For a few seconds Anna's eyes were fixed on the screen, her mind racing as she tried to think of a solution."How did they get a hint of what we would be talking about?" Clayton muttered under his breath as he turned to look at Anna.On the stage, Hillary smiled and continued, "Smart Spectrum as a service.""Did you have our slide submitted already?" Anna asked."Yes, I did earlier after checking to make sure all was good," Clayton whispered."I need you to alert them that I will be projecting a different one," Anna instructed."Sure, right away," Clayton responded as he quietly left the room.Hillary turned to her screen and pressed the navigator she held to change the slide as she continued."Imagine a smart city where everything—from traffic lights and buses to security cameras and pollution sensors—is connected and talking to each other using the internet."There was a silent murmur of agreement across the room as people got enthralled by her presentation."This is us presenting y
"What's wrong?" Nat asked, glancing back to make sure no one could hear them. Anna pulled out the letter, stood up, and walked over to a window, looking out at the city below. "What is it? Was there something in the letter that has you worried?" Nat asked again, walking over to stand beside her. "I need to know how to get in touch with the person who sent this to me," Anna replied. "What is in the letter?" Nat asked, still confused. Anna stared at the city, her eyes filled with mixed emotions, unable to mask the confusion anymore. The hustle and bustle of the city was similar to the chaos of her thoughts."If what is in this letter is true, then it means I've had it all wrong." Anna muttered. "About what?" Nat asked. Nothing about what Anna was saying made any sense to her. Nat placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Whatever it is, I hope it's not something that will affect the bid," Nat stated, realizing Anna was not ready to talk about it. Anna shook her head, stil
Simon’s eyes narrowed; his jaw clenched as he stared Gideon down.“What the h*ll are you talking about? I’ve got no time for parables, Gideon,” Simon snapped.“The clause says you have to leave your position if you do not get an heir a year after your succesion, meaing you have over spent your time and in this office and you will be leaving soon.” Gideon threatened.“Let me see you try,” Simon responded, his voice barely above a whisper.“If you are not going to take responsibility for this, Simon, it is only right that you leave this office; Gideon has all the rights to it now.” Paul interjected.“Why and how does he have the rights to it, Uncle? I really do not have the time for this,” Simon retorted in anger.“You have no children!” Paul shouted back at him.The words sliced through Simon, as they both stared at each other, Paul panting in anger as he clenched his fist at his side. Simon stood there, his eyes completely blank.“What are you saying?” Simon asked“Well, it turns out
Simon stared at the child, unable to understand what just happened. The tears in his eyes were probably due to Ava, he thought.Simon crouched till they were at eye level and gently wiped away the tears streaming down the child's face. "It's okay, everything will be alright," he whispered softly, hoping to bring some comfort to the little one.Jayden nodded, looking back at Jasmine and James, who stood there looking at him in shock too.“Don't worry, kiddo, she is going to be alright, okay?” Simon muttered, patting the kid's head.Simon felt a strain on his heart, a feeling he had never really felt, almost like the kid was his.“Thank you,” Jayden said, sniffing as he stepped away from Simon.Simon coughed slightly and then said, “It’s okay, let’s all return to class.”The triplet watched as Simon followed the emergency responders away. His eyes constantly darting to the kid on the stretcher.“Jasmine, I think Daddy is a good person,” James mumbled.Jasmine nodded, unable to take her
The next day, the triplet requested to get to the academy earlier than the day before. The morning sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow on the house.Anna had left the house earlier than usual despite how late she had arrived at the house the night before.“Are you sure she has gone to the office?” Nat asked Rosa as she sipped a cup of coffee.“Yes, she did say I should tell you and Mr. Fisher to meet her there,” Rosa responded.“When did she get home last night?” Nat asked.“It was way past midnight,” Rosa answered.They were standing in the kitchen where Rosa was preparing breakfast. Nat set down her cup on the kitchen counter as she wondered what could have made Anna leave so early.She wondered if it had anything to do with the letter from the day before. After a little thought, she shrugged it off.“The kids are going now; can I serve them the sandwich?” Billy asked, walking into the kitchen.“Yes, please, thank you, Billy,” Rosa responded.As the kids had their br
Anna's eyes narrowed at him, her heart beating as she asked, “Who are you talking about?”The party became like a distant memory as she focused on what he was going to say.Gideon shrugged and responded, “I mean your friend, I believe she was called hmm, Lily, was it?”Anna's breath caught in her throat as she realized who Gideon was referring to. Memories of Lily flooded back, making her heart ache.She tried to keep her voice steady as she moved closer to him and asked, "What about Lily?"Anna searched his eyes, unable to read his expression as she waited for him to respond.Gideon smiled at her mischievously and said, “What else, apart from the fact that you both were friends?”Anna wanted to grip his arm, to hold him and squeeze out everything he knew, but she had to hold herself. Drawing too much attention was not going to be a good thing.“Is that all?” Anna asked.“Should there be more? Or are you ready to tell me what I also want to know?” Gideon asked.Anna stared at him, the