Travis could not focus. He was still thinking of Alison's words, and even though he wanted to give her space, he needed to understand what was going on.He remembered the first time they met. She had mentioned something about a letter.Could it be what he was thinking?In order to satisfy his curiosity, he made his way out to her office.He knocked slightly, and and when he heard her say, "Come in", he pushed the door open.He cleared his throat, refusing to beat around the bush.“What did you mean?” Travis asked, his brows furrowing a little, as he shut the door.She looked at him, wondering what he was talking about."What did I mean? I don't understand, what are you talking about?" "I mean.. you mentioned something the first time we met. And then—" Alison let out a deep breath, cutting him shut as if she just wanted to let it out. “I was talking about the breakup letter, Travis. The one you sent me.”His eyes widened in disbelief. So, he did not hear wrongly. She really did mean
“So... it really was your mother,” she said lowly, as if she was finding it difficult to believe that it was really his mother who was the mastermind of all of this.Travis nodded, his jaw clenched. “It all makes sense now. The letters, the trip..everything that happened between us, she was behind it.”Alison exhaled deeply, her fingers running through her hair. “I just... I don’t understand why she hated me so much. I was never disrespectful to her, Travis. I didn’t even get the chance to prove myself to her.”“It was not about you, Alison,” Travis replied, trying to keep his cool. “It was about my mother. My mother has always believed she knows what is best for me. And in her eyes, you didn’t fit the image she had for my future. I guess that was the reason she did this. Only that, I did not think she would go this far.”Alison shook her head. “So, was she right to break us apart without our knowledge? Manipulating us to thinking we were both at fault."“No, it wasn't,” Travis said,
Alison reached the car park, and took out her car key. Just as she was about to enter the car, she sighted Travis heading her way.He was glued to his phone, and Oscar was nowhere to be found. It seemed like he had gone on another of Travis' errands."Travis, hey," she said, stepping in front of him.“Alison?” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”“I need to talk to you,” she said, crossing her hands over her chest.He raised an eyebrow, and asked, "what do you want to talk about?" "This," she said, holding up the gold invitation card from earlier.Travis frowned, recognizing the card immediately. He wondered how she got a hold of it, but he pretended not to know anything about it.“What is that?”“You tell me,” Alison shot back. “It is an invitation to an event hosted by the so-called ‘Elite Men.’ And don’t tell me you don’t know anything about it, Travis. The name alone speaks of your world.”He stepped closer, feigning to be confused. “I’ve never seen that before in my li
Travis was mad at his mother for what she did. He could not get it off his mind that his mother had ruined his relationship with Alison. For years, he thought Alison left him. He lived with the fact that Alison dumped him, and even though he had vowed to forget about her, he just couldn't. Not after seeing her that day. The car came to a halt. He stepped on the pedal with full force that, sent him moving forward. He was not at peace. He had not vented enough. He needed to let his mother know that what she did had really hurt him. It felt like he had not said enough. He turned the car around, heading back to the mansion. As he arrived, he stormed into the house.The first person he sighted was his mother. She looked at him, a bit surprised that he came back.She had thought, initially, that he was back to his senses and finally remembered that they had dinner, but then, her assumptions were wrong.She said, "Travis dear. Have you finally come back to your senses? Do you now rememb
**FLASHBACK** Delaney arranged her hair and smoothened her dress. This was one of the many blind dates her parents had arranged for her. This time, she was meeting with Travis Rodrigo. She stood in front of the cafe, which her parents had instructed her driver to take her to. She sighed, shaking her head. The cafe was an exquisite one. Although, today, there were not many people in the cafe. As she stepped in, Delaney spotted Travis immediately. He looked tall from the way he sat. He was calm and full of powerful aura. She sighed once again and walked over to the table. “Delaney, right?” Travis stood as she approached, his voice calm. He had been sent to the cafe by his mother, who was pressurizing him to get married. His parents and Delaney's parents were business partners, and if the two of them were to get married, their business partnership bond would be strengthened. “Yes,” she replied, extending her hand. “You must be Travis.” “Guilty as charged.” He chuckled, pulling
Travis stared at his desk. Reports, charts, and files were neatly arranged in front of him, but his focus was not steady.The image of Delaney..her confession, her voice, her betrayal haunted him for days, but now, it felt like he was already getting over her. He had buried himself in work, determined to prove to himself, and everyone else, that he was more than his setbacks and mistakes.He was ready to prove to his mother and even to Delaney that he could be successful.“Mr. Rodrigo,” his assistant’s voice broke his thoughts, “the quarterly report meeting is about to start.”“I will be there, soon,” Travis replied, his tone calm.The meeting started off with a different atmosphere, but after Travis made his presentation, they all nodded in approval. Their faces were full of smiles, as they applauded him. His recent strategies had led to an unexpected rise in stock prices, causing his name to be on everyone's lips.As the meeting ended, one of the senior executives approached him.
"I am glad to have finally seen you." Alison wanted to roll her eyes, but she kept her cool. "You asked to meet with me, Ms. Rodrigo. Is anything the matter?" Alison's tone was polite, but guarded, and for a moment he watched the older woman's mile drop, before she regained composure. "Pardon my manners Alison," Mrs. Rodrigo said, gesturing for Alison to sit down. "And yes, there's something I want to discuss with you." Alison sat down, her eyes fixed warily on the older woman. "I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot in the past," the woman started. "But for the sake of Travis, please let's put everything behind us and move on " The air around them suddenly thickened, as Alison wondered where the conversation was headed. Of course, she was not a fool. A part of her knew that beneath the surface, Mrs. Rodrigo still harbored the same disdain towards her...and nothing changed over the years. "I didn't like you when you first started dating Travis. I mean...your backgr
Alison stood outside the small bakery, the address scribbled on a piece of paper clutched in her hand, like a piece of treasure being hidden from crazy folks.The letters she had obtained relating to the three elite men had led her to this unassuming location. She took a deep breath, her mind racing with possibilities.Originally, she wouldn't go to this extent for a client, but Travis was more than a client, and although she tried to get her mind away, it kept drifting back to him and all their beautiful memories…The stolen kisses, the whispers which usually sounded as a subtle reminder that she was destined for exploits, their movie dates, although against his wish. Every memory of Travis she had was beautiful, and for that reason she was going to do anything to get him out of the mess he was in.As she pushed open the door of the bakery, a bell above it rang out, and the scent of freshly baked bread wafted through her nostrils, momentarily making Alison forget the reason she was t
“Travis, talk to me, is everything okay?” Alison asked, panic obvious in her expression. “The news isn't telling the truth, right? It was just some rumors right?”Travis sighed and walked fully into the living room. “Alison It's.. it's just a whole lot.” Alison’s hand went up to Travis's face and she ran her fingers through it, locking her eyes with his.“Trav, I'm here for you, I always will be here.” She whispered. She could see the exhaustion and worry etched on his face, and deep down she hoped the news were just not true.His eyes, normally bright and confident, were sunken and red-rimmed. His shoulders slumped, and his usual sharp jawline was now gaunt and pale. Seeing that he really needed all the emotioal comfort he could get, she embracing him tightly. “You can count on me my darling. Just trust me, okay?”He sighed and hugged her back. “Thank you so much, babe.”“It is nothing, I mean it's why you have me, right?” She grinned and planted a soft lingering kiss on his lips.
“Wait up, Bruno you really did a good job.” Enzo grinned staring at the television with a smirk. “It has been ages since I have been thinking about bringing that rude brat to his knees, and that is exactly what is going on.” The Elite men were seated in their usual spot. The luxurious lounge was dimly lit, with soft jazz music playing in the background, creating a sophisticated ambiance. The walls were adorned with expensive artwork, and the floor was covered with plush carpeting, giving the space a sense of opulence. Marco, Enzo, and Bruno sat comfortably on a sleek, black leather couch, sipping their drinks and watching the news on the large screen TV.“Honestly, Enzo I can't be more glad that this is happening.” Marco replied and took a sip out of his drink. “And… the beautiful thing about everything that transpired is the fact that I tried to warn him, yet he would not listen.”“I have had all of these evidence for a long time now, I was simply waiting for the right time.” Brun
Alison's eyes slowly opened, and she found herself lying on the couch.The living room was bright, as Alison always remembered and the television was still on, the news precisely, and Travis's face still covered the screen.Guards stood at strategic positions, their faces stern and alert."Where...where am I?" Alison stammered, her mind foggy. “I remember standing here just now, so why?”The remaining words got stuck in her throat when she sighted Karen sitting beside her with a concerned expression. "You passed out, and the maids wanted to call an ambulance, but I stopped them," Karen explained gently. “When did you get in here?” Alison asked, feeling a slight headache. “The last time we spoke you were on your way here.”“And that was more than an hour ago. I met you unconscious when I walked in here.” She tried softly.Alison's memories came flooding back, and she sat up with a start. "The news...Travis...the scandal?" she asked, her voice trembling. “They were all a dream, right?
Alison woke up to an empty bedroom, the television still on, and Travis's stuff scattered around the room. “Travis,” she called and sat up in the bed. “Where did he go to this early?” She yawned and got out of bed, wondering why Travis had left for work without her. Her eyes darted to the clock and she was shocked at what time was. “It's 9 am already?” She gasped and rushed to the bathroom to freshen up.She got back to the room and there was still no sign of Travis, it seemed as though he had not even bee around.She finally decided to reached for her phone to call him. Since they began living together weeks ago, he has never gone to work without her, so why all of a sudden?“Is it probably because of what transpired last night?” She asked herself ad the moment she turned her screen on, but it was flooded with a lot of notifications.70 missed calls from Megan, Carlos, Karen, Drake, and other numbers. Alison's heart skipped a beat as she scrolled through the calls, but Travis's n
The night had descended, casting a dark and foreboding shadow over Alison's apartment. She lay in bed, her body shivering under the duvet, despite the warmth of the room. Travis, sensing her distress, reached out and gently petted her hair, trying to calm her down."Hey, it's okay, Alison. Try to relax. You need to get some rest," Travis whispered softly. “And get a grip of yourself.”“Travis, I can't,” She whispered. “It's just that everything is happening so fast? Like it has already been planned from the onset and is simply playing out.”“How do you mean?” Travis asked, adjusting beside her. “Is there something else you know, that I am not aware of?”“Not exactly. But can't you read between the lines and see what I'm trying to say?” She asked, getting slightly frustrated as her gaze grew distant. “Travis, those men that have been trailing me definitely want something and it is obvious they'd stop at nothing to get it.”“Okay?” Travis raised an eyebrow getting even more confused. “B
“Bruno darling, have you finally decided what you intend to do about Alison?” Mrs. Francisco asked, as she watched a television show with him. “I mean, if you wanted to do anything, then you should start doing it already.”“Mum, I'm planning something already,” he muttered, although he had his gaze fixed on the television, his mind was far away. “Just try as much as you can to stay away from it.”“Bruno, what about Theo? Are you still not going to let him feel your affection? The kid needs you.” She said, her eyes holding a glint of guilt.“Mum…” Bruno groaned. “Please allow me time to think, I already told you that I am not ready to unleash the version of me that the kid brings out.”“Clearly Bruno, you are neglecting the kid. Does that not bother you?” She asked again. “Look Bruno, I'm still a mother and I have the motherly affection in me. Letting Theo stay without your affection will definitely give Alison more grounds.”“Mum, I'm not in the right frame of mind for this conversati
“Calm down, Ally Wally, get a grip of yourself” Karen whispered, her gaze drifting to the road and back to Alison whose hands were trembling against her thighs where they rested. “I know that was quite traumatizing, but come on.” “Karen, I swear you can't understand,” Alison managed to utter. “To me, this goes way beyond being trailed, Karen, the last time I got trailed I was attacked! I was trailed down to my apartment and attacked without remorse.”With her gaze fixated out through the window, Alison's mind wandered back to the attack. “You know… I could have been killed if I hadn't learned Taekwondo back then,” she whispered, pressing her face against the tinted car glass. “Clearly, the men were caught off guard, I could see it written in their faces, Karen, it was all clear! What if I was not strong enough and I got raped? Or killed?”“Alison, calm down, stop overthinking this… yes, we got trailed and almost attacked, but we escaped, right? Is that not all that should matter?” K
Layla kept pacing around her room anxiously, her gaze darting between her wall clock and outside the window.“Where the hell is Spider?” She spat and pushed everything off her vanity table. “Show up!!”After waiting for hours with no sign of Spider, she opened her bedside drawer and took out a pack of Cigarette and a lighter.Then a sharp knock sounded on the door. “I don't want to see anyone, just get out!” She snapped and lit the cigarette, staring out through the window. “Get out!”“You wouldn't even ask who it is,” she heard a familiar voice from outside. “Anyway, it is Spider.”“Damn!! Come on in. Why did you not speak earlier.” She snapped. “So any progress?” She asked, her gaze still fixed out the window.“If I had spoken earlier, it would have been for you to be a bit nice knowing it was me.” Spider replied, walking fully into the room. “Why does everywhere look so messy and scattered, I don't want to believe you lost your mind again.”“Of course, you were not showing up, and
“So, what now?” Travis asked staring at Oscar as they walked towards the elevator which read, ‘out of bound’Only the managing board members were permitted to use it.“Boss, it was in the news last night.” Oscar replied, his voice measured. “I thought we'd talk about it first before I think about how to handle it.”“Of course, it was, and that's why I'm bothered. I hope you didn't make the payments? I mean I hope you did not buy any shares,” Travis asked.“Not yet sir, look the files are here already. I just needed you to append your signatures on them before going to pay for the shares.” He replied, pointing towards one of the files in his hand.“Why do I feel like this was all a plan, supposed to be a set up or something?” Travis asked, his gaze growing distant. “Just a few days ago, Gold&Sparkle Group was doing just fine, and today they've gone bankrupt and are about to shut down.”“In my opinion sir, I think this is exactly why they began selling out shares. Think about it… when l