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Behind The Smiles

Author: Author Anselm
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-11 21:45:10
Cole

When we arrived at my grandfather’s house, a crowd of relatives and family friends had gathered in the front yard. The house buzzed with energy, and I could tell tonight’s dinner would be a big event.

I pulled the car to a stop and helped Skylar out. We stepped onto the lawn, and I led her into the house one by one to greet our guests.

As we walked through the busy foyer, I introduced Skylar to many of my family members. Their smiles were genuine, and I could see that they were pleased to meet her.

Then, as we moved through the crowd, Skylar’s eyes widened in surprise when she spotted someone familiar near the staircase. I noticed her reaction and smiled reassuringly.

“Skylar, I want you to officially meet Xavier,” I said casually. “He’s actually my cousin—my uncle’s son.”

Skylar was shocked—she probably hadn’t expected that Xavier and I were related. She quickly turned to him and murmured,

“I’m so sorry about the other day, Xavier. I didn’t mean to cause you any troubl
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  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    The Gift and the Fall

    ColeThe necklace looked quite simple, yet stunning. Small, clear diamonds sat gently along a thin silver chain. It was the kind of piece that didn’t scream for attention but held your gaze all the same. I stared at it carefully, imagining how it would look on Skylar. I could already see it resting just above her collarbone, catching the light when she smiled.She’d love it.I had flown back into New York late last night. Business had gone smoothly—better than expected, actually. But instead of going home, I stayed the night in one of my penthouses on the Upper West Side, so that I could get her a gift first before seeing her.Skylar had joked with me during one of our calls. “Get something for me whenever you're coming back,” she had said. I laughed it off then, but it stuck with me. She never asked for much, infact, she never did at all. So this time, I wanted to surprise her with something nice.As I headed out this morning, I found myself inside one of the best jewelry stores in

  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    The Second Blow

    SkylarCeleste had just slapped me!For a long second, all I could hear was the ringing in my ear. My face burned with the sting of her palm, and the room had gone deathly quiet, as though the entire company floor had frozen in place. My cheek throbbed, but that was nothing compared to the fire rising in my chest.I stood frozen in shock, my hand clutching the side of my face. The shame, the humiliation, the audacity—That was when I noticed Ethan. He stepped forward quickly, inserting himself between me and Celeste like he was protecting her from me. His hand came up gently as he turned to her, speaking in a soft tone."Celeste, calm down, okay? Just breathe. Let's not cause a scene."Was he serious?I stared at him in disbelief. That was his first reaction? Not concern. Not apology. Not even an ounce of guilt—just worry that his precious fiancée might be embarrassing herself.Celeste wasn’t the least bit interested in calming down. Her cold eyes zeroed in on me, her voice sharp and

  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    Unmasked

    Skylar "Let me help you understand." Her voice rang out, louder and clearer. "I came here today because I wanted to see you for myself. The woman who’s been trying to steal my fiancé behind my back."For a moment, I stood frozen.What?My heart stopped for half a second. Did I just hear that right?Celeste... actually came here—to my workplace—to confront me about stealing Ethan?Was this really happening?My mouth opened before my brain could fully process the shock. "There must be some kind of mistake," I said quickly, trying to remain calm, although my voice came out a little sharper than I intended. "I don’t know what you think you’ve heard, but Ethan and I—there’s nothing going on between us. Absolutely nothing."Celeste let out a low chuckle and crossed her arms over her chest like she’d been expecting that answer all along. "You really think I’m that much of a fool? You think I would show up here without doing my research first? Did you really believe I wouldn’t know what’s

  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    Office Confrontation

    SkylarIt had been a relatively quiet afternoon in the design department.I was in my office, eyes glued to the screen, fingers busy sketching new patterns on my tablet. The lines transformed into shapes, curves, and color combinations that had been playing in my head for days. Working on new designs was my escape, especially with Tara still breathing down my neck as my supervisor.Tara was firm but fair, and even though her gaze often felt like a silent critique, I had come to accept that she pushed me only because she believed in my potential. I was already mapping out a new collection line that could rival my last for the Biannual Collection Event. Ideas poured in faster than I could sketch, and my fingers barely paused.The silence and peace at home since Cole traveled had started to gnaw at me. It was just me and Ingrid now. Too quiet, too many spaces in between the hours. But working overtime, pouring my mind into my designs, it helped me stay afloat.Still, there was something

  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    A Thorn In The Silk

    CelesteIt was one of those sunday mornings where everything just felt... perfect.I sat with my dearest friends – Allegra, the heiress of the Rosenthal fashion line, and Noelle, the daughter of a real estate mogul. Between us were half-eaten fruit tarts, delicate macarons, and chilled mimosas.We were discussing the usual—fashion gossip, celebrity scandals, and the latest designer collaborations. Allegra was in the middle of narrating how her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend had tried to show up uninvited to his last movie premiere.“She had the audacity to wear a gown from last season. Can you imagine?” Allegra scoffed, her manicured fingers swirling her champagne glass.I chuckled lightly, resting my elbow on the table, watching the city stretch below us. It was a good day.Then it happened.“Ms. Celeste!”A voice rang out, sounding too loud, too desperate for such a poised setting.We turned. I frowned.A lady was rushing toward us. She looked… average, and there was this kind of despera

  • Sweet Submission: Love Me, Mr. Billionaire    Brewing Resentment

    IvanaWas Skylar really to blame?The question rang through my head like an annoying alarm I couldn’t turn off. It wasn’t just Ethan’s words lingering inside me—it was the way he had looked at me, like I was nothing. Like I was stupid not to see it all along.“If there’s anyone you should hate, Ivana… it’s Skylar.”I had left Elegance Company without looking back. Not because I didn’t want to scream and cause a scene—believe me, I still wanted to curse out Ethan loudly and make everyone see the bastard he was—but because my body betrayed me.My legs felt weak, and the hot embarrassment I felt when the guards stared at me smugly. My eyes were red, but I refused to let the tears fall. I wouldn’t give Ethan the satisfaction.As I stepped out of the tall, guarded gates, the sun hit my face again. It was scorching. My blouse clung to my back with sweat, and the heat was making my already pounding headache worse. I felt like I was dragging myself through a desert with no end in sight. I cro

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