جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

RICHARDI woke up with a headache so sharp it felt like someone had split my skull open during the night and forgotten to close it again. I groaned and pressed my palm against my forehead, cursing the whiskey I had poured into myself like water the night before.“Damn it,” I muttered.The sunlight pushing through the curtains was too bright, too bold, too disrespectful for the state I was in. I rolled over, reached for my phone on the bedside table, and squinted at the screen.8:17 AM.My eyes widened.“Shit!”I threw the sheets off me and rushed out of bed so fast the room spun for a second. I steadied myself against the wall, then staggered toward the bathroom. I had an executive board meeting at nine, and showing up late was not something I did. At least, not normally.The shower helped a little. Cold water hit my skin and dragged me back into the world. I stood there longer than I should have, trying to wash off the smell of alcohol and the remains of a terrible night.As I dresse

KARENAfter kissing Sophie for the seventh time that morning, I finally managed to pry myself free from her tiny arms.“Mommy, one more!” she whined, stretching toward me from Sarah’s lap.I laughed despite the panic rising in my chest as I checked the time again. “You said that three kisses ago.”“No, I didn’t,” Sophie argued with the confidence only a child could have.Sarah, our nanny, adjusted Sophie on her hip and smiled at me with the patience of a saint. “Go, madam. I’ve got her.”“You’re sure?”“Yes. If you stay another minute, she’ll ask for ten more kisses.”“She absolutely will,” I said.Sophie gasped in fake offense. “I heard that!”I bent quickly, kissed both her cheeks, then her forehead. “Behave yourself.”“Buy me chocolates!”“I will, baby!”I grabbed my handbag and rushed out before she could invent another reason to keep me home. Her voice followed me down the hallway.“Mommy, I love you!”The words hit me right in the chest, warm and soft.“I love you too!” I shoute

KARENI did not remember how I got downstairs. One moment I was in my office, shaking with anger after hearing Richard was waiting for me, and the next I was already stepping out of the elevator with my heels striking hard against the polished floor.My chest was rising and falling too fast, and my hands were clenched so tightly that my nails bit into my palms. Rage was bubbling inside me like hot water ready to spill over. I had spent years learning how to control myself, how to remain calm no matter the pressure, but the mention of his name had shattered all of that in seconds.The reception area of A.A. Biotech was bright and elegant as always. Glass walls, sleek furniture, quiet efficiency. My receptionist, Rhoda, sat behind her desk typing something on her computer. Two junior staff members were discussing files near the printer. Everything looked normal.Except for him.Richard sat in one of the waiting chairs with one leg crossed over the other, leaning back like he owned the p

KARENI do not know what dragged me so deep into sleep that morning, but when I opened my eyes and reached for my phone, my heart nearly stopped.8:27 a.m.I shot upright so fast that the room spun around me. My meeting with the board was in thirty minutes.“Damn it,” I muttered as I threw the sheets aside.I never overslept. Not on weekdays. Not on days that mattered. And today was one of those days that mattered more than others. I had spent the last couple of days preparing projections, financial updates, growth models, and expansion plans for the board and investors. Everything needed to be perfect.I rushed into the bathroom, brushed my teeth with one hand while searching emails with the other, then rushing into the shower. When I got out, I pulled on the first navy suit I found hanging in the wardrobe. My hair went into a low knot, not as neat as I preferred, but neat enough. I dabbed on makeup in record time and slipped into my heels while still walking.As I hurried downstairs

KARENI had dealt with crises before, but nothing had ever moved this fast.Before noon that day, the story was already everywhere.Twelve different media houses had published the same article, each with slightly different headlines but the same dangerous message beneath them. According to the reports, one of our company's most important research projects had been stolen, leaked, and sold to outside buyers. They claimed internal sources had confirmed it. They claimed the board was hiding the truth. They claimed investors were preparing to pull out.Every word was a lie.Yet lies did not need truth to spread. They only needed speed. And whoever was behind this understood that perfectly.I stood in the middle of the conference room with my phone pressed to my ear while three board members argued behind me. My assistant was rushing between offices with printed statements, and our legal team was demanding immediate responses from every publication involved.“Yes, this is Karen Andrews,” I