hestiasigne

Delilah and Dimitri. College sweethearts; the ideal couple in everyone's eyes. No one gets them more than each other. They've made a promise to graduate and become successful together, to rise on top and look down on those who ever doubted their abilities. Now, Dimitri's the CEO of his father's successful company and had made it into a conglomerate. He's on top of the world. Layla on the other hand, seems to find herself stuck in the same place. As trouble arises for the couple, will they be able to weather through stronger than ever? Or is the last thread of their relationship, finally going to break?

House of Cards (All Bets are Off #1)

His laughter rumbled deep in his chest as Layla laid against him, feeling warmer and happier than she'd ever been in months; the sky was dark and mostly empty, with only a few stars scattered in the vast beyond, the air was hot and humid, the blanket that they shared was old and rough and yet she was content. As Caius gently played with the wisps of her hair, she realized she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. She was happy.


The stress she felt in the past weeks, slowly melted into the grass and out of her mind. Caius was here, with her, and was enough. They were still each other's constant, in their lives full of instabilities and doubts. Time had passed both of them, and yet nothing had changed.


She playfully slapped his abs. "Hey, you didn't answer the question."


"Well, I didn't think that statement should be a question in the first place." He tucked her hair behind her ear, something they both liked, as he stared into her eyes. He could see the fear in there, of what was going to happen to them after college, which was going to start a week from now. She hid it so well, behind her confidence and smiles, but he liked to think he knew her better. He was her boyfriend after all.  


"Let me think about it." Caius laughed as Layla tried to strangle him. Their short tussle ended in a kiss, their breaths mingling between them. The night was quiet once more.  


"You know I love you right?" She didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.


"That means you're stuck with me, forever right?" A giant smile bloomed in her face. One that wasn't forced or fake. He felt his heart melt.  


A week from now, they would be adults, left to face the world on their own as they figure out what to do with their lives. There wouldn't be any classes, late night catch ups at the library, secret kisses shared at the corridor or dorm parties anymore. Caius would have to work at his father's company before inheriting his role and Layla would be working as an accountant at her uncle's law firm. Though their future already seems to be figured out compared to most of their peers, there was still a twinge of doubt and uncertainty about how foolproof their plans would be.


And yet Caius was here. Holding her tightly, keeping her close. He would be there, no matter what was going to happen and that made her feel at ease. Everything was going to be okay. She hugged him back, as they snuggled against each other, unspoken words laced around the kiss they shared.


Even though things might go the way they planned, we would be there, facing it together.


We might have our doubts, and feel unsure a lot of times, about were our life is heading;


Though we will face a lot of struggles that might shape us into someone else, and at times we might feel like it'd be better to give up;


You would be there, holding my hand as we weather through the storm together and I to you.


Together. A promise that we will keep for a lifetime.


A promise of forever and certainty in our lives.


Prologue