Lahat ng Kabanata ng Second Chance At Rebirth: Beneath The Ashes: Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

Lisa’s POVI knew I’d promised Francis he would come with me but well, I left without him later that evening.Zane stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest. The maintenance worker leaned against the wall at the corner of the Chicago branch where we stood.Concerning Francis, when the time came, I couldn’t bring him here, not when Zane was involved. The thought of Zane finding out about me and Francis sent a cold spike through my chest. Zane had the money, the connections, the drive to keep this investigation going, but he also had a mouth that could ruin everything. If he knew, he’d run straight to Christine, and I wasn’t about to let her have that kind of ammunition. So, I’d called Zane instead, told him we needed to meet the guy, and he’d agreed without hesitation. Now, here we were. Moreover, I’m having a crush on Zane so I would not want that to ruin when he finds out I’m f*cking Francis. I do not want him to consider me as a whore.Shortly, the man shifted. “You got the

Lisa’s POVIn my last meeting with Zane, he had angrily left me there as I stood alone in the empty parking lot of the Chicago branch. His parting words were like warning as it echoed in my head. “You’ve made me waste my time here. Be ready to pay for it.” He’d stormed off after our argument, as he drove out of the lot in his car, leaving me. Since then, I’d tried calling him as I dialed his number again and again, but it went straight to voicemail. “Leave a message. Or don’t. I don’t care.” I shoved my phone into my purse, my jaw tight. How dare he treat me like this? My phone buzzed, the screen lighting up with Francis’s name for what felt like the hundredth time today. I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. His persistence was relentless, each call a hammer against my already frayed nerves. I let it ring, my thumb hovering over the decline button, but the buzzing didn’t stop. Another call from him came again and again, he wasn’t giving up. Then a text. “We need to see.” My pat

Lisa’s POV After planting the seed in my grandfather’s mind that Christine might have been behind the Chicago branch fire, I left the sitting room with a small, satisfied smile tugging at my lips. The plan was finally tilting in my favor, like a chessboard where I’d just maneuvered my queen into position. I climbed the stairs to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I kicked off my shoes, letting them tumble carelessly near the closet, and sank onto the edge of my bed. For now, I’d won a small victory. Christine’s downfall was closer than ever. For some reason, I hated her so much, always feeling like she’s on top, above me. The next day, my phone buzzed on the nightstand, a sharp, insistent vibration that snapped me fully awake. I reached for it, my heart giving a lazy thud, expecting another text from Francis or maybe even Zane. But the screen displayed an unknown number as I swiped to open the message. The text was short. “The video still exists. Don’t think it’s buried a

Francis’s POVIn my office at Harrington, I sat at my desk, surrounded by stacks of reports on the Chicago branch fire. The letters stared back at me, insurance claims, repair estimates, lost revenue projections. My tie hung loose around my neck, the top button of my shirt undone, and my sleeves were rolled up to my elbows. The weight of the disaster pressed against my thoughts, a dull ache that hadn’t let up in weeks. I leaned forward, rubbing my eyes when suddenly, the door swung open without a knock. I look up to see the old man.Grandfather Fredrick stood in the doorway, his presence filling the room before he even spoke. His sharp emotionless eyes pinned me to my chair. There was no greeting, no smile, just the heavy silence of his cold presence. He didn’t sit. Instead, he strode to the edge of my desk and planted his hands on its surface, leaning forward slightly.“Francis,” he said. “I’m running out of patience.”I straightened in my chair, my hands falling to my lap. “Grandfa

Christine’s POV Grandfather Fredrick had come to the company today so early. He’s in his office and he has sent for me. I knocked twice on his office door, “Come in.” He called out. Stepping inside, I shut the door. Grandfather sat behind his massive mahogany desk. His eyes, cold as ever, fixed on me with that piercing intensity that always made me feel like I was being weighed and measured for less. He didn’t smile, but then, he rarely did. I mean not to me. “Christine,” he called, gesturing to the leather armchair across from him. “Sit.” I settled into the chair. “You wanted to see me, grandfather?” He leaned back, his fingers steepled under his chin and then he finally spoke. “As you know, the family retreat is coming up. I want you to handle it. All of it. The location, logistics, everything. Make it memorable. We need something to bring us together, especially now.” I nodded, my mind already spinning with possibilities of how it would go. A family retreat was a chanc