Anna turned to Michael, her brows squeezed together since his face was totally unreadable. The whole room was silent as they stared at her and Michael.“What’s wrong?” Anna asked, adding, “What did I do to what?”“You see, I knew she was going to cause a major issue. She has, hasn’t she?” Nancy asked Michael.“Michael, what did Mr. Connor say? Is he cutting us off?” Sarah asked.Michael stood there staring at Anna, stone-faced, making others more certain that Anna must have complicated matters again.Clayton closed his eyes, rubbing his temple, thinking about how he was going to explain his dilemma to Loveth now that Anna had destroyed the only chance they had.Clayton cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Gary, I’m sorry, I can explain, why don’t…”Michael’s face transformed suddenly into a smile, his lips curling up as he spread his hands.Clayton trailed off at the change on Michael’s face, unsure of what he had been about to say.“We just got our contract with Connor Media extended!”
***************** Twenty Minutes Ago*****************As Anna left the room, Michael turned to address the room, “Do we have any more complaints about her?” he asked.Sarah sat there stunned, unsure if she had heard correctly. Beside her, Larry sat down, stunned too, lost for words to say.“What if it’s fake growth? I mean, there are applications to do that these days,” Nancy countered.“How could it be? They called us, meaning they would have checked it from their end,” Larry murmured.“Anything is possible; let’s not get swayed by the name Anna has built for herself,” Nancy argued.“Did they really verify before calling?” Nate asked Michael.“I totally understand our reservations, but Connor Media did their verification before they called me,” Michael explained.“You mean she did that overnight?” Nate asked, not sure he could believe it.“You tell me, you’re the head of I.T., is it unheard of?” Michael asked.“Not that it is unheard of, but I’m shocked to still hear it,” Nate respon
“Go ahead and explain it to us, or isn’t that the reason why you called for this meeting?” Paul asked.Noah looked at Simon and could visibly see he was trying to contain his anger. He turned and saw the doubt on the faces of others gathered in the room.“Does this have anything to do with what you didn’t want my father to find out?” Gideon asked Simon.“Hmm,” Noah coughed slightly, standing up to address the room as he added, “Can we have a few minutes of break? How about we gather here in the next twenty minutes?”“I think that is an excellent idea; we’ll reconvene in exactly twenty minutes,” Simon muttered.Every other person in the room except Simon, Noah, Paul, and Gideon left the room. They all understood the family wanted some alone time to discuss.Simon turned to Paul and asked, “Could you clarify what you were trying to say earlier?”“Oh please, don’t play dumb with me. We both know the funding I am talking about. That is the core of some of the innovations we are trying to
Anna looked up, surprised to see the response had come from an unfamiliar face.“Hmm, ahhh,” Michael muttered, looking from Alicia to Anna.“Don’t worry, that was just a joke,” Alicia whispered under her breath to Michael, who had a stunned look on his face.Anna looked apologetic as she hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”“I perfectly understand; you surely didn’t know you had guests coming in. Hello, you must be Anna Howard, the Vectra of this industry,” Alicia said, walking into the room.Behind her, Brian and … walked in also, looking around the office with open curiosity.Anna stood up, walked around her table, and took the hand Alicia extended.“Yes, nice to meet you, and you are?” Anna asked, looking from her to Michael, who still hasn’t said a word.Alicia smiled and added, “I’m Alicia White, CEO, White Media.”“Oh, hmm, nice to meet you,” Anna mumbled, trying to sound intrigued.“And you are?” Alicia asked, looking over at Nat.“Natasha Roberts, I work with Anna,” Nat repl
Noah looked at him and said, "Come with me; let's discuss this in my office.""We can do that in my office," Simon responded, since his office was on the same floor."Okay," Noah agreed."Emily, make sure nobody comes in for now," Simon instructed."Alright, sir," Emily responded as they closed the door behind them."So, what exactly did Gideon do that I do not know about?" Simon asked."Five years ago when you were…" As Noah spoke, he glanced over at Simon, noticing the resistance on his face."Sorry," Noah muttered."It's fine. Was that why I knew nothing about it?" Simon asked."Yes, your grandfather suspected that Gideon had deceived some organizations, but because of public opinion, we couldn't delve deep into it." Noah explained.Simon remained silent, pondering what his father said as he started to pace."So nobody checked? And he is just allowed to continue working here?" Simon asked after a few seconds of silence."What I know is that it was closed at that point." Noah respon
“What did you find?” Paul asked, flipping over the document with him to the page.“How did we never know about that?” Gideon stated, his eyes hardening.Paul sat there, shocked at what he was reading in the document. He didn’t have a word to say in response.The words had been highlighted by Elliot - If Simon Parker has no heir by the end of the first year after my death, then all rights to the organization go over to Gideon Parker - The words did sound like their grandfather.“Is this true? Does this mean Simon is on borrowed time?” Paul asked, looking up at his lawyer.“Yes, it does, and you can make your move anytime you want,” Elliot replied.Paul dropped the document, his eyes narrowed as he pondered. Gideon stood up abruptly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and slammed it into his left palm.“Damn, so all along, it has been mine to take. I’m sure he is f*cking aware and just playing dumb since we don’t know,” Gideon stated, his voice ice cold.“We need to think strategicall
The next day, as Simon and William walked into the head office, they met Gideon in the lobby. A broad smile was on his face, making the hair on Simon’s back stand in suspicion.“I was about to go see you,” Gideon said, smiling at Simon.Simon looked around trying to be sure the smile was directed at someone else and not him.“Are you looking for someone?” Gideon asked.“No, hmmm,” Simon cleared his throat and added, “You were going to see me about what?”“I will leave for the meeting with Zhang Telecoms; I just wanted you to send an approval for that on time.” Gideon explained.Simon was taken aback for a split second before he said, “I said we were going to discuss the specifics later, since we could not come to an agreement yesterday.”“Oh, but we did; it was your father who was against it. Since you’re the boss, I guess your word is final,” Gideon shrugged.Simon’s left brow went up in surprise at Gideon’s words. There was something about him, but he couldn’t say exactly what it wa
As they walked down the stairs the next morning, Nat tapped Anna’s shoulder and muttered, “You don’t want the kids to see that scowl on your face.”Anna sighed and replied, “I know, right, but I just can’t seem to take my mind off that headline.”“I know, but let’s deal with that when we get to the office.” Nat responded.“Who could have done that? There are a lot of organizations coming for that bid, and I can’t think of who would stoop so low among them.” Anna mumbled.“That is why you need to show them who is boss, Anna. They have no idea what you are capable of, which is what you are going to show them on Monday.” Nat replied.Anna thought about her perfect revenge, and then it dawned on her as she said, “I think I know who it might be.”Nat had walked towards the table and didn’t hear that part. Anna walked towards the table and decided to hide her thoughts from the children.“Mom, it was so beautiful; we are starting on Monday,” Jasmine purred.Her eyes were filled with admirati
Anna had a satisfied smile on her face as she stared at the documents in front of her.“What is it about?” Nat asked, her eyes twinkling with interest at Anna’s expression.“Looks like I just got my hand on a very confidential bid,” Anna replied.“I knew it was going to be something like that.” Clayton stated.“Why do you think it’s confidential?” Nat asked.“Well, because the recipient has been the beneficiary for a couple of years now, but now it’s up for a bid,” Anna explained as she glanced at the name on the file again.“And who is this recipient that is suddenly losing this bid?” Nat asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.“I think I know who it is.” Clayton murmured, looking at Anna in suspicion too.“Who?” Nat asked.“That should be the Parker group.” Clayton stated.Nat’s eyes turned to Anna quickly as she asked, “Are you serious?”“Yes, he is,” Anna responded.“Why would they be letting go of the Parker and putting it up for a bid?” Nat asked in shock.It didn’t take much to
Simon stared at the flash drive, his eyes narrowed in question as he asked, “What answer?”“I finally have the pinpoint location of the attacker.” Steve replied.“Really? That was so fast,” Simon said.“I think the location would be more surprising; you should have a look,” Steve answered, handing the drive over to him.As they spoke, William’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he stepped to the side of the office to check what the content of the text he got was about.“Where is the location?” Simon asked Steve.“You should see it yourself, because I’m still surprised also,” Steve replied.He walked over to Simon’s desk, stepping around it to stand behind his seat as Simon inserted the drive into his laptop and opened the file on it. There were a lot of things to sort through, but Steve navigated to the map and opened it.“Is that it?” Simon asked, his hand pointing to the red dot on the screen.“Yes,” Steve nodded.Simon stared at the name on the map for a few seconds before his eyes
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 j
"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