AMANDA's P o V
~~~
"Agnes is a criminal on interpol's blacklist----"
I was just about to start going with details when Ms. Nordstorme suddenly cut me off.
"Wait. I think you are mistaken. Who in the hell is this Agnes, anyway? I don't know her."
At first, I could not understand which part of what I said made her start to lose her temper. But when I heard her next statements, that was when understanding hit me.
"I think you were mistaken."
She said and I noticed how she was trying her best to sound calm and collected.
"I am sorry but I can't waste my time here talking about people I don't know. I have an important business to attend to."
The other party did not even waited for my response and as soon as she was done talking she already stood fro
ADELAINE's P o V~~~~I thought that it was a rule of thumb for Sundays to be considered as one's rest day. I mean, yeah, I understood I signed a contract stating that I should be one call away at all times, but I was hoping that my boss was also considerate enough to give me some leeway and spare me at least a day for myself. But I guess it was no different from asking miracles and it took reality to slap me hard before I understood that.I already had a plan for the day when out of nowhere, my business phone shattered started ringing and its ringtone shattered the peace of my rest. There was no need for me to check the caller ID because I dare you not, but I could bet my wrist that no one would ever call me this early other than, Ms. Nordstorme. But in spite of my annoyance, I still tried my best to make myself sound as professional as poss
Author's P o V~~~Jodi decided against tagging along with Adelaine right away and they agreed to have her wait on the car first. They did not want to take Shantal by surprise nor shock her because they both knew how badly the other party used to react to this kind of tendecies. Thus, Adelaine went in first and the instant that she stepped inside the shop, the first thing that caught her eyes right away was Shantal who was eyeing her like a hawk from a far.Albeit feeling a little bit unhinge by the way her boss was looking at her, the secretly made her way towards the other party with hurried steps. Meanwhile, Shantal did not even waited for her secretary to be able to take a seat. Just as soon as the lady was close enough,she fired her up with queries straightaway."So where is there friend of yours? Did I not mention it to you bef
"That could be quite troublesome if that was really the case." There was an unmistakable air of indifference surrounding Shantal when she uttered those words. It was as if hearing a bit of that bad news from Adelaine was nothing to her, and if it was anyone, they would easily buy her acting and be fooled by her action. However, Adelaine was different. Spending a considerable amount of time working with her boss who not only was a control freak but also someone who used to mask her real emotion at all times, the secretary already learned a thing or two on how to read the other party and discern the meaning hidden at each of her nonverbal gestures. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration on Adelaine's part to say that by now, she could already pretty much pick up a few cues to tell how her lady boss really felt behind her very words, and right now, even though Shantal may have tried to behave like she was not affected at all, Adelaine figured that it wa
"We already sent him a text message advising him to come and meet us here. I even made sure to resend the location to him today, in case he missed the first one. But there is no guarantee that he will come and show himself up." Adelaine reported with a flat tone. But it was obvious that she was also quite disheartened that she was the one delivering this unpleasant news. Shantal was aware of how passionate this secretary of hers was towards its job. That was why the other party was one of the few people she could put her trust in. Likewise, Shantal also could not stop herself from holding her cup with a tight grip when she heard Adelaine say those words. Her head was so wrapped up in preventing her real emotion from showing on her face that she ended up forgetting about minding her action. Before she knew it, her action was already giving herself away to Adelaine. But in spite of her agitation, she did not say anything in return and rema
"By the way, since when did my cousin become your driver?"Shantal asked her secretary without tearing her eyes away from the parking lot and for some reason, Adelaine felt like all the hair on her skin was standing on its ends the moment she was confronted by Shantal's questioning."Ohh.. Ahmm.. That is---"Adelaine did her best to stop herself from stuttering as she tried to come up with the right words to say. So she momentarily made a pause in an attempt to clear her thoughts and then after she deliberately cleared her throat, she added"I am so sorry Ms. Nordstrome. But please believe me that we did this with a good intention in our hearts. I know that you are not going to like it once you learned that your cousin was trying to get involved in this quest against your aunt so we decided to hide it from you, in the meantime. But the truth was, it was Jodi who had been len
Mr. Almiro donned the same kind of disguise he used to wear when Jodi first found him at the alley. It was as if the old man was determined to keep his face out from plain sight, to the point that only his pair of obsidian orb-like eyes were visible on his current getup.This old man lived in a hiding for the past couple of years and that was why when Jodi contacted him and advised him to meet people in the public, he initially declined. Considering that he was scared for his dear life, anything that involved meeting someone else was considered beyond his safe zone. It was for this reason why asking Mr. Almiro to go out in public was no easy task on Jodi's part and on the flip side, it was also a tough choice for Mr. Almiro to make for himself since this was no different from a gamble with his life on the line.However after careful consideration, he then eventually made his mind to relent and finally show up, mostly because he reckone
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Mr. Almiro also took a seat of his own and apparently he chose the empty chair right across where Shantal was seated, which also mean that Adelaine ended up sitting beside him. A minute goes by in silence as literally each three of them were waiting for someone to initiate the talk. It was not hard to deduce judging from how the trio were acting that they were testing each other's reactions and most likely than not, they were assuming who will do what first.The atmosphere within their table was starting to get a little stiff as the silence was allowed to continue and the longer it dragged on, the more it became harder for them to decide which of who would put an end at the stifled quietness.Eventually, it was Adelaine who first showed sign that she was going to break the ice as she reckoned that this was not the right time for neither here nor her lady boss to become reticent. Thus, the secretary straighten
JODI's P o V~~~Our villa was situated just a few blocks away from the city center that offers a park with a good view especially during the time of sunrise. So it became part of my daily routine ever since we moved here, to have a casual walk or sometimes a jog at the park. I prefer starting my day that way as I figured that this was not only good for my physical well-being but also for my mental health. I must say, I considered myself as a fiend when it came down to making sure that my overall lifestyle was always at its top condition.Just like any other of my normal days, I went jogging first thing in the morning and I had just gone from my exercise and was taking the necessary hydration that I needed to replenish my lost liquid when all of a sudden, I felt a vibration in my pocket. Wondering who could be calling me at this time of the day, I hurriedly fished my phone out and when I looked at the
"Gosh it's good."Harold said when he got to taste how refreshing the drink was. When he looked at the other two guys, he saw them gesturing to their head but he did not give them much attention."Yes.Sam repeated the same thing with a voice and face devoid of emotion."Something needs fixing."Harold told Sam afterward and so Sam fought back to urge to do and eye roll before replying flatly to him."Okay."This time, Harold noticed that Rico and Michael still keep on doing the same thing so he asked them instead,"What? Is your scalp itchy.""No."The two answered in unison. Jodi on the other hand who was watching all of this farce unfold right before her eyes, could not help but let out a sigh."You sure are made for each other."She said to no one in particular and it was also as seemed she was only talking to herself."Anyway. Michael, I need you to go to Casterly."
"I am right here. Respect my existence."Michael insinuated afterward before he sarcastically added,"Do you guys want be to get you a room instead?""I should not have fallen asleep that night."He muttered to himself as he recalled the night Jodi asked Rico out for a date. He believed that if only he was not asleep that time, then maybe Jodi would also consider dating him.On the other hand, Rico seemed to be out of it and oblivious of him."Lover."The other party mumbled to himself as he observed the tarot card in his hand.'"I did not know this will happen. I feel so lonely."Michael muttered to himself out of despondency and while he was in the middle of self pity. Someone walked into the room.They though the one arrived was some random girl who was in full glam and obviously had just gone to salon for her touch up when it decided to have some coffee."Wow! I told her she would be pretty."
"That robot was sometimes human and sometimes a robot for me and that was why others who can't understand my situation mistakes me as someone who hallucinates and believe a robot as a human just because I am treating it just like one. But for my opinion, my situation was no different from those who loves their pets so much, they even considered them as their child and called themselves as furparents.""My emotions were input into that robot and that person. That is how this miracle happened. That fact completely changed the way I view things. This will be yet another scoop for the reporters present. Nordstorme Corp will go from financing mergers and acquisitions to investing in futuristic industries that involved human sensibilities. Just like what Alpha Tec Inc pioneered years ago.""This is your first change in business strategy in 15 years. Do you have anything mapped out?"One of the reporters raised a question just like what a normal press conference should
On the flip side, just like what Shantal assumed, Mr. Takashi with Mathilde's instruction called for an emergency meeting on that afternood. Which happened to coincide to the time when Shantal will hold her press conference.Moreover, since Mathilde would not be able to make it there since she was still held in prison, her secretary presided the meeting."We shall begin the emergency board meeting."Secretary Ye declared loudly and her voice reverberated in the room. Jiro was also there along with other board members."The agenda is the dismissal of Director Shantal Nordstorme and the cause is as you were all informed. An illness."She continued while everyone was silent and anxiously prayed so they could ever this meeting once and for all. On the contrary, Mr. Takashi was nodding his head on the side and though he was anticipating for this day come.Mr. Takashi nodded his head toward Secretary Ye to signal her to start it once and for
In there, Jodi found a list of shares under her name as well as a soft copy of memorandum of renunciation address to Shantal with her name on it and it was then that Jodi realized that her mom had already long planned about it ahead of the time.As it turned out, Mathilde was thinking of using her influence to oust her cousin out of the position.In addition, inside the flash drive she also found an old email account with records of bunch of emails and it took Jodi more than four hours to go through all of them.But by the time she finished reading the exchange of chats Mathilde had with her hitman, Jodi's eyes was bloodshot.It was unsure if this was cause by her prolong exposure to the screen or if it was exhaustion that was doing this thing on her body, but when she get up from her chair, Jodi balled her hands into a fist.She slammed the door shut behind her back as she left the office and on the screen, the last conversation
It was late in the evening when Jodi received a call out from nowhere. When she checked that registered on the caller ID, she was surprised to see Jiro's name.Truth be told, he was the least person he would expect to contact her. After all, the two of them never talked to each other for ages.Jiro used to be a good friend of hers as well. Just like how she and Shantal were cousins, Jiro and and Zorens were first cousins too so naturally all four of them get to know each other and as a child, they eventually became acquaintances in no time.Besides, since Zoren's parents were a family friend of the Nordstorme they often had an opportunity to hang around during their childhood.However, ever since the day Zoren committed suicide due to the incident regarding the Nordstorme controversy, Jiro also stopped communicating with them.So this made Jodi wonder what had come to Jiro to decide and phone her at this time of the night.But
"In other words, she wants me to become director and cover up all his shortcomings?"Mr. Takashi insinuated after his contemplation. He did not exactly declined the offer this time, unlike before. Although he also did not directly implied that he would do it.Nonetheless, Secretary Ye considered his response as a good sign. At least, the other party was no longer adamant at turning them down.So with the same insinuating manner, she answered him back."That would make it easier for you to do your duties once you become a director. All that was left for you now is to leave Ms. Shantal Nordstrome no other choice but to step down and abdicate the position of board directory to your hands.""Ousting her is not enough. He will just come back. We must make sure he loses the will to come back."Out of nowhere, Mr. Takashi declared with conviction and for a second, the secretary was taken aback by this.One moment, he almost drove her a
"You told Jodi about everything?"Mathilde asked her secretary as soon as the two of them were finally allowed to have some private conversation within the prison hall where she was currently detained. Panic was noticeably present on the other party's face when she raised her question. Meanwhile, the secretary remained silence yet that was all enough for Mathilde to guess her response and not long after that, her shoulders dropped on the side when the realization hit her."I guess she was bound to find out about it sooner or later."She muttered under her breath with despondent undertone.An exasperated sigh escaped Mathilde's lips afterward. But then, she suddenly tenses up when she recalled about something else.Leaning towards the other party all the while grabbing a hold to the iron bars, Mathilde looked around her warily first to make sure that no ears were on them.Only when she confirmed for the umpteenth time that no one was listenin
Adelaine Smith's P o V~~~~While Jodi and I were driving down the road looking for any sign of the robot, I received a call and when I checked who it was, I found out that it was Amanda so I accepted the call right away."Ms. Smith, the robot just got on the bus number 707."I heard her voice telling me the moment it picked her call"Great! Thank you for the information."I replied and not long after that, she hung up on her because I reckoned that it would be best if I could relay this news to the other search parties. In this way they would also know where to start looking. Of course, the first one that I tried to call was my lady boss. However, to my dismay, I was only redirected to the voice call feature of the phone.'The number you have dialed is busy at the moment. Please try your call later or leave a message aft