ELLE By the time Theon and I walked downstairs to have breakfast together, I felt a lot better. After I kissed Theon first, he wouldn’t let me go. He kept kissing me and claimed he was so happy that I initiated it first. He practically begged me to do it more often and wouldn’t let me go until I agreed. I only accepted so he could let me go because I had no plans to do it ever again, but all the calm I felt disappeared the moment I entered the dining room. Sitting at the long dining table were Victoria, Reginald, and Charles. From the rotten expression on their faces, I already knew they were ready to tear me apart because of the scandal, but they were wrong if they thought I would sit quietly and let them do that. Victoria saw me first. She lifted her cup in mock salute, “Good morning, Elle. Did you sleep well?” “Look who decided to grace us with her presence today” Reginald turned with Victoria’s greeting “It’s the embezzlement queen herself” Charles chuckled, amusement gli
ELLE Theon’s chest felt warm beneath my cheeks as the steady rhythm of his heartbeat was slowly pulling me to sleep. I had worked late on some work file I left pending for too long, and came inside the room a few minutes ago, so it was already 6 am by the time I was done. Theon was already fast asleep in my bed, and as soon as I lay down, he pulled me to his chest and wrapped a protective arm around me. I thought I would be able to get some sleep before I needed to get to work, but it was almost 7 when sleep was finally calling to me. My plan of sleeping for at least thirty minutes died when my phone started chiming. I was going to ignore it at first, but the continuous chimes wouldn’t stop. I turned to Theon, who was still dead to the world, and with a groan, I dragged myself away from his arms so I could grab the phone and either turn it off or throw it against the wall. My vision was blurry, and a tired yawn escaped my lips as I unlocked my phone. I clicked on the newest not
AUTHOR’S POV The day was bright, and for Mira Sterling, it was the perfect weather to scheme and plot the downfall of the one person who had been like a thorn in her flesh. The plan was barely in the hatching stage, but she could already taste the victory. Tomorrow, Elle Davenport would fall so low from her throne, and nothing would be able to save her. The thought brought a pleasing smile to her face. She doubted anything would be able to spoil her mood today. She twirled halfway in front of the mirror as she admired her outfit for the day. Her red lipstick screamed of a woman who was about to bring her enemies down, and she turned to grab her phone to call the other woman who hated Elle as much as she did. “Victoria”, Mira purred, a smile on her face as she took a seat on the bed “I hope you aren’t going to disappoint me today. The meeting has to hold” “Of course, Mira” Victoria replied. Mira could feel the giddiness from the other woman “He would be coming along as well. We
ELLE Don’t ask me what I was doing in the kitchen right now because I had no fucking idea. Okay, scratch that. I knew, but I refused to admit it out loud. Not to myself, not the staff and not the chef who was looking at me like I had walked into the kitchen naked or that I had made a wrong turn. “Madam, are you lost?” The chef even stuttered, and I eyed him with a little bit of annoyance, but I couldn’t be mad at him. “Do I look like I am lost?” I asked him with a deadpanned expression and hands around my waist. He gave me another once-over like he was secretly checking for any injuries or waiting for me to laugh and tell him that I was messing with him, but when none came, he grunted and turned back to continue chopping vegetables while casting subtle but curious glances in my direction every second. I didn’t blame him. I had never set foot in the kitchen since I got married to Theon because my husband had chefs on a clock rotation schedule that attended to every meal. As
THEONI couldn’t sleep much last night. Somehow, I knew it was because I wasn’t at home. I had gotten used to sleeping beside Elle that her absence felt wrong.Julian had suggested staying for an extra day if we could but with things tense between us and my new inability to sleep properly without my wife, I didn’t think I would be able to stay behind for one more unnecessary day. The clock had barely but 6 am when I took a shower and by 7, I stepped out of my bedroom ready to go through all the meetings we had lined up for today. The suite was quiet when I exited my room. Julian’s door was shut and there was no sign of life on the other end of the door. I would have been worried if I didn’t hear him come back late at night. I’d heard the muffled thump of his steps when he came back, followed by the quiet click of his door.I waited, thinking he would attempt to reach out and apologize for his behaviour but he didn’t and I wasn’t going to be reaching out first wither because this ti
AUTHOR’S POV Jeremy stepped out of the house and saw Malone waiting. He was leaning against his car, arms folded, as he watched Jeremy walk towards him. Jeremy loved how handsome Malone looked today. He could see Malone had put extra effort into dressing up, so he felt better knowing he wasn’t the only one who was trying to make an effort. Malone was dressed in casual jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had accessories and rings that elevated the look from casual to magazine cover worthy, and Jeremy particularly liked the black stud earrings he was wearing. “You look amazing, baby” Malone whistled as his gaze swept all over Malone, who was trying hard not to fade into the ground at the nickname. He had turned a full shade of tomato red as he glanced around the compound, eager to set his eyes on anything that wasn’t the infuriating expression on Malone’s face. “Thank you” He squeaked, then smacked himself mentally “You don’t look so bad yourself” he mumbled