At the Fisher family house, Jasmine pulled her hand from James's lips as she said, “Mom is going to hear you.”“Oops, sorry,” James said with a cheeky smile as he looked up, hoping that their mother was indeed not listening to them.“When do we start?” Jayden asked.“Let’s go to our room,” Jasmine whispered.They all stood up, tiptoeing on their little feet up the stairs.“What are you three planning again?” Billy said from behind them.They all turned back, grinned at her, and replied together, “Nothing.”Billy narrowed her eyes at them, shaking her head as she responded, “I don’t believe it’s nothing.”“Hmm, we were going to our room,” Jayden stated, hoping that was enough to convince her.Billy knew how mischievous the triplets were, especially when they smiled at you so sweetly.“I hope you are not going to blow up flour in the kitchen like you did back at home,” Billy muttered, folding her hand on her chest, still not convinced.Jasmine placed her two hands on her chest and repli
“Nobody is going to say anything about that night,” John snapped at Cordelia.At the sound of the shattered glass, the housekeeper ran out hurriedly and got it cleaned up.“Dad, aren’t you worried she is back? Did you know she was going to be back?” Nancy asked.“Of course not, why would I know and still go ahead with what we did?” John asked.Cordelia’s face was pale, like she had seen a ghost, as she was still shaken by the news.“Mom, she is working with the Gary group now and most likely might take my job because she is the popularly known Vectra,” Nancy stated.“What? Anna?” Cordelia exclaimed in shock.“Don’t you need to call him? I mean, this was not what we bargained for,” Nancy said, looking at her father.“I said nobody speaks about that! Did you hear a word I said? He is not someone to be taken lightly, and I am not going to repeat myself,” John shouted, standing up and walking away.“Why is Dad so on edge?” Nancy asked, her brows pulled up in question.“Nancy, look at me,”
“Simon! There are kids at the table!” Noah cautioned.Mia looked scared at the harsh exchange of words, unable to fully understand why her uncle was angry.“Bridget!” Sophia called, signaling for her children’s nanny.“Could you please take Mia and Bryan upstairs?” Sophia asked.“Okay, Mrs. Harold, Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Parker,” Bridget said with a smile as she took the kids.“Uncle Simon, are you leaving?” Mia asked.“I’ll be up to see you before I go pumpkin,” Simon replied.“Okay,” Mia responded with a smile as she followed Bridget up the stairs.“What was that for Simon? You didn’t have to get so pissed.” Sophia said after a few minutes of silence.“You didn’t have to mention…” Simon muttered, trailing off.“Okay, everyone, please calm down; Simon must be more shocked than we all are,” Mia Parker said, smiling at Simon.Simon sighed, got up from the table, and walked over to the living room. Sophia called out for one of the kitchen staff to clear the table as they went back to th
The gentle morning breeze was what woke Anna up the next day: the sound of bird chirping and leaves rustling in the quiet morning breeze.Usually, the kids would be up and about in her room by now, but seeing as they were nowhere near, they must have found a new prey in Loveth.“Good morning, sunshine, you look well rested,” Loveth said as Anna came down the stairs about an hour later.“Yes, it was a long night,” Anna replied as she kissed her kids on the head.“Morning, Mom,” they all chorused.“How was your first night with grandma?” Anna asked them.“It was cool,” James responded.“It was great!” Jayden shouted“I liked it,” Jasmine said“Nice,” Anna muttered as she took a sit to the right of Loveth, opposite her children.“I assumed you guys had gone off to a meeting again. Funny, Clayton is not down at this time,” Loveth muttered.Anna could hear the slight concern in her voice, so she placed a hand on her arm and said, “I’m sure he would be down shortly, probably a lot tired tha
“Stop that!!”That was the scream that woke Simon up the next day. He sat up suddenly in bed, lost for a few seconds as to where he was.Then he remembered he was at his house, and the last time he checked, his neighbor didn’t have children.“I am going to catch you!!”Another scream pierced his ears, coming over the wall at the back of his house. He had slept off with the terrace door wide open last night.“F*ck!” He muttered under his breath, knowing full well he would not be able to go back to bed.He rose out of bed, clad in nothing but his shorts; he walked over to the large glass wall, which spanned a major part of his bedroom wall.“There goes my peace and quiet,” Simon muttered under his breath as he padded on bare feet to his kitchen to get a cup of coffee.His mind was clouded; he had fallen asleep with one thought in his mind—Why now?“Such a good time; everyone has chosen to be back in town,” Simon muttered, rolling his eyes in irritation.He closed his eyes, savoring the
“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
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