The two of them looked at each other and shook their heads. Obviously worried, neither dared walk into the office right then and there.It was only after the financial department was done being screamed at and had all come out of the room with defeated, pale faces that the two fearfully entered the office. They pretended to have heard nothing prior to their entry and focused on their work, pointedly ignoring Jackson out of fear.Unfortunately, sometimes a mine just did not need anything to detonate it. Even without prompt, Jackson took out the rest of his anger on Amy.“I’m under the impression that you’ve been working under us for many, many years, haven’t you, Miss Velasquez? Hmm? Do you know that, before our compartmentalization, this place used to be our company's headquarter, governed by my mother before she passed the baton to me? In other words, this is like our second HQ! So tell me, why the heck was my ‘second HQ’ bombing so hard last year, huh? And now, based on the perfor
Jackson returned to his seat behind his desk and hummed, “Mm.”Amy drew in a shaky breath and strolled back to her seat feebly. It was then that Jackson suddenly asked, “So, where are you two going for snacks? I think there’s catering in this building, no? Why skip dinner?”He seemed to be talking to Amy, but it was quite apparent that Tiffany was the real subject of the question.Amy mulled over her words for a bit before answering, “Well, Miss Lane had been working real hard lately, so she hadn’t gotten the time. As for snacks, there’s a nearby street filled with seafood vendors that just started their business, and I heard praises from our coworkers who’d been there. I was hoping to try ‘em out. Are you interested too, Mr. West?”Tiffany swore that Amy’s brain must have stopped working to think this was a good idea. They had waited for the entire day to leave the office behind and reward themselves with a relaxing session of good food, yet, here she was, inviting the source of t
His greatest saving grace? This was her first time seeing him display such immense guilt over all of his mistakes in the past. She felt compelled to hold him.She gazed at Aristotle, who was still full of energy, and suggested, “Maybe… We can try handing Aristotle over to Mary? He’s not sleepy yet, so he probably won’t fuss.”It took Mark a while before he understood what Arianne meant. Usually, he would have to force that little third wheel away. Today, it was a rare sight for her to take the initiative. Of course, he was happy. “Okay. Take him. I’ll wait for you in the bedroom.”Arianne blushed as she carried Aristotle away. She found Mary and tried her best to look as normal as possibly. She tried her best to regulate her breathing. “Mary, could you take care of Smore for now? I’ll take him to bed later.”Mary happily accepted Aristotle into her arms. “Sure. It’s fine. Come over for him later. He’s not sleepy yet, so I’ll take him for a walk around the garden. He’ll get sick too
“What happened?” she asked.He tightened his grip around his phone. “Something has happened to Eric. I’ve always known that his stomach problems would end up in a disaster… I’ve got to go.Arianne’s mind buzzed. She immediately remembered the first time she met Eric. He had an amiable temperament. He was always smiling and very easy-going, and he still seemed so dazzling next to Mark and Jackson. Despite severing ties with his own family and building his own business, he still shone like a star and worked hard to shine on his own…Based on the look on Mark’s face, Eric might be…“I’m going with you! Eric isn’t just your friend but mine too,” she insisted determinedly.This time, Mark did not object. Instead, he asked, “What if Smore cries? Who knows what time we’ll come home. It might be morning by the time we’re done.”Arianne quickly changed her clothes, afraid that he might change his mind. “Should it matter? Eric left his family long ago. We’re his only friends. If Smore want
The hospital.By the time Mark and Arianne arrived, Eric was in the middle of surgery. No one was waiting outside the operating theatre before they arrived. It was heart-breaking.Arianne sat on a long bench in the hallway. “Who called you? Why is no one here?”“Tanya.” Mark looked at her from his side profile.Arianne frowned. “Why her? I guess it makes sense… She left after making that call, probably because she didn’t want to run into us.”“The condo she lives in is right across Eric’s office. She probably happened to see that something had happened to him, so she sent him to the hospital and called us.” He guessed. “Jackson is on his way back too.”Arianne had nothing to say about that. At least, Tanya wasn’t completely evil and hadn’t forgotten Eric’s kindness toward her.The surgery took more than five hours. Once the operating theatre’s indication lights went out, Mark rushed forward and waited for the door to open. The head surgeon’s forehead was drenched in sweat when
Eric was still feeling very weak. It took him a while before he finally answered. “What are you saying? I just… don’t feel like living anymore. By the time I realized, it was already in the late stage anyway. There’s no need for treatment.”Jackson’s voice grew hoarse. “What do you mean, ‘don’t feel like living anymore’? If you really didn’t, why’d you get a girlfriend then? You obviously wanted to live…”Eric shut his eyes and shook his head. “Everything felt perfect before we got together, and I began looking forward to the future. But she’s not marriage material. She’s only good at having fun and is only concerned about enjoying herself. She’s not ready to settle down yet. We’re from completely different worlds. I’ve had enough fun, and now, I want stability. But she has only just started having fun. Our paths were different from the beginning. If I’m correct, she must have gone out drinking last night and isn’t home yet. It’s fine. We’re going to break up anyway. By the way, when
Arianne and Tiffany couldn’t stand it any longer. They had no idea that Vicky’s number was the first one Eric had dialed. Vicky had actually rejected his call while he was dying, all for the sake of having fun. Now, she had the audacity to claim that she was the closest thing to Eric!The biggest irony of all was that it was Tanya, whom Vicky hated the most, that managed to save Eric’s life for the time being.Vicky was losing control of the smile on her face, but she persisted. “What are you saying? Are you feeling confused? This is all in your head. I’m not doing this for any inheritance! I wasn’t even aware that you’d called me last night. I went to the washroom and my friend rejected the call out of mischief. She didn’t tell me about it either. I realized that I couldn’t call you this morning and that you were in the hospital when I checked your location. I asked a nurse downstairs when I arrived… and found your ward. I really didn’t mean to do it. Please don’t think of me that w
Arianne’s expression hardened. She lifted her hand and delivered a hard slap. Her upbringing prevented her from spewing foul language, so this slap was an amalgamation of how upset she was. “Leave.”Vicky gritted her teeth but was too afraid to do anything to Arianne, so she left in a huff. Arianne had put a lot of force into that slap because she was truly infuriated. Her hand was still sore and numb when she returned to the ward. Mark pulled her aside. “We can take care of Eric from here. You should go home. Smore won’t be able to endure your absence.”Arianne could see how tired Tiffany was as well, so she dragged her along. “Come on, you can come home with me. We’ll come over when we wake up. I have to go home and check on the baby.”Tiffany knew that Jackson and Mark wouldn’t leave, and there were people watching over him. She said nothing, ordering take out for them before following Arianne back to the Tremont Estate.It was a bright, sunny day when they left the hospital,