Two weeks had passed since Xiran and Rivan had exchanged words at the party, and Irlana and her mother moved out. Rivan had called his friend multiple times but he no longer picked up his calls.

Rivan knew he had crossed the line by dragging Aselia into the conversation and had deeply hurt him when he was already going through a tough time. This agitated Rivan and he wanted to go meet him but was afraid they will end up fighting again.

Irlana had resumed work at the company but she didn’t visit him in his office anymore. He knew she was avoiding him, giving him time to figure out where they stood.

Layna on the other hand had been trying to be utterly sweet. On more than one occasion she had tried to seduce him and hinted they should get back together.

What no one understood and knew was the promise Rivan had made to himself to never accept a girl back who would leave him. He was left devastated when Layna broke up with him on the excuse that she wanted to focus on her career, instead of settling down, getting married and having kids.

They were not on the same page and he said he would give her time, as much time as she wanted. But Layna wanted to move on without him. This was four years ago and yet here she was, pregnant with someone else’s child.

His heart thumped so violently seeing her, she looked the same, beautiful as ever. But she was not his anymore and he would not falter from his principles. Although he would always help her because she had been a huge part of his life but she would never be his lover.

Because his heart had been leaning towards someone else now, someone so innocent, someone who needed all his love, someone who had been through hell, someone whom he couldn’t wrong.

The door of his office knocked, interrupting his jumbled thoughts and he permitted to enter.

"You called for me?" she asked in that melodious voice of hers, with ocean hues focused on him.

"Yes! Are the designs ready?" he calmly asked, pointing to the chair in front of him so she could sit down.

"Yes, Sir!" she confidently ambled toward his table and placed the file in front of him, containing the designs he had requested, before quietly sitting down. Although she was trying to act confident, her heart was going berserk and her legs were shaking in the pencil skirt she wore.

Rivan began inspecting the file and taking a pencil from the pencil holder, made a few changes to the designs as he seemed fit. They discussed them at length, which materials to be used, which one should have a belt and which should go with a bowtie, back open or shoulderless, sequins or beads.

"After adjusting these I want you to send them over to the production department so they can start working on them. Our Winter Gala is late this year due to all the events that have transpired. These need to be ready on time," he instructed making eye contact with her.

"I will, Sir."

"It should be Rivan when we are alone, don’t turn me into a stranger, Irlana," his calm demeanour had a subtle hint of agitation underneath. His eyes spoke volumes to her and yet she wanted to ignore the hints. He watched her cautiously. She simply nodded and taking the file she got up and made her way to the door.

"I am not in love with her anymore. She will not come between us, that’s not the kind of man I am," his heartfelt words had her stopping near the door and her hand halted before she could turn the doorknob.

"What kind of man are you?" she curiously asked, without turning around. Feeling her open hair shuffle as if a strong gust of wind had passed through them.

She slowly turned and found him hovering over her, with a gaze so intense that it seemed to have pierced her thumping heart, her breath hitched and she forgot to breathe. His balled hand landed over her head on the door and the other around her shoulder caging her in between, he leaned closer.

His musky cologne filled the air around them as she tried to breathe and her nostrils filled with it. Rivan closed his turbulent eyes to stabilise his emotional state.

"Irlana!" he seductively whispered and she clutched the file closer to her thumping chest, their eyes boring into each other. Rivan reached out and slowly took the file from her and tossed it aside, closing any distance that remained between them. His toned chest squished her soft one and her eyes enlarged to twice in size.

He pressed his forehead on hers and finally closed his eyes breathing in her scent, trying to relax his agitated heart which hadn’t found peace from the day she had moved out.

"I am a kind of man who will not abandon you. She is back in my life not my heart, so can you trust me?" his hand had moved to her cheek and he was stroking it with his thumb. Irlana was too stunned to talk, her heart was pounding so loudly that she thought it would burst open.

She only stupidly nodded at him and his thumb shifted to her lower lip as he swiped it ever so gently, almost making her whimper.

"Thank you, for trusting me. I will not break it," he gently answered, his swirling eyes fixated on her lips as they had slightly parted. Moving so fast he claimed them with his, making her melt as shifted her hands in his hair and deepened the kiss.

He grabbed her waist and kissed her hungrily, as if devouring her, his tongue slithered inside her warm mouth and danced with hers, making a music of their own, his hands squeezed her waist making her stomach do somersaults as she moaned again and again.

After what seemed like an eternity they finally let each other go, she was a moaning mess as he stabilised her so she won’t fall from the adrenaline rush her body had experienced from the kiss they shared. He still held her close and his deep blue hues stared at her with hunger and lust.

She finally found her voice and requested with glossy eyes:

"Rivan! Please don’t break my heart. I won’t survive."

"I won’t," and their lips found each other as he locked the door and lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to his desk.