"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
"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
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!” 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, 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’
"Learn to be a good person and never come back here."Eddie's body was gently patted by a prison guard as he stepped out of the place where he had been for the past three years. Eddie's light brown eyes gazed far ahead where the pathway lay."Well, this is it, what I've been waiting for finally arrives. I can't wait to go back home and sell it immediately, I have to leave this town," murmured Eddie.His skinny body and beard-covered face made Eddie look quite shabby, even the white shirt he wore looked yellowed from wear.The sound of coins given by Eddie's fellow inmate for his fare home accompanied his steps toward the front gate of the prison. Eddie's heart raced as the gate was opened; he still felt like this was all just a dream.Three long years in prison for a mistake he never committed left Eddie devoid of hope to carry on with life. Everything that happened from three years ago, the night when he was apprehended by the police after aiding his friend Frank, now plays vividly i
"Hey! Don't run! Eddie!" Jennifer's shout made Eddie accelerate his pace even more, bumping into several pedestrians along the way. "Darn it! Instead of stopping, he's running even faster! Argh!" Jennifer looked frustrated, sweat dripping down her forehead, causing her to stop her chase. Jennifer's plan to stop Eddie immediately clicked when she saw a police car parked not far from where she stood. A wide grin spread across her face as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and approached the young officer writing something near the car's door. "Hello, Officer, please help me!" Jennifer put on a panicked expression as she approached the young officer. The police officer turned, and the young man with a thin mustache nodded slightly. "Yes, Lady, what's the matter?" "I need your help, I was just harassed by a man running over there, he tried to grab my breast and I couldn't chase him! He ran in that direction, and I remember his face vividly!" Jennifer's convincing act made the off
Nearly half an hour of silence passed after Eddie and Jennifer were inside the car following their conversation at the police station. Jennifer seemed engrossed with her phone, while Eddie gazed outside, observing the luxurious settlements that were now becoming visible. Jennifer glanced at Eddie, then sighed heavily. "The Jehemian mansion is much bigger than the houses you've been admiring. When you see it, I'm sure your spirits will lift." "I'm not interested in all this luxury. I just don't know where to look, except at the scenery outside. I want to talk to you, but it seems you're more preoccupied with your social media followers," Eddie retorted. "Are you spying on what I'm doing? Damn it, Eddie. Just because you're out of prison doesn't mean you have to maintain your bad attitude! Come on, you understand the meaning of privacy, right?" Jennifer shot Eddie a stern look. Eddie smirked and glanced at Jennifer's phone screen, which displayed a photo of her in a bikini, posing so