"I've never been this up close", Bels gasped
"Me too. You think they will let us in?'
"You didn't know if they would let us in when you dashed off like superwoman?"
Crystal glared at her. "Sorry sorry. I know now is not the time for jokes".
Turns out getting in was not much of a hassle. The security guards just let them in after they stated their names.
"It's even bigger inside".
"Why are you acting like this is the first time you've been to a billion dollar company".
"Logan's company might be big yes, but girl this just hits differently".
Crystal rolled her eyes.
"Do we even know where we are going?"
"If his ego is as big as they say it is, then we are heading to the top floor".
Immediately they stepped out of the elevator, someone called her name.
"Crystal Steele?".
The woman in front of her was beautiful. She looked like she was in her late twenties with dark blonde hair pinned upwards, no piece falling out of place. Olive green eyes that were smiling kindly at her.
"Owww. What was that for?", she asked Bels.
Bels gestured towards the lady. She had zoned out and the lady that called her name was still standing with that same smile.
Now that she looked more closely, it wasn't a kind but sad smile.
"Uhmm that's me".
She nodded, "Follow me. Mr Sterling has been expecting you", Her gaze went to Bels, "Just you".
Without missing a beat, Isabella said, "It's fine. I will just wait out here and enjoy the view", pulling Crystal closer, "This is your backup plan". She shoved a tiny knife into her palm.
Unbelievable.
Crystal would have laughed if she wasn't so worried.
The beautiful lady led her away.
"Remember", Bels yelled after her.
The smell of dark chocolate hit her nose when she entered. There he was sitting behind his desk posed like the arrogant asshole that he was.
He ignored her for a few minutes, finally he raised his head. His ice blue eyes sent a chill down her spine.
There was no way to deny it. Ryke Sterling has to be one of the most beautiful men on the planet.
An article she read once said, "If gods decided to visit the earth in human form, it would be Ryke Sterling".
His beautiful mouth curved downwards disapprovingly.
He was waiting for a greeting. He could kiss her ass. They continued to stare at each other , one waiting for the other to break the silence.
She could go on for days.
"Miss Steele"
Ha, looks like I won.
"Mr Sterling"
"What brings you by?", his lips curved slightly. He wanted to play dumb. She was in no mood.
"I'm not in the mood to play games. You are going to tear up the contract you have on my brother and then you are going to leave us the hell alone".
"What's your favorite color Miss Steele"
What?. Didn't he just hear her?
"You look confused and unsure of your answer so I will just go ahead and tell you mine. You see, Miss Steele, I don't have a favorite color. I don't do favorites. Why should I have to pick one when I can have it all?"
"Steele Co-operations is in no way related to you. And there are a million women out there for you to do with as you please. I'm not a property to be bought and owned". He just kept looking at her like he expected her to back down. "You are not going to say anything?"
He sighed while scrolling through his phone looking bored of the whole situation, "I already have the workers ready. Two days left Miss Steele. Make sure your brother knows this too. You can go now".
"You are a sad man. You think you are so high and mighty and you can do whatever you want but you are not above the law. This isn't right and we are going to fight it".
"If you had a fighting chance you wouldn't be here. I know it. You know it. Logan knows it. I bet even that Latina girl you brought with you knows it too and you got it wrong. I'm not striving to be above anything because the law doesn't apply to me. If you don't have any other valuable thing to say then the door is that way".
Crystal stared at him. How can someone so beautiful be so cruel?.
She stood up shakily. There was only one other option and no it did not involve a knife.
"Steele Co-operations has been in our family for generations. Please don't take it away from us".
"Your brother should have thought about that before he signed off the entirety of the organization to me"
"You played him and you know it".
Ryke shrugged, "I have a meeting to attend in five minutes. I've given you all the time I have but I must commend you Miss Steele. This is the longest conversation I have had in a really long time. Everyone and everything else bore me".
It was resolved. She hated him.
"You are going to end up lonely".
His lips curved upwards fully, " I wouldn't have to worry about that. I will have you help with the loneliness very soon".
He walked towards the door, "Don't start a protest. It won't work this time" and with that he shot the door leaving with the gnawing realization she didn't have a choice.
Something else clicked, then it suddenly hit her.
~~Two years ago~~
"Bels I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong".
"Some billionaire bought the land my mum's restaurant is on. He is making plans to demolish it".
"There are lots of billionaires in the city. I'm going to need you to be more specific. Maybe Lo knows him and can talk to him".
"I don't know. He has a S in his name".
Crystal gave her best friend a look.
"I will call my mum and ask". Isabella spoke on the phone for a few minutes, "It's Ryke Sterling".
Well she could count Logan out. There were rumors that Ryke was a grade one asshole. She heard he had fired the people in the entire department just because one of them made a mistake. Another time, he had a whole restaurant shut down because the staff mixed up his order.
Logan didn't know him personally or like him. It also helped that they were in different lines of business.
"He isn't one of Lo's friends but I'll still see if he can talk to him".
"There's no point. I'm doing some research on him. He always gets what he wants".
"Okay if he wants to take Camillas away, he is not going to get it without a fight. Here is what we are going to do".
~~Now~~
Everything had been set in place. Crystal managed to get most of the people in school to join. It didn't take much persuasion.
Camillas was like a home away from home.
They had started the song by the time she got there. Blame Logan for deciding that morning was when he felt like they needed some brother and sisterly bonding.
She had planned a whole Choreography around Jenifer Lopez Let's get loud.
He needed to hear them, maybe the man would grow a heart.
She joined in late but hopefully they had done enough to drive their point home.
It ended with a finesse, fireworks spelling out STERLINGS SORRY STEALINGS. That was all Isabella.
In a single moment she had felt a pull, like something calling out to her. Her gaze shifted and their eyes crashed.
God, he was beautiful.
She could write a thousand stories on his eyes alone. Guess he was a beautiful bastard. She had given him a dirty look once she was out of the spell his eyes out her under before walking away.
That night, Bels had called her saying Ryke decided to stop the whole project.
Maybe she had been wrong, maybe he did have a heart all along.
If only she had known.
Dread crept over her, a chill running down her spine. She stared at the message, a surge of fear and confusion flooding her mind. Who was behind this threat? The text had come from a different number. Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the menacing warning.With a shaky hand, she put the phone down, her mind reeling with a thousand questions and an equal number of fears. The ominous message echoed in her mind, leaving her on edge and uncertain of what would come next.Taking in a deep breath, she composed herself and walked out of the building, hurrying to the one person that made her feel safe in all the chaos revolving around her life.Crystal threw herself at Ryke immediately she set her eyes on him, catching him off guard, and he hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. It was unexpected; her words of missing him, the sudden embrace, all of it felt unreal to him, especially given the strained circumstances between them.When they finally disconnected from the hug, R
“I asked you a question, Crystal,” Logan gritted his teeth.Shaking her head, Crystal took a step back from the painting and let out a hollow laugh, “I just realized something. Crystal? I thought I was snowflake.”Logan’s glare intensified, “That still doesn’t answer my question.”Crystal rolled her eyes and turned to Isabella, “So I guess I was wrong and you are innocent,” she spat."Wrong or not, it doesn't change the fact that I had nothing to do with whatever mess you've found yourself in," Isabella finally spoke, her voice calm but tinged with an undercurrent of irritation.Crystal's frustration flared, her eyes narrowing as she retorted, “Logan might have gotten you out but I know what I saw and I have evidence. There are also witnesses that saw you enter Ryke’s mansion.”Isabella chuckled darkly, a bitter edge to the sound. "Evidence can be deceiving, and witnesses can be manipulated. You should know that, Crystal."Crystal shook her head in disbelief. "I trusted you, Isabella
Crystal stepped into the sterile, echoing confines of the visiting room at the correctional facility. Her breath caught as she caught sight of Isabella, sitting calmly, seemingly indifferent to the world around her. Crystal's heart pounded against her chest as she approached the table, her emotions in turmoil, her hands trembling with a mix of apprehension and longing for answers."Isabella," Crystal's voice quivered slightly as she took a seat across from her former best friend. Isabella lifted her gaze casually, her expression unreadable. Crystal's eyes searched Isabella's face, seeking any hint of remorse, of the friendship they once shared, but found nothing."I'm surprised you came," Isabella remarked casually, her tone devoid of emotion. "I had to," Crystal replied, her voice breaking slightly. "I need to understand, Bels. Why? Why did you do it?"Isabella leaned back in her chair, a faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she
Chloe slowly fluttered her eyes open, the hazy blur of the hospital room coming into focus. The sterile scent, the faint hum of machines, all too familiar yet always disconcerting. As her vision cleared, she caught sight of Christian, his relief evident as their eyes met.A faint smile tugged at Christian's lips, but Chloe could see the underlying worry etched in the lines of his face, his attempt at humor failing to mask his concern. "Hey there, sleeping beauty," he quipped, a weak attempt to lighten the weight of the moment. "Is this becoming our thing now? Almost getting killed and ending up in the hospital?”Chloe managed a small, tired chuckle, but the gravity of their situation weighed heavily upon her. "Seems like it," she murmured, her voice hoarse from the ordeal. "But I wouldn't mind a change of pace anytime soon."Their banter masked the underlying tension that lingered in the air. Chloe's gaze softened as she reached out, her fingers lightly brushing against Christian's ha
The cacophony of voices echoed around him, distant yet somehow piercing. He found himself standing in the hazy periphery of a scene, a memory from his childhood that remained etched in his subconscious—the day he overheard his parents arguing.Their voices, once muffled whispers, now reverberated sharply through the walls, a symphony of discord that shook the very foundation of his understanding. Logan crept closer to the partially ajar door of his father’s study, drawn by the urgency in his parents' voices. He lingered, unseen, on the periphery of their heated exchange."I can't believe you're bringing this up again!" Jessica’s voice was filled with a mixture of anguish and exasperation."Jessica, he deserves to know," his father's voice replied, the weight of responsibility tinged with a hint of sorrow.Their words were like shards of glass, piercing Logan's sheltered world, fragmenting the illusion of his reality. He stood frozen, unseen, as the truth unfolded in the exchange bet
Logan's sleek black sedan pulled up outside the police station. Stepping out, his demeanor was one of controlled urgency, every stride purposeful as he approached the entrance.Approaching the front desk, he spoke with a tone that demanded attention. "I need to speak with someone in charge regarding the arrest of Isabella Montez."The officer behind the desk regarded Logan with a hint of skepticism, his uniform crisply pressed as he sized up the affluent newcomer. "I'm sorry, sir. I can't provide details about ongoing cases."Logan's frustration simmered beneath his controlled demeanor. "I understand, but Ms. Montez's arrest is a mistake. I need to rectify this immediately."The officer glanced at his computer screen before meeting Logan's gaze. "I'll see if someone can speak with you, sir. Please wait here."Minutes dragged like hours as Logan paced the station's lobby, his mind racing with a myriad of scenarios and strategies to make Isabella's release. Finally, a stern-looking de