LOGINFor a brief moment, Leon simply stared at him. "...What did you say?""I just got off the phone with one of the investigators."Leon straightened almost instinctively. "Did they find Elizabeth?"Darious slowly shook his head. "Actually, not yet."A flicker of disappointment crossed Leon's face almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Then what did they find?""They found someone connected to Richard Carter."Leon frowned. "Richard Carter… her biological father?"Darious nodded once. "Our investigator has been following every trace of his employment records, bank history, old addresses... everything.""And?""Most of it was a dead end."Leon's expression remained unreadable, though his eyes never left Darious."But this morning," Darious continued, "one of those addresses led them to a retired correctional officer.""A correctional officer?" Leon blinked."Yes, sir,” Darious confirmed. “He recognized Richard's name immediately."Leon slowly folded his arms. "So Richard had a criminal rec
LEON'S RESIDENCE…Leon stood quietly at the edge of the balcony, one hand resting against the cool metal railing while his eyes wandered across the skyline.For the first time in years, his afternoon belonged entirely to him. Normally, by this hour, he would have been buried beneath a mountain of reports, moving from one board meeting to another while his secretary struggled to keep pace with his schedule. Every minute of his day had always been accounted for.But yoday, there was nothing — no ringing office phone, no executive meetings, no urgent emails waiting for his approval.It was supposed to feel weird, but strangely, it waa comforting.He drew in a slow breath, allowing the breeze to wash over him. Perhaps for the first time since becoming CEO, he wasn't thinking about quarterly profits or shareholder expectations.His thoughts wandered to Amber. He wondered if she had opened the envelope by now.She must have seen the divorce papers… the transfer documents, the cheque, most o
Every conversation inside the boardroom ceased as Darious stepped inside. His expression remained composed, though the slight furrow between his brows betrayed the fact that he already suspected why he had been summoned.He paused just inside the doorway. "Mr. Chairman."Douglas inclined his head. "Please, come in."Darious acknowledged the directors with a polite nod before taking the vacant seat nearest the end of the conference table.He looked from one familiar face to another before finally resting his gaze on Douglas."You wanted to see me, sir?"Douglas folded his hands together."You've probably guessed why you're here."Darious offered a faint smile. "I have a few suspicions."Douglas's expression remained serious. "The board has spent the better part of this morning discussing the company's future."Darious listened without interrupting."As you know, Leon's resignation has created a vacancy that cannot remain unfilled.""I understand."Director Harrison leaned forward. "Yo
VIREMONT HOLDINGS. The atmosphere inside the executive boardroom was tense. Inside, Every member seated around the long walnut conference table understood that Viremont Holdings stood at one of the most critical crossroads in its history. Hushed conversations drifted through the room as directors exchanged uneasy glances, each trying to make sense of the whirlwind that had unfolded over the past twenty-four hours. "I still can't believe Leon resigned." "He didn't just resign," another director corrected quietly. "He walked away voluntarily." "The shareholders have been calling nonstop since yesterday. Our investor relations department hasn't had a moment to breathe." "And the media..." One of the older directors let out a weary sigh. "They're camped outside the building. Every news outlet wants to know who's taking over." Another director adjusted his glasses before speaking. "The opening bell wasn't kind to us this morning. The market hates uncertainty." "It always doe
RINA'S APARTMENT…The apartment had been unusually quiet all afternoon. Amber stood on the small balcony outside the living room, absentmindedly watering the potted plants Rina had insisted on buying months ago. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, never lingering on one thing for too long.Or at least, that was what she wanted to believe. Every few minutes, her mind wandered back to the same man — Leon. She had replayed his press conference so many times that she could practically recite every word from memory.She closed her eyes. “Focus Amber… focus.”Just then, a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Rina, who had been folding laundry in the bedroom, peeked into the living room."I'll get it."Amber nodded absentmindedly, setting the watering can aside. She barely paid attention as Rina walked toward the front door.The moment Rina opened the door, a long silence followed. Amber, from where she noticed the unusual silence.“Rina?” She frowned. “Who's at the door?”No answer.
"Douglas..." she whispered, fear replacing anger. "Tell me."Douglas's restraint finally snapped. “FINE!” he thundered."Leon knows about the fraud, Elsa."He looked her straight in the eye. "He knows I falsified the company's financial records years ago. He found everything, Elsa. Every document... every falsified record... every piece of evidence I thought had disappeared.""He told me I had two choices. Either I confessed myself... or he'd hand the evidence over to the authorities and let the law do what I refused to do. And if he did, the damage would have been way worse than this”The color drained from Elsa's face. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.Douglas's breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling heavily as years of guilt finally forced their way to the surface.Elsa stood still to the spot, her lips parted in disbelief. The words she had just heard refused to settle in her mind."You..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "You framed an innocent man?"Douglas
After a moment, Leon stood up, sliding his phone into his pocket.“I need to go now,” he said to her.“Oh… okay. Hope everything is okay at work?” She asked as she rose from the bench, her eyes flickered with concern. “Yeahh, just some important files that needed my attention. I'm not leaving the
The next morning, the sun slipped through the curtains. Amber was the first to open her eyes. She was resting her head on his arm as his other hand was wrapped around her. She stared at him for a moment, admiring his facial features. He slept peacefully like a baby. A smile tugged her lips, then
Amber's lips parted slightly but no words came out. Her mind was screaming yes but why are the words not coming out? Leon stood at his doorway, waiting for an answer. “Amber?” He called back her attention. “Yes?” “Sorry—was I being too forward? Forget I ever said anything,” Leon mumbled as he t
The message was from Darious, regarding the assignment Leon had given him earlier in the morning about Amber's background. “Sir, I found something about Miss Rose's birth history. She wasn’t born under that name and there’s no record of her birth in Ravelle’s registry, nor in the nearby towns. Bu







