Gambling Hearts with the CEO

CHAPTER 1: A Call For Reunion

2022

For a world where cruelty and goodness exist, one should know how to survive. May it be in front of the eyes of the people around them or within themselves. But surviving is not a solution that everyone can easily get. Hence, they create a wall that will serve as a temporary shield from more pain.

Each person in the world has their own roots of the built walls in front of them. A root where it all started and just kept growing until it produced its branches, later on its outcome. A wall that is established for a long time yet not corrected in order to break it will only result in a longer torture. Hence, it should be shattered. However, it depends on the people.

When one suffers and builds a wall within them, breaking it doesn’t only depend on the support of the people around them. Rather, it can only be broken once one chooses to break it themselves. But that choice means facing their own fears and struggles that were formed in the past.

However… not everyone is brave to face such a thing.

The camera flashes everywhere so that it is so blinding even without taking a single look. Noises are everywhere in the street, as if the city couldn’t be even busier than ever. But the only thing that is for sure, the attention is focused on us the very moment the car stopped. Nonetheless, it is what I have been used to for years.

Attention.

“Alexandra! Are you two dating?”

“Alexandra! Can you give us a comment, please?”

“Alexandra! What can you say about the rumors between the two of you?”

It was the same question every single time I was outside of comfort. It’s sickening, but it is something I cannot avoid either. However, it still pisses me off.

Walking on the runway and standing in front of the camera, posing and creating facial expressions to fit the concept, that is my job. I… am a model who is in her prime.

Supermodel of the Decade. That is what I am being labeled off. It is cringe, but one can’t deny that the title has belonged to me for the past few years until now. In front of many people, I am the model who is favored by luxurious brands and cherished by many people admiring me. I am that model whom everyone wanted. However, that is not the case for some people.

Maybe some always say that I am everyone’s favorite, but they are wrong. Carrying such a title is a heavy burden that I sometimes want to remove from my shoulder. Leaving out the high expectations and the supposed-to-be perfect model, I am highly criticized by some just because I am in the prime of my career… just because I chose this dream and most people supported me to achieve it.

If I am the talk of the town because of my title and work style, I am also the talk of town because of the slander I get. Yes, I am protected by my supportive admirers, but it takes one to actually remain strong while some just want to pull you down to your grave. Being innocent is nothing if some are jealous and envious of you.

Cameras, disrespectful paparazzi that disturb my privacy, and my screaming supportive fans. That is what my life is like. That is what the life of Alexandra Katerina Borres is like.

After much struggle and almost falling down onto the hard, cold floor, we finally managed to get inside the building where a private dinner is set for selected people. That is the word, private, yet the media still manage to find it out just like that. There really is barely any freedom in this industry.

“Are you good?” This man with admirable hazel-colored eyes stared at me worriedly, gently holding me in place.

“Almost slipped earlier, but I’m good. Nothing to worry about.” I gave him a reassuring smile, making sure to take away the worry in his head. This is exactly why people love to involve us in dating scandals. “We should go. Everyone’s waiting.”

As he nodded, we walked our way to the elevator on the ground floor. Only two personal bodyguards remained with us, while the rest stayed on the ground floor to make sure no one got in. We don’t really want any gate crasher to ruin our supposed-to-be peaceful night.

The elevator stops at the top of the building where the restaurant has a dazzling, massive view of the city underneath. We were greeted by the waiter who gave us each a welcoming smile before I gave my bodyguard, Chris, a signal that I could take them from there. He remained at one table with the other bodyguard with us where they would be served for the night as well, with a view of our spot still.

“I thought that two of you wouldn’t be able to escape those people outside,” Carol says with a smirk and teasing look in her eyes.

Those sparkling, as dreamy as a starry night blue eyes is probably how I can describe Carolina Velez. Ever since I moved abroad to pursue my international modeling career after an opportunity was given to me, she is one of the few people I have met in our agency. But among all those people, she was the only woman that remained more than just a fellow colleague. Apart from her dreamy eyes, small nose, pouty lips, and slender figure, she has a kind heart and a sweet as candy personality. For me, she is like an older sister that I cherish in this cruel industry.

“Barely. You should have given us a heads up that there are people outside.” I pointed out, pouting, that only made her giggle softly.

“A heads up won’t be useful with the number of people outside,” Aaron argued, giving his dear friend a pat on the shoulder as they both stood still in their obvious model figure with hands in their pockets. He nudged his friend, smirking. “Those people are nonstop, aren’t they?”

A charming yet seducing smile goes to Aaron Auch. It is his attractive smile with his deep dimples on his right cheek that makes him an apple in the eye for everyone. And if you add his tall height, green eyes that can capture one’s heart with one single look, pointed nose, and natural rosy pink lips, there will be no doubt about why he is in his prime as well. However, he wasn’t just all about looks and his naturalism in our career. Aaron is one of the protective men that I know, which makes him such an ideal man for many. It is no wonder why many women want to date him.

“There wasn’t a single day where the two of you were not asked the same question. At this point, the two of you should just date, and everyone will favor it, we’re sure.” Carol urged, giving me and the man next to me a look.

And as usual… he went along.

“Yeah… she’s right! You should just date me. I will take care of you my whole life and make sure to make your nights interesting, babe.” he flirtatiously said with a hint of joke in his tone and a wink that made me scoff in disbelief.

This kind of joke, I am already used to it. After all, we have been involved in dating rumors for years now but they never really come true. Many ask me why I can’t just go and proceed with dating the Shaun Dexter Tran? Similar to Aaron, he is an ideal man for many, but he is much more at a higher level than his dear best friend. It is safe to say that Shaun, he is widely known.

A single doubt does not exist why he is widely known because of his whole appearance and personality. He has those big hazel-downturned eyes that make him look seductive yet handsome at the same time—it comes very handy when he flirts with girls—slim nose, plump lips, small face, lean physique, and a really ideal height. Apart from that, he has this positive personality where he knows when to joke around, that it will surely cheer someone up and be serious when things are not really good. He is indeed an ideal for many.

Surely, dating Shaun will make things easier for me. I could push every single paparazzi easily and finally escape from their nonstop questions about our private lives. With the amount of people rooting for the both of us, surely there will be more opportunities to come. It will also satisfy everyone’s imagination… but it won’t satisfy mine.

The two of us have been really close since the moment I accepted the opportunity that became my turning point and led me to where I am now. We entered our agency at the same time and happened to gain attention right away because of this chemistry that people saw between us all of a sudden. And it’s because of that that we managed to get work right away.

If I am being honest, he played a big part in helping me achieve more than my simple dream and I couldn’t be more thankful to him. Shaun is indeed a great guy and I will surely be lucky, but what we have is only friendship. What I can only offer now is a friendship that I cherish, and I don’t plan on stepping over the line.

I shook my head, approaching him with a small smile. My hand reaches for his shoulder, before draping my arm on it to pull him down closer to me. I am tall, but he is much taller, so I have no choice.

“Oh, French people,” I uttered enough for us to hear. I messed up his styled hair, making him swiftly reach for my hand to stop it, that made me smile. “As much as I want to take the offer, babe, I won’t. The last thing I want is for those media people to corrupt my relationship.”

“Or maybe you just really have someone from back home waiting for you. That’s why you keep rejecting my offer.” He jokingly said yet again.

“My bills and asshole friends are the only ones waiting, babe.” I raised my hand and let it caress his face, noticing his beard starting to grow again. “Don’t worry, babe. You will be the first one to know if I have ended up falling for someone already.”

“You better stick with your words.” He pointed at me with narrowed eyes. “But it is better if it's me you will fall in love with.”

The only thing I could do was laugh and shake my head at his continuous jokes. One thing for sure is that no one is waiting for me anywhere.

For someone who is in her prime and clearly has everyone’s eyes set on her, all of my whereabouts are closely meant to be publicized already—as if they need to be documented. Most people wait for every single thing I do for the day and every single piece of news that they can get to make my name become louder—may it be a bad thing or a good thing. So my relationship… it is one of the supposed-to-be private moments that I needed to share as well.

It wasn’t a requirement for me to share my private relationship if I ever had one, but because of the people lurking around me, it became one. It was as if, in every relationship, they should be involved. Like parents who want to know whose lucky man is making their daughter’s heart flutter. It’s ridiculous because, if I happen to have a man in the future already, it will be like I am in a relationship with the public as well, because they require me to know what is going on in my life.

“Just stop now, Shaun.” Carol interrupted as she made her way back to her seat. “She already rejected you many times. Still not learning? Wanting to get yourself hurt badly, aren’t you?”

“More like just not the kind of man who easily gives up.” He proudly says, as if it is something that we should be flattered about.

“How sweet…” I gave him a loving look and a sweet smile which he returned before pushing him gently and removing the loving expression off my face. “And f*****g cheesy! Stop with your damn jokes now, Shaun. We’re just friends!”

Laughter filled the room as I rejected Shaun once again. It wasn’t the first nor the second, and definitely not the third. However, the answer still remains the same and his question also still remains a joke.

As I made my way to my seat next to Carol, my eyes went to the two men standing still. Aaron gently patted his best friend like he always does as an act of comfort while Shaun puts his hand to his chest as if he is hurt. If we weren’t all aware that the whole thing was a joke, I would assume he was really in pain because of his expression.

“Ouch! Too painful!” he exclaimed, acting like he was about to cry in his best friend’s eyes.

“I sometimes think those two ended up in the wrong career.” Carol commented sarcastically while looking at them in full judgment, which only made me laugh.

“You never know! They might be models now, but they could still change careers in the next few years.” I look up to Aaron and Shaun, who are passionately hugging one another, still keeping the act. A smirk formed my lips, knowing that there was only one thing that could stop this drama already. “The next thing we knew, we'd be seeing those two act in one movie as partners.”

As soon as those words came out of my lips, Aaron immediately backed off, pushing Shaun away like his soul came back and he returned to his senses. Like usual, Shaun kept acting and chased Aaron into the whole room like they are such a kid when they are both in their late 20s.

“If only their fans knew how childish they both are behind those thick walls and cameras,” I uttered, which made Carol laugh along with me.

They played around like kids in the room for another minute before finally settling down when Carol went to scold the two. This is one of the few times when we could actually be all free and act like we don’t have such dazzling careers ahead of us. In this room, there are no cameras and people trying to see us in the most perfect way… and I just love that.

“We’re still missing one though?” Aaron gave me a look. “Where’s your best friend?”

“She told me she was on her way when we arrived here.” I simply answered, but he just scoffed.

“She really knows how to make people wait for her. It’s already in her blood anyway, making people wait.” he pointed out with so much sarcasm and hurt at the same time in his tone, making me smile.

Surely, things are not good with those two. They are sort of on and off things that even I can’t understand anymore, so I didn’t dare to bother knowing it anymore. They are grown-ups! They can surely handle themselves now.

“Planning to ruin dinner?” A familiar voice echoes in the whole room, making us turn to the direction of the voice, only to see my beloved best friend in her beautiful beige dress. “Stop being dramatic, will you?”

“Aisha!” Carol and I exclaimed in unison.

We both stood up and went to her, welcoming Aisha with a warm and short hug. The men in the room followed, giving her a short peck on the cheek each. It was only Aaron that took a long time to greet him.

“Oh please, A. Stop spoiling the night!” Aisha exclaimed jokingly, making us laugh and leaving Aaron with a pout. She shook her head before shortly caressing the man’s cheeks. “You are such a kid sometimes.”

Watching the two of them, it does make me smile. Aisha has been my best friend since I was in college and having her become close with my friends in the world I am in now, it is a warming feeling because I know I wasn’t leaving her out. She has always been the sweetest and supportive to me, and even though she says I am doing enough to do the same, I barely do the minimum.

For someone like her, she is satisfied with what she can achieve because she isn’t some ambitious person who dreams much bigger. The very moment she achieved her goal to open her own business and, later on, had it known worldwide, she already stopped wanting more and let others have the other opportunity. She is selfless, but that is how she is, and that is why I cherish her as well.

As we all settled in at the table, the food was served one by one from the appetizer up to the main dish. But there wasn’t a single second when the table became silent. We were all just talking and talking as if we hadn’t even met each other for many years. Our talk was only interrupted when my phone rang and a call from back home appeared on my caller ID.

“Let me just answer this call,” I told them, excusing myself, then standing up to go to the balcony.

“Oh there it is! The mysterious man waiting for her back home. My heart is aching!” Shaun dramatically exclaimed, holding to his chest again.

“Stop being delusional. It’s just Catalina!” I said in between laughter.

“Thank God it's not a man, then!” he said jokingly, only making me shake my head.

My eyes came in contact with Aisha as she gave me a nod. “I’ll take you after why she called.”

I went out of the sliding door and stood on the balcony where the beautiful scenery of the city at night awaits me. I slid my finger over the screen to answer the call and immediately heard the angelic voice of my dear friend that I haven’t seen for more than a year now.

“Hey, Cat! What’s up?” I said, excitedly.

[“Alex! Glad you can answer it. I hope you didn’t have work though,”]

The only thing I notice more is the noises in the background. It’s like she is in a crowded place.

“We’re just having dinner. Aisha is also here with us as well,” I softly said.

[“Well then, just pass the message to her, okay?”] I nodded my head even though she wouldn’t see it anyway. [“The thing is, our batch is planning a reunion for two departments, Business Management and Communication. I was hoping you could spare some time to attend the reunion?”]

I hummed as I stared into the city view. “I think I can make time, but… why do we have to have the same reunion date with the people from BM? Wouldn’t it be better to just have our own in our department?” I commented.

[“We kind of had a sudden meet up with some people from BM, and they happened to be planning a reunion party as well. Since Tyra, Esther, and Kai were in BM, Esther suggested just combining the two departments. Besides, it will be more fun to have more people.”]

“But still—”

[“Are you against this because of him still?”] She suddenly pointed out, making me shut my mouth. I heard a sigh from her that made me look far away. [“It’s already been 9 years since that happened, okay? Besides, Tyra is already with Dominic, and we’re not even sure if Brandon will even attend anyway. You know how that man prefers being in a small space. Just come, okay? It’s been a year and a half since we saw you and Aisha personally. We missed you both.”]

A soft giggle escapes my lips as a smile forms my lips, knowing that I have already lost. “Fine. I will check my schedule with my manager tomorrow and let you know, okay?”

The call ended right after we bid goodbye. However, one thing remains in my mind. A reunion for both departments means that I will be seeing that jerk again.

Like I told Cat, I had my schedule checked and it turns out I have a three-month break after my one last photoshoot. Juliet, my manager, said that the agency has given me a long break to recharge and take some proper rest since I haven’t really been resting properly during the past months. So I immediately took it as my cue to make my way back home with Aisha.

As we arrived at the airport, I put on my jacket’s hoodie and my shades on to disguise myself from a possible crowd that might mob me once I got noticed. Though I did take my personal bodyguards with me, I wanted to make sure I could leave this airport without any problems. But that is not how things work.

“Alexandra! Look over here, please!” One of the paparazzi says as the camera flashes through my eyes.

I could barely see a thing because, even with the glasses on, the flashes on their cameras still managed to blind me a little at some point. I looked down and hurriedly went to the corner while my bodyguards and Aisha helped us get away from the paparazzi. But before we could even get inside the private lounge of the airport, a collision happened.

“I’m sorry,” I softly said, not even sure if it was heard, after I bumped into a man in a suit and leather shoes.

He suddenly kneeled down on one knee, making me shocked and questioning him a bit in my head. But the next thing I knew, he had my phone in my hand as he stood up to hand it to me. However, his next word… it somehow sends chills over my spine.

“Be careful.” he coldly said.

And there, I know… I can recognize that deep, cold voice. It’s that jerk.