At His Discretion Novels & Stories

“Then they can increase it.” His assistant hesitated. “Sir, that's one of our biggest distribution partners.” “And?” “If we walk away, we may lose them permanently.” Adrian's expression remained calm. “Then we'll find another.” The assistant observed him intently, noting the subtle shifts in his expression. There was an unsettling aura about Adrian when he fell into this quiet state—an absence of emotion that felt almost deliberate. He wasn't angry or frustrated; instead, he appeared contemplative, as if he had already reached a conclusion that everyone else was still struggling to grasp.

The lessee shall have sole discretion over dispatch priority for all rail traffic entering or exiting the Meridian spur, which it may delegate to “its Operating Affiliates.” “Sole discretion over who goes first,” she said. “That part’s fine. That’s why you signed. It’s who they’re allowed to hand that power to.” She flipped to the back. She always read the back. It was where people hid things because they assumed nobody read it. “Appendix C. ‘Operating Affiliate: any entity under common management or financing with the Lessee, as designated from time to time.’” She tapped the line. “From time to time. That means they can name someone new after you’ve signed. Anyone.”

Atlas looked at my stubborn expression and finally replaced it with a smile, affectionately saying, "You get to decide. I’ll respect your decisions." "Well, it depends on the nature of the matter. If I make a mistake, you should still make things clear to me. I'm not unreasonable, and I don't want you to just indulge me. What if my decision turns out to be wrong?" He teased, "You realize I do indulge you, right?" I gave him a stern look, "I’m being serious, Atlas. Stop fooling around. I'm not blind to your kindness."

But I couldn't let Atlas be the one to decide without knowing what my condition was. My eyes looked at Atlas in disappointment, which made him flinch. "You can't just decide everything in this relationship. I have the right to agree or refuse on what involves me." Atlas nodded, then turned his gaze away from me. "Of course you have that right." Even though he said that, I still wasn't calm. "You don't know how I feel, Atlas." I pointed at myself in front of him. "I know what I'm like and what kind of pain I'm dealing with. I'm not okay when I push myself because I still haven't come to terms with Atlas' condition."

she questioned. “When the others find out, they will vote you out with a vote of consensus because you violated the rules,” He continued. He was right, it is against the rule of the ATU to not give a valid reason as to why they have refused to give out their approval. “You think they will do that so quickly without hearing me out first?” She raised her brows. “They will definitely want to hear from you but in this context, you don't have a valid reason as to why you are doing this and they won't react calmly to it,” He grinned seeing that he had gotten her.

The approval was verbal. Strategic. Efficient. And undocumented. Luke shifts behind Thora. I don’t turn. But I feel it. The weight of his choice. “My decisions,” I say calmly, “were made under emergency provisions.” “Without written authorization?” “Yes.” “So you bypassed standard oversight?” “I exercised executive discretion.” The prosecutor’s voice sharpens. “Or you avoided accountability.” Silence spreads through the room. This is the pivot. The moment narratives are shaped. I look at the jury.

I should've expected this moment to come. "Yes, I feel safe and I think he's right for me." I say and mean it. "He didn't bother you, right?" My father asks me unsure. "No, no, he didn't." I say. "Alright, that means you are ready to engage." Wait, what?! ... (to be continued)

He insulted Brittany when she went to talk to him on my behalf. "I'm sorry for looking like a chimpanzee" he replied and Leo came inside with the water. "I thought there's dispenser in this office before," I said. "Yes Miss Maxwell, it's faulty, but a new one is on the way" he replied and I nod my head. I can see that Drew desperately needs this work, I'm not gonna give him the job, but I'll compensate him for his patience. "If you could have any superhero power, what power would you have and why?" I asked.

he said. "Yes," Adrian said. "All of them?" he said. "Yes," I said. "Even the ones who might have preferred you stayed?" he said. Adrian sat down. He looked at Noah. "Even those ones," he said. "Because the reasoning was clear." He paused. "When the reasoning is clear people can disagree with the decision but still understand it." He paused. "Understanding doesn't require agreement." Noah thought about this.

Determined whether it should be integrated or corrected. Now. I considered it differently. “Do nothing,” I said. He raised an eyebrow. “Nothing.” “Let it exist.” “For now.” “Yes.” “Why.” “Because not everything needs to be defined immediately.” That was another shift. Allowing variation to exist without forcing it into structure. Adrian joined us later. “You are letting it expand,” he said. “Yes.” “And you are not concerned.” “No.” “Why.” “Because the system can handle it.” And because not every answer needed to come from me.