Simon sat in the conference room and listened quietly as one of his employees talked on and on about some stupid idea he had come up with. He stared blankly ahead while thinking about something else entirely.It wasn’t normal for Simon to be distracted so easily. He was a man of focus and determination. When he put his mind to something, he gave it one hundred per cent of himself. But right now, he couldn’t concentrate on anything except the woman who had haunted his dreams for the last few years.There was something about Elena Matthews he couldn’t shake off. Something that drew him towards her despite the fact that she hated his guts. This was the exact reason he kept his identity hidden for so long. He knew, if she came to realize who he was, and how he was related to Richard and his family, she would have never given in to him. That one-night stand between them wouldn’t have happened and she definitely wouldn’t have agreed to carry on their casual affair beyond its expiration date

The Pestov’s castle was far from the main city and was unbelievably huge. Everything about the place spoke of money and old traditional values.Elena’s car pulled up next to the driveway. She stepped out, staring at the massive building in front of her. She didn’t want to admit it out loud, but she was a little intimidated by the whole place. After what Betty had told her about the family—whatever little information she could garner through the internet and other means—she knew it was about to be one of the most important nights of her life.She had no clue what exactly made her think so. Maybe it was all the secrecy surrounding them, or maybe it was the fact that they knew her brother on a personal level, enough for them to make him part of their family dinners, either way, she knew that she couldn’t take this opportunity for granted. She would have to keep her eyes and ears open, and try to gather as much information as possible.Elena took a deep breath and started walking towards

Simon noticed the changes in Elena’s expression in slow motion.Normally, she was good at keeping her thoughts to herself, sometimes even better than good. But right then, as Nina Pestov revealed their relationship among the dozen attendees, her thoughts were somehow written all over her face. She couldn’t hide the way questions rose in her head, the way she frowned and tipped her face to the side as if wondering what the hell was going on.Not liking what he was seeing, he tore his gaze away from Elena, focusing instead on Nina Pestov, who was beaming proudly. He had the terrible urge to roll his eyes, not sure how she could act as if everything between them was alright when it clearly wasn’t.Nina placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. Simon fought the urge to pull away from her touch, knowing that it would be rude. Not that he cares—not even a bit—but he couldn’t exactly create a scene as well. He was curious to find out why she was interested in making contact with

Elena stared at the room she was led to by one of the maids.It was one of the guest rooms. There was a king-sized bed in the centre, with white sheets and pillows. There were two nightstands on both sides of the bed, each having a lamp on top of them. A wardrobe stood on the other side of the room, next to a door that probably led to a bathroom. Upon looking up, Elena noticed a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Crystals and diamonds decorated it, reflecting the light coming from the lamps. The room looked beautiful, elegant and expensive.Elena thanked the maid and entered the room. As soon as she closed the door, she slumped down on the bed, breathing out a sigh of relief. She was exhausted. Everything that had happened today had taken its toll on her. She could have never expected the drama that unfolded right in front of her eyes.One would think, a family like Pestov would do better to keep their family affairs and controversies under wraps. However, it seemed as if they could

Elena woke with a severe headache the next morning, her body aching and sore. God! She thought, as she rubbed her temples and sat up slowly, trying to focus around herself. It was taking a lot of time and effort for her brain to make sense of everything that was in front of her, her eyesight blurry as she blinked several times in succession, trying to figure out where she was exactly. “Fuck!” She cursed out loud when she realized she was completely naked under the covers. And then, it dawned on her. The dinner at the Pestovs. Sex with Simon in his car, and then at his place, in his room, on his bed, in his bathroom, and then, on the floor and then, back in the bedroom and then… “Fuck!” She covered her face with her hands, trying to block out all the memories of the night before. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have lost control like that? Ugh. Why would she sleep with the man she swore not to have anything with? Why would she break her own vow? What the hell was wro