After suffering from a terrible heartbreak, she moves across the country to start afresh in a small town in Florence County, South Carolina. He just wants to get away from the stress of work and just relax. It also doesn't help that he found his long time girlfriend with his cousin. She meets him in a convenience store and immediately falls for his dark, brooding nature. He doesn't want anything to do with women, let alone the 5"7 brunette with a constant smile on her face and a bubbly voice. What happens when they meet and sparks fly? When he finds out she's his ex's sister? Can she suppress her feelings for him? Will their pasts be able to haunt them or will love help them overcome?
Chapter two
Alex
Signing the last document on my desk, I leaned back on my chair and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Finally, another day done.
From meetings to conference calls to piles of documents to go through and sign to going through my endless emails, I was so ready to call it a day and go home.
Pressing the dial button on the intercom, I summoned my assistant, Lisa. Minutes later, a knock sounded from my door
"Come in", I said
"You called, sir"
"Yes please, see to it that these documents are sent to the appropriate departments"
"Yes sir"
"Yes, please. You can round up for the day after that"
"Thank you sir", she said, retreating out of the office
Leaning back once again, I swiped a hand through my hair and down my face, a habit that comes when I'm feeling stressed or tired.
Suddenly, the door swings open and in comes the bane of my existence also known as my best friend, Antonio Gonzalez.
Visibly groaning, I returned to packing my briefcase hoping he'd get the hint and go away.
Ha, who was I kidding? It was Antonio we were talking about. Dude never takes a hint.
"Hey baby", he said grinning
"What can II do for you, Antonio?"
"Can't a man come over to see his best friend?", he asked, making himself comfortable on the couch opposite where I sat.
"I'm busy", I grumbled out
"Oh, come on, Alex, you can't be too busy for your best bud"
Giving him the side eye, he raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, fine. It's been a while since we've hung out and I was thinking we could do some drinks tonight. Plus, it's my cousin's club opening tonight and I really don't feel like going alone. Please, you gotta go with me, even if it's for an hour or half"
"Do you have to go in the first place?", I groaned knowing that if he pleaded well enough, he might actually be able to cajole me into going to the club with him.
I'm pretty sure the idiot was aware of this
"It's the club's official opening and it's expected of us to be there as a sign of support. I would decline if I could. Please, pretty please", he said, pouting.
"Enough with the theatrics, why don't you find one of your many girlfriends to go with you?"
"Cause you're the one I love", he said with a wide toothed grin.
"You're very stupid"
Laughing, he replied, "You know I can't just take anyone to a family event. Please man, and hour tops and we're out. Come on man"
"Fine", I said, running a frustrated hand through my hair and down my face.
"One hour and I'm out"
"One hour and we're out", he affirmed.
Sighing once again, I said, "Lead the way"
"Yessssss", he said, doing some sort of victory dance while I stood up to gather my things and head out.
"That's why I love you, man"
"And I hate every thing that has to do with you", I said gathering my things and walking towards the door.
Slapping my back hard, he said, "I know you don't mean that"
"Don't push it, Toni"
"Okay, geez, grumpy pants"
Getting into the elevator, I pressed the button for the underground garage while bringing out my phone as the doors closed. Scrolling through it to pass time, we waited for the doors to open.
Getting there, I went straight to my matte black Lamborghini urus.
"Meet you there, yes?" Antonio shouted whilst going over to his white Bentley bentayga.
"Yeah"
Sliding into the driver's seat, the deep red colored leather interior enveloping me with its cedar wood scent.
Not even a second after I settled in, my phone rang indicating a call. Checking the caller ID, I rolled my eyes seeing it was Antonio. Groaning for the umpteenth time this evening, I picked up the call knowing it was useless to decline. The idiot would just keep calling until I picked up. Might as well get this done and over with.
"What do you want?" I growled out
"You know you don't have to go all bad boy on me?"
"I'm not doing anything"
"Uh huh"
"I'm serious, ever since her you've been distant and cold and you've locked everyone out...."
"I've been busy-"
"No you haven't Alex, you've always been a busy man but never too busy to hang out with your friends and family, especially me. I'm not justifying what she did but I'm saying it's high time you let it go and move on"
I was silent because as always, he was right. I needed to move on from her. But I'll be damned if I say it was that easy.
I wake up and I immediately think of her. Every damn thing reminds me of her. I shouldn't be this soft but after saying for three years, you tend to get a bit too attached to someone and it takes a while to move on and let them go.
"I know bro, I'll get there soon"
"Well, I hope its sooner than later cause I miss my babe a lot."
I scoffed at that. Leave it to Antonio to make a joke out of the blue just to make me feel better. It made me feel a bit better but I was never going to admit it to him. He'd keep rubbing it in my face.
"I'm serious man, it's been months since we hung out and as much as it hurts my pride to admit, I miss you man. Burying yourself in all 'em paperwork won't do you any good, you gotta go out there and continue living your life for you..... okayyy?"
"I hear you bro. Thanks man, you're a real one"
"I know right? Hehehe", he said in a high pitched voice.
"And that's my cue to get off the phone", he can be such a drama queen sometimes, I thought rolling my eyes.
"Well, we're here anyways, so......", he said in a cocky tone. The bastard knew what he was doing.
"Thank the heavens", I said sarcastically as I followed his car to the parking lot with the sign saying "RESERVED".
"Hey babe", a high pitched voice from my window made me jump in my seat. Looking out, I saw none other than the bane of my existence once again.
"Stop calling me that, fool", I said getting out of my car. He just laughed at me and leaned against the right back door while waiting for me to lock the car and follow him.
"And quit jumping me, we're not seven anymore", I said glaring at him.
He had the nerve to giggle and flick me off while walking past me to the door where a huge looking bouncer stood.
"Good evening Mr Gonzalez, Mr Antonov", he said giving us both a nod and opening the door.
Nodding back, we entered the building and climbed the stairs to the first floor which overlooked the dance floor. We passed a few rooms and went straight to what looked like a small hall with people standing or dancing in corners or doing whatever it is they were doing, I really didn't care. Going straight to the small gathering of people in the middle, we greeted Antonio's cousin, Luca and his friends whose names I can't remember for the life of me.
A few chatting here and there and I was just about ready to go back to my car and drive back home. I casually strolled to the railing and leaned down to just take a sweep of the place.
And that was when I saw her.
Elena is your typical Cinderella. She is a neglected child who lost her mum at a young age and had her dad remarry just to help her cope and have a mother figure in her life. However, things don't work out like that as her new stepmom was not so fond of her and with her dad away mostly due to his job. After a while, she is used to it and learns how to stay on her own and cope with life. Everything was finally going well with her, she had moved out and gotten a small place to live and work was going on well. Until it was not. Elena is set up by her so called half sister and boyfriend and ends up having a drunken one night stand with a stranger. Playboy and big shot lawyer, Jason has never been with a lady for more than a night. He also stays as far away from stress as much as possible, choosing just to focus on his career and only using the women for the temporary satisfaction. This particular woman kinda felt different. Maybe it was because she was drop dead gorgeous, maybe it was because she gave him the best night he had ever had, or maybe it was because she turned into a complete banshee when she woke up the next morning. Either way, she had left a mark in his heart and he was ready to comb the whole city to find her. What if fate gives him one more chance to get to know her and he's not the only love interest? Would she give him the chance he so desperately needs to make her see him in a different light?
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."