Dear lovelies, Thank you all for reading so far. Do continue to like, comment and give a Gem as you read. It promises to be an interesting ride. Happy reading lovelies, Helen Ene
“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
The door to the conference room burst open as people filed out, signaling the end of the meeting. There was an amused look on the faces of some, while some of the attendants looked puzzled. "What just happened in there?" Someone in the crowd murmured. "I have no idea; it looked kind of heated to me," another person said. Nancy's brows were squeezed in confusion as her ear picked up the murmurs. "For a moment I thought those two were going to tear each other apart," another person murmured as they passed. "I'm sure she has lost the deal," Nancy muttered to herself, standing up from her seat in triumph. She remembered her words to Michael—'She 'will definitely lose this deal.' Nancy's lips spread in satisfaction as she remembered those words. Despite her earlier shock at seeing Anna, she knew there was no way Simon, being a member of the judge, was going to let her win. "Who knew that would eventually be the winner? That was the highlight for me tonight, especially with the way
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
The whole room was silent as they turned to Anna. Nancy had a scowl on her face while Michael looked puzzled.“Please go ahead; what might this condition be?” Michael asked.“I would like to get the chance to pick my own team members, permanent members,” Anna stated.“But you already have those who…” Michael said.“I only work with those who I decide are competent enough,” Anna said, cutting him off.“Are you insinuating that we do not know what we are doing? Or that we are incompetent?” Nancy asked, scoffing in anger.“I mean, considering the competence of the team lead, it is only right for me to have my reservations,” Anna responded with a smile of amusement.Nancy’s hand balled into a fist as she stared at Anna with so much contempt.“How do you intend to do that? I mean, choose your own team members,” Michael asked.“I will get back to you on that; for now, I would like to see my workstation,” Anna said, standing up.Michael was taken aback for a few seconds as he realized she ha