ESTELLE


    “Estelle, you can’t watch-” Micah turned off the tv as if I had just caught her watching porn.


    “Turn that thing on,” I told her, more like a bark, but she seemed to freeze. I went home early from work since it was Friday. I didn’t feel well today. Maybe my problems were catching up on me, and I still didn’t know how to solve them.


    “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” There was a trace of hesitation in her voice, making me more annoyed and curious at the same time.


    “Do you think I only have one tv in this house, or I can’t watch it on myputer?” My re hardened as I eyed the remote in her hand.


    “Considering your condition, I don’t wanna stress you out.”


    “About what?” I snapped, forcing my anger to cool down.


    “It’s about yourpany. It’s all over the news, business segments, inte. All.” She finally turned it on.


    I swallowed hard. I felt like my chest was crushing, and I couldn’t breathe. I found myself on the couch with my hand on my chest. From the corner of my eye, I saw Micah run out of the family room ande back with bottled water.


    “Breath. Drink this.”


    With shaky hands, I took the bottled and tried my best not to choke on water. I was startled by the ringing and vibration of my phone on myp. It was Linden. He probably watched the news.


    Micah answered it and offered my phone to me.


    “Estelle? Estelle?” I heard Linden calling my name. “Baby, listen to me. I know you’ve watched the news. Talk to me.”


    “I’m watching it right now.” My voice was low, but he seemed to hear it.


    “Remember what I told you not to believe what you heard and listened. That’s tonight. It’s part of the n. Everything’s gonna be okay, Estelle.”


    “You did this?” My tone was usatory.


    “To give you full authority and remain in the position. Tell Micah to shut that thing off.” He probably heard the tv in the background.


    I turned to Micah, who was still standing and watching me. “Micah, close the tv, please?”


    When she did as I said, I asked Linden, “So what now?”


    “They will probably call you.”


    My phone just beeped. I checked the caller, and he was right- it was my father. “My father is calling.”


    “Good. Tell them you have no idea. He will probably me you. Just act like you’re so distraught and devastated.”


    “I was, jerk. Still am. You could have told me what was gonna happen. Why didn’t you tell me you are nning a major catastrophe for mypany?”


    Instead of answering my question, he ordered, “Answer his call, baby.”


    “Fine. Bye.” My father’s call ended before I could answer. I redialed, and he picked up right away.


    “What aplete disaster! What is going on, Estelle?” Just as Linden predicted.


    “Tell me about it, Dad. You’ve been harassing me. Now my fear justes true. What should I do?” I yed the role Linden told me to- to be a damsel in distress. I hoped this n would work, or I wouldpletely lose Star LLC and be poor.


    “What had gone wrong?” He was already yelling over the phone. If he wasn’t my father, I already hung up on him.


    I briefly closed my eyes before I spoke, “I’d been talking to some possible investors since I was nning for the new product, the baby baths. I might have mentioned that I was facing a possible major setback because of the deal I made with Tyrion, and some budgets are already on productions of the new shades of makeup and Activewear collections.” I hoped my narrative was believable enough. If I knew I had to lie to my father, I could havee up with a better story.


    “You said that?” I could feel his eyes ming, his anger fuming through his words. “You said that, Estelle?”


    I blew a breath. “I’m not good at lying, Dad, so that it may slide up.”


    “How’s that going out for you so far?” He huffed. “Jesus, Estelle. That’s not even your work anymore. You’re the chairman, for God’s sake, not a marketer. You approached the wrong people, and you know once the words are out, you can’t take them back anymore.”


    “I’m sorry, Dad.” I bit my inner cheek.


    “Look what you’ve done. The stock price is dropping. You dragged Star LLC down with you. You need to consider resigning, young woman, and let the experienced run thepany, or we are not just losing shareholders and investors. Star LLC will have to file for bankruptcy.” How predictable? As if Linden just read his mind- my father did exactly what he said he would.


    “Let me make it right, Dad. I promise I will be more careful next time.” I added a slight shakiness to my voice and sniffled as if I just cried. Jeez, I didn’t know I could win an Oscar over this. “Just give me a chance. I built thispany from the ground. I can make it way better again.”


    “I’m sorry, Estelle, but this is out of my hands anymore.” Then the line went off. He hung up on me.


    I stared at my phone in disbelief. “Wow. What a dick?”


    “Who’s a dick?” Qamar came in. He met my gaze, his brows furrowing. “You okay?”


    “You know?”


    He shrugged. “Boss is five minutes away.”


    “Why is heing?” I asked in shock.


    “You can ask him that once he arrives. You want ice cream?”


    “Frozen yogurt, please?”


    “I’ll be right back.” He was quick to turn around and leave.


    “I’ll be in my lounge.” I breathed while Micah was obviously amused at what I just did. “I didn’t know it would be that exhausting.”


    “You can win the best actress award.”


    “If I fail in business, I might as well try my luck in Hollywood.”


    “Damn, I can see you as a sexy action star. A sexy Katniss Everdeen.”


    Iughed. “Tell our unwanted visitor that I’m at my lounge.”


    I closed my eyes andy in peace for a moment, inhaling and exhaling. I mentally prepped myself that it was a part of the n. “I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna be-” A soft kiss startled me. When I opened my eyes, I met the most beautiful blue eyes staring at me with a smile that could thaw the hell.


    “Hey.”


    “You shouldn’t be here.”


    “Bite me.”


    I tried hiding my smile because somehow I was relieved he was here. I went to hisp when he sat beside me, cing the frozen yogurt on the coffee table, which he probably took from Qamar. I cupped his face and kissed him softly, tracing kisses all over his face.


    “I should surprise you more often.” There was an amusement in his voice- I wished to shut it off.


    “You don’t know how relieved I was that you called. Earlier, I thought my world fell apart.”


    “I’m sorry. The boss likes to be exuberant in everything he does.”


    “Mr. Braddson did all this?” I asked and stared at him in shock.


    “He also forced me to buy theke house. Apparently, he’d been busy doing something I should be doing. He talked to Celeste about the house because it meant to Rome’s parents, but he promised to take care of it. So, Rome called me earlier this morning.”


    “So you’re the new owner?”


    “Boss already paid it, but I’m paying him back.”


    “He truly cares about you.”


    “Yeah.” He pressed his lips and sighed that I didn’t know what for. “Are you okay?”


    “I’m fine.”


    “You wanna eat your Yogurt, or do you want me to fix something for you to eat?”


    “I’d rather eat you.” I bit my lip, suddenly mortified. His eyes darkened at my words, and now he was smirking.


    “We’ll eat each other then.” One moment I was sitting on hisp, and the next thing I knew, I was lifted off with yogurt and a spoon in my hand as he took me to my bedroom.


    “We can’t, Gabriel,” I resisted, but my body said otherwise.


    “Why not?”


    “Everything is falling apart in thepany, and here we are. You should be supporting me. That’s why you came here, right? Not to get in my pants.”


    “At least we do something productive than just wait for tomorrow.” He was right, though. “Let them go nuts. I don’t give a fuck. Right now, I only want to make you scream my name.”


    “Cocky bastard.”


    “I’ve been called worse,” he said as he took off my clothes one by one. Now I was lying in bed naked before him. I watched him stroll his gaze from my head to my toes. I squirmed. And then he bent down to kiss my tummy, making me stiffen, and it didn’t go unnoticed.


    “Uh-huh.” His smirk went wild. He took my frozen yogurt and spoon, lifted the lip open, and scooped a generous amount.


    “No, no, no, no. Gab- Ahhhhh.” I squirmed as I felt it on my skin. “It’s cold.” Myint became a moanter. I used my elbows and lifted my head to see what he was doing.


    “Oh, my!” I bit my bottom lip to stifle my moan. As he licked the yogurt clean, I watched him drag his tongue on my tummy.


    He lifted his head to look at me. “It tastes way better on your skin than on the cup.”


    “You’re making me sticky.” My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips. He was amused at my reaction. I could haveined better, but my skin was tingling in anticipation.


    “Tell me, where should I start eating you?”


    When I swallowed, unable to put my thoughts into words, he smirked. “Okay. I know exactly where to lick you next.” He put another spoonful onto my breast and slightly hit my nipple with the spoon. It went instantly hard. The coldness reacted with goosebumps all over my skin, and he saw that. “I see. You’re wet, aren’t you?”


    “You’re too confident.” I bit my bottom lip harder.


    “If you are, I’ll fuck you. If not, we’ll just talk till morning.”


    “Aren’t you too overdressed?” I’d always been bold with what I wanted, but never like this. I always felt different every time I was with Linden.Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    “You can undress meter, baby.” When he pressed the spoon on my hardening nipple, I gasped. “Do you want my mouth instead?”


    “Do whatever you want as long as you make mee tonight.”


    “Two or three orgasms, Estelle. That’s a promise.”