When the clock strikes at exactly one in the morning, Elijah's jaw tightened as his eyes darkens upon feeling swirling emotions.
"Damn it, Tia!"His lips came crushing on her as he starts to move his hips in a gentle manner.Tiara didn't know whether she would focus on kissing him or savor every bits of pleasure. Her toes curled and could not help but let out moans of both pain and pleasure as he thrusts.Her kisses were sloppy as she begs underneath the man who seemed to be a hungry wolf at the moment."Faster. Uhm ahh," She moaned.Her nails dug into his skin when he obliged. Her eyes rolled back and did not know where to turn her head. She was deliriously moaning as she oblige the man's command.Elijah's gaze fell on the sleeping woman on his bed while wiping his damp hair. He heaved a deep sigh and gulped as the memory of what happened last night dawned him.He feels guilty for not even feeling a bit of remorse. Tiara was drunk. The woman seemed to not know what she was doing and yet he still gave in to the temptation.Tiara's parents entrusted her to him to make sure she's safe because tons of assholes are lurking around and there he was, he was an asshole who dared to take an advantage of a drunk woman.But dear lord! She's tight!He has known Tiara since they were young and the last time they have seen each other, Tia was this young lady who looked like a log that she'd definitely get blown by the wind. He could not believe she's the same girl.Her naked figure flashed back to his mind and he couldn't help but shut his eyes and roll his tongue inside his cheeks."Fuck!" He cursed under his breath and then stormed out of the room. He grabbed a box of cigarettes.He thought he just have to smoke it out to forget what has happened.That was just a one night stand, you have to relax; was what he thought."You've been there, Elijah. This is just the same as the ones you had before," He blew a smoke.Elijah threw the cigarettes on the floor out of frustration. "And who on earth fucks a childhood friend?" He asked himself. "What a fucking mess!"Elijah headed to the kitchen grabbed a knife and such to prepare something for breakfast.TIARA groaned as her head throbs. She winced when she moved as her body's aching as if she just got ran on by a truck."What the hell? Is this a hangover?" She asked herself, still not aware nor recall what has happened.Her gaze landed on her reflection in the mirror. Her hair is messy and no longer wearing make up when she could not remember taking it off last night. Her lips parted the moment she notice she was no longer wearing her clothes and there are some blood stains on the white sheets. She looked around and realized she was not familiar with the place.Tiara's blood ran cold as an idea sinks into her mind. "Oh my! What have I done?"One-night-stand. Was it that? Damn! She doesn't even have any idea who was the asshole she was with last night!"Fuck! Dad's going to kill me," She muttered.She looked under the sheets and on the floor just to find her dress and panties torn off."What the hell am I supposed to do now?!" She asked in a frustrated manner."Get something to wear in my closet then come down for breakfast," A man suddenly spoke.She looked at him with wide eyes as the man was awfully familiar.Elijah then turned his back and closed the door after receiving fiery glares she usually gives him every time they crossed paths.Tiara pulled her hair in frustration. "I didn't do it with him, did I? No please! Oh good Lord! Anyone but Elijah."She got off the bed while wincing in pain and rummaged Elijah's closet. She found a white shirt and a new boxer shorts. She took the liberty to use a clean towel and showered in his bathroom."How dare he leave so much marks? Fuck it! Of all people, why does it has to be that skinny jerk?" She kept on mumbling curses while rubbing the kiss marks Elijah has left on her fair skin in hope that it'll miraculously vanish as if it never happened.HEAVY FOOTSTEPS made Elijah watch the stairs while sitting on the sofa."Elijah!" She called."Oh here we go," He mumbled."Tia, do mind having breakfast first before you lash out on me?" He asked while walking to the kitchen.Tiara followed him with her arms crossed under her chest and eyebrows furrowed as if she's ready to skin Elijah alive."We fucked, didn't we?" Tiara asked in an annoyed manner in the middle of their tensed breakfast, causing Elijah to choke on his meal."What the hell, Tiara?!""Just answer the damn question, you stupid log!""Wha... Yes, we did! Heard what you wanted to hear? Now eat your damn breakfast! And for the record! We both know I do not look like a log."Tiara flashed a sarcastic smile after chewing. "Of all people, why do I have to lose my V card to a log like you?"Elijah dropped his utensils and then smirked at Tiara. He leaned on his seat and then crossed his arms."You don't mean that, Tia, darling," He replied while shaking his head, teasing Tia while she was wearing a disgusted look upon hearing that stupid endearment. "Drunk people spits what they really think and guess what, you told me I'm hot, Tia.""Well, I spit nonsense when I am drunk, Elijah!""Was you, begging underneath me last night was also nonsense? Because you clearly enjoyed it for you to ask for more," He smirked.Tiara's face was as red as tomatoes upon hearing that and having the flashbacks of last night."Shut up, Eli! I really, really hate you to the core!"Elijah laughed. "Are you still drunk, Tia? You're speaking nonsense," He said with a hint of sarcasm. "You don't seem to hate me when you moaned.""Moaned?" Tiara stood up and then started walking towards Elijah. "You're saying that as if you didn't went crazy inside me until dawn, Eli."Elijah looked at Tiara's eyes with the same intensity when she leaned towards him and slowly closing the gap between their faces.Tiara sat on his lap while moving a little to make it a little comfortable for her, rubbing her ass on his bulge.She leaned on his ear to whisper. "Keep talking about me moaning and begging for more and hear me talk how I heard you call may name and complimented me how you've always wanted to taste me."She started moving her hips and then smirked when she felt him. She moved away and then walked away while waving her hand."Thanks for the meal," She turned around. "Oh, will you go get me something to wear? A pair of undies and a dress, please. I have a class this afternoo..."Before she could even know it, she was already pinned on the wall while Eli was kissing her in a passionate yet aggressive manner.Tiara pulled away and then smirked. "It was you who was pleasured the most by my drunken mistake, Eli. Look at you, darling, you look hungry, aroused by that small move. I meant it when I said I hate you, Elijah."She pushed him away and then went upstairs to lay on his bed as she could feel her body screaming for rest."He really went rough on me." She mumbled and then hissed.ELIJAH HAS always known how much of a seductress Tiara is and he couldn't help but laugh at her behavior.It happens every time.He then went to buy her clothes while thinking of different ways to get even with her.Tiara has always hated Elijah since they were young for telling everyone at a party how much Tia likes Eli's older brother. She never moved on. Well, Eli thinks she has already forgotten her grudge towards him.Tia just act that way towards almost everybody. She's not Tia if she is not a bitch.People around her just learned to live with Tiara's inconsistencies.Elijah knocked on the door. "Tia?" He opened the door when she did not answer.He sighed and then placed the bags on the table when he saw Tiara sleeping on the bed with new sheets. She has also cleaned his room and he suppose Tiara has already thrown or burnt their torn clothes away."Yeah, yeah, whatever," Elijah mumbled.He placed the receipt next to the bags and left a note that Tia should pay him the same amount."I hate you too, Tia the bitch."SOLA'S POINT OF VIEWThe flight home was sterile, thick with false calm. Every vibration of the engine felt exaggerated, like the plane itself was trying to whisper something to me. The air smelled of recycled nerves and cabin pressure, but it was the quiet that unnerved me most. There were no crying babies, no loud businessmenbusinessmen, just silence and the low hum of something I couldn't name. I stared out the window as clouds broke around us, feeling the gravity of everything I had left behind.Shanghai shimmered below in its smog-laced glory, the city slipping away like a half-remembered lie. Eli's face flashed behind my eyes, that smirk, that stare, that f**king cryptic way of speaking like he knew exactly what would happen next. His words clung to me, wrapping around my ribs and sinking in deep. We hadn't touched, not really, but I felt the echo of him in my bones. I hated how much I remembered.The tea beside me had long gone cold. I hadn't taken a sip, hadn't moved beyond th
TIARA MCKENZIES' POINT OF VIEWShanghai's skyline pierced the clouds like blades of steel. Towering high-rises gleamed beneath a cloudy afternoon sun as my flight descended onto the tarmac. The transition through customs had been seamless. Just another perk of flying under an alias reinforced by layers of digital camouflage and legal paperwork. A black car waited for me at the arrivals gate, sleek and spotless. I offered only a brief nod to the driver before sliding into the back seat, my silicone mask warm against my skin, topped with a silk scarf and oversized tinted glasses.The ride through the city was a blur of glass towers, neon reflections, and electric signs. My coat was crisp and belted, my gloves tight. I played the part well. Power. Authority. Intimidation. The weight of it never lessened, no matter how many times I wore the armor.We pulled up to the hotel, one of the city's most opulent, shielded behind tall hedges and tinted windows. Inside, the concierge greeted me wit
SOLA FRITZ'S (TIARA MCKENZIE) POINT OF VIEWThe drive home was slow, the city lights of Manila blurring behind the tinted windows of the car. I sat in the backseat, my fingers tightening around the edge of my coat as thoughts spun violently in my head. I replayed every moment of the board meeting. Eli's voice still echoed in my ears. The way his gaze cut straight through the mask like a blade.How did his name escape my radar? I reviewed every board document. Every acquisition report. I signed off on every shareholder adjustment. Elijah Rivero's name had never once appeared until today. Had he hidden behind a proxy investor? Was he planted long before I even knew it? My grip on the coat twisted. That wasn't the only question clawing at me.Was he the one who left the message on Genesis's drawing? Was it a warning or a threat? And if it was him, what was he trying to do? If he was truly hunting the remaining Irenic members, what did he want with us? Closure? Revenge? Justice? Or was I
TIARA MCKENZIES' POINT OF VIEWThe Manila sunset bled gold across my office windows, spilling over the endless sea of blueprints and investment reports stacked on my desk. I sipped from my now-lukewarm mug of coffee, the bitter taste grounding me as I flipped through fabric samples, market trend reports, and investment proposals for the upcoming spring collection under Sola Fritz. Every detail needed to be perfect. The fabric texture, stitching quality, logistics partnerships, marketing rollout schedules. I cross-referenced financial statements with supplier quotes, making quick annotations with a red pen, muttering corrections under my breath. There was a steady rhythm to it: review, correct, approve, repeat. My fingers flew over the keyboard, cross-referencing supplier invoices with updated logistical contracts. Digital swatches flickered across the screen, projected beside real samples laid out meticulously across my desk. I glanced up briefly at the spreadsheet pinned on the wall,
TIARA (SOLA'S) POINT OF VIEWThree years had passed.The shadows of the past still lingered, but time had carved out a peaceful life far away from the bloodshed. In a private, tucked-away neighborhood in Manila, surrounded by swaying mango trees and bougainvillea-draped fences, we found something we never thought we'd have again.Peace.It wasn't the flashy kind, or the kind that came with security details and steel walls. No, it was simpler than that. It was the smell of breakfast drifting from the kitchen. The distant laughter of children playing down the street. The soft clink of coffee mugs on ceramic tiles. The morning radio buzzing with upbeat tunes and gossiping anchors.I stood on the balcony of our modest, modern house. The sun warmed my skin, and the wind ruffled my loose white shirt as I sipped on hot tea. Behind me, I could hear the gentle hum of life inside. Somewhere, tucked into a quiet corner of the house, she was probably coloring with Cameron, her little giggles brig
TIARA MCKENZIES' POINT OF VIEWI stood frozen outside his office, my fingers trembling as I clutched the folder of documents I never intended to open in front of him. The hallway felt colder than I remembered, sterile and distant, like every second I stood there chipped away at my nerve. I'd begged Eli's secretary, something I never thought I'd do, but she barely hesitated. She recognized me instantly, offered a polite smile, and buzzed me through without a word.Everyone still thought we were fine. But I was about to break whatever illusion was left.As the door clicked shut behind me, my throat dried out, and all the rehearsed words dissolved like smoke. My palms were damp, my chest tight.Eli stood by the tall office window, dark suit pristine, back straight, gaze distant as the city skyline framed him like a painting. For one agonizing second, I saw the boy I used to know. And then he turned.Now, I wasn't sure if I had the right to remember it at all.His expression didn't waver.