ASTRA TECHNOLOGIES
Mr. Adolfo and his daughter, Annabelle, stepped into the grand structure of Astra Enterprises. As they entered the elevator and the doors shut, Annabelle turned to her father. "Father, since the CEO of Astra Enterprises is putting up 60% of the business shares for sale, don't you think taking just 15% would be a wrong choice for us?" Mr. Adolfo looked at his daughter thoughtfully, considering her point. "Yes," he replied, "Astra Enterprises is a significant name in the business world. Taking advantage of these shares could not only yield us a high profit but also elevate our third-level company to new heights. Since Astra is a second-level company, acquiring these shares would put our company on the forefront." Annabelle's excitement grew as she pressed on, "So, does that mean you've agreed to request a double share, making it 30%?" Mr. Adolfo sighed deeply as the elevator came to a halt. He turned to Annabelle, his expression serious. "That would be impossible." Annabelle's face twisted in disappointment. "But why, Father?" "You know the current state of our income at Adolfo Enterprises," he explained. "It’s no longer encouraging. That's the major reason we're considering purchasing shares from another company. Adolfo Enterprise is on the brink of collapse, and we're running out of money." Annabelle hung her head, understanding exactly what her father meant by their company was running out of money. "I understand, Father. It took you four weeks just to raise the $600,000 needed to purchase a 15% share." "Exactly," Mr. Adolfo nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Buying a 30% share, as you're proposing, would mean raising $1.2 million. That's impossible without shaking our company to its core, even if I had another four weeks." Annabelle felt a pang of disappointment but knew her father's company, a third-level enterprise, couldn’t manage more than a monthly return of $500,000 to $800,000. So getting 1.2 million out of it that moment, might crumble the company. "So, 600,000$ is all we can afford, meaning we can take just 15% share of ASTRA TECHNOLOGIES. Let's go," Mr. Adolfo said to her. With that, he led the way toward the office of the CEO of Astra. Reaching the door, Mr. Adolfo nodded at Annabelle, who then knocked on the door respectfully. Without waiting for a reply, she pushed the door open and walked in, with her father following proudly. They both nodded at the 50-year-old man behind the desk, his fingers crossed on the table. Mr. Kelvin, the CEO of Astra, regarded Mr. Adolfo and his daughter with a mix of pleasure and confusion. "Mr. Adolfo?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "To what do I owe this visit?" Mr. Kelvin asked curiously. With a smile, Mr. Adolfo responded, "We're here for the shares, of course." Mr. Kelvin's eyes widened in surprise. "The shares?" "Of course, the shares," Mr. Adolfo confirmed. "I mentioned to you four weeks ago that I was interested in taking a 15% share of Astra once the shares were put up for sale." Mr. Kelvin raised his eyebrows as he realized what Mr. Adolfo was referring to. "Oh!" he exclaimed. Mr. Kelvin then apologized, saying, "You have to understand, Mr. Adolfo, Astra is a major player in the business world. The moment the shares were put up for sale, investors jumped at the opportunity. The demand was immediate and intense." A frown crept onto Mr. Adolfo's face as he processed what Mr. Kelvin was saying. With a fierce expression, he asked, "So what exactly are you trying to say?" Mr. Kelvin calmly replied, "What I'm saying is that the available shares have already been taken by someone. There are no longer any shares available." Confusion filled Mr. Adolfo's eyes as he turned to his daughter, Annabelle, who looked just as bewildered. He turned back to Mr. Kelvin and asked, "Someone? Are you telling me that one person bought the entire 60% share?" Before Mr. Adolfo could continue, Mr. Kelvin interjected, confirming what he had just said. "Yes, someone bought the 60% shares just this morning after learning about them last night," Mr. Kelvin said. Mr. Adolfo turned to Annabelle in shock. Annabelle, equally stunned, questioned Mr. Kelvin, "Are you lying to us? Are you seriously saying that someone paid for all 60% shares, which were meant to be sold for $2.4 million in total?" Mr. Kelvin's brows furrowed as he heard Annabelle's words. "2.4 million dollars?" "Where did you get that information?" Mr. Kelvin added. Annabelle explained, "That was the information we received, that each share was priced at $600,000." Mr. Kelvin couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Six hundred thousand dollars?" he repeated between laughs. When he finally composed himself, he clarified, "Each share was not $600,000 but $2,000,000, making the 60% share $8,000,000." Both Mr. Adolfo and Annabelle's eyes widened in shock, their mouths hanging open. Annabelle stammered as she tried to process the information. "How could just one person afford that amount and pay $8,000,000 after receiving the information just last night?" They were initially shocked that a single individual had bought the shares for $2.4 million, but learning that it was actually $8,000,000 left them utterly stunned. Mr. Adolfo questioned, "How is that even possible? An individual, not even a company?" Both Annabelle and her father were now embarrassed, realizing that they had struggled for four weeks to raise just $600,000, only to discover that one share was actually $2,000,000, and an individual had bought all the shares within 24 hours of learning about them. Shaking his head in disbelief, Mr. Adolfo asked Mr. Kelvin, "are you lying to us?" Mr. Kelvin scoffed, then his expression turned serious. "Why would I lie to you?" he asked. "In the first place, you didn't even have $2,000,000 to purchase a share. And even if you had, a young man already bought all four shares for $8,000,000." Before Annabelle could respond, the sound of the office door opening interrupted them. Annabelle froze when she saw who was walking in. Just as she was about to express her shock at seeing Miguel in such a place, Mr. Kelvin's voice cut through the silence. "This is the young man who bought all four shares for $8,000,000 this morning," Mr. Kelvin announced, pointing at Miguel who just walked into his office. At that moment, Annabelle's mouth dropped uncontrollably. "Miguel??"Annabelle's mouth hung open at Mr. Kelvin's introduction of Miguel. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Turning to Mr. Kelvin, she asked, with disgust in her voice, "What is this man doing here in your office?" She pointed at Miguel disdainfully. Mr. Kelvin looked shocked at her reaction, realizing she had no idea about Miguel's business in his office.Annabelle's anger grew, and she repeated, "What is this *thing* doing in your office?"Mr. Kelvin, maintaining his composure, warned her, "If I were you, I would take back those words you just used on this young man."Annabelle frowned and turned to Miguel angrily. She pointed at his face, now standing close to him, and spoke with anger."So, you're stalking me now, trying to find a way to get me back?" she spat, chuckling bitterly as she looked him up and down with a disgusted expression. She added, "Stay away from me because I'd never come back to a poor man like you."Miguel, with his hands in his pockets, looked directly
Mr. Adolfo and his daughter, Anabelle, were seated in the living room of the Adolfo mansion discussing the company."The company is losing more and more investors every day," Mr. Adolfo sighed as he looked at the papers in front of him."No one is investing in the company anymore, and the few investors we have are pulling out," he said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.Turning to Anabelle, Mr. Adolfo continued his complaints."If this goes on, the company is going to go bankrupt.""We can't let that happen, Father," Anabelle said in fear as she looked at him. "The company is the only thing we have. If we lose it, we are going to become poor.""We need new partnerships and investors, or else the company will crumble," Mr. Adolfo said as he took the glass of wine on the table and emptied it into his mouth."What are we going to do now, Dad?" Anabelle continued to complain, her mind racing with thoughts.Ring, ring, ring.Her train of thought was interrupted by the ringi
ACE TechnologiesAnnabelle walked into the grand structure of ACE Technologies with her head held high as she headed directly to the topmost floor where the meeting room was situated.Annabelle felt confident and excited about finally getting the chance to present her pitch before the prestigious corporation."Alright, Annabelle. It's showtime. Go show them what you've got."Annabelle muttered to herself as she pushed open the double doors of the meeting room and walked in. She was met by both men and women alike, all dressed in expensive designer suits and seated around the table, waiting patiently for her arrival."Ms. Adolfo, thank you for coming. We've been looking forward to hearing your proposal," one of the men spoke politely as he stood up from his seat and held out a hand toward Annabelle.Annabelle quickly took the man's hand and shook it softly."Thank you, Mr...." Annabelle hesitated, trying to get the gentleman's name."Davis, Mr. Davis," the man spoke, and Annabelle smil
Annabelle smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was still confused and shocked how Miguel, the ex-husband she belittled and humiliated was there seated and posing as the CEO of ACE Technologies. Annabelle, refused to believe what she was seeing. Annabelle internally convinced herself that Miguel had just found a way to get the others to help him pose as the owner of the company to get her to come back to him. "Heaven knows what he's done or said to them to get them to play along, but it doesn't matter, as I already know the truth and will not be deceived into believing any lies," Annabelle thought to herself as she went ahead with the meeting, pitching her new business ideas to the men and women. She walked to the front of the room as she took her place at the front of the table once more. With confidence Annabelle clicked a button on the remote and the first slide of her presentation appeared on the screen behind her. "Thank you all for your time today. I'm here
Annabelle couldn't believe what she had just heard."What?!" Annabelle exclaimed as her eyes snapped to look at Mr. Davis."What are you talking about? Have you all gone crazy?! Don't you think you're taking this whole pretending thing too far? How can you people allow someone like Miguel to step foot into this company in the first place, let alone put him in charge of making decisions?" Annabelle yelled as she glared angrily at everyone at the table, having finally lost control of her temper.Everyone present exchanged shocked and confused looks before turning back to Annabelle."Young lady, have you no manners? How could you address the CEO of ACE Technologies in such a disrespectful manner?" Mr. Davis asked, staring at Annabelle in shock. But Annabelle merely glared at him before folding her arms with a loud snort."Yeah, right. You all must think I'm stupid, don't you? You must think I'm foolish enough to believe that this wretched pauper, who can't even afford a bottle of water f
ADOLFO MANSIONAnnabelle entered her father's private study, her emerald-green gown sweeping the floor behind her as she walked.She had just finished getting ready for the gala, and she could feel the usual excitement that came with attending these exclusive gatherings."Father," Annabelle called out, trying to get Mr. Adolfo's attention.Mr. Adolfo turned around and smiled at his daughter."You look beautiful as always, my princess. Absolutely stunning," Mr. Adolfo said, pride echoing in his voice as the smile stayed glued to his face."Of course, Father, I sure am. Everyone is going to be looking at me tonight. I'll be the center of attention, just like always," Annabelle said smugly, her words dripping with arrogance."You'll certainly turn heads tonight, and that's exactly what we want," Mr. Adolfo agreed."Is everything ready?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he pushed his chair back and stood, adjusting his perfectly tailored black tuxedo."Yes, Dad, everything is ready," Annabelle replied
THE GALAAnnabelle stepped out of the limousine, smoothing her evening gown. Her eyes scanned the entrance of the gala as she waited for her father, Mr. Adolfo, and her mother, Mrs. Adolfo, to exit the car."Shall we?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he linked both his arms with Annabelle and his wife.As the Adolfos made their way inside, Annabelle's lips curled in arrogant satisfaction."This is my world—the world of the elite, where I belong," Annabelle thought to herself with a smirk on her face.The luxury that greeted her was no surprise; in fact, she felt entirely at home. This is exactly where she belongs."Look at you, my darling," Mr. Adolfo beamed at Annabelle, his chest swelling with pride."You'll be the star of the evening, as always. Make daddy proud, my girl," Mr. Adolfo said, gazing at Annabelle."Of course, she will. Our Annabelle never disappoints," Mrs. Adolfo said, praising her daughter as she gently adjusted the neckline of Annabelle's gown."Remember our goal tonight, darl
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the annual charity auction!" the auctioneer began as he took his place at the podium."I hope you are all ready to open your hearts and, more importantly, your wallets. Tonight, we have some truly exquisite items for you, and all proceeds will go directly to charity," the auctioneer said with a wide smile.The guests began to applaud and cheer, excited for the auction to begin."Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are starting this auction with this one-of-a-kind diamond necklace. Shall we open the bidding at $5,000?" the auctioneer said loudly into the microphone.Several hands shot up immediately, and the auctioneer nodded quickly."Five thousand! Do I hear six thousand?"A woman in a red dress raised her paddle. "Six thousand.""Six thousand to the lady in red," the auctioneer acknowledged her."Do I hear seven thousand?" the auctioneer continued, glancing at the guests.A man in a tailored suit on the other side of the room lifted
Miguel was calm as he watched Annabelle. He already knew what she was up to but didn’t care to stop her. Miguel would not give his ex-wife the satisfaction she was looking for by engaging in an exchange of words with her. Instead, Miguel remained quiet, his aura calm and collected as he watched Annabelle make a spectacle of herself."_And so I took pity on him, seeing as how he wouldn’t stop following me around, begging for my attention. I have no idea what came over me, but for some unknown reason, I agreed to marry his broke behind, and guess where that got me? Nowhere!" Annabelle spoke, answering her own question.The men continued to stare at her in confusion as she told them the story of how she met Miguel and who he really was, with the intention of humiliating him in front of them."Miguel lived in our house, ate our food, and worked in my family’s company," Annabelle continued. "The only clothes he had were the ones bought with my father’s money. This man you see here is nothi
"What does he think of himself, the son of a wretch! A nobody! Absolute piece of trash!" Annabelle continued to mutter to herself in anger and rage as she paced around the large space of the room, seeking out her ex-husband, Miguel.Miguel had bitten off more than he could chew this time by daring to mess with her family, and Annabelle was determined to make him pay."That man. I always knew he was bad news. Nothing good ever comes out of men like him!" Annabelle continued to mutter, making sure to keep her voice low enough so that no one else could hear what she was saying. The Adolfo name was already suffering tonight at this gala because of Miguel's stunts, and Annabelle wouldn't want to say or do anything that might worsen the situation. That was the last thing she wanted."I'll never understand what possessed me to marry such a pathetic failure in the first place. What was I thinking?! What on Earth is wrong with me?! Out of all the men in this world I could have chosen to settle
"Such an incredible evening, isn't it?" Annabelle said smoothly as she joined the conversation between a group of women."My family and I are always so proud to support causes like this. You know the Adolfos. You know how absolutely generous we can be when it comes to things that matter. In fact, I'm pretty sure we're the only reason this charity has succeeded so well for so long. We've been major contributors to this charity for years. Without my family and me, I wonder where it would have been. This charity is where it is today mainly because of the Adolfos," Annabelle said, her tone dripping with arrogance and self-pride as she smiled brightly at the other women.The women paused to share a glance with each other at Annabelle's words and attitude but didn't say a word about it."Yes, of course. Very generous," one of the women, whom Annabelle recognized as Miss Williams, said as she glanced at Annabelle with a polite but uninterested smile.It was obvious to anyone watching that Mi
For a split second, the world seemed to stop.Annabelle's ears rang as she stared at the podium, the name hitting her like a punch to the gut.Her vision blurred as she saw Miguel, her ex-husband whom she had belittled and humiliated, rise from the back of the room.The crowd erupted in applause again, this time louder and more enthusiastic than before, as Miguel walked confidently to the stage.As Miguel finally reached the podium, the applause began to die down as he smiled warmly at the audience, waiting for the room to quiet before he spoke."Thank you. I'm truly honored to be here tonight, and even more honored to contribute to a cause that was dear to my mother's heart," Miguel said into the microphone.There was a moment of silence as everyone in the room stayed quiet, intrigued by Miguel's story."My mother believed deeply in giving back to the community. She was a woman of strength, and she always said that true wealth wasn't measured by what you have, but by what you give. T
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the annual charity auction!" the auctioneer began as he took his place at the podium."I hope you are all ready to open your hearts and, more importantly, your wallets. Tonight, we have some truly exquisite items for you, and all proceeds will go directly to charity," the auctioneer said with a wide smile.The guests began to applaud and cheer, excited for the auction to begin."Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are starting this auction with this one-of-a-kind diamond necklace. Shall we open the bidding at $5,000?" the auctioneer said loudly into the microphone.Several hands shot up immediately, and the auctioneer nodded quickly."Five thousand! Do I hear six thousand?"A woman in a red dress raised her paddle. "Six thousand.""Six thousand to the lady in red," the auctioneer acknowledged her."Do I hear seven thousand?" the auctioneer continued, glancing at the guests.A man in a tailored suit on the other side of the room lifted
THE GALAAnnabelle stepped out of the limousine, smoothing her evening gown. Her eyes scanned the entrance of the gala as she waited for her father, Mr. Adolfo, and her mother, Mrs. Adolfo, to exit the car."Shall we?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he linked both his arms with Annabelle and his wife.As the Adolfos made their way inside, Annabelle's lips curled in arrogant satisfaction."This is my world—the world of the elite, where I belong," Annabelle thought to herself with a smirk on her face.The luxury that greeted her was no surprise; in fact, she felt entirely at home. This is exactly where she belongs."Look at you, my darling," Mr. Adolfo beamed at Annabelle, his chest swelling with pride."You'll be the star of the evening, as always. Make daddy proud, my girl," Mr. Adolfo said, gazing at Annabelle."Of course, she will. Our Annabelle never disappoints," Mrs. Adolfo said, praising her daughter as she gently adjusted the neckline of Annabelle's gown."Remember our goal tonight, darl
ADOLFO MANSIONAnnabelle entered her father's private study, her emerald-green gown sweeping the floor behind her as she walked.She had just finished getting ready for the gala, and she could feel the usual excitement that came with attending these exclusive gatherings."Father," Annabelle called out, trying to get Mr. Adolfo's attention.Mr. Adolfo turned around and smiled at his daughter."You look beautiful as always, my princess. Absolutely stunning," Mr. Adolfo said, pride echoing in his voice as the smile stayed glued to his face."Of course, Father, I sure am. Everyone is going to be looking at me tonight. I'll be the center of attention, just like always," Annabelle said smugly, her words dripping with arrogance."You'll certainly turn heads tonight, and that's exactly what we want," Mr. Adolfo agreed."Is everything ready?" Mr. Adolfo asked as he pushed his chair back and stood, adjusting his perfectly tailored black tuxedo."Yes, Dad, everything is ready," Annabelle replied
Annabelle couldn't believe what she had just heard."What?!" Annabelle exclaimed as her eyes snapped to look at Mr. Davis."What are you talking about? Have you all gone crazy?! Don't you think you're taking this whole pretending thing too far? How can you people allow someone like Miguel to step foot into this company in the first place, let alone put him in charge of making decisions?" Annabelle yelled as she glared angrily at everyone at the table, having finally lost control of her temper.Everyone present exchanged shocked and confused looks before turning back to Annabelle."Young lady, have you no manners? How could you address the CEO of ACE Technologies in such a disrespectful manner?" Mr. Davis asked, staring at Annabelle in shock. But Annabelle merely glared at him before folding her arms with a loud snort."Yeah, right. You all must think I'm stupid, don't you? You must think I'm foolish enough to believe that this wretched pauper, who can't even afford a bottle of water f
Annabelle smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was still confused and shocked how Miguel, the ex-husband she belittled and humiliated was there seated and posing as the CEO of ACE Technologies. Annabelle, refused to believe what she was seeing. Annabelle internally convinced herself that Miguel had just found a way to get the others to help him pose as the owner of the company to get her to come back to him. "Heaven knows what he's done or said to them to get them to play along, but it doesn't matter, as I already know the truth and will not be deceived into believing any lies," Annabelle thought to herself as she went ahead with the meeting, pitching her new business ideas to the men and women. She walked to the front of the room as she took her place at the front of the table once more. With confidence Annabelle clicked a button on the remote and the first slide of her presentation appeared on the screen behind her. "Thank you all for your time today. I'm here