With deliberate poise, she brushed against him and flashed a seductive smile, murmuring, "Oh, pardon me." Emma's voice lingered softly in the air.Ethan stood up straight, his smirk growing wider as he gestured towards her. "It's no trouble, beautiful. Are you enjoying the soirée?" He attempted to engage her in idle chatter.Receiving compliments from Ethan Maddox made her stomach turn, but Emma maintained her façade, knowing his predictable moves all too well. These powerful, inebriated men are all the same."I am indeed having a delightful time," Emma innocently replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and exposing her neck. She smiled as Ethan's eyes instinctively traveled to her neck, a faint sense of satisfaction creeping in."May I say, you are the most exquisite woman I have ever laid eyes on," he boldly stated, taking a sip of champagne as a server appeared before him. The other men exchanged knowing nods and took their leave, leaving Emma alone with Mr. Maddox.Returning his
With measured steps, Lucas made his way towards the entrance of the hall, his eyes darting around in search of Emma. He couldn't shake off the guilt of leaving her alone for so long, and he hoped to catch a glimpse of her before he left the hall. But his quick scan proved futile as he stepped outside, greeted by the sight of a beautiful garden with a cascading waterfall.Turning to face Ivanka, Lucas crossed his arms over his chest. "Make it quick. You have three minutes before I go looking for Emma," he announced, watching her frown at the mention of Emma's name."I'm sorry," Ivanka started, twisting her fingers nervously. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I've regretted it every day since....""Five years have passed, and now you're sorry? You regret?" Lucas interrupted, his voice laced with unintentional anger. He kept looking at her, waiting for more of her apology. Five years ago if Ivanka had profusely apologise as she was doing now, he could have forgiven her, accepted her back into
The soft material simultaneously embrace every of her curve. A wicked smirk graced her lips as she slid into the thong underwear that accompanied the lingerie, throwing on a nightgown for cover. She sauntered to the couch.Curling up on the plush bedroom sofa, she listened to the rhythmic tap of Lucas's typing in the adjacent room. She may have drifted off because when she shifted and opened her eyes, Lucas stood before her, observing her slumber." You should be sleeping in the bed," he admonished, assisting her off the couch.Rising slowly, Emma purposely let the nightdress slip off her shoulder and glide to the ground as she made her way to the mattress, the lingerie exposing her voluptuous backside, slightly obstructed by the mesh fabric.Lucas's jaw dropped as his gaze roamed over her, lingering on the delicate lace embellishing her, igniting a primal desire within him. His manhood twitched with fervor at the sight of her, the yearning burning through every inch of his body. He co
Emma nodded in agreement, "Have you considered delegating some of your workload to your personal assistant? I understand that you have been consistently working late, and this is not the first occasion.""My company assistant already has a heavy workload. I need another person to assist me. That's why I suggested you come work for me as my personal assistant, i will pay whatever you request for. With you by my side, I can greatly reduce the stress," Lucas told her, his gaze imploring her to accept his offer. Emma averted her eyes, not wanting to give in to his request.She knew that she needed the job Lucas was offering, but if she could secure a position at Trevor's father's company, she could achieve two goals at once. She could exact her revenge plan while also earning a salary."Why the hesitation?" inquired Lucas, noticing her uncertainty and quietness. "I need time to think it over. Besides, I have an interview to attend first. It would be best if we didn't end up working toget
Emma was unable to comprehend the inner turmoil that Lucas was going through. She had her own troubles as well, she knew what it feels like to be betrayed, what differentiate hers from lucas is that she had chosen to go the extra mile with hers, intending to inflict pain on Trevor. On the other hand, Lucas simply didn't want anyone to bring up the topic of his past experiences."I'm sorry, Lucas. I had no idea. If I had known, I never would have brought it up," Antonio apologized, taking a seat beside them."It's okay. It's on me. I've been a terrible friend, neglecting to check up on you," Lucas sighed. He knew it wasn't Antonio's fault. He was just tired of people constantly bringing up his past, as if opening a wound that was already beginning to heal. It was painful."I tried calling you, Lucas. It never went through. I thought I had offended you or you had blocked me from reaching you, until I found out you had moved to New York," Antonio explained, providing further explanation
A deep voice, none other than Ethan Maddox's, greeted Emma with a simple "Hello, Emma. Ethan Maddox here." Her eyes opened wide as she jolted from her pillow, quickly wiping away any remnants of sleep. She carefully cleared her throat, signaling her attention and concealing her shock.But then, her memory came to her rescue. She had not given her personal number to him, so how was he able to reach her so swiftly?"Hi, I must admit I wasn't anticipating your call, especially since you don't have my number," Emma greeted with a sugary tone, masking her disdain."I have my methods, Emma," Ethan Maddox chuckled, his resonant voice vibrating through the phone. "I couldn't resist reaching out after being so taken by you at the party. Some might say my weakness is lack of patience.""Well, I never realized I was that captivating," Emma jeered, using a sarcastic tone that she knew the older man wouldn't catch onto with his inflated ego.She knew she had every right to retaliate for him obtai
"I will drop you off at the office," Lucas declared abruptly, breaking the silence. Emma hesitated, but before she could protest, Lucas insisted, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.After breakfast, they embarked on their journey, navigating through the bustling traffic of Monday morning until they arrived at the imposing structure of the Maddox Company. As they came to a stop, A frown appeared on Lucas's face as he turned to Emma in absolute disbelief. "Is this a Joke?Do not tell me you plan to work with the Ethan Maddox? " Lucas asked in both disbelief and anger evident in his voice.Emma turned to look at him, surprised at the tone of his voice and the seriousness on his face " Yeah, The Ethan Maddox. Do you know him?" she asked.Lucas hesitated in answering her, he turned to look at the gigantic building and the display of the company's name boldly written, " not really, I saw you both talking at the party" he replied, " don't tell me he was able to make an offer to you at t
With trembling hand, Lucas retrieved an ultrasound scan that Ivanka had previously shared, before disclosing that the baby was not his. A pang of grief tore through his heart as he ripped the image into shreds, struggling to stem the tears that threatened to escape his eyes.After a brief hesitation, Lucas obtained a third picture from his album - a snapshot of himself, his best friend, and Ivanka, all adorned with smiles. The treachery he had endured at the hands of his confidant and former lover burdened him heavily as he tore apart the photograph, each tear serving as a painful reminder of past hurts and also an absolute healing process he should have started years ago.Compiling the fragmented remains of the photos, Lucas disposed of them in the waste bin adjacent to his desk. Picked one of the shredded papers, lit a fire on it and threw it Into the metal bin, watching the papers burn. He then took a full bottle of whiskey and a glass from the mini bar, pouring himself a generous