GENERAL POVIt was Friday, the eve of Benjamin Harrington's birthday. Harrington is the chairman and founder of Harrington's Group International and the father of Elliot, the CEO.The company premises wore a festive look inside and out as the board of directors declared Friday a "no work day." So that a mini-party could be held in the chairman's honor.The entryways were lined with pre-lit miniature lanterns and oversized decorations. Targeted areas in the offices had large photographs of Benjamin Harrington displayed on them. A cluster of colorful balloons with ribbons attached to them dangled upside down from the ceiling.The staff were not left out; they wore flashy corporate dresses that flaunted the colors on the company’s logo: blue and black. The men wore blue jackets and pants with black ties and shoes. While the women wore blue skirts and blouses on black shoes, All of them were smiling and moving gorgeously from one point of the building to another.***“Sir.” Gerald’s voice
GENERAL POVElliot stood in a corner of his parents' spacious living room. He was wearing a three-piece serge suit, clutching a glass of wine, and observing the activities of the day. The high ceilings are adorned with ornate balloons. The party was underway. The stewards, in all white dresses, bore golden trays and obsequious smiles. Expensive wine sparkled in tall glasses, and the twinkling silvery chandeliers’ light reflected the glitter of jewelry on many of the female guests' hands and necks. Classical music was playing soothingly from the corner, and some couples held themselves close, speaking in low tones and with hallowed expressions.Those present were either blood relatives, highly placed company stakeholders, or very close family friends. It was extremely exclusive.Amanda immediately stood out from the crowd, wearing a red dress. She had accompanied her parents to the party. She came up to Elliot to say hello, kissing him on the cheek. “How do you do?”"Great," Elliot sai
ELLIOT'S POVI arrived early to work the next Monday. I got out of the car and grabbed my phone as I went into the complex. My mind was so much busier than my feet. I realized this as I got to the doorway that led to my office. Standing transfixed in one spot, my thoughts went back to yesterday's party. Earlier in the morning, when I got out of the house, my phone chimed, alerting me to a message from my mom."I forgot to tell you, sweetie. About yesterday, it's a new day; remember to keep your head down. Ok, I love you."I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to slam my phone against the wall and howl at both Dad and herself, and in fact, at the whole world, to leave me the fuck alone. As much as I loved them, they were being too forceful about this marriage thing, and with the way things were going, it was either now or never, particularly now that Dad was involved. Dad, with his robotic sense of virtue and fierce morals, did not know how to go back on his words. “You’re grown; I kn
GENERAL POVAfter the kids were done with supper at the dining table on Monday night, they hurried back into their room simultaneously, leaving Sophie behind, who was still busy with her meal.They had to quickly debate and contemplate amongst themselves to know if it was the right time to unveil Owen's monitor, which they installed in Candidate 1's office on Friday. Yesterday night, when they last checked, it had not picked up any visual or audio signals. That wasn't strange. It was a Sunday night, so no one could have been at the office at that time. If they were going to see anything, it would be today, which was a work day, but they needed to wait for Sophie to fall asleep. While they were still talking, they heard Sophie’s voice echo from the sitting room."It's just half past seven; why are you guys in your room so early?"They kept quiet for a while, looking at themselves, each of them thinking of the best thing to say in response.“Bella darling,” Sophie called again. “The Rob
ELLIOT'S POVThe automated door leading to the marketing department slid open as I marched fiercely into the open office space. The various workers froze on the spot at their various points of duty. None of them bothered to greet me as usual, because they could sense from my vicious-looking countenance that I was in no mood for such. They were used to it, though, and right then, many of them could tell that an unlucky staff member was in trouble, and I could almost hear them silently praying to not be the victim.The only person who still dared to approach me was Olivia."Darling, you have come to flatter us again with your presence. What may you do for you, sir?”"Stand aside now.” I snapped.“But horn..”“I said stand aside this minute.” The tone of my voice rose higher and harsher.She fidgeted and stood aside, looking humbled.It was the first time I would speak to her in the presence of the staff in that manner, but I care less.“Where is Anderson?” I barked, even though I alread
GENERAL POV"I think he is kind of a cool guy. Too cool, unlike the cocky CEOs we see in the movies. I think I'm beginning to like him."Isabella wrote on their group chat on their way back from the company.Nathan responded with "Yup."While Owen said, "So true, I just hope he passes the test in the end."Joseph and Sophie were seated in front while the kids were perched at the back as usual, sitting hunched over their pads with all their attention focused on them. Elliot had granted her an early leave from work due to Nathan’s illness.***Back at the company's hallway after they met Elliot and Olivia, they had talked and got to know themselves a little more, until the intercom in the CEO's office had been rung by Sophie's call. The kids had been so surprised and pleased by the way Elliot cooperated with their lie and their up-and-down game plan.He had rushed back inside with Olivia to pick up the call, while the kids followed him in. Owen cleverly sighted and obtained the missing
Sophie's POVJoseph went back into the car to wait for us while Carter and I shared a hug. During the hug, I could feel Carter's arm tighten around me a bit, so I patted his shoulder to signal that it was enough. He immediately got the message and loosened his grip, breaking off the hug.I took some steps backward and straightened my dress. My eyes instantly caught the curious gaze of Owen and his siblings; they blushed at once and looked away. From their body language, they must have assumed that Carter and I had something together in the past, which wasn't exactly the case. Just like Lucas, Carter was also a former classmate. However, unlike Lucas, Carter had openly declared affection for me when we were teenagers. He had even asked me out before Adam. During our final term, he had offered to be my prom date, but I declined because of my father, who banned myself and Olivia from engaging in school parties. Father nicknamed Prom Night Lucifer's sex feast. However, Olivia would secre
ELLIOT’S POVIn preparation for the meeting I had arranged with Sophie today at the office, I decided to get a surprise that would aid my plan. I parked and turned off my ignition near the florist shop on my way to work. I horned twice to get the attention of the person inside the shop."Who's there?"A man's voice reverberated. Then I saw his lean figure emanate from the entrance, his eyes curious and searching. Then, he immediately stopped seeing the Tesla I had pulled up with in front of his store. His curious face became overwhelmed by awe instead.“Good day to you, sir. Is there anything you want us to help you with?” He asked, smiling, slightly exposing the mild diastema between his teeth.“I need a bouquet of roses.” I requested.“Any specifics?” He asked further.“Just get me a good one.” I blurted mildly yet impatiently."Alright, sir, sit back; I will be right back.”He pleaded and hurried back inside.I whistled happily, thinking about how smoothly everything was going to b
I am filled with immense gratitude as I write this message, appreciating every one of you who has joined me on this journey. Whether you have been following from the start or have recently become a part of this story, your presence has truly enhanced the storytelling experience in immeasurable ways.I am thankful for allowing my characters to be a part of your lives, for investing your time and emotions in their successes and challenges, and for sharing in their joys and sorrows. Your support, feedback, and motivation have been the driving force behind every word written, inspiring me to explore their world further and create narratives that resonate with you.As we come to the end of this story, I'm thrilled to announce that a new story awaits. In the meantime, I would like to hear your thoughts about the story, please don't hesitate to share your feedback.Once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks for being a part of this remarkable journey. Your support ignites my passion.With dee
SOPHIE'S POVI shifted the thick, opaque curtains that fell over the window in my room to one side as I observed the gate of our house through the transparent glass upstairs.The Tesla had just driven out through the open gate, and one of the uninformed security guards had begun to close it up.Elliot, who had been raising fire and brimstone some moments ago, had finally resigned to the strong will of his daughter. He has finally yielded to her persuasion as well as that of her older twin, Amelia. I let out a small smile. Was it not funny that despite his so-called anger about the recent developments, he still insisted on dropping them off at the park, even when Amelia kept insisting that the park was not that far? Sometimes, I find myself debating again who actually pampered Isabella more between her father and grandfather. I let out a wider smile this time.I drew the curtains closed again and returned to my bed to sit quietly."Just like yesterday," I whispered.It was so hard to
GENERAL POVOwen was sitting stiffly inside Michael's larger-than-life office space. While Michael reclined at the other end of the desk, his manner was a little more relaxed since the last time they met at his school. They were having a conversation about Isabella."Have you called my sister yet?" Owen asked calmly."No, not yet," Michael answered, almost blushing at the sound of Isabella's name.Owen shrugged weakly and said,"But why her? I mean, what drew you to her? She literally dresses like a guy. Though I know my sister is beautiful, if you're not close to her like us, you might never know."Michael let out an indulgent smile, readjusting his seat and leaning forward before he spoke again.Actually, I've seen Isabella several times without her usual regalia. Erm, you know, her usual regalia." He let out a gentle laugh.Then, a little more quietly, he added:"She is so kind and beautiful."Owen laughed too, in a way that said, "I thought as much,"Then Michael went on to tap h
ISABELLA’S POVI opened my eyes faintly the next morning after a long sleep the previous night, rolling over tiredly on the hospital's compact bed. Then suddenly, my body brushed against the rigid weight of someone sitting with his back turned against me on the bed. I sat up immediately, rubbing my palms over my face and eyes to brighten my vision. The person turned over at once, and to my relief, it was the face of Dr. James.My curious expression softened into a smile. He smiled too, and with a soothing voice, he asked,"How are you feeling?"His gaze switched to my neck and arms.I involuntarily touched the plastered areas on my hands before I said,"I'm quite fine; it was just a slight accident."A small silence ensued. He stared at me with deep care in his eyes, and for a second I had to bite my lip and look away shyly.Then he inhaled and brought out my phone from the pocket of his lab coat. Then he made a weak gesture with his hand before he said,"Your phone; I charged it for
Nathan arrived at the Epiloxx Club as directed by the address from Isabella's text message. As soon as he got out of the taxi, He walked towards the entrance and stopped for a moment to catch his breath before attempting to go in. He stopped again and flexed his wrist to see what the time was saying on his gold watch; it was exactly 11:30 am. He inhaled and exhaled to calm his nerves, trying to imagine the look Scarlett would have on her face the moment she eventually saw him, as well as the reaction of this so-called boyfriend of hers. Then he brashly waved his hand as if to say, "Whatever." Before proceeding finally into the building with slow but steady strides. While inside the club and standing awkwardly near the door with surveilling eyes, the first thing Nathan's eyes picked out from the crowded, noisy hall illuminated with dull multicolored lights was the sight of Scarlett kissing a guy at the back of the room, a man whom Nathan immediately identified as Kevin. He froze and
General POVIsabella's apartment was located less than 10 minutes away from her school, immediately outside the terminating bar gate.She was in the house, sitting in her cozy blue-painted bedroom with the warm, masculine-looking decor and walls pervaded by the many photographs of bikers and popular sportsmen around the world.She was wreathed in blue tops and shorts, which also marched with the color of her room, sporting a pair of expensive trainers, leaning over to untie and retie the shoelaces with a meticulous expression on her face and taut lips. She lifted her head quickly to check the vintage clocks hanging above the arc when she was done and mouthed the words:"Five minutes past six already?" looking surprised and taken aback."Oh my God." She whispered again, springing up to her feet hurriedly. The event she was about to attend was actually a racing exercise organized by her teammates back in school and was supposed to begin at exactly 6:30; she had just 25 minutes left to
GENERAL POVThe first and second basements of the round, well-ventilated university hall were filled up with mostly young people from different parts of the city; all of them were clothed in nice dresses while also bearing notebooks and pens on their palms, jotting down points as they kept their focus fixedly on the young prominent speaker standing on top of the podium and was about to round off his talk.The speaker's name was Michael Howard, a 25-year-old billionaire heir and owner of one of the largest corporations booming in New York City, just about second after the Harringtons. He was invited to the school’s graduation to deliver the first key note speech to the graduating students. During the speech, Michael went ahead to acknowledge the CEO of Harrington Inc., Elliot Harrigton, who was also present as one of his biggest inspirations.All the while, Nathan, sitting with brother Owen and dressed up in their graduating gowns, nodded attentively to everything Michael was saying at
15 YEARS LATERSOPHIE'S POVI was seated with Elliot in the sectioned corner of our sitting room, where the dining room was located. Breakfast was set, and we were already digging into it in silence when Nathan, who was all suited up and sitting next to his father and ready to accompany him to his office, disrupted the quietness with his slightly hoarse, passionate voice. This had become a usual routine for us every morning since Elliot started to allow him to accompany him to work about four years ago. Sometimes these dining table speculations and business advice would mostly start hours before breakfast; other times, they would start during the meal, and if we happened to be lucky, it would be after we were done eating. Sometimes I found myself counting to ten silently in anticipation of his voice, just like I had done today while dishing the meal, and as expected, the fresh economic expert we had for a son was not disappointed."I was actually following up on one of the brokerage
SOPHIE'S POVAs soon as we arrived at the house, Elliot took out the keys from the ignition point, let out a small groan, and came down from the car hurriedly. With double-quick yet uncoordinated steps, Elliot entered the house with his head bowed to the earth. It was obvious he was still feeling hurt; perhaps it was better to allow him some quiet time to absorb everything. I observed him through the windscreen for a moment before turning over to glance at Mrs. Harrington, his mother, who was still bent over in the back seat, sniffing and weeping bitterly since the moment she followed us to the family house. Even the kids were muttering, their hands resting on her shoulder."Stop crying, grandma," Isabella said, looking at her, and her brother's eyes were on her too, looking at her worriedly.She wrapped her hands around them to acknowledge their plea, but she still could not stop her crying."Darlings, could you please borrow me a few minutes alone with Grandma?"They looked at her o