“Are you surprised?” Jeffery asked, his gaze penetrating deep into Johns soul, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.Jeffery turned to Gabriel and let out a chuckle. “He’s surprised,” he remarked, shaking his head in amusement.John felt an instant chill sweep over him. How was this possible? Had Jeffery known about his plan all along?His heart shattered into a million pieces, and his legs turned to jelly. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his eyes grew red with emotion.“How did you know?” John asked, his voice trembling slightly, though he tried to maintain a façade of boldness. Deep down, he knew he had been defeated, but he refused to show weakness.“John Beckham, have you forgotten that we’ve been friends for many, many years, my dear friend?” Jeffery placed a reassuring hand on John’s shoulder. “I know you inside and out. I’ve studied your every move, which is how Stephanie and I were able to outmaneuver you time and time again. But you still have much to learn. You
“ I don’t understand what you are asking?” John turned to feign ignorance.His eyes rolled around even though he tried to maintain composure. He did not know the lie that he would tell Stephanie, but he knew that any wrong move he made would put him in trouble.“You heard my question, answer it!” Stephanie snapped, her eyes like a fierce dragon.The morning was still young, and the room was not that bright. John and Stephanie entered a silent battle of wills. John heaved a deep sigh as he wondered what lie he could fabricate. He couldn’t even dare tell Stephanie the real truth because he didn’t have any truth to back it up. He was in a tight spot.“Can I ask you a question?” John finally got hold of his tongue.Stephanie remained unfazed. “I do the question asking while you do the question answering. So answer my question,” her voice unwavering with authority.The tension in the room was real, almost tangible. John’s heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears like a dru
“Who are you looking for?” A lady dressed in a corporate black shirt and skirt asked John with a bright smile, her eyes reflecting professional courtesy.“I am looking for Mr. Brad,” John spoke confidently, his voice steady and assured. It was two days after the tense showdown he had with Stephanie, and he had come to meet Brad as the first crucial step in his new plan. The events of the past days had left him determined and resolute, his mind focused on the strategy that lay ahead.“Do you have an appointment?” the lady asked, her broad smile unwavering. There was a practiced efficiency in her demeanor, the kind that comes from years of dealing with visitors and their demands.John placed his hand on the counter and wagged his head. “No, I don’t, but just tell your boss that John Beckham is here to see him, and I am sure he will allow me through,” John explained confidently. It was pertinent that he saw Brad as soon as possible; Brad was the gateway to his new plan commencing. Eve
“I want just one thing from you,” John began, his eyes still intently peering up at Brad.There was a palpable tension that flared up between the two men, a tension so thick it felt like a physical presence in the room. The smirk Brad had been wearing faded away, replaced by a look of curiosity and caution.“What is that?” Brad asked, the suspense John kept him in gnawing at his patience. The air hung heavy, a handshake suspended in mid-air, as if time itself had frozen.John’s voice was steady, but the stern gaze in his eyes revealed the seriousness of his demand. “Apart from you, no one should find out that I am working with you. And also, I want to be the one in charge from now on,” he declared, each word falling like a hammer on an anvil.Brad’s eyes narrowed as he tried to read John’s expression, as if searching for any sign of uncertainty or deception. The weight of John’s words hung between them, an unspoken challenge lingering in the silence that followed. Brad’s mind raced,
“I love you so much, Stephanie. I still do love you so much,” John said, standing in front of Stephanie alone in her office. His voice quivered slightly, betraying the intensity of his emotions.Stephanie was caught off guard. Her eyes widened as she stared at John, as though she hadn’t heard him the first time. She narrowed her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. “What did you just say?” she asked, her heart pounding in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.John had returned to the office after a tense discussion with Brad. The air in the meeting room had been thick with unspoken tensions, but John’s mind was elsewhere. He went straight to Stephanie’s office to bring her coffee, as he did every morning. It was a small routine that had grown to mean so much to him obviously not in the good way. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee always filled the space, creating a comforting cocoon in the early hours.“I said I still love you, Stephanie. I really do. And even after everything that
“Get away from me!” Stephanie growled, pushing John away from herself with all the strength she could muster. Her voice was filled with a raw, visceral power that sent a shiver down his spine. She shook her head vigorously, taking a step backward as if the very closeness to him burned her skin. “How dare you? How dare you think that you can even kiss me?” she shouted, her voice cracking with a mixture of rage and disbelief. Stephanie’s eyes flared with a fiery intensity, reflecting a storm of emotions that left John utterly baffled. “Answer me, how dare you? What stupid love are you talking about?!” Her voice rose to a fever pitch, each word dripping with venom. Her eyes, wide and wild, glared at John with a fury that seemed almost otherworldly. They shone like thunderbolts, crackling with barely restrained rage. “But I love…” John began, his voice soft and pleading, desperate to bridge the chasm that had suddenly yawned between them. He took a tentative step forward, his heart
“Tell me, what did you just say right now?” Stephanie turned and came to John with widened eyes. It was as though she wanted to rip the truth from him.“How dare you say that Jeffery does not love me and he is only using me?” Stephanie’s voice rose, each word dripping with anger and righteous fury, her entire being ablaze with a passion that mirrored the flames of her irritation.John stood his ground, his expression unreadable, a mask of calm indifference masking the turbulent storm fuming within him. He savored the tension that crackled in the air between them, reveling in the power he held over Stephanie’s emotions, the puppet master pulling the strings of her heart with malicious glee.“I am not lying, and I have no need to lie against Jeffery,” John replied coolly, his voice a smooth silk thread weaving its way through the chaos of Stephanie’s mind. “I just asked a question. What if Jeffery does not really love you just like you love and cherish him? What if he is only using you
After John ended the call with Zack, he sat back on his bed, still staring at the ceiling. The silence in the room was deafening, the weight of recent events pressing down on him. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, each one more confusing than the last. Just as he was beginning to lose himself in this storm, his phone rang again, shattering the fragile quiet.He picked up his phone and checked the caller ID. His eyes narrowed as he saw it was Miss B calling. His heart skipped a beat, and a wave of unease washed over him.“Elizabeth, I am sorry I can’t talk to you now,” John whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. He sighed deeply, feeling a pang of guilt as he dropped the phone onto the bed. There was so much happening, and he needed to handle things on his own without involving Miss B.Miss B kept calling a couple more times, each ring a reminder of the unresolved tension between them. John ignored the calls, his resolve firm, until finally, she sent a text m