Juliet
The door clicks shut behind Eros, leaving me standing alone in the hallway, my thoughts swirling in a tumultuous whirlwind. His and my’s words echo in my mind, a gentle reminder of the responsibilities that await me in the coming day. Breakfast at 7, the staff meeting at 9:30, work at 9:15—I can feel the weight of the day pressing down on my shoulders, threatening to overwhelm me.
With a weary sigh, I turn and retreat into the sanctuary of my hotel room, the soft hum of the morning filling the air. The events of the previous day play on a loop in my mind, each moment etched into my memory with a clarity that borders on painful. But as I prepare for the day ahead, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I reach out to the warm cup of coffee he brought me. It was a simple gesture, yet it spoke volumes—proof that he understood my need for a moment of peace before diving into the chaos of the day, and that I really need that moment before anyone pushes me into it. Lance never understood that.
The warmth of gratitude blooms within me as I reflect on his kindness. It’s been a long time since anyone has gone out of their way to do something nice for me, especially a man. The simple act of bringing me coffee feels like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds of doubt and uncertainty that hang over me.
But even as I appreciate his gesture, a nagging voice in the back of my mind reminds me to be cautious. No man is ever truly kind without expecting something in return—or so I’ve learned from past experience. And while Eros may seem sweet on the surface, I can’t let my guard down just yet.
But for now, I’ll accept his kindness with gratitude and keep my eyes open for any signs of ulterior motives. After all, in a world where trust is a rare commodity, it pays to be cautious.
I move over to the bathroom to finish getting ready from work, and the clock in the room shines out a thick red 6:37 by the time I finished up with breakfast, Autumn should be awake and ready for the day. I properly button up my shirt, noticing how sheer the material actually is and tuck it into my skirt, smoothing out the material so there wasn’t any clumps. I grab my charge cord from the nightstand and shove it into my purse. Might as well head down to breakfast, even if it’s early.
As I make my way downstairs to the hotel dining room, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries wafts through the air, enticing me forward. I step into the bustling room, the clinking of dishes and murmurs of conversation filling the space. Despite the early hour, the dining room is already abuzz with activity, guests fueling up for the day ahead. I take a quick walk around picking all of my must haves for breakfast when its buffet style. Toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, and a muffin for later.
Lost in thought, I fail to notice the figure approaching from the opposite direction until it’s too late. With a startled gasp, I collide with someone, nearly spilling my coffee and food in the process.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as I quickly regain my balance.
Eros stands before me, a playful twinkle in his eyes as he chuckles at my clumsiness. “Careful there, Juliet,” he teases, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “Wouldn’t want you to take a spill and ruin that lovely outfit of yours.”
I shoot him a sheepish grin, my heart racing at the unexpected encounter. Despite my best efforts to maintain a cool façade, there’s an undeniable chemistry between us—a magnetic pull that defies explanation.
Before I can respond, Eros leans in closer, his voice low and husky. “You know, Juliet, if you ever need anything, you can always text me,” he says, his gaze lingering on mine as he reaches out his hand with a little card. “Consider it a standing offer—no need to rely on the staff for every little thing.”
I feel a flush spread across my cheeks at his boldness, a mixture of surprise and intrigue swirling within me. I reach out and grab the card and open my mouth to respond, when I’m interrupted.
“Sir, your brother is on line 1 for you. He says it’s urgent.” Elliot, Eros personal assistant says with a slightly raised voice. A frown stretches across his face as he looks down at me. “I will be back, as soon as I can.” Eros mumbles and turns away from me heading towards the front desk.
I watch him take a few strides away from me, and frown at the floor before turning towards the seating area. I walk towards the far back wall and take up in a cozy little booth pretty much hidden from the room. I pull the bowl of cereal towards me and open my phone texting Autumn
Juliet: Hey Autumn, you awake? Need to tell you about the morning I’ve had so far. Crazy stuff.
Finally, a notification chimes, signaling the arrival of Autumn’s response. I eagerly open the message, devouring her words as if they were a lifeline in the midst of a storm.
Autumn: Hey Jules, what’s up? Everything okay?
I exhale a sigh of relief, grateful for her unwavering support. With trembling fingers, I begin to type out the events of the morning, pouring my heart out to my best friend in a torrent of words.
Juliet: Hey Autumn, you won’t believe what just happened. I ran into Eros downstairs and he…
Before I can finish my message, a shadow falls over me, and I glance up to see Eros standing before me once again, his expression unreadable. A flicker of unease flits through me as I meet his gaze, unsure of what to expect next.
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Eros
As I stride purposefully towards the front desk, my mind is already preoccupied with the looming confrontation with my brother. The urgent tone in Elliot’s voice sends a shiver down my spine, a harbinger of the storm that’s about to descend upon me.
As I pick up the phone, Lance’s voice crackles through the receiver, laced with tension and sharp accusation. “Eros,” he snaps, his tone cutting through the air like a knife. “You know damn well what this is about.”
My heart clenches at the familiarity of his tone, recognizing the gravity of the situation even before he speaks another word. Lance represents the interests of a powerful crime family, one that has controlled the territory I intend to develop for my hotel project. Their influence runs deep, and any deviation from their expectations is met with swift and severe consequences, but I have yet to learn anything about them. They are a ghost on the streets that leave people pissing themselves.
“You can’t keep avoiding the inevitable,” Lance continues, his words dripping with warning. “Word on the street is you’re planning to expand your operations into our territory. That’s a line you don’t want to cross, Eros.”
I feel a surge of frustration and defiance bubbling up within me, but I know better than to let my emotions get the better of me in a situation like this. Keeping my voice steady, I respond with calculated composure. “I’ve made my intentions clear, Lance,” I reply evenly. “I won’t be swayed by threats or intimidation. This project is happening, with or without your approval. As for personal business, I know nothing about me stepping into anyone’s territory? Please do inform me of this family again, you’ve never told me their names and I’m starting to think they don’t actually exist and you’re just upset because you didn’t get daddy’s blessing to start an organized crime ring.”
There’s a tense pause on the other end of the line, the silence stretching between us like a coiled spring ready to snap. I can almost hear the gears turning in Lance’s mind as he weighs his next move. In the world of organized crime, every decision is a delicate dance of power and influence, and I know that my refusal to back down will only escalate tensions further.
But as the seconds tick by, I remain resolute in my determination to see my vision through to fruition. No matter the obstacles or adversaries that stand in my way, I will not be deterred. For better or worse, I am committed to carving out my own path, even if it means facing the wrath of those who seek to control me.
“You’re either suicidal or psychotic Eros. It matters to me, because I’m taking it over, I’m marrying into the family brother. I will not let you take this away from me to, so help me god. If I have to kill you, I will, I won’t think twice about it. Do not get in my way when it comes to power or control. Also, I would like to confirm my reservation for Friday, and if it’s possible can I keep the room until check out Tuesday?”
“Friday till Tuesday, confirmed. Also, go fuck yourself.” I hang up the phone and turn towards the dining room on the search for a beautiful woman I was rudely pulled away from.
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Juliet
Finally, a notification chimes, signaling the arrival of Autumn’s response. I eagerly open the message, devouring her words as if they were a lifeline in the midst of a storm.
Autumn: Hey Jules, what’s up? Everything okay?
I exhale a sigh of relief, grateful for her unwavering support. With trembling fingers, I begin to type out the events of the morning, pouring my heart out to my best friend in a torrent of words.
Juliet: Hey Autumn, you won’t believe what just happened. I ran into Eros downstairs and he gave me his cell number? He said I should just let him know when I need something, instead of relying on the staff to have the time to do it.
Autumn: OMG! NO WAY! Not gonna lie, kinda hot. How was lastnight?
Juliet: No offense, I’d rather you jump off a bridge than expect me to answer that. How was your date?
Autumn: Oh yeah, Austin was pissed. I got stuck in traffic and was like 26min late, crazy but we both knew what we were getting into. When he was a junior assosciate it was fine because I was still in law school, we were both busy all the time. Now he has assistants and paralegals who help him out, and I’m still doing the grunt work. Kinda like he forgets I also have to but the work in too. Oh well!
Juliet: OMG, I kinda figured he’d understand and expect late nights out of you. Like hes been there, done that, y’know?
Autumn: Speaking of OMG, don’t freak out but Stephan is telling people that you went on Vacation? I don’t know, I heard him on the phone with someone and he was saying that you weren’t at the motels you usually go to, and he didn’t know where you were, and you never called him lastnight and you always do. I heard him say he thinks you might be dead?
Juliet: Who do you think he was talki-
Before I can finish my message, a shadow falls over me, and I glance up to see Eros standing before me once again, his expression unreadable. A flicker of unease sifts through me as I meet his gaze, something about it rubs me like sandpaper.
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