SAVANNAHThe River Café was a restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge. Its riverside location exhibited the gorgeous New York City skyline views. They offered classic American cuisines and various outstanding wine lists on the menu. The place was one of my favorite spots where Edward bent on his knee and proposed. Everywhere I went, the ghost of my past followed me.Live piano music was playing when we entered the elegant fine dining room. Daniel, the maître d’, greeted him with a firm handshake and a good evening. Rafael answered him warmly.“Have you been here before?” I asked.“Yes, once.”The headwaiter greeted me politely and then led us to the back of the side, where he provided us with his best and most romantic table for two by the window. It took Edward two months to get a table at this place, but Rafael could enter here without one.Daniel asked me if I would like a bottle of their vintage red wine. Rafael answered he would be delighted with whatever he would offer. I thanked t
RAFAEL“Hey, bro.” Carter entered my office after a knock. “You disappeared from the party. Emilio was looking for you.” He pulled a chair in front of my desk and sat.“I went somewhere.” I passed the documents I was working on to Billy. “Give this to Adam.”“You have a ten o’clock today with Mr. Oliver Katrakis of G&E Enterprises, sir. He’s already in the meeting room,” my assistant reminded me, trying to say I didn’t have much time to chat with my brother.“Five minutes, Billy.” G&E Enterprises was a potential partner to open my technology division. Their reputation in the industry was close to my requirements.My assistant nodded and greeted Carter before he left.“I had to make reasons, do you know that?” my brother went on with the questioning. He looked somewhat pissed. I could imagine his restlessness in front of the Mexican businessman. He was still young in the business, after all.“What did you say to him?”“What else should I say? That you had a more pressing matter to atte
SAVANNAHI sat across from Edward in the restaurant where he ended it all and the same place where I saw Sofia and insulted me. There was no way I’d ask Edward to meet me near my office.“Is this necessary?” he asked after a few minutes of gawking.“You know why I asked to come here.” I folded my arms across my chest. “We’ll talk eventually, anyway, and I’m ready for whatever this is. I just need you to tell me everything.”“You’re looking better. You’re getting used to this,” he said out of nowhere, staring at my face. Then he picked up his cup of espresso and took a sip. “What do you want to talk about?”I could say the same thing. Edward’s features looked younger than I remembered him. It wasn’t his skin or the outfit since he always wore suits; it was the expression. He looked well-rested and... well, happy. That was exactly what shattered me: that he was obviously not happy with our marriage anymore.“I’ll say what I want to say first. I need my house back. Michael gave almost ev
RAFAEL I struck out my racket, took a split-step in the center of the court, and then hit the ball back to my opponent. The rhythm of our rallies kept going; neither my competitive challenger nor I were backing down. Tennis was my best sport whenever I needed to clear my head. There were a few of them that kept messing with my rationality: Dad’s retirement and his impossible request, PeekFlix, and Carter’s delectable assistant. I’d avoided my father over the past few days. I deliberately didn’t come to their house over the weakened when I usually did to evade further discussion about marriage. I still thought it was ridiculous. I had a meeting with Emilio tomorrow evening. Carter arranged it for me with Sue, so it was all good. It seemed they were interested in what I’d been offering them so far. He still couldn’t decide, which meant he was still considering New Star and Dragon’s Gate. As for Savannah, I still had difficulty getting her out of my system, knowing she was just a flo
SAVANNAH“This is outrageous!” I tossed my phone on the bed, frustrated at seeing the article about me and Rafael Sebastian. There was even a picture of Micheal’s house on the page. “This is my fault. I dragged him into my mess.” I walked back and forth across Riley’s bedroom. I was staying in the Allen sibling’s apartment in Manhattan until I found a place to move in.“Can you please sit down? My head feels like breaking watching you right now. This can’t be just your fault. The guy is practically a celebrity,” Riley said. I told her everything I had already spoken to Wesley, so she knew the whole story about Rafael and then Sofia and Edward’s infidelity.I perched next to her. “Well, my face is blurred. I shouldn’t have let him drive me home. Michael will be furious if he sees this.”“He won’t find out. You know Michael isn’t interested in internet gossip.”“I’ll apologize to Rafe tomorrow.” I buried my face in my palms. “God! It’s embarrassing.”“Or don’t.” Wesley entered, already
SAVANNAHIt wasn’t Carter sitting in the backseat when I slid into the car in front of our office building. It was Rafael.“Good evening, Savannah.” His voice was cultured and smooth.“H-hi. Good evening. Carter didn’t say—”“Are you surprised?” He smirked playfully. I felt his gaze on me, but I refused to look. Rafael looked charismatic, as always. He could even put on a sack and would still look impeccable. He was draped in a blue three-piece pinstripe suit, expensive watch, and custom oxford shoes. It was incredible how he managed to look pristine from carrying the company’s most demanding and challenging position.I instantly became highly conscious of how good he smelled. I breathed him in, welcoming his mild spicy and musk perfume that I’d missed after we parted that night in front of my brother’s house last week.Lust sparked on my skin. Images of me on his lap, sucking his tongue, and his long-fingered hands on my bare back instantly appeared in the back of my mind. I’d go cra
SAVANNAH After dinner, Jocelyn and I sat on the couch while Rafe and the Estrella men spoke. Jocelyn asked more about me: my age, family, and job, so I talked about Michael and how I landed a post in Carter’s office. She also mentioned Sofia, who she said was the same age as me. Little did she know, I knew her daughter so much that she even betrayed me and stole my husband. But of course, I couldn’t tell her that. She seemed so proud of her. How would she feel if her daughter, a rising star, had become a mistress? I wouldn’t be able to forgive Sofia. However, I could imagine now how she became the way she was. After leaving the states, she was all alone in Mexico. Her parents wanted her to be an actress or a singer. But she had no friends or siblings, couldn’t speak her dad’s language fluently, and had been bullied while her parents were always busy with work. She told me she never wanted to leave New York. Mexico was where she was born, but she grew up in the US. “She’s skeptical t
SAVANNAH After a few more minutes of meaningful conversations with Jocelyn, her husband called her to join them, so I finally got the chance to excuse myself to go to the restroom. Rafael only nodded when I whispered into his ear. It seemed their conversation wouldn’t end soon. Emilio was having a good time telling the guys about his journey to establishing his business. But I took it as a good sign. I emptied my bladder, washed my hands, and retouched my makeup. As I combed my hair, someone called my name. It was Gina, another high school classmate. “You’re here! I thought you weren’t coming! Riley said you have a work appointment.” Gina’s voice was bouncing throughout the four corners of the restroom. I frowned. “What? I really wasn’t—Hold on. Is it here? In this restaurant?” “Yes! Oh my God.” She briefly hugged me. “You’re still so beautiful, Savi.” She studied me under her long eyelashes. Gina was a few inches shorter than me but had become more sophisticated, given her design