🤍 Jessica's POV 🤍
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLqdkXPLSM
As the page finishes loading, my gaze snags on the photograph beneath it, and everything else fades into static.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfVKZXnEEe
My breath hitches.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXabhfK9p3q
"Holy Jezebel," I whisper.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYoo21iJg9
Roman Valentus.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnomfMjgp3p
The man staring back at me isn't just handsome. He is dangerous.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsklG08L9X
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvP7GTmIgm
His jet-black hair is thick and slightly tousled, framing his face in a way that makes him look so powerful and untamed.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC99j78Rlr
That's bad.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4HNUwtn5y
His eyes are like midnight—so dark, yet sexy and alluring.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2jHcJvJ2p
Oh God, this is bad bad.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvcGrytWV6
Thick, arched brows sit majestically on top, and his jawline is so sharp and defined it could literally cut glass.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowpNYLJYFA
He looks like a man who never begs or wavers. He only takes.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGa2OB8Krq
And I'm staring. Like an idiot.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tEeG7HR6h
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!
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUwxBk4DtC
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7bZI9cZVj
"Please tell me there's still some..."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ufUIKKL6K
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nwy3zkN7l
"Whoa..."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfPKgVkktk
I stiffen as she comes closer and leans over my shoulder.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp7qxWNA1e
"Who is this fine-ass hercules?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFHgEeGQYS
Oh, boy.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0hYkJViZ5
"No one." I immediately move to close the tab, but Rachel is quicker.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgL4XnukMjv
She snatches my hand from the mouse. "Not so fast, bitch. I need to see this"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLTzDCMYGZ
I roll my eyes.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZFM6uWSRm
She lets out a sound that's somewhere between a gasp and a whimper.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIivwqs0Se
"Roman Valentus. Oh my God. He's such a sexy creature! Bet he's really big down—"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXqh2e50Mx
I grit my teeth. "Aht aht. Enough, you horny-ass woman."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMfzS0D8J9
"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"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0InxV9pTI
"Yep." I agree, honestly, before I can stop myself.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiXriWdXmR
"Right?!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4rtZQzGfO
I fix myself, leaning back in my chair casually. "No. You're being dramatic."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgmiyXiQAE
Rachel tears her gaze from the screen and gapes at me like I've personally offended her.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zE1oNKjPb
"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."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiWtDuzfWk
Oh God. I can't with this girl.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSG4TpHPhh5
I force a shrug. "Eh. He's okay. Just not my cup of tea. You've been reading too many romance novels."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMQO8OzAtB
She fake-gasps, clutching her chest like I've just insulted her entire bloodline.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibewFErmhj
"You're lying. Take that back!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspRoXajfk3
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."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEbS59DrEX
"Nothing special? That's it. You're definitely lying."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwek7xWCVQ0
Yes, I am. But who's gonna check me?
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6fdh1jxlG
I shrug in an *I-don't-care* manner, as if my heart hadn't just done a triple axel over a single photograph.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAzRpyrhwH
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkkw2rwFEL
God. Those big, strong, veiny hands.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiLMZd8P4N
Maybe she's right. Maybe Roman Valentus is ruinously, unfairly beautiful.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQs3TqIYTC
The kind that should come with a fucking warning label.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXFJPf2ZzD
But there's no way in hell I'm going to admit it. Or show it.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QunGwOFVY
Rachel yanks open the fridge, her head disappearing inside.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPqKMut6Rl
"What brought you there, anyway?" she asks, rummaging through the fridge.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIwYpEb1Zj
"They have a job opening for marketers," I reply, skidding right back to the job listing page before those eyes arrest me again.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8YBijSWD9
Rachel emerges with a bottle of iced lemonade, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcR1yoyAQq
"So you get to work for Mr. Please fuck-my-ass, you lucky gal"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY92pZxyQX
I shoot her a look. "Language, sissy! And no. I haven't even applied yet."
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa55U3ZfKv
She arches a perfectly sculpted brow, her expression dripping with disbelief.
"Um... And why the hell not?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdtzv8c8pd
I lean back in my chair, letting out a long sigh.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6QIJWTIuZ
"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.'"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQub0110npD
"What's with all this pessimistic talk? How do you know you won't get in if you don't even try?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpum0KgK4r
I chuckle, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, fine. I'll apply. Happy?"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnQyLdOQ7U
That seems to satisfy her. Her grin widens, and she leans down to press a quick kiss to my cheek.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGNQV3Pxqr
"Ecstatic!"
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydcnS41xKG
With that, she saunters back upstairs, her messy bun loosening.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILoviZdMqu
Yeah. Not applying.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86YMySfG0m
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTUosfW5Hh
Instinctively, I straighten my apron, plaster on my best customer-service smile, and turn to greet the new customer.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0YKPcphhL
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLQMLSw33Y
My smile widens instinctively.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uxxjHjGRh
A fellow Bulgarian? That's rare around here.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMezf9CsyE
Is this pride I feel in my chest?
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g6qyJCnxG
But then I catch the words spilling out of his mouth. And my smile wavers.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXia3uSXbp0
"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?
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzklXxU79i
My stomach twists.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3DwbokjEp
Five thousand dollars?!
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCayxCpwjyB
This man is sick. A full-blown con artist!
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1cjrqGLAM
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.'
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuUd8tyvgw
The hell is wrong with people these days?
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwtZHst8IN
He lets out a low laugh, wrapping up his call with a casual, "Chao, choveche." Bye, man.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6XBCenbW3
'Chao, choveche' my ass, you bloody swindler.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9r1mI6rZSI
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.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxlQfTHexv
"Hi. What can I get you?" I ask, my voice sweet as maple syrup.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqve8a4xVOZ
I fix his order, hand it over, and watch as he leaves, my eyes tracking his every move through the window.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2Ja6BqS4X
He crosses the street and enters one of the residential houses—the one that's been empty for months.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9Zn0du6hy
Seconds later, a moving truck rumbles past, pulling away from the curb.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM6NMuwdgL
Someone just moved in.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GLrGSSE04
I'm guessing they're the unlucky ones about to get swindled by this scumbag.
168Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEA7qQSDYsO
Looks like I've got new neighbors to say hello to.
ns216.73.216.35da2
然後按「加至主畫面」