Jasmine walked into her mother’s room, with James and Jayden right behind her.“Are you sure you saw it in Mom’s room?” James asked.“Yes, I did,” Jayden told them for the hundredth time.They didn’t believe him, which was why they were there to prove him wrong.“It was a picture,” Jayden insisted.“Where did you see it?” Jasmine asked.“In a box, Mom likes to keep it away from us,” Jayden replied.“How then did you see it?” James asked, rolling his eyes.“I saw Mom crying that day with the box open. You and Jasmine were sleeping,” Jayden explained.“What if the box is at home?” Jasmine asked.“I don’t think we can find Daddy like that,” James stated.“We can, if we see the picture Jayden is talking about, we can use that…” Jasmine said, trailing off.“Shhh, you said not to say it,” James said, placing a hand on his lips as his small eyes rounded in surprise.“Okay, okay, I’m not going to say it,” Jasmine said, her eyes filled with amusement.“See!” Jayden shouted suddenly.“What?” Ja
Anna smiled at Clayton and Natasha as she asked, “Let’s see who can provide a solution to our need.”“Okay,” Nat muttered, still confused as to what she meant.“We have an investor's bid coming up in two weeks; I need a list of some of the organizations that would be at that bid.” Anna instructed.“Okay, I’ll get right to it,” Nat responded.“No, why would you do that? I’ve got more important things I need you to handle. Instead, have everyone interested in working for me gather here in the next ten minutes,” Anna stated.“Okay,” Nat said as she typed the mail.“Also, let’s not restrict it to just Nancy’s department; anyone who is competent enough within the firm is free to come try,” Anna said, smiling, a mischievous glint in her eyes.Clayton shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Oh god save us.”In ten minutes, they had a total of ten people in the room already, including Evelynn and Felix, who had brought them up earlier.“I see you are all interested in joining my team.
James and Jasmine burst out laughing at the look of horror on Billy’s face.“For the love of Christ, what in God’s name is on your faces?” Billy shouted, placing a hand on her chest.They heard running footsteps as Rosa and Loveth appeared, coming up the stairs.“What happened? We heard someone scream,” Loveth asked.Jayden came out of the room he had been hiding in, laughing, just as Loveth and Rosa saw James's and Jasmine's faces.“Oh god, what is that?” Rosa asked.Loveth laughed, amused by the look on their faces as they stood grinning up at them.“I’m glad it was not something serious, okay, everyone, let’s go, while these two clean that powder off their faces.” Loveth said, heading back down the stairs.Billy shook her head as she followed Rosa, casting a warning look at them.As soon as they were out of sight, the triplet dashed into their rooms, shut the door, and quickly brought out the tab.“Is that Daddy?” Jayden asked.“Yes, I think so,” Jasmine responded.They all stared
Michael looked up from a set of files he was going through as his secretary walked in.“I didn’t call you Maggie. Is there something you are here to report?” Michael asked.“Hmm, I’m afraid I have some heads of department outside who are here to see you.” Maggie responded.Michael looked puzzled as he glanced at the time, unsure if he had missed an important meeting.“I don’t think I have any meeting called for the day,” Michael stated.“No, you don’t, but I think this has something to do with Ms. Anna,” Maggie explained.“You mean Anna Howard?” Michael asked.“Yes,” Maggie replied, adding, “I could not let them in because I know how you don’t like to be disturbed at this time.”“Hmm, okay, let them in,” Michael replied, closing the file he was working on.As soon as Maggie opened the door, three people walked in, visibly looking angry.“Before you all start to vent, please have a seat; let’s have this in a civilized manner,” Michael said.“I think there needs to be some rules if Ms.
At the Howard house, John sat in his room, looking out the window, his mind occupied, and his eyes not really seeing the several cars that were passing down the streets.“John?” Cordelia called from the door.There was no response as he remained seated, not moving an inch. Cordelia walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulders.He jerked as if pulled back to life as he turned to look at her.“What were you thinking about?” Cordelia asked.“Bits and pieces of a lot of things,” John sighed.“Is this about Anna?” she asked.“Yes, it is, and some other things,” John responded, standing up from the bed to pace.“There is nothing for you to worry about; she consented to the marriage then and even benefitted from it. I doubt she is going to raise concerns for us now,” Cordelia stated.John stopped pacing and replied, “You know it’s not just about that.”“I know, if we act like we are bothered, it’s going to give her more power,” Cordelia responded.“I know Anna; she is not going to l
Simon looked at Spenser, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, trying to gauge if he could trust his words.“What do you mean by that?” Simon asked.“It means you need to be more concerned than you currently are,” Spenser replied with a shrug.Simon watched him cut into the steak on his plate, a smug look on his face as he took a bite.“If I am going to make any sense of what you are saying, you’re going to have to say more than that,” Simon replied, taking a sip of wine.Spenser sighed, then replied, “We all know you and the Gary group have been at this fierce war of wanting to be first place in the industry.”“Yes, that’s a wide opinion, but I guess that’s not what you are trying to tell me,” Simon responded.“The Gary group has one of the most amazing and sought-after Vectra in the industry working with them now; that’s a huge competitive gap right there, and you sit there telling me you are not bothered?” Spenser asked on a scoff.“Tell me what the Gary group is doing, Spenser, and save
Michael stared as several employees trooped into the office, each of them holding a file. There was a sense of eagerness on their faces as they held the report with their findings.“Hello Anna, we didn’t think you would still be in the office,” Evelynn said as she placed her report on the table.“Well, I am,” Anna responded with a smile.Michael was surprised that so many people had turned up to move over to her team. Her reputation sure must have contributed to it.“Thank you all for participating; you’ll get a mail from my team if selected,” Anna told them as they left.“You really do have a lot of things to do,” Michael muttered.Despite their reluctance to submit, Anna was glad a number of them had turned up with the report.“Hmm, hmm, if you’ll excuse me now, I need to finish up,” Anna replied, finally returning his smile.“Okay, I’ll be out of your hair now; see you tomorrow,” Michael replied.“Sure, bye,” Anna said, closing the door behind him.She walked over to her table agai
Gideon’s brow went up in suspicion as Simon’s voice dropped a notch. He was unable to make out his words.“Is everything okay?” Sophia asked from behind again.“Looks like trouble to me; what’s going on?” Gideon asked, his eyes narrowed at Simon.Simon kept listening without saying a word, and after several minutes, he ended the call.“Sophia I’m afraid I need to attend to something; can you go on without me?” Simon asked.“Sure, it’s not a problem. I wouldn’t want to keep you from work, especially since it seems urgent,” Sophia replied, patting his arm.“Okay, I’ll see you around; let me get someone to drive you,” Simon insisted.“Last I checked, I was not invincible, and it looks like you are trying to keep something away from me,” Gideon stated, folding his arm on his chest.Simon turned to him and responded, “It’s best you get on your way, because there is nothing to keep from you, Gideon.”Simon turned and walked back into the building without as much as a glance back.“Shhh, I te
At the Howard house, Nancy walked into the house in the early hours of the morning, her eyes bloodshot.“Nancy? Where were you all night?” Cordelia asked, trying to keep her voice low.“I was out, where else? I’m heading up to my room,” Nancy responded, trading up the stairs.“Do you want your father to get pissed with you? Does he have to worry about you doing something stupid?” Cordelia asked in concern, following her up.Nancy chuckled, shaking her head as she replied over her shoulder, “You don’t need to worry about me.”“But your actions say otherwise, Nancy? Did something else happen at work?” Cordelia asked.Nancy got to her door, pulled it open, and walked in, dropping her bag on the floor as she fell into bed.“Something did happen.” Cordelia stared at Nancy’s silence.“Can we talk about this later, Mom? I’m fr*aking tired and need some sleep.” Nancy responded, her voice muffled by the bed.“Won’t you go to work?” Cordelia asked.“I took the day off,” Nancy replied.“What hap
By the time Anna got to the office, there was a kind of ease about her that even Nat noticed. Clayton was not on the seat as Anna passed by his table.“Anna?” Nat called as she walked into the office.“Yes? Did anything unusual happen while I was away?” Anna asked.“No, nothing. I’m just glad to see you looking calmer than you did yesterday and this morning.” Nat responded.“Yeah, I guess so,” Anna mumbled.Anna dropped her bag on her table, pulled out her chair, and sat down. She felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.“Anna? Where did you go?” Clayton asked, coming into the room.“Should I not be asking you that same question?” Anna asked.“But I…” Clayton started to say.“Why don’t we get back to work?” Anna asked, smiling at them warmly.“I know there is something hidden behind that smile.” Clayton defended.“Did you find out anything about the envelope you gave to me?” Anna asked, changing the topic.“No, I told you he didn’t say anything to me. Why don’t you
"What is it?" Alex asked, noticing the hesitation on her face.Anna looked at Shelly, patting her hand as she said, "If I am going to do this, you need to follow my lead.""You don't want to help us?" Adam asked, his eyes clouded with confusion."Ms. Howard, I know you must have reservations, but this is a murder case, and we need to take extra caution." Alex responded.Anna sighed, placed her elbow on the desk as she explained, "No, that's not what I mean. I know that you need my testimony to make sense of what happened that night. I know who might be behind this, but I need to know that you will follow my lead."Alex's face cleared in understanding at her words as he asked, "Why do you want us to follow your lead?"Anna stood up, walked over to the window in the room, and turned her back to them as she stared out at the city."We know how difficult this must be for you, Anna, but we need to know." Adam encouraged.Alex sighed deeply and stated, "Ms. Howard, this case is critical. If
Anna wriggled her hand, uncomfortable, but she knew there was no turning back from this. She had made a promise to herself to face this head-on, no matter how difficult it may be. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply before looking at Shelly.“Anna?” Shelly asked, stepping closer to her.Anna nodded and replied, “Yes,"“Anna!” Shelly exclaimed in shock, covering her mouth with her right palm.“Who is it, dear?”Anna looked up and saw him, Adam Turker, his head filled with trickles of gray hair. He looked almost the same as he did five years ago.“Hunnie, it’s Anna, Anna,” Shelly called out in disbelief.Adam got to them, his eyes filled with questions as he asked, “Anna? Is that you?”Anna nodded, forcing a smile as she tried to clear her voice, which was clogged with tears.“Oh my god,” Shelly exclaimed softly as she pulled Anna into her arms.Anna felt the softness of her hands around her as she finally let herself cry, releasing all the pent-up emotions she
“Did something else happen?” Noah asked, watching Simon.His eye that had been close to calm was now storming with fury as he cursed under his breath.“Gideon is flying back to the country! For f*ck's sake, did he learn nothing about business diplomacy? He is leaving all that sh*t there and flying back?” Simon stated, his voice hardened in anger.“What do you mean he learned nothing? There is probably nothing else he could do about the situation.” Paul defended.“You know that’s not true; we all bloody know that is not f*king true!” Simon snapped.“Don’t you dare curse at me, Simon!” Paul shouted at him.“For the life of me, how dense can Gideon be? I should have known better than to send him on that trip.” Angrily, Simon brushed back his hair in frustration.“What do you mean by you should have known better? Were you expecting him to bungle this up from the get-go?” Paul asked, his eyes narrowed.Simon didn’t answer, and Noah had picked up his phone to reach out to key directors over
Anna stared at the picture and at the date, a reminder of what happened. Lily's picture was displayed on her phone, her face all smiles as her phone alerted her to the fact that Lily had lost her life in her place five years ago."Anna?" Are you alright?" Nat leaned close to ask.She noticed the pale look on her face and was concerned about her.Anna was silent for a moment before finally admitting, "I think I need to go home.""What? Why? When are we celebrating your win?" Nat asked.Anna pulled out her phone and placed it face down on the table, trying to control herself. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she recalled that night."Please excuse me, I need to make use of the restroom," Anna said with a forced smile before standing up.Her walk to the restroom was slow and deliberate, her mind consumed with memories she had been trying to forget.Once in the restroom, she splashed cold water on her face, took a deep breath, and stared at her reflection in the mirror."I'm so
"Oh, my god! When did you guys plan this?" Anna asked, smiling at the grin on their faces.The small restaurant had a cozy atmosphere, with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. It had been decorated and was only occupied by her team members.The tables were adorned with colorful balloons, and a "Congratulations" banner hung on the wall."Congratulations, Ms. Howard," they chorused.Anna felt filled with gratitude as she looked at their faces, glad they had actually won the bid."Thought you said none of them were going to show up?" Nat whispered to Clayton."Me? I thought that was you." Clayton asked."Thank you," Anna replied as they took their seat."Looks like Michael rented out the whole restaurant."Yes, he did. We got here and met the decor already in place." Evelynn stated, beaming."Looks like he is a thoughtful person after all," Clayton remarked, impressed."I guess I misunderstood him," Nat admitted with a chuckle.Anna smiled as a waiter walked up to them
"…Stay away from Simon, Anna," Charlotte said, her voice low and dangerous, before she stepped back.The lobby was filled with chatter as people made their way to the several elevators in the room. Some glanced over at Anna and Charlotte, wondering what the subject of their conversation was.Others assumed they were probably sharing ideas about their presentations.Anna's eyes were blank as she stared at Charlotte, unable to place her words with the thoughts in her head.Anna's lips curled up in a smile as she tilted her head to the right, her eyes locked on Charlotte."Do you think I just made a joke?" Charlotte asked in frustration.Charlotte's personal assistant walked up to her and said, "Ms. Hawthorne, the sponsor would like…""I'm not done here," Charlotte snapped at him, not even bothering to glance at him.She turned back to Anna, who still had a smirk on her face, and said, "Anna Howard, return to whatever hole you crawled out of. Simon was always mine, and I am taking him."
The whole room became silent as they all looked at Alicia. Her face was unreadable, her eyes darting around the room. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone waited for her to break the silence."And the winner is The Gary group!" Alicia announced at last.The room erupted into cheers and applause, with Nat and Clayton embracing each other in excitement. Alicia's expression softened as she smiled, glad at the reaction to the announcement."What just happened?" Charlotte stated in shock as she kept staring at the stage."The right thing," Simon whispered to her, standing up.Charlotte's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief as she tried to process the unexpected turn of events."Congratulations, Anna!" Nat screamed, hugging her."Please welcome Mr. Michael Gary, the CEO of the Gary Group," Alicia announced.Michael gripped Anna's hand and pulled her up with him as he said, "Come, this is as much your win as it is the company's."Simon felt irritated by the sight as he watch