Chapter 12
-MILLIE-
If not for Andrea, we would have incurred a tremendous loss on the wedding proposal we’ve been
aiming to seal. It’s for Constance Moreno, a fashion icon and vlogger, also a good friend of Candice. I
messed up the budget allocation by a couple of hundred dors. Good thing Andrea read the printed
document and pointed out my mistake.
She was a lifesaver.
This meeting with Damian factored into my anxiety, but a huge part came from the second bouquet I
received on Tuesday. I thought it was another surprise from Damian. But the card said otherwise. It
was from Hunter.
“I think you should take a day off,” Andrea suggested when we were locking the office Tuesday night.
“And do what?” We walked side by side to the elevator. “I’ll just stress myself out in my apartment,” 1
added as the lift carried us to the ground floor.
“And you’ll stress me out if youe in!” she murmured, her exasperation ring
I pinned her reflection on the lift door with a narrowed re.
“Oh, you’re mad? I had to double-check your work today as if I were a school teacher checking a
paper, M.” Disappointment simmered in her earth colored eyes.
As the lift touched down on the ground floor. Andrea was still pensive. We stepped out of the building
and waited for her ride. She sighed and faced me, running her fingers through her fiery red waves.
“Look, I’m sorry for calling you brain-dead. I have to work on my patience because I know this isn’t
you.”
I lowered my gaze, studying the tips of my stilettos, mulling over my entire day. She had the right to call
me brain-dead. I was out of my head. “Sorry”
Sympathy coasted her face. “What are you gonna do?”
After the delivery guy left- the same one from Monday- I stood frozen, holding the card with Hunter’s
signature. Andrea scanned what was scribbled on it and cursed under her breath.
“Missing you.”
Two words from Hunter. That’s all it needed to rattle my entire day. I still feel something for him. His
betrayal wouldn’t sting like this if I didn’t. But reconnecting with him was out of the question. If Natalie
wasn’t in the picture, I might reconsider. Sadly, she was.
I shrugged, gripping the strap of my messenger bag tighter. “Nothing. What’s there to do?”
“Right,” Andrea grimaced. “I don’t usually give a piece of my mind to you, Millie, coz you have a good
head over your shoulder. But when ites to love, smarts don’t count.” She’d known because she
went through a simr situation before she found Nick, her beau who just rolled in in his Honda Rebel
500.
“This thing with Hunter and Andrea is still fresh, and I might not agree with your actions… She nibbled
her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s true that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone. And
Damian is a light years upgrade from Hunter.”
“Why are you frowning, Bambina?” Nick asked, nodding at me. I nodded back, acknowledging him.
Intricate tattoos snaked out from the sleeves of his fitted ck tee. If he wasn’t with Andrea, I wouldn’t
Wolves MC’s insignia on his bike, and a si on his pinky. Everything about him screams danger. He
carried a gun with him around New York like he was a cop.
Nick patiently waited for Andrea’s response, his aviator sunsses concealing his
“It’s Millie’s ex.” Andrea swung her legs over Nick’s bike, fastening her helmet.
III
“Why?” Nick’s cool voice sharpened. “He’s still bothering you?”
I shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question. Hunter could do a lot of sh it to bother me, but it
was my choice to allow his stunts to rattle me. “He’s harmless. Maybe he just realized what he’s
missing” I managed to soundcent.
Nick doesn’t buy it. His face remained stoic, voice tight with danger. “If he does, tell me. I’ve got a ce
for people like him.”
Shivers coiled down my spine. I don’t even want to ask what he meant by that. “Uhm, sure. Drive
safely,” I said, bidding goodbye, and started walking to my apartment.
Despite the workload waiting for me at the office. I took Andrea’s advice and stayed home. Candice will
room, scrubbed the bathroom, and baked Italian pasta. I kept busy all day and prepared early for my
dinner with Damian.
Damian said he’d pick me up at seven. The doorbell buzzed at six thirty, I did a double take at my
reflection in the full-body mirror in my room. My blond hair was in waves draping past my shoulder, and
light makeup tinted my face. I wore a high- waisted coffee-colored re skirt and a white tank..
I was leaning toward casual. I didn’t want to seem eager to be dating Damian.
Taking a deep breath and stering a smile, I opened the door, my smile dropping to a grimace. It
wasn’t Damian by the door, but Hunter.
“What are you doing here?” My tone was anything but friendly. Seeing him stirred hostile emotions in
me. Anger, annoyance, confusion, and a sparkle of hope. I hate it, but it’s there. Hope for what? I’m not
sure. I wouldn’t want him back. even if my life depended on it.
You haven’t returned my calls,” he jabbed back, his fingers messing with his blond curls
1 listened to all his voicemails gushing the same thing. He wanted to talk to me. I should’ve blocked
him, but it gave me satisfaction knowing he’s reached out to me, and I shut him out. Somehow, I
weirdly felt in control.
Cool blue eyes traversing my face down to my bare feet. His brows curled. “Going somewhere?”
I folded my arms, scowling, “What. Are, You, Doing. Here.”
Seeing his heartbreakingly handsome face ripped open the rift in my heart I tried to piece together
since Saturday.
“Come on, amore.” I loved it when he called me Amore. I bet I wasn’t the only Amore in his life. It’s
probably a code name so he wouldn’t mistakenly call another woman’s name. “You can’t still be mad at
me, are you?” he lifted a hand to my face. 1 recoiled, pping it away.
Mad doesn’t even cover what I felt. Looking back at our rtionship thesest three months, I realized
he’d been traveling more, going on out-of-town trips when I couldn’t see him on weekends. At the same
time, Natalie had volunteered to take over vlogs outside Roslin City, too.
They’ve made a fool out of me that long
Then, two weeks ago, I received a picture of him dining with a woman in their restaurant in Roslin City.
The photo was taken from the other side of the street, blurry and impossible to make out the face of the
woman he’s with Lasked him about it. He said he was investigating a case. My intuition told me
otherwise, so I asked who the woman was. That’s when things started to heat up
“If you can’t trust me, then there’s no future for us, he said back then
I was too mad and too tired to even argue with him, so I just kept my mouth shut and gave him a cold
shoulder.
“I’m not mad. I’m livid. Hunter,” I stated firmaly, willing my heart to slow down. Deep down. I’m delighted
to see the longing and hesitation in his eyes. Not because I wanted him back, but because he knew he
can’t just waltz back into my life after what he did. “Say what you came for, or I’ll call security”
“That’s right.” A deep voice filled the hallway. Damian stepped out of the elevator. Like a lion, he was
slick and agile as he walked to my
door.
A lot of emotion traversed Hunter’s face. Confusion, then recognition, his face crumpling to a scowl.
Damian tossed an arm over my shoulder, his fresh waterfall scent calming my nerves. After kissing my
forehead, he tipped his chin towards Hunter, matching my ex’s death re. Damian’s smirk was
taunting, challenging Hunter to speak up..
“Is this why you haven’t answered any of my calls?” Hunter asked. His icy blue eyes, which used to
look at me adoringly. were now judging as they bounced to Damian and me.
“That’s on me.” Daman answered before I could. “Got a problem with that?”
Hunter’s eyes nted, meeting Damian’s gaze in a standoff. “You know she’s my girl, right?”
Damian smirked. “From what I heard, she wants you out of her face, Detective Lean.”
Hunter’s nose red, his eyes shooting daggers. “You’re just a f ucking rebound,” his eyes slide to meet
mine. His weighted. stare made my chest tight. I’d never seen him this agitated. It’s like he could
swallow me whole if I’d let him.
“Good night, amore,” he turned towards the elevator.
Damian stirred me inside the apartment, closing the door behind us. His expression quickly shifted to
worry. He gripped my shoulder and leveled his face with mine. “You good?”
I nodded. “Yeah,” and I wasn’t even lying. I didn’t need rescuing, but Damian’s presence put the tension
out of my body.
“You sure?” Damian wanted to know.
I heaved a breath and squared my shoulder. “Yep. I’ll need shoes and my purse, and I’m good to go.”
This will be a good distraction, and G od knows I need one right now.
Damian looked unconvinced, but straightened and offered me abouquet of roses. I didn’t even notice
N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.
he was holding one. I thanked him, put them in the water, and grabbed my purse, shoes, and jacket.
Once in the lobby, I was startled when Damian tossed his corded arms over my shoulder, tucking me to
his side. I nced up at him, brows furrowed.
He leaned his mouth on the side of my head. “Your ex is lurking across the street,” his breath teasing
my skin. “F ucking creep. He murmured thatst statement to himself.
Through the ss door, I caught sight of Hunter inside the coffee shop across the street. He upied
a booth, a single cup of coffee on his table. “I don’t know what’s going on with him.”
“He can’t ept that you already reced him.” We stepped out onto the street. I curled an arm
around Damian’s waist, going with the flow. Damian gripped me tighter.
“He cheated on me. Technically, he reced me first.”
“I should kiss you,” he chuckled, guiding me towards the Jeep clustered along the lines of cars on the
street side. “That’ll ward him off.”
Men and their possessive stance. I snorted. “What a bright idea. Damian.” Sarcasm dripped like honey
from my lips, but Damian didn’t seem to take the hint or just ignored it. He pushed me against the door
of his Jeep when we reached it, his eyes dark and brooding.
“I wasn’t kidding.” He bracketed my jaw, green eyes sliding from my eyes to my lips, thumb sailing on
them. My heart gained speed from zero to a hundred miles per hour, my pulse galloping. His other
hand slid under my jacket, gripping the bare skin between my skirt and top. Heat Hared where he was
touching me. “I hate it.”
“What?” I wet my parched lips with my tongue, my brain working overtime to keep up with this
conversation. Damian’s
M.
heated gaze dropped to my mouth, a deep rumble rolling from his chest.
“Have you decided yet?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes to your deal.
Hunter showing up in my apartment was thest nail to the coffin. I don’t want him lurking in my life,
and the way he reacted to Damian earlier gave me the final push I needed.
“Good, Damian murmured, leaning his face closer to mine. My breath hitched. What the hell is this man
doing to me? “We need to talk terms.”
“O… okay” Held captive by his intense gaze, I shifted from one high heel to another, cheeks heating up
from his proximity. and the attention we were gaining from pedestrians on the street
“But first. Damian’s face was so close his body heat was a stark contrast to the cool surface of his car.
“I need to mark my
territory.
“You do?
He smirked and removed the distance between our lips.