WINTER

Chapter 1

Please vote.

Four years later...

Matt sat in his office, crunching numbers. Over the years he buried himself so far into his work that he had little time for anything else. The company was growing at an alarming rate, and the urge to reign as king within the business world weighed heavily. Now, he worked out of the New York location instead of Toronto. His eyes burned from exhaustion, and he pressed the pads of his fingers into them to alleviate the pain. It was practically time to call it a night. He probably was the last person in building working not including the housekeeping staff. Hearing the door to his office open, he groaned glancing at one of the few people that dared to approach him.

"C'mon, cut that computer off and let's go out. You've been here long enough."

"There's so much to do, I really need to wrap up these reports. You go ahead without me," he said, finally acknowledging his friend's presence. Collum Davenport was a heart breaker. Women flocked to him like a moth to a flame only to get burn. Somehow, they always managed to lick their wounds, coming back and begging for more. They never learned. Collum wasn't a bad looking fellow. Possessing hazel eyes and sun-kissed skin, he was designed to lure women in.

"Work that you create! Look at yourself, Matt. You're wasting away. They call you the man of ice. You're a glacier, freezing everyone out," he said, placing his palms on the cherry oak desk and looking Matt in the eye. He was worried about his friend. His behavior was not normal—never smiling, eyes like ice; he was living an unhealthy lifestyle. He worked so hard to get where he was in life and not even able to enjoy it. His situation proved that riches didn't bring a person happiness. Matt Dallas was one of the wealthiest men in the world, and it meant little to him.

Matt hated everything Collum said. He wasn't wasting away. He simply hadn't met anyone he was interested in. Was he as boring as Collum portrayed him to be? He would prove him wrong. Matt hoped he didn't regret it.

"Fine, I'll accompany you tonight."

Collum blinked slowly at Matt. Did he hear him, right? He could've sworn Matt said he was going out with him—meaning that he was going to hang out, which would entail adult like beverages, women and no work. Collum was going to try his best to get him to come out of his shell. He would take him to a nice lounge. It would have a nice seating area where he could relax if he felt uncomfortable dancing. It was just the thing to get Matt back to his pre-Natalia life. He smiled at the implications that would follow. It was time to show his friend the better things in life.

***

Christina Moore gathered her belongings as she finished her lecture. A few of her students lingered, she hoped they would hurry up. Her eyes scanned the stadium seating, her eye twitching in anticipation of escaping. She still found it strange to be lecturing college-level seniors, who were older than her. It was disconcerting when they approached her to ask her out. Student and teacher relations were strictly against policy. She didn't plan on losing her job and nor was she interested in any of the students pursuing her. Threatening to fail them always worked for her. She didn't make it this far in life with just her looks. Pronounced as a child genius at the tender age of eight, the world was hers for the taking. However, her parents took advantage of her at a young age, exposing her to a cruel world early on in life when she was supposed to believe in fairytales. Now, she was jilted as the rest. People always had a hidden agenda, and couldn't be trusted. Deep down, she still wished for her knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet. She snorted at the thought. Turning off the lights in the lecture hall, she gave it one last look. Rolls of chairs ran across the room in a stadium fashion gleaming under the fluorescent lighting. The silence stifling. She sighed, time for home. There was a cup of tea with her name on it.