I was shocked to see a beautiful bouquet of red roses in Sterling’s hand directed towards me. Only God knows where he brought it out from, but I must say it was a sweet and romantic gesture. “Here,” he stretched it at me with one hand. “Uh… Thanks,” I appreciated and took the flower from him. It was a natural bouquet and it smelled so nice. So I smiled warmly. “You’re welcome,” Sterling said, looking at me. Glancing at him a bit flushed, I noticed the small smile on his lips before he looked away.“I don’t know what you would like, so I had them prepare different dishes. I hope that’s fine by you,” he asked as he gestured at the food set before us on the table. “Yeah, sure,” I responded, placing the bouquet on the seat next to mine. Then I looked at the luxury set right in front of me. On the table were all sorts of delicacies, both ones that I have had and those that I only dreamt of. I felt my mouth become watery as I gazed at the delicacy before me. The chubby woman who h
The door opened and the unannounced visitor strutted into the dining room, heels clicking on the marble floor. In her hands were loads of shopping bags. On the bags, I could see names of expensive shoe and clothes brands - Saint Laurent, Hermes, and Chanel. Two maids ran over to meet her, greeting her, and then they quickly took the bags from her as she proudly handed the bags to them. “Be very careful with those babies. They cost more than your entire life savings,” she warned them. “Yes, ma'am,” they chorused.Then they went away with the bags. She smiled with satisfaction and then strutted further into the room and that was when our eyes met.We both looked sincerely surprised to see each other. I couldn't believe that I would be meeting her again. Not especially on my date. Sterling should have at least had the decency to give me that much respect. But here I was with the lady that I saw with him at the art exhibition yesterday. The lady to whom he apologized on her behalf
As I stepped out from the Cafe where I work part-time into the sunny environment, a sigh of relief washed over me. It'd been six hours behind the counter. The road was bustling with activities and the sound of automobiles filled the air. It was such a good feeling, to watch as people go about their daily activities. I walked down the alley to our hideout where I engaged in my artwork secretly since I had nothing else on my plan for the day. Moreover, my hands had been quite itchy. I was so eager to let out the idea that had been on my mind since I surfed the internet during my short break. Then my phone rang and the tone filled the noisy station. I tucked in my earpiece and picked up my best friend's call since she was the one calling. “Hello, Dianne!”“Hi, Callie,” her cheerful high-pitched voice sounded on the other side and a smile formed its way across my petite face. I love to hear my best friend's voice as it fills me with excitement. “I guess you must be done with your wo
“Wow, this is beautiful,” someone commented behind me, bringing me back to reality from my world of imagination.I turned around to see my best friend, Dianne. She was standing behind me, gazing at my drawing with fascination. “You never cease to amaze me with your art, Callie,” she added again. My cheeks heated up with a blush. “Thanks, Dianne.”Her compliments are one of those things that gave me the morale to keep doing this artwork especially when I had to hide it from my father who was against me doing anything related to art. “This is totally different from your other drawing,”“I was surfing the internet and I decided to go through some renowned artwork, and then I came across this specific art and it just stuck. So I decided to try out something new. I never knew it would turn out this well.”“Well, it did because it's you. You are good at this. Don't worry with time, the whole world will eventually get to see all these beautiful collections of yours,” she assured me confi
When I got home, I sat down to have dinner with my family. The first thing that my father mentioned to us was the dinner we would be having with the Vanderbilt the next day. “The Vanderbilt are inviting us to their house for a family dinner tomorrow evening by 7 pm. Sterling Vanderbilt will have his driver come pick us up,” Dad informed us. A small smile tugged at the corner of my stepmother's lips. I know she was glad about this family dinner. It could be an opportunity she was waiting for. Erica simply nodded without saying anything in response, just like me. “Looks like you have been informed, Calliope dear,” my father mentioned when he realized that I didn't say anything. “Yes,” I acknowledged, nodding. “Sterling called this afternoon to tell me about the dinner.”“Oh, okay. That's good, dear. So make sure you get yourself ready and prepare for tomorrow's dinner. This is an opportunity to meet Vanderbilt officially. Let's all put in our best.”“Alright, Dad.”“We will, dear,”
Still lost in my own thoughts, I barely noticed the figure that approached me from behind. “It's beautiful, right?” a voice asked from behind me. I was a little startled, and I turned around to see Sterling, my fiance, standing behind me with a glass of wine in his hand. His presence was unexpected and it surprised me. How did he even find me? I thought. “Sorry,” he apologized softly, looking at me with an apologetic expression. He must have noticed that I was shocked. “You surprised me,” I mentioned with a small frown on my face. Then I dropped my hand from my chest. “Sorry again,” he said again. And I simply nodded, averting my gaze back to the garden. “You're right. It's beautiful,” I answered his question after a couple of seconds of silence. “This garden belongs to my mother. She loved them just as much as she loved us,” Sterling stated. His voice has a hint of sadness and longing in it. And I had to turn to look at him. He was staring at the garden with a mix of regr
I stared at my reflection in front of the long ornate mirror. Today, I was having my fitting with my groom-to-be, but he is yet to show himself. So I was alone at the fitting shop with my best friend, Dianne, and step-sister, Erica who decided to come along with me. At the moment, I was dressed in a white breathtaking wedding gown, paid for by my fiancé's family. I didn't actually expect less from them, knowing how wealthy they were. The gown was impeccable. An ethereal masterpiece, crafted with delicate lace that cascaded down my figure, clinging to my curves in all the right places. The bodice was meticulously adorned with intricate beading, shimmering in the soft, flattering light. A flowing train extended behind me. “Oh, my God! Your gown is beautiful on you,” Erica awed as she stepped into the fitting room. “You look so gorgeous!” Her eyes were wide open in sheer admiration as she stared at my dress.My step-sister, Erica was always an embodiment of love and support and if
Sterling POV I shut my eyes and loosened my tie as I fell into my office seat. It has been a long day as I've been working from one meeting to the other. A heavy sigh escaped my lips and I leaned back on my seat, tiredly. I felt exhausted more than I should and I understood more than anyone why it was that way. That's why I need a solution as quickly as possible. I have barely taken a fifteen-minute break when my intercom rings. Groaning, I took the call and my secretary informed me that I had a visitor. Without asking who it was, I permitted her to let the person in and then ended the call. A few seconds later, my sister's cat walked into my office dressed in a fitted leather trouser, a chiffon blouse complimented with a black leather jacket and black boot shoes. In her hand, hung a new Chanel bag. I wasn't expecting her visit, but I don't remember the last time that Anna asked for my permission before coming over to the office. Most of the time, it was for my own good but i