After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the massive doors of the manor finally swung open. Mr. Liu and Mr. Liang appeared, deep in conversation with serious expressions on their faces. Grace and Gerald immediately straightened up, nudging each other with their elbows.“You got this?” Gerald inquired. “I got it. Leave it to me,” Grace took a deep breath and prepared herself. “Here we go.”Wasting no time, Grace rushed toward them, eager to seize this rare opportunity.“Mr. Liu! Mr. Liu!” she called out with a firm yet polite tone.Mr. Liu glanced in her direction, his eyes widening as he recognized who the girl was, but he remained stoic. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment but continued talking to Liang. He was used to people vying for his attention and had long mastered the art of ignoring them.Undeterred, Grace pressed on. She wasn't going to let a cold shoulder stop her, she'd been waiting far too long to be deterred by something so petty. “It’s a pleasure to meet you
Everyone stood in stunned silence as they watched General Liang bow before Gerald. Even Gerald himself was stunned to the core, and Mr. Liu, who had minutes ago been mocking Grace’s persistence, had his jaw hanging when he saw his friend perform such an act. Had the world gone mad?“It’s an honor to meet you.” General Liang rose from his bow, flashing Gerald a warm smile.“Uh… same to you, I guess.” Gerald didn’t know how to respond, so he just settled for that.“Can you tell me where you got that ring?” Liang asked again, his voice almost reverent. He was clearly humbled by the presence of such an artifact, something even he, with all his military accolades, respected.Gerald shrugged nonchalantly and didn’t respond immediately as he went down memory lane. He remembered when he was still imprisoned; he had done a huge favor for an old man, and the old man had gifted him the ring. He remembered the old man telling him with a cryptic smile that the ring would “open doors” for him one d
As the car glided smoothly through the city streets, Grace stared out the window, her mind replaying the evening's events. Every detail, every twist tugged at her curiosity about Gerald’s true identity. It wasn’t just that he had secured the support of the Chen and Liu families—two notoriously difficult factions to sway. It was the effortless way he had done it, as if the entire negotiation was merely a casual transaction. The sheer absurdity of it gnawed at her.She glanced at his profile, illuminated by the occasional passing streetlight. His face remained unreadable, his hands steady on the wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. There was something about his quiet and unassuming demeanor that both unsettled and fascinated her. Gerald was an enigma, one she couldn’t easily unravel—and that mystery only attracted her more.“Gerald…” Grace hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve done more for me tonight than I could have ever imagined. I’ll
Dinner continued, the room filled with strained silence. Grace's father sensed the tension and got up, deciding to excuse himself. “I'll leave you to it,” he said, nodding politely before heading towards his study. His departure left just Grace, her mother, and Gerald.Grace's mother continued picking at her food, clearly still processing the revelations from earlier. She glanced at Gerald, and inwardly, she admired how calm and collected he had been, not uttering a word and just eating his meal. After a few moments of silence, she decided to speak up.“Gerald,” she began with a cautious tone. “I must admit, I’m still struggling to understand how you managed to gain the support of the Chen and Liu families. It seems almost too effortless.”Gerald, who had been eating quietly, set his fork down and calmly met her gaze. “It’s not as effortless as it sounds.” He shrugged, as if what he had done wasn't anything spectacular. “It requires understanding people’s motivations and leveraging th
After dinner, the ambiance of the room had lightened somewhat. Grace's mother had warmed up to Gerald slightly, and the tension had eased between them. Gerald initially felt bitter about how she had treated him at first, but he was glad that everything had gone well. As they wrapped up, Grace excused herself, saying she needed to make a quick call.“I’ll be back in a bit,” she said, giving Gerald a sweet smile.Gerald nodded and turned to face her mother. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”Grace's mother gave him a simple nod, still deep in thought. Gerald returned the nod and made his way to the room he shared with Grace. It had been one hell of a day, and now he wanted to just unwind.Once inside the room, he headed straight to the bathroom. He wanted to wash away the stress of the evening and take a moment for himself. Removing his shirt, he leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on his face. The refreshing sensation helped calm him down.He looked up, staring at his ref
“Oh?” Grace folded her hands on her chest, raising an eyebrow at him. “And what could be the solution, Doctor Gerald?”Gerald grinned, like a schoolboy who had just been offered candy. He leaned in, whispering into her ear, “You know, according to some rather *convincing* medical research, having sex can be incredibly beneficial for relieving stress and tension.”“Huh?” Grace's eyes widened, and then she burst into laughter. “Seriously? Is that your expert opinion, Dr. Gerald?”“Absolutely. I personally carried out this research.” Gerald nodded, keeping a straight face, which made Grace laugh even harder. “It’s a proven method. Just think of it as a… therapeutic experience.”“You're insane.” Grace shook her head, her wild laughter reducing to giggles. “I can’t believe you're serious about this. Do you hear yourself?”“Of course.” Gerald grinned. “And I must say the benefits are quite impressive with absolutely no downsides. Reduced stress, improved mood, and a general sense of ‘pleasu
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Grace’s father began, his deep voice easily carrying over the now-quiet crowd, “thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate this special occasion with us.”Every guest turned their full attention to him, their conversations halting in the moment.“Tonight, we aren’t just here to enjoy good food and fine company,” he continued, glancing lovingly at his wife, “we are here to celebrate my beautiful wife, the woman who has been my partner, my strength, and my heart for so many years.”Soft murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd as Grace’s mother blushed, clearly touched by her husband’s words.“She has stood by me through every challenge, every joy, and every triumph. Without her, none of this would have been possible. I wouldn’t be the man I’ve become today.” He raised his glass a little higher, emotion and love evident in his eyes. “To the love of my life. May we continue to walk through this world hand in hand, for as long as we have.”The crowd e
“No, no,” Zhang interrupted smoothly, making her hand pause in its tracks. “Please, open it now. I insist.” The crowd went silent, and Grace’s mother furrowed her eyebrows. She looked up to her husband, who gave her the go-ahead to open it with a nod. She hesitated before carefully undoing the elegant wrapping. As she lifted the lid of the box, a gasp escaped the lips of everyone in the hall. Inside the box lay a dazzling deep red ruby, perfectly cut and gleaming under the chandelier light. It was clearly an antique, worth a fortune, with a beauty that could rival diamonds. “Wow,” Grace's mother’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape as she stared at the ruby in wonder. “Yes, wow.” Zhang’s voice boomed once again. “This, dear sister-in-law, is a rare ruby from the Ming dynasty, a family heirloom passed down through generations until they all died out. Its worth exceeds millions of dollars.” At this point, he cast a mocking side glance at Gerald before adding with a cruel smile, “Certainly
Brian walked gently towards his car which was parked outside waiting patiently for him to get in. He gave a fake smile at whom he found inside and she returned his gestures. The chauffeur drove them to the airport and they got there thirty minutes before the flight takes off. It was a business trip along with his secretary lucy and planned to be back within a month even before it was over. They got to their destination safely and Lucy handled everything properly while they got off the plane. He wasn't ready to address anyone that day and Lucy had to inform those who wishes to see him that he was unavailable for that moment. It was late at night and he intended to take a walk around this place where he was going to stay for a while. He had an earpod on listening to music that could soothe his mood. As he strolled, he took pictures of captivating features in this place. His eyes met a girl who seemed stranded by the bridge side, she was wincing and shivering in the cold. Perhap
He turned off the phone immediately and warned Brian to stay off his family as he got informed that his wife was involved in an accident."You made a wrong choice by messing with those that were dear to me" Brian said as Felix narrowed a brow at this man right in front of him who always does as he threaten.He couldn't say a word back at Brian as he hurriedly rushed out while his brother glared at the table with an evil intention written all over his face.It rained heavily as he could be found drained in the rain, every effort to get in touch with those whom he lost in the fire outbreak proved abortive as deep in his heart.He didn't want to believe that they were consumed in the fire, he had a lot of memories attached to those people mostly the woman who stole his heart.His life was a mess as he had lost the one whom he tried to protect. He suddenly felt a shield covering him from the rain and when he lifted his head. Brian found someone holding an umbrella over his head and he s
She studied her son, the brief smile that escaped his lips.When she mentioned Julie's name, which made her heart flutter. All she wants this time is to hear Brian call her mother again."How about we pay her a visit tomorrow?" She suggested, he grimaced at her and sighed, and she knew that was a yes. His father demanded to see him privately, and he yielded to his demand. The old man laid on the bed exhausted for the day as the party was getting dismissed gradually. He smiled immediately he saw Brian and got relieved that at least he was forgiven."No one is giving me the answers I need…why did you send me back?". His scoffed and rose from the bed while beckoning on Brian to pick a file which laid on the desk."Someone talked some sense into me" he confessed sad at heart and Brian smirked at him while picking up the file lazily."Transfer of property?" Brian read and his father nodded."I don't need anything that is yours…""I knew you would say that, but son you're the only one I
His eyes strictly monitoring her hair and shoes."You can't follow me with that" he stated and offered to follow her to her room.She smiled as she followed suit. To be honest, she did that on purpose. The hair thing actually."I won't wait all day!" he yelled from the room as he got there before her. She rolled her eyes and hastened her footsteps into the room.He pulled out her makeup seat and tapped it with his hands, beckoning on her to sit down.She sat down as he instructed and stared at the mirror. She wondered if he can really dress a person's hair because his own hair never looked properly kept.She gulped as he began combing her hair with his hands."Shouldn't he be using a comb for that?" she questioned.He began twirling part of her hair and held it up with a pin. He made a twirl with another part and made held it again.She placed her hand on her cheek and let him do his thing.He was done in a minute.She kept staring at her hair while her eyes admired it.She didn't
The thought of her former apartment popped up in his memory and he decided to drive off there. Josh who was hurrying up to met his mother's needs found him at the gates."You came for her?" He just said with a wry smile."Where's she?" Brian asked with the assertion that this naughty boy was referring to Julie."Mom's apartment, she's a psycho this time around, so be careful" he advised with no formal gestures as though the kid was having an indifference attitude towards him. Brian intended him to ask him a question which concerned a drawing of his but he had to see Julie first. Brian rang the doorbell and josh scoffed;"Why are you acting like a gentle man?" He asked opening the door for Brian. In here, everyone surrounded someone and he guessed it was Julie. Quickly, he excused himself through their midst to take a look at her and once their eyes met, she flinched and folded her legs on the bed frightened. This act of hers averted their gaze on him as they sensed he was danger.
The wailing of siren could be heard as it drove to the nearest hospital. Some doctors could be seen hurrying to take a woman to the ICU. Brian got worries written all over his face, as he hoped the victim wakes up. Lucy was less bothered besides this woman would be out of her way. She glanced at the doctor who got out of the room to address them. He was sad too. Brian had it in mind that this doctor was going to tell him that the patient lost her memory. Lucy ticked her tongue hoping that she hears this woman was dead."Can I see her?" Brian asked in whispers and the doctor nodded. They transferred her from the ICU to a ward where she could be visited. Brian wasn't allowed in as he could see nurses and a security agent rushing.After the doctor assign to administer medication to her sighed sharply and ushered Brian inside. The door glide open gently as he paced towards were she sat chained to the bed, he narrowed a brow at her surprised at the sudden scene. Her hair was wet an
"Do always cry like a child whenever she spoke to you this bad?". She scoffed and ditched the coffee in his hand again."Are you here to hurt me the more""No! I'm just learning new features, you know I despise people when they cry, but you look beautiful when you do such" he teased, and she smiled wiping her tears the more and then collected the coffee from him yet again. It seems she was going to keep to act this way with the pissed off mug of coffee."Really?" She beckoned, bringing out a mirror."Seriously? You always keep a mirror with you?""Yeah, to see if I look good when I'm done" she said laughing as he only smiled a little. It didn't take long when she began yawning by then, she was done with coffee and handed him back his mug."Goodnight Brian, I've got a lot to do tomorrow at my restaurant…stay happy! But don't cross that lioness part, she's scary when she's angry" she said in a faint voice as she walked away."Julie, are okay right where you are?" He thought, glancing a
"My biggest fan?" She echoed impressive though because she never knew she's got fans from just saving lives and her biggest fan was definitely jimmy disguised; however, the late line was awkward as he says she should be grateful he wrote it. There was no doubt that she needed to call him, although she still got my pride. She carried the box inside because she didn't want anyone to see the gift inside. Once she got in.She unfolded the wrap from the box and found a necklace. It was gorgeous and made of pure diamond."Not bad" She commented because it was expensive and wow he sure knew she wanted such. Julie was more like a materialistic person, although it would have been romantic if he wore it on her and then say: "I'm sorry love for suspecting you". It wasn't only a necklace she found but a pen and diary which wrote;"Pour it all out to me, I might be of great help". Weird right but this damn book got her laughing, just what she wanted, a diary. Well, the last two gifts she saw wa
The rain had started falling and Brian intended to leave the office. He was somewhat jealous when he mistakenly found jimmy and Julie kissing. It got him all riled up, he picked an umbrella from his office and dashed outside, however Julie's voice drew him back when she said;"Please wait, let's go together". He glanced at her as she ran through the rain to meet with him, Julie had no umbrella and once she reached out to him, she went under his umbrella while rubbing her palm together annoyed. Brian wished to ask a question but couldn't, he had snubbed her earlier because he didn't want to admit to himself that he was having feelings for this woman.Besides wading off any such feelings was for good because she was going to die someday.He kept staring at her and not taking a step forward neither was she, rather this woman was staring at the rain drop."Let's go Brian" she uttered, turning her gaze to him. He felt like telling it to her face that she should end any relationship she had