"There are five new requests, Mr Cobb!"
Lark Brown approached hurriedly. He showed him some emails that had arrived on the laptop he had just opened in his room.
Tom was intrigued, taking his eyes off his own laptop. "Have you read them? Please make a list, then send it to the design department to get the right price.”
Lark frowned as he found Tom refocusing on the demand graph of the past five years. "Isn't this too complicated, Mr Cobb? We only have one interior designer. Shouldn't we get someone else for the same job?"
Tom thought for a moment, then replied firmly. "Five design requests can still be handled by one designer, Mr Brown. He can work on them according to the queue. Didn't we also write the rules correctly as agreed in the meeting yesterday?"
"No, you can't, Mr Cobb. Making customers wait longer will make them feel ignored. This is a good start, isn't it? Ther
Jill paced in front of the cage where Camellia lay helpless. She had been working from the hospital for almost two days just to look after Camellia.While continuing to encourage Camellia to talk to wake up soon, Jill continued to monitor the progress of many parties. Especially about JF Properties, which in fact made significant sales.Jill was furious. Her head was suddenly filled with endless swearing at only Tom and Shannon, who had survived the death she had created. "What the holy shit! How am I going to remain silent while my daughter struggles to die and that piece of rubbish keeps making more sales again?"Jill's hands clenched into tight fists. Almost all of her plans had fallen apart. Even hurting those closest to her.Quietly, Jill reached for her phone. She called the person she had trusted to monitor the progress of the subsidiary. Tom was now running under his new system.
Arthur widened his eyes when he heard Shannon's voice from the door of the room. Swallowing hard, he looked at Shannon, who came with Tom with a parcel. "You overheard what you shouldn't have?"Tom laughed. He walked in with an arm around Shannon's shoulders to approach the cage. "We just came and opened the door, Arthur. Why would we come here to listen to your sadness life story?"This, of course, inflamed Arthur. He gritted his teeth, holding back the anger that he was so eager to unleash. Not because it was called pathetic, but because he saw Tom's touch on Shannon's shoulder that was not distant."You shouldn't be here. Even Camellia would never accept you. Aren't you the cause of Camellia's current state?"Shannon sat beside the bed on the other side of the cage after placing the fruit parcel on the table. "We never expected this accident to happen either, Arthur. But if it wasn't for her request to use Tom'
"I'll marrying Camellia, Mrs Reynolds."Jill had just returned from a smoke break in the special room when Arthur made his statement. For a moment, Jill was stunned with surprise. She gave Arthur a bombastic eye."Are you kidding me?"Arthur approached quickly. He led Jill gently to the sofa. There was some food that Arthur had ordered earlier to lobby for Camellia. He really couldn't see any holes in Tom's statement and couldn't wait to demand more."Really, Mrs Reynolds. I didn't mean to patronise you by trying to marry Shannon, then moving on to Camellia, did I."Arthur paused his sentence as Jill sat on the sofa looking for a good excuse. "You know, like you said before. You're too tired of trivial things like looking after Camellia. Can't I be relied upon? I'll be the standby husband who will take care of her whenever and wherever, Mrs Reynolds."Jill sm
"How about we get married right away, Ms Reynolds?" Instead of answering with excitement, Tom's unprepared proposal left Shannon shocked. She bowed her head in restraint before she actually shook her head and let out a giggle. Tom was silent as he watched Shannon, who was intrigued by his sudden, no-nonsense proposal. He snickered briefly, then returned to staring at his laptop screen showing the performance of the employees at JF Moulding that he had begun to notice from the surveillance cameras. "Is something funny, Ms Reynolds? I don't think I'm being funny. I've thought that question through pretty well, too. You know, it's just information for you. I never joke about my survival." Shannon pressed her lips together and shook her head slowly. She ran her fingers through her hair until her bangs fell behind her ears. "No, Aland. Please don't take offence. It's nothing funny. It's just that I was surprised to hear you out of the blue ask me to marry you. Whereas before, you even k
“What the other plan was Arthur thinking of? He even got down on one knee just to apologise. Doesn’t that seem strange, Pete?”Pete nodded and reached for an important document on the progress of the three subsidiaries, now under Arthur’s control. It wasn’t he was ignoring it; it was just that he was trying to think rationally after seeing the revenue graph that never even increased.“Maybe he’s trying to make you feel good. I don’t know for sure. But two of his subsidiaries are in bankruptcy. He can’t get back on his feet if he just relies on himself.”Tom reached for the document Pete had given him. He rubbed it around his mouth while trying to think of the worst possibilities. “So far, JF Load is still operating. I guess he’s still saving this one.”“He never even evaluated the work of the employees, Tom. How is he going to save it?”Tom got up from his office and shook his head slowly. He looked up at the blue sky through the glass window that connected to the courtyard. “Could it
"You'll only marry Camellia when she's sober, Arthur."Jill disavowed Arthur's request to marry Camellia, even though she had no idea what was behind Arthur's out of the blue change of his heart."What else can I do, Mrs Reynolds? If I marry Camellia, there will be plenty of stories we can tell to make the stock go up. Not just yours, but mine too."Jill sighed, then glanced at Arthur sharply. She turned away with her arms crossed. The next second, she looked out the window. "I don't want to sell grief, Arthur. Even though we could make a huge profit, I don't want to do it. It's fine if I'm the only one selling grief, but not my daughter, Arthur. I believe she still has the best future ahead of her.""How am I supposed to get JF Travel and JF Printing back out of the bankruptcy hole, Mrs Reynolds?" asked Arthur pleadingly. He was at his wit's end to find another source of income to keep JF's three subsidiaries operating."You can use JF Printing to print JF Travel promos, Arthur. Then
Tom had just arrived ten minutes earlier when he darted out of his room in a hurry after getting a call from Shannon about Camellia's condition. But his steps were halted when Henry, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly grabbed his hair furiously.Out of curiosity, Tom took the time to knock on the door to make sure Henry's work was not interrupted. "Is something wrong, Henry?"The surprised Vyn Henry immediately shook his head uncertainly. His eyes looked at the laptop screen and Tom in turn.Tom immediately understood. He moved behind Henry's bench to make sure. He was surprised to see a large purchase."Wow! What is this, Henry? Seventy-eight pieces of the same furniture?"Tom was so surprised that Tom asked in a voice that was quite high in intonation. He had forgotten about Camellia's condition told by Shannon earlier. He shouted excitedly while hugging Henry, who was still shocked."You saw it, didn't you? People will appreciate your hard work! Your design will soon be recogni
Arthur was driving fast. He who had just arrived at JF Printing had to return after receiving news of Camellia waking up. His face turned pale, especially since he hadn't convinced Jill to marry them.Arthur arrived at the door of Camellia's treatment room, he also saw Tom and Shannon staring at each other. He let out a rough breath before finally entering and ignoring their public display of affection.Arthur approached and sit on the edge of the cage. He looked at Jill, who was still staring at Camellia with an incredulous look. "What happened, Mrs Reynolds?"Jill's teary eyes released their tears. Her cheeks were wet, and she wiped them roughly and carelessly. "Camellia can't see. Nor can she speak."Arthur's jaw dropped. His smile was evident, although the next second he changed his expression drastically from a triumphant smile to a facial gesture full of concern. "How can that be, Mrs Reynolds? It's impossible. The doctor said the operation went well, didn't he?"Jill nodded, co
"I do," Arthur said as he took out a red velvet box from beneath his luxurious clothes. He placed a simple ring with a single jewel on Dwyane's finger, which looked beautiful in his eyes.After that, the priest began to lead the prayers. It didn't take long for the two to sign the marriage contract.Although Arthur's second wedding ceremony was only held at the nearest church in the neighbourhood of the hospital, the happiness was evident on his pale face. He had been a wheelchair user for more than two hours, enduring the pain in his solar plexus after his surgery five days ago.There were only seven people in the church to witness Arthur's far from simple wedding. No party, no food. Only Shannon, Aland, Pete, Will Smith, John Benedict, Phil Allen, and Edward Frey, the officer who uncovered Arthur's many hidden cases.The first-born was given to Arthur, even though he was in a wheelchair. Seeing Arthur's weakening condition, the priest rushed the blessing and lighti
"I'm going to file for a marriage annulment. So, will you be my lover, Dwyane?"Arthur's request just after Camellia disconnected the call made Dwyane melt. She burst into tears as he approached Arthur, who was still lying in the cage."Why just lovers? You can get married after cancelling your previous marriage," Aland said from the sofa.Aland immediately got up and approached with both hands in each of his trouser pockets. He grabbed his laptop before moving on, as he did not even get a response from his brother.Arthur was silent. Not only him, even Dwyane didn't know what to say when he was in the middle of such an awkward situation.As he put his work laptop in his bag, Aland spoke up again to help."I'll talk to Mr Smith right away. He will help you to file for a marriage cancellation as soon as possible. Only then, you guys can get married before you actually return to prison in six days. If you have anything to say, just call Pete--"Aland hadn't
"Are you sure you're okay?"Camellia asked from a distance. The look of concern was visible, but it was not savoured by Arthur as he had savoured the anxiety on Dwyane's face earlier.The two were now connected through a call Aland had made to Mr Cavill, who was visiting his daughter. Using a phone and a laptop, the two were now face to face, even though it was only through a call connection.Arthur nodded in response to his wife's question at the end of the call. Unfortunately, he could not take his attention away from Dwyane, who was busy writing in the corner of the room."I'm fine, Lia. What about you? Did mum cause trouble again? Did she hurt you?"Although she sounded more concerned than before, Lia knew very well that it was just a pep talk from her husband. She shook her head slowly as she wiped away tears with her sleeve."Listen to me, Arthur. I asked dad to contact Aland so I could connect with you like this for some reason. Although I just found o
Arthur blinked softly. His eyes squinted as the glare of the lights greeted him as he woke up after being in a state of emergency because of heavy blood loss.Instead of finding Dwyane or Lia, he saw Aland sitting with his head bowed on the edge of the bed. Her eyes closed again to make sure before finally looking back at who was beside him.It was the same man he hated to death before. Aland.Arthur's hand moved towards Aland's closed head, hiding his face, when he suddenly saw movement from the sofa. Quickly, Arthur pretended to close his eyes again, as if he hadn't woken up from a long sleep.Dwyane was shocked to death when he looked at the clock. It was almost night and Arthur had not woken up. This was contrary to the information received from the doctor earlier.Slowly, Dwyane woke up Aland, who had fallen asleep by accident. "Mr Fischer. It's already dark. Shouldn't you be going home?"The surprised Aland got up hurriedly. He looked over to where Arth
"What else this time, Dwyane?"Arthur's question made Dwyane shake her head slowly. She plugged the flash disc into the laptop she had brought with her. She positioned it so that the screen was facing the direction where Arthur was."I haven't seen it myself, Arthur. You can see for yourself. This was given to me by Aland. He said it was a precious gift for you."Hearing Aland's name, Arthur rose lazily. He shook his head, refusing to see what he really wanted to show."No, Dwyane. That's enough. The other day you brought me the news you secretly heard from him. And it really kept me up all night long. Now what? Are they planning to frustrate me here?"Dwyane shook her head slowly. She was just trying to keep Arthur's attention back on what Aland was about to show him."No, Arthur. The other day, the possibility that I was wrong was quite high. Aland said that sometimes there is some information that is missed and contributes greatly to misunderstandings. Tha
"Go away, Cobb! Get out of here or I'll kill you right now!"Aland sniggered and moved off, leaving Jill filled with intense guilt."You're just bragging! Arthur is my nephew! He is everything to me! And you can't touch him! He's mine! Don't ever come back or I'll kill you right here!"The clock had already struck three in the afternoon when Aland and Shannon sat across from Dwyane Hills. He knew very well that Dwyane continued to visit Arthur, no matter what. Every day. For more than nine days."I'm sorry if I've upset you, Mr Fischer," Dwyane greeted, having just spoken after ten minutes of apparent silence.Aland cleared his throat, then took a sip of his coffee while shaking his head slowly."What do you have to apologise for? There's nothing wrong with you going there, Ms Hills. I just don't like that you went there with information you shouldn't have given."Suddenly, Dwyane's eyes widened. Her hands immediately folded on the table, and tried to rea
"Since when did you become so talkative, Cobb?"Jill's counterattack made Aland pause. He looked at Jill, who grabbed a plastic chair to sit across from him."How can I help you with coming all the way out here?"Aland glanced at Shannon for a moment, trying to make sure that his wife was fully prepared. He looked again at his mother-in-law, whose new identity had been stripped away, leaving nothing of her once admired name."There's something I want to do about the key you gave me. Liliana's death."Jill did not seem surprised at how quickly Aland had learnt the truth with just one keyword."You found it?"Aland showed her an old photo of Sophie and Liliana that he had copied from an old file at the orphanage. Even though it wasn't clear, Jill could still recognise who was in the picture."This is you and Liliana. You two are sisters, aren't you?"Seeing that Aland was not surprised by what she had found, Jill got up and approached. Her eyes squi
"What did you say? Sorry, but can you say it again?"Shannon's request was not without reason. For the first time, she sat in Will Smith's room with Pete and her husband to explain everything.Aland closed his eyes and smiled faintly. His hands were intertwined with each other in a position in the middle of her legs."I'm not misspeaking, Shannon. This is the truth. Until a few moments ago, only Pete and I knew about this."Will Smith didn't understand. He, who had been staring out the window while listening to Aland's explanation, could only turn around and shake his head slowly."If Arthur is not James's son, why does James insist on claiming him?""Because he just lost his son, Mr Smith. Don't you remember that his scandal broke just as he was about to celebrate JF Groups' anniversary? James couldn't just ignore Arthur's arrival with Liliana. He didn't want to act rashly, either. He asked me to keep the fact that Arthur was abandoned by Eugene a secret bec
"Sophie? You're trying to defame our orphanage just because of Sophie's case? Do you also want to examine all the children in this orphanage so that you can be satisfied with your judgement, Mr Fischer?"Aland turned to Shannon briefly before leaning forward, trying to calm him down. "Listen to me, Mr Flitch. This is not what you think it is. We're not here to make a statement or to judge your orphanage as bad, no. I'm just here because there's something wrong. I'm only here because there's something I wanna to know. About Sophie. That's all. We will never tell anyone that Sophie is from here. After all, the whole of the UK knows that Sophie's dangerous behaviour is not the result of someone's upbringing, but her disposition, which may never change even twenty years later. We're just looking into her bloodline. That's all."Dom Flitch squinted with an angry gaze. His previously cupped hands immediately came closer, watching Aland and Shannon's movements that seemed so d