C8 The memory

SYDNEY

I woke up the next morning still tasting him.

Alaric.

That infuriating, arrogant, inflexible man who thought he was above me. Who rejected me. Who treated me like some spoiled princess in need of a lesson.

And yet… when his lips touched mine, my entire body betrayed me.

I groaned, burying my face into my pillow. My heart had been racing all night, and the memory replayed over and over again—his mouth moving against mine, his hands cradling my face, the way I melted into him like some lovesick teenager.

But there was something else.

A blur.

Like my brain kept skipping a scene in the middle of a movie. I remembered confronting him. I remembered snapping at him. And then—boom—his mouth was on mine. And everything else just… blanked.

It felt wrong. Like something was missing.

Yet every time I tried to focus on the gap, my mind drifted back to the kiss. The way it seared through me. The way I wanted more.

I sat up, clutching my chest. “Ugh, this is not happening,” I muttered aloud.

Paige, my PA, peeked through the door, holding a tablet. “You called, ma’am?”

“I wasn’t calling you,” I snapped, then sighed. “Sorry. Come in.”

She entered cautiously, her neat bun already unraveling from the chaos of dealing with my schedule. “Long night?”

“You have no idea,” I muttered, swinging my legs off the bed.

Her brow arched. “This have anything to do with your new secretary?”

I glared at her. “He’s not my secretary.”

She tapped her tablet. “Actually, you announced yesterday that he was.”

I rubbed my temples. “Don’t remind me.”

Paige smirked. “So, what happened?”

My cheeks warmed, and I instantly looked away. “Nothing.”

“You’re blushing.”

“I am not!”

“You totally are. Oh my God, did you kiss him?”

I pointed at her like an executioner. “Paige, if you value your job—”

She grinned, unbothered. “Wow. You kissed him.”

I buried my face in my hands. “He kissed me, okay? It wasn’t my fault. He just—ugh—he kissed me, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Paige clutched her chest dramatically. “The mighty Sydney Stallone, brought down by a single kiss. I’ll alert the media.”

I threw a pillow at her.

She dodged it easily. “So… are you still going through with your bet with Rivera and Cindy?”

That snapped me out of my haze. My pride straightened its crown.

“Of course,” I said, standing tall, chin lifted. “I told them I’d make Alaric mine in a month. And I don’t lose bets.”

“Even if he’s clearly not into you?” Paige asked carefully.

I smirked, wicked and sharp. “Oh, he’s into me. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Paige groaned. “This is going to end in disaster, isn’t it?”

“Relax,” I said breezily. “Step two of my plan is about to begin. Yesterday I pretended I couldn’t do without him. Today… I’ll make him need me.”

---

Later – At the Office

The moment I stepped into Stallone Enterprises, whispers trailed behind me like perfume. They always did. But today, I ignored them all. My focus zeroed in on one thing.

Alaric.

He stood near the conference room, his tall frame immaculate in that damn suit, hair slicked back, his face unreadable. God, he was beautiful. Too beautiful. It was almost unfair.

And when his eyes briefly flicked to mine—cold, piercing—I forgot how to breathe.

I pasted on my brightest smile and sauntered toward him, ignoring the employees staring at us.

“Good morning, Alaric,” I purred, stopping just a little too close.

His jaw tightened. “Miss Stallone.”

“Miss Stallone?” I echoed with mock offense. “That’s so formal. Call me Sydney.”

His lips twitched, not in amusement, but annoyance. “We’re at work.”

“Exactly,” I said sweetly. “And as your boss, I demand you call me Sydney.”

The silence between us was thick, suffocating, electric. My grin widened.

Step two of my plan was working perfectly.

---

But then… something strange happened.

As I turned to leave, his gaze lingered on me. Not with desire—not exactly. With something else. Something darker. His eyes softened for just a moment, and my stomach flipped.

What was that?

Why did it feel like he was looking at me… and someone else at the same time?

I pushed the thought away, plastering confidence over my confusion. I couldn’t afford doubt.

I had a bet to win.

And Alaric would be mine.

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