RAFAEL
“Hey, bro.” Carter entered my office after a knock. “You disappeared from the party. Emilio was looking for you.” He pulled a chair in front of my desk and sat.
“I went somewhere.” I passed the documents I was working on to Billy. “Give this to Adam.”
“You have a ten o’clock today with Mr. Oliver Katrakis of G&E Enterprises, sir. He’s already in the meeting room,” my assistant reminded me, trying to say I didn’t have much time to chat with my brother.
“Five minutes, Billy.” G&E Enterprises was a potential partner to open my technology division. Their reputation in the industry was close to my requirements.
My assistant nodded and greeted Carter before he left.
“I had to make reasons, do you know that?” my brother went on with the questioning. He looked somewhat pissed. I could imagine his restlessness in front of the Mexican businessman. He was still young in the business, after all.
“What did you say to him?”
“What else could I say? That you had a more pressing matter to attend to? He isn’t impressed. Lockhart and Reed were there, too. They’re formidable competitors.” He shifted forward from his seat. “But I know where you went. Wesley told me. You knew my new assistant?”
“You can say that.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
I looked at him, tapping my fingers on my desk, thinking about a proper word to describe it. “I don’t know her that much.” The coincidence still astonished me.
Carter scoffed, shaking his head. “What’s gotten into you? You left an important event over a woman. You’ve never done this before.”
I’ve never done this before.
I didn’t. Those exact words had already infiltrated my mind since last night and when Savannah watched me drive from her brother’s apartment in Clinton Hill until this morning in the shower and my first coffee. I had a hard time getting rid of Savannah from my head.
She was beautiful. Angelic, if that was the right word for it. My heart (if I had that) broke for her when she cried, so I couldn’t help but hold her. Or it was probably just my excuse to touch her and feel her curves and ramps against me. Besides her unearthly beauty, Savannah was a no-nonsense woman, honest, and I found everything that came out of her mouth interesting. If I hadn’t heard about her marital issues, I would think of her as someone who always painted the skies blue despite the storm. An optimist and a breath of fresh air. Her husband was a stupid piece of shit for not seeing that. Or he did but couldn’t control his dick.
Savannah was inquisitive too, but that was one reason I was instantly and almost uncontrollably aroused. My sexual needs were always met with one call or a swipe on my screen (Savannah wasn’t so wrong about that), but I was more than unsettled if my lust from picturing her underneath me would subside if I found someone to fuck tonight.
I was guessing not.
I was always careful. Never dated them or brought them to dinner. I had never had sex with the same woman twice in a while. The news about me on the tabloids and gossip sites was just rumors. Those women that had been linked to me were only acquaintances I’d met on special occasions. Some were daughters or wives of a personage, managers, executives, and celebrities signed to my label. And I didn’t fuck Savannah Gibson... yet. I was very much compelled to do so, but she believed in love, friendship, and marriage. That just wasn’t me.
“I don’t. Reed was her husband,” I said.
“I heard. The younger one. What do you think happened to them, and why did she come to us?”
“That isn’t our business, Carter. Savannah’s your assistant now. What’s the point of asking?”
“It is just strange that why, of all people, are you involved with her. It’s a mystery.”
“I met her by accident.” And met her after that.
“So you trust her?”
“That’s a strong word.” It was too early to say that.
Carter frowned, confused. “You didn’t even say no.” He leaned into the chair and rested an ankle on his knee. “So, where did you two go?”
“Brooklyn. Let’s get back to work if you don’t have anything else to say.”
“Fine, there’s one more thing. I have a meeting with Sue Winkler tomorrow.”
“What for?”
“She knows your plans. She knew you didn’t want an equal partnership.”
“That’s good. That’s what we are aiming for anyway. But did she tell her boss?”
“Probably because they seemed interested. Sue needs the full plan, the contract, and your offer.”
“Give them what they want, but no outsider can know about this. Not even your flings.” I pointed a finger.
“That’s the plan.” He clasped his hands together.
“Good job. Anything else?”
“Nah. I’m out of here. But aren’t you going to say something about what happened to you and my new assistant?” I grinned impishly.
“There’s nothing to say.” I stood and picked up the telephone and rang Bill’s desk. “Let’s go to the meeting room.”
“Oh, Come on, Rafe!” He sprang up. “Give me something. This is progress, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then, can I ask Savannah?”
“Don’t you fucking try.” I left my desk before my snooping brother thought about something else to ask. The last thing I needed was to give the woman false hope. I wasn’t the type of man that gave women happy endings. I’d only make it worse.
SAVANNAH
Carter Sebatian’s marketing team was a group of eighteen specialists who worked for Carter and him, five managers, three brand managers, six junior and senior creative designers, and then Wesley. He was the director and legal marketing and held the second highest position after the chief. Our department was part of the heart of Sebastian Pictures and Sebastian Music.
Each associate had various duties to perform. We managed key marketing presentations, liaised with brand leads and social media promotions, read scripts, took part in content brainstorming, worked on advertising concepts and design, coordinated special events and conferences, coordinated with finance with the planning costs, executed new systems, and worked with the management support team to handle contracts with different agencies.
I sat with Wesley for half of the day. We discussed my job description as Carter’s assistant, my main duties for every day, and The Zion’s Code film franchise announcement dates and its teaser.
“So, what do you think about this?” Wes showed me the initial poster and a small clip. It showed a red eye with the four natural element runes in the middle.
“I’m a fan of fantasy, and this is lit.” I finished reading the first book in the trilogy last week, and I couldn’t wait to read the sequel. “A teaser a year before the film’s release is good, but if you are to ask me, I’ll remove the full title and put on a popular short line from the book. ‘It’s more than just a code.’”
Wes nodded and stared at the poster. “I’ll suggest that to Carter.”
“Zion is supposed to be a dead land, like hell, until a hero from the prophecy came and changed everything. I loved it. Have you finished the book?”
“With all the work around here,” he exited the window and clicked on another image, “—I can’t find the time to finish the first book. I might find time tonight.”
“The trilogy is still number one on the bestselling list today. Lucky.” I couldn’t imagine the face of Brett and Amara if they found out. They were always competitive in everything the SEG would make.
“It’s Adam who took the initiative. Rafael saw its great potential. The Sebastian brothers are really something, aren’t they?”
“They are.” I smiled. “I’m glad to be here. Thank you.”
“Anytime. But hey, you still didn’t call or tell me, or even Riley, what happened at the party.”
“I don’t know how to explain.”
“Did you get home okay?”
“Yeah. He drove me to Michael’s.”
“Rafael?”
I nodded.
“How do you know him?”
“He’s the phone’s owner.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “What? From the airport?”
I nodded again, flashing a smile.
He chuckled, rushing his fingers through his hair. “That’s sick. And you’re giving me that smile, huh? What happened yesterday?”
“Well, he saw me first.” I bit my lower lip playfully. “When we left the party, he just took me to dinner, and we talked... that’s all.”
“No, no, no, Savannah Reed. I think you like the guy.”
I shot him a glare. “Don’t call me that name.”
“Sorry. It just came out instinctively.” He straightened his shoulders. “So what now? You’re going to see him?”
“It’s not like that. He doesn’t commit.”
“And he told you this? Rafael Sebastian himself? Did you ask him out?”
“Shh!” I patted his knee. “I didn’t ask him out. You know me. But I do like him,” I confessed. I told Wes and Riley almost about everything, and I was never ashamed of it. And right now, I needed his advice because I couldn’t stop thinking about the man, my divorce, and Edward and Sofia.
“You’re not telling me everything.”
“Right. I’m not because I needed to tell you something else.”
He glanced at the desk clock. “Sure. It’s coffee break.”
“Brace yourself, ‘kay?” I took a deep breath and held both his arms. “Sofia is... Edward’s mistress.” I clenched my teeth. “She’s with him. Didn’t you see her there?”
“No, but what the fuck?”
I told him what had happened at the party. I left the event because I saw them in each other’s arms, how Amara stopped me from approaching them and humiliated me instead, and how Rafael came into the picture at the right moment. If it wasn’t because of him, I would have probably embarrassed myself.
“They didn’t see me.”
“That’s fine. It’s not the proper time and place. But what are you going to do? You can’t just let them go without a fight.”
The weight in my chest grew again. “I don’t know, Wes.”
“But why would she be there?” Wes scowled, staring into space. “She can’t be a relative to... Hold on.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“The PeekFlix’s CEO. Emilio Estrella? Sofia Estrella? That can’t be just a coincidence, Savi.”
We’d always known Sofia had a wealthy father who was a Mexican. We never met her dad, but yes, this couldn’t be a coincidence. I saw her at that restaurant where Edward told me he wanted a divorce. She was there... All this time... She was already telling me a message when she asked for Edward. But when did it start with her and Edward?
“Do you think Sofia is related to PeekFlix’s owner?” I asked.
“Well, it’s not impossible.”
“If Edward is with Sofia now, New Star has a bigger chance to acquire PeekFlix, don’t you think?”
Wesley nodded. “That’s an interesting notion. We need to tell Carter.”
“I can’t believe them,” I whispered. A bitter taste rolled on my tongue, and my stomach churned from sudden nausea. Amara had probably told Edward about the party, but the cheating bastard didn’t even try to call or explain. And the divorce—I wanted it as soon as possible. “You tell Carter. I’ll meet Edward tonight.”