🤍 Jessica's POV 🤍
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD0PqTcAJE
As the page finishes loading, my gaze snags on the photograph beneath it, and everything else fades into static.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHXs08oCvJ
My breath hitches.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QZiHBgETX
"Holy Jezebel," I whisper.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYFwQYqROj
Roman Valentus.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBI27uyn0t
The man staring back at me isn't just handsome. He is dangerous.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BFCpBLq33
The kind of handsome that doesn't just turn heads—it stops time. He looks like a Greek god sculpted by someone with a vendetta against mortal men.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEp11oZdh6
His jet-black hair is thick and slightly tousled, framing his face in a way that makes him look so powerful and untamed.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJb48FEGwH
That's bad.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aCeiaF27x
His eyes are like midnight—so dark, yet sexy and alluring.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpd6UrQy1o
Oh God, this is bad bad.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06s0a4VCm8
Thick, arched brows sit majestically on top, and his jawline is so sharp and defined it could literally cut glass.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3QzsItqD6
He looks like a man who never begs or wavers. He only takes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPSFNNgv7u
And I'm staring. Like an idiot.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1bwYkHLvO
I feel something tingle between my thighs and mentally curse myself for being so affected by this man, who looks like a potential Casanova. Cause look at him!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o41ytbp8H
Footsteps coming down snap me out of my trance. Rachel walks into the bakery, tying her hair into a messy bun as she heads straight for the fridge.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3HqOSxOfu
"Please tell me there's still some..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIFNcFVV8c
She stops mid-sentence. I feel, more than see, her head snap toward me, and I don't even have to look to know her eyes have landed on the laptop screen.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLTy16yKlO
"Whoa..."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsCRDwUkG0
I stiffen as she comes closer and leans over my shoulder.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaSOK5HuzV
"Who is this fine-ass hercules?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbUu4PJsyY
Oh, boy.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VST0XYFKy
"No one." I immediately move to close the tab, but Rachel is quicker.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5jTpjPdFw
She snatches my hand from the mouse. "Not so fast, bitch. I need to see this"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYBp4A9TtE
I roll my eyes.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDpPElnOp3
She lets out a sound that's somewhere between a gasp and a whimper.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKjfEHmMAU
"Roman Valentus. Oh my God. He's such a sexy creature! Bet he's really big down—"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXlcpuBQl3
I grit my teeth. "Aht aht. Enough, you horny-ass woman."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gLBdN1onL
"Are you sure he's human?" She licks her lips, eyes still glued to the screen. "Look at that face. That jaw. Those eyes! He looks like—like a vampire king who lures women into his castle just to ruin them"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Nb633AnsA
"Yep." I agree, honestly, before I can stop myself.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmixlQ1hDa
"Right?!"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiM2Vk7v8y3
I fix myself, leaning back in my chair casually. "No. You're being dramatic."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EN1nrt6qw
Rachel tears her gaze from the screen and gapes at me like I've personally offended her.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQImzEpQY25
"Dramatic? Jessica, do you need to see an optician? The man could eat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I wouldn't be satisfied."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ROSKMPZNK
Oh God. I can't with this girl.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUInT4cE8HR
I force a shrug. "Eh. He's okay. Just not my cup of tea. You've been reading too many romance novels."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq28WluBRJ5
She fake-gasps, clutching her chest like I've just insulted her entire bloodline.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mfj16j2NP
"You're lying. Take that back!"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lWmeG0Yl0
I grab my drink, avoiding her gaze. "I'm serious. He's fine, sure. But he just has that... broody, cold CEO look. Nothing special."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsg3A1GoSE
"Nothing special? That's it. You're definitely lying."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3bwYt9cnp
Yes, I am. But who's gonna check me?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ei3gJP8Zr
I shrug in an *I-don't-care* manner, as if my heart hadn't just done a triple axel over a single photograph.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4YnmTOOgc
As she keeps gushing—something about how he probably 'ruins lives for fun'—I find my eyes drifting back to the screen, to those piercing midnight eyes that make my legs weak.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBhPskIQUP
God. Those big, strong, veiny hands.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGaGJPmgzK
Maybe she's right. Maybe Roman Valentus is ruinously, unfairly beautiful.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzKBjopl3r
The kind that should come with a fucking warning label.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvkMdfWNrp
But there's no way in hell I'm going to admit it. Or show it.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdmKCoM5pY
Rachel yanks open the fridge, her head disappearing inside.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2oebPuepb
"What brought you there, anyway?" she asks, rummaging through the fridge.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5nNzR6gUf
"They have a job opening for marketers," I reply, skidding right back to the job listing page before those eyes arrest me again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qa2kkGvzt
Rachel emerges with a bottle of iced lemonade, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUScHxj3cC
"So you get to work for Mr. Please fuck-my-ass, you lucky gal"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTf2JOsWvl
I shoot her a look. "Language, sissy! And no. I haven't even applied yet."
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ORUpOi3Kb
She arches a perfectly sculpted brow, her expression dripping with disbelief.
"Um... And why the hell not?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPat4RxLWR
I lean back in my chair, letting out a long sigh.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qJs1P71wO
"Because it's Valentus Technologies, Rachel. They're a global empire. My chances of getting hired are somewhere between 'snowball in hell' and 'winning the lottery.'"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJl7WHOJm4
"What's with all this pessimistic talk? How do you know you won't get in if you don't even try?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaIfjDTuRn
I chuckle, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, fine. I'll apply. Happy?"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2M9B5Gbt9
That seems to satisfy her. Her grin widens, and she leans down to press a quick kiss to my cheek.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HzE18Mith
"Ecstatic!"
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwEHLj5wH8
With that, she saunters back upstairs, her messy bun loosening.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeWSTxesWC
Yeah. Not applying.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmwcF5ShpR
I sigh, close my laptop, and stretch my arms above my head. Just as I reach for my phone, the soft chime of the doorbell rings, pulling me back into work mode.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD7OjOIDhj
Instinctively, I straighten my apron, plaster on my best customer-service smile, and turn to greet the new customer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NmkUUNXWj
The man who walks in looks to be in his early thirties, short, and dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans. He has a phone pressed to his ear, speaking rapidly in Bulgarian.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWRrdevzSB
My smile widens instinctively.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1W0gBtXxI
A fellow Bulgarian? That's rare around here.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrTEKJAe2R
Is this pride I feel in my chest?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5chG1VQzj
But then I catch the words spilling out of his mouth. And my smile wavers.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9WigOuFPi
"Te toku-shto se nanesokha, a tya izglezhda kato edin ot onezi mrŭsni bogatashi. Mislya, che moga da vzema dopŭlnitelni $5000 ot neya za prozortsite. Mislish li, che shte go kupi?"
They just moved in, and she looks like one of those filthy rich ones. I think I can get an extra $5000 from her for the windows. Think she'll buy it?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzXVXWoEpP
My stomach twists.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLfhO1LrqW
Five thousand dollars?!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5xXzVK32T
This man is sick. A full-blown con artist!
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDOrkW84Nd
That's more than some people make in a month. And he's scheming to squeeze it out of someone just because they look 'filthy rich.'
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1a9DTtQQn
The hell is wrong with people these days?
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwiRRHOyBs
He lets out a low laugh, wrapping up his call with a casual, "Chao, choveche." Bye, man.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVqMFvAJpf
'Chao, choveche' my ass, you bloody swindler.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVveYDFtAv
I exhale slowly, forcing my smile back on as he approaches the counter, pretending I haven't heard a wink of him plotting daylight robbery.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4all5Mat2z
"Hi. What can I get you?" I ask, my voice sweet as maple syrup.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7rPQjez2e
I fix his order, hand it over, and watch as he leaves, my eyes tracking his every move through the window.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeQbZnnu8x
He crosses the street and enters one of the residential houses—the one that's been empty for months.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSjPLWzzDu
Seconds later, a moving truck rumbles past, pulling away from the curb.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoTBVnQ888
Someone just moved in.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGW0upYJ1AJ
I'm guessing they're the unlucky ones about to get swindled by this scumbag.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2U6uEhEk2
Looks like I've got new neighbors to say hello to.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
