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6B: Before The Deal
Huling Na-update:
2025-01-28 12:31:23
Kaugnay na kabanata
Sunshine and The Beast 23: His Grandmother (II)
Ilya might be the nicest and funniest person in the Cox family.Despite only knowing her for a short period of time, I felt like it was safe to assume so. She had this laidback personality that I haven’t seen in any other Coxes. When I met Matthias’s family, they looked at me as if they questioned my existence and why I was in front of them. I was like a threat rather than a family member.Here with Ilya, I felt more humane. Like she saw me as a person, a girl that married his favorite grandson. There were no questionable stares of suspicious gaze directed to me, even if I realized she did look at me several times when we ate.Ilya used the time to catch up with whatever happened to us–our wedding, honeymoon, and current life. She asked about the business–Matthias’s and mine–but that was all. There was no discussion about inheritance, investment percentage, stock and share. It was all about simple questions filled with genuine care.“I’m still sad that I couldn’t attend your wedding.
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-29Sunshine and The Beast 24: Take Me To Dinner
AltheaThe presence of Ilya Cox didn’t make my daily routine hard in any particular way, but something sure did change. She was going to stay in New York for ten days, so Matthias and I stayed with her. We agreed to do our work from home, and we used Osman Cox’ previous home office. We did what we usually did before, but it seemed Ilya had different ideas in mind.“I know you two have these big responsibilities for your business, but it’s okay to take a break and enjoy your time together, you know? The work can wait.”I thought she wanted us three to go somewhere, but it turned out she wanted us to have dinner. Only the two of us. That was why Matthias took me to a western restaurant in Cooperstown–Ilya’s recommendation, she said we could find one of the best steakhouses in New York there–to dine together. I wasn’t sure if this could be called a date, since none of us planned this. But we did go either way with Matthias’s Ford. He only wore a simple navy blue shirt, and I matched hi
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-30Sunshine and The Beast 25: Ruined Dinner
AltheaEveryone knew who Matthias Cox was. It wasn’t a new thing for me to hear someone greet him all of a sudden, let it be men or women. This was definitely not my first rodeo. When we were out together on our date before the wedding, people greeted us on our way. Some media outlets openly approached us and asked for photos.But this was different. There was no camera, recorder, or any devices. It was only a woman with red plump lipstick, perfect manicure, and big boobs that came to our table. “You remember me, right?” When I heard it the second time, I felt like something was off. I knew I wasn’t that experienced with people and their personality, but even so I could feel when something was fake. Rather than sweet, I found it annoying. If I was Matthias, I would make the same expression too.Well, maybe not exactly that. I didn’t like it, but hearing it wouldn’t make me stiff and turned into a stone all of a sudden.“There is no way you will forget me,” she said once again, this
Huling Na-update : 2025-01-31Sunshine and The Beast 26: Distraction
MatthiasAfter all these years, she appeared.Five years have already passed, but she hadn’t not changed much. She was still the same Sloane Floyd I knew back then. Still with that bold look, flirtatious smile, and touchy as ever. She was definitely still with the same mindset too: she thought I was still in her grasp. Meeting her tonight wasn’t on my wishlist, or any other time. She was like a thorn in my body, so small that I didn’t notice, but when she appeared, I remembered the scars she caused. It was still there, burnt, and it needed to be calmed down. I wanted to take my mind from something I’ve thrown away years ago. I needed some distraction.And Althea happened to be with me.Since the start, she had stolen my attention. I didn’t think much of Sloane. She was not the reason why I took Althea with me. It was Althea herself. She took my sole focus with the way she looked at me and Sloane, to the way she stood up and said, “He is mine.”She said it as if she wanted to claim
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-01Sunshine and The Beast 27: One Night, One Mistake
AltheaToo many things happened out of the plan tonight.It was supposed to be a simple dinner, that was all. There was no making out in the parking lot, getting horny in the car, and went back to our penthouse rather than going back to Ilya.I didn’t expect all of these, yet it did. Did I regret it? I wasn’t really sure. I didn’t want to think about that either. Or to be exact, I couldn’t. My mind was occupied with whatever Matthias did to me. There was no time to think. The moment we arrived and went into our penthouse, Matthias slammed me against the wall, fusing his lips into mine once again. He took no time to dominate me, and all I could do was to succumb to his control.The things we did in the car were hot, but it wasn’t worth mentioning compared to what we were currently doing. This time, his hands were all over me, exploring every inch he hadn’t touched before. My face, my neck, my shoulder, my boobs, even my hips. He slipped his right hand inside my blouse, while the othe
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-02Sunshine and The Beast 28: Act in an Act
AltheaArt came with many forms and shapes, and had their own appeal. For me, painting was special because of one thing: because the artist could be anything without showing themself, hiding behind a canvas and a sheet of paper. I could make anything to represent me, while still standing behind the screen.Acting and stage play, on the other hand, was not my thing. Me from 3 months ago definitely wouldn’t have any thoughts about acting, let alone entering an acting school or courses. But these past few days, I was seriously considering it. Maybe I needed it as part of my survival kit afterall. Acting wasn’t that easy. And this time, I was forced to up my game, to act cool and fine not just in front of Ilya, but also Matthias. Both for two entire different reasons.“Morning, Althea.” Ilya's voice greeted me.I turned and saw her already wearing a casual outfit. Today, she had a flight to go back to New Zealand. If I wasn’t mistaken, her ticket was at 2 PM–I remembered that because Mat
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-03Sunshine and The Beast 29: I Want You
AltheaHusband.He said it, right? Or did I hear it wrong?There were some occasions where he claimed to be one, but that required a third, for, or God knew how many spectators. We were a husband and a wife when someone watched. Did someone watch us?I turned my back, scanning our surroundings. The airport was packed with a bunch of people, voices came from here and there. But here, we were only a few people out of many. Those who came here had their own purpose and business rather than to watch a fake marriage plan. No camera or media in sight. So why did he act like this all of a sudden?“No one is watching us,” he said, grabbing my attention back to him. “What are you looking for?”Your sanity. I almost uttered that to him. “So why are you saying that?”“Saying what?”“That I’m avoiding my husband.”He raised his eyebrow. “That is true, though.”“What is–”“I’m your husband, and you’re avoiding me.” He answered that with such confidence–no, it wasn’t like he was proud saying that
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-04Sunshine and The Beast 30: New Investor
Althea“Morning.”I doubted myself if I already woken up or was it the dream that was getting a little bit too realistic, but the scent of coffee and toast was way too good. It’s just I didn’t expect to hear Matthias greet me the time I stepped out from the bed.Should I call it our bed now?I walked to the kitchen as he put a glass of coffee with two egg toast on a plate. “Mrs. Lare asked for a day off because of her grandson's birthday.”Was it because I haven’t regained my full consciousness, or his cooking seemed quite delicious? I didn’t even know he could cook. “Thanks.” He nodded slightly and sat himself on the other side of the table, facing me. Judging by his look, he already took a bath. Maybe I should've too. His scent was still on me. Not that it was bad, it’s just … well, it wasn’t like I wanted to smell him all over my body forever.We sat there without any conversation going. He was busy with his food, while I had mine. The room was quiet, but that silence felt diffe
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-05
Pinakabagong kabanata
Sunshine and The Beast 102: Separate Ways
AltheaWhen I thought everything was okay, all the walls were tumbling down. My life, my happiness, everything.I woke up in a haze, my head pounding as if I had been hit by a hundred storms. The sharp scent of antiseptic stung my nose, and I felt the unfamiliar weight of a hospital blanket over me. My limbs were heavy, uncooperative, as if they belonged to someone else, and my chest felt tight. It took a moment for my eyes to focus, the world around me blurry and indistinct.The pain was the first thing I recognized. A dull, aching throb in my lower abdomen, deep and unrelenting. I reached for it instinctively, as if I could touch the wound and make it go away. But when my hand brushed against the skin, it felt foreign—empty. As if the very thing I was searching for was no longer there.The memories rushed back like a flood.The blood. The pain. The terror that had washed over me in the moments before I lost consciousness. The frantic urgency of Matthias’s voice, calling my name, the
Sunshine and The Beast 102: The Truth
MatthiasThe elevator groaned as it descended, like the machine itself was reluctant to take me where I was going. Each floor ticked past with a hollow ding, echoing up the shaft like a countdown I hadn’t agreed to. Somewhere in the stillness between the fifth and the fourth floor, I caught my reflection in the polished steel of the doors; drawn face, bloodshot eyes, jaw clenched so tight it ached. I looked like a man walking into something he might not walk out of.The feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach, growing heavier with each passing second. The soft hum of the elevator's motor seemed to mock me, as if it knew the uncertainty that lay ahead. I tried to shake off the sense of foreboding, reminding myself that I had a job to do, a mission to complete. But as the elevator finally reached the ground floor and the doors slid open with a hiss, I couldn't help but wonder if I was walking into a trap.I didn’t bother adjusting my coat when the doors opened. The hallway ou
Sunshine and The Beast 101: Meet Me
MatthiasAlthea's condition was getting worse, to the point she had to get into an operation room.Time did not make everything calmer; instead, every second scraped across my nerves like the edge of a dull blade. Each tick of the wall clock sounded louder than the last, a metronome counting down to something I couldn’t name. The longer I sat there, the more I felt like I was unraveling by degrees, breath by breath.I sat stiffly in the dimly lit waiting area just past the ICU doors, one foot tapping without rhythm against the waxed linoleum floor. That smell—the sour tang of antiseptic—clung to everything: the walls, the plastic seats, and the inside of my throat. It mixed with the faint scent of coffee long gone cold and something metallic, like the memory of blood. The air was cool, but my jacket stuck to me anyway, and every breath I took felt borrowed.I tried to distract myself by flipping through a magazine left on the table, but the words blurred together and the pictures seem
Sunshine and The Beast Folded Page: Her Parents (II)
[Folded Page]Flashback, Part IIThe phone rang just past three in the morning.The burner, tucked beneath a drawer in the dresser, buzzed once—twice—its low hum slicing through the silence like a blade. Jess hadn’t been asleep. Not really. His body had settled, eyes closed for just minutes, but his mind had remained wired, straining through the dark for sounds that didn’t belong.His hand moved automatically, fingers closing around the phone, the sickening feeling of dread blooming in his stomach before his brain could even process why. Something was wrong. He knew it.The moment he answered, his voice was rough, hoarse from a mix of exhaustion and a deep, gnawing fear.“Reiley?” The word came out more as a prayer than a question, but it was too late. His heart was already sinking.The voice on the other end wasn’t hers. It was too calm. Too controlled.“Jessen,” the woman said. Her tone was efficient, practiced — not one ounce of emotion, not one crack of humanity breaking through.
Sunshine and The Beast Folded Page: Her Parents
[Folded Page]FlashbackThe rain battered the windows of the small house like fists of fury, the storm outside a violent mirror of the one raging within. Wind shrieked through the trees like lost souls, and every thunderclap seemed to rattle the very bones of the house.Reiley Alden paced the length of the living room, her bare feet soundless against the worn, splintered hardwood. She moved like a caged thing, restless, hunted. In the cradle tucked tightly into the corner — the safest corner she could find — baby Althea slept fitfully, her tiny face scrunched in some fretful dream only infants understood. The occasional twitch of her small hands made Reiley’s heart ache in a way that almost brought her to her knees.The storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing inside her chest. She longed for it to pass, for the world to somehow become kind again — but some part of her, the part that had survived too much already, knew it never would.She paused by the fireplace, the flic
Sunshine and The Beast 100: Emergency
MatthiasA panic attack slammed into me like a freight train the moment they wheeled her through the emergency room doors.Althea lay so still on the gurney, her skin almost translucent under the harsh fluorescent lights, her breathing shallow and uneven, as if each breath cost her more than she could give. Her head lolled slightly to one side, and the sight of it—of her, usually so vibrant and stubbornly full of life, now fragile and terrifyingly still—carved something brutal and cold through my chest, a feeling I couldn't shake even as I stumbled forward.I tried to follow—I needed to follow—but a nurse stepped into my path, palm up, firm but not unkind. "Sir, you have to wait here. We'll update you as soon as we can," she said, her voice kind but leaving no room for argument."No—" I rasped, the sound of it cracking out of me, unfamiliar and raw. "I’m sorry," she said again, softer this time, her eyes flickering with sympathy. "Please. Let us help her."Helplessness crashed over
Sunshine and The Beast 99: Warm Hug, Closer Danger
AltheaThe world tilted when I tried to sit up, but I was okay. My stomach did a little dance, and I bit my lip, blinking against the wave of nausea that swept over me. The old couch moaned as I settled back into its cushions, pulling the cozy blanket even tighter around my shoulders, as if it could hold me together."Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Then, Matthias's voice broke through the quiet, low and urgent.I shook my head firmly, even though the motion made the room spin again. "I'm doing well, Matt," I said, though I could see he was worried. "It's just a feeling of nausea. It's just the usual stuff that happens during pregnancy."Matthias remained seated near the window, but the tension in his body was almost tangible. His arms were crossed, his broad shoulders stiff beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. Golden shafts of fading afternoon light slanted across the room, casting long shadows that made everything feel both too still and too fragile."You've bee
Sunshine and The Beast 98: Destructive Plan
Folded PageThe room was pretty dark, with only a desk lamp lighting up a bit, making everything look a bit dull and sickly. The curtains were drawn tight, shutting out the world, as if even the night outside didn't deserve to witness what was about to go down.He was sitting still, and you could barely see him because he was so dark. The only sign of his anger was the soft, regular tapping of his finger against the armrest.On the desk, a small bottle of medicine sat upright — harmless at first glance, and pretty ordinary.But it wasn't a typical situation.Not to him.Not to her.And definitely not to Matthias Cox.He took a slow, thoughtful breath as he leaned forward, his hand hovering over the bottle before finally picking it up. The glass felt cold against his skin, but he welcomed the chill. It helped him think. It reminded him why he had waited so long for this.Althea; The ideal crack in Matthias's armor.He was turning the bottle slowly between his fingers, studying it like
Sunshine and The Beast 97: Was it Only Stress?
"Oh, God. The meeting was finally over."I let my head drop to the table with a soft thud, not even bothering to hide my exhaustion. The sleeves of my blouse took most of the impact, but that didn't stop me from letting out a sigh - long, dramatic, maybe even a little whiny. I deserved it. Today's meeting had been a slog. Convincing investors that art had value-not just financial, but cultural, emotional-was like pulling teeth with a teaspoon. Worst of all, I actually liked the project.Tristan laughed and placed a cold bottle of water at my elbow. "You survived. Barely.""I deserve an award," I muttered without lifting my head. "Preferably something shiny. Or chocolate. Or edible. All three, actually.""Edible awards," he mused. "There's a startup idea in there somewhere."I groaned. "Don't make me think about business right now. I need food. Or I'll burn up.""I already ordered." He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms behind his head. "You like noodles, right?"That made
