ϖϖϖϖϖϖNora yawned as she signed the last document.The pain had finally eased—thanks to the medication Faith had given her—but after that whole drama with Kire and that bastard, she was starving.Right on cue, her stomach growled loud enough to startle her.“That was loud,” she muttered, rubbing her temple as she reached for the phone.Her desk was a mess of folders, signed documents, and a half-empty water bottle—a clear sign she’d skipped any form of break. And why wouldn’t she? If those idiots hadn’t emptied her desk, she would have been done for hours.“Motherfuckers.” She murmured, dialing the extension with a sigh. “Max…”“Yes, ma’am?” Came his voice through the receiver.“Come to my office.”“On my way.”A few seconds later, Max stepped in. “I’m here.”“It’s lunchtime. Can you grab me something to eat?”“Of course. Any preferences?”“Anything edible. And get something for yourself too.” She handed him her card. “Add some sweet drinks to it.”“I could get drinks from the office
Continuations~~~~~~Noah stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded by the explosion that had just unfolded.His mouth parted slightly… then shut again.He didn’t move.He couldn’t even if he wanted to.It was like watching a car crash in slow motion—one he somehow caused but couldn’t stop.He thought of going after her. Almost did.But the second he saw Nora striding toward Kire in that terrifying mood, he froze.Something in him whispered—stay out of this.And damn, what a scene it had been.In all the years he’d known Nora, he had never seen her explode like that. Not even close.She was fire, and thunder wrapped in human skin.‘Was I wrong? Did I go too far?He slumped into his chair, guilt crawling up his spine like ice.The truth was—he had been avoiding her ever since they got back from New York.The moment they landed, he slipped off to Mira’s under the excuse of a business follow-up.But really? It was an escape.Because ever since he discovered how she truly felt about him, noth
ϖϖϖϖϖϖ"Some wounds don’t heal with time; they only deepen when stirred by betrayal."~~~Nora stormed toward Kire’s desk, anger swelling in her with every step. If rage were a superpower, the entire floor would be ash.Of all the people to twist the knife, it had to be him—the one man she is in love with.How did it come to this? How did one woman’s lies turn her into a joke?Her gaze locked with Kire’s. That smug smile was sitting on her lips like it belonged there.Nora didn’t hesitate.“Wow,” she said, stopping in front of her. “You must really want my job, Kire. Lying against your boss just to climb higher?”“I don’t know what you’re talking about, ma’am.” The voice was fake sweet, like honey hiding poison.“Oh, don’t play dumb. I just spoke to Mr. Bamford. Funny enough, someone accused me of negligence. Care to guess who?”Kire blinked, innocent. “If the CEO noticed it, maybe the issue’s not the messenger. Maybe you’re really slipping.” She said with a wide grin.“Maybe.” Nora l
ϖϖϖϖϖϖNoah Bamford didn’t respond to Nora’s anger, just a glance up, then down again, as if she were nothing more than a gust of wind through the door.“That’s your idea of a good morning?”Nora rolled her eyes so hard it hurt, forcing her smile into something resembling polite.“Good morning, Mr. Bamford,” she said, every word clipped like it hurt to say them.“Now, tell me, why the hell did you shut down my department without a damn warning?”Only then did Noah look at her. And instead of answering, his gaze slid past her to the clock on the wall.“You’re just getting in?” “No. I came straight here when Kire said you asked to see me.” She replied with a frown. “So, why did you stop operation in my department?”He leaned back in his chair, arms folding across his chest. “Do I need your damn permission to run my company?” He said, his voice like steel.Nora’s eyes flashed with anger. “No. But as head of that department, I should’ve been told before you made a move that wrecked everyo
ϖϖϖϖϖϖThe pain in Nora’s skull was still hammering like a damn marching band by the time she stepped into the office. Her stomach was empty, her mood dark. She didn’t say hello to anyone and didn’t even bother to fake a smile.She made a beeline for her desk, yanked open the drawer, popped two pills, and washed them down with the first thing in reach—her coffee. It scalded her throat on the way.Good. She needed to feel something.The seconds crawled by. The pounding in her head had faded into a dull, annoying hum. She let out a slow breath, stretched her legs, and shifted in her chair, ready to start work.But… something was wrong.Her desk was empty. Completely empty.No reports, folders. No contracts. Not a single file in sight.It looked like someone had come in and swept the place clean while she was gone.She blinked once. Then again. “What the actual hell?”Her fingers twitched, and her eyes darted around the room. “Where’s Kire?” She muttered under her breath.The clock on t
Chapter 6 ~ Old Faces, Unhealed WoundsϖϖϖϖϖϖThe next morning.Nora woke with a headache that felt like war drums pounding inside her skull; sleeping on time hadn’t fixed a damn thing.She couldn’t stomach food—hell, she couldn’t even look at it. But she forced herself through the motions: shower, clothes, all of them, like a robot running low on battery but still moving.Instead of heading straight to the office, she took a detour.CrestHill Medical Center.Tucked away on a quiet street, most people ignored it. Perhaps she went because she needed someone who wouldn’t piss her off today, someone to remind her she existed.Dr. Faith Kia, her doctor, her old friend, and her backup when the world fell apart, was that someone.Nora walked down the familiar hallway and pushed open the door to her office.“Oh, my! Mrs. Danyon!” Faith lit up the second she saw her, already getting out of her chair. She crossed the room and hugged her tight. “God, it’s been forever! I’ve missed you, girl.”N