Marrissa's point of view I left Mr Thornhill's mansion and walked to my car with a bitter mission. Jack Stone would learn that not all women could be manipulated or played with.I ignited my car engine and drove to his office. Good thing he gave me his card during the Governor's party. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white and my foot pressed harder on the gas as I sped toward Stone Enterprises. My heart was beating like a war drum, and my mind replayed every single mistake that led me here. “How could I have been so blind? I trusted Jack so much that I let my guard down.” Jack had played me. Used me. Stolen from me. And now, I was going to make him regret it.I barely noticed the blur of streetlights flashing past me. Rage burned hot in my veins, sharper than anything I had felt before. I was not even this angry when Morgan threw my things out of the penthouse, or even when he looked me in the eyes and called me a betrayal.No, this was different.In Mor
Marrissa's point of view The tension between Jack and I was so intense that if anyone had come into the office at that time, he or she might have been burnt by the heat of it.Jack sat behind his big mahogany desk, looking at me like a cat eyeing a mouse it had already trapped. His expression showed his confidence, and arrogance.Finally, after a long pause, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Well, unfortunately, you can not prove anything,” he said. I shook my head, looking at him. “You think so?” He gave me that stupid smile of his, the one he probably used to charm investors and manipulate women who did not know any better. “No one would believe the word of a mere secretary against Jack Stone, the CEO of—” “Oh, cut the crap,” I snapped, rolling my eyes. “I know you have a habit of manipulating and stealing from innocent people, but you picked the wrong person this time.” His smile turned into a frown, just for a second. That small crack in his confidence was all I
Marrissa's point of view My alarm rang loudly, blaring through the silence of my room. I groaned, reaching out blindly to silence it, but I knew I could not afford even a minute of extra sleep. I had three days—just three days—to put together a solid project for the WBA and submit it before the deadline. Dragging myself out of bed, I moved on autopilot, showering and dressing as quickly as possible. Even though I was very tired,I pushed myself through it. I had no choice. By the time I went downstairs, Mr. Thornhill was already seated at the dining table, he was holding a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other hand. He looked up as I walked in, and he was surprised to see me downstairs so early. "You are up early," he said, setting the newspaper down. "Are you going to the office this early?" "Yes, sir," I replied, grabbing my bag. "I have a lot to do." His sharp gaze lingered on me for a moment, like he wanted to say something, but then he just nodded. "Go
Morgan's point of view I was angry at Marrissa, imagine her submitting a project for the WBA, as what exactly?After eating with my rival, she is trying to take a seat with me? How funny.She has been with my father for almost a week now and even though the house felt empty without her, I still did want her close to me. I can't see myself forgiving her, at least not yet.The sudden, piercing scream outside my office sent a chill through me bringing me out of my thoughts. I froze, as my pen slipped out from my fingers. What is going on? Is the building collapsing? Or there is a fire, or worse a terrorist attack?So many questions ran through my mind as I got up and walked to the door.Before I got to the door, it burst open. One of my employees stumbled inside, her face pale with panic. She gasped for breath, gripping the edge of the door frame as if it was the only thing keeping her from fainting."Sir! Sir!" Her voice was trembling and her wide eyes filled with tears. I stif
Morgan's point of view By the time I finished adding some adjustments to Marrissa’s project and submitted it, I was already ten minutes past the deadline.I leaned back in my chair, and rubbed my temples in frustration and sadness.I felt it was too late. Too late for everything. This was all my fault. If I had just listened to her that day she came to my office with her project, if I had put aside my anger for just a moment, we could have worked on it together. We would have had plenty of time to finish it properly and submit it on time. But I had not listened. I had let my pride get in the way, and now we were paying for it.I sighed and closed my eyes, even now all I could see was her lying on the floor, unconscious.My chest tightened at the picture. That image had been burned into my mind since I came out of the hospital. She had almost lost her child. My child.The weight of that truth sat heavy on my shoulders making me feel guilty.I sat for almost an hour, trying to concentr
Marrissa's point of view I woke up to the sound of heavy breathing and the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. My eyelids were heavy and my body sore, but the warmth around my hand was the first thing I noticed. I turned my head slightly and saw Morgan. He rested his head on the edge of my hospital bed, his dark hair slightly disheveled..What surprised me the most is his large hands wrapped around my own, holding me like he was afraid I would disappear if he let go. For a few seconds, I just stared at our hands. Morgan Thornhill does not act like this. He didn’t hold hands. He didn’t stay by bedsides.Especially not at this time when he sees me as his enemy. I tried to pull my hand away from his hand without waking him, but it didn't work out the way I had planned. My slight movement made him stir, but his hand didn't let go of my hand, instead he tightened his grip on me before his eyes opened wide. He blinked a couple of times before turning to look at me. “He
Farrow's point of view My dad’s death has shattered me in ways I can not explain. It was not just the grief that came with his passing that hurt me, it was the financial imbalance that followed. That was what truly broke me. The next day after dad was buried, everything began to crumble. His businesses, his assets, his properties, everything was frozen by the police. They shut it all down in the name of an investigation, locking me out of the life I had always known. Some of Dad’s so-called friends had given me money, but it was nothing compared to having control of everything at your disposal. I was not the one pulling the strings anymore. I was not the daughter of a powerful man—I was just an ordinary girl with no wealth, no influence, and soon, no option than to work just to survive. I shook my head, rejecting the very thought. I can never work just to survive, besides I have no skill whatsoever so who would employ someone like me.And do you know my maids left even before da
Farrow's point of view I sat across from my accomplice, keeping my expression serious, I folded my hands on the table standing between us. If someone had come in and saw that scene, the person would have thought we were about to agree or even engage in a fight."I'm pregnant," I said, making sure my voice sounded serious. The reaction was instant. My accomplice’s face changed color immediately. Everything changed, facial expression, the air in the room, everything except for me."And I’m keeping this baby," I continued before any words were said. "No matter what you say, Morgan. This child is the result of our night together at the Governor’s party, and I—I do not know what to do aside from keeping the baby and taking responsibility." I saw my accomplice's lips parted, but no words came out. I smiled, liking the reaction.My accomplice stared at me, stunned, frozen in place. I allowed the tension to hang between us for some seconds. Then, I slowly laughed out loud, smiling lik
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