Ivan remained silent as Alex broke the silence."So, you can't talk now? You're despicable, pretending all this time. Who knows how many girls you've deceived and hurt? Thank God Lucy escaped from your clutches in time. You could have killed her," he spat, his voice filled with hatred. Linda chimed in as well."Who would have thought he was capable of such things? He's been hiding for years, pretending to be someone he's not. We wouldn't have known if the truth hadn't come out. It's disgusting."The people in the room glared at Ivan. Some were unaffected by the drama, while others sympathized with Lucy. Some were envious of Ivan's good looks, and some wanted to prove themselves as good people in front of the two women.Lucy felt satisfied with the outcome. She believed her performance wasn't in vain. When she noticed the pale-faced Evelyn, she nodded. It was exactly what she had hoped for.Ivan and Evelyn had been arrogant for far too long. Lucy finally had the chance to put them in t
"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what I just said about him? He is good for nothing and would only drag you down. He would use you, turn you into an empty container before disposing of you. Are you not rational?"When Evelyn heard Lucy's words again, her conviction to support Ivan started to waver. She did not think Lucy would be so jobless as to cook up a story just to humiliate Ivan.Moreover, she had not seen or been in contact with Ivan for more than eight years. Different things could have happened, and as Lucy had said, Ivan might have done all those things Lucy accused him of.Also, from the moment Lucy started talking, Ivan never retorted or denied anything she said, no matter how extreme. He just kept his head lowered in silence, giving people the impression that he was guilty and unable to face them.Ivan, on the other hand, was experiencing complicated emotions. He felt angry, indignant, and disappointed. Having all these feelings at once strangely made him calm and expressio
"Ivan, don't you have anything to say? Like a refutation to what Lucy just said, do you have anything?" Ben asked tentatively, already feeling very guilty. He wanted to use the chance to show Ivan his concern.But his gaze on Ivan had changed slightly, and he became cautious around him. When he talked, his voice was tentative instead of the usual liveliness.Even a blind person could notice the changes."He definitely does not have anything to say. What can he say? He has been silent because he knew that he does not have the right to say anything," Linda said with a smirk.Lucy smiled and turned to her. "Remind me to give you my business card. You should come to my company tomorrow. I should be able to find a place for you."Linda's face flushed red with glee. She had decided to take a gamble, and her efforts had paid off. It wasn't easy to get a well-paying job recently, and she was not treated well in the company she worked in. With Lucy's help, she could hope for a better life.She
"Guys, it's late already. I think we should leave," Evelyn proposed after getting up. She wanted to have some private time with Ivan.The others nodded in agreement and stood up one after the other, finishing their drinks. Most of them were not really drunk because of the earlier interlude, which had completely cleared their heads.Lucy took her time to finish her drink before standing up."The gathering is too boring because you are all too poor. We didn't even do anything fun apart from eating and drinking – no games, no fun. You should have told me to handle all these things if you couldn't afford it.""Anyway, I will pay for everything. I don't feel comfortable without paying. Moreover, who knows if you used your savings for many years just to cover the bills? Ivan is useless, and you only have your looks. If you both get together, you will be useless together.""A complete match made in heaven, Hahaha," Lucy ridiculed Evelyn blatantly and laughed. The others did not join her in t
"I am sorry for doubting you earlier, but trust me when I say that I know you cannot do something like that. Lucy is just envious of you, and because she is rich, she has been irrational. I believe you," Evelyn said. She gave Ivan an earnest look and waited for his response.There is one secret that only Evelyn knows, and it is the fact that when her parents saw Ivan for the first time during a parents' gathering in high school, they said something about him looking like someone they had coincidentally seen before.The person was a rich person, and he was also older, so they made a conjecture that Ivan was definitely a rich son of a wealthy family, though they didn't know which. Coupled with his good looks and brilliance, Evelyn confirmed that it was true.So, she had been pursuing him in hopes that he would notice her and probably like her. With that, he might reveal his secrets, and she might also start a flamboyant life.It must be known that Evelyn might look naive, but she was no
"Evelyn, I already made it clear to you that we cannot work. I don't like you, and at the same time, I don't want a relationship with you. I don't even want to be in a relationship with you. You are a pretty, hardworking, caring, and considerate woman, and you are every man's dream. You have everything a man would want in a woman, and I appreciate it, but we can never be together," Ivan said straightforwardly.He does not want to keep dawdling around and dragging it. If he continues, Evelyn will also continue to pester him, and he won't be able to leave.Ivan made sure to let her know that the problem was not with her but with him. He did not want to make her feel bad, nor does he want to keep her hopes up.It is better to just end things and keep it simple.After saying all this, he was expecting Evelyn to let go of him and give up, but instead, her hold tightened, and he looked down at her in surprise."Why?" she asked simply, and her question caught him off guard."Why what? I alre
Evelyn noticed that Ivan was not falling for her melodrama. Her eyes reddened even further, and she sobbed silently."Do you know how far I went just for you? Just to see you? Are you that heartless? It was purely due to my good luck that I coincidentally met Ben last week. I had to ask him for your contacts because I didn't have any other choice. Do you know how many years I wasted and sacrificed for you? Do you have any idea? I don't think you do because if you did, you wouldn't act towards me like this.""During high school, you didn't hide the fact that you liked Lucy and pursued her openly. I could only be your friend unwillingly because I didn't want to discourage you. I had to keep quiet and endure the heartbreak. Can you even imagine how hurtful it was? Can you imagine how desperate I was just for you to notice me?""I gathered my courage sometimes to confess my feelings for you, but you kept rejecting me each and every time without giving me a tangible reason. Am I not enough
Ivan's frustration grew as he pondered over Evelyn's apparent interest in him. He couldn't comprehend why she would be drawn to someone like him, who had no special talents or remarkable qualities. He couldn't help but bring up Lucy's words from earlier, reminding Evelyn of his joblessness and his dependence on her for shelter and sustenance. He questioned her, seeking an explanation for her interest."Why are you so interested in me? I have nothing to offer, no special qualities. Didn't you hear what Lucy said? I'm unemployed, living in her house, dependent on her for everything. Were you not listening?" Ivan asked, his agitation evident.Evelyn saw Ivan's question as a test, a way to gauge her true feelings for him. She deliberated whether to reveal that she knew his secret identity, unsure if it would strengthen their connection or shatter it. After careful consideration, she made up her mind, her expression turning resolute."No, I don't believe what Lucy said. She wanted to tarni
After they finally found a dress that they would wear for the ball, they sent all the designers packing, and the house seemed empty. Isabel and Rachel were both immensely tired.“I'm stressed; I need to go to a spa.”“Well, you can add that to the list of what we have to do tomorrow,” Rachel told her, and she nodded.“I really do not like being stressed out. It messes with my brain,” Isabel complained.“I wonder how your husband is coping. To be very honest, you're lazy. You can't even do any hard work for like three hours straight.”“Now, why would I want to do hard work for three hours? I was not made for stress; it's why I have my very loving husband that understands me,” Isabel said, and Rachel laughed.“Well, that's good because if your husband was not Ivan, I wonder what you'd have shown him. The people around you need to be very patient people,” Rachel told her, and she nodded.“That's why I have you, Chelsea, Elijah, and Richard. You all love me so much that it's suffocating,”
“I'm so stressed out. Let's quickly get today over with,” Isabel moaned as she sat down.“We have only just begun; have you forgotten that we are going to shop for the dresses that we will wear to the ball?” She asked her.“Oh, I totally forgot about that, darn.”“Good that you're here. That's how you'd have forgotten about it. It's important, you know,” Rachel told her.“I'm sorry, I've just been so stressed out, and now you're putting me through a hardcore workout,” she told him.“You need these every morning, you know, so you'll have a clear mind,” Rachel told her.“Clear mind how? I'm so stressed right now, and I can barely think, so please, there's no way I'm having a clear mind with this torture,” she groaned, and Rachel just laughed.“Now come on, it's important to keep fit. Go and take your bath,” Rachel told her, and she nodded.“You don't even have to tell me twice. Can't we just tell the designers to come here?”“Well, my house is too cramped up, right?”“My house? Let's go
“I've done a number on him,” Isabel muttered as she plopped down onto Rachel's bed.“Why do you say that?” Rachel asked as she removed her makeup.“He's now acting like a baby around me, like he's scared what might happen if he does some certain things with me. Ivan used to be so confident; he asked if he could hold me earlier after the panic attack,” she told her, and be nodded.“I understand that bit; you just need to be there for him. He needs you this time; make sure you don't let anything happen to him. It's the time to be there for him,” she told her, and Isabel nodded.“I know, I know. I just hope he gets better soon. The panic attack was so deadly to watch; I've never seen him have one. The way he clawed at his throat, Rachel, I don't think I want to see that again. It seemed like he wanted to die, and it drove me insane. I can't bear to see him die, you know,” Isabel told her, and she nodded.“I understand; don't worry. You guys have each other, and you're strong together, so
“Where the heck have you been, Isabel?” Elijah screamed at her on her way back to the office. Everybody stared at them due to how loud his voice was.“Don't you ever shout at me like that again,” Isabel warned him, and he still looked panicked.“I'm sorry, but everybody has been looking for you.”“Why? I was in Rachel's office; you know that's where I go most of the time.”“Darn it, it's Ivan,” Elijah said as they both got into the elevator.“What's wrong with him?” She asked hurriedly.“He's having those panic attacks again; it's worse this time around. I'm not comfortable leaving him but I was about to go to the announcement room and call your names through the speakers,” Elijah told her, and her own heart dropped.Why was he having these panic attacks? The elevator was not going fast enough; she kept staring at the numbers. She was burning inside, and when the elevator finally opened, she ran out. The people on the floor looked at her, but she didn't care.The man she loved was in
The moment Rachel got to the office, she was greeted by different people, and they complimented her dress. She smiled and felt happy; she liked dressing nicely and being complimented by people. It made her feel good. She quickly made her way to her office to start her work for the day. She had a lot of things to do, and because she didn't come to work yesterday, she knew she had to catch up on a lot of things today.She remembered her night with Dante and smiled as she entered her office. Maybe things were finally starting to be okay for her and Dante. Maybe they could do this after all, but she still didn't know what would happen. She knew that his father was so against the idea, so even if her own parents agreed, she wasn't sure his own father would allow it. She didn't know what to do, and she didn't want to think about it, so she resumed work immediately. She needed to catch up on things. They had a meeting tomorrow where she would have to give her briefing, so she wanted everythi
She opened her eyes but quickly closed them again. She didn't want to leave the bed; it was too comfortable for her. So, she closed her eyes, intending to go back to sleep. She didn't want to think about anything; she just wanted to continue being in the arms of the man she loved. She burrowed into his arms, but it felt empty. She immediately opened her eyes and looked beside her, only to find an empty space."Dante?" she called out, met with eerie silence. She sighed in disappointment, realizing that he was gone. She had expected him to still be there, and perhaps they could have talked some more. But she kept forgetting that he was a busy man and didn't always have time for what she wanted to do. Although she knew that if she told him she wanted him to stay, he would do so without hesitation, without thinking twice. And she loved him for that.She finally admitted to herself that she was in love with him. She thought as she plopped back down on the bed. She should probably have toda
After her conversation with her mom, she plopped down on the bed, contemplating her life and what to do next. She had achieved a lot at her age, and living in a cramped house was simply her choice. She could have easily afforded a penthouse for herself, given her hard work and the trust fund that would set her up for life. However, she wasn't lazy; she wanted to work hard and establish a trust fund for her future children as well. She had already started planning and saving for the children she would have, and the amount of money involved was not insignificant. She had clear goals that she wanted to achieve. For now, she knew that she simply wanted children. She didn't desire much more, just like her parents. Whether they came as twins or individually, she wanted kids. As for a husband, she couldn't envision herself with anyone other than Dante. She thought about it constantly, and he was the only person she could imagine being with. It was a strange feeling, but she just knew it. You
“Mom, come on, tell me. I'm itching to hear about her,” Rachel urged her mother.“Andrea, I don't want to spill your brother's secrets,” she told her, and she pouted.“But he knows all of mine,” she told her, and her mother glared at her.“Mommy.” She gave her that look that she couldn't resist.“Okay, okay.”“Thanks, mommy.”“I'll tell you, but you don't get to use it against him or I'll kill you personally,” her mother told her, and she knew that she took that threat seriously.“So, after you left, you know how your father changes maids in the house every year, except Nora?”“Yes.”“Serena came in as the next batch of maid for the year. It was only supposed to be a year actually. She was assigned to Andre, your brother's chambers. You know the typical boss falls for the maid, whatever. That was exactly what happened, but Serena didn't like him then. She gave him a hard time and she really messed with your brother's mind. He almost went crazy. Anytime they had an argument, he's alway
It was the weekend again and Ivan and Isabel had to sleep in the same bed in the same house, their children were growing rapidly and their wits were also growing with them, those children were smart and they got it from their father probably. Isabel wasn't a nerd so she wasn't exactly smart all the way, but their father was everything so of course, they were smart.They just finished dinner now and Ivan and Isabel just tucked their children to sleep after singing for them. It felt nice to do all these once again, Ivan liked it and Isabel didn't want it to end actually. That was how he wanted things to continue to go, smooth.They were finally back in their room and they both laid down, they have never cuddled after everything that happened then.“Let's talk,” Isabel told him and he pulled his perfect eyebrows together.“About what?” He asked.“About us.”“Okay….” He said carefully not knowing when this will end, he had no idea what she wanted to talk about and it drove him crazy. He w