Three Months Later

"Welcome to the big city, Velmark." Maribel blurted out, peeking over her shoulder to meet Tessa's hesitant eyes, glancing back at her.

Dylan vanished with all the money she owned in the world. That bastard. She was fired for low performance at work, heightening her depression. Her rent was due, and bills had piled up, waiting to be sorted from an empty account. She didn't want to turn to her grandparents again. She just took a huge chunk out of them without anything tangible to show for it.

They would be beyond disappointed if they knew what she did with the money. She tightened her grip on the door handle, her heart sinking at the thought of the mistake she had made with her life.

"Hmmm," Maribel, her best friend, took her hand and slid it atop hers. "You don't have to worry about anything now, Tessa. My dad is very comfortable with you living with us until you find something good for yourself." She assured with a smile, followed by a firm nod.

"Bel." Gratitude gleamed in her brown eyes. She had saved her from drowning in depression. "Thank you."

Maribel shook her head. "Come on, don't do that." Jumping out of the car, she hurried towards Tessa's side to get the door for her. "Welcome to Velmark, and welcome to my house." She spread her arms around the gigantic building that stood before them.

Tessa surveyed the mansion in a glance, eyes back on her best friend.

"Your house?" She asked again, eyes back on the surroundings.

The garage where they stood alone was three times bigger than the one-room casita she managed back in Bally.

"Yes," Maribel said, rolling her eyes like it wasn't a big deal. "Come in with me, I need to introduce you to my dad before he leaves the house. He has a meeting to attend in an hour." She gestured to the chauffeur to help with Tessa's luggage while she linked her arm with hers, leading her into the house. "I'll show you around the house when you're well rested."

Tessa nodded, smiling. She was beyond grateful to her friend. 

"And don't fret, Velmark will be nice to you. You graduated top of our class in college. You will land a good job in no time."

She nodded again. Maribel's faith had been upholding her since the huge heartbreak she suffered.

They walked on, Tessa's eyes scouring the manor. The colorful flowers and well-manicured shrubs added touches of nature to the house. Sleek, tall, glass windows. The water featured garden lights. The sculptures sprawled at every corner.

"I can speak to my dad to offer you a job in his company to save you the stress of job-hunting. You know?" Maribel interrupted her silent exploration with a hard smile that accentuated her dimpled cheeks.

Tessa quickly shook her head in declination the moment she mentioned her dad. "He has done enough, Bel. He let you bring me here to stay with you. That's enough. I don't want to bother him further." 

Maribel chuckled lightly. "Trust me, that's not a bother, and I'm sure he wouldn't even mind. "My dad will do anything that I ask of him, Tessa. He wouldn't sit back there and watch my best friend suffer from being broke."

This time, a short laughter spilled out from Tessa's lips. Maribel was a clown on her own, and she imagined what her father would be like. They had been friends for four years in college, but today would be the first time she was meeting her father.

So many myths have been created about him, but only one stuck with her. Mr. Julian Anderson looked way younger than his age, and she just assumed that Maribel might take after her father in the beauty department. For four straight years, she won the award for the most beautiful girl at Sterling College. Others tried, but her beauty was unmatched, and sometimes, Tessa wondered how they became friends.

They were the exact opposites. Mirabel was slender and curvy, of model-ish height, and hostile... close to strict. She, on the other hand, was free with everyone, hiding her insecurity under the façade of being funny. To her, it was more pleasant for people to find her funny than to find her fat. Maybe Thick. However, they called it to make her feel better.

Maribel always assured her that her 5'6 height was average, and her body was too banging to be called loose, but she still didn't feel safe, as she didn't fit into the societal standards of perfection.

She was starting to think that was one of the reasons Dylan cheated on her. He didn't think her attractive enough.

'A dry, fat pig.' Those words replayed in her head for a second, but she smothered the thoughts before they settled deeply inside her.

She was now in Velmark. The start of new things. That old life with Dylan no longer existed.

Maribel ushered Tessa into the house first, walking behind her, her smile widening with each step toward the foyer.

Tessa's heart throbbed uncontrollably. What if Maribel's father frowned at her when he saw her? What if he didn't like her and asked her to leave his house? A bunch of 'what ifs' messed up her system within seconds.

She was finally coming to accept that moving here was her new reality, and staying in her best friend's house for the time being was her only hope of getting herself back together. She needed to find herself again before going back to Bally to see her grandparents again. She had merely told them she had received a better job offer and was leaving to stay with her friend in Velmark.

She needed to find that job. Get her life back in shape before summoning the courage to face them again. Her aim in Velmark was to rebuild her shattered life from scratch and devote herself to it without distractions.

There would be no distractions. No distractions.

Footsteps descended the stairs. Loud giggling sounds followed. Tessa stood still, hands behind her back. The heady scent of a rich, masculine cologne assailed her, prompting her to take a look.

Still harboring the thoughts of starting over in the new city, and of Maribel's father changing his mind about her, she lifted her chin and found herself caught in the piercing gaze of dark green eyes.

She stiffened, her eyes sweeping over him in a single, startled glance before looking away very quickly. Damn, this man was perfect.

Tessa looked at him again, longer this time. She opened her mouth to speak, but no word came. Then she closed it back, steadying herself, trying to regain her composure from the daze his sharp eyes had plunged her into.

Maribel stepped into the middle, deterring her from properly assessing the beautiful man in their midst.

"Tessa, meet my dad, Julian Anderson, and dad, meet Tessa, the best friend I wouldn't stop blabbering about." She smiled, gesturing between her best friend and her father.

Her dad?

Tessa's brows pulled together in confusion. A million questions swarmed her thoughts. There was no way this Greek god in front of her was Maribel's father. No way. She was still wallowing in doubt when the myth about him struck her, and she instantly believed it.

Julian was indeed her best friend's dad.

She extended a hand forward, feigning a smile that faltered before forming fully. "Nice meeting you, sir."

She was silently begging her body not to betray her as Julian gave her a lazy look with those sharp, observant eyes. A jolt of something electrifying tingled her skin when he slid his hand into hers and shook it lightly.

The heat was so intense she feared her skin might burst into flames if she didn't let go of his hand. Oh, she needed to be focused. She was losing it already.

He watched her faintly as if to determine if she would be a good addition to the household. He confirmed her soft aura with a smile. "Welcome here, Tessaline." He said, letting go of her hand.

Tessa's insides mourned from the disconnection. Even his smile was as beautiful as he was. She prayed Maribel hadn't noticed anything strange about her reactions since she set eyes on her dad. And did he just call her by her full name? That was rare. No one did except for her late parents and grandparents.

"I told him your full name, and I think he prefers that," Maribel said, winking at her best friend as she slid next to her.

When Julian's eyes dropped to his wristwatch, Tessa took a secret moment to scrutinize him.

Neatly trimmed brown hair. Perfectly chiseled jawline. Tall and impossibly handsome. A commanding presence so loud without even trying. He was in his mid-forties, but looked decades younger. His lean structure was elegantly enhanced by the well-tailored three-piece suit he donned. Every inch of him screamed perfection.

Now, she knew where Maribel got her good genes. For a second, she imagined what his body would look like without that suit. Hot. Tempting. Damn, she needed to focus. This wasn't the reason she came to Velmark, but it wasn't her fault that this man was hot. Too hot not to be noticed. Too hot for her not to harbor nasty, dirty thoughts about him, even though she was meeting him for the first time.

"Show your friend to her room." Julian lifted his eyes to glance at his daughter. "You two should explore the mansion. I have a meeting to attend now." His eyes were back on the wristwatch.

"Dad," Maribel was back to her father's side, her lips curved in a cute pout that melted hearts. She lulled in his arms for a few seconds before looking him in the eyes. "Rowan wants me to come stay with him for a while."

Tessa's eyes darted across the room and rested on her best friend. They had been together on a journey for hours, and she didn't tell her she was planning to stay with her fiancé. There was no way she was leaving her alone to stay in that house with her father.

"What do you mean?" Julian asked his daughter, his voice a little bit edgy, but Tessa didn't mind. He needed to stop her.

Maribel looked towards Tessa with pleading eyes. "I am sorry I didn't let you two know about this before now. I just wanted Tessa to leave Bally to start afresh here. If I had told her, she wouldn't have come over."

"And me?" Julian looked hurt.

"Oh, come on, Dad. Tessa is here, and she is as much your daughter as I am."

Tessa shifted her gaze away from her friend, taking her time to feed her eyes with the interiors of the grand living room. Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There were leather sofas, a sleek glass coffee table, and monochrome artworks sprawled at every corner.

"You've barely had my time since you got engaged to that boy." Julian was checking his watch again, and Tessa assumed he must be running late for the meeting. "But what do I have to say? I was that way with your mother, too." A sad smile touched his lips. "I wanted her around even before I engaged her."

Tessa smiled. Maribel had told her about how deeply her father adored her late mother, and had chosen to stay single ever since she died ten years ago. Something like pity crossed her face, but it faded when she knew that someone like Julian didn't need pity in his life.

"When are you leaving?" He asked her.

"Right after Tessa settles in. I miss him already." Maribel said, whining and flapping her arms in the air. "I don't have to pack, I have enough clothes in his house." She moved closer to her father, offering him an apologetic smile.

He nodded, kissing her. Turning to Tessa, he said, "I will see you when I get back from work."

Tessa nodded, but he wouldn't see her because she would have already hidden away in her room long before he got back.

"Tell Annie to prepare something special for dinner. We have a guest." With that, Julian kissed his daughter again and dashed out of the living room.

Tessa watched his back, his strides fast and calculated. She smiled. This was going to be so much more than she anticipated.

"What was that, Bel?" Tessa grabbed her friend's arm the moment her father stepped out of the house. "What do you mean you are leaving the house when I have just arrived today?" She shouldn't be upset that her friend was trying to help her, but she couldn't get the thought of being home alone with her friend's father out of her head.

To worsen it. He was hot, and merely staring at him gave her nasty ideas. She didn't want to be caught up in that weird web.

"Maybe I should just go with you to Rowan's house. I don't know."

Maribel chuckled. Turning to her friend, she said. "Rowan loves me too much to entertain the idea of a threesome. So, that's a big NO." Her lips emphasized the word so Tessa could understand clearly.

"Gosh, you are nasty," Tessa said, shoving her away with her hand.

"He's my man, you know?" She grabbed Tessa and led her upstairs. "Come, let me show you to my room, and then, your room. I prepared something nice for you."

Tessa trusted Maribel to always look after her. "Thank you," she said when they got to the doorpost that led to Maribel's room. "Thank you so much for everything, Bel. I owe you one."

"No, you do not." She said dismissively. "Oh, maybe you do owe me something." A nasty smile parted her lips into two. Winking at Tessa, she said. "You owe me a hot man in Velmark. Find him quickly, and your debt will be cleared."

Tessa chuckled. Her friend just knew how to make her feel better in every situation.

Maribel opened the door that led to her huge, beige-themed room, and all that filled Tessa's head as they explored the room was her friend's last words, but then, that wasn't what she was all about now.

She had more important things to achieve.