Mandy came down the stairs, eyes glued to her phone, only glancing up once she reached the living room. Her gaze swept the room until it landed on her grandmother, seated by the window, casually flipping through a magazine.Sliding her phone into her bag, Mandy smiled and walked over, moving behind the elderly woman to gently massage her shoulders.“Want me to bring you some fruit on my way back?” she asked softly.Grandma Linda looked up with a raised brow. “Where exactly are you going this time?”"You’ve been stuck indoors all day," Mandy said playfully. "And honestly, if you don’t leave the house, I can’t leave either. You’re my gran, and I’m supposed to take care of you, right?"Grandma Linda chuckled lightly. "So now I’m the reason you’re stuck indoors?”Mandy laughed. “Not exactly. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I stepped out. I won’t be gone long.”“Is this another fun outing?” Grandma asked, narrowing her eyes a little.Mandy hummed softly as if thi
When Charlotte entered her office, her legs felt weak, and she dropped into her chair with a loud thud. The sudden noise made everyone in the room look up in surprise, wondering if Aiden had asked her to redo the design again for the sixteenth time.She ignored their looks and let out a long, frustrated sigh, her mind still burning with anger.She slowly lifted her head, and the first person her eyes landed on was Alina, looking so calm, composed as if she had not just ruined her life. Just the sight of that made Charlotte’s jaw tighten."I hate her" The thought echoed bitterly in her heart.Meanwhile, Alina kept her eyes on her screen, busy working on a new idea that came to mind. It wasn't perfect but she had a vivid image of how it would look like. She didn’t even notice Charlotte’s glare or maybe she chose to ignore it. She had decided not to give Charlotte any more reasons to pick on her.Just then, the door opened, and Jesse walked in with his usual serious expression.Charlott
Charlotte watched as Aiden stood with his hands calmly tucked into his pockets, but the look in his eyes made her feel as though she were standing naked in a storm.She swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how dry her throat was. She couldn’t hold his gaze anymore and looked away.“I…”“I need to know,” Aiden said again, his tone even. “So I can prepare for your kind of discipline since I specifically told her not to do it.”Charlotte shook her head slowly, biting down on her tongue.“N-No, sir…” she stammered.Aiden stepped closer.“This will be the last time something like this happens. Not just to her, but to anyone who works here.” His tone was quiet, but the warning was clear. “If I assign you a task and you pass it on to someone else…” He paused. “Then be ready to submit your resignation.”Charlotte went pale.The room went silent except for her shaky breathing. She nodded quickly, panic rising in her chest.“I… I’m sorry,” she mumbled.Aiden tilted his head. “To me?” He turned hi
Alina didn’t take her eyes off Aiden as she stretched her arms and gave a small, tired chuckle. “After hours of just sitting around doing nothing, Charlotte finally gave me some work. But then she kept handing me more, saying I didn’t do them right.”Aiden glanced around, and his eyes landed on the stack of folders beside her. He walked over and picked one up. “How many did she give you?”“I lost count,” Alina said with a sigh. “At first, I thought I was doing something wrong… but now I know she’s just messing with me.”Aiden’s jaw tensed as he flipped through one of the folders. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Well, I thought maybe if I just did what she wanted, it would stop.”Aiden turned to Jesse, who simply shrugged. “I’ve been busy all day. I had no idea.”Aiden looked back at the folder, his frown deepening.“These designs are excellent.”She gave a tired smile. "Not good enough for Charlotte, apparently."Without another word, Aiden moved to the desk and began gathering all the
Donovan narrowed his eyes at Kelvin, waiting for an answer.“I asked you a question,” he said, voice rising. “Do you value your life or not?”Kelvin stayed quiet, staring at the floor. His jaw was tight, his face unreadable.Donovan let out a short, dry laugh and clapped once in mock amusement. “Wow. No answer? So that’s it? You’re seriously planning to go head-to-head with Aiden?”He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Just say it now, so I know whether to cut you off before Aiden comes for me for still being friends with you.”His smile was forced, but his eyes were serious.Kelvin let out a long sigh. He looked away, his pride slowly crumbling.Was this really the end? Was he supposed to just let Alina go after everything? After holding on, thinking she might come back if he tried harder?The room was silent for a moment until Noeul spoke.“By the way… what exactly happened between you and Alina to cause all this?” he asked, arms crossed. “Did you really kiss her yesterda
Aiden’s expression was unreadable as he stared at Gavin. Nothing about his voice was soft when he finally spoke."Don’t worry about Michelle," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets and turning toward the glass wall to stare outside. "If she wants to come back, let her. I’m not stopping her. But I’m married now."Gavin leaned against the wall, arms folded. "That’s not what I meant. You know she really—""I know," Aiden cut in, his tone calm. "I know she loves me, Gavin. But there’s never been anything real between us. That’s why there was never a scandal. We couldn’t even hold hands, not in public, not even in private. So tell me... why should I throw away my happiness for someone I can’t even be close to?"Gavin watched him quietly. Aiden’s voice wasn’t raised, but every word came with clear conviction.“Alright,” Gavin said, nodding slowly. “I thought you liked her… but okay.”“I did, at one point. I even thought about telling her... but then what? Start a relationship with so