Novel & Cerita Vanilla Relationship

he says “I know.” He stares down into his drink quietly. “I keep fucking this up.” Nobody talks for a second. Music plays softly somewhere behind us. People laugh near the pool tables. Outside, rain taps lightly against the windows. Then Evan suddenly says something I don’t expect. “Vanessa left.” I glance up. “When?” “A while ago.” His laugh sounds hollow this time. “Turns out relationships built on cheating aren’t exactly stable.” Damn. He rubs tiredly at his face before continuing.

What's their relationship? My heart pounded in my chest, a cold dread creeping into my veins. I forced myself to speak, “You and Alex have been seeing each other?” my voice trembled. "What's your relationship with him?" Vanessa turned to me, finally noticing I was there, her eyes cool and indifferent. “Oh, you must be Emily,” she said, “I’m Vanessa. Alex’s special friend.” She introduced with a smile, stretching out her hand for a handshake. Alex special friend? But Alex has never tell me about her throughout the four years that we have been together.

As long as he had the coin, nothing else mattered. “She seems to be important to you,” Vanilla said, breaking my thoughts. I must have been wearing a despondent look on my face, because she was frowning. Staring at me with a gleam of pity in her eyes. “I don’t know what she is to you, but take my advice: don’t expect anything like friendship or love from another slave. Especially one with a master like that. Their minds break, you know. And they just…stop existing.” Her works pricked at me like a needle. I furrowed my brows in anger and Vanilla’s frown deepened. She reached out and touched my arm.

“Of course not. Nathan loves me very much. He’s just been… so busy lately.” “Vanessa, you have been in a secret relationship with Nathan for four years. When will he ever acknowledge you publicly?" a friend said from another massage bed. "I’ve heard stories that Nathaniel never really got over his ex-wife. Tell me the truth, Vanessa,” Delilah urged. "Are you and Nathan really in a relationship?"

“And the basis of your relationship with Ethan? Love, or opportunity?” The words fall like ice. Ava’s stomach flip-flopped. Ethan moved closer to her, putting a protective arm around her. “Mom, Dad… Ava loves me. Not for my wealth, not for my name. She… is the person I’ve chosen.” Though Howard's eyes lost some of their harshness, Vanessa's eyes still sparkled. “And you,” Vanessa snapped at Ava, “what do you exactly want in this relationship?” Ava took a deep breath, standing upright.

This is the part that caught my attention. No one can become perfect without practice. An hour later, Damien was busy chatting with a group of investors, and I was standing by the window drinking two glasses of champagne, which I did not really want, looking out at the city, trying to decide whether I was being paranoid or smart, when Vanessa appeared next to me. "He talks about relationships the way a man talks about his kids," she said, nodding to Damien. "Did you notice this? "Every day," I said.

"And alliances. I don't know what it means, but I know what I heard, and I know Vanessa well enough by now to know she wasn't talking to a ghost." I didn't answer right away. My mind turned it over slowly, the way it turned over everything useful, and it didn't land where perhaps it should have. It was not on curiosity about who this man actually was, hell, it wasn't on concern for what a hidden father, a hidden bloodline, a hidden anything might mean for a woman I'd married under an entirely different story. It landed on leverage.

I tried to think of something… anything to say, but Vanessa continued speaking. “If you stay in New Orleans long enough,” she added, “you’ll eventually meet the right people. It tends to happen that way.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not really into relationships right now.” “Seriously?” She sounded surprised. “You’re a pretty woman, Jordyn. You should have men lining up to date you.” Pretty… That was… the perfect compliment coming from ‘the’ Vanessa Virelli. Something other women who knew her would die to hear. When I’d received a call that she’d accepted my business proposal, I grew scared that she’d recognized me. But now that she was here, who was I kidding?

Trust me; a year is nothing if it's true love. I smiled and didn't argue. In truth, my relationship was over the moment I decided to take on this job. … I took my time enjoying the hot shower. By the time I came out, Haley's post was deleted. I was surprised. It seemed like she wasn't as unbothered as she pretended to be. Suddenly, Eugene called. A bad feeling settled in my stomach, but I answered anyway. "Who exactly are you trying to provoke?" he snapped. "You didn't pick up my calls, you didn't reply to my texts, and then you went crazy under Haley's post."