Her jaw fropped to the pristine white floor. She was so shaken by his unexpected admittance that she was unable to say a word.
After staying silent for a long while she pulled herself together to as ask him the question that had been bothering her inside. “Do you have kids with her?”Under normal circumstances, she will never have asked such personal question. But the words were already out. Perhaps it was the drinks that gave her the strength to try.“Thank goodness we don’t.” He replied, Something that resembled relief flashed din his eyes.“But why?” She was prying too much in his private life but she can't seem to stop now. Her stubborn mouth couldn’t stop talking.“Because she attempted to murder me on our honeymoon night.” He hissed.Ember froze.Ember immediately sensed his fury and was swept by instant regret. She fell into silence. Her gaze lowered to his shoulders.What kind of woman would do that to her husband? She thought while her chest throbbed painfully.Could it be that his ex-wife was the reason why he hated women?”She forced herself to look at him and mumbled the words, “I’m so sorry.”“It’s not your fault.” He responded“I-I feel r-responsible anyway. I've overstepped your boundaries and I'm extremely sorry for that...”Her face bowed on the floor but he quickly lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. “You shouldn’t be.” He paused, lifted her cheeks up until her eyes were drawn to her and he added, “Are you happy now?”“I feel bad.” Sadness draped on her phoenix eyes. “I've been betrayed by my lover too. I know how painful it feels.”“Steel is a fool for letting you go,” He told her. Each word overflowed with sincerity. “You did the right thing when you called off the wedding.” He added.His fingers traced the curve of her jaw.“The ex-groom will be extremely pissed off if he sees you’ve altered your wedding dress.” He looked at the gown she was wearing and the faint smile curled on his lips.The atmosphere lightenedEmber chuckles at his remark. “I hope he does.” She replied, her gaze drawn to him like magnets.In spite of his intimidating demeanor, there was something about him that put her at ease. She felt comfortable enough to discuss her engagement breakup like she had known him for years.“Kiss me as if you mean it. Think of me, not your ex-fiancé.” His muscular arms pulled her closer until her chests were intimately pressed to his muscular torso.She stared fixedly at his dazzling white teeth, which would make a toothpaste commercial model green with envy. Kissing him won’t be so bad at all, she thought to herself.Ember sucked in a deep breath. Heart pumping in her chest, she closed her eyes as his lips descended on hers.She felt her universe shift its axis the moments their warm lips touched. Planets collide at her feet, creating a fountain of fireworks reaching all galaxies existing in the universe.As sudden as it occurred, the kiss ended abruptly.She was hurled back into reality.When the kiss ended, she saw everyone staring at her in shock and disbelief.Color rose in her cheeks.What has she done? She thought, panic building inside her. Now everyone will think she's throwing herself onto Ice Clayton Blackstone after a failed engagement.Ember pulled away from him. When she had the chance, she dashed to the door without a backward glance, leaving her left shoe behind her.As soon as she entered her room, she went straight to the bed and collapsed. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that it felt as though she had just finished running a marathon.While she lay still in her dimly lit room, she had a flashback on how her engagement failed miserably*FLASHBACKS*“Where could he possibly be?”She had woken up in her bed alone. Her lover was nowhere to be seen. The smooth sheets where he should be lying remained iron-smooth, telling her he didn't even touch it.Is it possible that Thunder has gone outside to smoke on the balcony? For all of Thunder’s complaints about his insomnia, she gave the idea some serious thought. Perhaps he had fallen victim to another round of his sleeplessness.Despite her internal groaning, she forced herself to stand up.She walked across the carpeted floor in her bare feet to the open door leading to the balcony.When she opened the door a crack further, she saw only an empty space.“Damn it! He’s not even here.”Worry swelled inside her, but this time she’s unable to quell the feeling.Finding her night robe still hanging on the rack, she put it on, and made her way to the door while still struggling to tie the sash. She skittered across the empty hallways passing through doors of snoring guests.She stopped at Chloe's room to ask for help.Taking a deep breath, she shamelessly knocks on the door to wake her up. No one's opening the door so she finally gave up.Cursing Thunder for subjecting her for this ordeal, she turned away from the door, subconsciously reaching for the knob surprising her as it yanked open on its own.Disbelieving, she stared at the open door with her eyes wide open.While Chloe is the sociable type and loves to sleep with a variety of men, she is not the type to recklessly leave her door unlocked and put herself in harm’s way.Ember, fearing for her cousin’s safety, scurries inside the room, only to quickly grasp the reason it had been left unlocked.She saw Chloe first, sprawled naked like a baby, her strawberry blonde hair spread on the white sheets above her head. Her eyes then shifted to the man lying beside her cousin and saw his rugged features. That's when her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyebrow shot to the ceiling.She fully recognized the naked man in Chloe's bed and it was her future husband.Her flashback was cut short by a tear falling from her flushed cheeks.She had been keeping her emotions but it finally broke loose after suppressing them for weeks.Tonight was the first time she allowed herself to cry. As she did so, she promised herself it would also be the last.As she wiped her tears with her palms, she remembered that night how Chloe woke up in daze only to realize she was there in the room.However, instead of offering an explanation and begging for her forgiveness, Chloe had proudly lifted her chin.“It's better you know the truth so Thunder would not be obliged to marry you. Your fiancé is my lover and we've been having an affair for two years.” Her cousin had declared. Ember felt as though the wind had slapped her in the face that time.Thunder awoke to the sound of their voices, and he wasn't even startled to see Ember. He gave her a single icy stare before breaking the news that they were no longer engaged.“Check yourself out in the reflection, Ember.” He
Three weeks later.Phoenix Empire Building.Ice Clayton Blackstone sat on his swivel chair, resembling Hades, the God of the Underworld, with a grim expression on his devilishly handsome face.Under the influence of that mood, no one dared walk into his office for fear they would unleash the demon inside him. Only his secretary was present in his office, trembling in fear with her head bowed on the floor. Beads of sweat formed on her temples as she stood in her place like a statue. She dreaded the worst after Icen caught her taking pictures inside the office. If using a phone and taking confidential pictures wasn't bad enough, a stack of paperwork stood on her office table, and the deadline was today, but she was slacking like the paperwork was none of her concern.“I-I p-promise n-n-not t-to do it again, S-sir.” Her desperate eyes pleaded as they shifted on him.Sadly, patience isn't one of Icen's strong suit. He gestured to the door with an icy stare cold enough to freeze the dep
Ember sat on the tiny balcony of her rented apartment as beads of perspiration dripped down her temples from the sweltering afternoon sun. Three weeks later, she still wasn't acclimated to the weather. She sighed and wiped the sweat from her temples with her hands.She squinted her eyes as she scanned the newspaper for employment listings, frowning. While doing so, Ember fought the desire to read the gossip column, knowing full well that doing so would leave her with a sour taste in her mouth.It seemed like she and Thunder's breakup made headlines every day. For her own sanity, she quit reading newspapers and avoided going online.Once Ember saw the words "Phoenix Empire" and "Urgent Recruiting," she froze. She thought about applying for a job at the company mentioned above, but she quickly got rid of the idea.Despite Ember's best intentions, she knew that her qualifications wouldn't pass muster. She didn't graduate from a prestigious university, and she came from a fairly average f
After a long catch-up session, Ember and her best friend Xia had to separate ways because Xia had to attend a business meeting. A client had called and wanted to set up a meeting to plan an event. Her best friend is a busy woman, as she is in high demand as a wedding and event planner. She felt fortunate to have a moment to chat despite her best friend’s hectic schedule.“Please be careful.” Ember waved at her friend with a smile."You too," Xia smiled back, waving back. Afterward, she climbed into her pink car. The car raced into the distance and Ember retraced her steps back to her rented apartment which was only a stone-throw away. As she walked across the pavement, a tall slender woman emerged from a grocery store.“What a beauty,” Ember thought to herself, unable to tear her gaze off her angelic features. She had the gentlest face she had ever seen. Her skin was as flawless as a pearl and her cherry lips would make a rose ashamed to bloom in her presence. Her intense, sapphire
His piercing blue eyes looked as though they could penetrate her soul and read her deepest and darkest secret. But despite his intimidating appearance Ember could not deny that he was good-looking.She was too stunned to move and simply watched as he threaded in her direction.Ember bit her lower lip as she realized she had been mentally murdering him only seconds ago, but now she was admiring him for his good looks. Speaking of looks, the man appeared to be quite familiar.Crap, the man reminds her of Icen Clayton Blackstone. At the thought of his name, Ember thanked her lucky stars she hadn't crossed paths with him again.Her heart began hammering in her ribcage for no apparent reason. She waited for him with her chin up, preparing for a confrontation she knew was coming.He almost took forever to reach her. When he did, The man towered over her. Even with her four-inch heels, she couldn't quite reach his shoulders.He opened his wallet, grabbed a bunch of hundred-dollar bills, and
Ember was so annoyed, her valued manners blew to smithereens. “Asshole,” she mouthed grimly.Engine roaring to life, the sleek Lamborghini sped away, leaving her fuming in rage. She remembered her job interview and immediately freaked outGrabbing the remaining pair of shoe on her left foot, she ran back to her apartment barefoot.She prayed she wouldn't miss her job interview as she changed. After a last glance at the full-length mirror, she hurriedly left her apartment.The Phoenix Empire stood magnificently under an exquisite blue sky. The colossal tower that she should have been admiring sent dread crawling down her spine.After paying the cab driver, she skittered to the upscale door in her black puff-sleeved dress. It was what she grabbed first in her closet and wore right away without a second thought. The automatic door opened, and she made a beeline straight to the front desk and asked for directions.The woman on the desk raised her head and politely gave her instructions.
Ember had several questions racing through her head, but what stood out the most was, “Did he recognize her when they met on the road?” If so, why did he pretend not to recognize her?Icen Clayton Blackstone likely laughed at her naivety the entire time. To even consider it made her feel like she would explode with shame.“Close your mouth, Miss Heart. I'm afraid a fly would fly inside.”The comment snapped her out of her daydream. She abruptly closed her mouth and looked up to him with her lips drawn into a thin, tight line.“Nice meeting you again, Mr. Blackstone.” She spoke to cover her embarrassment. Even though she did her best to keep her voice calm, it came across as shaky.“Pleasure's mine,” Icen replied, amusement twinkling in his blue lagoon eyes.Ember considered leaving but resisted the impulse. She needs a job, and this may be her last opportunity to obtain one.“Please have a seat.” He motioned to the cushioned chair across from his office table.She obediently followed w
Icen relaxed back in his swivel chair with arms crossed in his chest.With that regal bearing combined with icy blue eyes one has ever seen he could bring chills down anyone's spine.Ember, however, hid her fear of him well behind a veneer of decorum. She had prepared herself for the worst but he completely surprised her when he said.“I just get the impression that you’re not the gold-digging type, Ms. Heart,” Icen murmured to himself in deep thought. She swallowed hard as she felt his hard gaze bore on her countenance. Something in his eyes told her he spoke without filters.“If I may ask, how could you be so sure? You have no idea who I am.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke.“I’ve met my own share of gold-diggers. I assure you Ms. Heart, they are nothing like you.” Icen never left her face and so Ember fought his stare with unblinking eyes.“What if I turn out to be the expert one?” Ember nonchalantly raised her shoulders and added. “What if I’m very skilled at m