LOGINBella A hug felt far too personal. Especially considering the kind of relationship we shared.We were business partners. Nothing more.There was absolutely no reason for us to become that physically familiar with each other.I offered him a polite smile instead.He forced a small smile.“My apologies. I suppose I became a little too excited to finally see you again.”I simply nodded.Without dwelling on the awkward greeting any longer, I decided to steer the conversation back toward the real reason I believed I had come.“So, what exactly did you want us to discuss regarding the project?”Julian smiled before gesturing toward one of the chairs.“Everything in good time, you have only just arrived. Please sit down first.”Although something about the atmosphere still felt weird, I took my seat across from him.Instead of talking about work, Julian reached for the menu resting on the table.“Before we begin discussing business, tell me what you would like to order. It would be rude of
BellaThe morning had been unusually busy from the very beginning.Files kept piling onto my desk one after another, emails refused to stop coming in, and several meetings had already been scheduled before noon.I barely had enough time to catch my breath between one task and the next.Just when I was finally beginning to make progress with my workload, a gentle knock sounded on my office door.“Come in,” I said without looking up from the documents spread across my desk.A staff member walked into the office, carrying several beautifully wrapped packages in both hands.“Ma’am, these were delivered for you just now,” the staff member said politely before placing everything neatly on my desk.I stared at the colorful collection of gift boxes with visible confusion.There were several different packages.Some were wrapped in elegant paper.Others came inside luxurious gift bags decorated with expensive ribbons.There was even a bouquet of fresh flowers resting beside the other gifts.I
Sebastian Everything started getting worse within only a few minutes.The strange dizziness that had been bothering me suddenly intensified until I could barely think straight anymore.My heartbeat became unusually fast, while an unbearable wave of heat spread through every part of my body.I rubbed my forehead several times, hoping the uncomfortable feeling would disappear on its own, but it only continued growing stronger with every passing second.I swallowed hard before looking toward Claire.“Claire… something is really wrong. I feel really strange, and I do not know what is happening to me.”The moment she heard my voice, panic spread across her face.She hurried toward me with hurried footsteps, looking alarmed by my condition.“Sebastian, you do not look well at all, I think we need to get you elswhwre.”I tried standing on my own, but my legs felt unbelievably heavy beneath me. The room continued spinning around me, making it almost impossible to maintain my balance.Before
Sebastian Long after Bella and I left the terrace, my mind refused to calm down.The conversation I had with Claire earlier that evening replayed over and over inside my head.Every single word she had spoken.Every single answer I had given.Especially the moment I bluntly told her that I did not love her.That conversation had forced me to confront something I had spent weeks trying to ignore.If I truly did not love Claire…Then why had it become so easy to reject the possibility of ever being with her?Why had I felt absolutely nothing while saying those painful words?More importantly, if my heart no longer belonged to the person I once believed I cared about. Then who exactly had taken that place?The answer appeared almost instantly.Bella.There was only one woman who occupied my thoughts every single day.Only one woman whose smile somehow managed to improve my mood without even trying. Only one woman whose opinions had begun influencing my decisions without me realizing it
Bella It was already late in the evening when I finally heard the front door open downstairs.For some reason, I found myself instinctively glancing toward the entrance. The moment Sebastian walked inside, I noticed he was not alone.Claire was walking beside him.No…Walking was probably the wrong word.She looked emotionally drained.Her shoulders lacked their usual confidence, and although she was trying to keep her composure, there was something painfully defeated about her expression.I stood from the kitchen island almost immediately.Concern naturally replaced every other thought in my mind.I walked over to Sebastian.“What happened to her?”Sebastian glanced briefly toward Claire before looking back at me.His expression remained calm, although I noticed a trace of exhaustion lingering behind his eyes.“She became frustrated while looking for apartments today, things simply did not go the way she expected them to go, so she is just emotionally drained right now.”I slowly no
Sebastian By the time Bella and I finally arrived home that evening, exhaustion had begun settling into every part of my body.The day had been far longer than I expected.As soon as I stepped into the living room, I instinctively looked around the house.Claire was nowhere to be found. My brows furrowed even deeper. That did not sound like Claire. Especially after I specifically told her that I would see her once I returned home.A strange feeling of uneasiness slowly settled inside me.Without wasting another moment, I reached for my phone and dialed her number. The call rang several times before ending without an answer.I tried again.Once again…Nothing.I switched to sending text messages instead.Still there was no response.With every passing minute, my concern continued growing.I knew Claire well enough to recognize this pattern.Whenever she became emotional, she had a habit of disappearing and refusing to communicate with anyone.Eventually, my phone vibrated.A message
Bella I woke up slowly.The harsh fluorescent lights above me stabbed into my eyes the moment my eyelids fluttered open.Pain greeted me before awareness did.A dull ache pulsed through my entire body, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my abdomen. Every tiny movement seemed to pull at som
Bella The question hit me so hard that for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.Before I could even process it, Damien cleared his throat and his voice carried across the entire office.“This is Anna Sanders,” he announced. “She’ll be taking over the Vega project from now on.”For a second, I just s
Bella I followed behind them quietly, though my steps gradually slowed.By the time I reached the guest room, Damien had already helped Anna onto the bed.He lowered her carefully, one arm supporting her back while the other remained around her waist. Even after she was seated comfortably, he didn
Bella Wasn’t that bracelet meant for me?The thought struck hard, cutting through the lingering haze in my mind.When they finally noticed my presence, introductions were made with little fanfare. Anna greeted me warmly enough and soon afterwards everyone moved towards the dining room for dinner.







