Novel-novel oleh Dorcas Baker

Elena's povThe entire ballroom fell silent.Every pair of eyes were now turned towards the entrance, he was framed by the golden light of the hallway.Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, different from what he had on earlier. It made him look even more intimidating than he had been at the penthouse.Whispers immediately rippled through the crowd.“Is that–”“Adrian?”“It's Adrian Laurent…”“What is he doing here?”Even the staff near the door froze, because men like Adrian Laurent didn't attend small engagement parties.Men like him owned the buildings where these kinds of parties were held.Matteo’s face immediately drained of color as he noticed the man by the door.“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.Sofia's confident smile faltered slightly as Adrian began to walk into the ballroom. His steps were slow and controlled.And somehow, the room seemed to shift around him as he moved.The guest instinctively stepped aside, like people parting for a storm.I stood there frozen in th

Elena's povThe elevator ride down felt unreal.The glass walls reflected my face over and over agian—I was now pale, shocked and my feelings?— hollow.A woman who had just discovered that the man she loved had traded her like a merchandise.And even worse….He was celebrating his engagement to her sister while she stood in another man's penthouse. My hand tightened around my purse. Inside it, was my engagement ring which now felt heavier than before.As if it carried all the weight of the lie Matteo had ever told me.When the elevator doors opened into the lobby, the receptionist glanced up again.Her polite smile returned.“Good evening , Miss Rivera.”I nodded stiffly and walked towards the glass doors.Outside the building, the cold night air slapped my face and for a moment there, i just stood on the side walk, staring up at the towering building behind me.I could have just gone home, crawled onto my bed and pretend none of those happened.But the thought of it, made something

Elena's pov,For a moment there, I couldn’t breathe.My eyes were glued on the phone screen.It was Matteo, my sister. Holding hands and standing beneath a banner celebrating their engagement.“No,” I whispered.The words escaped my lips before I could stop it.“Nah… this isn't real.”But Adrian did not say a word, he simply watched me carefully, like he was observing a storm unfold.My hands began to shake as I reached for the phone.“Let me see.” I said, stretching my hands towards him.He handed it over to me without resistance. The image filled the screen and it wasn't blurry, nor was it fake.The ballroom was decorated with white roses and golden lights. The guest were gathered around them, smiling and clapping.And right there at the centre—Matteo was standing proudly beside my sister, Sofia.Her hand rested possessively on his arm, and right there on her finger was a diamond ring.A larger one than mine–could you believe that?My chest tightened so painfully I thought somethin

Elena's pov,The silence between us stretched.Adrian Laurent stood only a few feet away, watching me like I was some kind of strange puzzle he couldn't quite solve.It made my skin itch, I shifted slightly under his gaze.“You said this night became interesting , “ I said carefully. “Why?”Adrian's lips curved faintly.Instead of answering, he walked past me towards the bar near the window.“Drink?” he asked.“No.”I watched him pour himself another glass of whiskey anyway. The ice clinked softly as he swirled it.“You're nervous,” he said without looking at me “I think that's a normal reaction,” I replied.“That depends.”“On what?”“On whether you came here willingly.”My chest tightened again.“I told you already. I did.”Adrian turned, then he leaned casually against the marble counter.His gaze swept over me slowly—this time it was not in a crude way, but I was careful.Like he was studying something rare.“You ‘re not dressed like someone who came here willingly,” he said.I g

Elena's pov.The ride home felt longer than usual.I stared out of the taxi window as the city lights blurred past me, my thoughts were all tangled up in a storm which I couldn't control.“Just one night.”Matteo had said it so easily, like it was nothing.Like he hadn't just asked me to give my body to another man.My fingers unconsciously twisted the engagement ring on my hand.The diamond sparkled beneath the passing streetlights.Three months ago, I had cried when he proposed.I thought those tears were happiness and now I wasn't sure about what they meant.My phone buzzed in my lap— it was Matteo calling.I hesitated before answering.“Hello?”“Hey,” he said quickly, his voice lighter and filled with relief. “Are you okay?”I almost laughed.Was I okay?“Why are you asking me that now?” I blurted.“I know this is hard,” he said. “ But it's just one night, Elena. By tomorrow everything will be different.”“Tomorrow” I repeated, the word felt like a promise but I didn't trust it.“

Elena pov,“Sleep with him.”For a moment, I thought Matteo was joking.The clinking sounds of dishes in the restaurant faded into the background, and the air between us became painfully still.“What?” I asked, maybe I had misheard.Matteo leaned forward, lowering his voice like someone discussing a business transaction instead of shattering a life.“Just one night,” he repeated.My chest tightened so violently it felt like my heart had skipped a beat.Across the table, the candlelight flickered over his face–the same face I had loved for five years.The same man who had proposed to me three months ago with trembling hands along with his promises of forever.Now he wouldn't even meet my eyes.“Matteo,” I said slowly, “tell me you didn't just ask me to sleep with another man.”He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated that I was making it more difficult for him.“It's not like that.”“Not like that–huh.”My fingers curled against the edge of the table.“Then what exactly is it

Lauren's povI was ready by six on the dot.Not because I wanted to impress anyone, but because the note in the box had unsettled me more than I wanted to admit it.The note had said, ‘Leave the office on time, prepare for dinner by six.’Like I had said, there was no name, no explanation, just the quiet uncertainty that had appeared out of the blue.When I stepped outside, the car was already waiting at the front of the house, sleek,black and polished to perfection.The engine purred softly, like a patient dog, like I had all the time in the world.The moment the maids saw me, they paused what they were doing as I walked down the stairs.“Madam, you look really beautiful,”One of them said as her eyes lingered still on my dress.“Thank you” I murmured, smiling as I kept walking, my heart thudded harder with every step. The fabric hugged me in a way that felt really familair– Vivian and Greece, this wasn't work Lauren and neither was I the wife lauren. I was me… Just me.When I got to

Lauren's pov, The call was from Vivian, the moment I saw the call icon I slowly let out a brief sigh of relief.The silence that lingered in the air after Ezekiel left the room stayed with me longer than I had expected.I stood there with my phone pressed to my ear, I was barely Listening to the word vVivian Was trying to say. My heart was still racing and now my palms felt slightly damp, my thoughts began to tangle in a way that annoyed me, like nothing good had happened, instead, I kept telling myself that nothing happened, but the way my body had reacted betrayed me.I could swear that if Vivian’s call didn't go through it would have become another story entirely.‘Get yourself together, Lauren.’ I muttered.I finally found my ring minutes later beside the lamp and I slipped it back on, I stood there staring good at it longer than necessary. It actually now felt heavier than usual, like it was reminding me of something I had already forgotten.The next morning, I woke up early onl

Ezra's pov,The knock that came was sharp and sudden.“Come in,” I said, already seated, holding my breath.The door opened, and my client walked in, with a polite smile and with a briefcase. I didn't bother to move because I was getting yanked from below.“Mr. Hawthorns,” I said smoothly. “It's good to see you, please have a seat.” I said, pointing at the chair right in front of me.Beneath the desk my dick was getting pumped vigorously as I could feel his tongue hover around the tip of the cap.I smiled trying to arrange my reaction and the numbers followed almost immediately. My voice was already tense as sweat broke over my forehead despite the cold temperature of the room.My sentences became tighter. As my spine remained upright, one of my hands gripped on the edge of the desk so hard I could feel my jitters rising.I guess my client noticed as a smile sprawled across his face.“I have reviewed the proposal,” He said, flipping open his folder. “I think we can move forward provid

Lauren's PovThe lunch date had gone better than I expected, better than it should have, actually..I had no idea how tense I'd been until Ezekiel sat across from me, his tie was loosened slightly and now he spoke to me like I wasn't a liability or someone's wife but a person who mattered.The conversation flowed easily without alcohol and no awkward pauses, zero office politics and for once, I laughed without forcing it, I ate without staring at the clock— I could finally breathe.By the time we returned back to the office, I was already settled, I promised myself then– slightly and firmly that I wasn't going to allow anyone ruin my mood anymore, not the stare, nor the awkwardness that had just disguised itself like an apology.It's been two days since I started working under Ezekiel, yet it felt longer. In that short time, I had learned a lot more than what I had in mind. Ezekiel didn't hover and he didn't even try any means to belittle me. He challenged me, corrected me without hum

Lauren's pov,I smiled calmly at Elaine even though it stung on my lips and skin, but still my breath pulsed beneath the fabric of my blouse.“I'm sorry– did you just say something?” I asked softly, feigning ignorance to the statement she had just said earlier, I even tilted my head genuinely like I didn't hear shit.She blinked, clearly startled that I had not reacted the way she had expected me to. Her lips curved slowly into a sweet smile— too sweet.“I only asked if it hurt,” she said, clasping her hands together. “I'm so sorry. It was my mistake, I should have been way more careful.” She said sarcastically.“Careful…” I whispered.I allowed the word to seat between us and then just smiled again, this time slow and composed.“Yes,” she said lightly. “A little tilt can turn a princess into an ugly duckling, so I think the word careful was the right choice.”Without another glance I turned and walked back into the boardroom. The room now fell quiet the moment I walked in, the chairs

Lauren's pov,Walking alongside with Ezekiel felt cheeky but strange, not in a bad way but unlikely unfamiliar, like I was stepping into a place that I was once familiar with and now it felt borrowed. The building stood tall as the glasses reflected the morning sun, and after gathering myself out of the car, I tried to steady myself as hisfhand slid across my waist.This was my first real day here, not as Ezra’s wife who turned in the dark, but now I was expected to work, to think and to matter.Ezekiel had made me even more confident in my look than before and now we were walking into his office side by side. The eyes on me were not quiet to go unnoticed, I straightened my face and kept a calm expression even though my heart was beating ten times its rate, I was too afraid to admit.The moment we both got into his office, the door was shut behind and clearly I could see the workers go across their daily duty except from the eyes that haunted me— I guess she had no idea that the glass