“What the hell, Steve? You would burst out in laughter if you just heard what Commander Lex told me. He told me that you all found my Alaric, my son, inside the building, lying down, with a pool of blood surrounding him. How laughable that is. Come on, Lex, come up with some better jokes. This is not a playful thing,” she said, turning around and smiling at the commander. “Ma'am, I am not joking with you. I am serious. We found the young master lying down, a pool of blood surrounding him. He was bruised all over, including his face, as blood was all over it,” he said. Mrs. Claire smiled. “Really? My son?” In the middle of the road, Mrs. Claire's laughter echoed, a stark contrast to the grim news the commander had just delivered. "What, my son? No way," she said between laughs, dismissing the commander's account. Her eyes betrayed a deep-seated disbelief as she struggled to fathom the unthinkable. Despite their attempts to reassure her, Mrs. Claire's laughter persisted, a defens

Steve desperately avoided eye contact with Dr. Rodriguez. The tension in the air was palpable, and Steve silently prayed that the doctor wouldn't call out to him. However, his efforts were in vain as Dr. Rodriguez's voice cut through the uneasy silence. "Steve!" called the doctor, his tone demanding attention. Steve reluctantly turned to face him, attempting to mask the anxiety that lingered in his eyes. Acting as normally as possible, Steve silently pleaded that Dr. Rodriguez wouldn't bring up the recent events. The doctor, however, played mind games, leaving Steve on edge. Ma'am Claire, noticing the awkward exchange, intervened with concern evident in her voice. "Is everything okay, Steve?" Ma'am Claire inquired, her gaze switching between Steve and Dr. Rodriguez. "Why are you acting like this?" Dr. Rodriguez, maintaining his enigmatic demeanor, reassured Mrs. Claire with a casual tone. "Oh, nothing's wrong. Just wanted to say hello," he said. "Congratulations, Mr. Steve. You'

Steve stood frozen, grappling with the doctor's unsettling question. Why did the doctor want to know about Alaric? The room seemed to close in as Steve's mind fumbled for an explanation. The doctor's expectant gaze only added to his discomfort, making him feel like a deer caught in headlights. Once more, the doctor posed the question, a simple yet weighty "What is he to you?" Steve's mind raced, his face contorting in bewilderment. He couldn't understand why the doctor was delving into Alaric's role in his life. It just felt as if the doctor was doing too much. With a furrowed brow, Steve stammered, "Uh, h… he's… he's just eh… he's just m… my… he's just my senior,” he said, as he managed to finally say one sentence. “Oh. So that is it? Your senior at work?” “Y… yes,” Steve said. “He's my senior who is at work. I'm quite older than him but… let's say life is unfair,” he said. The doctor's nod seemed almost too accepting. Steve sensed a lingering doubt in those probing eyes, but

Norton's hands trembled on the steering wheel as he careened into the building, panic etched across his face. The echo of his racing heartbeat resonated in his ears, drowned only by the gasps of air escaping his burning lungs. He barely registered the worker's greeting as he sprinted past, the urgency propelling him forward. Inside, the dimly lit hallway stretched before him, but Norton's focus narrowed on the door to his family's home. He walked in, only to find the sitting room filled with expectant faces. The weight of their collective gaze bore down on him, causing him to pause in his tracks. His mother, her eyes filled with worry and the room thick with tension, hurried towards him. In a desperate embrace, she clutched him, seeking answers in her quivering voice, "Oh my goodness! My son is back! Where have you been, Norton?" She asked, with a worried look on her face His father had a different tale to tell. While his mother was expectant and was really waiting for him to com

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the festive mood now tainted by suspicion. Arnold's quest for truth had disrupted the celebration, leaving everyone grappling with the weight of his words. "Damn it! I never believe that you will do something like this. Who gave me a pumpkin as a child? This is not what me and your mother trained you to be like. You have to stop it now, Arnold," his father said. "Well, father. This pumpkin has an announcement to make, and it is a very important one. I have made the decision," he said. "What now? You want to leave the house?" His father asked, cocking a brow. "I won't be involved in anything with Kimberly and her family!" Arnold declared, with fury in his eyes. Everyone in the family was shocked by what they had just heard. His father tried hard to process what Arnold said, but he just seemed like Arnold was speaking rubbish to him. “What? What did you just say, son? I'm not sure I heard you correctly,” Mr. Jefferson said. Arnold wasn't r