At Von Ritcher’s Estate, the grand dining room was adorned with elegant decor and bathed in soft, golden light. The family, consisting of Austine, Lorraine, and Griffin, sat around the ornate dining table, their expressions masked by the facade of a harmonious family dinner.However, beneath the polished veneer, tension simmered. Griffin, usually confident and unflappable, found himself struggling to articulate his thoughts.Griffin's gaze shifted between his parents, his internal turmoil manifesting in the way he toyed with his salad, pushing the greens around on his plate without any appetite.'F*ck, usually demanding is not a problem for me, but why did my mouth suddenly feel hard to ask it?! Is it because I know that the answer is definitely no? Gosh… I’m so dead right now, you’re so dead now Griffin…' Griffin thought, his frustration building as he tried to find the right words.Just that afternoon, Griffin's mood had plummeted. Charles, in a shockingly candid conversation, had i
In the heart of the sprawling Behav Corporation, within the confines of the executive meeting room, a group of executives gathered. Their conversations buzzed with the anticipation of Bradley's arrival, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and idle chatter."Hey," Alan began, his voice carrying an air of curiosity. "Did you all hear that the newbie is taking a long holiday?""Really? I didn't know about that," Karel asked. "When did you hear it?""Well, I just heard it yesterday when making coffee," Alan said, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "I overheard him talking to Rika saying that he will take a long break starting today because he wants to find his soulmate!""A SOULMATE?!" said Sarah, who seconds ago had just been engrossed in her smartphone. Her phone almost slipped when heard that shocking news. "But...I thought he wanted to remain single forever. He's always said that to me whenever I ask for a date! Is he lying to me?" she asked, sounding heart broken."That's r
The airplane engines roared as the aircraft taxied down the runway, heading for their destination - Bluebell. Inside the plane, Greg, Dylan, and the teenage boy sat in their assigned seats. Dylan was positioned close to the plane corridor, Greg in the middle, and the teenage boy, still a bit overwhelmed by the experience, was seated by the window.The teenage boy's wide eyes darted around the cabin, taking in every detail. "Woah… So this is how it feels when riding a plane! The clouds are so cool, they are shaped like moneybags over there," he murmured, his fascination evident in his voice.Dylan leaned toward Greg, whispering, "Hey, Greg… Are you sure that kid can be our guide? Because when I look at him… I'm a bit doubtful."Greg watched the teenage boy, who was still marveling at the clouds outside. "I understand how you feel. I also feel the same way too when first I look at him, but you gotta trust him. He's our guide now,” Greg said before looking at Dylan’s back. “Hey, look, t
Inside the sleek, modern offices of Behav Company….For the first time in Behav, the situation in the office was just like any other office. The air was thick with tension, and the executives’ faces were etched with signs of stress and fatigue that they never encountered before. "Ugh, I can't believe it…" Alan muttered, his fingers tracing the data paper detailing Behav's stock market performance. "Never in my life have I chosen to work just to avoid someone. I think I can be Dr. Lou after this."Alan's sentiments were shared by the others in the room. Gilbert, in particular, seemed exasperated. "Same," he grumbled. "Although I was well aware that I'm pretty useless here… I never thought there was someone even more useless than me! Like seriously! Are you all sure that boy is even the future heir of Von Ritcher, the most powerful family in all of Cleveland and the owner's son of Behav?" Gilbert's gaze shifted to Griffin, who was currently pestering Karel to step out of the room. "W
The taxi came to a sudden halt, the screeching brakes echoing through the quiet surroundings. Greg, Dylan, and the teenage boy looked around, realizing that they had arrived at their destination.Brumm... CKIT!“Alright, we're already arrived in front of the Bluebell Inn, folks. Hope you enjoy your stay here,” the taxi driver announced."Thank you," Greg said with a nod as he handed the driver a generous tip. The driver flashed a quick grin before driving away, leaving the three of them standing in front of the old inn building."Hm, now that I look at it during the day, turns out the building is not that bad," Greg mused, his gaze fixed on the weathered structure. "In fact, it looks pretty... Kinda reminds me of the old witch's house that Hilda used to read about to me when I was a kid."“Alright, Mister. I will go there first, since I want to meet Maria. There’s something that I need from her while I’m here,” the teenage boy said. “If you want to see Jason, you can find him on the r
Jason's rage burned like a wildfire, his face contorted with fury as he pointed an accusing finger at Greg. "You… How dare you come and meet me here??!! How dare your face be in front of me!!!" His voice reverberated through the lounge, and his eyes bore into Greg with seething anger.Greg, however, remained calm, his expression unreadable. He had anticipated this confrontation, and he found it somewhat amusing that Jason had suddenly turned hostile, remembering their last meeting Jason didn't say anything. "Well, I guess he's just showing his true colors now," he thought to himself, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Only God knows what suddenly triggered him but that’s alright. With this, I can just use ‘that’ way, to obtain that key easily," Greg mused before he opened his mouth and say,"Well, you know why I'm here Jason," Greg spoke in a measured tone. "I'm here to ask you for the key to the lab building.”Jason's mocking laughter filled the room. "Key to that building?" he scof
CKLEK!The door to the luxurious suit room swung open, revealing a spacious and elegantly decorated interior. Dylan stepped inside, his eyes widening as he took in the opulent surroundings. "Wow…" he muttered, his voice filled with wonder. "Even though I've already seen so many luxury things by becoming Von Ritcher's right hand… I must say that this suit room sure looks very nice." Dylan said, whistling as he looked around, admiring the plush furnishing, the soft ornate carpets, and the intricate artwork that adorning the walls.It was definitely a stark contrast compared to the tense atmosphere that they walk outside!"You know," Dylan paused as he let out another whistle. "If Jason thinks about marketing this place, I'm sure that Bluebell will be back to its former glory, and Jason will have a lot of money to repair the tainted rivers. He can even make two if he wants. In fact, he can even make this inn into a resort!!""I don't know, Dylan," Greg said as he put down his things, an
The next day arrived. Greg, Dylan, and the teenage boy stood outside the Bluebell Inn, ready to head to the lab. Originally, they had planned to use a taxi and then walk through the forest, but Jason surprised them by offering to drive. The weather was gloomy, and news of a wild boar in the forest had deterred their initial plans, so they accepted Jason's offer.As they piled into Jason's BMW sedan, he couldn't help but reminisce about their first meeting, which had involved the same car."Haha, going like this together sure brings back a lot of memories, huh? I can just feel our fate when your plane fell yesterday," Jason chuckled, breaking the silence while Greg and Dylan, on the other hand, just remained quiet, both holding the same thought."Yes, just like yesterday when we met you and your dirty, expensive car," they used simultaneously. They now knew that Jason had purchased the car right after selling the lab since this BMW sedan car is his childhood dream since he feels James