登入Vanessa stared at her phone for nearly ten minutes before finally pressing send. The message was short.She simply asked if they could meet. she thought Dominic would ignore her.Lately, he had been avoiding her completely. Ever since his marriage, everything had changed.The calls had stopped and casual conversations had stopped.Even family gatherings felt different now. Dominic treated her the same way he treated every other person in his life.The thought made her chest tighten. A few minutes later, her phone vibrated.Her heart immediately jumped. She opened the message.Dominic had agreed to meet her. He told her to come to his private lounge after work.Vanessa stared at the message for several seconds. A smile slowly appeared on her face.This was exactly what she needed. Maybe once they talked alone, things would be different.Dominic would finally understand how she felt and he would see what had been standing in front of him all these years.The hope stayed with her the ent
Ava arrived at the academy feeling much better than she had a few days ago. After the strange lunch with Serena and her classmates, she had decided to stop worrying about things she could not control. Serena clearly wanted to get under her skin, but Ava refused to give her that satisfaction.As she stepped out of the car, Rachel followed a few steps behind as usual.The academy grounds were already busy. Students walked across the courtyard carrying books and chatting with friends. The morning air was cool, and the atmosphere felt lively.Before Ava could enter the building, she heard someone calling her name.Chloe came running toward her with a coffee cup in one hand and a notebook in the other."You are early today." Ava laughed."You're one to talk." Chloe rolled her eyes dramatically."I only came early because I forgot to finish my assignment." The two women entered the building together.As they walked through the hallway, Ava noticed Serena standing with a group of students n
Ava returned to the mansion shortly before evening. The lunch with her classmates had been fun. Chloe had been her usual cheerful self, making everyone laugh with her endless stories. The other girls had been friendly too. Everything should have left Ava in a good mood.Instead, her thoughts kept returning to Serena. As she climbed the stairs toward her room, she replayed the lunch conversation in her mind.The way Serena kept bringing the attention back to her no matter how many times Chloe changed the subject.Ava couldn't understand it, they weren't friends and they barely knew each other.So why was Serena suddenly so interested in her life? By the time Ava reached her room, she was already annoyed.She tossed her handbag onto the bed and sat beside it.Maybe she was overthinking things. Serena was simply curious. Still, something about the entire situation felt wrong.An hour later, Ava came downstairs after changing into something more comfortable.The mansion was unusually qui
Saturday morning arrived faster than Ava expected. She woke up feeling excited about something that had nothing to do with the Hale family, Dominic, or her classes. Today was simply lunch with friends, normal friends, normal people. The thought alone made her smile as she got out of bed.After taking a shower, she stood in front of her closet trying to decide what to wear. She didn’t want to look too dressed up, but at the same time, she didn’t want to look careless. After several minutes, she finally chose a simple cream-colored blouse and a pair of blue jeans.When she walked downstairs, Mrs. Rose immediately noticed her good mood. The older woman smiled knowingly. "Someone looks very happy today." Ava laughed and sat down at the dining table. "It’s just lunch." Mrs. Rose poured tea into her cup. "If it’s just lunch, why did you change clothes three times?” Ava nearly choked on her tea. "You saw that?” Mrs. Rose looked offended. "I practically raised Sir Dominic. Do you think I
Cynthia drove through the gates of her house just after seven in the evening. The day had been long. Not because of work. Work was the easy part. She had spent years building her reputation and earning her position at Hale Corporation. Handling schedules, meetings, negotiations, and impossible deadlines no longer bothered her.What bothered her was Dominic Hale. More specifically, the conversation he had forced her to have in his office a few days ago.The memory still annoyed her. As she parked her car and stepped out, she found herself replaying the entire scene again.The disappointment in his voice and the way he had looked at her as if she had crossed a line. She had worked beside him for years.Yet he had chosen to lecture her because of one incident involving his wife. The thought made her jaw tighten.Her maid greeted her as she entered the house, but Cynthia only nodded before heading inside.The smell of food drifted from the kitchen. She followed it into the dining area a
Ava was beginning to enjoy her new routine, her days felt normal. That morning, Ava arrived at the academy with a smile on her face.Rachel dropped her off at the entrance as usual.The bodyguard reminded her to call if she needed anything before driving away.Ava laughed and promised she would. As she walked into the building, she immediately spotted Chloe waiting near the hallway.The cheerful girl waved excitedly the moment she saw her.“There you are.” Ava smiled.“I was only two minutes late.”“Two minutes is still late.” The two girls walked toward their classroom together.Over the past few days, Chloe had become Ava’s closest friend at the academy.She talked a lot but Ava liked her. Chloe made things easier.They both walked to the classroom and the instructor was inside already and they rushed to find somewhere to sit.“Can anyone tell me why damaged hair absorbs color differently?”The instructor looked around the classroom. Several students immediately looked down at their







