Aaron was seething with anger and he couldn't wait for the meeting to end. He hadn't said a word and he held his peace until the meeting ended. When the meeting ended, he rose to his feet. "Coghlan, see me in my office." He said and walked out. A few minutes later, Coghlan was seated across from him and allowed a few moments for the restraint against breaking his nose to take effect on his nerves. When he was calmed, Aaron asked him, “Do you truly not see the problems that this client is stirring up or are you choosing to ignore it?”He went quiet, so he became more specific.“You’ve been working on this brief for a month now, and there has been no significant progress. The client is not clear on a concept in mind, and yet he doesn’t have any faith in those we’ve submitted to him thus far. Does the morale of the team mean nothing to you?”“Sir…” he beganAaron leaned back into the chair. “Go ahead,”He shut his mouth, and had nothing to say except, “We’ll do better to move things alo
He took her plate, and his, then headed over to the sink. He rinsed out the plates and proceeded to load them into the dishwasher. “What if we get married?” he asked. “Are you still going to hide the fact that we’re together?” “Aaron, that’s different.”“How? How exactly is it different?”“That’s permanent, or at least more permanent… you know what I mean.”“I moved, Helen, to find you. To work at building a life with you. How much more serious does it get?”“But that’s between the both of us…”Leaning against the counter, he folded his arms across his chest and watched her. “I don’t want to pretend to not know you personally at the office. We don’t have to fuck in front of everyone, but I would like to stop by your cubicle to see how your day is going when I'm on your floor for meetings. I would also love for you to head over to my office whenever you want, without having to creep around like we’re having a secret affair.”“Aaron…” She sighed. “What if we—?” She stopped herself in t
Alvin followed her to the sink, asking more questions as she rinsed her mug. “Your man seems to have dealt the VP a serious blow,” he said.“No comment,” Helen replied.“Were you aware of this beforehand?” He asked.She gave him a frown. “Of course not.”“I believe you,” he said.“But what makes you so sure that the CEO ordered this and not the VP himself?” she asked.He smiled. “Because I don’t think that this was just to give the employees a chance. It was perhaps also to test the VP, especially after what he did yesterday. If he had said no to the CEO’s request for this, then he would have made it clear that his alliance was not to the company or employees, but to his pride. That, Helen, would have been the start of his decline towards unemployment."Helen smacked his arm as she left the room, and returned to her desk. Picking up her phone, she texted Aaron, ‘Are you free? Any plans for lunch?’Her hands trembled as she placed the phone down. However, he did not respond. She waited
Helen was on top of the world when she returned to her floor after lunch and was even more ecstatic over her plan for the rest of the day. She didn't even mind the stares and whispers anymore. Since her scope of duties had now been significantly reduced, she accessed the employee’s portal and found the announcement for the competition.The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing and polishing up her proposal, and by the end of the day, she sent it in, anonymously as the requirements requested. Regardless of what happened from then on, her heart was now settled and grateful for the chance.When she was done, most people had already left for the day, so she picked up her purse and went home to Aaron. At the end of the following week, Aaron sat anxiously in his office, waiting on the result of the vita500 presentation. He already had so much hope in Helen's proposal and he believed she was gonna make it to at least the top 3 finalists. He looked lost in thought."Are you even listeni
It seemed as though everyone was congratulating Helen the next Monday morning she went to work. Even those who had outrightly ignored her and distanced themselves from her when the rumor got out. She didn't have time to be bitter or hold grudges. She was very excited and happy. She marveled at the small office space she was given. It was a small corner office in the north wing of the building, and for a moment, her legs felt just a bit shaky. She needed Aaron here, but he was already on his flight back to Florida. A knock sounded at the door. She turned to see a bouquet through the glass wall and she knew who it was. “Come in,” she called, and to her amusement, he hid his face behind the bouquet.“Thanks, Alvin,” she said, as she began to unpack her items from her box. The first was the framed picture of her and Aaron. The one we had taken at the park, with our faces imprinted with the paint covering the other's palm, and other splotches of lavender and red.“They’re not from me,”
Two weeks later, Helen took a sick day off so she could get a long weekend and she was on her way to Florida. Guilt pricked her as she drove home that Thursday evening, especially given her promotion and all the new responsibilities that came with it. But she needed a very long weekend, and Friday night was just too late a start with Aaron. A long weekend to know her fate with Aaron. A long weekend that will determine if her heart will be shattered or if she will live happily ever after. She drove straight to the airport from the office and boarded the 7 p.m. flight headed to Florida. She was so close to turning back but she had come this far. Spent quite a sum on a flight ticket too. She couldn't chicken out now.Besides, Tracy and Lily would have her head if she didn't go again. Her hands trembled as she secured the seatbelt across her waist, in her preparation for takeoff. She couldn’t help but realize this would be the turning point. This weekend, she was going to tell him abou
Helen found a taxi and after giving him the address to The Churchill's Mansion, she settled in the backseat. Her phone beeped and it was a message from Tracy. The message read: 'Helen! Aaron called! He’s incredibly anxious that he can’t reach you. Have you landed? I just told him that I’d call him back, and hung up.’She was about to reply when her phone rang, signaling an incoming call. The number wasn't on her contact list but one from Florida. Perhaps it was Aaron. So she picked up but instead heard the smooth response of a woman’s voice.“Miss Helen Roberts?" She called.“Yes?”“I’m Meredith, Mr Churchill's secretary. He’s in a meeting right now so he can’t contact you directly, but he’s been trying to get in touch with you for the last hour. Is everything alright?”She sighed, remorseful that she had caused him to be so worried. She wondered then if it would be best to just inform him of her arrival, but she couldn’t make up her mind. “Everything’s fine,” she replied. “Please tel
Aaron couldn't wait till the end of the meeting. He left thirty minutes before the meeting was concluded. He didn't bother to go back to his office to pick up his briefcase or ask his secretary if Helen had picked up the call. He just wanted to go home, pack up a few things, and be on his way to Chicago. When he got home, he found Anna's car parked in front of his gate and he wondered what she was doing there. Upon spotting him, she exited her car. She walked towards his car just as he exited. "Oh, Aaron. You don't know how long I've been here. Your guards kept me here because I don't have an appointment with you." She said as she hugged him tightly. Aaron's face hardened. He gently pushed her from him to break the hug. "What are you doing here Anna?""That's some welcome Aaron". She rolled her eyes and continued. "You really should put my name as one of the accepted guests so I don't have to spend hours outside waiting for you".What the hell was she talking about and what did sh
Weeks passed, and the world seemed to have returned to some semblance of normalcy. Anna was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital, where she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had lost everything. Meanwhile, Henry's whereabouts were still unknown, and the search for him had gone cold.Lucas had been discharged from the hospital, and he was determined to start over.Suarez had returned to his job as a detective, eager to put the past behind him and focus on the future. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the case that had brought so much turmoil into his life. Henry was still out there, somewhere, and Suarez couldn't rest until he was brought to justice. Meanwhile, Danny and Soli had moved far away from the city, hoping to put the past behind them. Aaron watched as Helen played around with their son, a wide grin spreading across their faces. The little boy's laughter filled the room, and everyone in attendance seemed to be genuinely happy. But de
Ariel stood by the desk, watching Lucas with an air of suspicion. He seemed to be acting strange and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. “Mr Churchill left a while ago," she said, her voice carefully neutral. Lucas’s brow furrowed and his lips pursed in thought. He seemed anxious, almost twitchy, and it set her on edge. “Is there anything you'd like me to tell him when he returns?" Lucas paused, his expression unreadable. “No, there's nothing," he said, his voice tight. “Thanks” Ariel nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. She watched Lucas leave her desk, there was something up with the way he asked for Aaron’s presence Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, so she made a straight dial towards Aaron. Helen could feel the warmth of Aaron's body as he wrapped his arms around her. She let herself relax into his embrace, feeling safe and protected. “Are you hurt anywhere?" Aaron asked, his voice gentle but urgent. Helen shook h
Anna had majestically returned to Aaron’s mansion like nothing happened, without being discharged from the hospital. Light makeup and a nice dress fixed her physical state but definitely could not take away the misery she was feeling in her heart or make the earlier scenery disappear from her memories. Julian’s brother, Danny had abducted her while doing some grocery shopping, she tried fighting off the young man all by herself but ended up losing her child before Lucas could come to her rescue. Lucas had overheard Henry encouraging Danny on the phone to take his revenge on the real killer of his brother Anna and with a flash the young man went after her. The thought of prison terrified Anna, she would be at the mercy of the system. She knew that she couldn't bear the thought.But there was another even greater fear. Aaron would find out the truth about the miscarriage. He would discover that she had lied to him, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.Her mind raced, try
"The press conference has been getting a lot of positive feedback, sir," Ariel said, looking at the numbers on her screen. “Views are well into the millions, and the comments have been overwhelmingly positive." Aaron looked up from his laptop, a slight smile playing on his lips. “That's great to hear," he said, his voice warm with approval. "You did a fantastic job putting that together." Ariel blushed at the praise, feeling a rush of pride. "Thank you, sir," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "I'm glad to be of service."As Aaron looked at Ariel, his eyes caught on a small bump in her stomach. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. And it reminded him of Helen when she was pregnant with their son. He remembered the joy he had felt, the anticipation of becoming a father, and then the thought of having another baby with his ex-wife. He pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on the past. But they lingered, just beneath the surface.Ariel cleared her throat, breaking t
As Anna sipped her wine, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She was surrounded by opulence and luxury, but she knew that the man she was with was evil. Henry studied her, his eyes narrowing.“You only ever visit when you need my help," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you want from me this time?"Anna's fingers curled around the stem of her wine glass, and she took a deep breath. Anna smirked at Henry's words, allowing him to bask in his pride. He dared to imply that she was weak, without even saying it outright. But Anna knew better. She was a woman who had been through hell and back, and she wasn't about to let an old man like Henry tell her what she was or wasn't."It would be the other way around, Mr. Neville," she purred, a faux smile on her lips. Henry's eyebrows shot up in confusion. He wasn't sure what Anna was getting at.“You're the one who needs my help," she said, her voice cold and confident. Henry couldn't help but laugh. "You've got to be kidding
News reports of Dragon's image flashed across the screen, the word "WANTED" in bold letters underneath. A reward of a billion naira was offered to anyone who could provide information that would lead to his capture. Grandpa Adolph shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "That's an awful lot of money to put on a murderer's head," he said, his voice heavy with worry. "What if someone gets hurt in the process?""I know it's a lot of money," Aaron replied, his brow furrowed. "But we have to do everything we can to bring him to justice and also whoever is instructing to kill. He's a dangerous man, and we can't let him get away with what he's done. I know it's risky, but it's the only way we can make sure he's caught and punished for his crimes."Grandpa Adolph sighed, knowing that Aaron was right. But he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was settling over him. He knew that this was only the beginning and that things were about to get much worse. “I hope you know what you
“Sit down, boy” Henry barked, his voice filled with irritation. Lucas was pacing the room, his hands running through his hair, his face pale and drawn. He looked like he was about to have a panic attack. “I can't," Lucas said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can't calm down!" Lucas exclaimed, his frustration spilling over. "Your lackey killed someone! The plan was to beat him up, not to shoot him !" He glared at Dragon, who stood sheepishly next to Henry.Henry's face hardened, his eyes blazing with anger. "So, are you guilty?" he demanded, his voice cold and unforgiving.Lucas looked down at the floor, unable to meet Henry's gaze. The truth was, he was guilty. He had been a part of this, even if he hadn't intended for things to go this far. But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. "The inspector deserved what he got," Henry sneered, his words dripping with hatred. "If he dies, it's a win for us. He won't be able to tell anyone what he knows." Dragon nodded ea
It was late at night, and Suarez was still hard at work, even though he'd rather be home in bed. But the pile of unsolved cases on his desk was a constant reminder of the work that still needed to be done.Just then, there was a knock on his door. “Come in," he said, not looking up from his work.It was Ritz, his partner. "I'm heading out," he said. "Are you coming?""I'll be right behind you," Suarez replied, still focused on the task at hand."Don't work too hard," Ritz called out as he left the office. But Suarez knew he wouldn't be able to follow that advice. He was too determined to solve these cases, even if it meant sacrificing his time.As he continued to work, Suarez couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. These cases were tough, and he was starting to feel like he was getting nowhere. But he wasn't going to give up - not now, not ever. He was determined to solve these crimes and bring justice to the victims.Just then, something caught his eye. A small detail that he h
Roger, one of Henry's men, ushered Aaron into the mansion. The sound of splashing water filled the air, as Henry swam in the pool. The old man Neville has been having a good time since he came out of jail. “Mr. Churchill, it's nice to see you again," Henry called out, his voice carrying over the water. “Care to join me for a swim?" Aaron felt his temper rising. He wasn't here to socialize with the enemy. He was here for answers. “I’m not here for a swim, Mr. Neville," he said, his voice tight with anger. "I'm here to ask you about Dragon." Henry's expression turned serious suddenly, worried, and anxious in a rush but decided not to show the fullness of his anxiety, and he got out of the pool, dripping water onto the marble floor. A maid brought Henry a towel, which he used to dry off his dripping hair and body. His boxers were soaked through, revealing the outline of his genitals beneath the thin fabric. Aaron averted his gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable.Henry seemed obliviou