Maya thanked Steven, her constant bodyguard as he carefully placed all the dinner plate models, she had purchased on the living room center table, for her to make a final decision on a Saturday afternoon.“You’re back, Madam,” Yasmine Jones called out politely, appearing from the back of the house. “I’ll have tea and cookies for you in five minutes.”“Thanks, Yasmine,” Maya responded. “Did Jordan brought Pogo?”“He did but when I told him that you’re still out, he said that he will come back later,” Yasmine answered from the island counter. “I informed him that you might be back late in the afternoon.”Maya nodded as she knelt on the floor and started unwrapping the plates carefully, setting them to one side by colors and types. She took individual pictures of the plates and then stood up, heading to Grayson’s office where she placed the box of the sample of utensils and glasses that she had decided on.“Here you go, Madam,” Yasmine said, just in time for Maya to come out from the off
Grayson stared quietly through the frameless glass window towards the vast garden of the Wellington estate on a Tuesday morning inside the family library. He stuck his hands inside his pockets, waiting for the visitor his brother had told that wished to see him.“Grayson?”He turned at the call of his name and he stood still for a while when he finally came face to face with Sheridan Blackthorne, Duchess of Luxembourg. He took his hands out from his pockets and bowed to her formally.“It’s good to see you again, Lady Blackthorne,” Grayson greeted calmly.“Lady Blackthorne?” Sheridan asked with a slight hint of amusement. “Whatever happened to Auntie Sherry? I’m sure that I am still that woman to you.”“I’m not sure if I still have the privilege to call you that,” Grayson answered carefully.Sheridan walked towards him with a smile and raised her arms, placing them gently on his shoulders. Applying pressure with her palms, Grayson bent down and finally pulled her into a hug. She rubbed
Jordan looked up with an irritated expression, from the menu that he is reading when he heard a commotion at one side of the empty restaurant of The Fresh Fusion on a Wednesday lunch time. He frowned when he saw familiar figures, who seemed to be harassing someone that is trying to get pass the reception podium.The maître d looked harassed at the situation.“You think that you are so high above us that you pretend not to know us?” Sissy Barnes mocked coldly. “You had everyone completely fooled that you’re dead! Was this a plan of yours? Fake your death and then come back alive a few years later? You do always love some attention to yourself!”“Did you come back to seek your revenge?” Jenna Ferguson-Hamilton, Sissy’s mother added. “Putting us on a bad light when you got engaged was not enough, huh?!”“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the harassed person answered. “Please. Just leave me be. I’m not bothering you.”“Oh, but you are,” Sissy snapped. She reached out and gripped th
Maya stared at herself at the mirror, looking at her reflection with calm eyes, as she wore an emerald green elegant strappy V-neck knee length dress that features a backless and crisscross back design. She paired it with a glittery strappy, 6-inch sandals, diamond earrings and natural make-up except for her bright red lips.She looked down at the 5 Carat Double Halo Cushion Cut Diamond in White Gold engagement ring that Grayson gave her, which she knew belong to his grandmother. She raised her hand, admiring the ring and feeling guilty at the same time.It has been a month since she is rebelling on Grayson by ditching her bodyguards most of the time. One month of suppressing her heartache when she discovered the letter he had written to Elizabeth Blackthorne as well as nursing her jealousy by going out with Jordan.“Nathan called me because Steven’s been reporting to him that you’ve been ditching them again and again, Maya,” Grayson said hardly over the phone several days ago. “What’
Jordan opened the door for Maya and gently helped her out of his car the following day. He handed his car key to the valet after he closed the door. He instructed the porter to take her small weekend bag to the room he had reserved for her to change later in the afternoon for an opera and orchestra show in the evening and for her to stay overnight.He matched her pace, staying behind her, watching and admiring her. He hid a grin as he recalled a few hours ago when he expertly drove through the heavy traffic going towards the hotel and ditched her bodyguards, who are on their own car following them.When Maya had noticed that they’re missing, Jordan lied through his teeth and told her that they might have got stuck in traffic and that he had told them where they are going.Maya walked up the few steps of The Grand Pinnacle Hotel, oblivious to the fact that some employees of the hotel are staring at her curiously while some guests and customers are looking at her admiringly, most especi
Maya opened her eyes and rubbed them gently, adjusting to the sunlight that came through the window of her room back in the villa. She slowly sat up and reached for her phone to turn off the alarm that she had set.She massaged her head gently to ease the headache she is feeling and then looked at herself on the screen of her phone. Her eyes are still puffy from the crying that she had been going through for the past two days.After heading back home to Montleigh Villas after staying overnight at The Grand Pinnacle Hotel after attending an opera and orchestra show, Maya had not foreseen the events that would unfold the moment she came out from Jordan’s car.Upon Jordan’s gentle insistence, they had some breakfast first at the hotel’s main restaurant before heading back home. Maya had enjoyed the entire duration while taking some mental notes that she could follow or improve once Aurora opens.Jordan then set off back to the villa, taking a different route and passed through a road tha
Maya finally went out of her room after taking a long hot shower to ease her headache. After putting on a comfortable silk top, pairing it with plain dark pants and ballet flats, she went down and met Yasmine, who is opening the curtains at the living room.“Good morning, Madam,” Yasmine greeted. “I already brewed some coffee and will get you a cup.”“Thank you,” Maya answered as she placed her bag on top of one cabinet and checked if she had everything inside. She looked around the empty room before walking towards the dining table. “Where’s everyone?”“Mr. St. Claire had an early flight back to CF State this morning,” Yasmin replied as she served Maya her coffee. “He also told me to inform you that he gave the bodyguards some days off.”Maya only nodded, gripping her cup.Great, she thought wryly. Adding more to my guilt.Feeling guilty after reflecting on her fight with Grayson, Maya tried to make amends with him the following day by inviting him to go with her to The Oceanview Hot
Jordan, from his position, watched quietly as Maya looked around her surroundings before occupying one chair in the hotel’s outdoor dining area on a Thursday morning. He observed how her eyes moved frantically from side to side.“I want you to be several feet away from Maya Griffiths. Watch her for now,” Jordan said over his phone after calling his lead bodyguard, whom she had met several times. He watched when his bodyguard did what he instructed and saw how her face became relieved when she caught sight of him. “What the hell’s going on, Maya?”After listening to Cassandra about the weird behavior she observed from Maya two days ago, Jordan had been monitoring her when she came in this morning since she did not come yesterday. He remembered approaching her a while ago, trying to be calm and innocent and wanting her to open up whatever’s been bothering her.However, what he remembered and stayed on his mind when she turned towards him. She had on a frantic and frightening look on her