🤍 Jessica's POV 🤍
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2XSxVBiTf
As the page finishes loading, my gaze snags on the photograph beneath it, and everything else fades into static.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrarmeUqIPK
My breath hitches.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuukL9eJjR
"Holy Jezebel," I whisper.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WKJczZZvc
Roman Valentus.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrNpnBr2AL
The man staring back at me isn't just handsome. He is dangerous.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4nrkkCbuH
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5HEfOvSfX
His jet-black hair is thick and slightly tousled, framing his face in a way that makes him look so powerful and untamed.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPbrcKEv2i
That's bad.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGICdBCGbc1
His eyes are like midnight—so dark, yet sexy and alluring.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoyeM1snBt
Oh God, this is bad bad.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq15jwTx2k
Thick, arched brows sit majestically on top, and his jawline is so sharp and defined it could literally cut glass.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77AmSIjyxe
He looks like a man who never begs or wavers. He only takes.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGBhIBznjw
And I'm staring. Like an idiot.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHvHcCjsvC
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!
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrIpzX12Sj
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFQqB4l8vW
"Please tell me there's still some..."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbfqk9qIy1
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp90GLbaxvI
"Whoa..."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0viDNcabnb
I stiffen as she comes closer and leans over my shoulder.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXj5CV2CbL
"Who is this fine-ass hercules?"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoUgQdIUu3
Oh, boy.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsxWeib5Nl
"No one." I immediately move to close the tab, but Rachel is quicker.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUCY66RmtX
She snatches my hand from the mouse. "Not so fast, bitch. I need to see this"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OKksQgqIh
I roll my eyes.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lk1b5tpam
She lets out a sound that's somewhere between a gasp and a whimper.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZuGXfP39a
"Roman Valentus. Oh my God. He's such a sexy creature! Bet he's really big down—"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9KUn5BqGy
I grit my teeth. "Aht aht. Enough, you horny-ass woman."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16u8dyuDbZ
"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"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOMeXPtkou
"Yep." I agree, honestly, before I can stop myself.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4x1dwyIHj
"Right?!"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmwLnTD3WL
I fix myself, leaning back in my chair casually. "No. You're being dramatic."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF6p7cghgP
Rachel tears her gaze from the screen and gapes at me like I've personally offended her.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40ttN8P1zE
"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."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77aDfn9F9O
Oh God. I can't with this girl.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAuEg8xSVC
I force a shrug. "Eh. He's okay. Just not my cup of tea. You've been reading too many romance novels."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6njlnPQ7ei
She fake-gasps, clutching her chest like I've just insulted her entire bloodline.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPAwVVJg9S
"You're lying. Take that back!"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIB9ffOCMx
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."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCz2OLu9o1
"Nothing special? That's it. You're definitely lying."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GUPkOKT0X
Yes, I am. But who's gonna check me?
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElpsKcyKun
I shrug in an *I-don't-care* manner, as if my heart hadn't just done a triple axel over a single photograph.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwa9wMWzh7
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoALgkZSR0
God. Those big, strong, veiny hands.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k8ClnfB6a
Maybe she's right. Maybe Roman Valentus is ruinously, unfairly beautiful.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBTFIGKmVP
The kind that should come with a fucking warning label.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0yRqA83mz
But there's no way in hell I'm going to admit it. Or show it.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7EF2tA2Oc
Rachel yanks open the fridge, her head disappearing inside.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ294aAP9opg
"What brought you there, anyway?" she asks, rummaging through the fridge.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaPPFq109l
"They have a job opening for marketers," I reply, skidding right back to the job listing page before those eyes arrest me again.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLnRhbzcl1
Rachel emerges with a bottle of iced lemonade, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVewyBecpO
"So you get to work for Mr. Please fuck-my-ass, you lucky gal"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjRSwzPlzl
I shoot her a look. "Language, sissy! And no. I haven't even applied yet."
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92JOxbM9df
She arches a perfectly sculpted brow, her expression dripping with disbelief.
"Um... And why the hell not?"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dyWqeTQ1g
I lean back in my chair, letting out a long sigh.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KKKKVLnm8
"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.'"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo3YHhXswX
"What's with all this pessimistic talk? How do you know you won't get in if you don't even try?"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpNASPaQr9
I chuckle, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, fine. I'll apply. Happy?"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCXzEHbvbr
That seems to satisfy her. Her grin widens, and she leans down to press a quick kiss to my cheek.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOFQiztSIT
"Ecstatic!"
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Vrs8YF5ak
With that, she saunters back upstairs, her messy bun loosening.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfJ0yVKZyj
Yeah. Not applying.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC431YIJzlg
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMezoWvUHgz
Instinctively, I straighten my apron, plaster on my best customer-service smile, and turn to greet the new customer.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3hjWB7M58
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPcJEzKQao
My smile widens instinctively.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Vg5m2uHtM
A fellow Bulgarian? That's rare around here.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CCwvOuybc
Is this pride I feel in my chest?
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDwfWWaity
But then I catch the words spilling out of his mouth. And my smile wavers.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjdv9g2luL
"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?
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvmywN2jAJ
My stomach twists.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzphHQBDQ0I
Five thousand dollars?!
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5CXzat2m7
This man is sick. A full-blown con artist!
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK73Ifo5Bk
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.'
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ713HJbrnZh
The hell is wrong with people these days?
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aNAEscfkj
He lets out a low laugh, wrapping up his call with a casual, "Chao, choveche." Bye, man.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3vFDjkfvv
'Chao, choveche' my ass, you bloody swindler.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjkRKGWxfa
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.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4ze85QawT
"Hi. What can I get you?" I ask, my voice sweet as maple syrup.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFf88htYzQ
I fix his order, hand it over, and watch as he leaves, my eyes tracking his every move through the window.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8EmzG8vjN
He crosses the street and enters one of the residential houses—the one that's been empty for months.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7zoDBRDD7
Seconds later, a moving truck rumbles past, pulling away from the curb.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm5bQZ5Rw2
Someone just moved in.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIoDANNfAB
I'm guessing they're the unlucky ones about to get swindled by this scumbag.
251Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFZ1ys0NE4
Looks like I've got new neighbors to say hello to.
ns216.73.216.229da2
然後按「加至主畫面」