After a long drive home, he pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. Taking care not to wake her, he gently lifted her sleeping figure from the passenger seat and into his arms. Cradling her close, he carried her up the walk and through the front door, taking care with each quiet step. In the guest room lit only by moonlight streaming through the window, he lay her softly onto the bed.Satisfied she was safely tucked in, he left silently out of the room and pulled the door closed behind him.Exhausted from the long night, he retreated to his own room as the early morning sun began to brighten the sky. He collapsed onto the bed after kicking off his shoes without even removing his clothes. *When next he opened his eyes, bright daylight was pouring through the windows. Rolling over with a groan, he fumbled for his phone to check the time. 11:03 AM glared back at him from the lock screen. "Well, a CEO can show up whenever he pleases," he mumbled to himself with a wry chuck
When she noticed Henry's gaze was burning on her, she turned to him. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm actually proud of him. It's just… the way he moved—so graceful and controlled. And the look he gave me...pity. I mean, I'm not the one who's in a situation like he was."Henry didn't find that suspicious. Everyone that worked for the White all went through some kind of training to give them the brute character they had.To him, it was her first time seeing things like that and that was why she felt it was strange."I wouldn't read too much into Nathan's expression," Henry assured her. "I would have felt the same way if I were in his position. He felt so sad about how Sage was mistreating you, and that's all."He rinsed his plate in the sink and turned to face Irene. "We still need to visit Sage in custody today. If you can't meet up, I'll go by myself, okay?"Irene nodded and rolled her eyes. Henry checked his watch with a sigh. "Also, I can't wait for you, miss. You have legs, so you c
He then saw a familiar name on the list, Elvis Matthew. His brows furrowed as he stared at it. "Elvis..." He murmured, disbelief weighing heavy in his gut. "You don't know him? He is now a new millionaire. He is well respected because of how he donates and helps the needy. I think this will expand the business's prestige if we invite him to your mother's birthday gala," Clifford said, leaning back into his chair.Henry's grip tightened on the page until his knuckles turned white. Old wounds that never fully healed reopened as the memories flooded his mind. Slowly, he shook his head, a grim expression overtaking his features."Elvis, a bully, helping others?" He muttered incredulously. The irony wasn't lost on him as scenes from the reunion party flashed through his mind. Elvis' taunting words slicing as sharp as ever registered in his memory. He was still the same bully that tormented him in college!"Bully? Clifford shook his head, as Henry was pulled out of his reverie while h
Henry frowned skeptically. "I don't know about that though…. Maybe I'll ask Irene for more details later." He then threw a look at Clifford. "Do you even know the Irene I'm talking about?" He asked.Clifford leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly as he peered out the window in thought. "Of course, I have seen her a couple of times in the sales department. She is really attractive and well-mannered. I wonder what that Sage of a guy wants. I think he was just using her since she was too kind and easy to fool."Henry huffed a quiet laugh and nodded, rising from his seat. "Later," he said, turning his back to walk out of the office.At The Willstone's Mansion.Clara stared in disbelief at the box on the table before her. Someone had brought in the parcel a while ago. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lifted the lid, peering inside with anticipation and awe. A bottle glinted in the sunlight pouring through the windows. It was a bottle of red wine, her favorite. "Wow," she gasped i
Just then, Ryan's footsteps sounded on the stairs as he descended towards the parlor. Clara slowly turned her head, already knowing who it was, her darling husband. She jumped to her feet, smoothening her skirt, spreading her arms open wide. He took long strides toward her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close."Hey love," she said in a warm tone, cradling her face in his chest. He paused for a moment, taking in the signs of joy around her eyes and mouth. "What's making you so happy?" he asked."I just received an invitation," she replied, holding up the m white card for him to see. As he stepped closer to read it, she continued, "We have been invited to Lady White's birthday gala!" Her smile then faded as a thought struck her. "Though your name isn't among those listed, which I find rather curious. I wonder why the sender didn't know that we are married now, and prefer to go by Mr. and Mrs. Smith," she mused aloud, tilting her head questioningly.While the omi
"Thank you for your unsolicited advice. Now, where is he?" Irene snapped back at them, her usual calm and sweet expression vanishing in anger. Wrinkled formed across her brow as a frown pulled at her features. She shot each of them a glare, before facing her system again.She had grown tired of them. She appreciated their kindness towards her, but they always looked down on others who didn't fit in their social circle. In fact, almost every worker in the company felt themselves higher than others because of their social status.She knew that pointing this out wouldn't end well, as they had grown proud and stubborn over time. Even though Irene wanted to talk about this issue with them, she knew it would only bring more trouble upon herself. With a sigh, Irene turned her focus back to the monitor on her desk, to distract herself from the conversation around her. Her eyes scanned over the document she had been revising for Henry's upcoming project. Though the initial work was complete,
All the secrets had to be revealed, especially the fact that Beatrice was not an ordinary woman. She was truly a terrible person and deserved to be exposed and defeated.Henry found it both funny and infuriating when Sage claimed that he physically abused Irene to convince himself that he didn't love her. It was a twisted and misguided effort to suppress his emotions.It became very clear that Sage had been under Beatrice's control. What a disgrace! All for the sake of material possessions, he almost took the life of an innocent woman. And he looked so proud of it.Henry felt someone grab his shoulders from behind and forcefully turn him around. When he looked, he saw Nathan, his lawyer, standing in front of him. Even though he was surprised by the sudden movement, Henry recognized Nathan and smiled. Nathan walked up to him with a big grin.As Henry approached Nathan, the details of his appearance came into focus. Dark bruises shadowed the skin under Nathan's eyes, which were bloodsho
As Henry turned down Irene's street, he slowed the car, peering ahead in thought. If he took her directly home, there would be questions from his mother about why he took long. He pressed on the brake. "I'll let you out here, if that's alright?" he said to Irene.She studied him curiously but didn't protest. Henry pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. Irene reached for the door handle but paused, glancing back at him. "Aren't you coming up?" Henry tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "I just need to go somewhere." Irene just nodded in understanding. "Alright then. See you." With that, she climbed out and shut the door, raising a hand in farewell as Henry pulled away from the side of the road.He watched in the rearview mirror as she strode down the sidewalk toward home, turning back to go to his mother's beauty store.*As Henry turned the corner onto a familiar street, Starry Cosmetics came into view - its large glass windows gleaming in the afternoon su