Chapter one

HEATHER

“I just don’t think you should be hard on yourself. House hunting can be difficult in New York. Give it time.” Tabitha said as she filled my glass with alcohol.

I grabbed the glass and downed the content in one gulp. It didn’t burn like I wanted it to. I definitely need something stronger to drown my frustration. I stretched the glass out and motioned to Tabitha to pour me another glass. She stared at me, her lips slightly parted in surprise.

“Woah! Take it easy. You can’t hold your alcohol. Two more glasses and we’ll have ‘bad decisions Heather’. Remember what happened at the wedding reception.” Lisa said and snatched the glass from me.

The three of us were hanging out at a bar close to Tabitha’s apartment. Lisa had visited from Korea to attend Dallas’s wedding. She’d decided to turn it into a vacation instead, which according to Lisa meant day-drinking. It was ironic how she was now bugging me about my alcohol intake.

Our friend group was only missing two people now. Dallas, who was on her honeymoon, and Jenna, who had a photo shoot for some luxury brand. The power sisters, as we call them. Biological sisters yet different in every way.

If someone had told me two years ago that we would all end up being best friends, I would have laughed and called them crazy. But after we went through some difficult times together, we just gravitated towards each other and bonded.

“Remind me again who brought the idea of hanging out here?” I raised an eyebrow in question.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean you should spiral into self distract mode.” She answered. “Listen to Tabby and stop being hard on yourself. Besides, Oliver said he found a nice, affordable place for you. You just have to be patient and wait for him to send the address so you can go check it out.”

Oliver was Dallas’s husband and my former boss, the nicest boss I’ve had since I graduated from culinary school. Working for Oliver had got me out of my pathetic, lonely situation and gave me amazing friends who actually cared about me. But sadly, all good things had to come to an end.

“You don’t have a reason to worry anymore. I’m sure the place will be really nice since Oliver recommended it. And the owner of the apartment agreed to give you a huge discount. That’s a whole package deal.” Tabitha added as she gently sipped her drink.

“I know, but he has already done so much for me. I feel so guilty troubling him like this. But Dallas insisted on it.” I sighed.

Being a private chef for Oliver Kang hadn’t just gotten me amazing friends, it came with a nice accommodation in his very expensive mansion uptown and a fat paycheck.

Was I an idiot for quitting such a nice job? Maybe. Do I regret it? Well, given how difficult the apartment search had been, maybe a little.

It wasn’t like he kicked me out, he actually asked me to stay. He even offered to increase my salary to make me stay, but I couldn’t accept it.

This was what five glasses of alcohol at a wedding reception and a shady past had cost me.

“I think you know very well what happens when you tell Dallas Valencia she shouldn’t do something.” Tabitha chuckled.

“Actually, it’s Dallas Kang now. You forgot whose wedding you attended a few days ago?” Lisa snorted.

“Old habits.” Tabitha shrugged and turned to me, “You have to accept Oliver’s help if you don’t want to live in a shared bedroom with college frat boys.”

I sighed in frustration as memories of my failed apartment search filtered back into my mind. When the ad said ‘shared space’, I didn’t realize it applied to shared bedrooms.

I had almost fainted when I visited the place and saw a frat party going on. A couple was making out in what was supposed to be my side of the bedroom. The only good news was that I hadn’t made a deposit before asking to see the apartment.

“Or you could come stay with me. When Lisa goes back to Korea, the guest room would be empty. I barely stay at home anyway. You’d have the place to yourself most of the time.” Tabitha added.

“I appreciate the offer, Tabby. But like I said the last hundred times you’ve asked me, I need a place closer to the restaurant I’m applying for a job at. Your apartment is like thirty minutes away.”

It wasn’t exactly the main reason I didn’t want to stay with her, but I couldn’t tell her that. I loved the friendship the five of us have developed over the past two years, and telling my friends the truth would only hurt them or make them feel pity for me. I didn’t want either of that.

Tabitha had been promoted to the COO position at Kang Chemicals after the last one got arrested for fraud. The NGO company Lisa worked for in Korea gave her a huge promotion last year. They’re even looking to open a new branch and make her the head. Jenna was named highest paying supermodel in Vogue magazine. Dallas had her successful Fencing Academy and she just got married.

And there I was, still in the same place as when I first moved to New York. I was genuinely happy for all of them. We’ve all been through a lot together and definitely deserve some good things in life. But I felt stuck.

It was like everyone was moving on with their lives while I was still stuck in the same chapter. The main reason I moved to New York was to live my life on my terms. It didn’t seem like I was doing that.

And there was him.

I shook my head, clearing my mind of any thoughts of him. I couldn’t let myself be carried away by the past, no matter how memorable those times were. Besides, he had clearly moved on from me. Nine years was a long time to pine after a woman who left without a word.

“Heather!” I snapped out of my thought to see Lisa and Tabitha staring at me with strange expressions on their faces.

“You didn’t have to yell my name. I can hear you perfectly.”

“Sure didn’t seem like it the last five times I called you. What were you thinking about so much?” Lisa asked.

“Uhm… just… stuff…” I stuttered. “What’s up?”

“Your phone has been going off like crazy. You should check it out.” Tabitha gestured to my phone on the table.

I picked up my phone and clicked on the text notification.

“It’s Dallas. She just sent me the address to the place.” I said with excitement.

I might not have wanted Oliver’s help initially, but I couldn’t deny the excitement I felt knowing that my horrendous apartment search was coming to an end.

“Okay girls, I gotta go.” I grabbed my purse and rose from my seat so fast that I almost tripped.

“Woah!”

“Careful.”

My friends said in unison. I finally managed to steady myself and contain my excitement.

“See you later. Love you.” I rushed out without waiting for their response.

.

.

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When Tabitha said the apartment was nice and affordable, this was so not what I had in mind. I stood in front of the apartment building in bewilderment. Even from the outside, I could tell it was a luxurious apartment. The price Oliver said the landlord agreed on was way too small for a place like this. It was almost like they were given it away for free.

I pulled out my phone and checked the message I sent to the agent whose number Dallas had forwarded with the address. I saw a recent text from her asking me to head to the lobby.

A woman walked up to me with smiles as soon as I stepped into the lobby.

“Hi, I’m Grace.” She stretched her hand out and I took it.

“Heather.” I smiled back. “ This is a really nice place you’ve got here. How much did you say the rent was again?”

“Twenty five a month, but since you came highly recommended, the landlord agreed to give you an eighty percent discount.” she said with a tight smile.

I suspected she wasn’t happy about the huge discount I was receiving.

“So that’s five thousand a month.” I said.

At first, I thought the owner of the building was trying to get in Oliver's good graces, but after hearing how much the rent was, I wasn’t convinced that was the only reason. It seems way too suspicious.

“Do you usually give this much discount?” I asked politely, and tried hard to keep the skepticism from my tone.

From the small frown etched on her forehead, I knew I wasn't doing a very good job. She was clearly holding herself back from lashing out.

“Only to clients who came highly recommended.” a deep voice said behind me.

I knew who that voice belonged to. The voice that had lulled me to sleep many times in the past. The voice that had whispered sweet things to me and made promises to nev

er leave.

I turned around just in time to see Ethan Hart walking towards me, his lips tilted into a smirk.