RAFAEL“A week after Mikhail went missing, and the news spread to the school,” I began the story I never told anyone. It tortured me to share this part of my life with someone, but not this me. Surprisingly, I felt fine. My tranquility was her doing.Savannah was now leaning on my chest with my arm on her shoulders on the bed. I loved smelling her vanilla-scented hair. We fucked and made love in the last three hours, but I still couldn’t get enough. I needed more of her.“The kids watched, the teachers felt sorry, and that was when Brett’s friends came to me. They told me what happened at the amusement park. We came back every day. Dad hired people to find him, but he was gone. He didn’t speak to me for a while.”“So you blame yourself because you thought he blamed you. Your dad mentioned something about it,” she said. That was probably when they spoke at the beach. “Why do you think he blamed you?”“I brought him there after school. Mikhail didn’t speak, but he understood me. I asked
SAVANNAHThree weeks later…After convincing Michael to officially meet the Sebastians, he hardly had any sleep. I could tell by the dark shades underneath his eyes and how he always asked me what to say to them. He looked nervous but was still very handsome, just like his brother. They were fraternal twins, but was it ironic that I was seeing a resemblance now?Someone knocked on the door, and then Rafe let himself in. “Is everyone ready?”Last week, I moved into his penthouse, which I basically consider my personal space now. We hadn’t told anyone about our engagement since we wanted his parents to meet Michael first and then our announcement. It should be private. He also insisted I invite Michael here yesterday so they could talk.In addition, Michael didn’t know there was a huge celebration in the company tonight. It was the sixtieth founding anniversary of Sebastian Entertainment Group and Rafe’s appointment as the new chairman. Michael had changed his ties many times now in fr
SAVANNAH“A toast. For all of us!” Rafe lifted his champagne glass as we gathered after the program. The Estrellas and some familiar faces in the company had also joined us at our table. With that, everyone raised their glasses and then drank their champagne.“Thank you, darling.” Rachel put her glass down and clasped her hands. “You see, everyone. I’ve always asked myself whether this time will come, and I’ll be present to witness it.”Everyone turned silent.“But here I am, seeing all of you, celebrating our success. I can’t ask for anything more.” Her gaze stopped at Michael, and she smiled. “I’ve never felt so happy again until this moment. And to my husband and children. Thank you for making this possible, and congratulations to us all.”Everyone at the round table applauded and sipped on their drinks again.“Congratulations to the additional family member, too,” a sophisticated-looking woman in a blue gown commented. She seemed about Rachel’s age.“Oh, Anya is giving birth six m
SAVANNAH Two years later... I expected to see this day but didn’t expect to feel melancholy. Carter was packing his stuff in a big blue box, like someone who got fired from his job. But his expression was too joyful for someone leaving his post. I was happy for him at the same time. We’d worked together for a couple of years now, and we were so productive. Seeing him step down as CMO would make a drastic change for the office and the entire management. Well, he was following his dreams. He was leaving the entertainment world for a new career journey. He had finally built the perfumery company that he had wanted all along. As for me, I would be the new CMO and Rafe’s partner in life. Yep, that was the proper name for it. “Take care of my office, will you?” Carter said as he transferred his pile of old binders to a box. “You know what to do with these?” “Yes, when I needed ideas from our previous work. Visit us, okay?” He chuckled. “Come on, Savi. We’ve been practically a family e
SAVANNAH My husband didn’t love me anymore. His love burned out for some time now, leaving me with a void in my heart and an ache in my body that I believed would be filled with new flames when the old spark returned. But the coldness remained. Our usual bond had faded, and the lovemaking didn’t feel as good as it used to. It was hurried and robotic. I tried several times to figure out what had gone wrong. I married Edward after we graduated from NYU. We’d been together since we were eighteen, so we decided it was time to settle down. I was crazy in love and nothing else mattered but him. For starters, Edward stopped telling me he loved me. Second, he didn’t want a child. I understood we were busy, but we had been married for five years. Finally, where did he go on Saturday nights, and why did he often change his phone password? Edward stepped out of bed after our loveless sex, letting the blanket fall to the floor. “Would you like to join me in the shower?” “No, I’m still not fe
SAVANNAH Eleven years ago... “Excuse me, Ms. Morris,” Mr. Ward interrupted our literature class. “I need Ms. Gibson at the main entrance.” I checked the clock. There were only thirty minutes left before the period ended. Did I do something wrong? Or did Michael come home? But my brother said he wouldn’t be home until Thanksgiving. I excused myself to my literature teacher and followed Mr. Ward to the main entrance. No one was there. “Mr. Ward?” “These kids.” He shook his head. “Well, look at that.” I wasn’t sure what he was referring to while looking at the wall until I pictured a drawing of a huge pink heart. It had my name scribbled unsightly in the center. I love you, Savannah Gibson. My mouth dropped. What the hell? “Who do you think did this?” my teacher asked. I shook my head. “I have nothing to do with this.” “Yes, but this is your name. If you can’t point out anyone, you might as well take responsibility.” “But, sir—” “No buts, Ms. Gibson.” Mr. Ward scowled at th
SAVANNAH“Edward did what?” Wesley’s voice thundered in the coffee shop at Midtown we always went to.“Hey!” I hissed.“Sorry.” He gritted his teeth. “I’m going to fucking kill him, Savannah. I don’t care if he has a rich aunt.”Riley patted her older brother’s arm. “Relax, dude. That’s not helping.”The three of us had been best friends since our early teens. We were supposed to be four, but Sofia returned to Mexico for college, and we hadn’t seen her since.“So, what are you going to do?” Wes asked.I rested my chin on my palm. “He can go to hell. I’ll resign from my position at New Star Media.” I looked at Wes. “You said you have a vacancy in your department. Is it still open?”“So, you’ve finally considered that now, huh?”Wesley Allen was associate marketing director at Sebastian Entertainment Group. The company was founded as a record label, but after acquiring subsidiaries, it expanded into a global mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate with a net worth of eighty-fiv
SAVANNAH After my two-hour update about the business trip, I submitted my resignation on Monday morning. Amara picked up the envelope and stared at it, but she wasn’t surprised. “Effective next week. You know I like you, right?” she said. “I’m so sorry, Amara.” “Savi, you are smart, obedient, and enthusiastic. You met deadlines and submitted outstanding ideas that helped me numerous times. Can we talk about this first?” “Believe me, I’m grateful to be here and I will be thankful forever, but—” “But my nephew is an asshole. Yes, he is.” Amara might be Edward’s aunt, but she was fair. I had a colleague who was cheating on his wife with another colleague. Amara fired them the next day she found out. She was strict with work, but the employees loved her. She was still single at age forty-four, so relationships and men were never an issue. I now understood why she was that way. She always said men were always the problem. “Edward told you.” She stood up and turned around her desk.