"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
The sound of the ambulance cut through the busy traffic in Eagertown. Inside, it carried Mr Lucas, still unconscious and being attended to by paramedics.Miriam and Hazel, contacted by Mr Lucas's secretary, quickly followed from home to Seraphim Hospital, where the ambulance would take Mr Lucas. The mother and daughter held hands, providing support for each other."Oh, Hazel, what if anything bad happens? I don't want him to leave knowing I'm still angry," Miriam murmured anxiously, worry evident on her face.Hazel patted her mom's hand, saying, "Hopefully, it's nothing serious, Mom. Maybe Dad just fainted," trying to reassure Miriam.Yet, in her heart, Hazel was also uncertain, considering her father's history of heart problems."I don't know... I feel like my anger since last night means nothing compared to his condition now. He hasn't even had breakfast because of me; maybe that's what weakened his body," Miriam confessed.Tears streamed down Miriam's face again. With a handkerchie
"You don’t know anything about parents think. Therefore, be silent, don't interfere," Arthur commanded Glenn.He turned away from his chair this time, not wanting to see either his son or Hazel. His gaze wandered towards the cityscape visible from his office on the highest floor.There was an anomaly he couldn't understand – why Lucas harbored such hatred towards Glenn. For him, refusing an arranged marriage was a common thing among businessmen, and at that point, there was no agreement from his side whatsoever.'What makes him so angry? As if Glenn has committed such a fatal mistake?'And even Glenn has proven himself in front of him. I don't mind if he dislikes Glenn and rejects him, but to imprison him... That is another matter; my dignity has been trampled upon, as well as my son.''If he did it to ordinary people, maybe it could still be understood, but this is me... Ah, there's one thing I can't shake off from my itchy back.'Arthur was so absorbed in his thoughts that the two y
"Well... well... look who's making such an intense approach, he seems afraid of losing so much that he has to sneak around," a voice from the front door remarked.*Knock**Knock*The man knocked, flashing his fake wide smile. Glenn grimaced as he saw the man approaching; he had planned the perfect punchline for Alyssa, but that serpent messed up the timing."Sorry, Alyssa, I just happened to see the door open. By the way, may I come in?" he asked politely, despite his earlier rude interruption to their conversation.It was evident that he only wanted small talk to make Alyssa forget Glenn's delayed response. Victor didn't want Alyssa to be intrigued by his rival's answer, jeopardizing his position as the primary candidate to obtain the patent."Well, if you're not allowed, are you going to leave?" Glenn retorted.He reached for the tea glass he had placed on the table earlier and took another sip, needing the calm it provided at the moment.Alyssa chuckled, enjoying the dispute betwee
"Connor, I need your help," Glenn requested.Without waiting long, Connor promptly came to meet his young master. Glenn was sitting in his office chair in his penthouse. Even here, he still had a work desk, but now the view had changed to the density of city buildings.He placed his glasses on the table; when working, he preferred glasses over contact lenses."What can I assist you with, sir?" Connor greeted, slightly bowing."You know I got a task from Father, right?" Glenn baited, looking at Connor, waiting for his response.Although he already knew the answer, he just wanted to make sure that Connor understood what he was going to ask for.Connor nodded briefly."Good, I don't need to explain it to you again. In essence, to win the competition against Alyssa between me and Victor, I have to deceive her, and I can't do it alone. The Serpent always follows me, quite annoying.""How many people do you need, young master?" Connor asked.Glenn grinned, "I knew you'd figure it out, so I'
Glenn drove his car towards the meeting place with only twenty minutes left. He accelerated because the evening rush hour was a busy time for office workers heading home, causing the roads to become increasingly crowded.Through the rearview mirror, he noticed someone tailing him, and to his surprise, it was Victor himself! The man grinned with delight.‘Damn, he's read my strategy,’ Glenn thought."Since he managed to guess my destination and outmaneuver me to get there, it's time to execute the backup plan," Glenn decided.He contacted Connor, "You need to release another decoy," he ordered."Alright, young master," Connor replied.***"That must be him!" exclaimed Vincent when he noticed a car heading towards a location not included in their options."Where is he going?" Vincent wondered.With a tablet in his hand, he ran an algorithm in conjunction with Alyssa until he found a place Glenn might visit.He hesitated, especially when he learned about the place's history with Alyssa.