เข้าสู่ระบบArden's POVAfter the whole Jim situation, I had poured all my frustration and anger into working. That man really got on my nerves this time.I was working on some files when I heard a knock."Come in," I ordered, and my secretary, Jason, walked in."Sir, a meeting will start in the next ten minutes," Jason announced."Okay," I replied.Ten minutes later, I left for the meeting. As I walked into the room, everyone stood to greet me and nodded in acknowledgment."Let's start," I said. "After the last review on the new project from the last meeting, we've proceeded to product testing.""When will the product be ready to test?" someone asked."What's next?" I asked."An ad commercial for publicity," he replied."Okay, who do you have in mind?" I asked."Brianna Anderson. She's one of the most popular actresses. If she's in the ad, it will surely gain a lot of traction, which would boost the popularity of the product," he explained."You know what to do," I said, and I left the meeting.
Tatum's POVIt was finally the weekend. I put on a black dress, applied a little makeup, and drove over to the mansion. I had no idea if Arden would show up; he was unpredictable, as always.When I arrived at the grand mansion, I walked inside and handed the maid a small bag containing Grandpa’s favorite tea. The butler went upstairs to inform him of my arrival, and a few moments later, Grandpa came downstairs."Tatum!" he called out, his face breaking into a wide smile."Grandpa!" I hurried toward him."How are you?" he asked."I'm fine, Grandpa. How about you?""I'm fine."We walked together into the sitting room. "What about Amelia, Grandpa?" I asked."Are you here for me or for Amelia?" he teased gently.I laughed. "For you, Grandpa," I said, which made his smile grow even wider.Shortly after, Amelia came downstairs with Sean, followed closely by Camila."Good evening, Uncle. Good evening, Auntie," I greeted them with a warm smile."Good evening, Tatum," Camila replied with a so
Tatum’s POVThe sudden shift in the weather caught me completely off guard. The sky grew dark with a terrifying speed, signaling a heavy storm on the horizon. I had intended to wash my face before going to bed, but the rapidly changing weather made me hesitate. Still, wanting to feel clean and comfortable before turning in, I decided to head into the bathroom anyway.Suddenly, there was a loud, cracking crash of thunder, followed instantly by a total blackout."Ahhhhhhh," I groaned aloud.I could feel panic instantly taking hold. Ever since my mother passed away, I have dealt with a severe phobia of darkness and thunder. I stood frozen in the pitch black, trembling violently as the lightning continued to flash outside, casting eerie, fleeting shadows across the room.Suddenly, a voice cut through the dark, calling my name."Tatum!"When I didn't answer right away, the voice called out a second time, louder and more urgent. "Tatum!""Y-yeah," I managed to reply from the bathroom, my vo
Tatum's POVWhile I was resting, my stomach grumbled with hunger. I hadn't eaten much back at the Hollis Mansion, so I decided to head downstairs to whip something up. As I neared the kitchen, I overheard Arden on a phone call."I love you too," he said.Hearing those words stung for some inexplicable reason. The moment he caught sight of me, the faint smile on his face vanished. I quickly looked away, feeling awkward, and hurried over to the counters. Spotting some leftover noodles in the cupboard, I grabbed two packages and began cooking, completely ignoring his heavy gaze boring into my back."Um... you don't look too good. Are you alright?" he asked."Yes, I am," I replied curtly."Okay, then." With that, he left.As soon as the noodles were ready, I ate quickly and went straight to bed Arden's POV (The Next Evening)It had been an incredibly long day. Had I known it would be this exhausting, I never would have accepted the dinner invitation from Brianna’s mom. But since I had a
Tatum's POV Later that evening, I was working in my office when my phone rang. Seeing it was my dad, I answered. "Hello, Tatum," his voice came through. "Hello," I replied. "How are you?" he asked. "I'm fine, thank you." "I wanted to ask—if you're free tonight, can you come along with Arden to the mansion for dinner?" "Dad, you know that it's impossible for Arden to be there, but I'll be there." "Can you ask him? I—" "Dad, do not pester me, or else I won't even show up." "Okay, see you later." "Hmm," I said and hung up. "What a hassle." I dressed up and drove to the mansion. The maids welcomed me, and I walked straight into the dining room. Spotting them already seated at the table, I walked over. "Good evening, Dad." I ignored the other two and took my seat. "Good evening, Tatum. I'm glad you made it." He offered me a forced smile. "Once again, you saved the company from bankruptcy." "Wasn't that what my marriage was for?" I countered. His expression shifted into
Tatum's POV My eyes widened at Xavier’s message. Me: Um… maybe. Him: I’m free tomorrow evening. Me: Okay, tomorrow evening then. Him: Good night. Me: Good night. The Next Evening We agreed to meet at Lavin. After staring at my closet for far too long, I finally settled on a blue dress that hugged my figure without being too much. I kept my makeup light, just enough to look presentable, though I still found myself fixing my hair twice before leaving. Why am I nervous? It’s just dinner. When I arrived at the restaurant, Xavier was already seated. A teenage girl stood beside his table, practically glowing with excitement as she held out a notebook for an autograph. Xavier smiled warmly and signed it without hesitation before glancing up. The moment his eyes landed on me, his expression softened. “Hello,” I said as I approached. “Hi.” He stood immediately and pulled out a chair for me. “Oh—thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” “It’s okay,” he replied easily. “I hope







