Elise pov;At my bakery store, While we're arranging the tables, Jared came to our store asking, “Looks like you decorated the store finally.” He walked around while saying, “Oh, you put up the window display too. It's nice…”Teresa, “Boss, is he really here to praise or tease us?”“Do you still doubt that?” Teresa let out a chuckle and asked, “Doesn't he have a store to look after? Why is he always coming here, boss?”“There's only one word to describe. Jealousy.” And let out a chuckle. Theo talked to him, “Mr Matthews, would you like to see our menu?”Jared replied that he's only here to take a look and went to the Christmas tree. When theo gave a fed up look, I said to him, “Let him be. Don't mind.”Theo gave a stare at me and walked to the bill counter. I walked to him and asked, “How long will you give me this silent treatment?”When he didn't answer, I continued, “What if someone thinks we had a fight? Do you want that?”Theo, “Boss, it's business hours. Let's not talk abou
Elise's pov;The next morning, At the dining table, while everyone was having their breakfast quietly, Brian broke the silence by asking, “Elise, when will you come to my school today?”“Today?”“The performance that I'm doing for the Christmas program is today. Did you forget it already?”I shook my head and said, “I do remember. I was just thinking about something else. When will the program start? When should I be there at your school?”“The program will start at 10 am but my part will come by 11am.”“Okay, I'll be there.” And gave a smile at him before getting back to eating. Brian asked Mr Alarcon, “Dad, I'll be waiting for you too.”Mr Alarcon, “I have a meeting today so I'll try to come.”Brian tapped on my hand and said, “Elsie, dad's making an excuse. Ask him to come see my performance.”Instead of talking to Mr Alarcon, I said to Brian, “Don't worry, I'll be there to cheer for you.” and patted his head. When we finished breakfast, he started getting ready for school. In t
Elise's pov;After closing the store, I messaged Mr Alarcon that I'll be late and turned off the phone. Because I know he's going to flood my notification if I leave it on. I took a cab and headed to Mr Malcolm Hart's office. Mr Alarcon’s father. The reception didn't allow me and asked many questions since I came without any prior notice. After some calls, they allowed me to go to Mr Hart's office. When I entered the cabin, Mr Hart asked me to take a seat and asked, “What is it that you want to talk to me about?”I don't know if Mr Hart knows about Mr Alarcon's other business so I have to be careful with my choice of words. “I'm here to talk about Brian.” I said. He placed the file on the table he was looking into before and asked, “What do you want to talk about him?”“I came to know that Brian's parents passed away in an accident, Sir.”“So?” He asked like he didn't care about it. “If it's possible, I want to know if there are relatives from Brian's mother's side in touch. So tha
Elise's pov;When morning light filtered through the curtains, I roused myself from sleep, feeling the need to escape any potential encounters with Mr. Alarcon. Hurriedly preparing for the day, I quietly slipped out of the house, finding solace in the familiar sights and sounds of my store. As my mind flitted anxiously to Brian, a sense of guilt tugged at me, knowing I hadn't bid him farewell. His peaceful slumber seemed suspended in time, prompting me to depart without disrupting his rest. The bittersweet air of my departure lingered, leaving a void where parting words should have been spoken.Teresa stood before me, her eyes filled with curiosity as she directed her question about my attire. She was already donning a festive elf costume, serving as a stark reminder of the occasion we were celebrating. Across the room, Theo, Morgan, and Harry emerged from the changing room, fully adorned in their respective outfits, adding to the jolly atmosphere that filled the space.In response to
Elise's pov:After Mr. Alarcon departed, I retraced my steps back into the store, the events of our meeting swirling in my mind. As I pondered the interaction, Teresa interrupted my thoughts by tapping gently on my shoulder, her voice calling out softly, "Boss, I'll take off here." Her words resonated in the quiet space as she added, "Let's clean up the remaining tasks tomorrow," before slipping away after a quick change of attire. Following her departure, the store began to empty slowly, with Harry and Morgan bidding their farewells one after the other.Turning to Theo, who had chosen to stay behind, I inquired curiously, "What about you? Why haven't you left yet?"His response was calm and measured, "How could I depart without understanding the events of today?" With a sense of understanding, he settled beside me and continued, "There's a quietness to this moment; you can confide in me, Elise."Caught off guard by his persistence, I hesitated briefly before replying, "What is it tha
Elise's pov;The next morning arrived with a sense of anticipation as I diligently packed all my clothes, neatly folding each item and placing them into my luggage. Emerging from my room, burdened with the weight of my belongings, I saw Brian approaching me eagerly. However, his excitement was halted suddenly as his gaze fixed upon my bulging bag. Caught off guard, I frantically searched for an explanation as Brian, in his innocent curiosity, posed the question, “Are you going on a trip, Elise?”Caught in a moment of hesitation, I began to formulate a response when Mr. Alarcon intervened with his typically blunt demeanor. His concise statement, “No. She's moving out,” cut through the tension with surgical precision. His ability to navigate such situations with smooth assertiveness was evident, though it left me pondering about the isolated existence he seemed to tolerate willingly. I questioned his need for such brusqueness, particularly in his interaction with the ever-inquisitive Br
Elise's pov:When the clock struck ten o'clock, signalling the departure of everyone while I opted to remain, Theo inquisitively, "Why aren't you leaving?" Recollecting my earlier declaration about my intention to stay from the sight of my luggage that morning, I reiterated, "I'm choosing to remain here." Attempting to suggest a change of location, Theo questioned, "Why don't you go to your parents' place?" Firm in my decision, I replied, "I don't want to." Expressing concern, Theo advised, "You can't just sever ties with everyone like that, Elise." Feeling the weight of recent hardships, I let out an exasperated sigh before calmly requesting, "Will you please allow me some peace and solitude for a while? I've been grappling with numerous challenges recently, leaving me devoid of the energy to engage in a debate. So, kindly respect my need for solitude and depart for the night, Theo.”"Before heading to bed, it's always wise to double-check that all the doors are securely locked.
Elise's pov:When the clock striked nine o clock, I started getting ready to leave. Theo and Harry was still in the store so I said to them, “Check the doors and lock them before you guys leave.”When Harry gave a thumbs up, theo looked at me with a confused expression on his face and followed me asking, “Aren't you staying here?”“Um… no.”“So you went to your place?”Not again. What if he takes it in a bad way if i say what happened with Mr Alarcon. I'm tired of going through this shit everyday. When the clock struck ten o'clock, signalling the departure of everyone while I opted to remain, Theo inquisitively, "Why aren't you leaving?" Recollecting my earlier declaration about my intention to stay from the sight of my luggage that morning, I reiterated, "I'm choosing to remain here." Attempting to suggest a change of location, Theo questioned, "Why don't you go to your parents' place?" Firm in my decision, I replied, "I don't want to." Expressing concern, Theo advised, "You can