CHAPTER 8: CHAPTER 8: WHEN DISTRACTIONS BLOOM

The morning light poured in through my half-open blinds, brushing warm fingers across my skin. I stirred beneath the covers, the weight of last night still lingering in my bones, not just physically but emotionally. I inhaled deeply. Today is different. Today, I had someone important to meet.

A few weeks back, I received an unexpected call from a couple. They wanted me to handle the food for their wedding, not just any wedding, but one that screamed class and money from every angle. From the menu they selected to the way they spoke, I knew immediately: these weren’t just clients. These were high-profile clients. People with influence. Power.

Back then, they hadn’t been in the state. We had spoken over the phone and exchanged emails. The tone was formal, almost distant but respectful. I remember the woman’s voice clearly. Calm, confident.

"We’ve seen your work, and we think you’re exactly who we need," she had said.

"The wedding will take place at our private estate. When we return, we’ll send the address so we can meet face to face."

And now, that day had come. A message lit up my phone screen that morning with the location. A mansion. Of course.

I got out of bed and walked toward the window, pulling the curtain aside. The world outside looked bright, full of quiet possibilities.

I grabbed my phone and dialled Doreen, one of my chefs at the restaurant. "Hey," I said as soon as she picked up. "I’m heading to the estate today. The wedding clients I told you about... yeah, they’re finally in town."

"Finally!" she laughed. "We need rich drama in our lives. Go secure that money, boss."

"I just hope they’re not the controlling type," I muttered, already imagining the kind of demands rich couples sometimes make.

Before heading to the estate, I made a short stop at the restaurant to check in with the staff. The kitchen smelled like roasted garlic and herbs, comforting and familiar.

"You look sharp today," Doreen teased. "Trying to impress the millionaires?"

I gave her a quick smirk. "Always gotta dress the part."

After making sure everything was running smoothly at the restaurant, I grabbed my tablet with the draft menu proposals and got in my car.

The mansion address was only twenty-five minutes away, tucked inside one of those secluded estates where the gates alone could pay someone’s rent. As I drove, my mind drifted, not just to the menu or the meeting, but to how this one event could change a lot for me. If it went well, this wedding might be my ticket into an entirely new circle of clients.

And maybe, I thought, gripping the wheel tighter, a new Chapter of my life too.

I got there, and someone came to pick me up from the living room. The place was massive—like something out of a luxury real estate catalogue. Marble floors, chandeliers hanging from high ceilings, walls dressed in art I didn’t dare estimate the price of. It was elegance dipped in quiet wealth.

Not long after, the groom came to meet me. He must’ve heard I’d arrived. Polite. Charming. He shook my hand firmly and ushered me into a quieter lounge to talk about finalizing payments and confirming the wedding date. Everything was smooth—professional.

Then, as we were about to wrap things up, I saw someone coming down the grand staircase. I paused. No. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

The bride.

One of my exes from university—first year, to be exact. We had a brief but intense thing back then. She had always dreamed of marrying rich, and clearly, she’d made it happen. She greeted me like we were old friends reunited. Polished. Smiling. Like the past didn’t matter anymore. I played along, of course.

Business is business.

After sealing the deal, I stepped outside to head back to my car, needing air more than anything. Just as I was about to open the door and slide in, a sleek black car pulled into the driveway. My chest tightened.

That car looked too familiar.

I squinted. Focused.

Shit.

It was familiar.

And when the driver’s door opened, there was no denying it... Evric.

Of all people.

I froze, standing halfway between disbelief and annoyance. The groom immediately walked up to greet him, all smiles and surprise. Turns out they weren’t just acquaintances.

They were cousins.

Fucking great.

I turned to get into my car, pretending not to see him. But of course, he wouldn’t let that happen.

"Well, well, Mr. Smith," his voice teased from behind. "Why are you always showing up wherever I am?"

I turned slightly, enough for him to see the irritation on my face. "I came here to work," I said coolly. "Unlike you, I don’t have time to stalk people."

The groom looked between us, obviously sensing tension. "Wait... you two know each other?"

"I don’t," I answered flatly, brushing past and slipping into my car.

Before pulling away, I glanced in the rearview mirror. Evric was still standing there, watching me with that unreadable expression of his. I didn’t wave. I didn’t smile. I just nodded to the groom and drove off.

But as the mansion faded behind me, one thought screamed in my head:

What the hell is happening to my life?

Why is everything I’m doing lately somehow tangled up in him?

I said to myself, "What crime could I have possibly committed to deserve this?"

This isn’t right. It’s not normal. How is he everywhere I am? He’s a very busy man, wealthy, powerful, unreachable. So, how is he managing to pop up like fate’s cruel joke?

No matter what good happens to me lately, it always ends with him. Like a curse. A perfect day ruined. A promising deal was shattered. And still, despite all of it, my body... still wants him.

Why?

Why does he linger in my mind even when he doesn’t show up? Why do I catch myself searching every face in the crowd, every car that passes by, just hoping no, fearing it might be him?

I shook my head, dragging myself out of the spiral, and started the engine. I had to get to the restaurant. Work would distract me. It always does.

When I arrived, the familiar scent of spice and roasted garlic calmed me a little. My waiters greeted me with cheerful smiles. I forced one back.

"Boss," one of them called out, walking over with something in their hand, "you got a package. It was delivered a few minutes ago."

I froze for a second. My heart skipped.

A package?

I didn’t want to look. My first thought was Evric. What if it was from him? What if it was just another way to mess with my head?

But curiosity won.

I took the box and carefully opened it. My breath caught the moment I saw what was inside: a sleek, expensive designer watch, definitely not cheap. Beside it, a single red rose, fresh and perfectly bloomed. And a card.

I opened it slowly.

"From your admirer from afar. Nitammi."

I blinked.

Then, unexpectedly, I smiled. A real one.

It had been so long since someone had sent me a gift like this. Not for business. Not for manipulation. Just... admiration.

One of my waiters noticed the expression on my face and grinned teasingly. "Whoa, Boss. That smile... Who’s the mystery sender?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep it casual. "No idea. Just someone admiring from a distance."

But deep down, the warmth lingered.

And for the first time in a while, that warmth didn’t come from Evric.

The moment I sat down in my office, I reached for the box that had been sitting on the edge of my desk. I hadn’t dared to open it earlier, mostly because I assumed it was from him. And if it was, I didn’t think I had the strength to deal with whatever twisted message Evric had decided to leave this time.

But curiosity finally won.

I pulled the lid open.

Inside was a sleek, silver wristwatch luxurious, clearly expensive. A small white card. No name. No signature. Just a single line written in neat, feminine handwriting.

"Check me up if you’re single."

A phone number followed, simple and direct.

I stared at the note for longer than I’d like to admit.

Was this a joke? A trap?

Maybe it was crazy, but for the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Hope? Distraction? Whatever it was, it was enough to make me reach for my phone.

I need this, I told myself.

I need something, anything to pull me away from Evric’s grasp.

Because even when he wasn’t around, he was still in my head. His voice. His scent. His memory. The ghost of him lingered, haunting every corner of my mind. Maybe if I gave someone else a chance, if I threw myself into something new, I could escape the game he kept playing with my heart.

So I did it.

I texted her.

At first, no response.

I stared at the screen, suddenly filled with regret. Maybe I was being desperate. Or foolish.

Then my phone buzzed.

But it wasn’t her.

Evric.

His name flashed across the screen like a slap.

I let it ring.

Ignored the first.

Then he sent a message.

Then another.

Then one of those stupid stickers he always used when trying to break the tension.

I didn’t respond.

He called again. This time, I picked up, if only to stop the noise.

"I’m busy," I said coldly before he could get a word out.

Then, I ended the call without waiting for his reaction.

My heart was pounding. Not out of guilt. Not out of sadness. But out of anger, anger at how easily he still made me feel weak.

I tossed the phone aside, trying to breathe.

Another buzz.

I groaned and reached for the screen, ready to ignore him again.

But it wasn’t him.

It was her.

Nitammi.