LOGINMorning began like no other at JH industries. Edward Sterling sat behind his desk reviewing quaterly projections when a knock sounded at the door. Before he could answer, his assistant rushed inside. Edward looked up immediately. His assistant's expression alone told him something was wrong . “What is this?”“Our joint project with Baxter Construction”Edward frowned. “What about it?”“They have withdrawn.”“They what?”“They sent a notice this morning.”Edward’s grip tightened on the tablet. “Why, what reason did they give?”“They cited strategic restructuring”“That’s nonsense.”The assistant remained silent, because they both knew it was absurd. Baxter Construction had spent nearly eight months negotiating the project. Companies did not simply walk away from investments worth millions. Not without a reason.Edward tossed the tablet onto his desk. “Get them on the phone right away.”“I already did that”“And?”“They are not taking our calls”The office went silent. A bad feeling
Celeste sat beside her George's bed for so long that the chair had started to feel like a part of her, her fingers trembled slightly as she wiped his face with a damp cloth. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound filling the room.George laid motionless beneath the white sheets. The bruises that had once marred his faces over the past few days had begun to fade, but his eyes remained stubbornly closed."George," she whispered. She brushed a strand of hair from his brow with the back of her hand. "You have to wake up for mummy's sake." Her voice broke at the last word, she pressed her lips together and steadied herself. She had cried already. She would not cry again right now. She needed to be strong in case he could feel her.Days had passed since he had been admitted, yet there had been no significant change. Every morning she sat beside him, hoping that when she looked up, she would find him awake staring at her.The door opened.A doctor entered, followed by two nu
Adrian was halfway through a movie when his phone vibrated. He glanced down, it was Candace who had texted him. His thumb hovered over the screen.[Can we meet?]Adrian stared at the message for several seconds before locking his phone and setting it aside. He was not interested, not after the way she had treated him like he meant nothing.A minute later, his phone vibrated again. [Please, I know you have seen my message and that you are purposely ignoring me.]He ignored it again.Another message arrived yet again.[I know you are upset with, I just want us to talk]Adrian sighed but still he didn’t reply. Then the fourth message came.[There is something I need to say to you.]Before he could decide whether to answer, another text came through.[An amusement park address. I will be waiting for you.]Adrian rubbed his forehead, he should have ignored it. That would be the smart thing to do but rather he found his body moving and standing in his closet."I'm so pathetic," he said, to
Jules blinked three times, he wasn’t sure what he had just heard.“Excuse me sir but I didn’t hear what you just said.”Damien glared at him, he wasn’t going to repeat himself.Jules knew his boss wasn’t going to repeat what he had just said. He processed the question carefully.“Could you be more specific, sir?”Damien’s jaw tightened. The images were moving through his mind, Elena’s face in the corridor, the hurt in her eyes when she had pulled her wrist from his hand, the sound of her tears that had come through her bedroom door when he stood on the other side of it. He straightened in his chair.“Never mind, it’s not like you have been with any woman before.” The words came out without any form of sugar coating.Jules looked at his boss, his pride was hurt. “Sir I have actually been with a woman, I am sure I can be of help”“Never mind. Where are we with the E Atelier project?”Jules chose not to press the issue, he adjusted without comment. “The project is still on track.”“Has
Elena woke up, the emotional exhaustion lingered despite waking up late.For a few moments, she laid motionless in bed staring at the ceiling. Her eyes felt heavy from crying, and she felt a slight ache in her head.She thought of Damien, how was she going to face him. Did she over react?. He only did that to George because of what he did to her, he was just trying to protect her.“Still he shouldn’t have done that to a human being.”She pushed the thoughts aside, Elena forced herself out of bed. Work. She needed work, it was the only thing capable of keeping her mind occupied. After showering, she dressed in a cream fitted blouse and a dark pencil skirt. A touch of makeup to conceal the redness around her eyes, making her look more lively than looking like a walking ghost. She grabbed her laptop and handbag and headed downstairs. She decided to stop by Ethan’s room, when she opened the door it was empty.“I guess he has gone to school, I will make it up to him for ignoring him yes
*BACK TO THE PRESENT*“Sir. You have a visitor.” Jules stepped aside, revealing Candace standing beside him.Damien did not look up from the file. "Who?""Miss Candace Walters, sir.” Before Jules could finish announcing her presence, Candace walked in from behind.Damien’s pen stopped writing.Candace smiled. “Am I interrupting?”Jules looked between them. “I can send her away if you are busy, sir.”“Damien, I can’t believe your assistant doesn’t know who I am to you. You need to fire him.” Candace pouted while complaining. Damien looked at the stack of files on the right side of his desk. He looked at Candace and said,“It’s fine.”Damien nodded to Jules that it was all good and that he could leave, Jules bowed and left without any delay, he had tasks to get done.Candace stepped inside carrying two neatly packed food containers. She moved toward the sitting area, setting the containers on the coffee table.The aroma reached him, a faint look of recognition crossed his face. It smell
As Damien's car approached the Blackwood family, passing through the familiar tree-lined drive of his childhood.The mansion loomed ahead, and Damien steeled himself for the confrontation to come. His mother would want answers. His father would demand explanations. Amira would probably make inappro
Back at E Atelier, the conference room buzzed with low conversations. The space was designed to intimidate—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a massive glass table surrounded by leather chairs, walls adorned with her mother's original fashion sketches. Everything in this room was meant
Across the city, in the elegant Carrington family estate where Damien had grown up, chaos was already brewing.Amira Carrington sat on the couch, her phone glued to her hand as her long fingers scrolled endlessly.She was halfway through her morning coffee when a video started playing on her social
Victoria's hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel, barely seeing the road through her tears. The lights of the city blurred into streaks of color as she drove on, her mind spinning with rage and humiliation.Elena. Always Elena. Their father's favorite, even though he had remarried. The gold







