로그인DESMOND“You look terrible.” Victor muttered with a chuckle as he dropped into the chair across from my desk.I shot him a flat look. “I pay you to work for me, not to insult me before nine in the morning.”That only made him laugh harder.Ignoring him, I sank into my chair with a tired groan.Every muscle in my body ached from lack of sleep.Victor took one look at me and slid a cup of coffee across the desk. “Rough night?”I accepted the coffee gratefully and took a long sip. “You have no idea.”His eyes narrowed with curiosity. “What happened?”“I locked my wife out.”Victor nearly choked. “You did what?”“She spent half the night banging on the door.”One of his brows shot upward. “Hold on. You locked your wife out of the house?”“The bedroom,” I corrected.His expression immediately shifted from concern to entertainment.“Oh.” He settled deeper into his seat. “Well, that makes it slightly less criminal.”I rolled my eyes.“What? Trouble in paradise?”I rubbed the pressure point b
DESMOND“Who are you talking to at this hour?”The moment the question reached my ears, I pulled the phone slightly away and covered the speaker with my hand. I shot Camellia an annoyed look.“A business partner,” I answered shortly.Instead of letting it go, her gaze drifted toward the grandfather clock standing across the room. The hands pointed to three in the morning. She looked back at me with raised brows.“A business partner?” she repeated skeptically. “At three a.m.? And you're locked away in the library while taking the call?”I closed my eyes for a brief second.Good Lord.The last thing I wanted after an exhausting day was another one of her interrogations.“I am not having this conversation with you,” I said through clenched teeth.Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked farther into the library. As I did, I muttered a quick apology to the person who had been left listening to the awkward exchange on the other end of the line.The call continued for another hou
ORIONI watched Eudora with pride as she brought Chun over with her knowledge of Chinese culture. I knew all I had to do was create an opening, and she would do the work herself.“I guess it finally makes sense as to why my son decided not to change a black suit to match the theme of the event.”My eyes closed at the sound of her voice and I took deep calming breaths before turning to face my mother. “Eudora is not the reason I chose not to wear the black suit.”Eudora, clearly confused about what this was about, looked from me to my mother. “Did you forget to read the theme of the event?” Mum hissed at her. “Or you are looking to stand out in the room.”Eudora blinked rapidly, her brain taking a while to catch on to what’s going on, and when it did, she glanced down at her golden dress, her mouth slightly ajar. “I didn_”“I was the one who told her to wear golden,” I interjected.Mum scoffed. “Why? To act rebelliously?”“You think I have the time to read every word in your invitatio
ORIONTaylor pulled up in front of Orion’s family estate driveway and I watched through the car window as he stepped out of the house and made his way toward me. The security guards stationed around the property immediately straightened and bowed their heads in greeting. Orion acknowledged them with nothing more than a brief nod before continuing in my direction.When he reached my car, he opened the door himself and held out his hand. I slipped my hand into his, allowing him to help me out.For a moment, he simply looked at me. “You look beautiful.”His gaze moved slowly over me, not with desire or scrutiny, but with appreciation, genuinely pleased by what he saw.A smile tugged at my lips. “I feel beautiful,” I admitted softly.A low chuckle escaped him. Shaking his head in amusement, he kept hold of my hand and guided me toward the entrance of the mansion.As we walked, I glanced around the property.There wasn’t a single paparazzo lurking behind bushes or waiting outside the gates
EUDORATWO YEARS LATER“Ms. Eudora!” the paparazzi shouted the moment I stepped out of the car, cameras flashing nonstop. “Over here! Turn a bit to the left!” another voice called out, louder than the rest.I paused just outside the entrance of the new art exhibition building, straightened my posture and gave them a smile. The lights from the cameras were bright, almost blinding, but I had learned not to flinch anymore.Two years ago, I would have never imagined my life would look like this.Orion had kept his promise.He had pulled me into spaces I never thought I belonged. Galleries, high-level exhibitions, and private events where even Desmond would have a hard time accessing.Fuck it! Did I just think of that jinx?Everything I had was because of Orion and SB Star. Signing with SB Star changed everything for me. My art was no longer a random work. It has value now…serious value. Pieces that once sold for small amounts were now being priced at twenty to thirty million, sometimes
EUDORA“That was quick,” Aria pointed out from the other end of the phone call, one of her brows arched in suspicion as she studied me through the screen. “Did something happen?”I forced a smile, but it felt stiff on my face.Did something happen?Only the fact that my past in New York refused to stay buried.Only the fact that no matter how far I ran, the shadows of my old life always seemed to find me.Only the fact that I was once again being painted as the villain in a story where I had been the victim from the very beginning.For years, I had stayed silent. I had allowed people to believe whatever version of the story they wanted because I didn’t have the energy and resources to fight Desmond, and now, I didn’t want to be publicly fight him either for the sake of my daughter.One day she would grow up. One day she would have access to the internet. One day she would see the articles, the comments, the accusations, and the lies.And when that day came, I didn’t want her finding a







