The table was tense, the air practically vibrating with a mix of confusion, irritation, and barely concealed panic. Steve stood up suddenly, his chair scraping loudly against the polished floor. His hand shot out, demanding silence from the group, though no one was speaking at that moment. “Alright, everyone, just calm down,” he said, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to project confidence. “I’ve got this under control.” Amanda arched an eyebrow, leaning slightly toward Lawton, who was sitting quietly with an expression of mild amusement. “Got it under control?” she murmured, her tone dripping with scepticism. “That man can’t even get his shoelaces under control, let alone a situation like this.” Lawton’s lips quirked into a smirk, but he didn’t reply. His gaze stayed fixed on Steve, who now looked like a flustered actor trying to remember his lines on stage. Steve straightened his blazer and adjusted his tie, as though that small act might magically transform him into someo

The weight of the evening’s events hung heavily over the table. Steve, who had earlier carried himself with the air of an untouchable big shot, now sat slumped in his chair, his bravado crushed. The others were no better, their confidence replaced by a mix of quiet shame and growing panic. The ticking of the wall clock felt unusually loud, filling the uncomfortable silence. Even the waiter who had hovered nearby earlier seemed to sense the shift in dynamics, retreating to the shadows to avoid the fallout. Amanda sat quietly, her fingers tracing the edge of her wine glass. She wasn’t in any rush to break the silence, enjoying the rare moment when Steve and the others were stripped of their usual smugness. But the satisfaction didn’t last long. As much as she wanted to revel in their discomfort, she knew how this would end. Sure enough, Steve was the first to crack. His head turned toward Amanda, his expression a mix of desperation and reluctant humility. “Amanda,” he began, his

The clock on the wall ticked steadily, a reminder of the late hour as Amanda settled on the couch, flipping through a book absentmindedly. She could hear Lawton moving around the kitchen, his usual calm demeanor present even after the chaotic events of the day. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was going on, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She glanced up when she heard Lawton’s phone buzz on the coffee table. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and his expression immediately shifted. Amanda’s heart skipped a beat as she caught the brief flash of concern in his eyes before he quickly masked it with his usual stoic expression. “Who was that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice casual, though she couldn’t help but feel a little worried. “Mr. Smithson,” Lawton replied, his tone clipped. “It’s about my mum.” Amanda’s brow furrowed at his serious tone. “What happened? Is she okay?” “She’s fine,” Lawton said quickly, his gaze briefly meeting hers

The night was short for Lawton, who had stepped him so late at night after the late meeting he had with Smithson. They still couldn't get how Jack escaped the fire and Lawton was so interested in finding out how that happened. The next time he opened his eyes, he saw his wife staring at him with love in her eyes. He smiled at her, "Good morning babe," Lawton said, smiling at his beautiful wife. "Good morning," Amanda replied, smiling softly, “You woke up really late” She had to wake him up since it was extremely late and he needed to go to work. She could see that he was tired, but it was past 8 am and she knew his boss wouldn't be pleased about his lateness. Amanda thought he was tired because of the reunion, what she didn't know was that Lawton had sneaked out of the house late last night when she had already slept off. "We should both get ready for the day, or we will be late if we keep staring at each other," Amanda added when Lawton didn't say a word but kept staring at hi

Lawton couldn't believe what his ears heard. His mother was poisoned! He didn't know what to say or do at the moment. Lawton was petrified! His eyes widened in frozen terror as he thought of what to say to the doctor next. Who could have poisoned his mother? How did it happen? What if she hadn't gotten to the hospital on time? What could have happened? Lawton finally snapped off it and composed himself. "How is she now?" Lawton asked, with a puzzled look. "She's stable now, Mr. Lawton," the Lead doctor said. "Thankfully the poison was quite a common one and we were able to administer the antidote on time," the lead doctor added. "Wow, thank you, doctor," Lawton said, sighing in relief. He didn't even know what to think, he was more than grateful that his mother was okay. "I will prescribe some drugs for her, you just need to go and get them," the lead doctor said. "Alright, thank you, doctor," Lawton said. "Will my mother be fine?" Lawton asked again, with a doubtful gaze,