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.
The next day Mrs. Evelyn marched right up to the receptionist, her face hard, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without wasting a second, she said, "I need to speak with the heads of Mega Enterprises. Immediately."The receptionist, a young woman with glasses that kept slipping down her nose, blinked up at her. "Do you have an appointment, ma'am?" she asked, her fingers hesitating over the keyboard."I didn’t come here to discuss appointments. I came to discuss why Mega is demanding fifty percent from a loan that isn’t even due!" Mrs. Evelyn’s voice rose, causing a few heads to turn in their direction.The receptionist cleared her throat, trying to maintain her composure. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but without an appointment, I can't—"Malia stepped forward, her voice quieter but equally firm. "Look, we don’t want to cause a scene. We just need answers. Who's in charge? The CEO? Let us talk to her."The receptionist, flustered, typed something quickly into her computer. "The CEO, Ms. Willow,
Keisha’s lips curved into a tight smile, her patience visibly running thin. "I have nothing else to say to either of you," she said firmly. She folded her arms, her gaze hardening as she added, "You can either leave now, or I’ll have security escort you out. Your choice."Mrs. Evelyn’s eyes flashed with anger, her fists clenched at her sides. Malia placed a hand on her mother’s arm, trying to hold her back from another outburst. It was clear that neither of them wanted to cause more of a scene. Malia's face was flushed, her expression one of frustration and exhaustion. She glanced around, feeling the eyes of the staff and other visitors in the building, watching the commotion unfold. She swallowed hard, knowing it was time to retreat.Without another word, Mrs. Evelyn turned sharply on her heels, pulling her daughter along with her. They strode towards the entrancea. As the automatic doors slid open for them to exit, Keisha watched with a cold, silent satisfaction. Just as the door wa