MasukAutumn was still pissed. She was mostly annoyed by the incident with Eric the night before. Seeing him there had stirred a few emotions in her — mostly anger.She couldn’t fully explain why she felt that anger, but if she had to pinpoint it, it would be his audacity. The audacity to demand to know her whereabouts and who she associated with.She wasn’t a child who could be controlled or told what to do. She was a grown woman.*What’s his problem?* she thought, letting out a tsk in annoyance. *Was it jealousy?* She entertained the thought for a moment before shaking her head at it.“He’s not really a man who likes his possessions being taken away from him,” she muttered with a sigh. He had never truly considered her his partner — just a possession.The thought brought a frown to her face. How foolish she had been to believe he would actually love her.She still felt hurt when she looked back at their relationship. It was something that was never meant to be. There were too many feeling
“What’s the plan for tomorrow? Are you going out?” he asked as he parked in front of her building.“Yeah, I am. But I won’t be using your chauffeur services,” she retorted, which only made him snort.“Whatever. I won’t be around anyway. I’m going to visit my mom.” He let out a sigh. “I already suspect it’s another attempt at matching me with one of her high-society friends.” He shuddered at the end of his own words, the possibility clearly terrifying him. Autumn barked out a laugh at his reaction.“Why don’t you let mommy set you up with a nice lady from your social circle?” she teased, checking to make sure all her belongings were in order.“Because I don’t like them. They feel so superficial. So boring. Every single conversation you have with any of them always stumbles back to how wealthy you are, your family’s network, etc.” He let out an exasperated sigh and stared straight at Autumn. “I just want someone who understands me, someone I love and who loves me back… not just because
“This is ridiculous,” Ezra’s voice rang out, fuming from the other end of the phone, carrying that all-too-familiar scolding tone.“It’s not,” Autumn replied as she walked into the café. She adjusted her cap and face mask, concealing her appearance.“It’s one thing to want to work with him, but to outright commit espionage,” he scolded her.“This is not my first rodeo,” she answered.He gasped in shock before hurriedly speaking. “Wait—you’ve done this before?”She took the seat in the furthest corner of the room, making sure she didn’t look too noticeable while still staying somewhat comfortable. Dropping her backpack, she pulled out her laptop, logged in, and began accessing the secure portal.Her hands flew across the keys as she typed, using a general access code.“Now, Autumn, have you entered the system using the Ministry-Nexus database?” Gusty’s voice replaced Ezra’s on the line.“Yes, I have entered,” she replied.“I’m going to share a secondary link with you. That will give me
Eric sat in his downtown office overlooking the city centre.He should have been knee-deep in work, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate. His mind kept replaying multiple scenes like a broken record, tormenting him. The more images that surfaced, the more uneasy he felt.*Why am I worried about her?* he frowned, looking up at the ceiling. He rubbed a palm across his face. An emotion he still couldn’t decipher plagued him — something he felt and recognised, yet found hard to pinpoint. He knew it wasn’t anger, but his pride refused to acknowledge it, which only irritated him further the more he thought about it.“She is just my ex-wife. I can have multiple women begging on their knees for scraps of my attention, so why am I bothered by the thought of my ex?” His hand moved to massage his forehead, fighting off an approaching headache.“The way she looked at me…” he mused to himself, recalling both times Autumn had looked at him. “Indifferently,” he spoke out loud.That was how she had lo
“Do you think this is a good idea?” Ezra’s voice echoed from the living room.“What is?” Autumn asked, already suspecting what he was talking about.“You working in the same building as that psychopath.” He frowned, his foot tapping annoyingly on the rug.“You speak like I like it,” she said, stepping out of the room with her makeup done. “I’m only doing it because there’s no other choice.”Ezra remained speechless, staring at her as she adjusted her hair. His mouth dry as the tapping stopped, his heart beating wildly in his chest trying to stop the pulsing of his heart beat. “Do I look okay?” she asked, finally acknowledging his silence.“Y-yes… you…” He stuttered, then cleared his throat desperately to hide his flustered expression. “Yes, you look… okay.” He added the last word even though he had wanted to use a much stronger one.“Thanks.” She smiled graciously at him. She led the way as they stepped outside and walked to the car.“I still think you’re being reckless,” he commente
The tall, terrifying structure of the ministry building stood in all its glory. Autumn stood in awe, taking in the moment. *I can’t believe it,* she thought to herself in disbelief. The reality of starting her first day in this new role still felt unreal. Walking inside, she paused to look at the array of employees moving around, each busy with their own tasks. “This is really real,” she whispered in disbelief. There was no way to fully explain the feeling. She approached the receptionist’s desk. “Hi, I’m here regarding my appointment with the director,” she said, giving the man’s name. The receptionist typed in the information. “Name?” she asked. Autumn gave her own name, and the woman continued typing. Once everything was confirmed, the receptionist instructed Autumn on where to go to meet the director. Nodding and thanking her, Autumn took the elevator up to the floor where the director’s office was located. Just as the secretary had said, it was at the end of the hallway. S
It had been a few days since the incident at the bistro, and a heavy, suffocating silence had settled between Eric and me. We moved around the estate like two planets in a dangerous orbit—close enough to feel the pull of gravity, but terrified of a collision. I had managed to sneak a text to Marco
Autumn stood before the ornate mirror in the foyer, checking her reflection one last time. She adjusted the strap of her bag, her fingers lingering on the leather. She felt like herself again.Chloe, ever the observant shadow, wandered into the foyer with a bowl of sliced fruit, munching slowly. Sh
The car pulled up to the Seta by Antonio Guida, and we were led through the sleek, turquoise-accented halls of the hotel to Seta by Antonio Guida. Eric had reserved a private section, a secluded nook that felt worlds away from the bustling streets of Milan. The lighting was low, the air filled with
"No, no, no!" the man shrieked, his voice hitting a pitch that probably had the neighborhood dogs howling. "Dear God, I am going to die of a heart attack from how unceremoniously ugly your taste is!" He began fanning himself dramatically with a silk-bound lookbook, his face twisted in a mask of the







