SYBIL POV
It had been two days, two days of me hiding away in my room to avoid the cringe of bumping into Seth Rodriguez after how our last meeting ended.
It was utterly mortifying that I'd freaked out just because I thought he was going to kiss me, when he might have just been leaning in closer to get a closer look, but who in their right mind did that? And I just had to shove him so hard.
I tugged at my hair, then dropped into the sofa as I'd come to do every passing minute. Why was my life such a freaking nightmare?
My phone pinged alerting me of a video call and I answered once I saw who it was.
"Guess who just dropped in!" Zach gushed and just seeing his face immediately put me in a good mood. He was one of the few people who had wormed their way into my life by being there when I started having problems with my parents.
"Don't tell me Kushi convinced you to come to keep me company" I gasped, my eyes widening as I saw the familiar setting behind him. He was definitely at the resort. Zach rolled his eyes.
"She said and I quote, Sybil is sucking the life out of me, please help".
I rolled my eyes back at him. "You realize Kushi exaggerates a lot right?"
He tsked as he moved toward a stool and got comfortable. "I also know you suck the life out of people" he called out and my mouth dropped open.
"I do not," I protested halfheartedly and he gave me a knowing look. "Fine, maybe a little, a very tiny bit mind you".
"We both know the truth, so I won't bother with arguing. And now that that's settled, will you get your ass down here cause I'm feeling too lazy to come up. I also didn't bring a lot so there's no need for me to come to your room to stash my illegal properties yet, and still on that thought, I'm feeling like a little drink before this pretty bell boy takes me to your room,".
"Please do not flirt with the bellboy" I deadpan, giving him a horrified look and he shook his head.
"It was just one time! You'll never let me live it down will you?" He said then sighed, before grinning. "Enough of that! So I am at the awesome-looking bar" he said, moving the angle of his camera so I could get a glimpse of it. "Which looks super fabulous, and while coming, please don't miss your way, because I'm a hundred percent sure that even tho you have been here for two days and a half, you probably do not know half of the place".
"I know the mini art gallery" I retorted and he scoffed.
"Of course... Where else would you know if not the art gallery. Come down here, you know I hate talking on facetime".
"And yet you were the one who called" I sassed and he gave me an exasperated look. "Fine, I'm coming down" I placated, then ended the call.
Maybe this was what I needed. Someone to distract me. Zach was someone that had seen me at my worst and didn't make me feel like I was a weak spineless fool that couldn't forget about something that happened five years ago.
He knew that I still kept the images I and Dian took the whole time we were together, and we'd even gone through them together at one point in time and plotted Dian's murder as we scrolled through all the pictures. I smiled, it was the good times.
I checked my reflection in the mirror, fixed my hair, and checked if I didn't look as tired as I felt.
"Why do I even freaking bother" I huffed, then stepped out of my room.
The hallway was quiet and with every turn I took, I prayed not to run into Seth. It took a while to find the bar, and Zach had an exasperated look on his face when I finally got there, but it was gone in a blink as he pulled me into a full crushing bear hug. I laughed as I struggled out of his arm.
"Jeez, I thought you were pissed, you definitely looked pissed."
He shrugged, his fingers tangling in my hair a bit as he tried to adjust a loose strand."You know I can never stay mad at you for more than a second. Baby girl" he said, holding me at arm's length. "How do you manage to look even more stunning as the day goes by".
I scoffed. "Flattery doesn't work on me, Mister".
"It should because I really need your secret recipe now. I'm losing my youth Sybil. Just look at my face".
I rolled my eyes as I touched his face. "Your skin is flawless and you know that. You do realize that you look like a freaking model every time you walk into a room right... You're such a catfish" I got out while snacking his forehead a little.
"Ouch, still very hostile I see. Kushi said you toned down. I shouldn't have believed her".
"You shouldn't have." I glanced at the empty glasses in front of him. "What's wrong? You drank five shots all by yourself".
Zach sighed, pulling me into another bone-crushing hug. "I'm just so freaking lonely... Miguel has been on a business trip and he doesn't even call me anymore" he murmured against my throat and being the ticklish girl I was, I giggled, before shoving him off.
"Zach!" I called, as he made to hug me again.
He raised his hand in surrender. "Sorry, I know you hate too much skinship but I've really missed you, Sybil. Be real, If Kushi did not call me, would you have?"
"I would" I replied automatically and he scoffed.
"You wouldn't but I forgive you..." He looked me over again, his brows furrowing. "Did you lose weight?" he asked, his hand wrapping around my waist. This was just typical Zach, overly affectionate and very intuitive. He also didn't care that it wasn't just us.
"You're the only one who noticed".
He grinned. "I'm the only one who cares".
I tried to gently tug his hand off but his hold just tightened. "Oh my goodness Zach, people are staring at us," I choked out as I glanced at those around and noticed some of them blatantly watching us.
"So? Let them watch".
"I do not think Miguel will be happy seeing you all over me like this"
He scoffed, then finally let me go. "He wouldn't, but that might spice up the relationship if he gets jealous over this, you know what I mean" he grinned with a wink and I shoved him lightly.
"You are freaking insane!".
Zach stood up his smile getting wider. "I know, but for real tho, it would be very welcomed. Everything has been pretty tame and boring lately".
"Please spare my ears" I got out in a horrified voice and put my hands into my ears. Zach snatched them away and then tried to speak into my ears about all his rendezvous. I laughed, shoving him off as we both stepped towards the elevator.
I got respite when he stopped to push the open button, then more as his phone rang, Miguel's name popping up on the screen. Zach looked excited as he showed me his phone.
"I've got to answer this," he said as we both stepped into the elevator. I turned to look at the people at the bar_who by the way must have been mortified by our lack of civility. For their information, they shouldn't expect that where Zach was concerned. A wave caught my attention. It was Helaena, the door was closing when I started to wave back, my gaze slipping to the man who stood beside her. It was something about the color of the suit that drew me to stare at him, and as my gaze raked up his body, taking in every minute detail, especially those of his throat and jawline, my heart pounded, my lips drying up, and my palm turned sweaty as I gripped Zach's carry-on harder. His face came into view, my heart stopped for a second, the world seeming to freeze in that instant.
"Dian" I gasped, my heart rate spiking out of control when I realized he was staring straight at me. He didn't look the same. Oh! he was still the most perfect human I'd ever set eyes on, but his Aura was darker now, and even his hazel eyes that had once been a source of awe for me were hardened to slit, and in them, I could feel a furious blaze.
The elevator door shut, but his image had been sired into my head, and from nowhere, the anger that had never really manifested all these years, crashed through my chest with full force and I felt the pain and betrayal from all those years all over again.
I fucking saw red.
DIAN ANGELO POV "Are you even listening to what I am saying..." I could only vaguely make out the sound of Helaena's voice. My fist was clenched so tight that my knuckles hurt and when I glanced at them, they glistened white with the amount of pressure I exerted.It didn't do justice to the anger that burned through my chest, a wave of anger that should not have been there in the first place, especially not because of Sybil Eagan. I'd thought I would never see her again, I'd made sure we never crossed paths but I guessed the universe was fucking messing with me. Watching her laugh, her voice booming across the space would have been bearable, but watching her touching another man, and the said man touching her like he had a right to made my chest go tight with white-hot anger. She'd moved on just like I knew she would, and it pissed me off. But It was absurd. I hated Sybil, she was nothing to me so why did seeing her affect me so much? Of course, her betrayal was enough for such a
SYBIL EAGAN POV"I honestly do not understand this switch, Sybil. You were ok just some minutes ago" Zach worried, his eyes trying to catch mine. "Are you mad that I talked with Miguel for so long, because if you are, I don't even know what to tell you right now"?I stared at the liquor I'd poured for myself, my gaze boring into the liquid that I hadn't quite worked up the nerve to drink. "I just saw Dian" Zach choked on whatever he wanted to say, took a pause, and I finally met his gaze. He looked dumbfounded."What?" He finally gasped, a disbelieving look on his face. "I'm not sure I heard you right...""I said I fucking just saw Dian" I yelled, then grabbed the glass in front of me, but Zach smacked it out of my hand before I could drink it. Staring at the shattered content, my gaze snapped to Zach and I glared, the anger in my chest urging me to pour out all the fury I felt onto him, but Zach looked furious too."And what if you saw Dian, what the fuck does that have to do with a
SYBIL EAGAN POV.The roaring sound in my ear felt overwhelming, the nostalgic feeling hitting hard as the familiar sound of his voice reached my ears. They were just as I remembered, even deeper now than they had been before.He'd changed a lot in five years, and it was not just his Aura. My hands turned sweaty as I forced myself to appear unaffected as his gaze burned into mine. It was intense, the way he stared at me and my heart rate kicked up until it felt as if I was on the verge of a heart attack.His eyes had always been beautiful and they could always make me feel calm whenever I was derailing, but right now as he stared at me, all I wanted to do was run and hide away from his fury because he looked majorly pissed.Running was not an option tho. I'd already made a decision and I was going to stick to it even if it killed me. It was time I buried our memories and move on with my life. I gazed at him, pasting a puzzled look on my face."I'm sorry, but do I know you" I got out an
SYBIL EAGAN POV."Just let it go Zach" I murmured in a low voice, feeling a little bit out of it as Zach continued to fume. "Why did you let him talk to you like that, ugh! I should have punched him, that ass" Zach yelled, and I could literally see the steams coming out of his ears. "The nerve of that guy, after what he did to you"."Enough already!" I yelled, my hands reaching up to cover my ears. Zach rushed toward me, worry, the most prominent feature on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on about him like that. Are you ok".I stared at him, then looked away. "I'd be lying if I said I was so I won't. What was Dian going on about Zach... I don't understand why he will accuse me like that... I was literally a virgin when we were together, and he didn't even have sex with me, I was with no one but him, and after the wedding, I didn't go out with anyone, so why was he saying that horrible stuff about me" I asked, my gaze snapping back to Zach's as if he was the one who held al
SYBIL EAGAN POV.Holy freaking hell! I stared at him dumbfounded, unable to get my heart rate to return to normal or even form a sentence. His gaze burned through my skull as he stared me down. It was as if I was some filth under his shoes. It was an odd reaction considering he was the one who just freaking kissed me without my express permission. Dian turned to face Seth. "Did I interrupt your painting session? I should apologize but I have nothing to be sorry for since Sybil and I have a prior appointment before she wandered off and met you" he said with a condescending voice. Seth glanced at me, and he had a sort of disappointed look in his eyes that tugged at my heart. It was like I'd broken his heart without even knowing I had the power to. "Is he telling the truth?" He asked and Dian scoffed, as he grabbed me by the wrist."She doesn't have to answer that question. You're nothing to her anyway," he got out in an antagonizing tone, before he glared at me, his eyes daring me to
DIAN ANGELO POV.She was going to deny it to the very end, the witch. How could she look me straight in the eyes and act like she didn't know what I was talking about? It had already been two days and I was still obsessing over it. How could she so blatantly deny everything without even batting an eye? Kissing her had been a bloody mistake, one that I had committed In the heat of the moment because seeing her staring at that guy as if he was her salvation rubbed me in all the wrong way and pissed me off to no end. First, it had been Zach, the guy that she was allegedly getting married to, and now it was the freaking painter. Was one guy not enough to satisfy her? Did her parents get to her so much that now she did everything they asked of her? Was acquiring the fortunes of others the only thing important to her? But why did she have to look at me like that? She had stared at me as if I was making stuff up just to discredit her, and why did that bother me at all? I didn't care about
SYBIL EAGAN POV.Zach had warned against seeking out Dian, especially after I told him what happened with Seth, but I needed real answers if I was ever to get a good night of sleep. I needed to know once and for all why he was so pissed at me when he had been the one to leave me.But now, standing at his door and staring into his troubled eyes while he towered over me menacingly, I was certain I'd made the wrong decision, and that Zach had been right with his warning. I took a step back then yelped as he caught hold of my wrist and yanked me towards him, into the room, and simultaneously slammed the door shut.He shoved me against the door, and he was so harsh in the way he manhandled me that I could not stop the sharp yelp that tore out of my throat as his body towered over mine, blocking my view of the room. I stared at him, my hand wedged between us as I tried to create a barrier. He scoffed as his eyes raked over me in a predatory manner. "Are you here to try to seduce me? You m
SYBIL POV"It's bad. It is very bad," Kushi stressed then stared at me with pity in her eyes before glancing at the headlines on her phone. "And the picture they took of you made it worse. They're describing you as a desperate slut who tried to seduce the heartthrob billionaire Dian Angelo despite knowing the fact that he was in a committed relationship. They're painting you viciously, Probably because they have never been able to get any dirt on you"My heart felt as if it was breaking into a million pieces as Kushi relayed the headline news to me. I had always known that confronting Dian would have its consequences, but I never expected it to get this ugly. The words from the tabloids cut through me like a knife as I thought about how my reputation was being destroyed by lies and deceit. The way they portrayed me as a seductive, scheming woman who only wanted Dian’s money, was completely untrue. I didn’t care about his money, I cared for him, but he couldn't see that.All night, I c