All Chapters of The "EX" Factor : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Tyler's brows wrinkled in confusion as he took another glance at the mail. “What the…?” he whispered, his confusion clear in his tone.Julie stood beside him, her fear rising as Tyler continued to stare at the phone.“Is everything okay?” she asked, trying a worried look to mask her own impatience.Tyler gave her a casual glance, his eyes still flitting over the message on his phone.He put his wine glass back in the tray and turned back to Julie. “Can we talk outside?” he whispered, his voice strained.Julie’s mind raced, her thoughts spinning like a fan.What's going on? she thought to herself, unable to hide the worry from her voice as she answered, “O-of course.”Her heart raced against her chest as she followed Tyler out the doors of the ballroom and onto the terrace, the warm night air doing little to calm her fears.She could only pray the drug hadn’t begun to take action yet. Otherwise, things were about to become very, very awkward.Oh wait, he didn't take a sip yet.. she

Monica's lips twisted into a cheeky smile, and her eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and defiance. "Oh," She scoffed, moving closer to Caleb. "I didn't realize I was now required to call you before coming to your office," she joked, her voice light and teasing, but with an hint of something that suggested a deeper familiarity.Caleb's shoulders fell slightly, and he let out a frustrated sigh while running his hand through his hair. "Let's talk in my office," he murmured, his tone low as he cast a short glance my way.I quickly looked away, pretending to be focused on my task. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but my mind was far from focused. For that little second, I could feel the weight of his gaze, which sent my mind spinning.Caleb turned without saying anything further and led Monica down the hallway, her heels clicking fiercely on the floor. The office came back to life around me, with everyone returning to their tasks, but I could still sense the tension in the

I looked at the message again, watching the words blur as a cold shiver ran down my spine, my palm tightening around the phone until my fingers turned white.My initial thought was to delete it and pretend I never saw it, but my finger hesitated on the screen, frozen by a mix of fear and confusion.Who could have sent this? And why me?My mind raced as I replayed the last few days, looking for anything... anyone... that may have led to this. Caleb's office, Monica, and Nelly's sudden interest in Tyler... Everything twisted together in my thoughts like a web that I couldn't untangle.People were buzzing about me in the office, working through their business without noticing the tension building inside me. I forced myself to breathe, but the air seemed thick, heavy, as though it were strangling me. I looked around, nearly expecting to see someone looking at me, their eyes burning into the rear of my head, but all I saw were colleagues softly chatting or glancing at their screens.Am I

“I’m done with the flight bookings. Everything’s all set,” Julie said, placing a folder on Tyler’s desk with an indifferent expression.She made sure to keep her tone casual, professional even, but Tyler could sense the tension lingering between them.. He glanced at her briefly, his eyes flicking over the folder before returning to his computer screen, trying to keep the conversation strictly business.The flight to London for the presentation and charity event was important, and Julie had handled the logistics seamlessly, as always. He needed her expertise, and that was the only reason she was still around. Nothing more.Tyler kept his face impassive, refusing to let any flicker of emotion slip through, even as the burning anger he had towards her tugged at the back of his mind. But now, all of that was behind him. Or so he told himself.Julie stood there, hands closed in front of her, her expression as unreadable as always. She also looked committed to behaving as though nothing

The drive to the venue was silent. A comfortable silence, only interrupted by Caleb’s smooth voice when he complimented me. "You look... stunning," he had said, his words lingering in the air longer than I wanted them to. I could feel his gaze on me from time to time, but I kept my eyes ahead, focusing on the road, the city lights blurring by. My nerves, despite my efforts to remain calm, were starting to build. Tonight was huge. My designs were being showcased for the world to see. For his world to see.Caleb pulled up to the venue, a grand hall befitting his status.. CEO of The Rinders Group. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars, each one gleaming under the streetlights, their owners stepping out, dressed in clothes worth more than most people’s rent. Basically, the air was thick with elegance, success, and power. "Here we are," Caleb said, parking the car in an area that appeared virtually set aside for him.People talking, joking, and greeting one another with simpl