Five minutes had passed when Albert, guided by his secretary, entered the spacious conference room alongside Kenneth and Tasha. Their eyes swept across the room, landing on a line of four individuals seated with poise, a man in his forties at the center."Mr. Getson, it is a pleasure to meet you. These gentlemen are our esteemed chairman and general manager," the secretary introduced, gesturing toward Albert and his son. She then turned to Tasha. "And this is Ms. Jenkins, the one you've been eager to meet.""Mr. Getson, it's great to see you. I'm sorry to have you make the trip out here," Albert said warmly, extending his hand."Mr. Albert Jenkins, the pleasure is all mine. Your company is a valued partner of ours, it's the least we can do," Felix Getson replied with a friendly smile.He then rose to his feet, faced Tasha with a respectful bow, and said with genuine enthusiasm, "Ms. Jenkins, good to meet you. I'm Felix Getson, director of the Mendorra Tower's investment department.
"Mr. Getson, hold on, please. Have a glass of water. I'll get Talia here immediately!" Albert interjected quickly. Howard's words from yesterday echoed in his mind as he spoke. Could it really have been Howard's influence? However, that did not make sense. It was the Beech family who had lent a hand."I've got a meeting back at my company soon, so hurry up and get Ms. Talia Jenkins to come over!" Felix said icily before sitting back down. Felix would not dare just storm off, if he did, he might as well not bother returning to his own company."Okay, okay, I'm on it," Albert said, nodding before turning to Tasha. "What are you waiting for? Call her now!""I get it!" Tasha's face darkened, her expression sour. She had convinced herself that from today onward, she would be calling the shots at the company. However, in a matter of minutes, her bubble burst. The emotional whiplash was maddening.Then she got it—Mendorra Company's eager beeline to the Jenkins Group had nothing to do with
At Yuffie's exclamation, Holden and Kaylee snapped to attention and turned to Howard."I made a promise to Riley, and I always keep my promises!" Howard said, gently patting Riley's cheek. "Isn't that right, kiddo?""Yep!" Riley piped up confidently. "Dad always keeps his word, I trust him!""Howard, you seriously pulled it off?" Holden asked, his voice tinged with awe."If my hunch is right, Tasha's call was to get Talia to the office to ink the deal with the people from Mendorra Tower," Howard said with a knowing grin.The Holdens all let out a collective gasp of astonishment. The phone continued to ring insistently."Howard, shouldn't we let Talia answer it?" Holden suggested, glancing at Howard. "If they're really waiting for her to sign the contract, we shouldn't keep them hanging. What if they lose patience...""Don't worry, Mr. Holden Jenkins, they'll wait," Howard reassured with another smile, turning his gaze to Talia. "Talia, make it clear to her that you're open to si
Taking a long, calming drag of his cigarette, Kenneth broke the silence. "The Mendorra folks are still waiting. Should I send them away for now?""Get the car ready!" Albert snapped, his anger sending a vase crashing to join the teacup's fate."Dad, you're not seriously going?" Kenneth's surprise was evident."And what's your bright idea?" Albert snapped back. "We have to lock down that contract with Mendorra Tower. Once it's done, we'll deal with her.""And their demand for a bonus?" Kenneth probed further."We haven't signed anything yet. Forget the bonus!" Albert's voice was ice. "We'll talk about that after the ink dries.""Got it!" A spark of resolve lit up Kenneth's eyes. He got the message loud and clear. Once they had the contract, they would call the shots. As for the bonus, well, that would be their call too."Grandpa, should I try calling Mr. Beech again? Maybe he's got some news?" Tasha suggested after a brief pause."No need for more calls. I've already made some d
"Talia already told us over the phone, remember? Or do you need me to spell it out for you?" Kaylee shot back."We'll get Talia to sign, sure, but not until we see those share certificates and dividends. Otherwise...""Kaylee!" Holden cut in sharply. "It takes time to prepare the share contract and dividends. Dad promised, and he'll deliver. Trust me."Kaylee hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, but she swallowed her words."Talia, could you head out with Grandpa? We shouldn't keep the people at Mendorra Tower waiting," Holden suggested, turning to Talia."Sure," Talia agreed after a brief pause."I'll go with you, Talia," Howard offered, rising with a gentle smile."Daddy, please don't go. Stay with me. I don't want you to leave," Riley pleaded, clutching Howard's hand and shaking it earnestly."Howard, you should stay and play with Riley. I'll go with my sister, we'll be back before you know it," Yuffie chimed in."Alright, just give me a call if you need anything," H
"Thanks for the praise, Riley." Howard chuckled as he gently ruffled Riley's hair.Fifteen minutes later, Kaylee emerged from the kitchen once more. "Honey, could you give Talia a call and see when they'll be home? I want to get started on dinner.""You got it!" Holden, in high spirits, promptly dialed Talia's number. "Hey Talia, where are you guys, and how long until you're back?""We're in a cab, should be home in about twenty minutes!" came Talia's voice over the line."Great, could you pick up a bottle of wine on your way? I'm planning to share a few drinks with Howard and Yoel at lunch," Holden said, his voice filled with mirth.Then, suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the phone."Talia, what's going on!?" Holden's voice spiked with alarm. Silence was his only answer."Talia? Talia?" he called out again, but the line had gone dead. Frantically, he tried the number once more. That time, it just rang endlessly, unanswered."What happened?" Howard's brow creased with conce
Howard jumped out of the car and hurried towards the scene. He approached the car and peered inside. It was deserted, save for two cell phones and Talia's handbag tossed on the seat. A fierce fury exploded within him. No question about it—the sisters were in trouble."Look, there's a camera over there. We can track them!" Yoel scanned the area and noticed a security camera nearby. He whipped out his phone and called Kenny, quickly briefing him on the situation."What!? Some people have a death wish!" Kenny's voice boomed from the other end. "Give me three minutes, I'll get the surveillance pulled up!""Hurry!" Yoel urged before ending the call.Back in the car, Yoel broached the subject. "Think it was one of the three major families?""Highly likely!" Howard's voice was laced with a deadly edge."Talia's been gone from Mendorra for years. She's barely back and already in their crosshairs. Can't be anyone else but those families.""The motive?" Yoel pressed. "Did those families
"Evildoers don't get to see another day," Howard said sternly. "I thought I'd give them a little longer, but it looks like they're done waiting."Elsewhere, in a private club a few kilometers from where the taxi had crashed, the story continued. In the plush confines of a third-floor VIP room, the Talia sisters huddled together on a couch, terror etched on their faces, their clothes in disarray, trembling from head to toe.Across from them sat a man in his forties, his face hardened and menacing, exuding a vibe that screamed danger. This was Lucas, the notorious number two of Mendorra's criminal underground world. Flanking Lucas were four muscular toughs, his top four major henchmen. They were notorious figure in Mendorra's underground world."Man, Mr. Jean, these sisters are drop-dead gorgeous!" Maclin, with his buzz cut, commented as he licked his chapped lips."No kidding, they wouldn't be Mendorra's finest beauties otherwise!" another thug chimed in. "I just didn't see it comin