Finally, the day with all its heaviness left with the night, and a new day arrived with the change of date on the calendar and with the brightness of morning… As the early morning light filtered through the balcony, Jack paced back and forth, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of disturbing revelations from the night before. He could not shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him, a result of his own actions blurring the boundary between himself and Amy.He scolded himself for his lack of mindfulness, for allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment and compromise his years of cultivated discipline and self- control… What was the point of all his efforts if he couldn't even maintain composure in moments of crisis?How could he fight with someone who had saved his daughter, as well as his mother– that too, from his wife, who was ready to do anything to harm him and get any benefit from him! He knew that he had somehow blurted out the frustration of Rebecca on Amy or worse,
The next morning, Amy stirred awake to find a stack of novels carefully arranged on her bedside table. A note pasted on top of the stack read in a neat handwriting, "For you. We will be back with games at 3." And just like that, it gradually became their routine over the following week: Jack and the kids knocking on Amy's door, at three o'clock sharp. They were sometimes joined by Helen, and they would spend the hour playing different types of board games.Amy found herself looking forward to these afternoon gatherings, as the laughter and the presence of Anna and Dottie was enough to lift her spirits. Even though there was a sense of nagging guilt in the back of her mind… she could not help but feel like since she had gotten injured, she had actually not been able to contribute any time towards taking care of the girls, which was the primary condition for Jack allowing her to stay with them.But still, she was being treated so warmly by all of them, as none of the four people eve
Jack knocked on Amy's door, and she responded with a soft invitation to enter. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Amy, looking stunning in the sleek red dress that Megan had sent for her. Her blonde hair was spread across her back like a golden shimmering curtain, and she turned around to see Jack standing at the door. "Shall we go?" he asked, his tone polite yet formal as he offered his arm to her.Amy smiled and accepted his arm, the gesture making her feel supported both physically and emotionally. They left the room, with Jack gently assisting her due to her injured leg while she hobbled along. Before they left, Jack reminded ;"Mother, please call me as soon as possible, in case of any emergencies. And don't worry, we will try to return soon."They drove to the venue in silence. Jack focused on the road ahead, his mind preoccupied with the mission at hand and Amy was lost in her own thoughts beside him.When they finally arrived at their destination, Jack
There was a complete hush that fell over the crowd after Megan announced this, and the dense silence was only broken by the sound of hushed whispers, as everyone began to question if they had really heard it right.As Megan's revelation hung in the air, whispers began to flow through the room like a soft breeze, each one carrying a hint of speculation and curiosity."Did she really say Giorgio?""Yeah, I think I also heard her say Amelia Giorgio… but did you know anything about this before?""Even I am hearing about this for the first time!""Oh, I had heard some rumors… but I thought that was it, just baseless rumors!""I just thought she was some small name socialite from Europe, but I never would have guessed she had an interesting backstory…"Megan watched with a faint smile on her face, knowing the effect of dropping that bombshell. The whispers swirled around the room, each voice adding a layer of intrigue to the situation. Finally, she spoke up again, her voice cutting through
Amy's heart sank as she listened to the conversation, feeling a mix of hurt and indignation at the harsh words directed towards her. She bit her lip to hold back the tears, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the edge of her seat. The words echoed in her mind, each one like a dagger piercing her already fragile confidence. She could not understand why anyone would speak about her in such a cruel manner, especially when they knew nothing about her at all! It felt like a betrayal, knowing that people were judging her based on assumptions and rumors without even trying to find out the truth, or even speaking to her once!She was getting impatient, but instead of paying attention to their words, she tried to focus on the flowers in front of her.Their vibrant colors and the calming breeze did provide a brief respite from the hurtful words, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts and regain her composure.The realization that she was being compared to M
Jack took a deep breath as he looked at Amy, saying in a steady voice;"You know perfectly well that we can't leave right now. I need to go back inside for the gala, and you should be here too."Amy's expressions clearly spelled out her anger and frustration as she prepared to respond, but Jack pre- emptively interrupted her. He spoke in a harsh and distant note;"You are a college student, and you will be finishing your Master's soon. Do I really need to tell you how important it is for you to establish some good networks? In fact , it is one of the reasons I brought you here, considering the amount of prominent individuals gathered here for the gala."Amy gave him a deadpan stare as she reiterated her stance. "I told you already," she insisted, her tone firm, "I do not want any favors from you. I will manage my affairs on my own. There is no need for all of this."Amy's resolve remained unyielding as she continued, "I have already benefited too much from your generosity, and I don
As the car rolled to a stop in the driveway, a tense silence hung between Jack and Amy, with neither of them uttering a single word throughout the entire ride. As soon as Jack turned off the ignition, Amy hastily unfastened her seatbelt and stepped out, without waiting for Jack to get down from the car. "Thank you for this." Muttering this under her breath, she started to hobble along as she crossed the driveway and went directly to her room without saying anything else. Meanwhile, back at the party, Megan was seething with anger as she replayed the events of the evening in her mind. She had invited Amy to the gala with the intention of proving a point, confident that Jack would stay by her side all throughout the evening. Yet, Amy had still managed to take him away somehow, leaving Megan feeling frustrated and powerless. For the first time since she had joined the Organization, she had seen Jack leave his place of duty just because someone asked him to… In her eyes, he had alw
As Jack noticed Amy's presence in the room, the file in his hand snapped shut ws he turned to face her, his gaze questioning."Do you want something?" Jack inquired, his tone curt and businesslike. Amy shook her head, her nerves getting the better of her as she struggled to find the right words."No, I… I just wanted to give this to you," Amy replied, holding out the envelope towards him. Jack eyed the envelope with a frown, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes."What is it?" With a puzzled expression, Jack looked at the envelope in her hands, where some sunflowers had been sketched by hand, along with a "I'm sorry" written in neat handwriting. A distant look appeared in his eyes at that moment, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, addressing Amy in a deadpan voice;"Amy, you are neither my friend, nor my family," Jack stated flatly, his voice devoid of warmth. "And therefore, there is nothing that you do or have done that I will find particularly good or bad.""So