Eddie was engrossed in his game, the flickering lights of the screen reflecting in his eyes as he maneuvered his character through a virtual battlefield. The tension of the game kept his focus razor-sharp, his fingers deftly dancing over the controller. Then, the insistent ringing of his phone broke through the digital world, jolting him back to reality. The name on the screen made his heart skip a beat—Jennifer.He paused the game, his mind racing with the implications of the call. Jennifer wouldn't contact him unless it was important. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone."Hey, what's up my little sister. Don't tell me something unimportant, please." Eddie greeted, trying to keep his voice steady."Shut up. I have a good news, moron," Jennifer's voice came through, filled with a mix of urgency and excitement. "Everything is ready for your new identity."Eddie leaned back in his chair, relief washing over him. "That’s great. What’s the next step?"Jennifer’s voice softened sli
June 12, 2023, New York, 5 AMEddie dragged his suitcase toward the back door of the house. The suitcase was immediately taken by the driver to be put into the car. Eddie wiped the sweat that was seeping through every pore of the silicone mask he was wearing."Are you ready? Why didn't you wake me up?!" protested Jennifer, approaching him in her pajamas."I just didn't want to disturb your sleep; you were already too tired yesterday from shopping and helping me."Jennifer lightly punched Eddie's arm. "So silly, what's the point of you staying here if you don't want to bother me? Give me a hug, I hope you find the freedom and life you want there!"Jennifer's hug moved Eddie deeply; his sister was showing more affection towards him with each passing day."Thank you for being so sweet. The ten thousand dollars you gave me will be put to good use, and I hope you can continue running all of Jehemian's businesses."Jennifer's eyes welled up with tears. She released the hug and looked intentl
The streets were already quite empty when Eddie left the airport in a taxi. His eyes scanned the large city, and he felt a surprising sense of comfort in Warsaw."Enjoying Warsaw at night is a great idea, sir. I always like to roam around alone before heading home and going to sleep," the taxi driver said."I would do the same if I were you, Mr. Driver. By the way, do you know any reasonably priced hotels in the city center?" Eddie asked.The car suddenly stopped, and Eddie's eyes focused on a small hotel sandwiched between a nightclub and a large casino."Here you go. This hotel may be small, but it's cheap, perfect for those who lost money gambling or are too drunk and sad. If you want a luxury hotel, just cross the street to the five-star one over there," the taxi driver pointed.Eddie nodded slowly. He then turned to the middle-aged man who was looking at him. "How much do I owe you?"Eddie was ready to take out his money when the driver shook his head and said, "No need. Consider
"Kyaa!"The scream and the sound of a shattered bottle made Eddie rush out of the bathroom to see what was happening in the bar.Several people had already gathered by the time Eddie arrived, and it seemed that none of the staff were approaching. Eddie immediately forced himself to join the crowd. His eyes widened when he saw a beautiful woman in a red dress, with the top almost open, lying on the floor while murmuring something in Polish."Hey, can you help me lift her?" Eddie asked one of the male patrons in the crowd surrounding the woman.The man hesitated for a moment but then nodded, stepping forward to assist Eddie. Together, they gently lifted the woman and carried her to a nearby booth. Eddie's mind raced as he tried to recall any Polish phrases he had learned. "Proszę się uspokoić," Eddie said, attempting to calm her. The woman blinked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and gratitude."Co się stało?" Eddie asked, trying to understand what had happened.Th
Eddie walked leisurely through the narrow streets of Warsaw, enjoying his second day in the city with his job as a cleaning service worker at a nightclub. The cool night air made Eddie feel refreshed. He wore his work uniform, a black shirt and black pants, which had become his daily attire. With steady steps, he headed towards the nightclub where he worked, "Luminous," which was already beginning to fill up with patrons.Eddie really enjoyed his job. The atmosphere of the nightclub, full of music and laughter, made him feel alive. Every night, he witnessed various characters with their own stories. Although his job was quite simple, cleaning the floors, wiping down tables, and ensuring everything looked tidy, Eddie found happiness in this routine.That night, Eddie arrived earlier than usual. He greeted his coworkers, the bartenders, the DJ, and the waiters with a friendly smile. "Luminous" was starting to fill up with incoming guests. The music blared loudly, pumping adrenaline into
"Eddie! Your girl has arrived!"The shout from Eddie's coworker prompted him to quickly leave the bathroom to greet the girl who had come to see him. Eddie's friend smirked cynically, raising both eyebrows. "I'm jealous, you haven't even been working here for a month, and there's already a clingy woman. That weird red hair charm of yours is undeniable!""Just normal, I just have a better aura than all of you. Congrats on the overtime, I've done everything well and will leave now. Bye. And don't forget to clean the toilet, because so many people will throw up tonight."Eddie's friends could only snort in annoyance at Eddie's words.Eddie walked out to the front of the club and found Anna waiting. She looked a lot better since their first encounter. Her eyes were clear, and she wore a bright smile that lit up her face. "Hi, Eddie!" she called out, waving enthusiastically."Hey, Anna. How are you doing?" Eddie asked, genuinely happy to see her."I'm doing great, thanks to you," she replie
Eddie returned to his hotel room, feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction after a long shift at the nightclub. He tossed his jacket onto the bed and plopped down into the chair by the small desk. Pulling out his phone, he decided it was time to check in with his younger sister, Jennifer. They hadn’t spoken in a few days, and he missed her.He dialed Jennifer’s number and waited as the phone rang. After a few moments, she picked up. “Eddie! Hey, how are you?”“Hey, Jen! I’m good, just got off work. I’m working at a nightclub now, you know. It’s called Luminous. Not bad, really. How about you?”There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. Eddie could almost hear her thinking. When Jennifer finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Eddie, I don’t know what to do…”Eddie sat up, alarmed by the change in her tone. “Jen, what’s wrong?”Jennifer took a shaky breath. “I saw Douglas with another woman today. He was...he was cheating on me, Eddie. I confronted him, and
Eddie woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing on the bedside table. He rubbed his eyes and reached for it, seeing Jennifer's name flashing on the screen. He answered with a groggy voice, "Hey, Jen. What's up?""Hey, Eddie! I've decided I'm coming to visit you in Poland for five days," Jennifer announced cheerfully.Eddie sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake. "That's great news, Jen! When are you arriving?""I've already booked my flight. I'll be landing in Warsaw this afternoon," Jennifer replied excitedly. "Can't wait to see you!"Eddie smiled, feeling a mix of excitement and slight nervousness. He hadn't seen Jennifer since their last conversation, and now she was coming to visit him in Poland. He quickly got ready, showered, and dressed before heading out to the airport.Arriving at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Eddie scanned the arrivals board for Jennifer's flight. He spotted her among the crowd, waving eagerly as she approached him with a big smile. They exchanged a warm hug, and Eddie
“Eddie, you need to think this through,” his secretary, Lisa, urged as she shuffled through papers on his desk. “Keeping your distance from Agatha might not be the best strategy right now.”Eddie leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “You don’t understand. I can’t afford to get too close to her, not after everything that’s happened.”“Look, I get it. But you’ve already agreed to help her with her family’s company. If you cut ties now, it’ll look suspicious,” Lisa replied, raising an eyebrow.Eddie sighed heavily. “It was a mistake to agree to that in the first place. I should have never involved myself in her family’s business.”“Eddie, this is a complicated situation. You know Agatha needs your support,” Lisa pressed, her voice steady. “She’s promised to start fresh, to make this work. You can’t just back out.”“Her promises don’t mean anything if it jeopardizes my own company,” Eddie countered, his voice rising slightly. “I have to think about my future, my business. I can’
“Eddie!” Jennifer called out as she stepped into the house, her heart racing.Eddie emerged from the kitchen, looking worn out and a little worried. “You’re back! How was your trip?”“It was beautiful, but… we need to talk,” Jennifer said, struggling to keep her voice steady.“Talk about what?” Eddie asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, sensing the tension in the air.“Andrew… he wants to marry me,” Jennifer blurted out, the words escaping before she could rein them in.Eddie’s brow furrowed. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me. You just got back from a vacation! Why would you even consider that?”“I know it sounds crazy, but he’s serious. He wants me to leave everything and be with him,” she replied, panic rising in her chest.“Leave everything? Jennifer, are you really thinking about this? What about us?” Eddie’s voice rose slightly, betraying his frustration.“I’m not saying I will! I just… I need time to figure things out,” she stammered, trying to make sense of her feelings.
Eddie leaned back in his chair, staring out the window as he waited for Agatha to arrive. The morning sun filtered through the glass, casting shadows across his desk, but the warmth offered little comfort. His mind raced with possibilities, scenarios of how this confrontation would play out. He could almost hear the tension humming in the air, a warning that things were about to get messy.When Agatha finally entered, she was all business, her heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. Her expression was calm, but Eddie noticed a flicker of something in her eyes—nervousness, perhaps, or anticipation.“Eddie,” she greeted, her tone cool. “You wanted to see me?”“Have a seat,” he replied, gesturing to the chair across from him. He needed to maintain control, to keep the upper hand in this conversation.Agatha sat down, her posture elegant, but there was a slight tension in her shoulders. “What’s this about?”“Let’s not pretend, Agatha. You know exactly why I wanted to talk to yo
"Eddie, calm down. You're jumping to conclusions." Agatha’s voice was smooth, too smooth for Eddie’s liking. She sat across from him, legs crossed, sipping her tea as if the world wasn’t on fire.Eddie clenched his fists, barely able to control his rising anger. His office felt smaller, suffocating, as if the walls were closing in on him. “Calm down? Agatha, one of my subsidiaries just got shut down for a violation, and it happens to be the one your man, Charles, oversees. You expect me to believe that’s just a coincidence?”Agatha didn’t even flinch. She set her cup down delicately, her sharp eyes meeting his. “I understand your frustration, Eddie. But accusing me without evidence won’t solve your problem. Charles has been nothing but loyal, and whatever happened at that company was not my doing. You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”Eddie’s jaw tightened. “You think this is about emotions? Agatha, I’ve been in this business long enough to know when something stinks. I j
"Jennifer, you need a break. We've both been working nonstop, and honestly, I think a vacation would do us both some good." Andrew's voice was steady but held a hint of concern as they sat across from each other in the quiet corner of a café.Jennifer stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere. "I don’t know if I’m ready to go anywhere, Andrew. There’s too much going on, and I can’t just leave. Especially with everything at the office." She sighed, the weight of Frank's death still lingering in her voice, even though she had started to heal.Andrew leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. "You can't keep burying yourself in work, Jen. It's not healthy. You’ve been carrying a lot on your shoulders, and I get it. But you need to take care of yourself too. Just a few days away. Let’s go somewhere quiet, where you don’t have to think about business or Frank for a while."Jennifer hesitated, chewing her lip. She knew Andrew was right, but the thought of leaving everything beh
“Grace, I need to know exactly what’s going on,” Eddie demanded, pacing around his office. His voice was sharp, filled with frustration. “We can’t afford any more surprises, and this Wilford situation has already cost us enough.”Grace, sitting calmly across from him, nodded. “I understand, Mr. Cameron. I’ve already started pulling reports from the other subsidiaries. But, honestly, I think we need to have a bigger conversation about oversight. This isn’t just about Wilford anymore.”Eddie stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What do you mean?”She handed him a folder. “I’ve been digging, and there are minor discrepancies in a few other subsidiaries as well. It’s not at the level of Wilford, but it’s enough to raise concerns.”Eddie flipped through the documents, his brow furrowing deeper with each page. “How did this happen under my watch? I had systems in place, checks and balances—how did we miss all of this?”Grace gave him a sympathetic look. “Honestly, I think the company has
Eddie sat at his desk, staring at the numbers on the financial report in front of him. His heart sank as he scanned the figures again, hoping he had somehow misread the data. But there was no mistaking it—his company had taken a sharp hit, and the numbers reflected a significant loss.“This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered to himself, furrowing his brow. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed his personal secretary, Grace.Moments later, Grace appeared at the door, clipboard in hand, her face calm as ever. She was always efficient, always on top of everything, and Eddie trusted her implicitly. But today, something felt off, and he needed answers.“Grace,” he said, his voice sharp with urgency. “What’s going on with the numbers? Our revenues have dropped drastically. I need you to dig into this and find out where the problem lies.”Grace nodded, her fingers already flying over her tablet as she pulled up the latest data. “I’ll get to it right away, Mr. Cameron. I’ll have a detailed
Eddie paced back and forth in his office, his phone gripped tightly in his hand. He had just read Jennifer’s text: *"We’re heading to Aruba. I’ll be fine, Eddie. Don’t worry."* His gut told him something was off, but he didn’t want to overreact—at least not yet.He opened his contacts, his thumb hovering over a few trusted names. Maybe he could ask one of them to keep an eye on Jennifer while she was away. But before he could make a decision, Agatha appeared at the doorway, her presence calm and poised.“Eddie, what’s going on?” Agatha’s voice was smooth, almost soothing. She noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way he clenched his phone like it was the last tether holding him together. Eddie exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Jennifer just texted me. She’s heading to Aruba with Andrew. Something feels… wrong.”Agatha raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the room. “Aruba? With Andrew? That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?” Her voice had a lilt of casualness, a
Andrew watched Jennifer run toward the car, her decision clear as she fumbled with her phone. His face twisted in frustration, his mind racing. He had spent weeks meticulously planning this, gaining her trust, making her think he was her escape. And now, Eddie had ruined everything. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it, clenching his fists. Jennifer had already stepped away, halfway across the tarmac, but Andrew wasn’t ready to let this go so easily. With determined steps, he caught up to her, his voice low but urgent as he reached out to grab her arm. "Jennifer, wait."Jennifer stopped, startled, but didn’t turn around immediately. She seemed to wrestle with herself, not quite pulling away from him yet. Andrew took that as a sign to keep going."Just listen to me," Andrew urged, trying to soften his tone. "You don’t have to believe anything Eddie says. He’s trying to confuse you, make you doubt your own decisions."Jennifer shook her head, her voice barely above a whis