forgotten vows

Chapter 2: It’s Not About Love

The phone rang again, urgent and insistent. Tiffany frowned, irritation bubbling up, but she reluctantly answered. With her job, calls were relentless, and she felt powerless to escape them.

As soon as she picked up, Diana voice blared through the speaker, "Tiffany, hurry over! We’ve got another crisis here. If you don’t come quick, I might just be devoured by these reporters! It’s too much I swear I’m resigning this time, I can't take it for even a day longer!"

Tiffany tried to ignore Diana's frantic complaints. Keeping her composure, she replied, "Miss Diana, what’s going on this time? Just a reminder, I spent half the night arguing with Mr. Barry and only got home this morning. I've got a contract to sign with Go live media company today. My schedule is packed!"

Diana hurriedly interjected, "Tiffany, this is serious! Rosa is in a hotel with a guy, and reporters are swarming outside. I initially thought it was just another rich guy tangled in her drama, but it’s worse... Nathan Albert is involved! You know who he is, right? His gossip could rake in 1.8 million! The reporters won’t budge, and I’m exhausted! Please, come help me out!"

The moment she heard Nathan's name, Tiffany felt a wave of confusion wash over her. She had heard his name often in recent years, yet it still seemed distant. From the economic section of the newspaper, she had seen their company’s stock hitting new heights, in the tech news, something they developed had caught public interest, and in lifestyle stories, their innovations had made a difference in people’s lives.

Nathan should have felt familiar, yet somehow he was a stranger.

While she was lost in thought, Diana shrieked again, "You just have to come now! It looks like they’re about to burst in!"

Tiffany stood still for a moment, her mind racing with uncertainty. Then she grabbed her small bag, stepped outside, hailed a cab, and directed the driver to Hillcrest Hotel.

As expected, reporters had surrounded every entrance front, back, garage you name it. After battling through the crowd, Diana pulled her inside and guided her to the elevator. "I’m at my wit’s end! I suggested to Nathan that he wear a disguise and sneak out among our staff, but he refused! He wants to focus on getting Rosa out first. Boss, just by looking at her figure, it’s obvious she’ll draw attention! If he can get out first, we can all figure everything else out later!"

Tiffany was accustomed to Diana’s blunt, carefree manner and could imagine the newcomers staring at them, wide-eyed.

Inside room 1240, Rosa lounged in a nightgown, her hair tousled, and a slender cigarette pinched between her pink-tipped fingers. Spotting Tiffany, she raised her hands in helplessness, "Don’t judge! My clothes are torn I told someone to get me new ones! It wasn’t intentional!" Leaning closer, she whispered, "Boss Nathan had too much fun last night!"

Tiffany shot her a glare and asked, "Where’s Mr. Nathan?"

"Right here!" A deep, magnetic voice drifted in, relaxed and slightly raspy from sleep. Turning, Tiffany saw Nathan Albert propped against the doorframe. His short hair framed his face, and a white shirt hung loosely on his frame, with the collar buttons undone, giving him an effortlessly casual look. His honey-toned skin and enticing collarbone were hard to ignore. As he buttoned his cuffs, his long fingers still retained the deftness that had once struck her as cold when he spoke to her. He glanced her way.