ADELINA'S POV The ride to the venue was the longest minutes of my life. It wasn't a long distance, but every second spent close to him and being intoxicated by his cologne was what I called sweet, slow torture. I never knew that I would love the way a man smelled this much. It was powerful and strong but also gentle. Intoxicating yet comforting. He smelled like danger and wild but his false gentle exterior hid it. A scent I could describe as a perfect mix of sandalwood, jasmine and lavender. A scent worth millions. The car slowly stopped in front of the building. From the outside, you know it is the place where only money speaks to you. Mikhail's eyes opened, my gaze that had been lingering on his stealing glances quickly averted. I could feel him staring at me but I dared not look back. "We have arrived. Your boyfriend should be waiting." Mikhail casually mentioned, his sarcastic tone was annoying as he taunted. I wanted to snap at him but remembered
ADELINA'S POV Mishka, there was something about that silly name that felt magnetic. Why was he calling me a bear? "I think you are mistaken, Lawrence and I are not that close, even if we were, it means nothing to you." My tongue rolled off words effortlessly. Mikhail's smirk grew, he seemed amused. God, he had no idea how hard it was for me to stand by his side resisting all this tension. I could feel his presence on my skin and that evil smirk that didn't reflect his eyes was dangerous. Subtle sparks, which could be ignored, ignited on my chin, and his finger pressed my chin as he forced me to meet his gaze. "It has everything to do with me, this is my company and I don't want a mindless fight between my staff for something fleeting...." He leaned in, his lips barely brushing against my ears, but I could feel the faint sparks only his touch could give me. "Love and lust are completely different things, Mishka. Don't get them mixed up all you might be burned b
ADELINA'S POV Maybe I panicked, I should not have excused myself immediately, but regardless, I was stuck here. I slowly sat back on my seat, my fingers nervously fidgeting. "Is there anything wrong with the air conditioning?" Mikhail asked, his blue eyes briefly glancing at me "No, I am fine," I instinctively answered, his brows furrowed with his sharp eyes seeming to read through me. "You don't look okay," he stated the obvious. I was tempted to snap back at him saying it was because of his overwhelming presence and damn his cologne. Did he always smell this good? Because he smelled like heaven, it felt like his scent wasn't just the cologne, there was something extra that was intoxicating and drawing me in. Something I didn't use to feel before There was this electric tension between us that I couldn't describe. It made me nervous to stay in his presence, yet I didn't really want to leave. "I am fine Sir, there is no need to be worried. " He nodde
ADELINA'S POV With a sharp reprimand I was sent off, the files were pressed against my chest as I stepped into the elevator. I planned on dropping off at Lawrence's office first since his office was on a lower floor compared to Mikhail's office. I previously thought he was on the same floor but he was a management staff. The elevator slid open and started to move, the entire time my mind was in a haze wondering how I was going to face him. I was just going to casually give the file to his secretary then leave. Easy peasy. The door dinged as it opened, I stepped out and quickly found my way to Lawrence's office. It was a management floor so it wasn't crowded. "Good day, I am here to drop a file with Mr Owens", I informed the secretary who was busy with her work. She spared me a glance. I was expecting her to just take the file but unexpectedly she told me to go in. "He is expecting the file. You can go in." She instructed. I nodded then walked towards the d
ADELINA'S POV I normally head straight to work from the school campus. The sun was pretty hot today, burning my hair and skin, so I started regretting not applying enough sunscreen 'Oh, please have mercy, Miss Sun. I have to trek to the bus stop.' I cried secretly in my heart walking down the busy campus roads to the nearest bus stop. The campus was pretty busy with students moving around and vehicles driving on the road. Petra had informed me she was going to stay late at school. She was hanging out with Venessa at the girls' dormitory. I didn't know if I was more surprised by the fact that Venessa moved to the hostel when her family home was very close to school or the fact that she and Petra suddenly became buddies. Their friendship was based on their equal hate for Kimberly. A sigh left my lips, this sun wasn't letting me off the hook. I started to use one of my notes as a shield but it wasn't doing much. This was frustrating. The honking sounds o
ADELINA'S POV Over the weekend, the scandal quickly faded away, with blogs withdrawing the post, some going as far as apologising. Something was off but I was glad at least that was over. Things at school were still awkward since, one way or the other, I had become popular in school. Too popular for my good it felt like eyes were on me no matter where I went. The old wooden table creaked slightly, the joints shaky from prolonged use. The school library was quiet and the only place I could have peace away from everything. We had research work I was working on; although most of these books were online, it cost a good amount to access the information. My seat was surrounded by shelves of dusty books that seemed to stretch up to the ceiling. The air was thick with the smell of old paper and leather bindings. I breathed it in deeply, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. The only sounds that could be heard were the flipping sounds of paper and the photocopying machine