LOGINVictoria’s POV My life came crumbling down after the gala event. Michael had refused to speak to me. My friends avoided me like a plague and worse, I was all over the internet. The headlines only made the frown on my face deepen. VICTORIA STERLING BECOMES THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE NIGHT STERLING HEIRESS MAKES A FOOL OF HERSELF AT THE CHARITY GALA VICTORIA GALA DISASTER YOUNG HEIRESS FACES HUMILIATION THAT LEFT GUESTS SPEECHLESS The comments were even worse. “Is she on drugs?” “Poor Michael. Other suitors who had wanted to marry her truly dodged a bullet.” “Top socialite? What a joke!” “I knew her perfect image was fake.” “Guys, I heard she even hugged a male waiter in front of everyone.” I dug my nails into my skin, but it didn’t ease my fury. My eyes were locked on the screen, my grip tightening around my phone. There was even a new harsh tag that was circulating. #BANN VICTORIA FROM SOCAL EVENTS Anger surged within me, my body shaking uncontrollably.
Alice’s POV It’s been two days since I last saw Klaus. I didn’t want to see him. So I had locked myself inside my room. Memories of how he had discarded my food without even giving it a try, replayed in my mind like an endless tune. The way he had supported Diana without a second thought, without considering how I’ll feel or about the effort I had put into it. I clenched my fist inside my sleeve. “I’m done trying,” I muttered under my breath. Maybe it was time I stick with the marriage arrangements, after all, falling in love was never part of the deal. A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. It was probably Hannah. I’m sure she wants to give me my breakfast. But right now, I wasn’t in the mood. “Hannah, come back later.” But the knock on the door didn’t stop, instead it increased. With gritted teeth, I reluctantly stood up, feeling annoyed. Opening the door, it wasn’t Hannah, instead it was Klaus. The moment I set my eyes on him, my heart skipped. Damn
Alice’s POV“You’re…back,” Klaus said.“Of course!” She exclaimed. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday for anything.”Klaus laughed. Not the usual low or cold one, an actual laughter. The sound made my chest squeeze painfully. Diana stood up, revealing her perfect hour glass shape. “Did you like my gift?”The smile on his face deepened. “No I didn’t like it,” Klaus replied. “I loved it.”My nails dug into my skin, trying to ease the ache. They interacted naturally, like they had known themselves forever. For once in my life, Klaus actually seemed like a normal person. He wasn’t the cold CEO, neither was he the man everyone feared. He was just…warm, unusually warm towards her. Klaus didn’t even glance at me, completely occupied in his conversation with Diana. I felt invisible, completely ignored. Then, Diana’s gaze shifted to me. I could swear I saw something flicker in her green eyes, but it vanished so fast that I thought maybe I had imagined it. “So it’s true,” she muttered. “Klau
Alice’s POV Klaus kept staring at the toy and smiling. The more I looked at him, the more my chest ached. “So today’s your brithday?” He finally tore his gaze from the toy, his eyes meeting mine. “Yeah.” “Will you celebrate it?” Klaus shrugged. “Alice, it’s not a national holiday. It’s just like every other day.” “No it’s not,” I said. “Why will you even say that? Everyone deserves to feel special on days like this.” Silence. He looked at me, a flicker of emotion flashing in his eyes. What can I gift him? He has money, and any luxurious thing I can think about. Alice, think. This is even harder than I thought. Suddenly, an idea popped in my head. I stood up from the dinning table. “Well, that changes from today.” He lifted his head. “What do you mean?” “Get up.” Klaus raised his brows. “Excuse me?” “You heard me clearly.” “Since when did you start ordering me around?” I sighed. “Please get up, Klaus.” He narrowed his eyes. “That’s too formal.”
Alice’s POVThe ride back home was peaceful. The atmosphere even seemed a bit…romantic. I couldn’t help but steal glances at Klaus. He looked even more handsome and charming today. His dark brown hair that was a bit messy from exhaustion fell on one side of his face, adding more allure to him. My heart pounded fast in my chest as I stared at him. “What?” He asked. “Is there something on my face?”My face burned. “No…nothing.”“Or you’ve finally realized your husband is the most handsome man alive. Huh?”I rolled my eyes.“Pfff. Dream on.”“Wait, so you mean you’ve actually seen a better good looking man than me?”I didn’t reply because I couldn’t. If I told him the truth, it would fuel his ego. “Tell me,” he said, coming closer.“Don’t tell me it’s Michael,” he laughed. “Even a blind woman can see he’s not at my level.”“Michael isn’t the only handsome man I know, okay.”“So tell me, who’s the man able to catch your eyes?”A smile formed on my lips as I folded my arms. “I won’t tel
Alice’s POV The moment her gaze landed on Klaus, she smiled brightly as if she had just won a lottery. “Good morning Mr Gambino,” she said sweetly, her gaze lingering for too long. Klaus didn’t even glance at her. Instead, he turned to one of the employees. “Adjourn the 10 am meeting to 11. I have other matters to attend to.”“Yes Sir.”The smile on her face froze. She cleared her throat, flinging her black wavy hair. “Mr Gambino, I’ve prepared the account reports you requested for.”Still nothing. Klaus didn’t even bother to look at her direction. “Good,” he said flatly. She blinked, her fingers tightening around the document she was holding.“Alice, come,” Klaus whispered softly, as he guided me forward with his hand on my back.Her face flushed with embarrassment. For a moment, I almost felt bad for her. Then, she glared at me. “I didn’t know Mr Gambino was bringing guests today.”Silence. My brows rose. Before I could say a word, Klaus finally looked at her. The temperatur
Alice’s POV I stared at the screen speechlessly. What does it mean? Who could have texted this to me? My breathing became uneven. Could Klaus really be trusted? Then realization hit me. I never told Klaus where I was going. So how did he find me? I shook my head. Maybe he used a tracker o
Alice’s POV Klaus laid me on the bed gently, like something that could break. His gaze softened, never leaving mine. Subconsciously, my eyes looked deep into his, before trailing down to his tempting red lips. For a moment, the world paused, narrowing to just us. My heart couldn’t help but
Michael’s POV“That bitch!” Victoria yelled, throwing her phone against the wall. It fell, the screen damaged beyond repair. “Calm down,” I said softly. “Calm down?” she repeated, her jaw tightening. “Have you seen the tweets? Of course, you can say this when you’re not the one they turned into a
Alice’s POVCameras flashed around, capturing our every moment. But I couldn’t pay attention. The lights and whispers around faded. Only Klaus became visible. The way he looked at me felt…real. Like he really cared. Klaus pulled out a handkerchief, wiping off the spilled champagne on my dress. Eac







