Regina's POV"There's a problem, it's still not balanced!" Dawn's scream was deafening. I shifted back a bit from her loud wails. I needed to concentrate... This was fucking not my day. My whole body was shaking as fear crept through me, more like anxiety. Today was Dan's birthday and he was throwing a party that evening...basically in about two hour's time. I needed to get him the perfect present, then pick up the cake for his party and also manage to get dressed in less than two hours! And here I was, still at work sorting out the variance issue at hand. Everyone stared at me waiting for me to work some magic, even though clearly, I was just a simple finance assistant just like them."Oh my goodness, we're dead! We're gonna die!--" Slap! It was meant to be a small pat on her cheeks to keep her quiet but it ended up becoming a loud slap. I couldn't concentrate with her screaming and crying! "I'm so sorry, Dawn, but please stay with me here!. Are you with me?" I said to her calml
Regina's POV I smiled, turning to face him. When I tried to hug him, he stylishly moved back, pushing me away from him. "What, are you being serious? I could never miss your party." His expression was a stern one, deep brows furrowing. Dan was handsome, though lately I wondered what was with the new look. His dark brown hair styled neatly all the way back was his usual hairstyle but now his hair had turned to whitish blonde, and was cut shorter too. He was still handsome though, with his pale brown sexy eyes and charming dimples that crinkled whenever he smiled. "I feel like you've been avoiding me, Dan. What is it?" "Good evening everyone," in a sweet sonorous voice, a pretty lady in her mid fifties announced. Dan's mom was a lot of things, but she was never modest. Her outfit was extravagant and I wondered how she even walked in those huge heels and flared gown. Then the way she spoke, it was like she was God and we were mere peasants she created with her bare hands. "Please
Nicholas's POV The meeting had been time consuming and I was so happy once I'd got to kick everybody out. Miles was the only one left, and that was because he was my P. A and somewhat my best friend. "Alright then, I'll order what we'll have for dinner tonight." Mike said, and I didn't know if he was joking or being serious. I heaved in a deep sigh and closed the files before me to focus on him. "Mike, it's two in the afternoon, we just had lunch two hours ago, and you're already thinking about dinner?" "I shouldn't have mentioned. My bad." He turned and was about to leave, as if what I had just said didn't matter at all. Then he paused, maybe remembering something. "Sir, are you going to let her go just like that?" I groaned in disbelief. "Dude, I hate it when you call me sir." "Sorry, Mr. Walton--" "--oh for the love of God--" "--I'm talking about that smart finance assistant." Mike successfully ignored me and went on with his little talk. "She left in her resignatio
Regina's Pov I almost lost confidence in myself with the way Peter and Lizzy glared at me with soured expressions. They were clearly mocking me and jealous I'd been called to do work they couldn't do. That's right, I'd loved to think that to myself. A short while later, I alerted everyone I was done and had found where the fault was from. "Alright Dawn, you should call for the attention of Mr. Nick--I mean, Mr. Walton." Or was it Nicholas? "No why should Dawn do that? Clearly I was part of the people who went to call the attention of Mr. Walton. I'm going to meet him and tell him the issue has been solved." Lizzy said with her shoulders up high. "But you weren't even part of us when Regina asked that we searched through the files from last month!" Dawn objected. "That's right," Mr. Isaac supported. "Regina, you go ahead and tell Mr. Walton we're done here as soon as we settle Frank." I nodded, ignoring Lizzy and Peter's protest. "You're right. Thanks guys," besides,
Regina's POV It didn't take long for me to reach Dan's place. I heaved in a deep sigh, trying to hype myself up for this annoying meeting with Dan. I mean, now I was starting to regret it. What was I thinking! Then I heard noises... I would recognize that voice anywhere. It was none other than Lloyd, but who was she yelling at. And more importantly, why the hell was she over at Dan's this exact moment! Damn it, I wasn't ready for that woman's drama today. Still, I got down from the car to make my way over to the scenario. However, I was meeting the strangest person to see there, Mr Walton. "I paid you to do your job right, you and your damn company!" Lloyd's voice would not stop booming. "I understand that you are upset right now, but watch your tone. Ma'am." The Mr Walton said very calmly. The look on his face signified that he was not up for that argument but was probably just doing his job. "Hey don't talk to my mother like that!" Barked Dan. My presence was quickly no
Regina's POV "So that's it? You just look at her and automatically make her the manager? What the hell? What's even her years of experience!" Dan continued to scream at Nicholas as we walked outside. The meeting with Lloyd had gone so smooth--the woman was so gentle and quiet all through!Nicholas had insisted she remained inside and not see us out. But of course Dan couldn't just sit and remain in there. He dashed out after us. "Hey can you even hear me?!" He demanded. Nicholas had a bland expression on his face. "I can hear you, I just chose to ignore. People can be so slow at times, don't you think so, Regina?"I blinked at how casual Nicholas was trying to act with me! "What, you guys are besties now? What the hell, Reggie?" Dan turned to face me, those charming eyes fixated on me waiting for an answer I didn't have for him.But I was still so angry at Dan for being such a dick, even till the end!"Regina, hold on!" He reached for my hand and held me tight, locking eyes with m
Third PovDan sat with his legs crossed on the sofa, hands cupping his cheeks as he thought about how Regina had embarrassed him like that."Regina and that stupid man!" He muttered. He was still lost in thoughts when a voice asked beside him."What man?" Startled, Dan turned to find Kimberly seated beside him. Short and petite with long blonde hair that formed wavy curls at the end. She had just made her hair. He realized he would have to give compliments, even though he didn't feel the need to. Maybe if he kept quiet, she would storm out angrily and leave him alone."Huh?" He said at last, seeing she did not leave. "You mentioned Regina and a man. What man?" Kimberly repeated.Dan shook his head and sat well. "Oh it's nothing." So he had been thinking out loud? "How long have you been here?" Kimberly frowned. "We have a date. Remember? We agreed by 5pm. It's almost 5."A date? Why didn't he remember that?"Oh. But I'm kind of busy now. Maybe another time." He knew he sounded like
Regina's POVI felt the need to sleep, but I couldn't. There was still the assignment Nicholas had given me about finding out who the Keepers were, and now, here I was thinking about what to wear on Monday as the manager. There I thought; the urgent need to shuffle though my wardrobe and filter all my good fits was needed. And so, after about three hours of thorough selection, I frowned at what a mess I'd made. "Huh? So I'm kinda poor? I don't have much big women's outfit, do I?" My head was banging but I still managed to put the clean clothes in their right positions, throwing away to one corner those clothes I knew I couldn't wear out. Another one hour and I had sorted out most of the mess I'd just made. There was a bang on the door. "Huh, who the hell is that?" It couldn't be Rita and Mary, definitely not Kimberly."...Reggie let me in now!" The voice was faint and distant, but clearly I knew who it was. More than 15 missed call and now, this son of a bitch is here at my doorst
Regina kept to herself for the next few days, she knew that Jenna must have been beyond anxious waiting for a response from her and this was confirmed when she heard a knock on her door and it turned out to be Jenna. Regina sat still in her seat while waiting for her to speak up. Regina was in no hurry and neither was Jenna as well. It did not seem to matter to Regina how long the silence would last, she was determined to wait until Jenna would break. Jenna stood awkwardly by the corner of Regina’s office, her eyes darting everywhere except at the woman seated across from her. Regina’s expression was unreadable, her arms folded as she leaned back slightly in her chair. The tension in the room was thick, coiling around them like smoke. Finally, Jenna's voice broke through the silence, brittle and uneven.“I’m sorry, Regina. I really am.”Regina arched a brow, her voice smooth but cool. “Sorry? For what exactly, Jenna? For lying to me for months? For playing both sides? Or for only de
Morning light crept through the half-closed blinds of Regina’s apartment, casting long golden slashes across the hardwood floor. She had barely slept. The weight of the last day’s work was weighing on her. She did not feel like getting up from her bed but she had no choice. Work awaited. Picking herself up from the bed, she went into the bathroom and freshened up. She decided on a mini green dress that looked both official and sexy and a nude colored heels to match the color of her handbag. She made her hair into a ponytail and she was all ready for work after a slight make up. Her phone suddenly came alive with a text message and she would not say she was surprised to see that it was Jenna. The message was short: “Can we meet this morning? Please. It’s important.”Regina stared at it for a long minute, suspicion gnawing at her. She had already known that Jenna would reach out to her but she did not just expect it to so quick. But curiosity, coupled with a simmering need for answer
The presentation went well and Jenna was on her way back from there. She could no longer ignore the rumbling in her stomach so she went to a small fast food got herself something to eat. After satisfying her hunger, she walked out of the place and went towards her car.As she made to pull the door open, her eyes met with a fine dark green bag sitting by the window of a store. She could not help but to notice how beautiful the bag was, even from afar. She stood where she was by her car, a thought crawling into her head. What would she think if she did something like that so suddenly after giving her the cold shoulders? Yep, Regina. Would she accept the gift? But there was no need to think twice. So she crossed over to the other side of the street-- thankfully the red traffic light was turned on-- and walked into the store. Moments later, she returned with a fancy green hand bag neatly stored in a box and only then did she get into her car and continue driving her way.The rest of t
Jenna was feeling nervous as she made her way to ni Nicholas' office. No matter how slow her steps were, her legs still led her to his office and now she was standing just outside. Adjusting her clothes, she knocked twice and went into the office. Her heart skipped when she saw Regina standing inside the office as well. Maybe it was truly what she feared after all."Oh good you're here." Nicholas said as he noticed her after looking up. "Sorry to bother you at all but I have an errand for you and Regina. Come sit and let me explain." He invited her over to sit. Regina was already sitting. Jenna batted her lashes once. "An... Errand?" She asked uncertainly. Nicholas gave a nod of his head and pointed at the seat next to Regina, asking her to sit. "Ah of course..." She muttered softly as she hurried up her steps to take a seat.She bowed her head to Regina as a simply greeting. More of a nod. She did not bother to look at her. Regina responded with a simple nod as well and a gentl
Sitting at the dining table at her apartment, Jenna traced the tip of her white coffee mug absentmindedly. Her other hand rested on her cheek while leaning on the table. As still as her lips remained, several conversations ran non stop in her head. She could not stop herself from thinking about what she had witnessed. How intimate it was...The memory was fresh in her head like a very fresh wound. Tormenting her mind and keeping her awake. She felt torn between responsibility and her own personal feelings. She had not noticed how much time had passed by where she was sitting. It was already after midnight, her coffee had even gone cold, yet she traced round the edges with her finger, lost in a maze created by her own thoughts. Her finger tips left the mug and wrapped around the coffee mug handle, raising the mug to her lips, she took a sip. The cold liquid felt so irritating that she spat it out without thinking twice. Dropping the mug back on the table, she picked up a tissue pap
Nicholas stumbled through the door of his penthouse, the heavy thud of it closing behind him echoing through the empty space. The club had been loud, chaotic— filled with music and people and all the distractions he’d desperately chased tonight. But none of it had worked. The gnawing emptiness inside him had only grown.He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his shoes, his body sluggish and uncoordinated from the alcohol coursing through his veins. His tie hung loose around his neck, and his shirt was half-untucked, a mess that matched the storm in his chest.Dragging himself toward his bedroom, Nicholas barely managed to make it to the bed before collapsing face-first into the mattress. The room spun around him, but he couldn’t summon the energy to care. All he wanted was for the pain to stop, even if only for a few hours of restless sleep.With a groan, he sat up just long enough to strip off his wristwatch, the weight of it suddenly unbearable. He opened the drawer of his bedsid
Nicholas had always thought of himself as a man in control— control of his business, his image, his emotions. But the days following Regina’s sudden disappearance stripped him of every illusion he had about his own strength.At first, he had clung to anger. He told himself she was being childish, that she’d come around eventually. He kept calling, kept texting, convinced that persistence would wear her down. But when his messages remained unanswered and days turned into a week, something darker began to settle inside him.It started with sleepless nights. He would lie awake until dawn, staring at the ceiling, his mind running in circles. The silence of his penthouse, once a comfort, now felt like a prison. Her absence echoed in every room, every corner, as if the very walls missed her.And then came the drinking.At first, it was just a glass of whiskey to calm his nerves. But soon, one glass turned into two, then three. By the second week, Nicholas found himself at the bottom of a bo
The morning after the party, Regina’s head throbbed with more than just the remnants of wine. The events of the night played on a loop in her mind —the confrontation with Nicholas, his sudden confession, that kiss… and her own shocking response to it. She had surrendered in that moment, and the realization made her stomach twist with confusion and self-loathing.She had promised herself she would never let anyone toy with her feelings again, and yet, here she was, tangled in a mess she hadn’t seen coming.Her phone rang, the sharp sound cutting through the silence of her apartment. She glanced at the screen, fully expecting to see Nicholas’s name again. But it wasn’t him.It was Mr. Armand, a client she had been courting for months— an influential executive with ties to international markets. Regina’s pulse quickened as she answered, trying to shake off the emotional fog.“Hello, Mr. Armand.”“Regina, good morning. I hope I’m not calling too early,” his deep voice rumbled through the
Nicholas sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, thumb hovering over the screen. His last text to Regina had gone unanswered, just like the dozen before it. The call logs were even worse —missed call after missed call. He stared at her name glowing back at him, each letter a cruel reminder of the wall she had built between them.It had been three days since that night at the party.Three days of silence.Three days of agony.His chest felt like it was caving in. At first, he had told himself she just needed space, a day or two to cool off. But as hours turned to days and his messages remained unread, panic gnawed at him with sharp teeth.He typed out another message, his fingers moving on their own.Regina, please. I just want to talk. Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking. Please.He hit send before he could second-guess himself. The message joined the others, all floating in that same void where her replies should be.Nicholas raked a hand through his hair and stood up, pacing the