Aurora arrived home and was surprised to see Adelaide sitting on the couch, enjoying a bag of snacks. She was having the Saturday night that her sister had desired so much.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on a romantic date with the hot doctor, a.k.a. Mr. Arrogant's brother, also known as Griffin?" Aurora sat next to her, stealing the bag of snacks from her hands.
"He had an emergency at the hospital. We decided to reschedule dinner when both of us are free from work commitments."
"Does our family have some kind of karma?" Aurora questioned, and Adelaide furrowed her brow. "Like, the Navarro women are destined to have a terrible love life!" the girl said with a somber voice, and Adelaide laughed.
"That must be it. Now give me back my snacks!" Adelaide took the package back from her sister, who stuck out her tongue at her.
Aurora got up from the couch and headed to the darkroom. She needed to develop the photos she took today.
After finishing everything, Aurora placed the photos on the drying rack and left the room, heading to the kitchen. The girl prepared hot chocolate and poured the liquid into her teddy bear mug. Then, Aurora walked through the living room, where she saw Adelaide with a teary face watching a sad scene from a movie. The redhead ignored her sister since it was normal to see her suffering over romance films.
Aurora reentered the darkroom and placed the mug she was carrying on a table, taking the dried photos off the rack. She sighed and sat in the swivel chair, looking at all those pictures.
Everything seemed normal, children playing, adults chatting and laughing.
Aurora narrowed her vision when she saw the same black, luxurious car she had seen at Starbucks a few days ago. She might have considered it a coincidence, but what intrigued her was the person inside the car, looking directly in her direction, as if observing her.
The redhead couldn't see the person's face clearly due to the lack of light, but she could make out a few features: well-defined lips and, most importantly, their eyes. Aurora immediately felt a strange shiver running through her body.
Those eyes... she thought.
***
On Monday morning, Aurora woke up early and dressed formally for the job interview at Emotion.
She received good luck wishes from Adelaide before leaving the house. As always, Aurora hailed a taxi, which first took her to Starbucks because she couldn't go without her morning coffee. The redhead ordered her usual and got into the waiting taxi with the meter already running, and to make matters worse, the company was a bit far away.
Great, I'll be paying a fortune to the taxi driver! Aurora thought.
It took a while, but she finally arrived at the company. Aurora paid the driver and got out of the taxi, entering the large building. The girl made her way to the receptionist and informed her that she had an appointment for the photographer position. The receptionist asked for Aurora's name and wrote it on a small sticker, which she then affixed to the girl's shirt.
The woman escorted her to the elevator. They went up to the fifth floor. Aurora followed almost running, as the woman walked at a brisk pace, leaving the redhead quite impressed by how fast she moved in very high heels.
The woman stopped at a white door and opened it, giving Aurora space to go ahead. As the girl entered, she saw in one corner against a white background a model sitting on a black sofa, wearing a red dress, high heels, and heavy makeup.
"Wait your turn," the woman said, pointing to the line of men and women. "First, we'll assess your skills, then we'll conduct the interview."
Aurora nodded and went to the back of the line.
She saw a woman sitting at a table, looking at the photos people took on the computer. She seemed slightly older than Aurora, with short, straight hair and an incredibly well-aligned fringe. She had Asian features and was wearing a long black dress, quite casual. Her expression was serious, as if she didn't like what she saw.
"Are you nervous?" the girl in front of Aurora said. She was also Asian, with long blond hair.
"Not really. I believe I'm a good photographer. I think I can at least wipe that disapproving look off that woman's face," Aurora said, and the blonde girl looked at the woman and chuckled softly.
"That's Luna, the company owner."
Now I'm nervous! Aurora thought.
In a few minutes, the blonde girl in front of the redhead was called. Aurora tried to be polite and wished her good luck, to which she responded:
"We're competing for the same position, so we're enemies. I hope you fail."
Aurora was immediately taken aback and started seeing that girl as an enemy.
So be it. May the best one win! she thought.
The blonde girl started taking several photos of the model. Aurora looked at Luna, who remained serious. There was a girl beside her holding a clipboard; she seemed to be her secretary. Her name was written on a badge attached to her shirt, Seraphina.
"That was the best photographer so far," Seraphina commented to Luna, who didn't agree but didn't deny it either. "Let's choose her already. You're very late for the meeting with the suppliers."
She's good, but not good enough," Luna said coldly, unconcerned about the meeting.
"We can hire her and make some changes in Photoshop, problem solved!"
"Photoshop only edits photos, it doesn't work miracles," Aurora commented to herself, but her tone was loud enough for them to hear.
"What did you say?" Luna looked at her, making Aurora a little nervous. "Repeat what you said," she ordered.
The redhead took a deep breath, trying to gather courage.
"It's just that... Everything is wrong! Give me that camera." Aurora walked up to the blonde girl and took the object from her hand.
"I'll call security," Seraphina said, but Luna stopped her by touching her arm.
"Stay here. I want to see what this girl plans to do."
"First of all, to achieve good results in a photo shoot, it doesn't solely depend on the photographer; the model also needs to cooperate," Aurora said, looking at the model. "Fix your posture and stop making that ridiculous pout, because you're not a duck!" Aurora's words made Luna release an almost inaudible laugh behind her. "You need to smile, but not that much."
The model obeyed, and then the redhead kneeled, searching for the best angle and starting to take several photos. The young woman was impressed with that camera; it was professional, and judging by the brand, it cost triple the price of the one Aurora had.
"Who is this girl?" Luna questioned.
"Aurora Navarro. She's twenty years old and studying journalism," Seraphina read from her clipboard.
"Dismiss everyone else. I want this girl," the woman said decisively, and Aurora stopped taking photos, looking at the now-standing brunette.
"Really?" Aurora stood up, smiling, and the brunette nodded.
The redhead turned to the blonde, who was glaring at her. With a shrug, Aurora showed her superiority in getting the position, causing the other girl to huff in frustration.
"I didn't like that girl either," Luna said in a low tone, winking at Aurora. "Hello, my name is Luna. I'm the company owner."
***
"A toast to me, the amazing new photographer at Emotion!" Aurora raised her glass with Adelaide, and both drank their drinks.
The sisters were in a nightclub celebrating Aurora's new job. The redheads planned to party hard, especially the younger sister, who wanted to go to the VIP area. However, she didn't have the money for it but planned to sneak in.
Adelaide is too straight-laced to be my partner in crime, Aurora thought.
"I'm going to the bathroom," the redhead lied to her sister and got up from the high bar stool.
"If you find a dead body in there, come running back," Adelaide warned, and Aurora just laughed.
To divert her sister's attention, Aurora entered the crowd on the dance floor. It was difficult to navigate through all the drunken people rubbing their bodies against each other.
After spending a few minutes in the midst of the crowd, Aurora quickly climbed the stairs and saw three huge security guards right in front of the VIP area. There were many drunk people trying to get in, and the bouncers were preventing intruders.
It was almost impossible to get in there; it was well protected.
Having given up on that idea, Aurora took one last look at the VIP area, seeing all those rich people enjoying the best the nightclub had to offer.
Her eyes stopped on a man sitting at a table with his arms around the necks of two girls. There was a pole dance on the table in front of him, and a stripper was sensually dancing on it.
"So now Mr. Arrogant has a harem?" she asked herself while still looking at Tristan indulging in a moment of luxury.
Aurora took her camera out of her bag and took some photos of him. She had wanted to do this since the day she met him, and she hated to admit that his beauty was becoming irresistible to her eyes.
The girl felt a strange tremor when Tristan looked in her direction with his dark, impassive eyes. It felt familiar, as if she had seen that look somewhere before.
Aurora took one final photo of him looking directly into the camera lens. She pulled the camera away from her face and looked at him, as he held his gaze on her.
The redhead shook her head, turning to leave. She descended the stairs and automatically turned her head to look at Tristan. He got up, leaving those girls behind, and walked past the security guards. He was heading toward Aurora, who continued down the stairs, feeling nervous knowing he was coming right behind her.
Aurora thought about going into the crowd on the dance floor but changed her mind when she saw a corridor illuminated with neon lights. She walked towards it.
Upon entering, the redhead found a few people, mostly couples kissing against the railing that divided the corridor from the club. She didn't care about that because she was amazed by the colorful and illuminated corridor.
Half of the corridor was occupied by couples, but the other half was lonely. At the end was a door with "emergency exit" written above it.
Aurora ran her fingers through the iron bars in the lonely part of the corridor.
She stops when she sees the shadow of the person on the other side of the railing, the person who inexplicably made her so nervous. Her fingers passed through the iron bars and stopped when they met his.
The sensation Aurora felt when her fingers touched his through the bars was very strange. She felt an exciting shiver run through her entire body.
Involuntarily, Aurora raised her head and saw Tristan looking at her with a half mocking, half seductive smile.
Why is my heart racing? the girl questioned herself in her mind. Why does he make me so nervous? Is it because of his impressive appearance? His intimidating gaze? The way he bites his lips? Who was he to make her so restless and uncomfortable like this? What are you doing to me, Tristan Callahan?
"Photography," Tristan saw the camera in the girl's hand. Aurora quickly threw it into her bag upon realizing she still held it. "It didn't cross my mind that you enjoyed following people."
"So you thought of me?" Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"You thought of me," Tristan spoke as if it were a fact, and for some unknown reason, Aurora felt her cheeks heat up.
"I have more important things to do, Mr. Callahan," Aurora said the last part in a mocking tone.
Unconsciously, he bit his lower lip, which the girl found very sexy.
What am I thinking?! Get out of my head, impure thoughts! ― the redhead thought.
"Passionate about photography, yet studying journalism. That's very inconsistent," Tristan said.
"How do you know I'm studying journalism?" Aurora crossed her arms, suspicious.
"It was just a guess," Tristan shrugged. "Photographers aren't in high demand in the job market these days, and considering your current situation, you need money more than a career you enjoy. Journalism and marketing were my guesses."
However, Tristan's argument didn't convince her.
Does he think I'm an idiot? I'm sure he got my full name from Griffin and looked up information about my life. Why would he do that? ― the redhead thought.
"Why did you research about me?" Aurora asked, and he didn't respond, which made her sigh and roll her eyes. "Then I'm the one who's a stalker."
"I have more important things to do, Miss Navarro," Tristan teased her in the same way she had done before, and upon hearing that, Aurora laughed without humor. "You shouldn't be taking pictures of me without permission. You're a future journalist, not a future photographer."
"Anyway, I'm working hard to pursue a profession, unlike some people who aren't competent enough to manage a company but get the position because they're the owner's children," Aurora said seriously.
Tristan remained expressionless, but there seemed to be a slight difference after Aurora's words. His aura changed; it seemed like the redhead had touched a nerve, but he appeared more angry than affected.
"You know nothing about me," Tristan's voice sounded low, calm, and harsh at the same time, sending shivers down Aurora's spine.
How can he be so peaceful while saying such cold words? ― she wondered.
"Trust me, you wouldn't want to know me," Tristan added.
"Lucky for both of us, I'm not interested."
Tristan was a stunning and cautious young man, and Aurora was a very curious girl, but in at least one thing, he was right: she didn't know if she would like to know him. If the girl didn't like what she saw on the outside, she doubted she would have a different reaction to what lurked within.
Their eyes shifted away as Aurora's arm was pulled by Adelaide, who gave Tristan a serious look.
"Let's go, this isn't a good place for us to celebrate," Adelaide said to Aurora, but her gaze was directed at him.
"Have a terrible night in your harem, Mr. Arrogant," Aurora smirked and left the club with her sister.
"I don't like that guy!" Adelaide referred to Tristan when they entered the house. She had been saying that the whole way back home, also mentioning that her sixth sense told her to keep her distance from that guy. "He's so narcissistic and sadistic. I bet he paid for your treatment just so he wouldn't get sued right at the beginning of his career. If it wasn't for that, he would have left you stranded in the middle of the street."Aurora didn't pay attention to what she was saying. She took the camera out of her bag and headed to the darkroom. She wanted to develop the photos she took of Tristan.When she was in the taxi, Aurora remembered Tristan's eyes and then the eyes in the photo she took at the college festival."Aurora? What are you doing?" Adelaide entered the room, but her phone rang, causing her to step back and answer the call.Minutes passed, and Adelaide had to go to the restaurant. Her boss needed her incredible culinary skills because a very important lawyer was there
The party in the Emotion building had already begun. It was late at night, and many people were present, dancing to the loud and lively music or getting wasted at the bar.Most eyes turned to the two friends who had just entered: Tristan and Xavier. It was practically impossible not to look at them; even the taken women couldn't help but analyze them from head to toe."I have to go find my boss. Have fun, but don't go overboard!" Seraphina warned the two."Don't treat me like I'm a teenager," Xavier rolled his eyes."I'm the older sister! You can't escape from me."Tristan paid no attention to their typical, pointless, and idiotic argument. In fact, everything around him became unimportant as soon as he laid his eyes on Aurora. She was on the dance floor, moving to the beat of the lively music."I knew you wanted to come here because of a girl!" Xavier said, noticing his friend's gaze."Are you eyeing the new photographer?!" Seraphina asked, but Tristan didn't respond. "Well, your tas
On the other hand, Adelaide walked along the dimly lit street. She couldn't find a taxi, and she had been walking for a long time, her feet already sore from the heels. She took them off and continued walking barefoot.She didn't know whether to complain about her feet or the hunger she felt. That's when she saw a convenience store. She clasped her hands together, looking up at the sky as if thanking the saints for finding that store open at that late hour.She entered the store, realizing she was the only customer. There was a woman at the cash register who briefly glanced at her. Adelaide went around picking up various "junk" from the shelves: snacks, candies, ice cream... Everything she desired.She went to the counter and placed everything on it. While the cashier scanned the items, Adelaide went to the beverage machine and inserted the money, pressing the button to get a can of soda, but nothing happened."Damn it, why isn't this coming out?" Adelaide started hitting the machine
"Aurora!" Seraphina's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she stood impatiently in front of her desk."What is it, Seraphina?" Aurora asked, bored, looking at her nails."Luna wants you in the conference room in five minutes. You will be notified about the dates for the photo shoots for the next edition," she informed and quickly turned away.Aurora sighed, her gaze fixed on a random corner. She had been thinking about Tristan since she caught him earlier today.Since the night of the party, Aurora had a clear idea of what kind of guy he was - lacking any trace of compassion and believing that all women were at his disposal to please him. The redhead was still shocked by his shamelessness in kissing numerous women that night, including one who was in a committed relationship.Well, I'm no saint either, but I've never stooped that low! Most of my impressions of him are negative. I could even make a list, Aurora thought.She glanced briefly at the table, picked up a blank sheet of
POV - (Point of View) Aurora NavarroToday, honestly, is not my day.I pray for time to pass quickly and for a new day to begin, but there was still a long way to go before the nightmare would end.I threw the coffee cup that Genevieve handed me out of the blue into a trash can after leaving Tristan's office.I'm not concerned about the situation between Tristan and me. He can continue following me and researching my life; eventually, he'll get tired and set his sights on another girl."Sister!" I called out to Adelaide as I opened the back door of the restaurant leading to the kitchen. All the cooks stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I smiled awkwardly. "Have you seen Adelaide around?""Aurora?" Adelaide said. I spotted her in front of a counter. I ran up to her and stopped in front of her. "What are you doing here?""Long story. To sum it up, I'm having a terrible day!" I said, teary-eyed, hugging my sister, who quickly pushed me away."You're so dramatic.""My life is a
POV - (Point of View) Aurora Navarro"What are you doing here?" I asked, a mix of surprise and confusion in my voice.What is Mr. Arrogant doing here? Leaning against the door of my apartment? And how did he manage to come up here? He can't even enter the lobby without permission.He probably seduced the old lady at the reception! I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened!"Who was that guy who dropped you off at the building?" Tristan ignored my question."That's none of your business!" I said firmly, crossing my arms."Is he your boyfriend?" Tristan continued with the questions. I rolled my eyes angrily at his persistence."You can't do this, demand answers from me as if I'm obliged to tell you everything I do. You can give orders to your employees and company staff, but you have no power over me.""Don't I?" he asked skeptically, taking two steps towards me, bringing us very close.Normally, I would step back, but I didn't. I'm not going to give in."Perhaps you're surrende
POV - (Point of View) Aurora Navarro"I'm here!" I said breathlessly as I entered the classroom. All eyes turned towards me, but I didn't care."Late, Miss Navarro," the teacher said in a serious tone."Don't tell me!" I replied sarcastically, forcing a smile.I walked to my seat, obliged to pass by Violet as usual, ignoring her disgusted look, and sat down.I paid close attention during the class, but at one point, I found myself wondering about Tristan. I hadn't received any sign from him today, and I hadn't even seen his car on the streets.Where could he be? Maybe at the company, busy with work, or perhaps he's charming some girl somewhere.What if he's watching me right now?!I looked around, scanning every corner of the room and every student's face, then I looked out the window. Everything seemed normal.I was brought back to reality by the sound of the bell ringing. I gathered my belongings and quickly walked out of the classroom. I was already late for college, and the last t
Finally, the weekend had arrived. Typically, it was a delight for the Navarro sisters, as it meant a break from work and college. They could spend the entire day at home doing absolutely nothing. However, on that Saturday, Adelaide was rummaging through her wardrobe in search of a decent outfit for her date with Griffin. Sometimes, she would experience anxiety attacks and consider canceling everything, coming up with the feeble excuse of being sick. But Aurora managed to convince her to give up that idea.Speaking of the younger sister, Aurora was sprawled on the living room couch, savoring her last moments of relaxation. From eleven o'clock onwards, she would be trapped with Tristan, with no idea of when she would be set free."He's here!" Adelaide exclaimed anxiously, as she looked out the window and spotted the doctor's car parked across the street."Good luck on your date," Aurora said, attentive to the television, before popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth."Thank you." A