Jason gave the best presentation of the proposal that he could. He tackled their questions and concerns perfectly.Everyone sat in anticipation as Mr. Ponce De Leon and his financial advisors discussed.“One more question." Mr. Ponce De Leon said, “Your growth targets seem ambitious. What factors contribute to your confidence in achieving these milestones?”Jason cleared his throat before answering; he had been especially preparing for that question.“Our financial projections are based on thorough market research, demand forecasting, and input from industry experts. We've accounted for various scenarios and risk factors in our models to ensure realistic expectations. Additionally, the infusion of capital from our partnership with you will enable us to accelerate our growth trajectory and capitalise on emerging opportunities in the market.”Mr. Ponce de Leon and his advisors nodded, pleased by everything they had heard.“Thank you for addressing our concerns, Jason. After careful cons
For the restaurant where the celebratory dinner would take place, Jason chose Lla Vespera. It was a luxurious establishment. The interior had a refined design, with plush furnishings, rich textures, and exquisite artwork adorning the walls.Their food had already been ordered, and their dinner was served.“I must say, Jason, you have good taste; this place is beautiful. And their lobster is spectacular,” Mr. Ponce De Leon commented as he took another bite of his food.“Really? I just picked the first restaurant I saw when I searched ‘fancy restaurants in New York’” Jason said.The table erupted in laughter, but Jason wasn’t even joking. That’s exactly what he had done.“Eres hilarante,” Mrs. Ponce De Leon said to Jason. She corrected herself when she realised she didn’t say it in English. “That means you’re hilarious,” she smiled.“Yo sé,” Jason said as he took a bite of his own lobster.Mr. and Mrs. Ponce de Leon looked at Jason in surprise. “You speak Spanish?” Mrs. Ponce de Leon a
The night ended, and the day of the contract signing came. The contract was supposed to be signed by 9:00 a.m. that morning.Amelia called Jason by 7:00 am because she was worried about how much he drank and wanted to make sure he was okay. There was also the worry in the back of her mind that Jason wouldn’t show up on time like he did yesterday.Just like yesterday, her call went straight to voicemail. She took a deep breath, choosing not to worry.“He’s fine. He’s not a kid; he knows how important this is. He’s probably getting ready right now and has his phone on silent,” she said to herself, trying to convince herself.An hour later, she heard a knock on her office door and assumed it was Jason.Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. “Come in,” she said with excitement.But her excitement and relief were short-lived when the door opened to reveal Franklin. Amelia’s expression soured, and her face dropped. “Hi Franklin,” she said in a dull tone.Franklin walked into the office holding
“Jason, Jason, open up.” Amelia and Franklin had been screaming and banging on Jason's door for the past seven minutes.“What if he left while he was drunk last night and got lost... or kidnapped?” Amelia said, her heartbeat racing at the possibility.“Should we ask the security men for the CCTV footage from last night?” Franklin suggested.Amelia snapped her fingers. “Good idea. Let’s go.”It took them a few minutes to convince the security guards, but they eventually showed them the footage, and the last thing that the CCTV cameras captured of Jason was when Amelia and Franklin escorted him to his apartment.“Thank you,” they said, thanked the guard, and left the security room.“So that means he’s in the apartment,” Amelia said.“Then why the hell won't he answer or open the door? I don’t get it. You saw him last night; sure, he was drunk, but he wasn’t blackout drunk." Franklin scraped his fingers through his hair. Suddenly he remembered something from the night before: “The woma
As soon as the door was moved out of the way, Franklin and Amelia bolted into the apartment. "Hey, you haven’t paid me?” Franklin rushed to him and slapped a hundred-dollar bill into his hand without even checking how much it was. The carpenter grinned and walked away when he saw the bill.The first thing Amelia and Franklin saw when they entered the apartment was Jason’s unconscious body sprawled across the couch."Jason, wake up!” Franklin shouted, and he realised he was ridiculous for thinking that would wake him up as soon as he said it.Amelia grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently, but he was completely unresponsive, limp like a rag doll.Amelia and Franklin soon realised that getting the apartment door open was one thing, but waking Jason up would be a whole other ball game.They tried everything that came to mind. Amelia tried to lift his eyelids, but it was like trying to open a stuck drawer. They exchanged worried glances, thinking he may even be in a coma.“I think we
Jason staggered out of the apartment complex. He crossed the street and nearly got crushed by a car.“Watch where you're going, dumbass!” the driver yelled.“Sorry,” Jason yelled back and stumbled to the sidewalk. He hailed a taxi, "T-Taxi.”The taxi stopped in front of him, and he got in, stumbling while he did. “Where to, sir?” the taxi driver asked.“Just drive; I’m trying to get away from two crazy people,” Jason slurred.The driver thought that Jason was in real danger and became alarmed, his eyes widening. “Of course, sir.” He stepped on the gas and drove away.***“I can’t believe you let him escape," Amelia exclaimed as she walked down the street.Once Amelia got the call, she ran out of the grocery store and joined Franklin to search for Jason.“Now’s not the time to play the blame game, Amelia; I already feel terrible as it is,” Franklin sighed as he brushed his hat back with his palm.“You’re right,” Amelia nodded. "Sorry, it’s just that this is all so stressful. And to to
“Jason?” a voice said from the crowd. The person rushed to the scene and broke up with the two men."Hey, don’t hold me back; this imbecile knocked my fruits down.” The man pointed at the fruits that were sprawled all over the floor. “And he said my apples weren’t fresh.”“But they’re not,” Jason slurred."Jason, be quiet,” the person turned to him. It was Christopher. Jason’s eyes widened, and even in his dilutionary state, he was surprised that Christopher helped him. “You?” he blurted out.Christopher’s expression softened when he took a good look at Jason. “Are you okay?” he asked.“I’m fine. It’s this guy that’s got a problem,” Jason pointed at the vendor.“I’m going to kill him.” The vendor lunged at Jason, but Christopher stood between the two of them. “Get out of the way! This is between me and him,” the vendor growled.“Can’t you see he’s not well?” Christopher told the vendor.“Let me knock some sense into him then,” the vendor yelled.“Go ahead!” Jason urged the man."Jaso
“Damn son of a…” Franklin muttered a string of profanities under his breath."Jason,” Mr. Ponce De Leon called out as he approached Jason.Jason sighed and shook his head. Right then and there, he knew that he had fallen right into the trap set for him. A mix of emotions was rising inside of him, but the most prominent one was rage.And his rage gave birth to frustration because he didn’t know who to be more angry at. The people who drugged him—Kent and Roland—and the stupid smirks on their faces or himself for falling into the trap. He felt like he had failed those who were rooting for him, especially Franklin and Amelia. But one person he wasn’t angry at was Mr. Ponce de Leon. He understood that, from his point of view, Jason was irresponsible and had too much to drink, and that discouraged him. “Jason, I hope you can understand why I did this." Mr. Ponce de Leon said.Jason nodded. "Completely, sir." There’s no need for you to explain it to me,” he glared at Kent as he spoke. “I