로그인On my way to Tiffany's office, her secretary greeted me with a polite smile before I stepped inside. I was scheduled to meet with Tiffany and the Project Monitor Manager Tyler Greene. The agenda was straightforward on paper-planning resource allocation for an upcoming project and discussing a concern involving one of the team members. Both of them were assigned to the company's new large-scale project, and this meeting was meant to align everything before things moved forward. Simple, profess
"Well," Mommy began, clearly enjoying the topic, "I ran into Sandra and her mother at the grocery store the other day. She told me she's already engaged to her French boyfriend. And Andrei is about to get married too. So your Uncle Greg and I started wondering why you still don't even have a boyfriend.""Exactly," Uncle Greg added. "You're already at the right age. Don't you think so?""I'm not in a hurry, Uncle. It will happen when it happens." I forced a small smile."With your beauty, I refuse to believe you don't have suitors," he continued. "What about in Switzerland? Did you not meet anyone there?""I did," I admitted. "But I was focused on my studies, so I didn't pay attention to them."I could feel it again. Theo's gaze. Even without looking at him, I knew he was watching me."That's why your Uncle Greg and I are thinking of introducing you to someone," Mommy said, her eyes lighting up. "What do you think?"M
It was the weekend and Mommy, in her sweet and familiar way, had been asking me to come home to the mansion. Her voice over the phone had carried that gentle pleading I could never refuse. So, of course, I gave in. I decided to go that Friday, right after work.I did not want to delay it any longer or make another excuse. By the time I left the office and rode the bus, the sky had already darkened. Night had fully settled in by the time I reached the mansion. IIt was around 7:30 in the evening when I arrived.The house was alive in its usual warm, quiet way. The maids were already preparing for dinner, moving efficiently through the halls. The soft clinking of dishes and the faint aroma of food welcomed me the moment I stepped inside.I walked into the living room, expecting the usual scene . And then my world tilted. Mama was there, seated comfortably, chatting with Uncle Greg. That alone was not surprising but the moment my eyes shifted slightly to the s
That night, I stayed at Lily’s condo. I could not bring myself to return to my old place, not after what happened. The thought of running into him again, of being trapped in that elevator with him once more, was enough to make my chest tighten.In the days that followed, things became quieter. Theo left the country again for a business trip. From what I heard, he would be in Russia for at least two months, maybe more.And just like that, the tension disappeared.My days at the office went by peacefully. No intense stares. No unexpected encounters. No heavy silence that made it hard to breathe.Even my nights felt calmer. Knowing he was not in the country gave me a strange sense of peace, enough for me to slowly return to my condo and sleep there again.I also started to feel a little guilty toward Lily. I had been occupying her space, and I knew it was inconvenient for her and her boyfriend. They could not even spend time together freely beca
Why does he even care anyway?“I really do have somewhere to go. And besides, I don’t want to bother you,” I answered, keeping my tone as formal as I could.“You’re just making excuses. Just admit you’re avoiding me. Do you think I haven’t noticed? The meetings you skip whenever I’m there. The way you keep your distance.” There was no mistaking the anger in his voice now.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm even as my nerves tightened.“Liar. You’re not even subtle about it.” His voice dropped, quieter but heavier. “And do you think I don’t know you haven’t been going back to your old condo? I asked the cleaning helper. She said you haven’t been there for two weeks. Now tell me you’re not avoiding me.” His words hit harder than I expected.I didn’t understand why he was acting like this, why he sounded like I owed him an explanation. The assumption in his tone irritated me, slowly pushing past my re
Elyssa's POV: The moment Theo cornered me in that suffocating elevator, a cold dread seized me, and I knew I had to escape my old condo. There was no hesitation, I immediately called Lily, my voice trembling as I spilled out my desperate situation.Bless her heart, she didn't even pause, offering her place as a sanctuary until I could find my own. And so, for nearly two harrowing weeks after that charged encounter, my old condo remained a ghost of a home, a place I dared not return to, all to avoid another crushing confrontation with Theo. Each day was a deliberate act of avoidance, a desperate dance to ensure our paths would not cross again.With Lily and Irene's help, I managed to find a new apartment. It was in the same building where Irene was renting, which made everything feel a little safer and a little less overwhelming. The place itself was perfect, spacious, secure, and surprisingl
Frustrated, I didn't help her get to her door, even though she was limping.Her words kept replaying in my mind as I drove back toward the Springfield Hotel. I couldn't shake them, couldn't stop questioning whether I had been going about this all wrong.Finally, in a surge of anger and determination, I made a sharp U-turn and drove back to my old condo. I hadn't stayed there in almost two years, not since she left the country, but I had been keeping it clean, paid a cleaner regularly to maintain the penthouse in pristine condition.When I arrived at the building, I spotted her just as she stepped into the elevator. I couldn't help but smile. She had lied about having somewhere to go. She had come straight home, just a couple of hours after we left her at the bus stop.Her eyes widened when she saw me step in, and for a moment, we simply stared at each other. Then, almost reluctantly, she looked away. I kept my gaze locked on her, refusing to blink as she
As we'd agreed, Theo picked me up from the university and drove us to my favorite Japanese restaurant, the one we always go to.He'd already reserved a table for two, and we began looking over the menu to place our order. I felt wonderfully happy just being there with him.It took n
"I've told you a hundred times. If you're done with us, if you're sick of me. Just say so! Don't play with me. Don't lie to me like this." My voice cracked halfway through, and hot tears welled up in my eyes."No, baby. Please listen to me," he pleaded, his voice softening. "I was so
Instead, I made my way back to my own unit, the anger still simmering hot in my chest even as exhaustion pulled at me. I drew a warm bath to soothe my tense muscles, but once I climbed into bed, rest was impossible. I tossed and turned for hours, my mind racing with a thousand different thoughts.
When I looked up, he was watching me with glassy eyes and a wide, goofy smile spread across his face. His cheeks were still flushed, his hair messy from leaning against the wall a while ago. There was no question he was completely, thoroughly drunk.I stood up and went to his closet to gra







