?’ I said. ‘ just how you imagined the hotel to be when you pitched the idea of building it in that abandoned block of land near the lake, just in simple words and my team will transform it into official designs. You will definitely have to approve the designs when they are made. We will go forward with the design you approve. You will
While driving me back home, Adam looked surreal. I thought to myself what a day I have had today, full of surprises. Yesterday I didn’t know this person, today I am sitting in his car beside him. I would have never thought that I would also see Sebastian today. The trauma he brings along for me is not something I am looking for. The way he talked to me today after the meeting, those words that he will keep an eye on me still made me feel heaviness in my heart. Adam’s voice broke my trance. He said ‘Miss Beatrix, are you ok?’ I replied ‘Yes I am ok, I am sorry I got lost in my thoughts, it has been an eventful day’ ‘It is just the beginning Beasty’ he leaned towards me and opened the glove box, retreating Chocolate M&Ms. ‘Here you go, your favourites’ he smiled and gave me the chocolate pack. Oh my, they are my favourite, how does he know. Thousands of thoughts circled my head. We reached home, I didn’t even tell him the way, I was very confused and a bit uncomfortable as
The next morning was not easy. I woke up with millions of thoughts , for the first time in so long I was not enjoying the beautiful morning of our town. I walked towards my cafe, the beautiful mountains as always gave my heart some relief, but peace was not to be found today inside me. I reached my cafe and opened the door, started making preparations for the day, Nina came to me and asked ‘How are you Bea, you look tired. What happened yesterday? Did everything go well?’ I said ‘I don’t know where to start Nina, it was a very unexpected day’ I explained through everything that happened the day before keeping some details out. Details about Adam’s confusion regarding me, details about Sebastian’s odd behaviour. I think I wasn’t ready to share it with anyone until I myself knew what was going on., but I did tell her about the meeting, hotel project, my part in it etc. She was visibly shocked, but it took her not more than 5 minutes to get over it. She gave me a hug and went alo
I was worried that someone might see him and my peaceful life will be turned over. So I requested him to leave and also thanked him for coming. I did tell him that it was not his fault and everything is ok. He kept on going ‘I have made sure that journalist and others who were there are fired. I won’t let them find a single job. They put you in danger. I can’t breathe properly thinking how dare they pushed you, how dare they even touched you, I am going to break them apart’ I stopped him and said ‘please don’t, they were doing their jobs, they all might have families to look after, please don’t do anything harsh, I don’t want to be the reason of anything bad happening to them, and please don’t bother yourself, you don’t have to do anything, also it wasn’t you who they saw me with, it was Sebastian when he visited my cafe that morning of the meeting’ He looked at me and said ‘ I know, but he shouldn’t have been there’ He came close to me, sat on my bed beside me and took my ha
It was the day of my discharge from the hospital. As Nina helped me out of the hospital I could see some guards around, I didn’t think much of it, but as we left the hospital main gate in Nina’s car I could see Media again, held by around 18 to 20 guards, all dressed in Uniform. Definitely not for me I guess, this might be something else. But it all went in puff when one of them saw me and yelled ‘THERE SHE IS’ trying to run after the car. My heart stopped, what had become of my peaceful life that I had a few days ago. The guards were able to stop them. Nina calmed me down. I called Sebastian from the car, he picked up not even with one ring on. ‘ARE YOU OK?’ He said instantly. Me: ‘I am fine, not thanks to you, listen you need to clear this up with the Media. They know your history right, that you were born in WillowRidge, stayed here until a few years ago. Tell them you were just going around the town when you visited for the meeting as it is your home town and just stumbled u
Adam The moment it happened, I felt it. A sharp, searing pain in my chest, as though my heart was being ripped apart. I was in the middle of reviewing plans for the hotel when it struck—an unmistakable shift in the bond, an agonizing echo that told me what I had feared the most. Beatrix had kissed him. My hands clenched the edge of the table, and the papers crumpled under my grip. My mind raced, and the calm, collected demeanor I prided myself on dissolved into chaos. Sebastian had taken something that belonged to me. Her. I stood abruptly, my chair screeching against the floor, and stormed out of the meeting room. My assistant called after me, but I didn’t care. I needed answers. Now. Beatrix I hadn’t left the house since Sebastian walked out the door. My mind was a mess, a swirling storm of guilt, anger, and confusion. The kiss replayed in my mind, over and over again, each time leaving me more conflicted than the last. The knock at the door startled me. I froze, dre
Sebastian The night was cold, the kind of cold that seeps into your bones no matter how many layers you wear. But standing on Beatrix’s porch, waiting for her to open the door, I didn’t feel it. My chest burned with the weight of everything unsaid, the things I needed her to hear before it was too late. When the door creaked open, she looked at me with a mixture of surprise and wariness. “Sebastian,” she said, her voice soft but guarded. “It’s late.” “I know,” I admitted, my hands shoved deep into my coat pockets. “But I need to talk to you. Please, Bea. Just… hear me out.” She hesitated, her eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge my sincerity. After what felt like an eternity, she stepped aside, allowing me to enter. The warmth of her home enveloped me, the familiar scent of lavender and coffee calming and torturing me all at once. This was her space, her world, and I’d done so much to hurt her in the past. But I couldn’t walk away again without trying to make things right.
Sebastian I promised myself I’d try to be better. To keep my jealousy in check. But every time I saw them together, every time I caught a glance of Beatrix smiling at Adam, or worse touching him it felt like my carefully constructed resolve was crumbling beneath me. I leaned against the wall of the conference room, arms crossed tightly as I watched them talk over the latest hotel design plans. Adam stood close to her, too close, his hand brushing hers as they both reached for the same blueprint. Beatrix laughed softly, the sound cutting through me like a blade. Calm, I reminded myself. Stay calm. But it was impossible. I could see the way he looked at her, the way his gaze lingered on her every move. It wasn’t just admiration it was hunger, possessiveness. He wanted her. And it made my blood boil. Adam leaned down, pointing something out on the blueprint. Beatrix tilted her head, her hair catching the light as she listened intently. When she smiled at whatever joke he whispered,
SebastianThe night was suffocating, the weight of everything pressing down on my chest. I walked through the quiet streets of WillowRidge, the familiar sights blurred by the haze of my thoughts. Her voice, her words“You don’t get to decide who I let into my life”repeated in my mind. She had chosen him. Maybe not fully, but she had let him stay while I was forced to leave. And the worst part? I couldn’t even blame her. My anger, my possessiveness it was all too much. But how could I not feel this way? When she was near him, when she looked at him with even a fraction of the softness she used to reserve for me, it was like a fire consuming me from the inside.I made my way to the lake, the place where we’d spent so much of our childhood together. The moonlight reflected off the still water, but tonight, it offered no peace. My hands clenched into fists as I thought about Adam. About the way he always managed to position himself as the calm, composed one. The savior. The better man.Bu
BeatrixThe tension in my chest felt like a storm brewing just under my skin as I stood at the threshold of my house. I hadn’t slept properly in days. The weight of the truth Sebastian and Adam had revealed crushed me from all sides, while their presence filled every waking moment. Their love, their need, their possessiveness it was suffocating.The knock at my door came just as I thought I might have a moment of peace. I opened it, expecting Nina or maybe even Uncle Peter. Instead, it was Sebastian. His silver-blond hair was disheveled, his jaw clenched tight. The look in his eyes made my stomach twist in knots.“Sebastian,” I said softly, stepping back to let him in. But the moment he crossed the threshold, I regretted it. His energy was different tonight—sharper, angrier.“You didn’t answer my calls,” he said, his voice low but filled with tension. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Sebastian, I needed time. I told you that.”“Time? Is that
Beatrix The silence in the community hall felt like a living thing, pressing down on my chest as I waited for one of them to speak. Sebastian stood rigidly near the door, his eyes locked on Adam with a fire I didn’t understand. Adam, on the other hand, was calm but unyielding, his gaze fixed firmly on me, as though I might disappear if he looked away. I had questions—so many questions—but the weight of everything they’d said so far had left my mind a tangled mess. I didn’t know where to start. “You want me to trust you,” I said, breaking the silence. My voice trembled, but I forced myself to meet Adam’s eyes first and then Sebastian’s. “But all you’ve done is keep me in the dark. If I’m as important as you say I am, I deserve to know why.” Adam took a step closer, his movements deliberate. “You’re right, Beatrix. You do deserve the truth. And this time, I won’t hold anything back.” Sebastian bristled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re not going to sugarcoat it, are y
Beatrix It had been two days since I moved back to my house from the resort. Uncle Peter had arranged extra security around the cafe and my home, insisting that the mayor had personally requested it for my safety. The media frenzy had simmered down a little but hadn’t disappeared entirely. A few reporters still lingered around the edges of town, hoping to catch a glimpse of me or, more likely, Adam and Sebastian. Nina had been a lifesaver, managing the cafe while I tried to navigate this strange new normal. Today, the cafe was quieter than usual, the hum of regular customers replacing the chaotic buzz of cameras and microphones. But even in the calm, a heavy tension hung in the air, a reminder that nothing in my life was truly normal anymore. “Still lost in thought?” Nina’s voice broke through my haze as she slid a tray of fresh muffins onto the counter. I glanced at her, offering a weak smile. “Something like that.” “Something like that?” she repeated, arching an eyebrow. “
Beatrix: The air in WillowRidge had shifted, and it wasn’t just because of the media frenzy or the hotel project. It was the weight of secrets—ones I didn’t know I was carrying, ones tied to the two men orbiting my life like restless moons. I woke up that morning with a strange resolve. Whatever tethered me to Sebastian and Adam, I had to find the root of it. I couldn’t let their emotions dictate my life, not anymore. The cafe was a safe space—my haven amidst the storm. As I stepped in, Nina greeted me with her usual bright smile. “Bea, we’re officially the most talked-about café in the region. You should see our social media; people are begging for updates about you and ‘the billionaires.’” I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Please tell me you’re not encouraging this.” “Me? Never,” Nina said with a smirk. “But I won’t lie, the attention has been good for business. Uncle Peter even said a journalist tried bribing him for access to the resort after they couldn’t find you.
Beatrix: The cafe was quieter than I’d expected when I arrived in the early morning, but the tension in the air was unmistakable. Nina had kept her promise to handle the chaos, but it was clear that the media’s presence had shaken everyone. A few reporters lingered across the street, their cameras slung over their shoulders as they sipped coffee from takeaway cups. They weren’t allowed inside anymore—Uncle Peter had made sure of that by having the mayor issue a temporary restriction around the café premises. Still, their constant lurking was unnerving. Nina greeted me with her usual warmth, handing me a latte as I walked through the door. “Good to see you out and about,” she said. “How are you holding up?” I shrugged, trying to smile. “Better. At least I got a good night’s sleep.” She nodded, but her eyes were sharp, scrutinizing me as if she could see through my carefully crafted façade. “You deserve a break, Bea. But just so you know, things have been calmer since we enforced t