*Ices POV

"What the hell! Do you know how much this costs me?"

"I am so sorry, ma'am"

"Can your sorry's change a thing?"

I am holding a glass of wine while standing in the side of the room at another birthday party of Summer Davies. They say that this party is to commemorate the blessing of having another year of her life to live for, but all I see is a spoiled brat woman who is boasting the money that she leeches from her parents. There are numerous people in the party, including but not limited to politicians, artists, and businessmen. We are in a five-star hotel event center. They are serving various kinds of wines and expensive foods while she is there wearing a gown which causes about a six-digit number as there is even a sequence of diamonds in there while she is wearing a tiara with different small gemstones on it.

I shake my head as I look at her before I sip from my glass, savoring the mixture of sweetness and sourness of it.

"She is on it again. Poor waitress, losing her job at one mistake," Gastov, my best friend and the Vice President of my company say as he bites on the appetizer course.

Roman, on the other hand, who is also our friend and CEO of the popular winery just looks at the waitress with sympathy before he speaks, "I doubt if that girl will find another job,"

I look again at the scene where Summer s beautiful white dress is now drenching with red wine as the waitress accidentally bumps into her, spilling the wine that is on the tray she is carrying. Indeed, the short-tempered Summer Davies will not blink twice as she fires her in an instant. In anger, she left, probably to change her clothes and come back to the party again. Summer and I are almost the same age, but I never talk to her as I do not like her attitude. I hate complicated things, and that includes women.

"Be a careful dude. If you stare at her too much, you may get married to her," Gastov jokes around, making me avert my eyes towards him and look at him with my cold stare.

"Not in a million chances. I hate women like her," I said before I placed down the glass of wine and said my goodbye to them because I will no longer stay to see more drama.

I hear laughter from them as I leave but I no longer give them importance until I hear the last words which Roman shouts at me, "the more you hate, the more you love!"

They should be thankful that my patience for them is much longer compared to others as they are my friends. If we are in my company right now, I will have the guard drag them out or get them fired.

I just got out of the door, when the phone inside my suit pocket vibrates. I pull it out and answer the call from my mother as I walk towards the front door of the hotel. "Hey mom," I greet and in an instant, I regret that I even bother to answer. As usual, she is bothering me again by going on a blind date which I already rejected a million times, but she is a persistent and stubborn woman. Maybe in this lifetime of mine, she is the only woman I can tolerate, and she needs to be thankful for the fact that she is the one who gives birth to me or else I think I would fail to find patience for her as well.

"Eleven in the morning at the Luisa Restaurant. Go there and meet your blind date or you will be your father and I will continue the arranged marriage that we made for you back when you were still a fetus!" she says before turning off the call.

I sigh, shake my head, place back my phone, and just look up to the dark sky with both of my hands on my waist as I sarcastically ask how lucky I am today. Not even a minute, my Gray Lexus ES car is already in front of me as the hotel valet grabs it for me. I thank him before I accept my key back and drive back to my office which is also known as my home. As I drive I cannot help but feel more annoyed about the blind date which my mother set for me. I know that I have no choice but to come in there because I also know that my mother will do what she says and will force me to marry some women whom I do not know. I don't know why I should be involved in a foolish and silly promise that they made when I was not even born yet. I mean why should I be the one to take on the consequences? If it is not for the company I love which they can take away from me, I will have the courage to defy long ago.

*Summer s POV

Ruined. Everything is already ruined. I have my dress created by one of the most known designers and it takes her approximately four months to design and make what I am wearing today, only to be ruined by a clumsy waitress. I devastatingly changed into a different gown before going back to my party and socializing with them. I stand in the doorway, roaming my eyes everywhere and plaster a smile on my face as I look at each of them. This is not a birthday party, but a mere social gathering with an intention of creating more connection. In the real world, friendship does not exist. If you have nothing to offer, you are worthless. I don't even know half of those who attend this party of mine, but as a CEO of an architectural company, it is an important thing to make a broad connection because no one knows when they will need one. I look on to my dress and confidently walk again. Some will think that I am shallow, but they do not understand that one's clothes are one's armor and the business world is the real battlefield.

As I walk with elegance, my eyes fall to the table where Roman De Luca is. He is a handsome Italian rugged man from a well-known engineering company. "Lovely party," Mr. De Luca states as he offers his glass for a toast which I, fortunately, am able to accept because one of the waiters walks closer to us and I am able to grab one for myself.

"I am glad you like it, but half of the credit goes for you and your delectable wine Mr. De Luca" I greet back before we raise our glasses and take a sip of wine.

"It is such a shame. My friend already left just a minute ago, you would have been able to meet him." He shares but I no longer speak about that.

Mr. Stewart then looks at me with his ocean blue eyes and smug smile before he speaks, "Nice to meet you, Our CEO would have loved to meet you, unfortunately, he has an urgent matter he must attend to." I can not help but laugh at what he has said which makes the two men look at me in surprise.

"I am so sorry," I say as I show them my palm, indicating for them to give me a minute as I calm myself down. "You do not have to cover up for your friend. I am pretty sure that Mr. Ice Smith finds this party of mine as boring as his cold expression, hence why he left already." I said without a filter. It is no longer a hidden secret that the CEO of the Slope Hills INC. is a cold man. His name Ice is very fitting for his reputation. He is known for being distant to most people aside from the two people in front of me and is a frank person who will not get scared to tell what he is thinking, which is the only characteristic he has which I like. Everything else is something I hate. He is no fun at all. He looks like a stone without any expression and does not know how to have fun at all. A workaholic human who best fits to be a robot instead.

I am ready to be scolded by his friend, but to my surprise, the two even applaud at each other and give me a thumbs-up as they laugh, which makes me laugh as well. Something I have not been able to do for a long time.

I came back home completely exhausted. I remove my four inches high heels as soon as I enter my condominium, remove all of my hair accessories and throw them wherever before I slam myself down on the comfort of my sofa.

"Can you act more like a lady? You are the face of Dream Out, stop giving scandals to our family name!"

One minute. One minute of peace is all I am asking for in order to have a break, but it seems that it is something hard to do as well when your mother happens to know the passcode of your own house.

With hidden annoyance, I stand up and fix myself before I stand in front of her again and respectfully ask what she may need. She throws me the paper which I pick up from the floor as I fail to catch it on time. There is a note of a place and time. I want to roll my eyes as I know that it is for another blind date. Another one which I need to ruin. Well, it is either I go or everything I have will be turned into dust.

"Luisa Restaurant at eleven in the morning. I will go," I say nonchalantly as I shrug and walk toward my room, not minding my mother who I know will leave now that she is able to get what she wants.

"Snow Davies. You better behave yourself in this one or worse will come to worse." she threatens before she walks away and I walk inside my room. I walk towards my dresser table and sit on the chair in front of it as I crumpled the paper I am holding and threw it at the nearby trash can. I look at myself in the mirror and see a strong woman who is crumbling inside.

I remove my makeup and my blue coloured contacts to reveal my natural black ones. I sarcastically smile at my reflection as I have the urge to claw out my black eyes, the reason why after twenty-eight years my stepmother cannot still accept me in her life.

* * * * * * * * *

I am about to wear too casual clothes or a spanky dress to turn my date off, but then again I remember how my mother reminds me to behave. Sighing, I grab a black sleeveless cocktail dress that has a heart neckline and put my hair into a messy bun with the end slightly curled.

I am holding my convertible bag as I walk with my four inches Gucci high heels inside of the restaurant when the person seating on the table near the window, surprises me as I wonder how he is the one I see.