Wayne stepped into the BrisWell Corps, right beside Cayenne and Mark. "You've taken care of the secretary?" He asked Cayenne."Of course. Drugged her food last night, so she won't be here so early." She gave him a nod.They made their way to the 5th floor, making sure to walk farther apart to avoid suspicions.Cayenne led them to the office and they knocked before walking in.The secretary's seat was empty."You can stay here, Wayne turned to face them. I don't trust that man, so come in when I give the word." He nodded at them before making his way to the main office.Wayne knocked lightly and heard the gruff voice. "Come in.""How many times have I warned you to stop being late, Madeline?" The man asked without raising his eye."Bitch! Do you love your life that-" "Excuse me, Mr Smith." Wayne cut him off abruptly and the man's jaw fell open."Oh. I'm so sorry!" He jumped from his seat to shake hands with him. "Nice to meet you, Mr Costa." Smith's smile was as wide as two women's.
Nikki knocked gently on the door."Who's there?" Loretta's voice came from within."Oh, it's just me." She smiled, making her way in.Loretta was a bit taken aback. It was still early in the morning, she was just about to get up and prepare her daughter fo school when she didn't find Wayne anywhere.He'd left a text saying he had to quickly see someone."Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing, Loretta." Nikki gave a half smile, making her way towards the bed."Really?" Loretta wasn't falling for it. "When did you begin to care about my welfare?""Oh, my dear." Nikki sighed. "I know we haven't been best of friends or all that, but I'm your uncle's fiancé, right? I'm family, you can't keep malice with me forever."Loretta shook her head unpleasantly. "Of that's all you've got to say, I'll have to show you to the door. Thanks for your kind gestures!" Nikki didn't retreat, instead she took a seat on the bed, a small smile still on her face. "I'm really sorry for what happened back
The next day, Alice got a little late to the school where she works as caretaker. The Principal, Mrs Sanders summoned her at once.“Miss Ruiz. I got some information that you're becoming lazy and unruly at work.” She snapped hostilely.“I have no idea what you’re talking about, ma’am. I have never been unruly nor lazy.” Alice muttered, struggling to keep her tone polite.She has never liked this woman for once, the only reason why she's still working here was because the pay was good.Mrs Sanders removed her glasses to shoot her a glare. “Then what do you call arriving in my school by this time?”“I’m just 3 minutes late and that was because of traffic.”“I don’t care! I don’t pay you to give excuses, I pay you to work and-”“I’m sorry ma’am.” Alice butted in, else she won’t hear the end of it.“I'm tired of listening to your apology all the damn time, change your ways or be ready to lose your job.”Alice sighed. “Ma'am, please I ask that you exercise a little patience with me, my mum
“It's fine dear, nature has a way of gifting us something else for whatever we lose.” Mum patted her hair fondly.Alice wiped her tears to stare at her mother’s face, “You aren't surprised, why?”“I kind of figured it out when you returned home early and looking downcast yesterday.”“Mum.” The tears flowed harder. “I'm sorry for letting you down.”“You didn't let me down, love. Audition or no audition, win or lose, you’re still my precious daughter that I cherish so much.”Alice kept sobbing until she began to feel sleepy, she pulled her Mum into an embrace and whispered. “I love you, Mum and I would do anything to make you happy.”As she went to bed that night, she made a decision to never give up, no matter what came her way.The next day, Alice woke up late and ended up getting to work late, but she was relieved to find out that the Principal was not yet in school.She went about her normal activities of taking care of other people's children, feeding them, cleaning their poop, hel
The next morning while she was cleaning hastily so she doesn't have to be late for work again, Juliet suddenly rushed out of her mother's office.“Miss Alice.” She panicked. “Your mum, she fell and-”“What?” A lump formed in Alice's throat, with her heart thumping she dropped the mop and rushed to the office. Her mother was lying on the floor, seemingly lifeless.Cold fear came over her.“Mum?” Alice shook her with trembling hands. “Can you hear me? Mum?” She checked her pulse and thankfully, Mum was still breathing. “Go prepare a cab for the hospital while I bring her out.” She instructed Julie.Julie nodded and left.“Mum? Can you hear me?” Alice asked again.She burst into tears when her mother's lashes fluttered a little.Her mother was still alive!As she carried her mother over her back, she discovered in shock how much weight her mother had lost. Alice cried harder when she realized that her mum might really be sick and hiding it from her.She couldn't afford to lose her Mum.
Alice kneaded the dough thoroughly, adding some butter and re-kneading.Her fingers felt stiff but she continued anyway, they’d run out of supplies for the evening sales so she had to.The thought of abandoning everything flashed through her mind, but the fact that her mum was still lying in a hospital made her continue working vigorously.The heat from the oven sizzled her skin and made her realize that the oven was ready, as she began piling the dough in, Juliet came in.Alice looked up at her. “How’s it going over there?”“Fine.” Juliet sighed, looking her from up to down. “You can go have some rest, Miss. I’ll look after the oven.”“No, Thanks. Julie. I have to make sure everything comes out well.”“You look like you could pass out any minute from now, you’ve been working since morning, please-”“I have to work. My Mum is in the hospital.”Juliet went to put on an apron. “That’s more reason why you should have some rest. Come on, we don’t have much customers at this time, you can
His words sent shivers down Alice's spine, but she was determined not to show fear in his presence. “You have no right to do that! I made a simple mistake and I apologized, what else do you want?”“I do not need anything from a spoilt idiotic brat like you.” He fired back at her.Alice was red in the neck. “Who the hell do you think you are to call me an idiot? The governor's son? Even the President's son has more good manners than you do!”Nathan frowned. “You don't seem to know who I am.”“And who the fuck are you?” She shook her fists at him. “I've never heard of your name here in Haiui, aren't you just a spoilt brat that returned from abroad and got handed all the family properties on a platter of gold?”His gaze darkened, but his voice was still non chalant. “Why do I feel like you're one of those stalker ladies that have been dying to grace my bed?”“Yuck!” Alice grimaced in disgust. “I'd rather eat poop than waste my time with a man as arrogant and condescending as you are!”Th
When Alice returned to the restaurant, customers were already teeming in, most of them asking for her mother, she managed to give them the best reply she could and after instructing the Juliet and Marie on what to do, she left for work.She prayed the Principal won't be around like yesterday, she was 2 hours late already and she wasn't in the mood to receive any tongue lashing this morning.As it happened, Mrs Sanders was right at the gate when she arrived, she beckoned Alice to her office with a stiff face.“Miss Ruiz, what time is it by your watch right now?”“I'm sorry I'm late again, my mum-”“What the hell does your watch say?” Mrs Sanders asked again, a little louder this time.“10 o’ clock.” Alice gritted.“When are you supposed to resume?” “8 o clock.”“Seriously, do you expect the parents to wait for you to resume before dropping their kids? Is this what I pay you for?”Alice kept mute.“Miss Ruiz, I'm talking to you, aren't I?”Alice sighed, she was still shaken from the or