"Your grandpa is fine now, just a minor injury, Anne," replied Dr. Bertha. I didn't want to hear any more of their conversation, so I left the room feeling anger and disappointed, unable to contain my emotions. 'What about that?' [Quite surprising.] 'From now on, create a schedule that doesn't involve me with her.' [Alright, Danzel, leave it to me. Don't forget the shareholders' meeting schedule at Merrick Corp tomorrow morning.] 'Of course.' From that moment on, I tried to avoid Anne. I even felt reluctant just seeing her. I went home only to rest and looked for excuses to leave the house as often as possible to avoid meeting her. I cursed myself for involving my feelings from the beginning. *** "Judge Harrold, how could you cancel my proposal? Have you forgotten how much it's worth? Even your porch could stand firm, I'm sure, because of that project," Tom spoke to Judge Harrold over the phone. [What do you mean by that, Tom? Are you accusing me of taking a bribe?] "Not at a
"Oh, good morning Danzel," greeted Anne gracefully from the dining room, her presence resembling a swaying dandelion blown by the summer breeze, a vision I promptly brushed away. I had intentionally entered the dining room earlier than the other occupants of the house, hoping to avoid small talk."Morning," I replied curtly, and without meeting her eyes, I walked straight to the stove, boiled the kettle, then went to the cupboard and grabbed two slices of bread, spread peanut butter on them, and ate in silence. From the corner of my eye, I could see Anne stealing glances from the end of the table, and I tried my best to ignore her, the sparkle of the diamond ring on her ring finger seemingly mocking my presence. I couldn't linger too long near her.The loud whistle of the kettle jolted me from my prolonged stare at the ring on her finger. I stood up and brewed a coffee, intending to drink it in my room until it was time to leave. But Anne's greeting halt my steps."Is it just my imagi
"I won't let this humiliation just slide! If this scandal goes public, you'll pay for it, Tom!" Mrs. Selma accused, her anger palpable."Sigh... Always like this. If you had just stayed quietly in your mansion from the beginning, I wouldn't have had to embarrass you like this. But no, you had to be swayed by the words of that brat over there. After he successfully put you in this humiliate situation, did you just sit there? I bet he secretly enjoying the show, silently laughing at your expense. You've truly ebeen duped," Tom redirected the situation towards me.Now, all eyes were on me, and those friendly faces had turned into menacing glares. In the world of business, allies could quickly become adversaries."Actually, the way you trapped them, even involving your own son, it's clear your business dealings will always be tainted and underhanded," I retorted.The four board members nodded in agreement."I suppose you've never run a business, Mr. Rupert. Do you think there's a policy t
At 7 in the evening, I stepped out of the room, dressed in a tuxedo, freshly shaved, and impeccably groomed. "Wow, you look absolutely stunning, Mrs. Anderson," I complimented Anne, who also had just emerged from her room.She looked captivating, with a maroon velvet blouse that hugged her figure tightly down to her knees, featuring an open shoulder cut, and her hair elegantly swept up, revealing her graceful neck and tempting allure."Thank you, Mr. Anderson. I must ensure that the women out there lose their confidence to snatch my husband away. By the way, you look amazing too, Mr. Anderson.""Thank you. I bet it's because this husband of yours is a very lucky man.""He did... He did," Anne teased me with a mischievous wink.For a moment, I hesitated between proceeding with our evening plans or pulling her back into the room. It wasn't the women she needed to worry about but the lecherous gazes of men who would stare as if they wanted to undress her, and I didn't want that."Danzel?
"Wow! It's a success!" Anne patted my shoulder gently. Our dinner ended on a riverside bench, illuminated by streetlights. Every passing gaze wondered at the sight of two elegantly dressed individuals enjoying Chinese takeout with chopsticks in an unusual place. It was an oddly picturesque scene, but Anne and I relished it."Yeah, thanks to you. Though it's a shame that beautiful dress and make up went to waste.""This is better. I can't remember the last time I sat here so relaxed. I recall our family used to picnic by this river every time we celebrated something. Mom would always prepare a feast, but what I remember most is my favorite milk pudding, placed in small cups with frosting. I would always grab Pops' portion, and he never minded. Since their death, I've never dared to come here alone.""I'm so sorry for your loss, Anne. Do you prefer if we move?""No! Like I said earlier, I'm happy to be back because of you. I'm not alone. At least there's someone to restrain me if I lose
"Well, you both already know each other? I'm impressed. My instincts and Pam were right about you two, Mr. Anderson. You're not just ordinary people," Mr. Yolke praised, chuckling and causing his plump belly to jiggle."Oh, you don't know, Yolke? News about a young man who suddenly showed up at my company and boldly declared himself as my competitor? Didn't I just finish telling you about it? Your irritated reaction when I recounted it was truly convincing," Margareth retorted sharply.Mr. and Mrs. Yolke exchanged puzzled looks. "What do you mean, Margareth? Are you saying that the young man in your story earlier is Mr. Anderson here?! Oh, I'm stupidly slow in catching up with the situation!" Mr. Yolke exclaimed, taken aback but covering it up with a nervous laugh."Come on, Margareth, you've made our host uncomfortable; it's quite unethical," I said with a straight face as I walked toward the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat casually across from them. Anne followed suit, smi
"You!" Tom's anger flared but was held in by Margareth, she put her hand onto Tom's lap."Good evening, everyone. Goodbye," I said, still with a wide grin.Mrs. Yolke followed us to the front, her discomfort and unease palpable."I apologize, Mrs. Anderson. I still hope our relationship remains untarnished due to our insensitivity tonight. I had imagined introducing you to my golf club friends. But for the sake of all of us, it seems I should wait until things calm down, right?" Mrs. Yolke coaxed while tightly gripping Anne's hand."Of course, Mrs. Yolke. I'm not a vengeful person if I know that someone didn't mean harm," Anne replied diplomatically. She didn't show weakness in her position, nor did she want her interlocutor to feel low."You're very kind. Thank you for coming tonight. Goodbye, and I hope you have a safe journey.""Thank you, Mrs. Yolke. Goodnight.""Goodnight."***Once inside the car, Anne patted me and interrogated, "What was that all about?""Which part? There wer
"Where are we? I don't see a kebab stall anywhere, and you've led me to this disheveled back alley. I'm starving, Dan," Anne whined as I parked my car in the dimly lit, deserted alley and opened the door for her, playing the role of a gentleman."Just come along; I have a surprise for you," I teased with a wide grin."A surprise? Well, lucky me for playing the role of Mrs. Anderson. No, wait a second, I think I know this area. This is the row of buildings behind Esta Piazza, and if I'm not mistaken, that back door belongs to La Tavola Reale?" Anne said as she began to piece it together.I smiled at her deduction, "Bingo.""Wait, is this allowed? Are we trespassing? Their security is really tight! I don't want to embarrass myself, Danzel, and end up in jail," Anne fretted as I held her hand, leading her toward the door she had mentioned."Don't worry, Anne, I know the chef and owner of this restaurant.""Really? You're lying; they're notoriously mysterious.""Well, I helped them naviga