MasukThe office felt cold in an odd way, not because of the air conditioning, which was always set to a low temperature, but because the atmosphere had frozen the moment Estelle finished speaking.Lennon was still standing behind his desk. Both hands rested on the glass surface. His gaze remained fixed on Estelle, as if he still hadn’t fully grasped what had happened, still trying to process the meaning behind every word she had spoken. Meanwhile, Estelle stood tall, calm and unflinching, with an expression that left him unable to breathe.“Estelle.” Lennon finally spoke. His voice cracked softly, as if he were trying to gather the scattered pieces of logic falling out of his mind. “What... what do you mean?”Estelle looked straight at him. The gentle gaze she used to give him had hardened into something sharp and cold. 'Don't waste my time, Lennon,” she said quietly yet precisely. “I don't want to spend my time answeri
That morning, Nocilium Corp.’s headquarters were filled with a kind of activity that had not yet fully begun. New staff members arrived and crowded the lobby, moving quickly, yet the executive floor remained calm and silent, as always.On the top floor, at the very end of the corridor, Lennon was working. His desk was cluttered with financial reports, contract drafts, merger proposals and small notes that only he could understand.Morning sunlight poured through the large window behind him, casting golden lines across his dark hair. He leaned forward slightly as he read a report.Faith stood beside him. “Sir, I’ve reorganised the export division’s report. Would you like—?”Lennon nodded without lifting his head. “Put it on the desk. I’ll review it after this.”Faith nodded. “All right, sir,” she said, placing the file on the table. Then she exhaled lightly, preparing to leave.
He had no idea how long he had been there, but the darkness continued to imprison Wade's consciousness. He didn’t know whether he was asleep or trapped somewhere between dream and reality. All he could feel was an overwhelming sense of emptiness, as though he were sinking deep underwater, unable to move, his mind drifting in and out of awareness.Then, a shrill sound pierced the darkness. It was faint at first, almost like an echo from an impossibly distant place. But it came again, sharper and closer, forcing its way into his ears.Wade let out a faint groan. His eyelids twitched, struggling to open, but the world felt unbearably heavy. His head felt stuffed with sand and his body no longer felt like his own.The shrill sound came for the third time—now unmistakably the sound of a phone ringing. With tremendous effort, Wade drew in a rough breath and finally opened his eyes. His vision spun for several seconds before the shapes in the room slowly be
The moment Wade’s body went limp, Estelle’s world seemed to stop.Wade slumped sideways onto the sofa and Estelle stared at him, unable to move, for several seconds—too long and too quiet—as if her mind needed time to process what had just happened.After that, Estelle whispered softly. “I’m sorry, Wade.”The sound was barely audible. She spoke with her lips pressed tight, as though she were holding back pain. That was exactly how she felt: tightness in her chest and disgust towards herself.Ironically, Estelle had no other choice. So, she steeled her heart. She would not back down from the plan she had prepared as carefully as possible.Gripping the edge of the sofa, Estelle tried to steady her breathing. Inside her chest, something churned violently. It felt as though shards of glass were grinding against one another—guilt mingling with anger and fear blending with resolve.Meanwhile, Wade la
“What?!”The word shot out of Wade's mouth as though he were choking on air. His voice cracked, low and raw with disbelief that he couldn’t hide.Wade stared at Estelle with an expression that defied description, as if he had just heard something utterly impossible. His eyes widened for a few seconds, then slowly narrowed—not in anger or judgement, but in confusion, shock and fear of misunderstanding her.“Estelle.” Wade shook his head slightly, as though trying to make sure he hadn’t misheard. “You must have said that wrong.”But Estelle didn’t look away. She kept her gaze on Wade, calmly—too calmly, as if her request wasn't capable of shaking anyone to their core.“I didn’t say it wrong,” Estelle said flatly, almost emotionlessly. “I want you to sleep with me, Wade.”Wade fell silent. He swallowed and put his teacup back down on the table, his f
Electronic audio from the main stage echoed through the vast hall. The spotlights were being tested one by one and animated graphics were displayed on the thirty-metre international LED screen. Meanwhile, the foreign technical team was running sound-sync trials for the main event of the International Media Convergence Summit 2032—a massive production that Wade held only once every two years.Wade stood in the middle of the room wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up slightly. With a tablet in hand, he reviewed the programme sequence, assessed the lighting layout and gave brief instructions to the nearby producers as required.“The transition for the second panel is too fast,” said Wade, brushing his jaw. “Realign it with the opening graphic.”A producer responded immediately. “Yes, Mr Wade.”The room was buzzing with multiple languages overlapping, the hum of rigging machines, crew members calling instru







