Morgan's point of view I placed my hands inside my pockets, leaning slightly against my door as I watched Mr. Hudson. His face was set in a hard, unreadable expression.The silence between us increased and it only made me more angry. I waited for his response. Then, he finally spoke. "Do you think paying someone to tarnish my daughter's image will set you free?" His voice was low but it did not hide the anger in it and his eyes locking onto mine like a predator sizing up its prey. I raised a brow, amused at his accusation. "Pay someone?" I echoed, shaking my head slightly. "Is that what you think? Mr. Hudson, I do not have the time or the interest to—" "Shut the fuck up!" he shouted, slamming his palm against my desk so hard that the surface rattled. I stiffened. The raw anger in his voice was not surprising, but the force in which he spoke was unexpected. He was usually composed, always one to handle things through backdoor deals rather than outright aggression. For
Morgan's point of view How the ffuck did I miss this? I said, sighing deeply. The warning in my dad's words was very clear. I must not make any mistakes, and yet I almost did already.I moved my chair forward, flipping open my laptop with a sense of urgency. My fingers flew over the keyboard as I went through my emails, my heart tightening with every second that passed. And there it was. Sitting right there in my inbox. Unopened, of course .I cursed under my breath, shaking my head in frustration. If Dad had not called, I would have completely overlooked it. What the hell have I been doing? How had I been so distracted? Oh, right. Farrow. Glow. Marrissa. The never-ending chaos that had consumed my life lately. But this? This is something I can not afford to screw up. Must not.I clicked on the email and quickly scanned through it. Subject: Invitation to the 15th Annual World Business Awards (WBA) Dear Mr. Thornhill, We are pleased to invite you to the 15th Annual Wor
Marrissa's point of view “What nonsense!” I spat angrily, stomping out of Morgan’s office, making sure to bang his door making a huge noise as I did. The man annoyed me to my bones. Every time he opened his mouth, it was to dictate, command, or lecture me, as if my life belonged to him. He took every opportunity to boss me around, suffocating me with his arrogant attitude. The more I thought about everything he had done to me since the day we met, the more my anger flared up. I clenched my fist as I walked down the corridor to my office.By the time I reached my office, I had to breathe in and out to compose myself. I still had work to do. No matter how much Morgan irritated me, I would not let him distract me from my responsibilities. Settling at my desk, I opened my laptop. During the meeting earlier, I had noticed flaws in our presentation. I did not say anything yet because I was not really certain, but I had marked the error , determined to review them at home. I wanted to
Marrissa's point of view Jack, still holding my hand, led us to a private booth near the back of the lounge, a well hidden spot where the noise was softer. The moment we sat down, he flagged a waiter with a casual wave of his hand. "One of your finest wines," he said, he did not even glance at the menu and I was grateful, I was already filled with dinner I had with Jason. The waiter nodded and disappeared. Jack leaned back against the seat, rolling his shoulders as if trying to shake off the weight of the world. "So," he said, looking at me, "how have you been?" "I'm fine," I replied, settling in. "And you?" He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Far from fine. Work has been a nightmare, especially with the WBA coming up." I nodded. The “Worldwide Business Awards” I echoed, the biggest event in the world of industry, a make-or-break moment for some companies. It was no surprise it had him on edge. "You do know about the WBA, right?" he asked. "Of course," I said. "It's all
Farrow’s point of view For two whole days, I had locked myself in my room.Two fucking days of nothing but crying, smoking, and drinking myself to numb. The air in my room was thick with the scent of stale cigarettes and spilled wine, I had drawn the curtains so tight that not a single sliver of light came in.I had not eaten. I had not bathed. I had not even brushed my damn teeth.I just wanted to disappear.Not die. No—death was too scary. But I wanted the world to stop for just a moment, to suffocate under the weight of my own misery until I could breathe again.Everything I had worked for has gone down the drain before my very eyes.Every single step, every carefully crafted plan, every dollar spent all of it gone because of her.Glow.My blood boiled at the very thought of her name. I never would have guessed she would do this to me, not even thought she had the guts.I slowly breathe in and out, the cigarette burning between my fingers, another bottle of wine half gone already.
Farrow’s point of view By the time my brain registered what was going on, I ran to the parking lot, I opened my car and threw myself inside.The fear inside of me can not be described in words."Take me to the hospital. Now," I ordered, my voice filled with panic. "Yes, ma’am," the driver replied, starting the engine without wasting a second.As we sped off, my mind was in chaos, so many thoughts troubled me. What if something happened to Dad? What would I do? I knew nothing about the business. I know nothing about his friends or his s associates, no one to turn to. If my plan with Morgan had worked, at least I would not be this worried, at least I would have had someone to rely on. But now, I have no one at all? I shivered in panic, my nails digging into my palms. I tried not to cry. Not here. Not yet. The driver kept looking at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with concern or pity, I didn't know which."Will you watch the damn road?" I snapped, my voice sou
Morgan's point of view To think that I had not gotten any sleep for the past three days might shock you, but that was the damn truth. The weight of the project had been pressing on my shoulders. I crave perfection for this project, that has been consuming my every thought. After the meeting with my employee, and I was left alone in my office, I checked every blueprints again, I needed more. It was not yet perfect, not perfect enough to be at Jack stone and to win the WBA. I needed to look deeper, to think deeper and to create something better. There must not be a single mistake, not a single loophole that could make me lose. It had to be so good that even the judges would acknowledge it. And to do that, I had to be alone. I had to be away from all forms of distractions. No interruptions from my father. No unwanted opinions from Marrissa and no one breathing down my neck. So, I made the call. Within two hours, my private jet was ready, and I left without looking back. The fli
Morgan's point of view I had lost count of how many times I tried calling Marrissa today. Each time it went to voicemail, my frustration grew, my chest tightens and I fear it might actually explode any moment from now.I was not the kind of man who panicked easily. I do not like to jump into conclusions, and I certainly do not let my emotions dictate my actions, well sometimes though. But right now? Right now, I was barely holding it together. Every missed call only pissed me up further.“Is everything okay sir?” my driver asked again as he looked at me through the rearview mirror.“If I heard that question one more time, I might actually snap at the person,” I thought to myself.First, it was Sam. He saw me walking as fast as I could down the hallway to my room, and he asked. “Sir, is everything okay?” I did not answer him, Instead I shouted an order. “Get my bag ready immediately, I'm leaving.” I said, placing a call to my pilot to get him ready.Then he asked the same damn thi
Marrissa's point of view I stood outside the shimmering glass doors of the executive conference room with my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to escape. Behind those doors was a panel of investors, each one a name I had memorized from the dossier Mr. Adrian handed me just yesterday. The Echelon Project. A multi-million-dollar initiative that could reshape tech-integrated education.“You’ve got this,” Samira whispered beside me, nudging my arm. She had tagged along under the pretense of delivering tea, but I knew she was really there to support me. My ride-or-die bestie.I took one deep breath. Then I walked in.Thirty-seven minutes later, I came out looking like I had fought a war and somehow survived. My hands trembled, but my voice had not cracked once. I answered every question, deflected the skepticism, and even got to make them laugh.“How did it go?” Samira asked, practically vibrating with excitement.“I think…” I exhaled, blinking. “I think I killed it.”“YES!”
Marrissa's point of view After my meeting with Mr. Adrian, something inside me shifted.I was not going to cry in the bathrooms anymore. I was not going to let Bianca or anyone run me out.If they wanted a show? I would give them the best damn performance they had ever seen.Samira found me later in the break room, still gripping my coffee cup like a weapon."You look like you are about to commit a felony," she said brightly."Felony?" I echoed, smiling thinly. "More like... a strategic takedown."She slid into the seat across from me, her eyebrows raised."God, I love it when you get scary," she said, laughing. "Tell me everything."And I did.I told her how I would start saving backup files on a separate drive in a hidden folder labeled Birthday Party Clowns. No one would ever check that one. I told her how I would place subtle marks on my original documents. I would use things only I would recognize and if they were tampered with, I would realize immediately.I explained how
Marrissa's point of view Daniel told me to continue working on the Echelon project even thoughno results had come about who would really lead the project.“There's no harm in being prepared,” he said and I agreed.He agreed to assist me in the best way he could and today we were supposed to have a meeting.Well, yes iIt was supposed to be a quick meeting.Just me and Daniel. We were supposed to finalize a section of the Echelon project before the weekend.Instead, it turned into three hours of gisting and snacking. There were two pizza boxes, and one playlist full of 90s hits blasting through the empty office.At some point, I realized we were laughing more than working."I swear," Daniel said between bites of cold pizza, "half of all the good architect are just surviving the ridiculous clients.""Oh, you mean the lady who wanted her lobby made entirely out of glass? Including the floor?" I asked, grinning.Daniel shuddered dramatically. "I tell you."We both laughed.And then — Th
Bianca's point of view I saw everything and I was not only irritated,I was angry.Who the fuck does she think she is. She came in as a freaking newbie and now,she was leading a project I had been working my ass to lead.What the hell did she do to Mr Adrian?I saw the easy smile he always gave her.The way even Daniel lingered by the doorway after her presentation, scribbling notes furiously, his gaze locked on Marrissa like she was some kind of prodigy.It made my stomach twist.Everything about her annoyed me . Her wide eyes and modest outfits and fake humility. She walks about like she had no idea she had just snagged the biggest project in the company. The Echelon Account. My project. At least, it was supposed to be mine.And now, she was everyone's favorite.Including Mr Rodes actually came to the company just to say “Marrissa’s proposal was refreshing. I’m excited to have her work here."Excited?She barely knew which floor the printers were on.After everything I had done, aft
Marrissa's point of view Later that afternoon, my badge beeped me into the sleek, glass-walled conference room. The long table was already packed with managers, strategists, and consultants. And, of course, Bianca was sitting, looking at me like a hawk, her legs were crossed and she was tapping a pen against her notepad with surgical precision.I gulped. Samira gave me a thumbs-up from behind a frosted partition.At exactly one o'clock, Mr. Adrian, Mr Allen and Mrs Spencer walked in. They were all calm and composed,but the room snapped to attention like they carried gravity in their pockets."Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "this is Marrissa and I picked her as the lead on Echelon. We will be hearing her make a presentation as well as Bianca and at the end, we will decide who will really lead the project."There were murmurs in the room . Some looked at me with raised eyebrows and someone even coughed.I opened my folder with trembling hands and began explaining my initial idea
Marrissa's point of view I barely made it home before my phone buzzed again.Samira:> Emergency. > Celebration required. > Meet us at ‘The Olive Lounge by 7:30 sharp. > Dress cute but comfy. Boss Babe orders.I didn’t even bother arguing. Samira had basically dragged me into their circle at full speed with no brakes and honestly, I like it.I threw on a pair of skinny jeans, a soft rose-pink blouse, and some ankle boots that made me feel vaguely fashionable, and by 7:20, Samira was honking outside like a maniac."You are ate!" she yelled as I climbed into the car."You are early!" I shot back.Liana and Tasha were already seated at the backseat, waving like overexcited puppies."You look so CUTE!" Liana squealed."She understood the assignment," Tasha said approvingly, high-fiving me.Samira drove away from the curb like she was auditioning for ‘Fast and Furious: The Suburban Edition’."We have ONE mission tonight," she declared with shining eyes."Survive your driving?" I s
Marrissa's point of view I did say I was on fire yesterday right. Well, there was nothing hot in me right now as I stood in front of Me Adria, trying not to crumble to the ground."Miss Marrissa, I had not been hundred percent truthful to you and I think I should now."My stomach twisted.“What is he about to say?” I thought to myself."I didn't give you the entire information because I didn't want you scared or overwhelmed."My legs began to shake, suddenly too weak to carry the weight of my body."May I sit please?” I asked weakly."Oh please, do take your seat, “ he said, gesturing to a chair across from him.I sat down and placed my shaky hands on my lap.I didn't know why,but I was worried he wanted to say something bad. His nt facial expression didn't even make it any better.He wasn't smiling."First, I want to commend you again for your work so far, you have been incredibly good, but…. I'm afraid there is more to do"."You will be attending a meeting this afternoon with top e
Marrissa's point of view I spent Sunday indoors, preparing mentally and physically for tomorrow's work activities.Monday came and I dressed smartly for work. Today, I will attend my first core planning meeting.The Core Planning Team meeting was held on the thirty-fifth floor — the floor with actual glass walls, leather chairs, and a skyline view that made you feel both inspired and slightly nauseous at the same time.I held my new badge so tightly it nearly left an imprint on my palm.Samira had tried to coach me on the elevator ride up:"Okay, listen," she said in a hushed voice. You are brilliant, but you are also new to this. Some of those people there have been here for years. They are not going to throw you a party, Marrissa. Just... smile. Be polite. And don’t let Karen corner you."I frowned. " Who is Karen?"Samira widened her eyes. "You will know when you see her."Great. Cryptic warnings and mystery enemies. “This was fine,” I whispered.The elevator dinged, and w
Marrissa's point of view I woke up the next day with sunlight streaming through the curtains, casting a warm glow across my room. The noise of the city outside was a comforting reminder that I was in a new place.It was Saturday. A day to relax.I stretched lazily on the bed, feeling the softness of the sheets against my skin. The air smelled faintly of lavender from the diffuser I had set up the night before.Deciding to make the most of the day, I slipped into comfortable clothes and tied my hair up. I put on some upbeat music—something with a rhythm that made cleaning feel less like a chore and more like a party. As the melodies filled the apartment, I moved from room to room, dusting, organizing, and tidying up.An hour into my cleaning spree, my phone buzzed with a notification. I wiped my hands on a towel and picked it up.It was a message from a hidden number: “How are you faring?”I stared at the screen, puzzled.“Who could this be?” Could it be Molly or Andre? But why use