62 Harshly, he asked, "If you still love me, Samantha, then why did you break up with me?"Sobs shaking her frame, Samantha struggled to speak through her tears. "I started dating Ryan because he manipulated me, fed me lies about you. He made me believe terrible things..."Michael's anger began to fade, replaced by a mix of sadness and understanding. He sat down beside the bridge, his voice gentle now. "Samantha, I'm so sorry that happened to you. But you have to know that I never meant to hurt you."She nodded, her tears flowing unabated. "I know, Michael. And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have let someone else's words cloud my judgment."Quiet sobs escaped Samantha as she continued speaking. "But now I realize that I've never stopped loving you. I want us to be together again, as a loving couple." She glanced at him with hopeful eyes.Michael sighed, looking torn. "I need time to think, Samantha. This is a lot to process, especially after everything that has happened."Desperation fil
63The next morning, Michael's phone rang and he saw Samantha's name on the caller ID. Excited, he fumbled and dropped his phone."Damn!" Hurriedly picking it up, his heart pounding, he answered with feigned calmness, "Hello?"Samantha's delicate and smooth voice greeted him, "Hi Mike."She used to call him like that when they were dating, and hearing him call him that brought back old happy memories of them. Michael, trying to keep his excitement in check, asked, "Hey Samantha, how are you feeling today?"Samantha sighed, "Honestly, I've been feeling really lonely since I broke up with Ryan. I have nothing to do and my days are so boring."Thinking quickly, Michael asked, "Well, what would you like to do to stop being bored?"Samantha's voice perked up, "Surprise me!"Feigning busyness, Michael replied, "I actually have a busy schedule, but I can free up some time today just for you."With joy, Samantha exclaimed, "That's amazing! I love you, Mike!"Smiling mischievously, Michael b
Michael, astonished and hurt, stared at Samantha, trying to decipher the reason behind her sudden outburst. "Samantha, what... what's wrong? Why did you do that?"Samantha leaned in, her voice dripping with contempt. "Do you really think this pathetic excuse for a restaurant is good enough for me? Is this your idea of a surprise, Michael? You're a lousy fool, and I never actually broke up with Ryan. You were too oblivious and destitute of spirit to realize it. Goodbye."With those cutting words, she marched out of the restaurant, leaving behind a trail of stunned silence. In her wake, the other customers couldn't help but react to the shocking scene they had just witnessed."I can't believe she did that," whispered an elderly woman at a nearby table."I feel so bad for him," empathized a young couple sitting across the room.Meanwhile, as Michael sank into his seat, his face burning with shame, he couldn't help but reflect on the true nature of Samantha's character. The restaurant aro
65"You think I can handle this responsibility, Dad?" Michael asked, trying to keep his voice steady.Edward nodded, a hint of pride glimmering in his eyes. "I have complete faith in you, Michael. You've already proven yourself capable, and I believe this opportunity will be the perfect platform for you to showcase your talents."As they spoke, the atmosphere around them became charged with anticipation. It was as if the restaurant itself had caught wind of their conversation and held its breath in suspense. Just as the weight of the moment threatened to suffocate them, the waiter approached with their order, momentarily breaking the tension.The waiter placed their plates in front of them with a polite smile and excused himself, leaving father and son alone once again. Michael's mind was still reeling from his father's proposition, but he knew he had to gather his thoughts. He picked up his fork, ready to indulge in a distraction."But, Dad," Michael began hesitantly, trying to find
66Once they were inside the elevator, the assistant turned to Michael and sighed, "I'm really sorry about that, Michael. Our receptionist can be quite rude sometimes. My name is Elysia Beaumont, by the way."Michael couldn't help but feel relieved by Emily's apology. "No worries, Elysia. It's nice to meet you. Can you give me a quick debriefing about what's been going on here?"Emily hesitated for a moment, analyzing Michael's expression before speaking. "Well, the truth is, our company is in a dire situation. The previous CEO was secretly fired yesterday morning, and he was hoping to reintegrate the company, but that's being kept under wraps. Mr. Ventura wants to ensure a smooth handover and an effective turnaround."Michael raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer to Elysia. "Interesting. Why was the CEO fired? And how do you know all this?"Elysia took a deep breath, steadying herself. "The former CEO, Mr. Walker, was guilty of embezzlement and depravation. He had been misusing compan
67Wallas's gaze was filled with contempt as he locked eyes with Michael. "You've come back to see the CEO, haven't you?" he spat out in a disdainful tone.Caught off guard by Wallas's sharp attitude, Michael hesitated for a moment before nodding hesitantly. "Yes, I have. Is there something wrong?"A sly smile crept onto Wallas's face as he crossed his arms. "Well, lucky for you, I've also been trying to reach the CEO for the past two days, to no avail. I guess today is my chance to finally have a word with him."Michael felt embarrassment wash over him, realizing he would now have an unexpected companion on his trip to the CEO's office. Nervously, he managed to mutter, "I don't think you can come with me."Wallas let out a boisterous laugh, clearly enjoying Michael's discomfort. "Oh, don't worry," he said, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "I'll be right behind you, every step of the way."Panic gripped Michael as he contemplated how to handle this unforeseen situation. Reluctantly, he
68Michael's eyebrows shot up, clearly taken aback by her response. "Wait, you're the CEO's girlfriend, and your only responsibility is to file your nails?" he asked incredulously.She chuckled, a playful glimmer in her eyes. "Oh, honey, you think being the CEO's girlfriend would be easy? It's a full-time job, just in a slightly unconventional way," she retorted, " among others, my role is to file my nails, sip on coffee, and look pretty. It's tough work, you know."As Michael's confusion grew, he couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and amusement at this unexpected revelation. It seemed that this office held a few more surprises than he had initially anticipated.Amidst the flurry of conversations, questionable rules, and peculiar roles, he was left dumbfounded.Michael felt a wave of anger flare up inside him, but he managed to hide it behind a calm façade. Curiosity gnawed at him, and he couldn't resist asking, "How can you say that so easily?"She flashed him a sly smile, clear
69Michael took a deep breath, attempting to tame his frustration. He approached the manager with a calm demeanor and explained, "I've been sent here for an online marketing campaign. My feet are killing me from standing, so may I please have a seat?"The manager simply nodded in response, his expression curious. "And which company are you representing?" he asked.Michael replied confidently, "Goldrex Corporation."The manager's eyes widened, a hint of disbelief evident on his face. "You're the one that such a great company sent to explain the terms of a digital campaign?" he asked in astonishment.Rolling his eyes, Michael retorted, "Is that causing a problem for you?"Shaking his head, the manager sighed and casually crossed and uncrossed his feet, still propped up on the table. He leaned back in his chair and inquired, "So, what is the duration and terms of this campaign?"Without much thought, Michael responded with a smirk, "One week."The manager burst into laughter, unable to c