Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.Two weeks after the whole engagement party, I was still burning from Petyr's words.Pathetic.At this point, he was right. I was truly pathetic. Yeah, maybe I’d pushed too far, following him to the bathroom, offering to help with that damn stain. But the way he’d shut me down, his voice dripping with disdain, it stungBut the worst part was, I couldn't get him out of my mind. He was my waking thought. He was on my mind morning, afternoon and night. I had touched myself multiple times to the thought of him or to pictures of him I got off Christian's social media as he didn't have one himself.I’d only stayed at the party a little longer after that humiliating bathroom scene. I’d found Dalu in a corner with Christian and plastered on a smile to congratulate her.Now two weeks had passed. I was back working at Sterling Enterprises and I was still a mess. The times I had run into Petyr, he'd brushed past me like I was some tiny little fly in the w
I adjusted the straps of my sequin dress as I stepped out of the cab into the cool evening sir outside Christian Sterling's penthouse. Ugh. I couldn't believe I had actually scored an invite to a party this exquisite. It all started with Dalu, a college acquaintance from their art history club at Penn. We had never been so tight, but we had more than a few times shared worries and problems over a few drinks.We also bonded over our shared love for art that looked like they could scream.So when she texted me last week saying she has met a wonderful man that she was finally settling down with and she wanted me to be there at her engagement and wedding, I'd leapt at the chance.A night of glamour with Philly's elite? Who wouldn't want that?I had spent hours picking this dress from a high end store with Claire, bless her heart.I had gone through rows and rows and when my eyes finally landed on this, I knew it was the one. It has a plunging neckline that left almost nothing to the ima
One week later “Gentlemen, ladies, Sterling Enterprises is at a pivotal moment. Our acquisition of the Napa vineyard has positioned us as a major player in the luxury wine market, and our Q3 projections show a 12% growth in revenue. But we’re not here to rest on our laurels. We’re here to discuss how we dominate.” I said, my voice smooth and authoritative.One of the investors, Hira Kolt, a blonde woman, raised an eyebrow, “Impressive numbers, Petyr, but the market’s volatile. Wine’s a risky bet with climate shifts affecting harvests. What’s your contingency plan?”I smiled, “Diversification,”I waited then continued, “We're not just banking on wine. Our real estate arm is closing on three new properties in Dubai next quarter. You should see what my son is doing with the AI division. Beautiful, promising work.”Murmurs of approval came from several parts of the room. Ken Beckham, another investor, leaned forward, eyes locked with mine, “That’s all well and good, but your sales team’s
My heart was pounding as the door clicked shut behind Petyr. Ugh. Being with Petyr was nothing but problems.And Kiara, what bad timing. She had caught us in such a compromising moment and my cheeks burned at what she might think.I took a deep breath and settled into my chair. Kiara's eyes gleamed with curiosity. She leaned on my desk, arms crossed.“So, you want to tell me what the hell that was about?”My throat tightened. I turned away from her and focused on my laptop. “Nothing.We were just…arguing. About my office being moved up here. And absolutely no one thought to give me prior notice. I didn’t ask for this, Kiara. I hate it up here, and I hate him.”The lie left a bitter taste in her mouth. Hate was not the right world - not even close.What she felt for Petyr was a tangled mess of longing, anger and shame. “Oh, Maria, come on now. You can't say that.” Kiara said as she hopped onto the desk and crossed her legs. “I mean, how can you hate such a man. Petyr Sterling is dan
The door clicked open, shattering the electric moment between Maria and me.Her eyes widened as she pulled back, her hands slipping from my grip.I turned, irritated, to see who it was with such poor timing. I had half a mind of firing whoever it was at the spot.It was a girl I had not seen before - short, auburn hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail, full lips and a curious flint in her eyes.She cocked her head at me, as if examining me, with a look I recognised all too well. Hunger. Desire. A mix of awe and want.Now, it only annoyed me. Kiara’s eyes held that familiar spark, but it was Maria’s defiance, her fire, that had me hooked.Her gaze flicked between Maria and me, lingering on the scant distance between us.With a sly smile, she leaned on the door frame, “Oh sorry. I didn't mean to barge in. Just wanted to check on Maria but I can come back later.”Maria's face flushed and she pushed further away from me, straightening her skirt.“Kiara, come in. It's okay. We were don
“He's just a man, Maria. A simple, stupid man. You're going to see him and you're going to act like he doesn't exist. Because he doesn't.” I muttered to myself like a mantra as I walked into the sleek lobby of Sterling Enterprises, heels clicking against the marble floor.“Yes, you were weak last week. Forgive yourself for that. This is a new week … oh my God.” It was pointless. Even as I repeated the words over and over again, my heart beat like an 808 drum. “He's just a man…He's just a man…” A man that was driving me crazy.I clutched my bag tighter as I stepped into the elevator, punched the thirty fifth button and waited.As I ascended, I thought about the resignation letter I had submitted on Friday, right after storming out of Petyr's office.The decision was difficult being that I had worked in Sterling Enterprises ever since my college graduation and now, when I was finally being rewarded for my hard work, I was leaving.But I had to sever this dangerous thread that kept pu