Chapter 24 : Betha – POV
"Ugh, seriously, Coccette, I'm in charge of the presentation and the publicity for this stupid frozen pizza?" I shouted to myself in my living room.
In front of me, my laptop glowed softly, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate sat within reach.
The name of this pizza… what could it be?
I started typing: Ex Delicious Pizza. Nope. Obviously not.
Idk Pizza. Nope.
A Russian Pizza. Nooo.
"Ahhh!" I groaned, throwing my hands up. "Seriously, why am I the one in charge of this? What the hell am I supposed to name this pizza?"
I sighed deeply. "Relax, Betha. You've got this. Imagine it…"
But the only thing I could imagine was Alex's smirking face. Ugh.
"The hell…"
Okay, Betha. Think. Be creative. He's Russian. And it's an Italian pizza.
A pizza colder than a Russian winter… but once you put it in the oven, it makes you feel like a soft Italian spring.
That's the slogan.
And the name?
Khoro Pizza.
Short. Russian-inspired. Simple. Good.
I nodded to myself as I kept scrolling through pizza designs. Meanwhile, Coccette was expecting all of this to be done by tomorrow—we had a secret meeting at Alex's restaurant, and apparently Ray would be there too.
I shook my head. He's really invested in this revenge plan, isn't he?
I grabbed my phone for a break and opened Alex's social media.
My eyes immediately turned into tiny hearts.
Why the hell does he have a shirtless photo… making pizza?
Another one: on a yacht in Jerba island.
Another: holding a cute kitty, still shirtless. He definitely wanted people to notice his muscular body. Well… mission accomplished. It was very muscular.
Okay, time for Ray. Ray Lether.
I'd known him for a long time, but only through family events. We exchanged polite greetings, nothing else. But lately… he seemed interested in my Coccette.
I typed his name into the search bar.
Oh God. Why did I do this?
One photo: him smiling warmly.
Another: professional, giving pure dark-romance CEO vibes. Loved it.
The last one… finished me. Shirtless again, with a birthmark on his left chest. I bit my lip.
"He's handsome too," I whispered.
Well, Coccette… this one is a very good match for you, bestie.
I kept scrolling through Alex and Ray's profiles while trying to work at the same time. A totally chaotic multitasker, but hey—still functioning.
I sighed for probably the hundredth time in the last hour and forced myself back to the presentation.
Tomorrow had to be perfect.
---
Ray – POV
"Little thing," I said with a wide smile the moment I saw Coccette standing in front of me.
She insisted we go together to Krasiva Restaurant since I didn't know the place.
"Good morning," she greeted, then immediately added, "And don't call me little thing." She sighed softly.
I stood and stepped closer to her. "Why not?"
"Because I'm not a little thing for you to call me that," she muttered.
I placed my hand on her head—my palm practically covered it. Her eyes darted upward toward my hand, and I leaned in, my lips almost brushing hers as I whispered:
"See? You're my little thing."
Her face turned bright red.
Cutest reaction I've ever witnessed.
She took a step back, flustered. "So, euh… let's go to the restaurant. You said you wanted to be there to help me."
I nodded. "Of course. I need to help you get Frost out of the competition." I paused, then added, "It'll take time, but we'll try. Okay?"
"Yes, I know… but I don't have much time," she whispered, barely audible.
"Why don't you have much time?" I asked.
She gave a nervous smile. "Nothing. I just… need to accelerate things. I can't keep seeing my husband for too long."
I laughed, though something about her tone made me suspicious. "I've never seen a woman so determined to bring her husband down. Why not just divorce him? And the maid—fire her."
Coccette looked at me, her voice dropping to a whisper again. "The maid ?… yes . And I don't want to do things the simple way."
I grinned. "Yes, I can see that."
She smiled back. "So, let's go. Betha will kill me if we're late."
"Oh? Betha will be there?" I asked.
Coccette nodded. "Yes. She's in charge of the project—name, publicity, everything. She prepared a presentation so we understand the plan better."
I pouted dramatically. "Well, sounds like she's the perfect partner in crime for you. Better than me."
She burst into a wide smile. "No. You're both my partners in crime."
I stared at her, my heart doing something stupid.
Both?
So I actually mattered in Coccette's life?
This was random and small—just business, technically.
But the way she said it… it felt special.
Am I being delulu?
Absolutely.
But I guess I need to be.
Because my little thing…
will be mine.
Only a matter of time.
**Author Note:** Thank you so much for reading this book — your support means the world to me. Much love 💕