AUTHOR'S POV Thea huffed shoving her bag on her desk before taking a seat in her cabin. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to murder the guy named Theodore Maxwell. The amount of work he gave to his directors was insane. Totally insane. Not only that, the man had the audacity to reject her marketing proposal, not once, not twice. But thrice. It was fucking perfect! The proposal. But Mr Maxwell liked to think otherwise. He was so picky, Thea, couldn't wrap her mind around what would satisfy her apart from Alina. She once caught a glimpse of Theodore actually staring at Alina's picture in his phone like a love sick puppy, that took during a meeting. If she hadn't told her boss to pay attention, he wouldn't have looked up from it. Sometimes Thea wanted to play the 'Alina Card' and let his boss know that she could get him Alina if he decides to go easy on her. but of course she wouldn't push her best friend off a cliff for a douchebag like him.Knowing she needs a break, she de

Theodore's PovI tried to focus on the conversation with my client and Rebecca. But every fiber of my being was drawn to the adjacent table where Alina sat with Thea, along with a stranger who seemed to be monopolizing her attention. And I fucking hated it.Alina's laughter, so familiar and sweet, grated against my nerves as it mingled with the clinking of glasses and the hum of conversation in the restaurant. I couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy as I watched her smile and engage with the intruder. He was good looking, I had to give it to him on that. But I still bagged more points than him in this department. It should have been me eliciting those melodious giggles, sharing those intimate moments with her.My grip on the wine glass tightened as I struggled to maintain composure, pretending to be engrossed in the discussion at our table. But my mind was elsewhere, fixated on the scene unfolding just a few feet away. Each laugh, each exchange between them, fueled the flames of

ALINA'S POV“What do you mean?” Of course there had to be something else I was unaware of in the contract my so called father signed. “The terms of the contract clearly stated that if any party breaks the rules, will be obligated to pay a penalty of 70 million dollars. Since Roosevelt obviously stole from me, breaking the condition of the contract, he is obligated to pay the penalty. Considering if any party is unable to, their first family members will be held accountable and will have to clear the penalty, otherwise may result in imprisonment,” Theodore explained with his straight business face. Of-fucking-course I didn't see this coming. Even after four years, these cockroaches weren't ready to leave me alone. The were everywhere, following me like shadow. My father and his sins, and of course my ex husband. I sighed, clutching the fabric of my jeans tightly. How the hell was I supposed to pay him 70 millions dollars? As if hearing my thoughts, he continued. “Since I know you can

ALINA'S POV“You did what?” Thea screeched in my ear, and I winced at her high pitched voice. “Please tell me I heard wrong!” “Geez, woman. Calm down. My ears will bleed if you continue doing that.” “What the hell were you thinking, Alina?” My mind pondered back to the day I found out I was pregnant with Asher. FlashbackSitting on the edge of the toilet seat, my hands shook uncontrollably as tears cascaded down my cheeks. The pregnancy test in my grasp felt like a damning verdict, confirming the truth I had been desperately trying to deny: I was carrying Theodore's baby. No matter how hard I tried to distance myself from him, he had managed to leave his mark on me in the most irreversible way possible.Lost in a whirlwind of fear and despair, a knock on the bathroom door startled me out of my reverie. Thea's concerned voice pierced through the silence, pulling me back to reality."Alina? It's been some time now. Are you alright? What are you even doing?" Thea's voice held a hint

Theodore's POV“I..what do you mean, Mr Maxwell?” Thea looked taken aback by the sudden query. Her finger fidgeted with the material of her pants as she grew nervous. “I mean, you two looked pretty close back at the restaurant. I'm guessing she is good friend of yours,” I gave her time to collect herself and start giving me insights that I was looking for. “Um, yeah. We are.” She finally said after much thinking. “We..we were actually together in school. And then we crossed paths after years at work. So we decided to catch up on a few things. She's a good friend. Could I possibly know why you are asking about her?” “And the guy that was accompanying you two?” I ignored her question. Since I'm the boss, only I get to interrogate. “Well, erm.. he's my brother. Is everything alright Mr Maxwell? Did he do something?” Yes, he actually did Thea. He fucking touched what's mine. He dared to get close to the person who didn't belong to him. And for that he will have to pay. Unless, he decid