Joe arrived at the location Hannah had given him; it was a small cottage house. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as he looked around. The place looked like something out of a fairy tale, with its soft pastel exterior and white picket fence. Before he could even knock, the door opened, and he saw Hannah standing on the porch with her usual half-smile.“Welcome,” she said, gesturing for him to come inside.Joe stepped into the cottage, and his first impression was almost overwhelming. The space was decorated with pink flowers and delicate lace. It looked like something out of a dollhouse, and he didn’t expect Hannah to leave in a place like this or even like the color pink.She acted like a reserved person who preferred white-colored walls and matching curtains. Joe remembered the saying never judge a book by its cover, and that made him bite down on a smirk, fighting to keep his expression neutral. Hannah seemed to catch his gesture, and she raised an eyebrow.“If you’re about
Joe sat on his living room couch, his eyes staring at the figure right beside him. It was Sunday, and he had spent most of the weekend searching for connections between his father and the names Hannah had given him. So far, he had only found documents relating to one: Ken Sanchez. His father’s business records showed proposals from Sanchez, though Joe hadn’t uncovered anything deeper than that. He decided to rest from his little search and hang out with Timothy, who had shown up at his house as early as eight. Timothy, lounging on the opposite end of the couch, broke Joe's concentration with a teasing voice. "So, you've been hanging out with Hannah recently, huh?" He asked. Joe rolled his eyes at Timothy. "Don't start, Timothy," he muttered. “Why are you hiding all the details from me?” Timothy said. “I tell you about my flings all the time.” “Or isn’t she a fling?” He asked, and Joe pretended not to hear him. “Is this like a potential relationship?” Timothy asked more qu
Joe stopped looking at Hannah, and he took a step forward, his shoes crunching on the shattered glass spread across the floor. His gaze fixated on the broken window, where a thick rope dangled down toward the street below. “How did this happen?” Joe murmured as he tried to piece together. The breeze from the open window ruffled the papers strewn about the room. Hannah’s face was displayed her frustration as she examined the rope. “He ran away,” she said with a sigh. “That’s the only logical explanation.” “But why?” Joe asked, still not moving his eyes from the broken window. “He knew we weren’t here to hurt him, right?” “Of course, I made it very clear I wanted to gain answers, nothing more,” Hannah replied, rubbing her temples “Maybe it was your tone of approach!” Joe said, trying to lighten the mood, despite the fact that he was hurt. “Seriously?” Hannah asked, and her voice caught Joe’s attention. “So that’s what you’re going with?” “I’m trying to be logical here but yo
The man didn’t listen to Joe’s words. He kept running, and Joe didn’t stop. When he arrived at a turning down the street, Joe could see the person more clearly now—he was muscular and had really tall legs, but the hoodie he wore made it hard for him to see his face. Joe tried to pick up his pace, hoping that if he got closer, he would be able to get a clearer view of the man’s face. But just as he was gaining ground, the man darted to the right and disappeared down an old trail. Joe’s legs came to a stop, catching his breath as he peered down the path. There was no sign of him. Frustrated, Joe turned and retraced his steps back to the estate. The box was still where he had left it, lying on the ground. He picked it up and stepped inside the estate. Back in his room, he set the box on the table and tore it open. As he peeled back the flaps, he found a small envelope and a stack of photos. His heart pounded as he glanced through them. The photos were of him, taken fro
After calling Jeremy several times and not receiving a reply, Joe started his car and headed towards his office. As he entered the building, his eyes caught sight of John talking to Mr. Maxwell at the receptionist's desk. The moment he got closer, Mr. Maxwell's voice rang out, and he didn’t sound pleased. "Where have you been, Joe?" Mr. Maxwell asked, and there was a drop of frustration in his voice. Joe paused for a moment, quickly collecting his thoughts. "I had things to attend to," he said with an apologetic shrug. Mr. Maxwell's brow furrowed as he glanced over at John. "One of the biggest investors in the city showed up today—he’s a close friend of Mr. Leon's. And thanks to John here, who managed to convince him to reschedule his meeting, if he didn’t step in when he did who knows what would have happened." Mr. Maxwell’s eyes drilled into Joe. He was clearly irritated. Joe was about to speak, but Mr Maxwell stopped him. "Jeremy tried to call you several times.” H
John adjusted his tie, glancing over at Joe with a grin as they stood in front of the full-length mirror in Joe’s room. "How do I look?" he asked, smoothing down the front of his suit. Joe took a step back, nodding approvingly. "You look amazing," he said, giving his cousin a confident smile. "Thanks," John replied, flashing a thumbs-up before they both turned and made their way downstairs. As they reached the table by the door, Joe’s eyes landed on a bouquet of flowers he’d picked out earlier. He reached for them but hesitated, glancing down at the bouquet in his hands. Just as he was about to put them back, John gave him a questioning look. "Why are you putting them back?" John asked, arching an eyebrow. "Aren't they for Hannah?" Joe shrugged, his hesitation clear. "I don’t know... Do you think she’ll even like them? I feel like maybe I’m doing too much. It’s just a launch of her event and not a date.” John shook his head, chuckling softly. "Joe, you’re not doing too much.
Joe tried to pull his gaze away from Aaron, the last person he wanted to see, but it was too late. Aaron had already locked eyes with him. Within seconds, Aaron moved in his direction with a smirk, pulling at his lips. "Hi, Joe," Aaron said, with his voice filled with sarcasm. Joe rolled his eyes, ignoring him. "Oh, so you're just going to pretend you don’t know me?" Aaron challenged, crossing his arms with a mocking grin. "Because I don’t," Joe replied coolly. "I don’t know lowlives like you." Aaron scoffed, his smirk widening. "You’d be surprised to know that I’m more than just some ‘lowlife.’ In fact, I’ve always been far more than that, Joe. I’ve never known what it’s like to be poor or wretched." Joe’s eyes narrowed. "I remember you vividly, Aaron. And I also remember what happened to you the last time we spoke." Aaron’s smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. "I remember too, Joe. That’s why I’m here—to give you a bit of advice or, in this case, to warn
"What are you doing here?"Timothy grinned, then stepped aside to reveal the auburn-haired woman at his side. "Came with a date," he replied, nodding toward her. "This is Leah."Leah extended a hand. She was wearing a warm smile that seemed almost contagious."Hi, I’m Leah, head of Green Corporation.""She makes green tea!" Timothy added, chuckling. "Isn’t she fun?"Joe nodded politely, reaching out to shake her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”At that moment, Timothy grabbed a spare chair for himself and Leah and slid it next to Joe and John. Once everyone was seated, Timothy spoke up."So, Joe,” he began, giving him a pointed look, “how does it feel to be here supporting your woman?""She’s not my woman," Joe replied, rolling his eyes.Timothy laughed, turning to Leah. "That’s what he tells everyone, but we all know there’s something between these two."Leah raised her eyebrows in curiosity, looking between Joe and Timothy. Timothy then turned to John. "What do you think, John? Don’t