AMELIAI was bored out of my mind. Leaving with Damian was like living alone. I could barely notice his presence, and even when I did, all I received was a grunt. He was just impossible to bond with. I left my room for like the tenth time that morning and wandered around the mansion. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, the only option left was to laze about the house, sleeping or eating perhaps and doing absolutely nothing, which I most definitely did not intend to do.And so, at a few minutes past noon, I took a stroll on the streets close to where I lived. I absorbed the sound of traffic and the sight of people hurrying, going about their business.The sun was high in the sky but not overly hot. I had decided not to take the car because staying in its air-conditioned comfort sort of separated me from the rest of the world, and today, I craved that feeling of inclusivity more than anything else.And then I spotted a small cafe. There was something quaint about it, something that a
AMELIAI heard the front door open, and I was out of my seat in a flash. "Hey, Damian. How was work today?" I asked as I fell into step beside him, smiling with a cheeriness that I didn't feel and hoping this time he would thaw towards me. "Very well," he replied dryly, as usual. He kept walking, his eyes fixed as always on the stairs. Talk about being rude! I tamped down on my annoyance. "My day at work went pretty well, too," I offered. Besides the brief flash of annoyance that crossed his face whenever I mentioned the cafe, he gave no further indication that I had spoken."Have you already had dinner? I can make you something," I said in a last-ditch effort to get him to say something. "Don't bother," was the response. He stopped and turned to look at me for the first time when I began to climb the stairs after him. Up went that annoying brow. "Did you want something?" he enquired. Yes! A little friendly conversation for a start. I yelled at him, but only in my head. He
AMELIAI was so mad. I couldn't recall ever being this pissed in a long, long time, maybe except for the time when Noah had embarrassed me at the mall. I stole a glance at Damian, who was driving much too fast. It would serve him right if the cops ordered him to pull over and give him a speeding ticket. I could clearly see that his cheek was reddened where I had slapped him. My fingers curled. I did not regret hitting him. Not one bit.Finally, he drove through the gates of the house. Before he brought the car to a stop, I scrambled out of it, relieved that at some point during the drive, he had unlocked the door. "For heaven's sake, Amelia!" I heard him growl from behind me. "At least let the damn car stop first."I took a few steps forward, retraced my steps, slammed the car door as hard as possible, and was satisfied to hear him gasp in surprise. There! I heartily wished something inside had gotten broken. It's good that it was Damian's favorite car, too. I spun around and march
DAMIANI could not concentrate on work. I saw Amelia’s face wherever I looked: in the files I was supposed to be going through, on the screen of my computer, in my head, everywhere. I shoved my fingers through my hair and swore under my breath, irritated and angry with myself. I didn't tolerate this sort of behavior from anyone, especially my staff. I always put my company first and gave a hundred percent at work. Yet here I was, doing the same thing I loathed.My body craved Amelia's, and I wondered why she affected me this way. I had been with dozens of other women, all exceptionally beautiful and stunning, but I had never craved them the way I did Amelia. I was like a young, inexperienced boy who couldn't get enough of a woman's body. Amelia and I had made love so many times last night that I had lost count, yet all I could think of was kissing her again, hearing her moan softly, and lying in bed with her all day. I had managed to drag myself up from bed to work. Thank goodness th
DAMIANIt’s been two days since Amelia and I had sex for the first time. It had become a routine even though it was forbidden in our contract.Both of us hadn’t said a thing about it. It seemed like she was just as uninterested in discussing it as I was. There was no need to bring it up as long as it didn’t cause any issues between us, and I hoped it wouldn’t. But far bigger things had come into the picture. And I needed to tackle them. I waved Amelia into a chair and took one myself."What's up?" she said as soon as we had settled down."It’s a business thing I want to inform you about. So, the mayor of this city is about to embark on a project. He wants to build a bullet train railway."Amelia's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh. That is a huge project."I nodded in agreement. "It is. I bid for the contract. If I get it, it will greatly boost my company and reputation." I paused. "But the thing is that Noah wants this contract, too." Amelia's face suddenly tightened as it always did
NOAHI stared disbelieving at the email on my phone. My eyes kept going back to the last line.... regret to inform you that you weren't selected for the contract...That baldheaded asshole of a mayor! After all the effort I had put into landing this contract, he threw me over for Damian. Yes. I was pretty sure it was Damian. Who else in this godforsaken city would dare to undermine me? Who else would challenge me and get away with it? To be sure, I decided to call one of my contacts at the city council to confirm who had been awarded the contract. Before I could dial his number, a notification popped up on my phone that said something about the city project. I tapped on it, and sure enough, there was a close-up picture of Damian, smiling his stupid, self-satisfied smile. Above his image was the headline 'BILLIONAIRE, DAMIAN DONOVAN LANDS CONTRACT TO BUILD BULLET TRAIN RAILWAY.'My fingers clenched around my phone as I struggled not to hurl it against the wall. Rage, as I had never k
AMELIA"I'm going somewhere, and I would really like you to come with me," Damian announced, grabbing the car keys off the table.I got to my feet, looked at the time, and then at myself. I was wearing jeans and a shirt. "I'll go and change then."I made a move to go to my bedroom."No. Don't worry. You're good as you are," Damian said."Oh. We aren't going to any fancy part then.""No, not today." He stepped aside and gestured in the direction of the front door. "So... shall we?""Of course."I suspected he wanted us to celebrate the success of his contract. The Mayor had awarded the contract to him, and the entire city was aware of it. Damian was now undoubtedly the most successful businessman in the city and Noah was nowhere close enough. Damian handled the car skillfully, weaving through cars and avoiding traffic expertly as we headed to an unknown location. "Where are we going?" I asked after he had been driving for quite a while, and silence lingered between us in the car. He
AMELIA"We are almost done, madam. Would you like to see it now?""Of course."As I left my office, I gestured for the man to lead the way."Please, watch your step," he advised as we moved around the bakery.I was already doing so. I moved slowly, carefully stepping around the bits and pieces of paper, paint, glue, and tools littering some parts of the floor. Workers moved around the place, hard at work on the alterations I wanted. I nodded in satisfaction when I saw the wallpaper they had put up in the showroom. The place looked warmer and more inviting, exactly how I wanted it to be.I never imagined that Damian would buy me a bakery. I didn’t think he paid any attention to what I liked, but he surprised me. "Everything is perfect," I told the worker. "Oh, and... have you moved those equipment to the positions I want them placed?"He nodded. "Yes, they have been moved.""Excuse me, ma'am," the security guard murmured apologetically to me while sidestepping a man carrying a stepla