Luna

"Barry—"

"There you are." Barry stood up the moment he saw me entered his office. "I've been waiting for you, sweetheart."

"You did?"

"Of course, I miss you." He walked up to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the lips. "And I wanna hear all about your wedding dress fitting. Did you find the perfect dress?"

He was incredibly sweet today, and I really liked it. But we gotta talk about my engagement ring and his new secretary.

"Yeah, I did. I'm happy with my choice."

"Great. Can't wait to see you in it on our wedding day." She pulled me closer and gave me a proper kiss.

I melted so that I almost forgot what I came for.

"You have a new secretary. Good for you." I said, then he released me.

"Yeah, I have." He sighed, then went back to his seat.

"She's really pretty, you know."

"You think so?" He didn't look pleased. "I didn't hire her for her looks, but for her skills. I was looking for a super-efficient secretary to handle my insane workload."

I couldn't believe that he didn't notice that she's a bombshell. Any guy would, even from afar. Also, she's a blondie with a tan - just what he likes.

"She looks young. Does she have the experience?"

"Obviously, she does. I wouldn't hire her if she wasn't qualified." His lips twisted a little. "She's not young, she's twenty-three. She graduated from secretarial school and used to work as an executive secretary for one of the vice presidents at Cotton Go Clothing."

"Really?" It blew my mind when he name-dropped a high-end clothing brand. "She must have a good work experience. Where did you find her?"

"Yesterday at the coffee shop around the corner."

His favorite coffee shop.

Yesterday. I remembered he was starving and couldn't wait for me to join him for lunch. I could've met her there too if I went with him.

He kept talking and was like, "I accidentally bumped into her and spilled my hot drink all over her. I felt bad for her, you know what I mean? I scalded her hand. Thank goodness the coffee shop had ointment for burns."

"Oh, that was terrible."

"It was." He agreed. "When I found out, she was going to a job interview at Royal Velvet Wear for the president's secretary position. I took the opportunity and offered her a job."

My eyebrows rose. "What a coincidence."

"Yeah, right?" He smirked. "A blessing in disguise."

"But I thought she's working at Cotton Go? It's a reputable clothing company. I heard they have good compensation and benefits."

"She resigned after her leg got injured in a skiing accident six months ago. It was supposed to be her dream vacation, but it ended up being a nightmare. She went through a lot of treatment, therapy, rehab, and stuff. Now, she's good and back to work."

"I feel sorry for her going through that unfortunate event."

"Yeah, me too," he shrugged. "It's nice that we can lend a hand. It's what our company is all about, giving people jobs. And like I said, it was a lucky break. Venus needed a job, and I needed a secretary ASAP."

"That's super cool! You've got someone to handle your work in the office now while you're away on a business trip."

"For sure," he nodded, looking really pleased.

Then I remembered there's something else to talk to him about. My engagement ring.

I sat down in front of him and collected my thoughts. I was trying to figure out how to tell him without making him angry.

"Just wanted to say thanks again for the ring. It's absolutely gorgeous." I said, looking at the enormous diamond ring on my finger.

He had a huge grin, and his eyes were shining.

"Sweetheart, I'd give you the world if I have to, just to make you happy. I'd sell my soul to the devil for you. That's how crazy I am about you."

"Thanks, Barry. I love you so much, too." I paused, then smiled at him. "Everyone thinks that it's worth a million bucks."

He laughed and then pursed his lips. "It's totally worth a million bucks. I won't give you a cheap one, cause everyone - our family, friends, especially the media, would take a snap of it and share it on all social media." He reached for my hand, clasping it with warm fingers. "I don't care if people laugh at me, seriously. I'm used to it. But what I can't take is when they're mocking you for marrying a poor dude."

"Come on, Barry. We're done talking about it. I don't care about our social status. We love each other, that's what matters most."

"I'm just pointing out the truth. You're a billionaire's heiress, and I'm just a nobody."

"No way, that's not true. You're awesome - good-looking and with a killer singing voice."

"But you... You're one in a million. You totally deserve a fancy ring, but I couldn't afford it." He shook his head, looking very apologetic. "I'm so sorry Luna, I gotta do what's necessary. I-I used the company money to buy the engagement ring."

"I know."

He let out a big sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You must be so angry with me. That sucks, I'm sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." He paused, shaking his head. I could see his eyes welled with tears. "I swear I only did it to avoid people making fun of us and the Stavrakos family. We're having this massive wedding, but your engagement ring is, like, cheap. But don't worry...I'll return whatever I took from the company, with interest. I'll work super hard, I swear."

His explanation totally melted my heart. I liked how honest he was. He spilled the beans without me even asking. I was right. Barry is a really good guy. He's doing what's best for us.

"I understand, Barry. I got your point." I stood up and sat on his lap. I gave him a big hug and a kiss.

"Thank you." He sighed with relief and buried his face in my neck. "You're a really nice girl, you know. You make me the luckiest guy ever."

Barry showed an extra dose of sweetness. After having an early dinner together, we watched a movie, specifically a crime and mystery flick.

"We gotta do this more often to keep our spark alive." I said as I cuddled up to him in the movie theater.

"I always feel a spark with you. You're the one who's always exhausted and wants to get everything done at the office before going out with me."

"Of course not!"

"Yeah, you do, sweetheart. Come on, admit it." He grabbed my face and kissed me so hard. I froze when his other hand went inside my skirt.

"Barry, stop. This place is totally inappropriate."

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You're not very spontaneous, and you kill the vibe before it even begins."

"You know I'm not gonna do that, especially in public. That's not me."

He laughed and gave me a kiss. "Don't pout, everything's cool. C'mon, let's pay attention to the movie."

I was so happy hanging out with Barry that I totally forgot about Colton, his email, and that it was Wednesday night — which was supposed to be our family dinner. The only time I remembered it was when Mom called me. But I was glad my family understood. Being busy with the wedding and stuff was just an excuse.

Colton

On Thursday morning, I finally mustered the courage to call Luna again. I haven't heard from her about my email yesterday, and it's annoying to wait. Whenever my phone rang, my heart raced. I was constantly checking my email, but no response from her.

She picked up after the fifth ring.

"Hey, how's it going?" I asked her straight-up, and she totally understood.

"I didn't even have to ask Barry about the check voucher. He spilled the beans himself. I told you, he's an honest guy."

"But he told you after he committed the crime. There's a big difference. Luna, he's not honest. It's stealing that he used your company's money to buy you an engagement ring."

"Could you not use that word? He is my fiancé." She sighed. "He spent that money on me. He's not throwing it away on some purchases or treating others."

"It doesn't matter if that's true or not. Faking a check voucher with a dummy company as a payee is a serious offense. Anyone can see that's not right, even without a business degree."

"I'm aware it's wrong. Alright?"

"Why are you tolerating it?" I exhaled heavily. "I'm sure if I didn't send you those documents, you wouldn't have known."

"Yeah, you're probably right, or Barry might tell me like he did yesterday. We don't know. But I really appreciate what you did. Thank you so much." She took a pause, then continued, "it's just that, I know Barry too well. He wouldn't do that for no reason. I trusted his explanation, and he was right. What he did was actually a good thing. So, let's just drop it, alright?"

I pressed my lips together tightly, then said. "Okay, if that's what you want."

The moment I hung up the phone, I turned to Gerald, who was listening to my conversation with Luna.

"Dammit, it didn't work. I failed again. Can you believe she still stood up for Cox even though there was solid proof he was stealing money in their company?"

"I told you, that jerk's charm with women is no joke. He can effortlessly twist everything."

"I'm so mad. My strategies weren't working." I groaned aloud. "Their wedding is coming up fast. Time is ticking. She's got everything for the wedding - dress, venue, food, you name it."

"Then change your tactics. Try a different approach." He suggested.

"What do you have in mind?"

"You know what that is," he smirked, and I got the hint.

"You're right." I nodded and clasped my arms together. "I'm gonna do everything I can to stop Luna and Cox from getting married. I'll win Luna over by showing her I'm a better choice."