“Clayton?” Anna called out again.“Over here,” Clayton responded.“What are you doing? What was that sound?” Anna called out.“Sorry, that came from there, and we are just trying to make sense of some of the things we will be doing for the next few weeks,” Clayton responded with his nose buried in some documents.Anna walked around a shelf of books before she finally saw the table. Beside it, a trolley with a pile of books had fallen to the floor. Behind him was a large window that looked out at the back of the house.Clayton bent down, trying to raise the trolley with the books that had fallen, and after a few grunts, he succeeded.“Hi Anna, where did you go so early?” Nat asked, scanning through a book with her.“I went to see my mom,” Anna replied, totally engrossed with the view through the window.Nat looked up, her brows raised as she glanced over at Anna and asked, “Your mom? You went to see her without the kids?”“Yes, I went to the cemetery, Nat,” Anna replied, finally lookin
When Simon walked through the Parker Group head office on Monday, there was a new gait to his movement.“Good morning, Mr. Parker,” several employees greeted as they passed.Simon nodded his head in response as William hurried to catch up with him.“Did something happen over the weekend?” William asked, eyeing him curiously.“No, why do you say that?” Simon asked.“You have that look you usually have when you are about to defeat a competitor," William replied as they stepped into the elevator.“You think so?” Simon asked with a shrug.“Yes,” William replied.“It’s that time of the year, William; there are a lot of competitions coming soon. It's always a rat race at this time of the year,” Simon stated.“Of course,” William responded with a nod.If there was anything that could make Simon smile, it was the satisfaction of winning over a competitor.“Like the Kids and Comms program that we are about to kickstart,” Simon stated.“Well, it’s good to see we are starting off the week on a g
Anna turned to Clayton as they drove into Gary's head office, stopping him in his seat with a hand on his arm as he tried to get out of the car.“Remember what we discussed yesterday,” Anna stated, narrowing her eyes at him.“Yes, Anna, I do, for God's sake; Mom is hypertensive, and adding all this would not be a good idea,” Clayton muttered."Just wanted to make sure we are on the same page," Anna muttered, letting go of his arm,.Loveth’s words layed in her mind again: “The scan showed there might be a little bit of an issue with my heart, although it’s not serious,”“I’m not going to let Simon push the last family I have to the grave,” Anna muttered under her breath as she got out of the car.They walked into the building and headed to the reception, where Natasha was already waiting for them.“Someone is coming down to get us,” Nat informed them.“Okay,” Anna muttered.Just then, someone called from behind them, “Mr. Fisher?”Clayton turned back and replied, “Yes, I’m Fisher.”“Ok
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
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.
Anna stared at the picture and at the date, a reminder of what happened. Lily's picture was displayed on her phone, her face all smiles as her phone alerted her to the fact that Lily had lost her life in her place five years ago."Anna?" Are you alright?" Nat leaned close to ask.She noticed the pale look on her face and was concerned about her.Anna was silent for a moment before finally admitting, "I think I need to go home.""What? Why? When are we celebrating your win?" Nat asked.Anna pulled out her phone and placed it face down on the table, trying to control herself. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she recalled that night."Please excuse me, I need to make use of the restroom," Anna said with a forced smile before standing up.Her walk to the restroom was slow and deliberate, her mind consumed with memories she had been trying to forget.Once in the restroom, she splashed cold water on her face, took a deep breath, and stared at her reflection in the mirror."I'm so
"Oh, my god! When did you guys plan this?" Anna asked, smiling at the grin on their faces.The small restaurant had a cozy atmosphere, with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. It had been decorated and was only occupied by her team members.The tables were adorned with colorful balloons, and a "Congratulations" banner hung on the wall."Congratulations, Ms. Howard," they chorused.Anna felt filled with gratitude as she looked at their faces, glad they had actually won the bid."Thought you said none of them were going to show up?" Nat whispered to Clayton."Me? I thought that was you." Clayton asked."Thank you," Anna replied as they took their seat."Looks like Michael rented out the whole restaurant."Yes, he did. We got here and met the decor already in place." Evelynn stated, beaming."Looks like he is a thoughtful person after all," Clayton remarked, impressed."I guess I misunderstood him," Nat admitted with a chuckle.Anna smiled as a waiter walked up to them
"…Stay away from Simon, Anna," Charlotte said, her voice low and dangerous, before she stepped back.The lobby was filled with chatter as people made their way to the several elevators in the room. Some glanced over at Anna and Charlotte, wondering what the subject of their conversation was.Others assumed they were probably sharing ideas about their presentations.Anna's eyes were blank as she stared at Charlotte, unable to place her words with the thoughts in her head.Anna's lips curled up in a smile as she tilted her head to the right, her eyes locked on Charlotte."Do you think I just made a joke?" Charlotte asked in frustration.Charlotte's personal assistant walked up to her and said, "Ms. Hawthorne, the sponsor would like…""I'm not done here," Charlotte snapped at him, not even bothering to glance at him.She turned back to Anna, who still had a smirk on her face, and said, "Anna Howard, return to whatever hole you crawled out of. Simon was always mine, and I am taking him."
The whole room became silent as they all looked at Alicia. Her face was unreadable, her eyes darting around the room. The tension in the air was palpable as everyone waited for her to break the silence."And the winner is The Gary group!" Alicia announced at last.The room erupted into cheers and applause, with Nat and Clayton embracing each other in excitement. Alicia's expression softened as she smiled, glad at the reaction to the announcement."What just happened?" Charlotte stated in shock as she kept staring at the stage."The right thing," Simon whispered to her, standing up.Charlotte's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief as she tried to process the unexpected turn of events."Congratulations, Anna!" Nat screamed, hugging her."Please welcome Mr. Michael Gary, the CEO of the Gary Group," Alicia announced.Michael gripped Anna's hand and pulled her up with him as he said, "Come, this is as much your win as it is the company's."Simon felt irritated by the sight as he watch
For a split second she considered not sitting there, but every other seat in the room was already occupied.“It won’t be so bad if you just turn around and walk away,” Charlotte said, a wicked glint in her eyes.Anna’s lips curled up in a smile, accepting the challenge as she took her seat.“And miss this delicious food? Of course not,” Anna replied.Nat coughed, slightly uncomfortable as she leaned close to Clayton and whispered, “I don’t like this at all.”“I don’t either, but we do not have a choice,” Clayton whispered back to her.Simon sat there, his face neutral and unreadable as he stared at Anna. William was sitting to Anna’s right, with Nat on her left. Leaving Simon sitting right in front of her.“Why don’t we enjoy the food while we wait to hear the verdict? I’m sure it won’t take so long,” Nat stated, laughing nervously.The tension at the table was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The other tables felt like a lifetime away from them, as every other thing paled in c
“Mia, over here,” some kids called as Mia approached with Jasmine by her side and the boys right behind them.“Those are my friends too; come, let’s go play with them,” Mia stated.They got to the group where three girls were standing with two boys all around the same age.“You are the one who pointed at Uncle Simon’s face,” one of the girls said.“Yes, Ella, she is,” Mia replied, adding, “She is my friend now.”“Okay, hi, I’m Ella, and this is Bridget, Jade, Ben, and Dave,” Ella introduced.“Nice to meet you. I’m Jasmine, and my brothers are James and Jayden,” Jasmine replied.“You look so alike,” Dave said, pushing up the little glasses on his face.“Yes, they are triplets, duhh,” Jade replied, folding her small hands on her chest.“You mean like twins with one more in the belly?” Ben asked.“Yes,” Jade stated.“How did you guys stay there together?” Dave asked.“How will they know that?” Ella asked.“I’m sure they know,” Jade muttered.Jasmine stared at them, wondering why they had
At the Parker Learning Center, as the kids filed out, they were directed to a game segment. One of the rooms had been designed to look like a park.“I love that!” One of the children shouted, running over to the swing, which was in the room.There were several snacks and things to play with, but the triplet walked over to a corner.“Jasmine, why did you shake him?” James asked.“Because he was smiling,” Jasmine responded.Jayden shook his head, grinning as he added, “Daddy was so fine, I like his hair.”“We said we will not like him,” James reminded them.“Yes,”“Yes,”Jayden and Jasmine responded at the same time, both looking guilty.“We said, ‘We are going to see if Daddy is a good person.” James said, reminding them.“Yes, we are, and now we can. I am not going to shake his hands again.” Jasmine said, feeling more determined.Jayden nodded and agreed, “I won’t smile at him too.”“Okay,” James replied, sighing.“Hello,”They all looked up to see who was speaking to them. As soon as
At the Gary head office, Nancy stood in front of the room, hoping she could get them to agree with her.“I don’t think we should do this; we really don’t want to go up against her anymore.” Sarah said.“Why can’t we go? For starters, we were unable to attend the bid simply because she came out of nowhere and took over everything.” Nancy replied.“Yes, but we all will benefit from it.” Larry said, shrugging.“Yes, we will, but that does not mean she should be the center of attention.” Nancy objected.Sarah sighed and replied, “We are not after being the center of attention, Nancy; we were just worried she was going to take our key staff away, which was why we were not receptive to her joining the organization in the first place.”Nancy felt herself losing her last streak of patience as she stared at them. How could they all be so dense? she thought.“Are you saying you are good with being relegated, being pushed to the side? Not having your work recognized and having all the glory go t
The reporters clicked away, the flash of their cameras lighting up the room. The room was silent for a split second as they all stared at the girl."Oops, me?" Simon asked."Yes,""You mean my face? What did my face do?" Simon asked, looking around the room in funny surprise.The boys who stood beside her folded their hands on their chests too, staring intently at Simon.Simon smiled, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the interesting girl with her defiant eyes."What's your name, little girl?" Simon asked."My name is Jasmine," she replied, her right chin raised in confrontation."That's a sweet name. Are they your brothers?" Simon asked, looking at James and Jayden."We are triplets," they chorused."Oh, wow, what are your names?" Simon asked."I am Jasmine,""I am James,""I am Jayden,"They all said it one after the other, their heads bobbing up and down."How about we do this? Let's be friends, and maybe you'll grow to like my face." Simon asked, stretching out his hands towards