The morning sun barely penetrated the dense curtains of Eddie Benson’s private villa, leaving the luxurious room cast in a dim glow. Inside, the atmosphere was anything but serene. A glass shattered against the marble floor. “You useless fools!” Eddie roared, his face contorted with rage as he glared at his men. “You had one job! Just one! And you couldn’t even handle a single man?” His lackeys stood before him, heads lowered in shame. The weight of their failure was evident in the bruises on their faces—remnants of Chris’s intervention the night before. Eddie leaned back on the plush leather chair, wincing slightly. His right arm was bandaged from the stab wound he’d received in the scuffle. Every movement sent a sharp pain shooting up his arm, a painful reminder of his humiliation. Humiliation. That was what angered him the most. He, Eddie Benson, heir to one of the most reputable families in the city, had been beaten unconscious by a nobody. His jaw tightened as he turned hi

Eva never sent messages like this. Not unprompted. Not gently worded. Their relationship had been strained for so long that even small gestures felt seismic. There was no sarcasm. No bitterness. Just a quiet invitation. Something about it felt… hopeful. A smile tugged at Kate’s lips, tentative but real. Maybe, finally, a breakthrough. She looked up at the sky, as if the sun itself had just blessed the afternoon. Without wasting a moment, she stood and hurried inside, the scent of jasmine and freshly turned soil still clinging to her clothes. “Bruce!” she called out as she passed through the sunlit corridor into the sitting room. Her husband sat in his usual spot, reading the newspaper with his glasses perched low on his nose. He looked up, eyebrows raised as she entered with more energy than he’d seen in weeks. “Eva wants to see me. At Lemaire’s. Just the two of us.” Bruce lowered the paper slightly. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, then softened into something

Inside her office, Eva was hunched over a stack of documents, completely immersed in preparing for an upcoming investor summit. Her office was quiet, save for the hum of her computer and the occasional scribble of a pen against paper. Then her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, expecting it to be Chris or one of her assistants. Her brows furrowed when it was an unknown number calling her. She frowned, answered. “Hello?” “Eva,” the voice cooed. Her blood froze. “Eddie?” Eddie Benson. What the hell? She answered reluctantly, irritation lacing her tone. “How did you get my number?” “Now, now… don’t sound so disappointed. Just thought I’d give you a courtesy call.” The familiar chuckle that met her ears only fueled her annoyance. “How did you get my number?” Eva asked again, almost growling. “Eva, please calm down,” Eddie drawled smoothly, “always a pleasure. You know, I’ve been thinking about you.” “You shouldn’t,” she snapped. “In fact, you shouldn’t even have my conta

Late afternoon sunlight poured in through the glass storefront of Maison d’Élégance, casting golden reflections onto the glossy marble floors. Inside, the air was rich with the faint scent of French perfumes and the soft hum of classical music playing from overhead speakers. It was the kind of place where each gown whispered luxury, and each price tag dared you to question your worth.Chris stood stiffly by the entrance, adjusting the sleeves of his black button-down shirt. “I still don’t get why I had to come,” he muttered under his breath.Amanda, already five steps ahead, spun on her heel and gave him a pointed look. “Because Eva is your wife, Chris. And her birthday is in three days. Do you want her to wear just any dress?”Chris shrugged. “She’d look good in anything.”Amanda rolled her eyes and gave a knowing smirk. “That’s sweet, but we’re not here for ‘anything.’ We’re here for magic. Eva deserves the kind of dress that makes every other woman in the room feel underdressed.”C

Tina, standing proudly beside her, snorted. “You must have lost your mind. Do you even have a hundred dollars in your bank account? Look at you—what are you even wearing?” She gestured to Chris’ plain t-shirt and jeans with disgust. “You look like someone who walked in here looking for air conditioning, not haute couture.”Tina snorted and covered her mouth, barely containing her laughter. “Someone should’ve warned me we were hosting a stand-up comedy show today.” She turned to the others. “Did you hear that? He wants to buy the whole collection!”Even the cashier chuckled as she whispered something to another attendant, both glancing at Chris’s simple white T-shirt and worn sneakers. To them, he looked like someone who wouldn’t even afford a meal at the café next door.Cassandra tilted her head dramatically and addressed Amanda. “Oh darling… how the mighty have fallen. Has your situation really worsened so much that this is the best you can do? A street guy who probably can't even af