Monday morning dawned bright and early, but Alison's mood was far from sunny. The events of the weekend still lingered in her mind, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She knew she couldn't face Travis at the office, not after their steamy weekend together and what had transpired between them. So, she picked up her phone and dialed Karen's number. "Hey, girl, what's up?" Karen's response was bubbly as she answered on the first ring. “It's Monday again..” "Not much, Karen. I'm just not feeling too well today," Alison said, trying to sound as convincing as possible, although her voice was already betraying her. Karen's tone immediately turned concerned. "Oh no, what's wrong? Do you need me to come over? Have you gone to the hospital?” Alison quickly waved off the offer. "No, no, I'll be fine. Just need to rest a bit, that's all." Karen wasn't buying it, but she promised not to pry. "Okay, if you're sure you're okay... But if you need anything, don't hesitate to ca
After pulling up at the driveway, the car was opened for Travis by one of his guards, while another held his briefcase as he walked into his company's magnificent building.“Good morning, chairman,” The receptionist greeted respectfully the moment he stepped in, and he nodded curtly in response.“Uhm sir..” she trailed off. “I hope you enjoyed your weekend.”Travis's gaze lingered on her for a moment and he nodded. “Of course I did…do you want something?”The lady hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.“Do have a nice day, then.” He mumbled and made his way for the VIP elevator, with the guard holding his briefcase and two other guards behind him.As Travis got into his office, his mind still reeled from the events of the weekend. He had waited all weekend, looking forward to seeing Alison and talking to her about what had happened between herself and his mother, and now, it was finally Monday, hopefully he would get to see Alison and talk things out with her.After settling
The warm sunlight streaming through the dining room window cast a comforting glow over the breakfast table.Bruno, still reeling from the whole incidents that's been going on around him lately, and trying to understand why it suddenly seemed like he was growing soft, found solace in the quiet morning moments with his son, Theo. The young boy chattered excitedly about his upcoming school play, his bright eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and a child-like excitement Bruno suddenly found himself drawn to."I'm going to be a pirate, Daddy!" Theo exclaimed, waving his spoon in the air. “I'm the only person that got casted for the role.”"That's amazing, buddy! I will make sure to come watch you," Bruno replied, smiling. “I'm sure you would make me proud.”"I'm going to sing a song, too," Theo said, his voice filled with excitement. "You want to hear it? Or would you rather wait until D-Day?”"No no…, kiddo, let's hear it now," Bruno grinned, leaning in.Theo cleared his throat and began to
Travis walked into his office, his gaze fixed on his iPad and Oscar following closely behind, and reading to him his schedule for the day.“Okay…so cancel all my appointments from 4pm downward, just reschedule or do something about them.” Travis said after clearing his throat. “And…send a mail to White Castle group, let them know that I've gone through their proposal, and we won't be objecting to it, so they can have the contract.” “I'll do just that sir.” Oscar replied and Travis sighed, dropping his iPad on his desk, and collapsing into his chair. “Any other thing?’ Oscar asked and Travis shook his head.“None for now.” He mumbled, then suddenly recalled something. “one more thing Oscar… have you seen Alison today?" Travis asked, his brow furrowed in concern.Oscar shook his head. "No, sir. She didn't come to work. I tried calling her, but she's not answering."Travis's expression turned thoughtful. "I'll try to stop by her apartment again on my way home. See if she's okay."Osca
As Alison handed Drake a glass of wine, she couldn't help but notice the peculiar glances exchanged between him and Karen. The atmosphere had suddenly grown thick with an unspoken understanding, and Alison's curiosity was piqued. "Hey, what's going on here?" Alison asked, raising an eyebrow as she sat down beside them. “Is there something that I'm unaware of?” She asked again sensing the chemistry. Drake and Karen shared another knowing glance, and then, in perfect synchrony, they chorused, "You!" The room erupted into laughter from Karen and Drake, leaving Alison staring at them lost in thoughts. “It's been how many years?” Drake asked, his expression growing serious. “I knew the aura was way too familiar for merely a coincidence.” "I knew it!" Karen exclaimed, playfully hitting Drake on the arm. "I knew you were the one I met at that music festival five years ago!" Drake chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "I knew it too! But I never thought I'd see you again, Karen. Wha
Alison sat alone in her house, reeling from the confrontation with Sarah, Bruno's wife. She couldn't understand why the woman had suddenly changed her tune. One moment, she was seeking Alison's help with her divorce, and the next, she was accusing Alison of trying to steal her husband and threatening her with her son. Just as Alison was starting to feel overwhelmed, she heard a knock at the door. She got up to answer it, expecting it to be a delivery or perhaps a neighbor. But to her surprise, it was Karen, her colleague from work, and a very good friend. "Hey, Karen! Come on in," Alison said, trying to sound cheerful despite her earlier encounter with Sarah. “Ally” Karen beamed, walking in, looking concerned. "Alison, I was worried about you all day!. You said you were ill, but you look...fine," Karen said, eyeing Alison's healthy complexion. “I got better over time you know.” Alison winked, grinning from ear to ear. “I know you better Alison, what have you been up to?” She ask
Travis walked out of the supermarket, his guards carrying bags of groceries behind him while he walked side by side with Oscar. As he made his way to his car, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been growing inside him since his conversation with Raquel. She had warned him about potential threats, and he had taken her words seriously, he was definitely going to call for additional security measures to be put in place. He spent some years with Raquel and those years thought him never to take her words for granted. As he drove away from the supermarket, Travis's mind wandered to Alison. He had been thinking about her nonstop since their last encounter. He couldn't believe how much he still cared for her, how much he wanted to be with her. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. He answered, listening intently as his security team updated him on the latest developments. After a lengthy conversation, he ended the call, his mind racing with pos
As Alison handed Drake a glass of wine, she couldn't help but notice the peculiar glances exchanged between him and Karen. The atmosphere had suddenly grown thick with an unspoken understanding, and Alison's curiosity was piqued. "Hey, what's going on here?" Alison asked, raising an eyebrow as she sat down beside them. “Is there something that I'm unaware of?” She asked again sensing the chemistry. Drake and Karen shared another knowing glance, and then, in perfect synchrony, they chorused, "You!" The room erupted into laughter from Karen and Drake, leaving Alison staring at them lost in thoughts. “It's been how many years?” Drake asked, his expression growing serious. “I knew the aura was way too familiar for merely a coincidence.” "I knew it!" Karen exclaimed, playfully hitting Drake on the arm. "I knew you were the one I met at that music festival five years ago!" Drake chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "I knew it too! But I never thought I'd see you again, Karen. Wha
The moment he sighted Alison walk out of the room looking like a ghost, better still, a frame of her former self, Travis' eyes widened in shock, so did his mouth. There was not any way he would have believe that his Alison would lose so much weight and life in just a matter of twenty one days. Her collar bones were glaring, deep enough to hold water in them. Her eyes were red, and so was her face… a testament to the tears she had to shed and the pain she'd gone through.Alison on the other hand, kept staring at him, although at first she didn't want to admit it, he was looking so haggard and unkept, his hair was messy and his moustache was starting to grow wild.Only twenty-one days apart did this to the couple, who would have thought so.Still standing apart, the couple kept staring at each other, with so many words running through their minds, yet no one was uttering any words.Who would?Travis who was articulating his thoughts and thinking of the perfect way to get Alison's for
After so much hesitation, Travis finally planted a soft knock, on the door of Megan's apartment.“Who is it? How can I help you?” He heard Megan's soft voice ring from inside, and moved back slightly.As sounds of footsteps approached and grew louder, so did Travis’ heartbeats. What if she sends him away rudely?Alison must have told her about everything that happened, so how was he going to face her now?“Who is it, yo …” Megan's voice stopped halfway as she sighted Travis standing by the door, looking pale.“Y..you're here,” she said, obviously shocked. “I never thought you'd stop by.”“I'm sorry, I swear, I'm really sorry.” He said and Megan folded her arms under her chest.“What do you want? Why are you here?” “Aunt Megan, please… I need your help, don't say no, I beg of you.” He pleaded. “A lot happened, and I really need to speak with Alison.”“Well… sorry to disappoint you, but Alison is not here.” Megan shrugged and turned to go in, but Travis held onto her hand, with guilt
Travis tried to trail Raquel, but she was nowhere to be found, apparently she had already gone too far.“Fuck!!” He groaned in annoyance, punching his steering and screaming his lungs out. “I've lost everything!”Before he could stop himself, tears began slipping down his eyes. He got to the side of the road and parked.“Why did I let it get to this point?” He asked himself, ruffling his hair in frustration and crying out. “Now she has gotten what she wanted and is nowhere to be found.”He tried to calm himself down but it just was not working out.‘why not just head home, hopefully you would meet her and explain everything.’ His subconscious mind suggested and Travis shook his head.“I fucked up already, what explanation is going to make sense to her?” He muttered, his eyes already red from crying and his fists bruised.Eventually, he decided to drive home, not knowing exactly what to expect, but hoping for the best nevertheless.The drive was rough, with Travis growing more emotiona
“What the hell is going on here?” Alison yelled in shock, and Raquel got off Travis thighs, deciding to play the victim.“Sweetheart, what is she still doing here? I thought you said you were no longer with her?” Raquel asked Travis, pointing at Alison and crying. “I should never have trusted you again in the first place.”“Alison, I swear I can explain.” Travis whispered getting off the couch and swiftly going over to hold Alison.“Don't touch me!” She snapped, slapping his hands off her. “I should have known that this is what you were up to when you suddenly woke up and created the idea that you were going to work from home.”“Cupcake, it's not what you think.” He said going on his knees. “I promise you, I was actually working from home.”“It can even be what I think, but what I saw Travis… this bitch was straddling you and you didn't even push her off, what is she even doing here? And what does she mean by you said we'd broken up?” Alison asked, feeling her feet grow cold then she
The notion that ‘time flies’ had never made more sense to Alison. Just like yesterday, she was fighting to get her son back, then she lost him, and now three months had passed already. She had finally embraced the fact that her Theo was gone and she was never going to see him again. Deep down, she was grateful to Travis, who had always been her knight in shining armor, walking her through every single stage of grief. She finally opened her heart to Karen, Megan and Carlos, letting them comfort her. Although Alison never believed the saying that ‘time heals’ she'd a testament to that. “You're awake?” Travis muttered with a small smile as Alison tried to sit upright. “How was your night?” “It was good, I mean… I slept well,” she replied and smiled back at him. Her gaze caught the time on her clock and she gasped. “It's 8am, already? I have to get to the office.” She said and swiftly got out of bed. “Wait, you're resuming, already? You sure you are ready?” Travis asked, with
“I can't keep watching her do that to herself.” Travis murmured, as he sipped from his drink at the bar. “It's been more than two weeks already, and she is still refusing to talk to or see anybody.”Oscar sighed and then patted Travis’s back softly. “You've got this boss. Although Miss Alison needs som time alone, you should be by her side, comfort her and and reassure her that you're always going to be by her side and she hasn't lost her only reason to live.”“I had no idea you were really good with advice.” Travis chuckled lightly, and took a sip of his drink. “She's extremely vulnerable at this moment, and I am too…it's difficult consoling her, when she keeps blaming herself for everything that has happened.”“The more reason you have to be there for her, help her get rid of the emotional trauma.” He said, his expression unreadable. “It's better that way, so she doesn't feel like she's alone.”“I'll try to do that, and I hope she'd finally agree to go out. I can't watch her in that
Tears, pains, guilt, regrets and sorrows suddenly redefined Alison. It has already been a week since Theo's death, but to her it was no more that yesterday.Words of encouragement came in through one ear and went out through the other, leaving her drowning in despair and a walking shadow of her former self.“Where did I go wrong?” She asked no one in particular, as she sat alone in the room Theo spent his last week in. “Why do forces seem to be standing against my happiness? One moment, I'm at the verge of achieving my dreams, and the next minute, it's like everything has been turned upside down.”Travis who had been watching her from the door which was slightly ajar, shook his head in pity.“For how long will you keep doing this to yourself?” He finally asked. Alison didn't flinch despite how sudden his voice came, neither did she react, she just remained motionless, holding tightly onto Theo's bloodstained clothes, as if they were going to disappear if she let them go.She had ins
After running over Theo, the person behind the wheels smirked triumphantly and drove off without bothering to wait.When he had gotten to a reasonable distance away from them, he pulled the mask over his face revealing Spider.“Too bad, the little boy had to pay for the sins of his parents.” He repeated Raquel's words from the last time and then dialed her number.She answered on the first ring.“Hey spider, what's good? Did you succeed?” She asked, panic obvious in her voice.“You don't trust me?” He asked proudly. “To think that they made things easier for me, I didn't have to trail or…”“You're saying the kid is dead already, right?” Raquel cut him off impatiently. “Not yet, but with the level of harm I caused, I doubt he will survive it.” He reported.“Are you already on your way back here?” Raquel asked, and he could hear a hint of disdain in her voice.“Why asking?” He asked back.“Don't come back to the Cartel yet. Those people are smart enough, they would have you trailed and
**ONE WEEK LATER**“Travis, do you think I am a bad mother?” Alison asked, one morning before breakfast. She was seated before her mirror, staring at her expression, while Travis sat on the bed behind her, working on his laptop.“Where is this coming from?” He asked, clearly shocked by her question. “This is not about Theo, is it?”“It's him, and I just can't help it.” She muttered, then a tear slid down her eyes. “He does not seem happy, I have tried my best.”“He will come around very soon, it's not so easy moving away, and then blending in with new people just immediately, try to understand him.” Travis explained, keeping his laptop aside.“It's been a whole week already, Travis! I spent years praying for the day when he would finally be by my side, and call me mom without interruption. I longed to hold him in my arms and play with him…” she chocked on her tears, swallowing the bile that rose to her throat. “And now that I finally got the chance to do so, he isn't even happy.”“Hav