"My daughter!" Mr Lucas shouted as he entered the tent, his voice booming and drawing everyone's attention.The man rushed towards Hazel, his robust frame ready to embrace her, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks. Following behind him, Mrs Miriam joined in, expressing her happiness with joyful exclamations.Glenn stepped back, creating space for the family to reunite. There was nothing he cherished more than this moment of successfully bringing the parent and child back together.While Mr Lucas immediately embraced and showered Hazel with kisses, Miriam, on the other hand, hugged Glenn, expressing gratitude repeatedly for saving her daughter.Glenn gently patted Mrs Miriam's shoulder. "Don't mention it, aunt. It was my duty," Glenn responded, trying to calm Miriam down.She nodded and, this time, embraced Hazel in her arms. Glenn exited the tent, realizing he forgot to thank the people who had helped him search for Hazel.Officer Truce approached him with a solemn expression. He ha
"Where are you going?" Vincent asked his older brother, surprised that he was already neat and polished early in the morning.They were staying in the president suite at Montblanc Hotel, a spacious room with good lighting, and they even had their own butler, an exclusive service from the hotel.Victor was fixing his shirt sleeve and smiling at Vincent, in a good mood this morning. "I'm going to visit my future in-laws," he replied casually, a small whistle escaping his lips as he tidied his hair to his liking.Vincent raised his eyebrows, puzzled by his brother's attitude.'Oh, I don't know why, but I'm afraid if his mood is this good, his bad mood could be even worse,' Vincent thought to himself. He prayed to the entire universe that today would be an exception.Vincent glanced at his watch. "Don't forget, after lunch, we have a meeting with Smith Corp," he reminded."Okay... Even better, I like ending my day with something sweet," Victor replied, smiling at his younger brother. The
"Father, can't we consider other options?" Glenn expressed his disagreement.He, who was initially sitting upright, now slouched in the dining chair, losing his appetite for rest as originally intended.His father looked at him, wondering why his son suddenly protested, patiently waiting for an explanation."I... I feel like they might be fraudulent, Father," Glenn added later.His father's face immediately darkened, "Surely you know that I won't jeopardize the fate of the company just because you 'feel' without providing valid data. That's not a wise leader's move, Glenn."Glenn shook his legs while thinking, then stood up from the chair, "Alright, if that's what you want, I'll bring you the evidence you're asking for. What time is the negotiation then?" Glenn asked."After lunch," his father replied."Got it. If I don't show up during the negotiation, you can take over, Father, and I'll admit I was wrong," Glenn challenged.Arthur seemed to ponder for a moment, "Fine," he replied af
Gale Hayes, in his late 40s with thick glasses, wearing a worn-out Christmas-themed sweater patched in several places, paired with fabric pants and equally dismal sneakers.No one would know that he was a high-ranking official in a government institute handling hundreds of billion dollars of state funds.He lived such a low-profile life that not many people knew what kind of person he was. He disliked attending social events and being the center of attention.Making appointments with him was challenging because he only wanted to meet with companies that were clean and salvageable. He didn't like giving false hope to people because of his straightforward way of life.If people thought he was miserable, in reality, he was the happiest and fulfilled person. Content with his own world, he didn't care about others' opinions.How did Glenn get to know this man? Even his parents and Connor couldn't reach out to him for help yesterday.That was because... he accidentally helped the man win an
"Annoying! Why didn't you tell me earlier, Vin? Are you happy to see me become a laughingstock?" Victor pointed angrily at his younger brother.They have arrived back at the hotel and are having an argument in the living room.Vincent sighed heavily, sinking into the soft sofa in the living room. His predictions from this morning proved to be true in the evening, as Victor's cheerful mood turned into fiery anger."How was I supposed to know what Gale Hayes looks like? You drop me out of colleagues before the lecture about him. Talking about it... you should have known him! You just want me to take the blame; not cool and not fair." Vincent retorted, refusing to accept the blame.He stood up, wanting to have dinner and rest his head. "Uh-oh, where are you going?! I haven't finished talking!" Victor pointed, not allowing him to leave."I need to go to the bathroom! My stomach hurts; tired of being scolded by you all the time!" complained Vincent, with an equally annoyed expression.The
"Dad!" Hazel called out to Lucas Walsh.With a bit of running, she searched for her Dad. He was drinking alone behind the kitchen island, where he could observe their interaction earlier.The man knew why his daughter was looking for him, but he remained unmoved."Don't make a scene here; appreciate the host and the event. Dad never taught you to act like a child," the Dad coldly threatened.Her usually warm and embracing Dad suddenly behaved so differently, with no warmth in his tone. Hazel felt like she had encountered a different Lucas Walsh."But what you did was really outrageous, Dad." Hazel still wanted to voice her protest. Tears of frustration had welled up in her eyes.All this time, she had been a good and obedient child to Dad and Mom, but they never seemed to appreciate her feelings and controlled every aspect of her life. Hazel felt like a bird in a gilded cage – beautiful but unable to fly freely."Do you even know anything? You still don't understand anything, Hazel. L
"I'm leaving," Mr Lucas bid farewell to his wife as he stood in the hallway.Miriam paid no attention, continuing her breakfast as if her husband were an invisible creature.Mr Lucas swallowed hard. Since last night's quarrel, Miriam had been silent, even sleeping in a separate room.This morning, after his shower, he couldn't find his usual clothes neatly prepared by his wife in their walk-in closet.He had to prepare them himself, struggling with tying his own tie, realizing he had been dependent on his wife for 25 years. He examined himself in the mirror several times, feeling something was off but not knowing where.Hazel sprayed her tea, seeing her Dad's appearance—blue pants with a black jacket? Then a yellow tie and orange socks? 'Is Dad planning to perform in the circus?' Hazel thought, suppressing a laugh.Fortunately, she quickly realized her mom's indifferent attitude and understood that her parents were on cold war terms.The morning atmosphere became truly awkward. For th
Lucas Walsh sat in the meeting room chair two hours after Mr Gede had left the room, and he still hadn't moved.There was a long, weary sigh from Lucas as he toyed with the whiskey glass that his secretary had brought earlier. The whiskey bottle that was once full beside him was now empty.He was contemplating the actions he would take to cover the significant loss after Mr Gede's departure. He had no backup entrepreneur because he was so certain their collaboration would go through.Time was running out, as the Aurora Skyline Hotel, their buyer, had booked their items six months ago. The opening ceremony for the 50-story luxury hotel in Eagertown was just two months away, and they had ordered high-quality furniture for each of their interiors.With the theme "Earth," Aurora Skyline chose wooden-based furniture with a luxurious and classically artistic impression. Each piece of furniture would have detailed philosophical life-inspired carvings.Lucas had envisioned the moment when his