Semua Bab The Last Days of Mr Andrew : Bab 21 - Bab 30

CHAPTER 21Victoria burst into the penthouse like a whirlwind, the door slamming behind her with a force that resonated throughout the space. Nancy looked up first, her heart sinking at the sight of Andrew, whose expression remained stoic, but his eyes flickered with unease.“You went,” he stated, his tone clipped.Victoria dropped her bag with a thud onto the polished table. “Of course I did.”“What did you find out?” Nancy asked, leaning forward, feeling the tension crackle in the air.Victoria took a deep breath, her resolve firm. “He’s not backing down.”Andrew gave a short, humorless chuckle. “That’s hardly surprising.”“No,” Victoria agreed, approaching them with purpose. “But I believe he’s a lot more rattled than he wants anyone to see.”This caught Andrew's full attention.“…Meaning?” he pressed, curious despite himself.“He’s convinced he’s in the right,” she explained, intensity radiating from her. “Which makes him all the more dangerous.”Nancy crossed her arms, bracing f

CHAPTER 23The restaurant was unlike any place Andrew usually frequented. It was smaller, quieter, and far too simplistic for his refined tastes. He surveyed the modest decor with a skeptical eye and couldn’t suppress his disbelief.“…This is where we’re eating?” he asked, glancing at Nancy with an incredulous eyebrow raised.Unfazed, she met his gaze with a steady resolve. “Yes.”Victoria, already seated, gestured for him to join them. “Sit down.”“I have much better places,” he muttered, scanning the bare walls adorned with unassuming art. “And yet, here you are,” Nancy quipped, amusement flickering in her eyes.With a resigned sigh, Andrew lowered himself into the chair, his towering presence imposing even in this relaxed environment. “…I’ve lost control of my own life.”Nancy smiled, the kind of smile that suggested genuine mirth. “You’re adjusting.”Just then, a waiter approached with an easy demeanor that contrasted sharply with the stuffy service Andrew was accustomed to. “Goo

Chapter 25No one moved immediately after that.The words didn’t fade.We’ll see.They stayed in the room, settling into the spaces between them and stretching the silence thinner than before.Victoria was the first to shift, not dramatically, just a small straighten of her shoulders, the kind that meant she’d already moved past the moment.“I’ll start making calls,” she said, reaching for her phone.Andrew didn’t look at her. “Not yet.”She stopped cold.“…Andrew.”“Not yet.”Same tone. Low. Steady. Not raised. But not something to argue with.Victoria studied him for a second longer than necessary, as if deciding whether to push. Then she exhaled softly and dropped her hand.“Fine.”Nancy hadn’t moved, still leaning slightly against the arm of the couch, arms loosely crossed, watching him in that quiet way she had.“You said you’d call the board,” she said.“I will.”“You’re delaying.”Andrew glanced at her. “I just said I will.”“That wasn’t the point.”He held her gaze for a secon

CHAPTER 27Morning arrived, not with a gentle touch, but simply, quietly. The first hint of gray light, like a muted watercolor wash, seeped through the penthouse blinds, stretching long, indistinct stripes across the rumpled sheets. Andrew was already awake, perched on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, his phone held loosely but unlooked at. The screen’s cool, sterile glow reflected in his eyes, a stark blue against the room's deepening shadows.A list of names waited, and he didn't scroll. The sheer weight of each one pressed down on him, like unseen hands holding him in place. Then, a soft, yet certain knock sliced through the quiet. "Andrew?" It was Nancy.He let out a ragged breath. "Yeah." The door cracked open, and she stepped in, her hair still mussed from sleep, carefully balancing two steaming mugs that carried the faint, comforting scent of chamomile. "You've been up long?" she asked."A while." She glanced at his phone, noting the white-knuckle grip, then met his e

CHAPTER 29The conference room started to fill with people trickling in. It wasn't like there was a formal summons or a set time, yet they showed up anyway, one by one, quietly. Andrew stood near the head of the table, a still figure, his jacket on. You could tell by his posture that he was holding back a lot of tension, making it hard to figure out exactly where the strain was coming from. Nancy, on the other hand, stayed on the fringes, not exactly hiding, but just not wanting to be in the spotlight. Lydia, always the picture of efficiency, flitted in and out, her voice a low murmur as she guided people."They'll come," she whispered at one point, pausing beside Andrew."They already are," he replied.A board member walked in, then another, and then two more. Victoria arrived not long after, slipping into the room as if she’d always been meant to be there. Her eyes met Andrew's for just a second, a small nod, and that was it. Nancy watched it all unfold: the hushed conversations,