Jasmine walked into her mother’s room, with James and Jayden right behind her.“Are you sure you saw it in Mom’s room?” James asked.“Yes, I did,” Jayden told them for the hundredth time.They didn’t believe him, which was why they were there to prove him wrong.“It was a picture,” Jayden insisted.“Where did you see it?” Jasmine asked.“In a box, Mom likes to keep it away from us,” Jayden replied.“How then did you see it?” James asked, rolling his eyes.“I saw Mom crying that day with the box open. You and Jasmine were sleeping,” Jayden explained.“What if the box is at home?” Jasmine asked.“I don’t think we can find Daddy like that,” James stated.“We can, if we see the picture Jayden is talking about, we can use that…” Jasmine said, trailing off.“Shhh, you said not to say it,” James said, placing a hand on his lips as his small eyes rounded in surprise.“Okay, okay, I’m not going to say it,” Jasmine said, her eyes filled with amusement.“See!” Jayden shouted suddenly.“What?” Ja
Anna smiled at Clayton and Natasha as she asked, “Let’s see who can provide a solution to our need.”“Okay,” Nat muttered, still confused as to what she meant.“We have an investor's bid coming up in two weeks; I need a list of some of the organizations that would be at that bid.” Anna instructed.“Okay, I’ll get right to it,” Nat responded.“No, why would you do that? I’ve got more important things I need you to handle. Instead, have everyone interested in working for me gather here in the next ten minutes,” Anna stated.“Okay,” Nat said as she typed the mail.“Also, let’s not restrict it to just Nancy’s department; anyone who is competent enough within the firm is free to come try,” Anna said, smiling, a mischievous glint in her eyes.Clayton shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Oh god save us.”In ten minutes, they had a total of ten people in the room already, including Evelynn and Felix, who had brought them up earlier.“I see you are all interested in joining my team.
James and Jasmine burst out laughing at the look of horror on Billy’s face.“For the love of Christ, what in God’s name is on your faces?” Billy shouted, placing a hand on her chest.They heard running footsteps as Rosa and Loveth appeared, coming up the stairs.“What happened? We heard someone scream,” Loveth asked.Jayden came out of the room he had been hiding in, laughing, just as Loveth and Rosa saw James's and Jasmine's faces.“Oh god, what is that?” Rosa asked.Loveth laughed, amused by the look on their faces as they stood grinning up at them.“I’m glad it was not something serious, okay, everyone, let’s go, while these two clean that powder off their faces.” Loveth said, heading back down the stairs.Billy shook her head as she followed Rosa, casting a warning look at them.As soon as they were out of sight, the triplet dashed into their rooms, shut the door, and quickly brought out the tab.“Is that Daddy?” Jayden asked.“Yes, I think so,” Jasmine responded.They all stared
Michael looked up from a set of files he was going through as his secretary walked in.“I didn’t call you Maggie. Is there something you are here to report?” Michael asked.“Hmm, I’m afraid I have some heads of department outside who are here to see you.” Maggie responded.Michael looked puzzled as he glanced at the time, unsure if he had missed an important meeting.“I don’t think I have any meeting called for the day,” Michael stated.“No, you don’t, but I think this has something to do with Ms. Anna,” Maggie explained.“You mean Anna Howard?” Michael asked.“Yes,” Maggie replied, adding, “I could not let them in because I know how you don’t like to be disturbed at this time.”“Hmm, okay, let them in,” Michael replied, closing the file he was working on.As soon as Maggie opened the door, three people walked in, visibly looking angry.“Before you all start to vent, please have a seat; let’s have this in a civilized manner,” Michael said.“I think there needs to be some rules if Ms.
At the Howard house, John sat in his room, looking out the window, his mind occupied, and his eyes not really seeing the several cars that were passing down the streets.“John?” Cordelia called from the door.There was no response as he remained seated, not moving an inch. Cordelia walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulders.He jerked as if pulled back to life as he turned to look at her.“What were you thinking about?” Cordelia asked.“Bits and pieces of a lot of things,” John sighed.“Is this about Anna?” she asked.“Yes, it is, and some other things,” John responded, standing up from the bed to pace.“There is nothing for you to worry about; she consented to the marriage then and even benefitted from it. I doubt she is going to raise concerns for us now,” Cordelia stated.John stopped pacing and replied, “You know it’s not just about that.”“I know, if we act like we are bothered, it’s going to give her more power,” Cordelia responded.“I know Anna; she is not going to l
Simon looked at Spenser, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, trying to gauge if he could trust his words.“What do you mean by that?” Simon asked.“It means you need to be more concerned than you currently are,” Spenser replied with a shrug.Simon watched him cut into the steak on his plate, a smug look on his face as he took a bite.“If I am going to make any sense of what you are saying, you’re going to have to say more than that,” Simon replied, taking a sip of wine.Spenser sighed, then replied, “We all know you and the Gary group have been at this fierce war of wanting to be first place in the industry.”“Yes, that’s a wide opinion, but I guess that’s not what you are trying to tell me,” Simon responded.“The Gary group has one of the most amazing and sought-after Vectra in the industry working with them now; that’s a huge competitive gap right there, and you sit there telling me you are not bothered?” Spenser asked on a scoff.“Tell me what the Gary group is doing, Spenser, and save
Michael stared as several employees trooped into the office, each of them holding a file. There was a sense of eagerness on their faces as they held the report with their findings.“Hello Anna, we didn’t think you would still be in the office,” Evelynn said as she placed her report on the table.“Well, I am,” Anna responded with a smile.Michael was surprised that so many people had turned up to move over to her team. Her reputation sure must have contributed to it.“Thank you all for participating; you’ll get a mail from my team if selected,” Anna told them as they left.“You really do have a lot of things to do,” Michael muttered.Despite their reluctance to submit, Anna was glad a number of them had turned up with the report.“Hmm, hmm, if you’ll excuse me now, I need to finish up,” Anna replied, finally returning his smile.“Okay, I’ll be out of your hair now; see you tomorrow,” Michael replied.“Sure, bye,” Anna said, closing the door behind him.She walked over to her table agai
Gideon’s brow went up in suspicion as Simon’s voice dropped a notch. He was unable to make out his words.“Is everything okay?” Sophia asked from behind again.“Looks like trouble to me; what’s going on?” Gideon asked, his eyes narrowed at Simon.Simon kept listening without saying a word, and after several minutes, he ended the call.“Sophia I’m afraid I need to attend to something; can you go on without me?” Simon asked.“Sure, it’s not a problem. I wouldn’t want to keep you from work, especially since it seems urgent,” Sophia replied, patting his arm.“Okay, I’ll see you around; let me get someone to drive you,” Simon insisted.“Last I checked, I was not invincible, and it looks like you are trying to keep something away from me,” Gideon stated, folding his arm on his chest.Simon turned to him and responded, “It’s best you get on your way, because there is nothing to keep from you, Gideon.”Simon turned and walked back into the building without as much as a glance back.“Shhh, I te
“What message?” Simon asked, his voice rigid.“Hmm, I don’t think there is any way to explain this; I’d rather you have a look at it yourself,” Hillary replied, her voice filled with creepiness.A ping sound from the phone signaled that she had sent them a message. William opened it, and it was a picture.“What does that mean?” William muttered under his breath as he passed the phone over to Simon.Simon took the phone, looked down at the picture, and in the first few seconds, he could not make any sense of what it meant.“Is that a skull I’m looking at?” Simon asked, his brows squeezed in confusion.“Apparently so,” Hillary responded on the call.The images were emojis: a skull, a smiley face, and then a laughing one. It all looked as creepy as Hillary had made it out to be earlier.“Is there supposed to be a meaning behind this?” Simon asked.“Well, there is, and we would have to decipher what that could be. The skull emoji is usually a sign of threat, but the following emojis do no
Gideon’s brow went up in suspicion as Simon’s voice dropped a notch. He was unable to make out his words.“Is everything okay?” Sophia asked from behind again.“Looks like trouble to me; what’s going on?” Gideon asked, his eyes narrowed at Simon.Simon kept listening without saying a word, and after several minutes, he ended the call.“Sophia I’m afraid I need to attend to something; can you go on without me?” Simon asked.“Sure, it’s not a problem. I wouldn’t want to keep you from work, especially since it seems urgent,” Sophia replied, patting his arm.“Okay, I’ll see you around; let me get someone to drive you,” Simon insisted.“Last I checked, I was not invincible, and it looks like you are trying to keep something away from me,” Gideon stated, folding his arm on his chest.Simon turned to him and responded, “It’s best you get on your way, because there is nothing to keep from you, Gideon.”Simon turned and walked back into the building without as much as a glance back.“Shhh, I te
Michael stared as several employees trooped into the office, each of them holding a file. There was a sense of eagerness on their faces as they held the report with their findings.“Hello Anna, we didn’t think you would still be in the office,” Evelynn said as she placed her report on the table.“Well, I am,” Anna responded with a smile.Michael was surprised that so many people had turned up to move over to her team. Her reputation sure must have contributed to it.“Thank you all for participating; you’ll get a mail from my team if selected,” Anna told them as they left.“You really do have a lot of things to do,” Michael muttered.Despite their reluctance to submit, Anna was glad a number of them had turned up with the report.“Hmm, hmm, if you’ll excuse me now, I need to finish up,” Anna replied, finally returning his smile.“Okay, I’ll be out of your hair now; see you tomorrow,” Michael replied.“Sure, bye,” Anna said, closing the door behind him.She walked over to her table agai
Simon looked at Spenser, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, trying to gauge if he could trust his words.“What do you mean by that?” Simon asked.“It means you need to be more concerned than you currently are,” Spenser replied with a shrug.Simon watched him cut into the steak on his plate, a smug look on his face as he took a bite.“If I am going to make any sense of what you are saying, you’re going to have to say more than that,” Simon replied, taking a sip of wine.Spenser sighed, then replied, “We all know you and the Gary group have been at this fierce war of wanting to be first place in the industry.”“Yes, that’s a wide opinion, but I guess that’s not what you are trying to tell me,” Simon responded.“The Gary group has one of the most amazing and sought-after Vectra in the industry working with them now; that’s a huge competitive gap right there, and you sit there telling me you are not bothered?” Spenser asked on a scoff.“Tell me what the Gary group is doing, Spenser, and save
At the Howard house, John sat in his room, looking out the window, his mind occupied, and his eyes not really seeing the several cars that were passing down the streets.“John?” Cordelia called from the door.There was no response as he remained seated, not moving an inch. Cordelia walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulders.He jerked as if pulled back to life as he turned to look at her.“What were you thinking about?” Cordelia asked.“Bits and pieces of a lot of things,” John sighed.“Is this about Anna?” she asked.“Yes, it is, and some other things,” John responded, standing up from the bed to pace.“There is nothing for you to worry about; she consented to the marriage then and even benefitted from it. I doubt she is going to raise concerns for us now,” Cordelia stated.John stopped pacing and replied, “You know it’s not just about that.”“I know, if we act like we are bothered, it’s going to give her more power,” Cordelia responded.“I know Anna; she is not going to l
Michael looked up from a set of files he was going through as his secretary walked in.“I didn’t call you Maggie. Is there something you are here to report?” Michael asked.“Hmm, I’m afraid I have some heads of department outside who are here to see you.” Maggie responded.Michael looked puzzled as he glanced at the time, unsure if he had missed an important meeting.“I don’t think I have any meeting called for the day,” Michael stated.“No, you don’t, but I think this has something to do with Ms. Anna,” Maggie explained.“You mean Anna Howard?” Michael asked.“Yes,” Maggie replied, adding, “I could not let them in because I know how you don’t like to be disturbed at this time.”“Hmm, okay, let them in,” Michael replied, closing the file he was working on.As soon as Maggie opened the door, three people walked in, visibly looking angry.“Before you all start to vent, please have a seat; let’s have this in a civilized manner,” Michael said.“I think there needs to be some rules if Ms.
James and Jasmine burst out laughing at the look of horror on Billy’s face.“For the love of Christ, what in God’s name is on your faces?” Billy shouted, placing a hand on her chest.They heard running footsteps as Rosa and Loveth appeared, coming up the stairs.“What happened? We heard someone scream,” Loveth asked.Jayden came out of the room he had been hiding in, laughing, just as Loveth and Rosa saw James's and Jasmine's faces.“Oh god, what is that?” Rosa asked.Loveth laughed, amused by the look on their faces as they stood grinning up at them.“I’m glad it was not something serious, okay, everyone, let’s go, while these two clean that powder off their faces.” Loveth said, heading back down the stairs.Billy shook her head as she followed Rosa, casting a warning look at them.As soon as they were out of sight, the triplet dashed into their rooms, shut the door, and quickly brought out the tab.“Is that Daddy?” Jayden asked.“Yes, I think so,” Jasmine responded.They all stared
Anna smiled at Clayton and Natasha as she asked, “Let’s see who can provide a solution to our need.”“Okay,” Nat muttered, still confused as to what she meant.“We have an investor's bid coming up in two weeks; I need a list of some of the organizations that would be at that bid.” Anna instructed.“Okay, I’ll get right to it,” Nat responded.“No, why would you do that? I’ve got more important things I need you to handle. Instead, have everyone interested in working for me gather here in the next ten minutes,” Anna stated.“Okay,” Nat said as she typed the mail.“Also, let’s not restrict it to just Nancy’s department; anyone who is competent enough within the firm is free to come try,” Anna said, smiling, a mischievous glint in her eyes.Clayton shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Oh god save us.”In ten minutes, they had a total of ten people in the room already, including Evelynn and Felix, who had brought them up earlier.“I see you are all interested in joining my team.
Jasmine walked into her mother’s room, with James and Jayden right behind her.“Are you sure you saw it in Mom’s room?” James asked.“Yes, I did,” Jayden told them for the hundredth time.They didn’t believe him, which was why they were there to prove him wrong.“It was a picture,” Jayden insisted.“Where did you see it?” Jasmine asked.“In a box, Mom likes to keep it away from us,” Jayden replied.“How then did you see it?” James asked, rolling his eyes.“I saw Mom crying that day with the box open. You and Jasmine were sleeping,” Jayden explained.“What if the box is at home?” Jasmine asked.“I don’t think we can find Daddy like that,” James stated.“We can, if we see the picture Jayden is talking about, we can use that…” Jasmine said, trailing off.“Shhh, you said not to say it,” James said, placing a hand on his lips as his small eyes rounded in surprise.“Okay, okay, I’m not going to say it,” Jasmine said, her eyes filled with amusement.“See!” Jayden shouted suddenly.“What?” Ja