"What makes you keep coming here every morning, huh? Don't you get bored? I'm even sick of seeing you having breakfast here!"
Arthur chewed his last bite in a hurry. He got up and greeted Jill, who had just come out of the room. "Morning, future mum-in-law. I was just popping in earlier and thought of you. How's it going? Have you been resting well lately?"
Jill waved her hand, trying to ignore Arthur's intrusive presence by simply walking past him without responding. She headed for the car park after grabbing a coat that was on a hanger near the main door.
Arthur trailed behind Jill's back while occasionally looking up. His eyes seemed to wander in all directions. Unfortunately, he bumped into Jill, who was deliberately waiting for him with her arms crossed.
"Damn! You bumped into me on purpose?" Jill cursed and pushed Arthur's shoulder away.
Arthur stammered. He shook his head
Quickly, Arthur held Ronald White's door open. "Wait, Mr White. Who are you referring to? You didn't mean to refuse co-operation with JF, did you? Have you forgotten—""I'm still working with JF Groups, Arthur. I still do and will continue to work with them. But I will not sign a contract with you. Shall I repeat myself? Please let it go. I lost my time for breakfast because of you. Don't lemme call security here to get you out of here right now."Of course, Arthur immediately let go of his hand. Meanwhile, Jill's face turned bright red. Her hands were clasped together with a glare that was sharper than a knife."Damn it! How could he possibly know about Ronald's project on this one? I've even sacked Pete from following me around and reporting what I'm doing!"Arthur kicked the door of Ronald's house violently. His cursing sounded utterly desperate.Without commenting, Jill
Sarah and Emma took a step back. Both of them glanced at each other because they began to feel a considerable aura of hostility. Not to forget, Emma also pulled Nick's shirt to stay away for a while.Seeing that, Jill Reynolds just laughed. Her index finger shifted the edge of the sofa that had just been unloaded from the boxcar. "You know, Cobb? Ah, I'm amused at the mention of such a soft rubbish name."Jill's hand gripped the arm Tom had managed to reach. She looked at Tom, whose face was no longer as friendly as before. "You shouldn't come here and dream too high. You think starting a business is easy? Even for experienced people, it takes more than ten years to find the right business for them. And you're trying to bring down Arthur, who's already in the business world with your dad before?"Arthur smiled dismissively. He stepped back, then gave a thumb up to the still silent Tom. He moved away after Jill gave him a
Tom walked quickly. His hand clutched a copy of the JF Moulding yearbook that was stuck in the middle of the street. His eyes were red, burning, like an unquenchable flame.Pete was just coming out of the servants' quarters when he saw Tom coming up the stairs. He knew full well that Arthur's room would be Tom's prime destination now.Quickly, Pete moved to join Tom on the stairs. His laboured breathing couldn't keep up with Tom's steady pace.Tom had arrived on the second floor. His hand was about to knock on the door of Arthur's room when Pete greeted him breathlessly. Not to forget, his shoulders were gripped firmly, as if Pete could no longer stand on his aged knees.Surprised, Tom looked back. He helped Pete to sit up when he saw his dad's confidant looking so tired. The anger in his eyes turned to anxiety. "What's wrong, Pete? What's going on? Are you sick?"Pete shook his
"Shut your mouth, Tom Cobb! You've gone too far in slandering me! After this, what will you do? Spread the rumours? Bring me down and humiliate me in front of everyone?"Tom laughed and stepped to stand closer to Arthur, who was enjoying the last bite. "Do I look like someone who spills the tea in public?"Arthur twisted his head and laughed dismissively. He pushed the empty plate to the centre of the table before finally getting up and moving. He pushed Tom's shoulder away with a fingertip. "You don't look like that, but I'm sure you'll make trouble with this. But this time, I will also prepare myself better, Tom. Luck won't always be on your side. You should know that."Instead of answering and warning Arthur about his recklessness, Tom just nodded as he approached the dining table. His stomach was in knots, and he didn't have time to think. He invited Pete and the maid to join him at the table."D
"What do you want to talk about, Shannon? Why did we have to meet outside? Couldn't I have met you at home?" asked Arthur curiously. He looked at every table in the restaurant, trying to be aware of someone's arrival.Shannon looked down slowly and picked up an old photograph from an album she had hidden in a cupboard. "Do you remember this moment, Arthur?"Arthur frowned, then sniggered. He took the picture Shannon gave him while nodding firmly. "Of course. We were in my old house at that time. I think you've asked this before. Why are you asking it again?""I'm just curious, Arthur."Shannon's short answer made Arthur clamp his lips tightly together. He knew that something was bothering Shannon about the photo. "Maybe you're confused. That's okay, it's normal. You're just being influenced by what someone said."Arthur took Shannon's hand to hold it, not forgetting to stroking t
“What the hell is going on?” asked Jill Reynolds. She had just arrived at the storage warehouse of the JF Groups’ service subsidiary. The director’s office, which should have been neat, was in shambles.In the dark, Jill tried to grope around. Luckily, she found a light switch that brightened the room. She looked at Arthur, who was sitting on his haunches with a cigarette in his left hand.Seeing Arthur’s messy condition, Jill guessed right. “Oh, look at this foolish one! Lemme guest. You lost again? I can’t believe it. Yesterday, you rejected me again for the umpteenth time. You spoke with such fiery fervour as if your victory was in sight. But look at you now. Where was the fire in your eyes yesterday, huh? Why are you destroying your own workplace?”“Shannon dumped me.”Jill laughed even more. She approached with cautious steps. She appro
"We'll see. Who will win this game for now?"Jill pressed the enter button on her laptop, trying to post a clarification about Shannon and Arthur's relationship, not going down the aisle. She smiled, especially when she imagined some of the social sanctions that Tom Cobb would receive after his controversial statement surfaced."Not only will he be sacked from JF Groups. But he will also get the worst attacks from many parties who will try to protect Shannon. Then, JF Groups will be in my hands. And Arthur, I can get rid of him as soon as he is no longer useful in my life."As she continued to smile, Jill closed her eyes tightly. She listened to the music that accompanied the victory that was in sight.Unfortunately, she frowned in surprise when she heard hurried steps coming from outside. Annoyed, he turned up the speakers even more. Once again, she absorbed every note of the victory song that was a
The frenetic sound of the music that never diminished made Tom shake his head softly. He looked round the bar. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Arthur anywhere.Not at a loss for words. Tom began combing the bars that were open until the early morning. He looked for Arthur in the photo he had seen.Arriving at one table, Tom realised one thing. Arthur was no longer there. The table was cleared of the many bottles of high alcohol that had been the backdrop for the photo that some people had taken and posted.In a hurry, Tom searched the entire bar. He combed every corner of the bar, even though his ears were beginning to feel uncomfortable. The noisy and loud sounds made his ears ring even louder."Are you looking for someone, Mr Fischer?"One of the girls' question made Tom stop and look back. The greenish-coloured eyes Tom quickly recognised. He gripped the girl's arm questioning