“You abandoned me in the middle of the night! You left me alone for five years!” Maya hissed as he lifted his hand to touch where her slap had left its mark. “I left to protect you! I left because I love you!” Nathaniel protested in a futile attempt to defend himself. —————————————————— Five years ago, Nathaniel De La Rue found love and a new life in Arlington City, but his past soon caught up with him and forced him to leave behind everything he had built, including his beloved Maya Miller. Now, Nathaniel is done running. He must confront his past to protect those that matter the most to him. After fighting for his right to live and accepting his rightful place in the De La Rue family, he finally returns to Arlington City. However, upon his return, Nathaniel finds that his world is not the same as he left it. Maya, the woman he loves, is engaged to another man. His best friend now works for the man who stole Maya from him. Furthermore, the woman who had cared for Nathaniel like a mother is being abused by her husband. It’s as if he has to start from scratch. But things have changed. This time he has the De La Rue Family by his side.
"Celia," Maya called out to her friend in a near whisper.
"Huh?" Celia asked, looking around.
"Celia," Maya called again, this time wheeling the office chair next to Celia, bumping into her friend with a thud, drawing the attention of the other employees.
"Shhh," someone scolded.
Maya frowned and sighed, she didn't like what the Marketing Department was like. It was too quiet and stiff.
She had made a mental note to ask her grandfather to encourage more collaboration among the employees rather than this stiff hierarchy that surrounded them.
"What?" Celia asked as she lowered her voice.
"I need your help," Maya told her friend. "We need to update my wardrobe, I have a date."
Celia almost squealed with delight as Maya took out the black credit card that she rarely used.
Normally Maya used her own money, but her grandfather insisted that she buy something for herself with her family-paid card.