“Guess where I went…” I said, smiling down at her as she held my gaze in a lazy, sexy gaze.“Office?” She said. I chuckled. “I know I am a workaholic, baby, you need not rub it in, but it is the weekend, and I don’t normally work on weekends, except I choose to,” I said, brushing my lips down the bridge of her nose. “So, where did you go?” she asked in a soft tone. “To see your Aunt—”“Aunt Sophia?!” she exclaimed in a gasp, and her eyes darted in their sockets. I chuckled.“You should know, you ruin my reputation of being an unfeeling, but articulate jerk today—”“Aww… what did you do?” she asked, raising her hands to cup my jaw.“I told her the truth.”“And what is the truth, my darling?” she asked, and the way she said that with the warm glow in her eyes and a teasing smile tugging the corners of her well-kissed lips, made me feel all warm inside. How being with the right person could make everything different was quite magical. I have never imagined myself in a position like t

Immediately after I entered the house, one of the maids told me my parents were waiting for me in my father's study. Wanting to get the suspense over with, I strode there not bothering to go and change. My mother was sitting on a leather couch by the side wall and my father was standing by the paneled glass wall. It became obvious how he found out I had just arrived. My mother rose to come and give me a welcoming hug, but I noticed she was avoiding meeting my gaze. My father didn't bother to acknowledge me. And even when he turned around he simply said, "How was your trip?""As expected, sir," I said, withdrawing from my mother after I had dropped a kiss on her forehead to hold my hands behind my back. A habit I had formed right from when I was little. Respecting my parents was automatic and the habit was now part of me. "Come, sit down, son," my mother urged. I frowned, reverting my eyes to her. My stomach clenched and now I could feel an unusual tension in the room. "It’s okay, m

Evan leaned forward to press a kiss on my forehead and then he dipped his head by the side of my face and murmured, "Remember back in Paris when you refused to let me tattoo your name on my back?" I giggled. His fingers, interlaced with mine, tightened against mine, and his thumb gently stroked my skin. "Yes--" I whispered back. "Then I bought you a promise ring instead, asking if you would love to be my wife--" "And I said I want nothing more--" I said in a barely audible voice. "Yes, my darling. This is me trying again to pledge myself to you. In my bid to fulfill that promise, I made to you, to be yours forever. Now I want to do that again in front of God and man--" "Evan--" I called in an emotional whisper, making him free my hands and I reached into his suit to wrap my arms around his middle, pressing my face to his chest. His heart thudded under my ear. "I promise when we do this for real--When we do it again, it's going to be the talk of the country," he whispered into

“Y - yes, sir,” I said in barely a whisper. “Good. I have a friend -- a business partner, who could make all these go away. But he wants something in return. He wants to secure our legacy by having my son marry his daughter,” he said, pausing to assess me intently. I pressed my lips together to prevent them from trembling and folded my arms against my chest with a lack of what to do with them. My heart grew heavy and tightened painfully in my chest. I wasn’t stupid I knew where this was going. The payment for my school was a payoff. Edward Sterling was trying to pay me off to let Evan go. A tremor raked through me and tears welled in my eyes. The sheer thought of a future without him made me feel like I was withering inside.“This … friend has the money and connection to bail us out of this mess. But you can imagine my shock when I told Evan and he refused my friend’s offer. He refused to see reason and all because of you,” he said, got up, and came to stand a few feet away from me.

I have this uneasy feeling dampening my spirit all day. I hated that my father came up with a last-minute errand that made it impossible for me to keep my promise to Estera. And the fact that I have been trying to reach her all day to no avail made me quite apprehensive. It was not only Estera that wasn't taking my calls. My mother too has refused to speak with me. I was a bundle of nerves by the time the driver sent me to pick me up and parked the car in front of the main building. I exited the car and marched inside purposefully. I was not surprised to see my father waiting for me in the foyer. "Good evening, sir," I greeted automatically, clenching my teeth. I just knew something was wrong. I could feel it to my very core. A frown pulled the skin on my forehead when I saw he had a Band-Aid at the top of his left eye, cutting across his eyebrow. And the eye itself was bloodshot. I didn't ask if he was alright or how he got such a dangerous cut so close to his eye. I didn't care. I