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ARIEL’S POV
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my body, and I was getting ready for work.
Yesterday, Andre agreed with me to take my spot back at hispany. He was such a wonderful
friend. If it were some folks, they’d go ahead to do something that was not on the right side.
Luke was walking around the room, making a phone call. I just stood, watching him until he was done.
He let out a sigh since his talk on the phone was more of an argument than a conversation. But staring
at me, he smiled.
“Is it just me, or do you look absolutely pretty whenever you step out of the shower?”
He walked closer to me.
“Oh really, you think so?”
“You haven’t noticed?” he raised an eyebrow. Oh, right, I forgot. You can’t look at yourself unless you
go and stand close to a mirror.
“There’s a mirror right there.” I gestured towards the mirror fixed on the wall in the
room.
“Go take a look at yourself then.” Luke grinned at me.
I sighed and moved towards the mirror. The cool air of the room contrasted with the warmth still
radiating from my skin. Luke followed closely behind, his presence a
Standing in front of the mirror, I caught our reflections. The contrast between my towel–wrapped form
and his casual, everyday attire highlighted the intimacy of the
moment.
Luke’s hands found their way to my shoulders, his touch gentle. Our eyes met through the mirror; his
gaze was soft yet intense, making my heart flutter.
“See?” he said quietly, his voice soothing to the fullest. “Absolutely stunning.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, feeling a blend of bashfulness
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and confidence. “I suppose the mirror does add a special touch,” I teased, meeting his gaze in the
reflection.
His lowugh resonated through the small space between us. “It’s not the mirror,” he insisted, leaning
in so his head was just over my shoulder. It’s you. The mirror just reminds you of what’s already there.”
The sincerity in his voice, coupled with the affection in his eyes, wrapped around me like a baronial
embrace. Our reflections in the mirror–a snapshot of our rtionship-
seemed to capture more than just the physical aspect of us standing there. It was as
if the mirror reflected back the depth of our connection, the silentmunication and understanding
that had grown between us.
Luke’s gaze shifted from our reflection to meet my eyes directly, an unspoken
question lingering in the air. The world seemed to narrow down to just this room, this
moment, with the early morning light casting a soft glow around us.
Right here, in this small, seemingly inconsequential moment, I found a profound sense of peace and
mirth. With Luke behind me, his hands on my shoulders, I felt grounded, as if everything in my life had
led me to this point of greatness and tion.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not just for thepliment but for thefort, the love, and the shared life
that seemed to promise so much more.
Luke’s response was a gentle squeeze of my shoulders, a wordless promise of his own–to be there, to
support, to cherish. As I leaned back slightly, feeling his solid
warmth, I realized that no mirror was needed to see the beauty of what we had together. It was right
there, in the way we stood, in the way we looked at each other, and in the silent promises we made for
the future.
After that, I had to tell Luke about me trying to choose a dress for work today, and guess what! It didn’t
take long before Luke rummaged through my bag, a goddamn grin right on his face.
“Alright, let’s see what we have here,” he muttered, pulling out a dress and holding it
up for inspection.
I leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you’re not going
to suggest that I wear that neon pink disaster again.”
Luke chuckled, tossing the offending dress over his shoulder. “Not a chance. J
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learned my lesson thest time.” He continued his search, pulling out dresses of varying colors and
styles, each one more outrageous than thest.
“Are you trying to torture me?” I eximed, shaking my head in mock dismay. “I think- you’re secretly
enjoying this.”
“Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a grin, holding up a sequined monstrosity that seemed to glitter
under the room’s fluorescent lights. “But hey, at least you’ll be the
shiniest person at the office.”
Iughed, swatting the dress out of his hand. “I’d blind everyone within a ten–mile
radius. Let’s aim for something more subtle, shall we?”
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Luke feigned disappointment, dramatically throwing his hands up in defeat. “Fine, fine. But where’s the
fun in subtle?” he teased, finally pulling out a sleek, ck dress
from underneath the bag.
My eyes lit up as I took the dress from him, inspecting it with a critical eye. “Now we’re talking,” I
dered, holding it up against myself in the mirror. “What do you
think?”
Luke pretended to ponder for a moment, tapping his chin with his finger. “Hmm, let me see…” he trailed
off before bursting into a grin. “You look absolutely stunning, as
always.”
I rolled my eyes yfully but couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at my lips. “ttery will get you
everywhere, you know.”
He shrugged. “Just stating the obvious. Now, let’s get you ready to conquer the day.”
“Thanks, that means a lot to me.” I kept on smiling at him..
“And you mean a lot to me,” he told me, with his voice soft before he slowly pressed
his lips against mine.
ANDRE’S POV
Dark days, beautiful days, wonderful days, I had seen it all. Gone through so many great experiences,
what did it mean to feel lonely and broken? Wouldn’t you be hurt realizing that your own brother was a
monster? Yes, we might not usually do things
123 FASHION FLIRTATIONS.
together and argue regrly, but blood was still blood.
Ariel had told me all these things, and I believed her. Because Mason… he was just so… god, I didn’t
even know what to say; how to bring out the expression in this one. But it pained my heart to know
what my younger brother had done.
Suppose I could see him right now if only I had a clue about his location. I wanted to talk to him face to
face so we could settle this, and I wanted him to put an end to his terror. And if that happened, then he
should leave the country.
I stood outside mypany, watching people as they stepped out of their cars, my workers unfolding
one by one. Michael and Rose showed up. I greeted the beautiful couple before they walked inside the
building. Seth showed up, and we exchanged. greetings.
And then, after a few minutes, the beautifuldy arrived. Slowly stepped out of her car, looking
absolutely gorgeous in her sleek ck dress.