FULL OF JOY

Ava Taylor scoffed an incredulous sound as soon as she stepped foot into her bedroom. She put her suitcase away, the one she had put all her belongings into.


She padded over to the window and drew the curtains to stare out into the early dark sky.



Earlier this afternoon, after making out a number of times in the office with Zac, she finally left his office, and the look she received from the employees on her way out couldn't go unnoticed by her.



Ava had smirked when meeting their gazes as she thought within herself that if she had given into Zac's persuasion to see her off, then maybe some of them would have sent her to her grave from their murderous glare.



From there, she went to the penthouse she was staying with Zac and packed up her belongings in a suitcase.



Smiling, she closed her eyes while finger-combing the tip of her hair.



Undoubtedly, she was going to miss her man. She was really going to miss being in his arms while sleeping but this was for the best.




*Staying separately would never lessen your love for each other, instead, you're both going to earn more respect for each other,*



She recalled Hazel's words and even smiled wider. And like that, she walked back to where the suitcase was and started arranging her belongings.



As she organized her clothes in the wardrobe, she thought that she needed to change the furniture in her bedroom. Her wardrobe especially.



Moments later, the moonlight cast shadows into the room while Ava finally rounded up her task. She heaved a tired sigh and was a bit hungry.



She recalled how Zac had forced her to eat something earlier while she was with him in his office but she had refused it, saying she wasn't hungry.



Now she was hungry but was too exhausted to make anything. So she just grabbed her cell and lay sprawled on her new bedspread.



Sighing, she unlocked her phone and thought of calling Zac but she discarded the thought as soon as it came, telling herself that Zac would call her soon. That was what she kept telling herself and didn't know when she slept off.



Meanwhile, somewhere in a high-end bar, the time of the night was lively. The nightlife was just beginning.



Charlotte was so close to Reid on a chaise seat they were both sitting on as if she was flirting with him.



For some weird reason, Charlotte could sense that Reid didn't love her genuinely as he'd claimed from the beginning of their relationship.



However, this hasn't stopped her from acting along with him as she would repeatedly assure herself that all this pretense would be coming to an end once she met eye-to-eye with Zac Gonzalez.



“Do you have something you want to tell me?” asked Charlotte coquettishly, her fingers raking all over Reid’s hairy chest. The upper buttons of his patterned vintage shirt were opened which gave her access to his body.



With a vague disgusted expression, Reid looked at her on his chest and also questioned, “What makes you think I want to tell you something?” his tone was not harsh, it wasn't friendly either.



“You don't look good to me. You look frantic,” Charlotte asserted, her hands slowly going up to his blonde-tinted disheveled jaw.



Reid literally held himself from scoffing out loud. He had always been like towards her and assumed Charlotte had come to terms with his attitude or probably she was just pretending too.




The truth is, Reid was getting sick of this acting nice, and he couldn't wait for his boss to tell him it was over.




“Zac will be here soon,” he said casually, deliberately changing the topic.



For a moment, Charlotte stiffened before heaving away from his chest and looking straight into Reid’s eyes.



“You m-mean the same Z-Zachary Gonzalez will be meeting me tonight? Like officially?” she screamed-whisper, her eyes widened more and more while her heart began racing.




Reid shrugged his shoulders, “Yeah? Have you not wanted to meet him before?”




“Of course, it's my only absolute dream to meet Zac one-on-one but not when I'm not ready… I mean look at my dress. It's not suitable enough to meet him, isn't it?” she lamented.



Reid only stared at her, not saying a word. And it was then she knew she had overreacted so she cleared her throat and began, “I mean, you should have told me I'll be meeting your friend tonight. Then I would have prepared myself better.



You know, this friend of yours we’re talking about isn't just some kind of random person who can be pushed aside but a person of Zachary Gonzalez.



Oh my Reid, you really fucked me up a big time,” she eyed Reid playfully as though to make it look as if she was just messing around.




Regardless, Reid could see through her that she was also one of the craziest fans of Zac.



He was at a loss for words when he observed that the lounge was becoming quiet. He looked in the direction of the entranceway and saw Zac coming in.



He looked tall and distinguished in his custom-made suit, displaying the aura of a successful man. The atmosphere immediately became unsettling as soon as he was noticed.




He looked even more intimidating while his cold and rigid face was handsome and monotonous and the chill he exuded from his body made people flinch.




Charlotte felt her brain already melting when she also caught the sight of him padding toward their table.



Black hair long on top and cropped at the sides, his jaw neatly shelved, and brown deep penetrating eyes that made him look charming. Every rugged edge of his face was on display and Charlotte took them in bit by bit.


‘Fuck you, Ava. This is what you've been keeping for yourself alone?” she cussed inwardly.


Reid had almost jumped on his feet in greeting but with a glance from Zac, he recalled he wouldn't be showing their boss-subordinate relationship tonight but good friendship.


“Hi, Bo_ Hi Zac,” Reid welcomed while gesturing to him to sit down on a single sofa across from their table.


Zac gave a single movement of his fingers as he sat down gracefully, his legs crossing.


Charlotte was too overwhelmed to get words out of her mouth but in the end, she managed to give a tiny wave and say in a low enthusiastic voice, “Hello, Zac,”


It was then Zac raised his eyes to her, his handsome face a tinge of coldness, and his expression was dark.




Of course, he'd seen Charlotte when he got here but had deliberately paid no attention to her.




“You are?” he asked, not looking her way while unbuttoning his sleeves.




“She is_”




Reid wanted to introduce her to Zac when Charlotte suddenly interrupted him.




“I’m Charlotte, Charlotte Taylor. We've met once before but that was a long time ago. I'm sure you can't remember the event,” she giggled her last words, tucking the nonexistent strands of her red hair behind her ear.




“I remember you. You're my girl’s older sibling, aren't you?” The look in his eyes was so intense it left her breathless.



Her breath hitched at her throat and heart pounded down her chest as she stared at the significance in his eyes. She never thought Zac would proclaim Ava as his openly.


“I remember that night vividly. It was just two months ago. You came back home drunk that night. Oh, your boyfriend had accompanied you, am I wrong?”


Charlotte let out a shaky breath, casting a nervous glance at Reid. As much as she wanted to win Zac’s favor, she didn't want to get on Reid’s bad side either.


“You were all over the moon even in your drunk state and also attempted to lure me but I made you realize immediately that I've got eyes for your sister only,” Zac continued with calm and measured words, as if he had all the time in the world.


Charlotte couldn't keep calm any longer as Zac’s every word was like an arrow to her heart.


“Stop calling her my sister! What makes you think she's my sister?” her breathing sounded heavy and labored, it seemed she was struggling to hold back something.


Zac exchanged a glance with Reid while Charlotte grabbed her glass of liquor and gulped it down at once.


“What do you mean, Charlotte? You've told me once before that you have a younger sister in your college, Ava,” Reid reminded her mildly, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and pouring it into her glass.


Impulsively, Charlotte took the full shot glass cup and gulped it in one go again and felt her chest burned from it.


Zac fixed her with a firm gaze, “Ava told me you’re sisters, but you don't want me to call you sisters?”


“She’s a good-for-nothing girl who has invariably been snatching what's mine!” Charlotte yelled out her annoyance, pure bitterness, and straight anguish.


Zac frowned slightly but his eyes were full of joy which no one could pry into. Seems he liked where this was heading.