Calliope POV“Ladies,” a familiar voice called from behind us. We turned around to see who just walked into the room. My eyebrows creased in the middle with mixed expressions at the sight of our unexpected visitor. To say I was surprised to see Kyle Larson was a big understatement. Kyle Larson was my ex-boyfriend. And he was the one who just came into the fitting room, unannounced. Kyle and I had quite a history together. We were first friends before we started dating. We dated for a couple of years before the changes started. And it'd been a year now that I last laid my eyes on him. I haven't seen him since we broke up and he had to go for rehabilitation for his health-related issues - which he refused to admit to me. Seeing him now brought back old memories that I don't like to remember. I had to act like I was fine for the sake of my best friend and step-sister, Erica. “Calliope, Dianne, Erica, hi,” he acknowledged each one of us, greeting us as he rubbed his hands togethe
Simply do what?” a voice asked from behind, and my heart skipped a beat at the now familiar voice of Sterling. As I and Kyle both turned around, Sterling was walking in with his usual confident and commanding stance, hands tucked inside his pocket and an impassive expression masking his face. I was both relieved to see him at the same time, scared of what he might do. Here was my fiance and my ex-boyfriend in the same room. I wasn't sure what would happen. Because now, Sterling had his gaze narrowed on Kyle. Even Kyle didn't fail to notice his expression. Also, Sterling had a towering height that seemed threatening to Kyle's average height. Kyle suddenly stood upright, the desperate and pleading expression suddenly wiped off his face the moment he locked eyes with Sterling. “Hello, Mr. Vanderbilt,” he greeted in a polite tone. “I've heard a lot about you. It's such an honor to meet you in person,” he said with a grin on his face. I was a little confused at the quick change of e
When I looked up at him, the expression on his face made my heart skip a bit. Sterling was angry. His expression showed that much and his jaw and muscles seemed tense.I was about to speak up first to debunk any idea that might be in his head, but he beat me to it. “Why did you let him in?” His question stopped my attempt at defense. A sigh escaped my lips as I tried to be calm. Nothing would come out from the both of us getting angry. “I didn't have a choice,” I answered. “You don't have a choice?” Sterling sneered. His face was etched with exasperation. This was the first time that I was seeing this angry exasperated Sterling. And honestly, I don't think that I like this side of him. “What do you expect me to do when he comes unannounced?”“Why would he come here unannounced?” he asked, rhetorically and then answered his own question. “That's because he knew that you won't send him away.”“What? That's not true.”“Then tell me the truth.”“You are not even sure about that,
The room, once filled with tension and the echoes of our heated argument now seemed to hold its breath. The weight of our disagreement lingered in the air. My wedding dress was still draped elegantly around me, like a delicate veil. I turned away from Sterling towards the mirror. I decided to look at myself once more since I would be taking off the dress soon. Delicately, I gently touched the lace of the dress on me. I lifted my gaze from the dress and looked up at the mirror, but I caught Sterling staring at me. Our eyes locked on the mirror. And neither of us broke the eye contact. As our eyes met, I saw a myriad of emotions swirling in the depths of his gaze. The flicker of anger had dimmed, giving way to a mixture of regret, longing, and a hint of vulnerability. His lips, once tightly pursed, now carried a trace of softness, as if he yearned to reach out to me. In that fleeting connection, I caught a glimpse of the complexities buried beneath the facade of our arranged engag
I kept hearing a ringing sound in my sleep, but right now, I was too tired to care or even pick up the call. I was so tired after going through the ordeal of my dress fitting, meeting the event planner, and then spending hours making new artwork for an art exhibition with my friends. My bones and muscles were weak and I had every intention of staying in my bed for half of the day. But that wasn't the case as my phone won't stop ringing. With a groan and a yawn, I hunched closer to the drawer and picked up the phone. I didn't even bother looking at who was calling, I picked up the phone, slid the call icon, and then brought the phone to my ear. “Hello.”“I've been calling you for almost an hour,” the angry voice boomed from the other side of the phone. Frowning, I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the caller even though I already knew who it was - Sterling Vanderbilt. I ran my hand over my face before bringing the phone back to my ear. “Good morning, Sterling. My
As I stepped into the outside sun of my apartment, into the bustling city street, a smile curled up my face. And right then, my eyes fell on a figure standing amidst the chaos of everyday life. My fiance and groom-to-be, Sterling Vanderbilt. Immediately, my mouth fell wide agape. Oh, my God! I exclaimed inwardly. There he was standing, looking handsome as ever, his presence commanding attention. He looked totally different from the guy I knew who always wore a suit. This different Sterling was dressed in a burgundy short-sleeved shirt which accentuated his well-built physique and impeccably tucked into his black trousers. A mix of black and burgundy Italian dress shoes on his feet. He effortlessly exuded an air of confidence and sophistication. My gaze was drawn to his dark, lustrous hair, which was well gelled and combed which perfectly framed his attractive features. And then to his face. He wore black sunglasses which adorned his face, adding an air of mystery and intrigu
“What do you want to know?” he asked without looking at me. I shrugged before responding. “Anything. Any clue about them because I don't know if they have an idea that our engagement is an arranged one and-”“No, they don't,” he retorted. I peered at him, but he wouldn't spare a glance. “It's just between our families. My grandparents aren't supposed to know about it.”“Oh, okay.”I nodded in understanding. The same goes with me. I couldn't tell other members of my family and my friends that I was getting married to a billionaire through an arranged marriage by our fathers.It sounds weird to the ear, doesn't it?Sterling added, “That means one thing-”“We have to pretend better,” I completed. He turned to look at me. It was probably because I just said what he had in mind. Then he nodded in concord. Fortunately, we are both on the same page with that. “Yes, you are right. We have to act well for them to believe that we are truly in love. Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Chris are the k
The first thing that caught my eye was the back of a woman in a long beautiful dress whose grey hair was packed tightly into a ponytail at the top of her head. Even from her backview, she exuded authority.She was staring at what the maids were doing at the dining table. While still backing us, she spoke up again, her eyes not leaving what the ladies were doing. “Honey, hurry up, Sterling will be here anytime soon.” Then she looked at her watch. “Alright. I've heard you,” the other voice responded. The voice sounded close by. So I guessed it must have been coming from one of the rooms that surround the dining area. “I guess that must be your grandmother,” I said in a whisper to Sterling. I don't even know why I was whispering. Then I looked at Sterling's face. He had a smile on his face as he watched the woman. “Yes,” he responded, with a proud smile. Then he shifted his gaze to me. “Remember what I said to you. We can't let them know that this is an arranged setting. Okay?”“