Chapter 12

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 dollars. 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 you come in!” she murmured, her exasperation flaring

I pinned her reflection on the lift door with a narrowed glare.

“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 it comes to love, smarts don’t count.” She’d known because she went through a similar 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 l*p. “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 sn*ked out from the sleeves of his fitted black tee. If he wasn’t with Andrea, I wouldn’t come near a mile radius of the guy. He reeked of gangster scent. Long dark hair, thick stubbles, Wolves MC’s insignia on his bike, and a signet 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 sunglasses concealing his

“It’s Millie’s ex.” Andrea swung her legs over Nick’s bike, fastening her helmet.

III

09:19 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 12

“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 sound complacent.

Nick doesn’t buy it. His face remained stoic, voice tight with danger. “If he does, tell me. I’ve got a place 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 come in today, so she won’t be planning the wedding proposal alone. I did all the laundry, cleaned my 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-b*dy 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 flare 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 plastering 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, slapping it away.

Mad doesn’t even cover what I felt. Looking back at our relationship these last 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”

09:19 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 12

“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 k*ssing my forehead, he tipped his chin towards Hunter, matching my ex’s death glare. 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 sla 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 flared, 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 b*dy.

“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 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 glanced 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 that last statement to himself.

Through the glass door, I caught sight of Hunter inside the coffee shop across the street. He occupied a booth, a single cup of coffee on his table. “I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

“He can’t accept that you already replaced 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 replaced me first.”

“I should k*ss 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 l*ps, 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 l*ps, 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 l*ps with my tongue, my brain working overtime to keep up with this conversation. Damian’s

09:19 Sat, Feb 10 M.

Chapter 12

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 the last 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 b*dy 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 l*ps.