“Simon,” William called out, stepping into Simon’s office.Simon looked up, raised a finger to his lips signaling him to stay quiet. William stood there for the next two minutes waiting for Simon.“I don’t care,” Simon said, his voice ice cold as he ended the call abruptly.William was about to ask what the call was for, but then the look on his face had him thinking otherwise.“Yes?” Simon said as he dropped his phone.“The team are running the campaign now and it seems to be going viral since your picture is on it.” William responded.Simon nodded and replied, “Thanks,”“Okay, and Hillary responded about tomorrow. She said, things are steady now and the whole team should be able to make it,” William replied.“The whole team?” Simon asked, puzzled.“Yes, key members, that is, does not mean the place would be left empty, don’t worry,” William explained.Simon nodded, looked over at his calendar, and said, “We need to discuss my big plans for distraction, but first could you get the re
“Simon?” Anna called as she stepped into the house, walking straight to the kitchen to put the bouquet of flowers she had bought on the table. “Simon?” Anna called again, but the same silence met her in response. The well-lit Victorian house sat silent, the only sound being the ticking of the clock from the living room. "Maybe he is running late; it's that time of the year, and he has a lot to do," Anna muttered to herself as she checked the watch on her wrist. It was the end of the year; the cold winter days were getting shorter, and Simon's workload always seemed to increase during this time, despite Paul Parker, his uncle's offer of help, which he always turns down. Anna shook her head, not wanting to think about the drama between them, as she instead poured herself a cup of wine and waited for him to return. As she lifted the glass to her lips, she heard the doorknob turning. "Simon," Anna breathed as she stood up abruptly. The smile that lit her face coul
When Anna opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by a group of nurses who were all trying to revive her. “We need an IV line here,” a nurse shouted, pointing at someone else. “Her pulse is weak, BP dropping fast,” another nurse said from the other side of Anna. “Anna?” someone called out. Anna turned her head towards the sound and saw Lily, her best friend, with a crease of worry on her forehead. “I think she is awake now,” Lily said, getting the nurse's attention. “Hey there, take it easy,” the doctor said, holding her shoulder as she tried to sit up. “What happened?” Anna asked, her voice groggy as she looked around in confusion. “Take slow breaths; do you feel any pain or dizziness?” the doctor asked. “No, I just feel a little lightheaded,” Anna responded. “That’s okay, we will keep you hydrated and run some tests to make sure everything is alright.” The doctor stated. “Thank you so much, doctor,” Lily said, a look of relief on her face.
"Huh, I think you should go now, Anna," John interrupted, glaring at Nancy as he stepped in front of her. "What did you just say?" Anna asked. "Nothing you need to hear again, and by the way you should go visit your mother," Nancy snorted. Anna turned and, without saying a word, stepped out the door. She walked over to the car, got in, and sighed deeply. Lily noticed the concerned look on her face and asked, "Are you okay?" "I'm worried about my mom," Anna responded. "Do you want to go straight to the hospital now?" Lily asked. "No, let's go home, and then we can head there once I'm packed," Anna replied. "Okay," Lily responded as she drove out of the driveway and headed straight to Anna's house. "What do you want to do now?" Lily asked. Anna stepped out of the car when they got to the house; she walked straight up to her room, packed a bag, and came back downstairs. "Here, let me help you with that," Lily said, taking the bag from her. They were
Anna felt a movement on her nose, then she felt it in her nose; her eyes popped open as she sat up suddenly. The next thing she heard was the grin on her kid's face as they laughed at the funny look on her face. "Jasmine! Jayden! James!" Anna exclaimed as she tried not to grin. "Mom, you look so funny," James said, still laughing as he pointed at her face. "Oh really, you want to laugh, right?" Anna said, narrowing her eyes at them. She pulled all three of them towards her and started to tickle them, causing them to laugh uncontrollably. "Now don't try that on Mom again," Anna said, laughing as she stared at them, grateful for the gift of them. It's been five years and in moments like this her old life feels like it didn’t have all the pain she had experienced. "Mom, can we call Grandma now?" Jayden asked, sitting up. "Yes, let's do that; it's her birthday today," James supported, sitting up too. "Here I brought my tab and this," Jasmine added as she pulled
The airport was chaotic, a usual atmosphere in New Jersey around this time of the year. It was spring break with a lot of persons going on vacation. "It's been how long? Five years, right? How does it feel to be back?" Natasha asked Anna as they walked to the exit of the airport. Natasha Roberts had met Anna for the first time three years ago at the Fisher telecoms System, where Anna had come to put them through a cybersecurity course. The two had hit it off from there, fast becoming friends. On Anna's part, Natasha's personality reminded her of Lily. "I don't know how I feel, Nat; honestly, I don't think I want to feel anything for this place," Anna replied. "I understand that feeling. I don't know the whole story, but I got your back anytime," Natasha said with a warm smile. Anna smiled and replied, "Thanks, Nat." Barely five minutes after they got to the exit, Clayton appeared with a trolley in tow. All their bags were stacked on each other. "Okay, Billy, you go
Simon stood there, his right brow raised as he looked from Anna to the man who he presumed must be the Clayton she was talking to."Sorry, Mr. Parker, let me get someone to clean that up," an usher said, hurrying over to them.The crowd that had turned to look at the commotion hurried away when they saw it was Simon Parker, known for his temper, leaving them staring at each other.Simon raised his brows, his eyes darkened with irritation as he asked, "What are you doing here?"Anna flipped her hair with her left hand to the back and responded, "I don't see how that is any of your concern."Simon's eyes were unreadable as he replied, "Don't tell me you came looking for…""Oh, please spare me the b*llsh*t you're about to say; you're of no significance to me, and I could care less what you've been up to in the last few years," Anna said, cutting him off.Simon was taken aback by her biting words as his eyes narrowed at her, unable to understand why she was there.Anna stepped close to hi
In the conference room, Simon walked over to his designated seat, a scowl on his face. "You look like someone just stoned you." William Blake, his personal assistant, said, noticing the awkward glances from those who walked in after Simon. "How long is this supposed to take?" Simon grunted, picking up his phone. "Uhm, about four hours. You already knew that. What’s wrong? Or rather, did something happen?" William asked. "It's of no significance," Simon muttered. "But it seems to bother you, so I wouldn’t call it significant," William stated. "Drop it, okay?" Simon shot him a sharp look, which cut the conversation short. The event host took to the stage, beaming with a smile as she said, "Good day, everyone. Thank you all for being here. It is such an honor to welcome such a distinguished guest." After a brief recognition of key organizations and an introduction of the judges, the host’s tone shifted. "And now, I have an exciting announcement. We have the honor of presenting a
“Simon,” William called out, stepping into Simon’s office.Simon looked up, raised a finger to his lips signaling him to stay quiet. William stood there for the next two minutes waiting for Simon.“I don’t care,” Simon said, his voice ice cold as he ended the call abruptly.William was about to ask what the call was for, but then the look on his face had him thinking otherwise.“Yes?” Simon said as he dropped his phone.“The team are running the campaign now and it seems to be going viral since your picture is on it.” William responded.Simon nodded and replied, “Thanks,”“Okay, and Hillary responded about tomorrow. She said, things are steady now and the whole team should be able to make it,” William replied.“The whole team?” Simon asked, puzzled.“Yes, key members, that is, does not mean the place would be left empty, don’t worry,” William explained.Simon nodded, looked over at his calendar, and said, “We need to discuss my big plans for distraction, but first could you get the re
As they walked down the stairs the next morning, Nat tapped Anna’s shoulder and muttered, “You don’t want the kids to see that scowl on your face.”Anna sighed and replied, “I know, right, but I just can’t seem to take my mind off that headline.”“I know, but let’s deal with that when we get to the office.” Nat responded.“Who could have done that? There are a lot of organizations coming for that bid, and I can’t think of who would stoop so low among them.” Anna mumbled.“That is why you need to show them who is boss, Anna. They have no idea what you are capable of, which is what you are going to show them on Monday.” Nat replied.Anna thought about her perfect revenge, and then it dawned on her as she said, “I think I know who it might be.”Nat had walked towards the table and didn’t hear that part. Anna walked towards the table and decided to hide her thoughts from the children.“Mom, it was so beautiful; we are starting on Monday,” Jasmine purred.Her eyes were filled with admirati
The next day, as Simon and William walked into the head office, they met Gideon in the lobby. A broad smile was on his face, making the hair on Simon’s back stand in suspicion.“I was about to go see you,” Gideon said, smiling at Simon.Simon looked around trying to be sure the smile was directed at someone else and not him.“Are you looking for someone?” Gideon asked.“No, hmmm,” Simon cleared his throat and added, “You were going to see me about what?”“I will leave for the meeting with Zhang Telecoms; I just wanted you to send an approval for that on time.” Gideon explained.Simon was taken aback for a split second before he said, “I said we were going to discuss the specifics later, since we could not come to an agreement yesterday.”“Oh, but we did; it was your father who was against it. Since you’re the boss, I guess your word is final,” Gideon shrugged.Simon’s left brow went up in surprise at Gideon’s words. There was something about him, but he couldn’t say exactly what it wa
“What did you find?” Paul asked, flipping over the document with him to the page.“How did we never know about that?” Gideon stated, his eyes hardening.Paul sat there, shocked at what he was reading in the document. He didn’t have a word to say in response.The words had been highlighted by Elliot - If Simon Parker has no heir by the end of the first year after my death, then all rights to the organization go over to Gideon Parker - The words did sound like their grandfather.“Is this true? Does this mean Simon is on borrowed time?” Paul asked, looking up at his lawyer.“Yes, it does, and you can make your move anytime you want,” Elliot replied.Paul dropped the document, his eyes narrowed as he pondered. Gideon stood up abruptly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and slammed it into his left palm.“Damn, so all along, it has been mine to take. I’m sure he is f*cking aware and just playing dumb since we don’t know,” Gideon stated, his voice ice cold.“We need to think strategicall
Noah looked at him and said, "Come with me; let's discuss this in my office.""We can do that in my office," Simon responded, since his office was on the same floor."Okay," Noah agreed."Emily, make sure nobody comes in for now," Simon instructed."Alright, sir," Emily responded as they closed the door behind them."So, what exactly did Gideon do that I do not know about?" Simon asked."Five years ago when you were…" As Noah spoke, he glanced over at Simon, noticing the resistance on his face."Sorry," Noah muttered."It's fine. Was that why I knew nothing about it?" Simon asked."Yes, your grandfather suspected that Gideon had deceived some organizations, but because of public opinion, we couldn't delve deep into it." Noah explained.Simon remained silent, pondering what his father said as he started to pace."So nobody checked? And he is just allowed to continue working here?" Simon asked after a few seconds of silence."What I know is that it was closed at that point." Noah respon
Anna looked up, surprised to see the response had come from an unfamiliar face.“Hmm, ahhh,” Michael muttered, looking from Alicia to Anna.“Don’t worry, that was just a joke,” Alicia whispered under her breath to Michael, who had a stunned look on his face.Anna looked apologetic as she hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”“I perfectly understand; you surely didn’t know you had guests coming in. Hello, you must be Anna Howard, the Vectra of this industry,” Alicia said, walking into the room.Behind her, Brian and … walked in also, looking around the office with open curiosity.Anna stood up, walked around her table, and took the hand Alicia extended.“Yes, nice to meet you, and you are?” Anna asked, looking from her to Michael, who still hasn’t said a word.Alicia smiled and added, “I’m Alicia White, CEO, White Media.”“Oh, hmm, nice to meet you,” Anna mumbled, trying to sound intrigued.“And you are?” Alicia asked, looking over at Nat.“Natasha Roberts, I work with Anna,” Nat repl
“Go ahead and explain it to us, or isn’t that the reason why you called for this meeting?” Paul asked.Noah looked at Simon and could visibly see he was trying to contain his anger. He turned and saw the doubt on the faces of others gathered in the room.“Does this have anything to do with what you didn’t want my father to find out?” Gideon asked Simon.“Hmm,” Noah coughed slightly, standing up to address the room as he added, “Can we have a few minutes of break? How about we gather here in the next twenty minutes?”“I think that is an excellent idea; we’ll reconvene in exactly twenty minutes,” Simon muttered.Every other person in the room except Simon, Noah, Paul, and Gideon left the room. They all understood the family wanted some alone time to discuss.Simon turned to Paul and asked, “Could you clarify what you were trying to say earlier?”“Oh please, don’t play dumb with me. We both know the funding I am talking about. That is the core of some of the innovations we are trying to
***************** Twenty Minutes Ago*****************As Anna left the room, Michael turned to address the room, “Do we have any more complaints about her?” he asked.Sarah sat there stunned, unsure if she had heard correctly. Beside her, Larry sat down, stunned too, lost for words to say.“What if it’s fake growth? I mean, there are applications to do that these days,” Nancy countered.“How could it be? They called us, meaning they would have checked it from their end,” Larry murmured.“Anything is possible; let’s not get swayed by the name Anna has built for herself,” Nancy argued.“Did they really verify before calling?” Nate asked Michael.“I totally understand our reservations, but Connor Media did their verification before they called me,” Michael explained.“You mean she did that overnight?” Nate asked, not sure he could believe it.“You tell me, you’re the head of I.T., is it unheard of?” Michael asked.“Not that it is unheard of, but I’m shocked to still hear it,” Nate respon
Anna turned to Michael, her brows squeezed together since his face was totally unreadable. The whole room was silent as they stared at her and Michael.“What’s wrong?” Anna asked, adding, “What did I do to what?”“You see, I knew she was going to cause a major issue. She has, hasn’t she?” Nancy asked Michael.“Michael, what did Mr. Connor say? Is he cutting us off?” Sarah asked.Michael stood there staring at Anna, stone-faced, making others more certain that Anna must have complicated matters again.Clayton closed his eyes, rubbing his temple, thinking about how he was going to explain his dilemma to Loveth now that Anna had destroyed the only chance they had.Clayton cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Gary, I’m sorry, I can explain, why don’t…”Michael’s face transformed suddenly into a smile, his lips curling up as he spread his hands.Clayton trailed off at the change on Michael’s face, unsure of what he had been about to say.“We just got our contract with Connor Media extended!”