As they stepped into the conference room, Rich gestured for everyone to settle down while he fetched Alex. Becca entered the room and greeted Rich with a courteous "Good morning, sir." She glanced at the guests and inquired, "Are they your guests, sir?"Rich nodded, returning the greeting, "Morning, Becca. Yes, they are here for the meeting."Mama Christina wasted no time in expressing her displeasure, "Now you must be really proud of yourself for embarrassing me and my team."Rich maintained his composure, explaining, "They are the people here for the meeting."Becca interjected, her tone apologetic yet firm, "I'm sorry, Mr. Rich. You know how these things are. The last time we had unexpected visitors, it caused problems. I just want to avoid any potential damages. There are procedures to follow."Understanding her concern, Rich nodded, "I understand, Becca. Thank you for being diligent."He then inquired about Alex's whereabouts, to which Becca responded, "In his office, should I ge
Alex nodded, satisfied with the progress report. "So, when do I come in to check the site, what you all have started planning?" he inquired.Isabella responded confidently, "Extensive work has already begun, and you can come in to see at any time you want, sir.""Ah, that's very good," Alex remarked, "Just forward everything to my assistant here, Becca."Mama Christina interjected, "I'd rather let her do that with Rich over here."Rich tried to deflect, "Oh, Mama Christina, you know how preoccupied I get. Becca should handle that."Alex, sensing the tension, decided to wrap up the meeting, "I believe we're done here. Becca, see them out. Rich, let's talk."With that, he stood up and left for his office, leaving behind a room filled with unresolved tensions and unspoken grievances.Mama Christina fumed quietly to herself, muttering, "I can't believe this shit, rude as hell."Isabella, sensing her grandmother's frustration, gently suggested, "Grandma, we should get out of here." With a
As they arrived home, Isabella felt a pang of guilt knowing she had to return to Ruben. "Mum, you know I have to go home to Ruben," she began.Eleanor quickly intervened. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I sent him a message, said you should take all the time you need," she reassured Isabella with a comforting smile.Isabella's brow furrowed in confusion. "Mum, why are you doing this?" she questioned skeptically.Eleanor feigned innocence, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Doing what?" she replied innocuously.Isabella sighed, seeing through her mother's facade. "Come on, Mum, I know you. You have an ulterior motive. Why did you come to my office?" she pressed, her tone tinged with frustration.Eleanor paused, her expression softening as she reached out to her daughter. "Baby, can't your mother be there for you?" she countered gently.Isabella shook her head, feeling a mixture of exasperation and concern. "What do you want, Mum?" she demanded, her patience wearing thin.Elean
Bambi nodded, confirming Alex's surprise. "Yeah. She even mentioned that she wants to hang out," she divulged, her expression reflecting the unexpected encounter.Alex's confusion deepened. "Wait, this happened today?" he clarified, trying to process the new information.Bambi nodded again, her eyes meeting his. "Yes, today when she was leaving," she confirmed."That's strange. Isabella never gets too serious with people like that," Alex mused aloud, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.Bambi shrugged, offering her perspective. "Well, not the one I saw today," she remarked, her tone thoughtful.Alex decided to shift the conversation away from Isabella, focusing instead on their own matters. "Anyway, enough of that. How's the moving-in situation?" he asked, eager to redirect their attention.Bambi hesitated for a moment before responding, "I haven't spoken to her yet."Alex's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What is delaying this... Oh my goodness," he exclaimed, realizing the impl
As they stepped into the apartment, they found Bambi's roommate engrossed in her own world, smoking with earplugs firmly in place. Bambi attempted to get her attention, but her roommate remained oblivious until Bambi gently tapped her on the shoulder."Whoa, shit! Bambi, you gave me a fright," her roommate exclaimed, startled by the sudden interruption."Sorry, you were so absorbed in your thing," Bambi apologized, her tone apologetic.Her roommate waved off the apology with a dismissive gesture. "Okay then, I'll get out of your way, with your little thing you have here," she replied, assuming Alex was Bambi's boyfriend."Actually, it's Alex," Alex interjected politely, extending a hand in greeting.Bambi gave Alex a subtle tap on the arm, silently correcting him. "I actually would like to talk to you, if you don't mind," Alex continued, his tone earnest.Her roommate raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Mind? You can see I'm busy smoking," she retorted, gesturing to the cigarette in her h
Bambi took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. She met Lola's gaze, her expression earnest yet determined."Lola, I need to talk to you about something important," Bambi began, her voice steady as she broached the topic.Lola nodded, her curiosity piqued. "Sure, what's on your mind?" she asked, her tone attentive.Bambi took a moment to gather her thoughts before diving into the heart of the matter. "I'm planning to move out of the apartment and live with Alex," she revealed, her words measured yet resolute.Lola's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her eyes widening with realization. "Is that why he wanted to make things right with me?" she questioned, connecting the dots.Bambi shook her head, clarifying the situation. "Not at all. This decision is entirely separate from our conversation earlier," she explained, wanting to dispel any misconceptions.Lola nodded, absorbing the information with a thoughtful expression. "That's not a problem. I just want to be sure y
As Alex woke up to start his day, he couldn't shake off a sense of unease that lingered in the back of his mind. Today was another meeting with Isabella, but this time on-site, and he wasn't feeling quite himself. With a heavy sigh, he reached for his phone and dialed his doctor's number, his voice strained as he described how he'd been feeling lately.After a brief conversation, the doctor advised him to come in for an appointment. "Okay," Alex replied quietly, his thoughts already consumed by the looming uncertainty of his health.As he contemplated his next move, Alex's phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was Rich calling at an unexpected time. Before Alex could even utter a word, Rich's voice crackled through the line, filled with a mixture of excitement and exasperation."I won't be available for the meeting today," Rich announced, his tone tinged with anticipation. "Wedding preparations are in full swing, you know how these girls are, and I have to play the perfect dad."Alex
As Patrick excused himself to take the call, Alex and Isabella were left alone in the expansive hall, surrounded by the echoes of their conversation and the hum of ongoing construction. Alex glanced at Isabella, a hint of curiosity in his eyes."So, what other parts of the place are left to check out?" he inquired, his tone casual yet probing.Isabella's expression remained composed as she replied, "I don't know, that's Patrick's job."Alex raised an eyebrow, a subtle challenge in his demeanor. "Isn't it your job to know these things and keep tabs as it goes?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a hint of skepticism.Isabella's facade of professionalism wavered slightly, her features betraying a flicker of annoyance. "Okay, cut the bullshit, Alex," she retorted, her tone firm. "Why are you doing this?"As the tension simmered between Alex and Isabella, their voices reverberating through the empty halls, Alex felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He struggled to maintain his composure a