Janice Litman Novels & Stories

"I'll go find the chairperson first. Meet you inside." Before he could respond, I slipped out of the car and into the glittering throng. I headed for the administrative offices, but rounding a corner near the service entrance, I heard familiar voices. Hannah. And with her… Lilian Grace. Lilian. One of the students I'd anonymously sponsored through design school years ago. She was brilliant, fiercely independent, and now a lead designer at Lumina Corp, a major player who had publicly bowed out of this particular bid due to other commitments.

"You what? Janet, that building costs two million dollars. How did you..." "Remember that app I told you about? The coding project I'd been working on for years?" Janet's smile was small. "A tech company bought it last week. Paid me three point five million dollars for the rights and the source code." "Holy shit." Liam stared at her. "Three point five million?" "I know. I couldn't believe it either." Janet's eyes were wet. "I wanted to tell you. Wanted to celebrate. But with everything happening with Jackson, it felt wrong. Like I shouldn't be happy when he's lying in that bed."

Beside him sat Damian Carter—a man with sharp, observant eyes—and three other high-level investors. “Ah, the elusive Vivian Lancaster!” Damian exclaimed, standing up as I entered. He took my hand, his grip uncomfortably firm. “Lucian, I was beginning to think you were keeping her locked away in the West Wing. The rumors are true—you’ve become quite the protective jailer lately.”

And the next day, he was appointed as the librarian of the Archives. As for Gretel? She was much older than them both being in her early thirties. She used to be part of the old Administration and worked as the Advisor to the General Commander. But since the Crisis, she worked for Jelena Savage instead, being the only one of the old Administration left. "What's going on?" Jelena asked looking between the two of them. She could not understand, why Gretel would continue bothering a Librarian. She knew Gretel hated humans but it was an indifferent kind of hate. So why would she always find trouble with Axel?

“Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, kind of old... well, your age.” “And was he a total dick?” Elias nodded, “Yeah.” I gave Ella a heavy glance before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “Do you know who it is?” Cato asked, stepping forward, “Dad?” I slammed the champagne bottle on the table. “Luciano fucking Megestanis.” “Luciano? The guy who-” Cato began, his eyes flickering to Ella. “Yes, that guy.” The guy who molested Ella, raped a poor human woman, assisted Andrea Martinez, and somehow broke free from my prison. To list a few.

"Riverside Marketing Solutions, this is Janet." "Janet, it's Marcus Webb. I have a favor to ask," I said, lowering my tone. "Marcus!" she exclaimed, warmth in her voice. "How are you? It's been what, five years?" "Six. Since the veterans' job fair," I corrected, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Janet had been an Army communications specialist before starting her own firm. She hired people others wouldn't touch former addicts, ex-cons, anyone who needed a second chance.

"They’re talking about how my ex-wife is the most powerful woman in the room, Serena. And they're talking about why I was stupid enough to let her go." Serena rushed forward, trying to grab his hands. "She’s manipulating you! She’s using those children—if they even are yours—to get her revenge! She was a thief, Lucian. Don't forget what she did to the company." Lucian pulled his hands back as if her touch burned him. "That’s the thing, Serena. Elara didn't care about the company. She cared about me. And the more I look at you, the more I wonder... how did a woman who couldn't even navigate a spreadsheet manage to 'leak' a triple-encrypted fragrance formula?"

Liliana bit her lips to hide her smile, “You were the one who asked for cooperation, with astonishingly generous terms, I might add.” Jonathan furrowed his brows and looked at Vincent, who shook his head. Liliana laughed, “We have never formally introduced ourselves. Allow me! My name is Liliana, founder and chief designer of L&L designs.” Vincent exclaimed, “It’s you.” Jonathan looked at her wide-eyed, but then he calmed himself. He recalled she had said that she would grow up to be an outstanding person. “You are hard to find, even more so pursue, Mrs. Liliana,” Jonathan remarked.

After a few more minutes, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. “I assume you know each other?” I asked, looking to Liam and Lucian. “Lucian is working for my company,” Liam explained. “And Trista is my ex…” My eyes flew open! He was just about to introduce me as his ex-wife, but thankfully, he stopped himself just in time. “This is Trista Moonlar,” he smiled politely to Lucian. “She is the jewelry designer I was telling you about? The one I recommended to the High Seine on behalf of my company? Remember?”

the lady said. Chandler smiled. "Thanks for the warning. Her face immediately reddened. "I'm Janice Sullivan, the heiress of Power Construction. Nice to meet you." Power Construction was a well-established company in the area. Janice had always been a proud woman. She was beautiful, elegant, and smart. She also consistently ranked in the top three within the school. But this time, she had been bumped out of the top three thanks to Summer's sudden rise in the rankings. "It's nice to meet you," Chandler said indifferently. He showed no interest in her and didn't even plan on introducing himself.