While they made their way through the crowds towards the people waiting patiently for them, people couldn't help but stare at them and whisper things that didn't seem too pleasing to the ears.
Eleana could hear a few women gossiping about her and Ayden's sudden change of relationship a.k.a their so-called breakup.
"How could he leave her for an outsider? Is he out of his mind! They used to look perfect together" A middle-aged woman dressed in a purple shining gown that covered her anklet whispered in a hushed tone to her group of friends. They all nodded at the part where she said they used to look perfect together. Eleana also used to think the same for so many years. She lived in that white lie for ages but now she was finally out of it.
"Exactly. Ms Davis is such a gem. Everyone in Vancouver wants her to marry their son. Yet Ayden Campbell dumped her. What a pity!" Another woman in a green dress sighed sorrowfully, making her group of friends nod at her words and look at Eleana with pity which she absolutely detested. She hated it when people pitied her.
Her whole life she was the subject of people's pity. She hated it.
She hated it when people pitied her when her parents died in the plane crash.
She hated it when they pitied her when her snobbish and money-minded relatives dragged her down just to swallow her parent's wealth.
Now they were pitying her for her broken engagement. And among all of those, she hated the last reason the most.
It hit directly at her pride which she had built in all those years. It only took Ayden Campbell to crash her dignity and pride along with her heart.
"I am planning to send my son to ask her out for a date. It's clearly a golden chance for us. I hope they will click instantly." Another big-mouthed woman squealed in a happy tone making everyone tease her with envy. They also wanted their sons to grab the chance and woo Eleana.
Eleana swallowed the hard lump that had formed into her throat with bitterness. She was sure Ayden, his parents and Natasha, all of them heard those women's gossip. But none of them made it obvious. Getting a grip on the overflowing emotion, Eleana straightened her back and held her head high while plastering a big fake smile on her face. Soon their journey was cut short as they reached where Mr Cameron and Mr Matthews were standing along with a few other men. As soon as they came face to face with them, they all smiled and greeted them.
"Ahh Mr Campbell, you are finally here. We have been waiting for you for ages." Mr Mathews was the one to speak up at first, he casually glanced at Eleana and passed her a smile which she returned.
"Excuse me for making you wait Mr Matthews. I was looking for my Princess and it took me a while to find her." Philip apologised with a smile. Both Mr Cameron and Mr Matthew nodded in understanding.
"So you are the famous Eleana Davis? I have been very eager to meet you, Ms Davis. We have heard a lot about your talent. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Mr Cameron praised Eleana while forwarding his hand for a shake which Eleana gladly took with a grin.
"Hello. You are flattering me Mr Cameron but Thank you. I have heard a lot about you and Mr Matthews too. I really look forward to our collaboration. I hope we could work and achieve our success together." Eleana spoke for the first time in a while. She took her hand back from Mr Denver Cameron and forwarded it towards Mr Corbin Matthews which Mr Matthews gladly took with a smile.
"I love your confidence. We also look forward to working with you, Ms Davis." Mr Matthew replied in a gentle tone. He was an Elderly man around 60 years old with grey hair, dressed in a navy blue tuxedo. His facial features made him appear to be kind and Eleana knew it was true. Mr Matthews was famous for his generosity.
"Ayden, Dear. It's good to see you back. I hope you enjoyed your stay in the USA. I heard it's a beautiful country with good-hearted people." Mr Matthews kind voice made Eleana come back from her thoughts as finally, she remembered about the two detestable people standing beside her quietly. She glanced towards Ayden and found him shaking his hands with both Mr Cameron and Matthews. Thankfully Natasha left his arm which she was clinging onto as if her life depended on it.
"Thanks, Mr Cameron. Indeed, the USA is beautiful but my heart lives here in Vancouver. So I can never leave it for anything else." Ayden replied with a chuckle that sounded like music to other people's ears. His voice was always deep and husky. It sounded like a lullaby, putting everyone in a trance whenever he spoke.
"Ah, I see. So who is this pretty lady with you? I haven't seen her before." Mr Matthews indicated towards Natasha with a smile. She smiled back like an angel while fixing a strand of hair behind her left ear. Ayden placed at her once before turning his attention towards Mr Matthews. He seemed to take a deep breath before opening his mouth to introduce Natasha.
"This is Natasha Davis. My girlfriend. And Natasha this is Mr Matthews, our business partner." He introduced Natasha to everyone curtly. Natasha came a little forward before forwarding her hand towards Mr Matthews. Both Mr Matthews and Mr Cameron seemed a little startled hearing Ayden introduce Natasha as his girlfriend because they had previously heard that Ayden Campbell was engaged to the only heiress of the Davis Corporation, Eleana Davis. So they both glanced towards Eleana with a confused expression to which Eleana simply smiled forcefully. She then turned her head towards another direction to avoid their questioning gaze. They seemed to understand the situation and didn't express their confusion.
"Hello Mr Matthews, it's nice to meet you." Meanwhile, Natasha came forward and greeted him shyly. Mr Matthew smiled and shook his hands with her. Natasha then shook hands with Mr Cameron.
"It's nice to meet you too, Ms Davis. Pardon me for asking but are you related to Eleana Davis here?" Mr Matthews couldn't hold his curiosity and ask. For a moment, Natasha had a complicated expression on her face but soon she composed it and replaced it with a smile.
"Oh yes. Eleana and I are cousins. My father is Lincoln Davis." Natasha clarified sweetly.
"Oh, I see. I have met your father a few times. I heard he had a daughter but never metk her. So you are the one." Mr Matthews beamed in recognition. Natasha giggled and then nodded.
"Yes. I'm the one." She replied a bit meaningfully while taking Ayden's hands in hers. Ayden stared at their joint hands for a while then averted his eyes with a neutral expression. Heade no sign of removing her hands from his. On the other hand, Eleana silently watched those exchanges from the corner of her eyes while discussing their upcoming project with Mr Cameron.
Her heart ached painfully at the lovey-dovey scene unfolding in front of her eyes. Once she was the one who held his hand like that with pride but now she was simply a side cast.
Why was she always the one who got easily replaced?
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After the small chit chat with the clients, Eleana excused herself and moved in another direction to calm herself again. Those crowds, their fake persona, smiles and sugar-coated words were making her sick in her stomach. She needed to get out of here otherwise she might break down here. She started to move her legs faster while avoiding eye contact with anyone. Soon she reached the valley which led to the backdoor. She sighed in her heart and took a U-turn to exit the venue when all of sudden someone called her from behind. She halted in her steps and soon found herself frozen in her place.
"Eleana, wait!"
That voice! She recognised it without even turning around. The only voice which could give her chills and put her in a trance belonged to none other than Ayden Campbell or should she say Her heartbreaker.
Eleana could hear his footsteps coming nearby every second. She wanted to run and avoid talking to him but her traitor heart didn't let her move. She bit her lips to get a grip on herself and prepared herself for whatever was coming next.
As soon as Ayden reached where she was standing. Eleana turned around with a composed neutral expression. She raised her eyebrows, silently asking him to continue why he was here.
Ayden looked at her neutral expression and had complicated thoughts about it. All of sudden he was at a loss for words. It's been two weeks since he had talked to her about breaking their engagement. In those two weeks, he thought of contacting her but decided against it. He thought it was better to give her some space. She needed to deal with the news. But now it seemed too awkward for them.
"Are you going to just stare at my face?" Eleana's impatient snap brought him back from his thoughts. She was scowling at him. He heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair to get his grip together.
"I just wanted to check if you are alright or not." He started scratching his neck. Eleana rolled her eyes at his words.
"And why wouldn't I be alright? I cracked a big deal. I'm happy." She cut him off, uninterested in his bullshit.
"Yeah. I'm happy for you. Congratulations!" Ayden expressed sincerely. He was indeed very happy for her for getting the deal. It would help her to get huge recognition in the international fashion world if she finished this project perfectly.
"Thanks. Now please excuse me. I have more important things to do." She said flatly. Ouch! Her words stung. She had never spoken to him in that tone. Ayden couldn't help but feel a little bit suffocated. His face turned gloomy.
"Let's go. I will drive you home." He ordered in a heavy tone.
"Thanks but no thanks. I have my car." Eleana directly declined. She didn't want to stay with him in the same place let alone in a small car.
"I wasn't asking." He replied firmly before reaching out his right hand and grabbing Eleana's hand in a tight grip. Eleana let out a yelp as he pulled her with him while taking long and fast steps towards the exit.
"What the hell are you doing? Leave my hand. There are people. They might misunderstand us." She tried to free her hands while shouting but Ayden paid no heed to her. Eleana felt frustrated the way he was dragging her and not listening to anything she was shouting.
"Aren't you afraid your finance will know you are holding hands with your former finance and driving her home?" This time Eleana taunted with a chuckle.
"I don't give a fuck!" Came his stern angry reply which made Eleana chuckle more loudly.
"Of course, you don't. Who knows it better than me." She again taunted, smiling in bitterness.
Ayden seemed to pay no heed to any of her taunts. He brought her near his car and opened the passenger seat for her.
"No." Eleana firmly refused before crossing her hands over her chest.
"Get into the car Eleana," Ayden ordered impatiently, his voice was rough indicating he was very angry.
"I said no. I don't want you to drive me anywhere. I don't want you near me. Go back to your fiance." She snapped angrily before turning towards her car but all of sudden she was yanked back and scooped in Ayden's arms. She let out a yelp before wrapping her hands around his neck. Afraid of any sudden fall which was very unlikely to happen.
"You devil! What are you doing? Put me down." She cursed him angrily. But Ayden didn't mind her, instead, he took her in front of the passenger seat, pulled the car door open with one hand and threw her in with a thud before shutting the door and getting in himself with another one. He looked very angry and it made Eleana angrier because he had no right to be angry with her. He has already lost the right the day he broke their engagement and her heart.
After the short journey filled with deep and heavy breaths came to an end, Ayden parked the car in front of the penthouse they used to share before. He hadn’t been there since last year when he went to the USA when they were still engaged. Currently, Eleana was the one staying there alone. She still couldn't bring herself to move out of that apartment. It had too many memories to leave behind and her heart wasn't ready to leave them alone.Ayden came out of the car and before he could reach the other side of the car, Eleana had already opened the door and came out. She didn't even wait for Ayden's response as she turned her back towards the entrance of the building and directly went inside. She didn't want to stay in the same space with the man who had mercilessly broken her heart. She had yet to collect the broken pieces and join them together for them to function again and it wo
One and a half years later…Eleana looked at the busy streets of Vancouver through her car's window. Nothing had changed about this city in the past one and a half years of her absence. It's as busier as ever. She smiled watching the familiar places she used to roam around.It's good to be back. It's time to face everything and claim whatever was hers. As the Campbell mansion came into her view, she couldn't help but smile. She didn't realise how much she missed home, it was her home because her beloved Uncle and Aunt still lived there. She couldn't wait to see their surprised faces after they saw her. She didn't tell anyone that she was coming back. She wanted to surprise them. With that thought, she got out of the car."Peter, please send my luggage inside and then you can take the day off and rest. I will call you if I need you. Have a nice day!" She warmly instructed her driver before bidding him a bye. Peter smiled and nodded at her before thanking her. Eleana smiled at him befo
Eleana soon composed herself and masked all of her emotions before turning her head away and sitting down. She knew that moment would arrive from the day she had decided to come back and face everything. But as she was experiencing the situation unexpectedly, everything felt surreal to her. She didn't understand why her heart was beating crazily against her rib cage after seeing the man who broke her completely. As those unwanted thoughts were making her head burst, she decided to block them and face everything the way she planned. "What happened, Ayden? Why are you still standing there? Come and have your seat." Philip asked from his seat which made Ayden come out of his shocked state."Oh let me guess. He's also surprised to see our Elea darling back, right Ayden?" Kathleen asked with a chuckle, making Ayden look at her with a nod. Eleana heard everything but didn't bother to make any comments because anything related to him wasn't her concern. "Yeah, I'm surprised," Ayden mumbled
"What are you doing Eleana?" Ayden asked, looking straight at Eleana who just shrugged carelessly at his words."Whatever you are seeing Mr Campbell." She answered while crossing her legs. Ayden looked at her irritatedly. "What's wrong with you?" He asked as he removed his blazer and threw it on the other side of the sofa. He then loosened his tie and then rolled both of the sleeves of his shirt. He was clearly annoyed and Eleana knew it. She knew him like the palm of her hand. "There's nothing wrong with me. I simply don't wish to continue our collaboration. I don't see anything wrong with that." Eleana replied with a straight face. She kept her face void of any emotion. "Really, Eleana? You don't see anything wrong with it?" He asked with a humourless chuckle. Eleana could see him clutching his teeth while keeping his hands in a fist, it was a sign that he was getting pissed off. "No." She answered curtly, making him glare at her."You go to Paris without informing me, you cut
The next day, the whole country got the news of Eleana Davis coming back to the country and showing up to the film producer Kolton Miles's party with Robin William as her date. The gossip and juicy headlines again surfaced and she again became the trending topic online. When Eleana went to the breakfast table for breakfast she came face to face with Ayden again. From the cold look she was getting from him, she was sure he also read the gossip."Elea, darling, do you want me to deal with these silly paparazzi and make this useless gossip disappear?" Philip suddenly asked, Eleana shook her head before finishing her bite."No uncle. Those are just silly gossip. Don't bother yourself with them." Eleana dismissed the idea with a chuckle. The truth was she didn't want to remove that gossip. Not yet. She wanted everyone to know that it was over with Ayden Campbell and she was over him. They weren't connected anymore. "Why darling, do you like the boy?" Suddenly Kathleen asked while looking
The next Saturday evening, Philip Campbell decided to throw a lavish party to celebrate Eleana's return and her new design launch. They picked the venue in one of their five-star hotels. Eleana walked through the crowd while holding Philip's hand. While walking into the ballroom she felt her breath getting caught in her throat because she was facing those people after more than a year. The huge space made her feel so small–or so plain. Crystal chandeliespiralledled down from the arching sky-blue ceiling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls and a floor so polished it looked like an iced-over lake. And it wasn’t just the ballroom–the women sparkled like a box of jewels, shades of emerald and ruby and amethyst swirling before her, their low chatter accompanying wafts of rose and hyacinth and jasmine. She looked down at the beautiful red floor-length chiffon gown she was wearing, it was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. The dress flowed around her like water waves. It was weig
The next Monday Eleana got ready early to go to the office because she had to review some designs and sketches done by her artists. As she was walking through the hallway, the receptionist Bela greeted her with enthusiasm. "Good morning, Mam. Have a good day!" Her sweet voice reached Eleana's ears making her smile "Good morning, Bela. You too have a good day!" She greeted her back before making her way inside the private elevator. Pushing the 35th-floor button, she waited for her destination to arrive. She went directly to her manager's room after arriving on the floor. "Good morning, Mr Rivera. Please tell the head designer to get ready with the sketches and sample dresses. I will be there in five." Eleana informed him from the door, making him nod. "Good morning, mam. They are already waiting for you in the design room." He informed her politely. "Perfect, then let's go there first." She commanded with a smile. Mr Rivera hurriedly grabbed the files and followed Eleana to the
"You can't be serious, uncle! This is not possible!" Eleana uttered in horror. She was shocked to hear Philip's words. "I'm sorry darling, but it's true. After I handed over the company to Ayden, he became the sole owner of the company and this gave him the power to control both Campbell corporation and C & D Corporation. It was your idea to merge the two companies. Ayden the CEO of Campbell Corp. holds 65% of the shares, which makes him your boss." Philip explained sympathetically when Eleana proposed to separate the two companies. Eleana looked at Ayden with a glare who just smiled at her devilishly."He can't be my boss." She exclaimed in horror. How did this turn out like this? She was sure that bastard was behind all this."Too bad, Princess. I'm already your boss and I have arranged everything for you." Ayden replied with a smirk making Eleana's blood boil."I will leave you kids to sort this out. Excuse this old man." Philip said before excusing himself from the two."But unc