Sasha lay on the hospital bed, her body frail and weakened, mirroring the storm inside her. Silent tears traced paths down her cheeks, staining the sterile white pillow beneath her. Her eyes, swollen and red, reflected the pain etched deep within. Each tear seemed to carry the weight of the words she had exchanged with her parents, words that now haunted her. As she wept, memories replayed in her mind like a relentless film. The echoes of her parents' disappointing voices reverberated, their words cutting deeper than any physical ailment. She regretted asking them to leave, regretted the coldness of her own words that had pushed them away when she needed them the most. The solitude of the hospital room amplified the ache in her heart.The door creaked open, and Sasha hastily wiped away her tears, trying to conceal the vulnerability etched across her face. A nurse entered her uniform a stark contrast to Sasha's world of emotional turmoil. The nurse's kind eyes met Sasha's, and a gentl

“Thanks for your advice, Sasha. I will consider doing all that you have said. You have been a very good friend, and of course… girlfriend, too,” he said.“That's what I am in your life for. Even though I have the way I act sometimes, I also have a brain to think, and I think that something needs to be done quickly before things get out of hand.”“I think things have already gotten out of hand, Sasha. Arnold is a man on a different level now, and you have to be able to make something from scratch. It won't be easy,” he said.“Yes, it won't, but I think that your father should give him a helping hand if that's what he really wants to do,” Sasha said.“Helping hand? He said he didn't need any assistance from my father, not that my father can even assist him,” he said. Sasha narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?” Norton sighed. He knew that it was finally the opportunity to tell Sasha what he wanted to. It was his perfect opportunity to strike her heart, and he didn't want to make any

ONE WEEK LATERAlaric was resting on the hospital bed, when his right-hand man, Steve, entered the room and bowed his head at him.“Good morning young master,” he greeted. “How are you doing today?” He asked.“I'm all right, Steve. The wounds in my belly are getting better,” he said. “I just hope that I get fully recovered in no time,” he added.“The doctor told me that it will take a very long while before you can finally go home because there were several injuries on your body. I was actually terrified when I was telling your mother about your stab wounds,” Steve said.“Don't worry, Steve. I think that whatever you did you did for the best. I really didn't want my mother to know about it but it came to the point that she had to know. We couldn't even hide it from the doctor and I'm sure that the doctor would have told her anyway,” Alaric said. He tried to sit up and get comfortable, but there was a slight pain in his stomach, and he winced.“Are you alright, young master?” Steve a

“We have a strong head start right now. First, we would have to clear the debts we owe. It isn't so much because what happened to us was just recent, and by gaining the trust of the people who we lost, we can get back on our feet again with their help. We have to make sure that they can trust us again to be able to invest in the company. We have to get our shareholders back and make the company survive through teamwork. This is how I wish to make it happen,” he said.“Okay, son. If that is what you wish to do, then so be it, son. Build the company again. I entrust this into your hands,” Mr Jefferson said and smiled, patting Norton on the shoulder, as he walked past him out of the living room. Norton turned around to his father, who was hastily grabbing his coat by the door, and asked, "Dad, where are you going? I thought that we were both waiting for Mom to come back?”His father, with a hurried glance, replied, "I'm going to meet someone, son. It's important. I have to settle score

“Mom? I'm the cause of it. He did all of that because I commanded him to. I didn't want him to slip it out. Even though I hid some things from him, I made sure that he was a part of the work. After the incident, I wanted to punish Norton for what he did, but then, he did something so outrageous. He had the audacity to kidnap my secretary from my office,” Alaric said and his mother gasped, with her eyes wide open.“What? He kidnapped the secretary from your office with the guards there?”“I don't think that's possible, Mom. The same doubts you have were the same I had too. I think it's an inside job, but I will find the person later. For now, let's talk about Norton. Then, his accomplice will follow,” Alaric said, and sighed. “So, what happened after that?” Mrs. Claire asked.“It was because of my secretary, that was the reason why I decided to go and meet him. I told you about all that, right?”“Oh, yes. Now I remember. You told me about that guy. Is he the one you are referring to?”