***FLASHBACK CONTINUES***Zen stepped into the garden, relishing the brief moment of solitude. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the lush greenery. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of blooming flowers, trying to shake off the suffocating atmosphere of the mansion. Just as he was beginning to unwind, his mother-in-law, approached him, her expression unreadable."Tom!" she called out, her voice sharp against the serene backdrop. "I’m glad I found you. I have something important to discuss."He turned to face her, forcing a smile. "What is it?"She stepped closer, her demeanor shifting from stern to almost conspiratorial. "I’ve been thinking about your future here. I want to gift you a piece of land in Santa fizzo."Zen raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "That sounds generous. What’s the catch?""No catch, just a gesture of goodwill, you do clean a lot," his mother-in-law insisted, gesturing towards a nearby table laden with papers. "I’ve prepared the documents fo
It was finally the day of the presentation at the hospital. Tasha paced nervously in the hallway, her eyes darting to the large doors at the end where the team ahead of them was presenting. She tugged at her sleeves, trying to steady her breath, but the growing murmur of the crowd beyond those doors wasn’t helping. Her team members stood around her, exchanging anxious glances, waiting for their turn.Just then, Zen appeared, calm as ever, striding down the hall with his hands casually in his pockets. His sharp gaze landed on Tasha, who immediately felt a wave of relief, though her hands were still trembling."Tom," she muttered, catching his eye.Zen approached her with that same serene energy he always carried. “What’s going on?” he asked, glancing at the closed doors where the previous team was still wrapping up their presentation.Tasha sighed, shaking her head. “It’s our turn next. I… I don’t know, the crowd looks bigger than we expected. This is more than a regular presentation.
Tasha stepped off the stage, She had made it through the presentation, but before she could fully breathe, she was stopped by a firm voice from the panel. The panel of reviewers sat in a long row, their faces serious, almost as if it was a debate. At the center of the table was Dr. Patel Bass, the owner of the hospital and its head doctor. He sat with an air of authority, surrounded by other high-ranking doctors and hospital officials.“Miss Tasha,” Dr. Bass said, his deep voice booming across the room. “Your presentation was impressive, and this new advancement in traditional medicine has certainly caught our attention.”Tasha's heart pounded as she stood frozen in place, nodding politely as she tried to catch her breath. She glanced at her team, who were also looking at the panel with wide eyes.Dr. Bass continued, “We would like to review more about this treatment at a later date, but for now, there is something more pressing.” He leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. “We
Sonia, with her usual grace, attempted to walk past Zen, her heels clicking sharply on the polished floor. But before she could make her way through, Zen casually stepped into her path, blocking her. “I heard you helped out big time,” he said, his voice low but teasing, that ever-present smirk tugging at his lips.She stopped in her tracks, her face flushing slightly. She tried to hide it, but Zen didn’t miss a thing. A small smile crept onto her face despite her best efforts to stay composed.Zen chuckled, stepping closer as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s nice to see you can actually be a lady,” he said, his tone playful.Sonia flared up, but not with anger. It was a cute, flustered reaction. “Oh, please!” she shot back, half-laughing and half-annoyed. She rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool, but the way her cheeks had heated up betrayed her.Zen let out a deep, amused laugh, brushing past her with an effortless swagger, but she wasn’t about to let him get away so easil
“Is this why you disturbed my busy schedule?” Keisha asked, crossing her arms and giving Zen a mock-serious look. Zen shrugged, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “I guess.”Keisha raised an eyebrow, her tone shifting slightly. “I am disappointed in you, Chief. Respectfully.”He chuckled, shaking his head. “You always get away with respectfully shading me, don’t you?”“Only because you make it so easy,” she shot back, a smirk breaking through her stern facade.As they exchanged their banter, their attention turned to the park where the brother and sister sat, now playing with a toy car that Keisha seemed to have brought at Zen's behest. The sight of them brought warmth.Zen’s expression softened. He walked over to the older sister, who was still watching her brother play. “Hey,” he said gently. “Talk to me. Why were you crying?”“I..I wasn’t, he was the one crying,” the little girl said, with an embarrassed fluster.
Keisha stood at the ice cream shop counter, scanning the colorful array of flavors. “What do you want, kiddos?” she asked, crouching down to meet their eager faces.“I want chocolate!” the little boy exclaimed, bouncing on his toes. His sister nodded enthusiastically, “And sprinkles!”Keisha chuckled, glancing at Zen, who was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and watching them with a soft smile. “Two chocolate cones with sprinkles coming right up,” she said, turning back to the clerk.As they waited, Zen approached the kids. “So, what’s your favorite thing about ice cream?” he asked, kneeling down to their level.“It makes me happy!” the boy said, his face lighting up. “And it’s cold, like winter!”“I love winter!” Zen replied, enjoying the innocence of their conversation. “What about you?” he asked the girl.“I like sharing it with my brother,” she said, glancing at her sibling with a fond smile.Zen felt a warm
Zen leaned back in the leather seat of the limo, eyes scanning the streets outside as they drove. The silence between him and Keisha was comfortable, but Zen’s thoughts were focused on the Rossi situation. Without looking away from the window, he broke the silence.“Keisha, why is Malia’s mother running Rossi Constructions? Isn’t Malia supposed to be handling this?”Keisha, sitting next to him, didn’t miss a beat as she responded, her voice steady. “Malia runs two separate companies. Her real estate company secures the deals and handles the finances, while Rossi Constructions is responsible for carrying out the projects. It’s a way to keep everything in-house and maintain control over both the funding and execution.”Zen nodded slowly, processing the information. “So, the money never leaves their circle.”“Exactly,” Keisha replied, her tone slightly amused. “They’ve created a neat little system where the real estate company assigns funds to Rossi Constructions, and both companies are
Zen closed the office door behind him, the quiet hum of the city outside barely breaking the silence of the room. His office, cold and impersonal, hadn’t seen much of him lately. Zen rarely spent time here. Everything important happened outside these four walls.Just as he began to sit, there was a soft knock.“Come in.”Anna stepped inside with a tray in her hands, balancing two cups of coffee. She had an unusual air of calm around her, always steady. Her figure was small in comparison to the tall doorway, but her presence wasn’t.“I didn’t expect to see you today,” Zen said with a smirk. “You’re a character I only see once in a while.”Anna smiled warmly as she set the tray on his desk. “It’s my pleasure, sir. I try to stay out of the way unless needed.”He picked up one of the cups, savoring the warmth in his hand. “Still, you manage to show up when it matters.”Anna glanced at him, a twinkle of admiration in her eyes. “I’ve learned from the best.”Zen raised an eyebrow, intrigued.