Esme moved into a new place.

"Esme…" Esme's breath caught in her throat when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. She turned to see a tall figure approaching, and her heart raced at the sight of Julian. His sudden appearance left her bewildered, unsure of his intentions.

"What are you doing here?" she asked frantically.

"I came to see you," Julian replied, his eyes fixed intently on her. "Adelynn's house is locked, so I came down and waited for you." He moved even closer to her and asked, "You were with Silas Sullivan, weren't you?"

Esme felt a surge of irritation at his intrusion. "That's none of your business." She pivoted and headed for the elevator, hoping to evade further conversation.

Julian tugged at her arm and pulled her back, growling, "It's very much my business. I can't let you fall into trouble."

"Keep your hands off of me," Esme snapped, swatting his hand away, her eyes flashing with anger.

Julian raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay." A heavy sigh escaped him, his distress apparent. "Look, I know I hurt you. We are no longer engaged, but we are still friends. I care about you."

"I don't need your friendship, Julian," she shot back, her words laced with disdain. "And I certainly don't need your protection. You're not my guardian. You don't need to worry about me."

Esme's persistent resistance left Julian feeling utterly helpless. Julian couldn't figure out how to persuade her to stay away from Silas. However, he refused to accept defeat.

"Esme, that man isn't right for you," Julian implored, his voice tinged with urgency. "He's not serious about anyone. He's just playing around with you. Please don't do anything stupid in your rage at me."

"Hahaha…" Esme laughed bitterly. "Before pointing fingers, take a good look at yourself. You did the same thing—you played with my feelings. At least I know Silas isn't serious. Don't try to manipulate me, Julian. It won't work. Go away. I don't want to talk to you."

She turned to leave, but Julian blocked her path, refusing to be ignored.

"Stop ignoring me, Esme," Julian snapped. His eyes scanned her. Her mesmerizing blue eyes, once filled with longing and affection for him, now radiated hostility. The unfamiliar resentment pierced his heart, leaving him uneasy.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked. "You were not like this. You couldn't go a day without talking to me. And look at you. You say you don't want to talk. What happened to you?"

"Really? You happened to me," Esme fired back with intense emotion. "I trusted you. I loved you. But you broke my trust and humiliated our relationship by sleeping with Ruby behind my eyes. You destroyed my dreams. And you expect me to just keep talking to you? No, I can't. You hurt me, and I'll never forget that."

Esme entered the elevator, leaving Julian standing there alone. She locked her gaze with him, her posture rigid. The door slid closed, creating a barrier between them. Esme leaned against the wall, tears brimming into her eyes. The facade of bravery she had maintained crumbled, with emotions cascading forth unchecked. She didn't hold back her tears and let them fall freely.

==============

Esme beamed with excitement as she stepped into the new apartment arranged by the company. Adelynn accompanied her. She was in awe as she inspected the fully furnished apartment.

"Wow," escaped Adelynn's mouth. "It's quite big—even bigger than my house. Esme, you are lucky." She hurried toward the balcony at the end of the hall, eager to explore.

Esme hadn't anticipated such a big house. The apartment was indeed large, featuring an expansive hall, a dining area, a lengthy balcony, and two bedrooms. The sheer size thrilled her. Esme couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude toward the company for allotting her such a nice place to live.

"Esme, come and take a look," Adelynn called out cheerfully from the balcony. "It's beautiful."

Making her way over, Esme joined her friend and marveled at the picturesque sight—a large lake, a bit of a distance away from the building, shimmered under the sunlight, with migratory birds gracefully hovering above its surface.

"I love this place," Adelynn chirped happily. "I'm definitely staying with you on weekends."

"You're most welcome," Esme replied warmly.

"Let's see the bedrooms." Eager to explore further, Adelynn tugged at Esme's hand, leading her into the master bedroom, which was bigger than her bedroom.

"I'm truly impressed with Silas," Adelynn remarked. "He's incredibly generous to his employees." The admiration in her voice was palpable as they continued to explore the apartment's lavish interiors.

As Esme continued to explore the house, her amazement grew. She couldn't shake off the thought of whether the company provided such spacious accommodations for all its staff members. While she was still in a daze, Adelynn checked the entire house and came back to her.

"Everything you need is already here," Adelynn announced. "You won't need to buy anything. Just a few groceries." She chuckled. "I'd love to stay this weekend, but I have an office function. It's our tabloid's tenth anniversary, and there's a lot to arrange."

Esme nodded understandingly. She didn't insist on Adelynn staying; her thoughts drifted to her own plans for the weekend. She was scheduled to have dinner with Silas's parents the following night. Anxiety knotted her insides at the prospect of acting as Silas's girlfriend in front of them. Despite her nerves, she managed a smile.

"No problem. You can stay here the next weekend. Thank you for making time despite your busy schedule," Esme replied graciously.

Adelynn waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. I wanted to see your new place. And wow, I'm blown away. Silas certainly knows how to take care of his employees. I'm thoroughly impressed with him." She hugged Esme warmly. "I'm genuinely happy for you. I'm sorry, I won't be able to go grocery shopping with you."

"It's alright. I can handle it," Esme assured her.

"Great. Take care, and I'll catch up with you later." With a wave, Adelynn bid farewell and exited the house.

Esme's gaze swept around the bedroom, her features clouding with a somber hue. Despite securing a job at the same company where Julian had worked and finding herself a pleasant living space, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction lingered within her. The persistent ache in her heart weighed heavily on her, causing distress that she couldn't shake off.

She approached the window and drew the curtains aside, peering outside. From this vantage point, the entrance of the apartment building came into view, with a constant flurry of cars arriving and departing.

Feeling the need to distract herself, Esme decided to step out for some errands. Grabbing her purse, she made her way out of the apartment, seeking a change of scenery to ease the persistent turmoil in her heart.

Several minutes later... 

Esme parked her car in the lot and retrieved the grocery bags from the trunk, heading toward the building's entrance. Approaching the elevator, she froze, utterly bewildered at the sight of a familiar, tall figure standing there.

"You! What are you doing here?" Her confusion was palpable as she met his trademark smirk. Her mind raced, pondering whether Silas had come to visit her.

"Hello, Miss Shaw. So, you've finally moved in," he greeted casually, his smirk persisting.

"Yes, I got the key yesterday," Esme replied, her confusion still lingering. "But what about you? What brings you here?"

"I live here, Miss Shaw," he revealed with a playful smirk, gesturing upward. "I have a penthouse on the top floor."

His eyes glowed with cunning. Silas owned the entire building, and he had purposefully given the house to Esme to keep her close to him.