"You don't have to be so sarcastic, Damien." Vanessa turned around to face him."I was sure that will grab your attention more." He took a step closer towards her and gave her a side hug which she returned."How have you been doing?" She asked, staring up at him as she took a step away from him."I'm Great. You?" He asked."Good. This is the contract deal from Mr Harris." She stated, turning back to take a bunch of files from Lily before handing it over to him."Wow. That was fast." He muttered, taking it from her."I guess that's all. I'll be heading to my office now." With that she walked off with Lily.Entering, her office it was already neat and well arranged. She settled down on the swivel chair in front the table. She placed her bag on the table.She turned on her system, they were a lot of pending works that needed approval. She quickly got down to her job with utmost concentration.Vanessa didn't know how much time passed because she was so engrossed in her work, until Lily wa
An Elegant, modern conference room with glass walls overlooking the city. The room was quiet, with only the soft hum of the air conditioning. Riccardo was already seated at the large table, reviewing some documents. Vanessa walked in, dressed sharply in a Fine black suit, her expression neutral as she walked in and takes a seat across from him.She had given Lily some extra tasks, so that she wouldn't come with her. Just Incase Riccardo decides to do anything unusual. She was not ready to tell anyone about her past with him. And she's grateful that they've never asked.Riccardo glanced up with a slight nod."Good to see you, Ms. Rodriguez, Thanks for coming."Vanessa let out a polite smile as if she was meeting a stranger. Well, to her, she was."Thank you. Let’s get started, shall we?"Riccardo paused for a moment with furrowed brows."Of course." He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "I trust you’ve gone over the details of the merger proposal?"Vanessa nodded her h
Leila rushed towards Hayley as soon as she came back, her face lit up with excitement. "Oh my gosh, Hayley, guess what?" she exclaimed.Hayley dropped what she bought on the table before turning to face her friend, a curious smile on her lips. "What's up?"Leila leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a silent whisper. "Just take a wild guess.""Did that hot guy from the other day come by?" Hayley asked, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.A grin spread across Leila's face as she remembered their encounter. "Nope, not him," she replied, trying to contain her excitement.Leila playfully nudged Hayley's arm. "Is he all you can think about?" she teased.Hayley laughed, feigning a scowl as she swatted Leila's hand away. "Maybe..." she admitted with a hint of a blush.Leila shook her head, a fond smile on her lips."Can't say I blame you," she conceded. "He did leave quite an impression."The two friends shared a knowing look, laughing together as they reminisced about their encoun
As Leila pushed open the front door of her cozy home with Hayley behind her, relief flooded her senses. The day had been long, filled with anticipation and nerves, but now she could finally relax in the comfort of her own space.Hayley went straight to the bedroom leaving Leila to talk to her granny.Her grandmother sat in her favorite armchair, a soft smile on her face as she glanced up from her book.The room was bathed in the warm glow of the lamp, casting a tranquil atmosphere that seemed to envelop them both."Hey, Granny," Leila greeted, her voice tinged with a hint of excitement and worry.Her grandmother's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she set her book aside. "What's got you all worked up, dear?"Leila took a deep breath, trying to contain her excitement. "A worker from the ROYALS came to our stall today," she began, her words tumbling out in a rush. "She said that her boss wants to talk about partnering with me" Her grandmother's smile widened, a flicker of pride and hope
Work went on very smoothly for Vanessa, she also finalized the deal with Riccardo and they sent the contract online. She was not ready to meet with him again. Hours passed by quickly and soon, it was time to wrap up her work for the day. Rising up from her chair, she picked up her jacket which she hanged on the chair earlier. After putting it on, she picked up her bag and walked out. She met Lily in front of her door, just about to knock. "Let's go." Together, they walked away from the building and towards their car. Settling inside the car. Diego began driving away, his gaze focused on the road before him. "Diego, stop by a Restaurant. We've been so busy that we barely had time to eat and talk like friends and not workers." She said. "That's right." Lily nodded. "Lily, you should book a reservation now." Diego glanced at her as he muttered. "Right." Lily replied, bringing out her Tablet. *** LEILA'S APARTMENT Leila pushed open the front door of her home, her footsteps he
NEXT MORNINGThe loud ringing of the doorbell echoed through the silent walls of Leila's house. With heavy steps, she approached the door, wondering who was knocking so early in the morning.As she opened the door, her heartbeat accelerated at the sight of two uniformed police officers standing on her doorstep, their expressions grim and Cold."Leila Winston?" one of the officers asked, his voice hard and unfriendly.Leila nodded, her throat tightening with apprehension as she struggled to find her voice."That's me," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper."We're here to place you under arrest," the other officer stated bluntly, his words like a hammer blow to Leila's fragile composure.Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she watched the officers approach, their hands reaching for the handcuffs that hung from their belts. She wanted to protest, to scream out, but the words caught in her throat, suffocated by the weight of despair that threatened to consume her.She knew
When Afternoon reached, Vanessa went with Diego to pick up her kids from school. She left them in Emily's care after calling Xavier on the phone and allowing her kids to speak with him.He didn't stay long during his last visit because he had a lot of pending shoots. He just squeezed out time to come see Vanessa and her kids that night. Which she was grateful for. Now she was on her way back to the office. She still had a lot of work to do, and it might drag on till evening or night.The following days, she had to meet with her clients. Most of the people she met at the party were willing to Partner with them. It was just three weeks since Vanessa came back and she was already making a name for herself in the Business world of America.Even Riccardo had not failed to hear about it. He had not gotten the chance to meet with her since the party, since their deal was already finalized. He didn't want to barge Into her office just to see her face without having anything important to do or
"You don't have to go, if you don't want too." Hayley whispered, holding her hands tenderly, as she stared at her."Let's go home." Leila muttered, walking ahead of Hayley.LEILA'S APARTMENTAs soon as she walked into the familiar walls of her home, her grandma pulled her into a tight hug which Leila reciprocated, snuggling closer into her embrace."My dear. I'm so happy you're back." Grandma Celine smiled, as they disengaged from the hug."I'm So Sorry, Grandma. I promise, I won't leave you again." Leila whispered, as she held her hands in hers."Come have dinner dear." Grandma Celine pulled her towards the dinning with a small smile. Hayley who had been quiet all these while followed behind them quietly.After eating, they sat on the couch in the living room.Grandma Celine turned to Leila. "A worker from the ROYALS came over." She informed, her lips stretched into a thin line."Hayley already told me." Leila replied, her gaze fixed on the wall before her."Do you want to go, dear?