As I stepped out from the Cafe where I work part-time into the sunny environment, a sigh of relief washed over me. It'd been six hours behind the counter. The road was bustling with activities and the sound of automobiles filled the air. It was such a good feeling, to watch as people go about their daily activities. I walked down the alley to our hideout where I engaged in my artwork secretly since I had nothing else on my plan for the day. Moreover, my hands had been quite itchy. I was so eager to let out the idea that had been on my mind since I surfed the internet during my short break. Then my phone rang and the tone filled the noisy station. I tucked in my earpiece and picked up my best friend's call since she was the one calling. “Hello, Dianne!”“Hi, Callie,” her cheerful high-pitched voice sounded on the other side and a smile formed its way across my petite face. I love to hear my best friend's voice as it fills me with excitement. “I guess you must be done with your wo
“Wow, this is beautiful,” someone commented behind me, bringing me back to reality from my world of imagination.I turned around to see my best friend, Dianne. She was standing behind me, gazing at my drawing with fascination. “You never cease to amaze me with your art, Callie,” she added again. My cheeks heated up with a blush. “Thanks, Dianne.”Her compliments are one of those things that gave me the morale to keep doing this artwork especially when I had to hide it from my father who was against me doing anything related to art. “This is totally different from your other drawing,”“I was surfing the internet and I decided to go through some renowned artwork, and then I came across this specific art and it just stuck. So I decided to try out something new. I never knew it would turn out this well.”“Well, it did because it's you. You are good at this. Don't worry with time, the whole world will eventually get to see all these beautiful collections of yours,” she assured me confi
When I got home, I sat down to have dinner with my family. The first thing that my father mentioned to us was the dinner we would be having with the Vanderbilt the next day. “The Vanderbilt are inviting us to their house for a family dinner tomorrow evening by 7 pm. Sterling Vanderbilt will have his driver come pick us up,” Dad informed us. A small smile tugged at the corner of my stepmother's lips. I know she was glad about this family dinner. It could be an opportunity she was waiting for. Erica simply nodded without saying anything in response, just like me. “Looks like you have been informed, Calliope dear,” my father mentioned when he realized that I didn't say anything. “Yes,” I acknowledged, nodding. “Sterling called this afternoon to tell me about the dinner.”“Oh, okay. That's good, dear. So make sure you get yourself ready and prepare for tomorrow's dinner. This is an opportunity to meet Vanderbilt officially. Let's all put in our best.”“Alright, Dad.”“We will, dear,”
Still lost in my own thoughts, I barely noticed the figure that approached me from behind. “It's beautiful, right?” a voice asked from behind me. I was a little startled, and I turned around to see Sterling, my fiance, standing behind me with a glass of wine in his hand. His presence was unexpected and it surprised me. How did he even find me? I thought. “Sorry,” he apologized softly, looking at me with an apologetic expression. He must have noticed that I was shocked. “You surprised me,” I mentioned with a small frown on my face. Then I dropped my hand from my chest. “Sorry again,” he said again. And I simply nodded, averting my gaze back to the garden. “You're right. It's beautiful,” I answered his question after a couple of seconds of silence. “This garden belongs to my mother. She loved them just as much as she loved us,” Sterling stated. His voice has a hint of sadness and longing in it. And I had to turn to look at him. He was staring at the garden with a mix of regr
I stared at my reflection in front of the long ornate mirror. Today, I was having my fitting with my groom-to-be, but he is yet to show himself. So I was alone at the fitting shop with my best friend, Dianne, and step-sister, Erica who decided to come along with me. At the moment, I was dressed in a white breathtaking wedding gown, paid for by my fiancé's family. I didn't actually expect less from them, knowing how wealthy they were. The gown was impeccable. An ethereal masterpiece, crafted with delicate lace that cascaded down my figure, clinging to my curves in all the right places. The bodice was meticulously adorned with intricate beading, shimmering in the soft, flattering light. A flowing train extended behind me. “Oh, my God! Your gown is beautiful on you,” Erica awed as she stepped into the fitting room. “You look so gorgeous!” Her eyes were wide open in sheer admiration as she stared at my dress.My step-sister, Erica was always an embodiment of love and support and if
Sterling POV I shut my eyes and loosened my tie as I fell into my office seat. It has been a long day as I've been working from one meeting to the other. A heavy sigh escaped my lips and I leaned back on my seat, tiredly. I felt exhausted more than I should and I understood more than anyone why it was that way. That's why I need a solution as quickly as possible. I have barely taken a fifteen-minute break when my intercom rings. Groaning, I took the call and my secretary informed me that I had a visitor. Without asking who it was, I permitted her to let the person in and then ended the call. A few seconds later, my sister's cat walked into my office dressed in a fitted leather trouser, a chiffon blouse complimented with a black leather jacket and black boot shoes. In her hand, hung a new Chanel bag. I wasn't expecting her visit, but I don't remember the last time that Anna asked for my permission before coming over to the office. Most of the time, it was for my own good but i
Calliope POV“Ladies,” a familiar voice called from behind us. We turned around to see who just walked into the room. My eyebrows creased in the middle with mixed expressions at the sight of our unexpected visitor. To say I was surprised to see Kyle Larson was a big understatement. Kyle Larson was my ex-boyfriend. And he was the one who just came into the fitting room, unannounced. Kyle and I had quite a history together. We were first friends before we started dating. We dated for a couple of years before the changes started. And it'd been a year now that I last laid my eyes on him. I haven't seen him since we broke up and he had to go for rehabilitation for his health-related issues - which he refused to admit to me. Seeing him now brought back old memories that I don't like to remember. I had to act like I was fine for the sake of my best friend and step-sister, Erica. “Calliope, Dianne, Erica, hi,” he acknowledged each one of us, greeting us as he rubbed his hands togethe
Simply do what?” a voice asked from behind, and my heart skipped a beat at the now familiar voice of Sterling. As I and Kyle both turned around, Sterling was walking in with his usual confident and commanding stance, hands tucked inside his pocket and an impassive expression masking his face. I was both relieved to see him at the same time, scared of what he might do. Here was my fiance and my ex-boyfriend in the same room. I wasn't sure what would happen. Because now, Sterling had his gaze narrowed on Kyle. Even Kyle didn't fail to notice his expression. Also, Sterling had a towering height that seemed threatening to Kyle's average height. Kyle suddenly stood upright, the desperate and pleading expression suddenly wiped off his face the moment he locked eyes with Sterling. “Hello, Mr. Vanderbilt,” he greeted in a polite tone. “I've heard a lot about you. It's such an honor to meet you in person,” he said with a grin on his face. I was a little confused at the quick change of e