Malcolm went home in his car shortly after Zoe left instead of his private suite, which was the first time he had returned to the house after the entire scandal concerning his family. As he approached the grand entrance of his mansion after he came out of his car, a hushed silence fell over the surroundings the moment the workers saw him. His presence and aura radiated power and dominance like a palpable force, and his cold eyes seemed more thick than usual because of the calculations which were going on in his head. His footsteps echoed through the marble halls as he made his way in, with his shoe clacking noiselessly against the floor, enough to draw attention. His family, who were still having dinner and talking in low whispers, all felt the tension settle into the air as he entered. They were quite surprised to see him come home because he had not informed them, and he didn't join them as usual as he made his way up the stairs that led to his room. "What do you think is wrong w
From her state of long unconsciousness, Zoe's eyes suddenly blinked apart, as a silent gasp escaped her throat like she had just been awakened from a sudden nightmare. Seeing the white ceilings that her eyes studied for a few seconds after flashing open, made her realize that she had not awakened from her room at home. Confusion clouded her gaze as she tried to sit up and observe where she was, and a slight wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to falter and grip the edge of the bed for support. The memories of the previous night's near-drowning incident flooded back into her mind, sending a jolt of panic through her veins as she recollected how she had tentatively struggled for life in the pool, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness that she was subjected to as she juggled on the brink of consciousness.'It wasn't a dream,' she realized instantly. Raising her head to look at everything around her again, made her realize that she was nowhere else than a hotel suite wi
"Where are my clothes?!" Zoe asked sharply as she looked around confusedly, when she realized that she was just wearing a white, silky loose dress. "They were wet after I took you out. And it needed changing," he explained to her plainly without putting too much thought in his answer. "You changed them for me?!" She demanded seriously as she glared at him with shock written over her face and her breath hanging in her throat, with the hope that he would not say the answer that would make her lose her mind instantly. "No no. Not at all," Martin defended instantly, with his hands darting forward to gesture that it was not what she thought, "I asked one of the ladies in room service to help with that," he added sharply. "Goodness!" Zoe muttered under her breath in deep mortification, as she tried to picture the scenario where he must have carried her out of the water with her wet clothes, which must have clung tightly to her body. 'Shit, Zoe,' she screamed inwardly. "I'm sorry if th
With a frightened heart, disorientation and confusion, Zoe stood up momentarily as soon as Gary told her what was going on at the hospital with her grandmother. A profound sense of helplessness gnawed at her insides instantly, as she tried to contain the bad news that had hit her about her only family, just after barely surviving a night before. "How many minutes will it take the chauffeur to be here?" She asked Gary in agitation, as she grabbed the almost empty luxurious purse that she had come with that morning. "Twenty minutes at most," he answered. "I cannot wait that long," she muttered, thinking of how fast she could reach the hospital if she went herself, "Get me the car keys, please," she asked Gary."You are going yourself?" He questioned her as calmly as he could. "Yes, please," she answered."I will drive you. However, we have to be back in the next thirty minutes. You have an investor meeting in an hour," he informed her instantly, knowing well that the meeting was not
Zoe was sitting behind her desk in her office, which was stationed right in front of the floor-to-ceiling-windows, as her rapt attention was focused on the files and hologram charts that she was going through all day. It had been days since her clash with Francis Sinclair, and since her grandmother had not woken up from her unconsciousness, which was soon tagged coma. She had been trying to hold on to every pain and pressure that was threatening to suffocate her, and trying to ignore the sadness that was feasting on her insides, with nothing to offer her solace. Every breath she took at every moment felt like a deep struggle, while keeping her head up in front of people that were waiting for her to fail. Nothing had been going well.As much as Zoe knew that her only family was sick and in a coma, she could not spend time being with her because of her hefty schedule. She had been unable to eat and sleep properly for days, while suffering from anxiety every time her head reminded her o
Zoe's mind had been occupied with the memories from the previous night after she almost got belittled by some group of jealous women socialites, who could not get her to join their groups, private clubs and parties no matter how hard they tried. It was by the slightest chance, when she had almost turned to leave, that the most unexpected person had come to save her and told them to let her in. 'Just why was this same guy here again, and helping her just when she needed it?' she wondered in her mind, as she followed Martin Lincoln inside the restaurant. "What are you doing here?" She asked him as her eyebrows shot up, forming a high arch of astonishment. "Surprised?" He smiled charmingly at her, as he walked before her while she followed confusedly. "Of course, yes," she answered, matching up her steps to meet him so that she could walk by his side. "I am the new head of this restaurant," he explained to her in calm words, and her eyes raised in shock because she didn't think he
Nestled at the top floor of the gigantic skyscraper was Malcolm's office, which was the perfect modern office for a sophistication of his caliber. He sat at his desk, deeply engrossed in his work with his eyes moving through mountains of paperwork that needed to be reviewed with high precision and focus. His demeanor seemed to be off than usual as he sat authoritatively in his position, with his face deeply contorted into a deep dark glare which held the weight of many unsaid emotions. More than anymore, his secretary, Edward, was the one that received the direct smothers of his capricious mood, which bore heavy weights of rage and surliness all day.In just one week, he had made the lives of his executives stormy and put them in an extremely tight spot with canceled project declarations, while raging endlessly to lay them off if they couldn't come up with something better. He canceled every event that he was invited to, and had been working endlessly in his office without leaving or
I am not loved by anyone. No one cares. I don't deserve love. You do not deserve love, Zoe. That is why you are alone. And that is how you will continue to be..…..'"Ms. Zoe. Would you like lunch?" The voice came faintly like she was trying to struggle out of some kind of haze, unconscious of her surroundings and everything around her, her mind delving deep on her thoughts. 'Everyone just wanted her for her own selfish gain. Even her own grandfather was trying to make her irrelevant. Everyone was trying to make her miserable with her actions. People from her past are trying to pull her down.' "Ms. Zoe….." she seemed to hear the voice call again, but her gaze was distant and fixed on a point in the horizon that only she could see. It seemed like the words that seemed so near echoed so distantly that she couldn't hear them properly. "Ms. Zoe!" Suddenly, Zara's sharp voice pierced through the veil of her thoughts for an instant, which caused her to startle and turn towards the source
Meanwhile, at the MEL-CO headquarters company that morning, every worker scrambled quietly to get to the main building to clock in for the day with their employee’s card, where they could stuff themselves into the elevator and get to their respective offices before their working hours for the day would begin. Inside the private elevator which led instantly to the CEO's office was Malcolm standing without a word, and beside him was Edward, who was shuffling through a neatly organized tablet of notes, completely unaware of the storm awaiting them as the elevator went up with the speed of light. Reaching the top floor of the office building, the elevator doors slid open with a quiet dinger, and Malcolm stepped out, his polished leather shoes blending with a silent click against the marble floor. He was dressed in an impeccable dark navy blue suit, which perfectly complemented the crisp white shirt beneath, and the black tie that knotted his neck. Expecting to see the usual bustling
Amid the hubbub that had filled the city’s media outlets, Isla sat in her office, with her legs crossed elegantly behind her desk. Her lips were curved in a satisfied smirk, as she sipped delicately from the porcelain mug filled with tea that was hanging between her fingers. She drew deep breaths in and out as she closed her eyes to savor the rich aroma of the tea incessantly before each sip, with her eyes glistening in the amusement of the exciting news that filled her ears that morning. The huge television that was always buried within the walls of her office and had always just served for aesthetics, played out its first purpose of displaying the scandal regarding the person, whose downfall she wished for desperately. Her lips curled in a derisive, wicked grin, as she muttered, “So many people want her ruined too,” Isla thought with delight, “It is not just me. How poetic,” she tilted her head as the anchor’s voice droned on about the chaos at the mall. To her, it sounde
Jasmine drove her car along the quite busy street that led to her flower shop in the morning after dropping Raine off at school, while tapping her fingers on the steering wheel absentmindedly, her thoughts still muddled from a restless and sleepless night. She didn't sleep well the entire night. She had too many worries buzzing around in her head, even if no one could tell just by looking at her merely. She looked as radiant as ever, her auburn hair loosely tied into a bun, and lips a perfect curve in the usual alluring manner. The tires of her car glided right across the front of her shop, and she pulled up outside it, the brakes letting out a faint squeak as the car staggered a few miles to the back before it finally came to a halt.Turning to the back to grab her bag from the passenger’s seat, she stepped out of her car and waited a few seconds before shutting the door behind her, as a brief weariness weighed against her heart.Jasmine drew in a deep, sharp breath and shut her ey
The drive to the mall had been a lot for Zoe, who was driving with the intensity that she wanted to solve what was going on in her company, only to be rammed with a memory she wanted to be very sure wasn't hers. She tried to block the absurd drunken memory that flashed through her mind out of her head as she drove and switched lanes aggressively, while jerking her steering wheel left and right. All through her drive, she was calling back a few of those who had called her incessantly to give them an order about what to do. “Come up with the fastest way to mitigate the effect of being sued by the victims, before we get to the bottom of this,” she informed the legal team. “Secure the footage for the past two weeks at the food storage and distribution centers, with the past few days in focus. Contact the heads and receive their logs for the past few days instantly, so that we can know what distribution unit brought it to the mall,” she told Hepzy, her general manager, whom she was sure
“What happened?” Zoe questioned, her voice calm and collected, even if her head was already conjuring up the worst case scenarios. “One of our food products….” Zara exhaled sharply, her head spinning with worry, “It landed three children from different homes in the hospital yesterday night. Severe food poisoning. A mother went public about it, and now it is everywhere on social media, and news outlets. The two other moms joined in too, and now it is a crazy business. The mall is being dragged through the dirt, and people are canceling their orders. Many people are saying a lot of trash, and calling for a boycott. It is crazy!” She narrated without taking a breath. Zoe's head almost tumbled hearing that, but she remained composed regardless, “Which store?”“The gourmet section. It is the new frozen chicken which was just added to the line. They said they all had it for dinner yesterday night, and that was the food they had in common. I truly hope that there will be no more casualtie
The morning sunlight filtered through the floor-length curtains of the living room which were usually barely opened, with its mild rays radiating heat against the body of the lady that was sprawled on the couch, her tightly shut eyes squinting endlessly. Unable to cope with the intensity of the sunrays, Zoe tried to turn to the other side the way she usually did on her bed, when her other hand suddenly landed on an open space causing her heart and eyes to jump open at the same time. ‘Shit. Where was she?’ she wondered, as her eyes which were initially struggling to open parted instantly from the shock that she landed on the floor from the chair. ‘She was sleeping in her living room and not her room?’ Zoe panicked, as she pulled her body up instantly, and looked around, wondering if it was truly morning already. ‘How long did she sleep?’ she wondered, her eyes scanning around as if she could tell just by that. She could tell from how she was feeling in her body that she slept a lot
“You know her?” Jasmine asked reflexively, before she shook her head, realizing what a weird question she asked, “I guess she is so popular that you even know her,” She shook her head again, “It is no news if a child born today knows her.” “Ye…es. Yes. Yes, I do,” Justine answered, almost stuttering, her voice and gaze a little distant as if she was getting lost in the thoughts of something else. Her face suddenly stiffened in a more deepened shock. “She is. She is somehow the daughter of my first love, and friend who betrayed me so terribly. It is crazy how life turns out,” she continued to rant endlessly, deeply bitter because she just couldn't help but wonder how. She ran a thumb along the rim of her glass, staring at the city as if the answers were out there somewhere, and continued to speak, “And I know that it is not the child's fault that all this happened, but I cannot help but be resentful,” she paused again, her head spinning. “Sometimes I get sentimental, which is
Malcolm's face turned pale as soon as she heard her question, and cats got his tongue so bad because he had not even expected her to ask on such a serious note. Words suddenly eluded him and his mind became a blank mark. “I just had to ask you know,” She let out a breathy, humorless laugher, the wine making her bold, or maybe just honest, “I mean my life is still pathetic even if I am rich, and I still cannot be happy. You would never even be happy with me. Just like we never were,” she smiled. Malcolm's heart sank the moment she said that, and his eyes, dark and weighted with things he never said, locked onto hers.“Find another woman,” she murmured as if compelling him, “One you don’t have to share so much guilt with, and have to atone to, for the rest of your life. And maybe I might find someone too someday. Someone I don’t have a love-hate relationship and very bad memories with.” “Love-hate?” Malcolm echoed, his voice less composed, or quiet now, his confusion betraying his co
The balcony doors of the Grand MEL-CO suite were open on the fifteenth floor to the cool night breeze, which carried the faintest scent of the sea not too far away from the beautiful view. Seated there comfortably were two dear friends, who took the evening to meet up and get lost in the reverie of the moment while sharing how their days had gone without seeing one another. A glass of whiskey sat between the fingers of Justine, a stunning woman at forty-nine with beautiful striking features, as she leaned back against the cushioned chair she was sitting on, with two of her legs stretched out to the front, while delicately swirling the stem of her half-empty wine glass. A long, satisfied sigh escaped her, as she stretched her arms overhead, her eyes glistening with admiration of the beautiful sight before her. “You have no idea how much I needed that spa today,” she mused, tilting her head toward her friend, “I swear, Jasmine, it was divine. You would have loved it.” She sighed d