"Olivia, Ethan was about to spill details of our plan right in front of our parents! Thanks to you for talking with mom while coming here, I was able to stop him from revealing more by kissing him."She glanced around furtively before continuing. "You have to be bold and take matters into your own hands. Make Ethan act according to our plan."Olivia felt a rush of relief that Mia had been the one to instigate the surprising kiss she witnessed earlier. At least it wasn't Ethan making unwanted advances.However, a lingering doubt crept into Olivia's mind. What if Ethan did have feelings for Mia, even if he hadn't acted on them openly yet? The idea made Olivia's stomach knot with worry.Hearing Mia's words, Ethan felt the ground had slipped beneath his feet and he couldn't control his inner turmoil. A tear fell from his eyes and he abruptly stood up, collecting the broken glass shards."Don't you ever dare kiss me like that again, Mia. I will not tolerate anything you do without my conse
Olivia flinched at first when Ethan guided her hand towards the puppy's fur. But as her fingers made contact with the impossibly soft coat, she felt herself relaxing slightly. The puppy seemed to sense her fear and ceased its barking, letting out a small whimper sound instead."See, he likes you," Ethan murmured reassuringly close to her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.Slowly, Olivia lifted her head from the safety of Ethan's neck to get a better look at the puppy. It looked up at her with soulful brown eyes, its tiny pink tongue lolling out happily as she stroked it. A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips."I guess he's not so bad... But I don't like dogs," she admitted, running her fingers through the soft fur.Ethan chuckled at that. "Who said he's a dog? Meet Mango, my new furry friend. And Mango, meet Olivia, my new old friend." He took Olivia's hand, which he was still holding, and guided it to shake the puppy's p
***Four Years Back***Ethan perched on his usual barstool, his dark hair casting shadows on his chiseled feature, eyes reflecting the golden glow of the lit club. A mixologist shook a cocktail shaker, creating a rhythm that made the space come alive."Another Old Fashioned, Ethan?" The bartender, Mark asked, and smirks as he placed the fresh drink in front of Ethan.Ethan shrugs. "Why not? It seems to be the only thing keeping me going these days," He said wistfully, swirling the amber liquid in the highball glass. His mind traced back to a time when he had someone special to share his evenings with, but that seemed like a distant memory now.Mark glanced discreetly over Ethan's shoulder, then winked at him. "Looks like your luck is about to change, my friend."Following Mark's line of sight, Ethan noticed a woman walk in Olivia. Her golden brown hair cascaded past her shoulders, and her captivating blue eyes scanned the room. Without a second thought, she sauntered over, closing the
Ethan was running behind a thief. As he got him and tried to snatch the bag, the thief pushed him, causing him to stumble on his feet. The thief, attempting to escape, darted into a nearby small alley. After balancing himself, he turned around; suddenly, a car halted just an inch away, causing his heartbeat to race rapidly.The car door opened slowly, revealing black heels, followed by a perfectly manicured hand reaching for the door. A woman wearing black sunglasses appeared from the car.Defiantly standing before him, a woman's stance contrasted starkly with the chase chaos. Before he could react, she grabbed the purse from him. He regained his footing, standing up to the accomplice of the thief. He found himself face to-face with.... a beautiful lady. Describing her differently was impossible. She was captivating the orangish hue of the sunset illuminating her made her look even more beautiful, almost ethereal. She raised her arm, ready to throw a punch at him. Ethan caught her sm
“I would like to raise a toast to Mia Anderson, the best lawyer in Newyork.” The crowd cheered as Christopher Sterling raised the toast in her honor. There was no need for such exaggerations, but Christopher was the type of person who likes to flaunt his achievements. This party is also an obvious message to his rivals, his drumroll of victory. A very effective and fun way to stir jealousy among his rivals.“The dress is beautiful, thank you for gifting it to me.” Mia thanked him for the red dress that fit her, it was a beautiful knee-length gown that made her feel as beautiful as she looked, and she had gotten tons of compliments already.“My wife chooses it for you. I knew she has great taste,” he bragged, staring at his wife, who was talking to someone from a distance. A big smile appeared on his face as he saw someone behind me. “Ethan! Where were you?” he asked the newcomer.“Sorry I am late,” a somewhat familiar voice called from behind Mia. Mia tried to place where she had hear
"Consider this dance to be the apology you owe me for accusing me of being a thief," Ethan suggested smoothly extending his hand toward Mia. Ethan could see the gears turning in her head considering the option and eyeing Ethan with mistrust at the sweet offer he presented her, after the face-off they had with words. “Consider this a truce between us.” Ethan added so that she could agree. “i do not want to be your rival miss Anderson, in fact I like the way you think and your confidence.” “Fine,” she said, no matter the reason she agreed to this dance Ethan was glad that she agreed. They moved to the dance floor hand in hand as the new song started playing. The dim glow of the dance floor cast a warm ambiance bathing Mia in the soft glow and making her look divine. They swayed to the rhythm matching each other's moves with ease. There was a certain gentleness in the way Ethan held Mia as if afraid to scare her away from him. “What you did this evening rushing in a dangerous situ
Mia was inside the police station. Fortunately, she was not there to be arrested but to look for Officer Parker. The jacket in her hand is the reason she was here, or more specifically, her mother. She made her return the jacket personally. She didn’t let me eat peacefully, nagging until I gave in.She was right. He had brought me home while I was drunk, so I should at least thank him. Though the secretive smile my mother wore all morning has warned her to look out for me. Mia knows that look. She is well aware of her mother’s tactics, and it looks like she is brewing some sort of master plan. Mia prayed that it didn’t involve her and made a swift escape.She had been waiting for Ethan to return to his desk for 10 minutes now. She had acquired quite some stares from his colleagues, and some even started gossiping. She should have known something was up when the girl at reception was shocked to find that she was Ethan Parker’s acquaintance. Mia ignored the stares she was well versed in
Mia’s mom tells her to get ready for dinner with friends, providing a dress (specifying dress code). Nevertheless, Mia feels something fishy behind her mom’s enthusiasm and asks why the dinner is suddenly. Her mother answers, just for friends. Do not pretend that you have not even had a dinner party at home for your friends.” unwilling to yield to the argument Mia says “Okay” and returns to prepare herself.Ethan and his parents reach Mia’s house and upon seeing their destination, he asks a question to his parents regarding their purpose of visiting. His father shoots back, “I told you that we were having dinner with friends and for a second, would you stop asking me questions?”The door opens just then, revealing Mrs. Anderson. She greets them cheerfully, and Mrs. Anderson says “Ethan, it’s nice to see you again,” and he smiles and says, “Same here, Mrs. Anderson,” and they all settle themselves on the couch; Ethan’s eyes are searching in the room for something are for someone.At th