The morning sun was shining brightly as Alison prepared for another day of work. She was excited to be working at the headquarters of Travis's conglomerate, and she couldn't wait to dive into her new yet temporary role. Travis needed a legal practitioner to review some documents, and terms of contract and instead of going by the traditional method of using the conglomerate’s lawyers, he hired Alison, probably because he wanted to keep seeing her face everyday.As she got dressed and ready for the day, Alison felt a sense of nervous energy. She had always been drawn to the corporate world, and she was thrilled to be a part of it. But there was something about corporations that always made her feel nervous, instead of the original idea of confidence.After grabbing a quick breakfast, Alison headed out the door and made her way to the office. As she walked into the building, she was greeted by the friendly face of Travis's secretary."Good morning, Ms. Harper," the secretary waved with
Alison yawned tiredly and shut down her desktop and almost immediately, the transparent door to Travis’s office opened, revealing Travis.Alison decided to tease him a little bit before they went for lunch, with a mischievous grin, she asked. "You're still as overprotective as ever, aren't you?" she teased.Travis raised an eyebrow, trying to deny it. "I'm not overprotective," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "Where is that even coming from?”“Don't play dumb” Alison said, and sat on her work desk. “The event with Ryan…you should have let me go with him, I'm sure I wouldn't be this famished.”“You're still dumb,” Travis laughed, moving closer to the table on which she was seated, he pinched the bridge of her nose. “He was going to take you for dinner, not lunch. So you'd still be this hungry.”Alison playfully punched his arm. “I thought we were over this already..I'm not dumb!” She pouted.“Tell that to however is willing to listen,” he chuckled, and smirked leaning in, makin
Bruno was sitting in his office, sipping on a glass of whiskey, and working on the documents his secretary sent to him moments ago, when his phone rang. The caller ID was revealing an unknown number, making him hesitate for a moment before answering it."Hello?" he said, his voice cautious."Hello, Bruno," a mysterious voice said on the other end. "We need to meet."Bruno’s instincts told him to hang up, as he tried to make sense of what just happened. Who calls a person who doesn't know them, and asks for a meet up? That was absolutely lame. But something about the voice made him not end the call, there seemed to be a sense of urgency in the tone.. "Who is this?" he demanded."I'd rather not say over the phone," the voice replied. "But I think you'll want to hear what I have to say.” The person replied and sensing Bruno’s hesitation, she decided to expose a little more.“I also know about your plot against Barrister Alison Harper…” she trailed off. “I'm sure you know what exposing
The room was shrouded in partial darkness, the only light coming from the dim disco lights.The figure standing by the window was almost invisible, but as the moonlight caught her face, her features became clear. It was the same woman who had met with Bruno earlier, the one who had wanted him to be her ally.She was smoking a cigarette, as though deriving joy from it, her eyes gazing out into the distance.Her expression was distant as well, as her eyes seemed to hold a thousand secrets.She was finally back, to take all of them down, and claim what was hers and nobody in the whole Chicago will stop her, not when her treasure became even more powerful, like gold, her treasure got more refined…she had laboured so much in the past and no one was coming to rea0 the fruit of her labour.Her gaze was still outside staring into the city, and her mind far away from where she stood, but there was a knock on the door, and the knock broke her out of her reverie.She turned, her eyes narrowing
Alison stood by her aunt's bedside, her eyes fixed on the frail figure lying helpless in the hospital bed. Her aunt's face was pale and gaunt, her eyes sunken and closed. The machines surrounding her beeped and whirred, a constant reminder of the fragile state of her aunt's health.Alison felt a wave of panic wash over her, her breath catching in her throat. She was on the verge of tears again, just like she had been since she stepped into the room.her eyes welling up with a mixture of sadness and fear. She couldn't bear the thought of ever losing Megan, the woman who had been her rock, her confidante, and her best friend..who knows, if not for Megan's intervention, she might have still been stuck in jail, waiting for the end of her jail term.Officer Carlos was away on a job, and Alison had insisted that he not be told about her aunt's accident. She didn't want him to worry, she didn't want him to feel guilty for not being there, or rush down here.But now, as she stood by her a
The machines surrounding Megan's bed started to beep rapidly again, this time, breaking Alison out of her thoughts, then she realized that the doctor wasn't there yet.She was about to go out to get him, when he rushed into the room, with three nurses behind him."I'm sorry, but I'll really need to ask you all to excuse us for a moment," he said, his voice firm but polite.Alison nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. Travis led the way, and she followed him behind, looking back at intervals.A part of her couldn't stop being a pessimist, that part felt as though her aunt was going to be wheeled out with all white robes covering her, up to her head.She shook the negative thought off, and watched as the door closed behind the doctor, and she felt a wave of panic wash over her. The sound of the machine beeping, the smell of the hospital, it all reminded her of the prison cell she had been in for so long.The way the door was easily locked and opened whenever there was a visitor f
Alison's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her Megan, who was looking around lost, like someone who had just set eyes on a ghost.Alison's mind reeled with confusion and fear. "Aunt Megan, it's me, Alison!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking with emotion. "Don't you recognize me? You took me in when I had no one and had to start from the scratch, you were there to make me feel human again"But Megan just looked at her, a puzzled expression on her face. Alison felt a wave of panic wash over her, and she started to scream. "Aunt Megan, please! You have to remember me!"Travis who had been watching both women for a while, shook his head before moving closer to them, trying to comfort Alison. Alison was acting totally babyish, and he found that extremely cute since that was a part of her that she never shows. She was bossy most of the time, and rarely got the chance to let her innwrchild out."Alison, calm down," he whispered, placing his hand around his shoulder, his voice soft and
The two elite men, Marco and Enzo, sat in Bruno’s office, discussing their plans for the deal they had made plans to invest in for the future, but Bruno seemed distant, as though his mind preoccupied with something else.Marco, who had been observing Bruno’s expression, was slightly bothered, suddenly spoke up. "Bruno, what's going on?" he asked, his voice firm but concerned. "You seem troubled. Is everything okay?"Bruno hesitated for a while, staring at the older man who had a worried expression which he found rather strange in his eyes, unsure of how to respond. But then, something inside of him snapped, and he decided to open up about everything. A problem shared was half solved, right?“I got a strange call earlier…” he started, his gaze growing distant. “And the caller seemed to know a lot about me, so I had to see her,” he explained and Enzo scoffed loudly.“I didn't quite get you…so you got a call from a strange lady, and that's why you've been sitting here bothered all day?
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
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
Theo looked up at Alison, his innocent eyes filled with a mix of sadness and curiosity. "Mommy, I asked Daddy yesterday why you weren't living with us anymore," he said, his voice trembling."And what did Daddy say?" Alison aske, expecting the worst since she was so sure Bruno hated her."He said it was adult stuff, and that you and him couldn't live together under the same roof again," Theo whispered, knotting the hem of his mother's shirt.Alison took his small hands in hers, and led him to sit down. "Theo, sweetie, Mommy and Daddy love you very much, but sometimes grown-ups can't live together anymore and at that point, the worst thing that can be done is to force things..""Why can't you come back, Mommy?" Theo asked, his voice cracking. “All of my friends have their both parents living in the same room, while I have just dad and granny and Aunt.”"Because, baby, sometimes things don't work out between grown-ups," Alison explained again. “But we all love you and there's no doubt
Alison's eyes scanned the crowded park, her heart racing with fear. She had been searching for what felt like hours, but she couldn't find who she was looking for anywhere."Theo!" she screamed, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Theo, where are you?"But there was no response. Instead, she heard the sound of laughter and chatter from the other people in the park, and the rustling of leaves in the trees.Alison's eyes scanned the playground, her gaze lingering on the swings and the slide. She saw a little boy with curly brown hair climbing up the ladder, but it wasn't Theo.She saw a woman with a stroller walking towards her, but as she got closer, Alison realized it wasn't Theo's stroller.Panic set in, and Alison started to run. She dashed across the playground, her eyes scanning the crowds, but she couldn't see Theo anywhere."Theo!" she screamed again, her voice echoing across the park. "Theo, please answer me! Don't do this to momma, I love you with my life.”Just as she was starti
Bruno walked through the front door, excitement radiating from his very being. He had just had an incredible day, getting back his club on the same day and still getting more people to invest in his empire just when he thought he would go bankrupt was enough to make him go crazy with excitement.But as he entered the living room, he was met with a surprise. His wife Sarah was sitting on the couch, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, as she tapped her feet against the floor impatiently."Where have you been?" she demanded, her voice dripping with venom. “You step out in the morning and see the time you're just getting back. Is it fair?”Bruno hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to get into a fight with Rachel, not when he was feeling so happy, but she was pushing him and he knew that sooner than later he might have to react."I was just out," he said vaguely, trying to brush past her.But Rachel was not having it. She had had enough of just being that wife whose
Travis sat on his couch, staring blankly at the wall as he tried to process the events of the past hour. Alison had left his house in tears, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he had made a terrible mistake…his mum had done what she loved to do best once again.He couldn't think straight, his mind racing with thoughts of Alison and what he could have done differently. He needed someone to talk to, someone who could help him make sense of everything, or at least help him to check on Alison.He pulled out his phone and dialed Karen's number. Karen was the only person who came to his mind, she was one close friend of Alison. He hoped that she could provide some insight into what was going on with Alison."Hey, Karen," Travis said, trying to sound calm. "I need your help. Alison just left my house in tears, and I have no idea what's going on. Can you go check on her?"Karen's voice was sympathetic on the other end of the line. "Of course, boss. I'll go check on her right away. But c
Alison pulled over at the driveway and after getting her stuff, she dragged herself out of her car, heading towards her apartment, her feet heavy with the weight of her emotions. She had just left the most intense and confusing encounter with Travis, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of vulnerability that lingered within her. Was asking him for space too much?And why did it seem like the entire universe was against her union with Travis.As soon as she closed the door behind her, Alison let out a sob, allowing the tears she had been holding back to flow freely. She collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in the pillow as she cried uncontrollably.“You'll scale through, Alison, just like always, and this time you'd be better,” she muttered to herself and wiped the tears that were already slipping out of her eyes. “You've got this..”Just as she thought she was alone in her misery, Alison heard a gentle knock on the door. At first she ignored it, but the knock persisted, and
“Your wife, Rachel, has been seeing someone from the enemy's camp. Be careful, else you'd be a victim sooner than you expect.” The strange woman's voice echoed in Bruno's head. He focused on his target, his fingers steady as he released the arrow. It soared through the air, hitting the bullseye with precision. He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of satisfaction.Since his argument with Rachel, he went into his private lounge to play archery…and as expected, it has done a whole lot in improving his mood.Just as he was about to take another shot, his phone rang, breaking the silence. He hesitated for a moment before answering it."This is Bruno," he said, his voice deep and commanding. “Who is on the line?”"Bruno, it's Enzo. I need to see you at the lounge. It's urgent," the voice on the other end said, sounding excited. “At least in the next one hour, try to be here.”Bruno raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's going on?" he asked. “You sound quite excited.”"Just get here, Bruno
What other way should a married woman, fighting for her marriage wake up, other than in her husband’s arms, safe and sound…Rachel laid curled in Bruno's arms as they conversed, notwithstanding the fact that it was barely 7 am in the morning.“When we finally start having kids, I want daughters as gorgeous and caring as you are.” Bruno said patting her hair fondly as they lay in bed, her soft breathing, a soothing soundtrack to his morning.“And if they would be sons, I want boys, who would be as handsome as you.” Rachel whispered, and stared in his eyes, he was also staring into her eyes with so much affection.Rachel looked away from his eyes shyly, using her hands to knot the hemp of his shirt as she said. “I want three kids," she paused, her breath filling the quiet room only disturbed by the soft sounds of their breaths and the air conditioner. "Two boys and a girl."Bruno chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I think we should have four," he said, his voice teasing. "Tw