Chapter 7Vanessa's POV:The memory of my last conversation with Claire echoed in my mind as I waited for her to return from work. I desperately needed help to deal with the financial mess I was in. The burden of my mother's medication expenses and the threat looming over the stupid car were pushing me to a breaking point. I knew Claire was the only person who could possibly help me out of this mess, but I had to be careful not to push her too hard.I waited for her to come back from work before going to see her.Finally, Claire burst into the room, in a rush to get changed, preparing to head out. "Babe, you're here. I'm going out, we'll see later," she hurriedly said without sparing me a glance, clearly preoccupied."Don't leave, I need your help, Claire,"Her expression shifted slightly, and she asked with a hint of annoyance, "What do you want?"I took a deep breath, summoning all the courage I had left. "Borrow me some money."She looked at me skeptically, "Huh, for what?"I hesit
Chapter 8Andre's POV:The sun's soft rays filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. With a sense of purpose, I readied myself for the day's challenges, my mind already focused on the responsibilities awaiting me at work. I held my necktie loose, going out to find one of the maids to help me knot it when I heard faint sounds of commotion coming from the main gate and I went to the balcony to see who it was. Seeing my mother with the guard, I asked myself why she came here, did she lose all her shame and decide to come so she could be roasted by the Garcias'?"Please, let me see him," she pleaded with the guard at the entrance, desperation evident in her eyes. The guard's stern expression remained unchanged."Madam, my job's on the line if I let you in," he firmly responded. I stood in front of the balcony the whole time, perplexed by how she managed to pass through the estate gate.Watching her plead to see me, a strange sense of satisfaction unfurled. I
Chapter 9Vanessa's POV:I got another job, again with Claire's influence at a small restaurant about 20km from my house, pretty far right? But I have no choice but to accept it.Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As I stood in front of the modest-looking restaurant, a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. The sign above the entrance read "Savory Bites," and I took a deep breath before pushing open the door.The interior was cozy and welcoming, with a handful of occupied tables and the clatter of cutlery against plates. The delicious aroma of various dishes wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble."Hey there! You must be Vanessa, right?" a friendly voice called out. I turned to see a woman in her mid-40s with a warm smile. She was wearing an apron and holding a notepad and pen."Yes, that's me," I replied, offering a shy smile."Claire told me about you," she said, stretching her hand for a quick handshake."I'm Emily, the manager here. Welcome to
Chapter 10Three days later.Vanessa's POV:I finished work early, and then Ms. Emily permitted me to go home early.On my way home, I got a quick notification on my phone, knowing who it was, I didn't bother to open it. He made it a habit to text and flash-call me endlessly over the last few days.On getting home, the house was empty and I remembered Victor informed me that he was taking our mother to the hospital for her routine check. I threw my bag on the chair and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. After preparing the meal, I took mine to my room to eat. My phone flashed twice before I decided to pick it up but he hung up immediately.I stared at the screen, my heart racing with a mix of fear and curiosity. My fingers hovered over the keys as I typed out the message, my pulse quickening with every tap. "Can you provide your account details for the first payment?"The reply came in, swift and unexpected. A shiver ran down my spine as I read the words: ~The Grand Luminary Hote
Chapter 11Andre's POV: After our meeting at the hotel, I got a call from Ethan that the guys were having a night out at the club and that he had some important news to announce to the group so he wanted me to be there.****As I stepped into the dimly lit bar, the raucous laughter and clinking of glasses greeted me like an old friend. The weight of the week's troubles lifted momentarily from my shoulders. Tonight was meant for unwinding, and I had my closest friends, by my side and then a few of them came with their girls.We found our usual corner at the VIP lounge area and settled in, ordering our drinks and toasting the weekend ahead. The amber liquid in my glass glistened under the dim lights, casting a warm glow on our faces. I was eager to forget about all my worries, especially about my mother."Hey, guys," Ethan spoke as he got up, holding Sarah's hand in his with her smiling sheepishly.The noise on the table reduced as they had everyone's attention. Looking at their body l
Chapter 12Andre's POV:"And also, I don't have a boyfriend, I'm still waiting on the love of my life. Speaking of him, is Ethan still together with that girl?" Louisa asked, and I struggled with how to tell her that they recently announced their upcoming wedding. Ethan and Sarah will be married this summer."Yep,""I thought they had a fight and went their separate ways?" She inquired."They're back together, Louisa.""I hope they have a bigger fight this time and that he leaves her for good. I'll wait for him." She affirmed, making me fed up that I had to speak, "Louisa, you can't wish Ill on people and also, Ethan has always made it clear that he has no romantic interest in you. Let him off, will you?""He may not have feelings for me, but he always comes to my rescue when I'm in trouble. I won't give up on him.""You'll get hurt in the end," I warned."Leave that aside, let's talk about the money, Will you give it to me?""Quit bugging me." I shooed her off but she didn't move, "I
Chapter 13Vanessa's POV:An hour ago, that bothersome jerk had called, insisting on seeing me. I refused because I had just settled the first payment days ago, and we agreed to meet next month for the next one. I continued to complain and curse him under my breath as I lifted the crates of drinks the delivery man had left moments ago.Feeling like I had been watched, I stared at the road momentarily and found everyone engrossed in their daily activities. I then focused on my work of taking the drinks inside.After taking them in, I wiped the fridge clean and proceeded to place the bottles in. Just then, Lisa, another waitress at Savory Bites, walked in. Her face was a mix of shock and excitement.She shook my arm, "Wow, Vanessa, you didn't tell us that you had a billionaire boyfriend; he looks dreamy.""My boyfriend?" I asked and then muttered to myself, "I don't have a boyfriend, not any that I remembered.""He's outside and asked me to call you," Lisa said before walking away. It c
Chapter 14Vanessa POV:The office atmosphere was tense as I faced the boss's crude assistant, Stanley. He was searching for something, checking the drawers one after the other."I heard you'd be working here soon." He said, more like asking."I'm sorry, Ms. Williams, my boss can be sometimes reckless and not mean the things he says. We won't pay you $10,000 monthly. We both know you have no diploma to back that up."I couldn't help but let my anger creep into my voice "Are you trying to con me? You're not the one I'm going to be working for, Stanley." I sneered.Stanley merely replied with his usual calm, "Please be understanding, I don't like to repeat myself." I was baffled by how he maintained his composure despite being such a nuisance.Just as I was about to retort, the door opened, and there he was—the man I had come to despise. He slouched onto his chair with an air of exhaustion, his eyes briefly shutting before snapping open. "Did you just arrive?" he asked, his gaze landing
Chapter 80Vanessa's POV:After spending the night creating different scenarios of how the theatre night might play out—from disastrous to dreamy—I woke up feeling like I had swallowed a hive of bees.Not butterflies—bees. Angry bees buzzing my chest and stomach.I paced my room in a complete daze, muttering to myself while digging my fingers into my skin. My eyes darted to the clock every few seconds like it would somehow calm me down, but it didn't. It was ridiculous. Absurd.I had survived months under Mr. Garcia, endured his cold, emotionless stares, rude remarks, and the relentless pressure of trying to prove my worth in that chaotic office where I could find my place. I had cried my eyes out in storage closets, screamed silently in the washroom, had days where I felt worthless, and almost quit more times than I could count.But now?Now that he was smiling at me instead of scowling, holding my hand instead of handing me loads of paperwork, kissing my forehead instead of trying t
Chapter 79Vanessa's POV:It had been a week since everything happened—the chaos, the news, the press, the shame. All of it had slowly begun to melt into silence. The world had moved on, or maybe it just stopped watching me so closely. For once, my phone wasn’t buzzing with blog posts I didn’t want to see, or videos of people tearing me apart. And I could breathe.Claire and I were in my room, curled up on my bed, our legs tangled like we used to as kids, eating ice cream. We were working on her online store, compiling a long list of products and ideas, when my phone buzzed.Mr. Garcia.I ignored it. Flipped the phone over so I wouldn’t see the messages.“Do you think I should use this?” Claire asked, passing me a paper.“Yeah, pink is best. The ladies would love it,” I agreed.“Okay.”Another buzz from my phone. Then a third one. I glanced at it quickly.“Come outside,” the message read.So rude, I thought.I stared at the screen for a long moment, unsure if I should even respond. Wh
Chapter 78Vanessa’s POV:I didn’t see her at first.Mr. Garcia’s arms were around me, his cologne still lingering on my shirt. His warmth felt like being covered in a blanket.And for a second—just one stolen second—it felt like everything was okay.Then I saw her.Claire.Across the street, standing like a pillar of fire in her bright yellow hoodie, her eyes locked on us like twin daggers. My heart jolted—thump!—like it skipped several beats. My stomach twisted into a tight knot. All the breath in my lungs vanished.“Oh God,” I whispered.“What is it?” Mr. Garcia asked, pulling back slightly, concern etched into every inch of his face.I panicked.I pushed him—gently but quickly—out of the hug. My palms pressed against his chest as I tried to shield him from her line of vision, but it was too late. Her eyes were on us. I could feel the heat of her glare from across the road.“I—uh—I think you should go,” I muttered. My voice shook, betraying the storm inside me.His brows drew toget
Chapter 77Vanessa’s POV:I was still trying to calm the thunderous pounding in my chest when Mr. Garcia walked out of the room. He didn’t say much—just that same unreadable look he always wore, followed by a soft kiss on the cheek. Unavoidable.“I’ll take you home later, just wait for me,” he said, his voice low and final.And just like that, he was gone.I stood there in the middle of the office, fingers brushing over my arms as if trying to erase the lingering feel of his touch. The air felt thick, heavy with a tension that didn’t scare me but twisted something deep inside. I shifted awkwardly, grabbed my bag, and made for the door.He wasn’t afraid to be seen with me.But I was. I should leave before he returns.Just as I reached for the handle, the door slammed open, hitting the wall with such force that it rattled the windows.She stormed in, a fiery hurricane.A woman about my age, dressed head-to-toe in red—rage personified. Her heels echoed off the floor with each step, as if
Chapter 76Andre's POVI leaned back in the cold leather chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin as voices clashed across the polished mahogany table. Every member had a complaint-each louder and more insistent than the last."Andre, this is a disaster.""It's only a matter of time before the media eats into company affairs.""The shareholders are restless.""You need to distance yourself from the girl."The girl.The way they said it made my blood boil. Like she meant nothing, but she means alot to me."Her name is Vanessa," I said at last, my voice low and sharp enough to slice through the noise. The room fell silent. The air grew heavy. "And she is my assistant.""Exactly," one of the older members snapped, tossing a printed blog article across the table. The headline was bold and damning:CEO Gives Former Waitress 'Special Favors'?"That's the problem. Your assistant, an undergraduate-"I didn't flinch. I stared at the headline a second, then slid it back toward him. "This company
Chapter 75Vanessa’s POV:I barely slept a wink throughout the night, just hugged the doll silently and remained lost in my thoughts.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes—tormenting flashes of the blog post, the comments, Angela’s cruel smile, and then Mr. Garcia's arms wrapped around me like a shield I didn’t ask for, telling me he's got this all sorted out. My body was on the bed, beside Claire, but my heart was somewhere else. Stuck. Suspended in this messy limbo of shame and confusion and something dangerously close to love.I was still curled up on the bed when I heard Claire's voice; she was up."Have some more rest, V. I'll make breakfast for you and your mom before leaving. Just make sure you eat it while it's hot." I heard her but remained quiet. She sighed and then left.By 7:30, the soft buzz of my phone. I reached over with a hand that felt ten pounds heavier than usual.Mr. Garcia: “I’m waiting outside. Come out when you’re ready.”I blinked at the screen for a mome
Chapter 74Vanessa's POV:I twisted the doorknob slowly and entered. I didn’t hope for anything, especially not Claire standing in front of the door, waiting for me with arms crossed and brows knitted in a frown.The glare she shot at me could slice concrete. She was scrolling through her phone, and the moment our eyes met, I knew.She had seen it.The headlines. The photographs. The story that twisted everything out of proportion—making me look like some sugar baby caught in the arms of her billionaire boss."Vanessa," she said coldly, before pulling me with her to the room.“What. The hell. Happened?”I didn’t answer.Instead, my lips quivered, and I took two shaky steps toward her before I just… crumbled.Right there. My knees hit the ground like they’d given up holding my weight. Silent sobs tore out of my chest as I hugged myself.Claire rushed to me immediately. “Vanessa? Hey! What’s going on? Talk to me!”But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even breathe. The tears were stuck halfway bet
Chapter 73Andre’s POV:I stood outside the door, my hand clenched so tightly that my knuckles hurt.Her voice came through, sharper than any slap I’d ever gotten.“I don’t love him, Matt.”“He did propose, but I rejected him.”It felt like being punched in the stomach. Slow, deep, painful. I didn’t move. I didn’t barge in. I just stood there.I used to think the worst thing that could happen was her saying no to me.But no—this was worse.Hearing her say it out loud to someone else. So final. Like she’d practiced this a hundred times.No love. Not even close.I had opened myself up completely to her. Given her the vulnerable parts of me no one else had seen.I didn’t hide anything. Not the dark parts. Not the guilt. Not the obsession. I even let her see the parts of myself I hated—because I thought she might still choose me. I believed that if I loved her hard enough, fiercely enough, she’d change her mind.But she didn’t.And now I stood here like an idiot, listening to her pour her
Chapter 72Vanessa's POV:The first thing I saw that morning wasn’t the sunlight or the alarm clock blinking 6:45 a.m. No. The first thing I saw was my phone—lit up with dozens of notifications, buzzing nonstop like it was about to explode.My heart skipped a beat. Somehow, the social media algorithm had picked up that I was somehow related to DGG, because my feed was flooded with news about the company.Frowning, still groggy, I tapped the first post made by a gossip blog. The headline screamed at me in bold black:> DGG CEO, Andre Garcia Caught in Secret Kiss with Mystery Woman at Paris Gala!The next post was the bombshell.A photo—grainy, shadowed—of Mr. Garcia and me, kissing.The angle was terrible, like someone had snapped it from behind a curtain. The lighting was low, the photo half-blurry. But Mr. Garcia’s face was unmistakably clear, while mine was buried in his.Still, I knew. I knew in the way my heart clenched and my lungs froze. My back, the curve of my neck, my dress—G