Aria pushed the half-open door of the club aside, her footsteps slow and unsteady as she adjusted to the dim lighting and the pulsing beat of the background music.The familiar scent of alcohol and the haze of cigarette smoke tainted the air. This would be her third time coming to this place, each visit sinking her deeper into a web of deception and fear. The club was bustling, with patrons laughing and shouting over the music, oblivious to the ongoing transaction taking place in their midst.In a few seconds, Aria spotted Felix, yet again, at their usual booth; this time he was so much farther away from the center, sitting at a secluded location out of the reach of listening ears, if any.Even in the dimness, his knowing smile was visible to Aria, his posture exuding confidence and a sense of control. His eyes locked onto her the moment she entered, a predatory smirk curling his lips. His dark hair was slicked back, and his tailored suit made him look both out of place in the smal
Lyra entered her own office a few minutes later, like a thief, her movements deliberate and measured.She held her breath as she closed the door softly behind her, the click of the lock echoing in the quiet room. Her heart was heavy with suspicion and curiosity, a gnawing feeling of anxiety. She was finally going to know who the mole in their midst was in a matter of minutes. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of stress and preparation for the launch, but underneath it all, a shadow of doubt had been growing.She moved to her desk, her fingers trailing over the keypad as she sat down. Her eyes lifted to the corner of the room, where a hidden camera was discreetly positioned. It was a precaution she had taken after the previous incident. Taking a deep breath, she opened her laptop and navigated to the encrypted files. Her mind began to wander, thinking about the faces she might see on the screen. “Who could it be? A disgruntled employee? A rival sneaking in by themselves?” H
Anthony stepped out confidently from his sleek black sedan, his polished shoes stepping on the pavement of Lyra’s company complex. His eyes narrowed with satisfaction as he took in the sight. He wore a sly grin, a display of his inner triumph.“So this is the company of the woman in Dante’s life, huh?”He murmured under his breath, the edge of his smile sharpening. His gaze settled over the entrance, where a few employees hurried in and out, clutching files in their hands as they moved within and without the building.As he strode towards the glass doors, he dipped his hands in his pockets. His movements were deliberate, each step calculated to project the authority and poise of a typical would-be investor.He wore a tailored suit that accentuated his commanding presence, and his demeanor exuded an air of practiced ease. The receptionist, a tall, slender lady, looked up abruptly the moment he stepped into the first air-tight hall, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of him, bu
Lyra fiddled with her pen while standing in her office after the meeting she just finished holding; her movements were brisk and determined.The urgency in her body language was clear; it was time for a drastic and dramatic showdown, the very moment she had been waiting for.She crouched again to scribble down the final details on a piece of paper, then stood abruptly, her chair scraping the floor as she reached for the telephone.Her fingers dialled the numbers with firm and abrupt taps.She deep-sighed to calm herself, the phone still pressing to her ear, each second ticking away like a bomb about to explode.Then, in a second, she heard the beep, followed by the voice of the PR manager.“Hello Madam.” The hoarse voice greeted."Yes, Bob, get the PR team ready immediately," she said, her voice firm."We’re going to release a statement about the stolen designs. But before that, I need you to take note of the following: ""Oh, a statement?" The voice was stressed, sounding a little bi
Mirabel gripped the steering wheel of her Mercedes-Benz as it glided down the motorway. The cityscape of Silver City unfolded around her, and the late afternoon sun hovered above. She drove past numerous towering buildings, and the road junctions bustled with the occasional honk from impatient drivers. Mirabel sighed, her perfectly manicured fingers tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel. She glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard, and it was 4:45 PM. Traffic was only getting worse. She adjusted her sunglasses, reached forward, and turned up the car radio, hoping to find something to distract her from the monotony of traffic. The smooth voice of a radio announcer filled the car. "And in today’s shocking news, there are rumours flying about that Elysium Couture might be suing the Thompsons for intellectual property theft. The fashion industry is abuzz with this scandal, as it is revealed that designs stolen from Elysium Couture were presented as originals by the Thompson
Dante was lying casually on his bed, fresh from a shower after a long day at work. The cool sheets were a welcome relief for his tired body.He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the peace.“Just what I needed.” He said, spreading out his arms.The door creaked open, and he instinctively jolted, looking tense.“Who's that?” He asked in an almost threatening tone.But his face relaxed when he saw the petite figure of Mirabel standing at the door.“Hey, Dante,” Mirabel greeted with a smile, stepping into the room.Dante sat up, a bit startled but quickly at ease. “Hey, Mirabel. What brings you here?”Mirabel shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. “I just wanted to check on my brother. How was your day?”Dante sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. “Same old, same old. Meetings, paperwork, the usual grind. How about you?”“Just like you... busy as always,” she replied with a smile, moving to sit at the edge of his bed. “But that’s life, right?”Dante chuckled. “Yeah, that’s
Lyra stepped into her apartment, the weight of the busy day at the office pressing heavily on her shoulders.She tossed her keys onto the center table and made her way to the rear of the living room, where the couch was, collapsing on it with a weary sigh. Just as she closed her eyes to savor a moment of rest, her phone beeped, signaling an incoming message.She reached for her phone after pulling her bag off her shoulder tiredly. Her movements were still slow until she saw the message was from an unknown number.The contents instantly made her heart skip.“Lyra, you need to come quickly. It’s an emergency. Dante is in trouble. Please, hurry! Address: 45 Morningside Road.”Her pulse quickened, and a shadow of foreboding dimmed her eyes. She sprang up from the sofa; her fatigue disappeared at once, replaced by sheer panic. She abandoned her handbag on the sofa and dashed for the door, locking it up hastily before sprinting towards the elevator.As the elevator descended from top to
It had been about an hour since the embarrassing reveal by Lyra, and Felix’s office had turned into a closet of chaos since then.The once meticulously organized desk was now covered by scattered documents and crumpled papers.The pieces of the broken tea cup were still all about the floor, and the air was thick with anxiety. Felix’s phone continued to ring and tremble incessantly, from one notification after another on the desk, a reminder of the escalating disaster waiting for him in the outside world. He was still sitting at a corner of the office floor with his knees drawn up, his face pale, and his eyes wide with panic as he listened from a distance at the growing list of missed calls and urgent messages.“I’m finished...totally finished.” He kept saying:.When the silence was becoming unbearable, he became desperate for a brief escape.He sprang to his feet like a stuntsman; he grabbed his phone and turned around, then slowly and clumsily guided his legs one after the other in
It was about two days after Lyra had been discharged from the hospital.But instead of returning to the old apartment building, Dante surprised her by driving straight to the towering mansion located inside a secured estate at the heart of town. It was their new home, which he had bought during her time at the hospital.That evening, she had hugged and kissed him so passionately that it filled him with a renewed sense of hope.On this morning, the atmosphere was calm and serene, a contrast to the chaos of the past few days.The room was a testament to their fresh start: moderate yet cozy, decorated with personal touches that told their story.Dante stood by the kitchen counter, carefully arranging a vase of fresh flowers.Lyra entered the room, her steps light and tentative. She was getting used to walking like a baby all over again after being bedridden for close to two weeks.She smiled at Dante, feeling an overwhelming surge of gratitude.“We’ve been through the worst, babe,” Dante
Lyra was lying in the closed space that was her hospital room. By her side were flowers and get-well-soon cards from her staff and members of Dante’s family; the largest were from James and Emily, who had come to see her yesterday, their faces tender and affectionate.Now, though, the room was quiet, except for the soft hum of medical equipment.Lyra lay in the hospital bed, her eyelids moving up and down slowly.She looked around weakly, taking in the sight of the flowers and cards. The pain was still there, but it was duller now, less sharp than before. Dante sat by her side, his eyes filled with concern and love."Hey," Lyra whispered, her voice weak but steady.Dante leaned closer, a smile spreading across his face. "You're doing great, my love. One step at a time."Lyra's eyes filled with tears."James told me... I couldn't have done this without you." She managed to say her eyes were meek and full of meaning.Dante squeezed her hand gently. "We're in this together, Lyra. Alway
The morning after the night of the interception, the grand living room of Cooper’s mansion was filled to the brim with people.The entire family was present, from Grandmother Allesandra to Lucas and Mirabel in their handcuffs, then his dad, Dante, and even James and Emily were around. They had flown in the previous night; others who were also around were the police officials led in by Eric. Everyone had all shown up for the critical meeting after the emergency message from Grandma and Dante, and they face a crude mix of shock, anger, and sorrow.Grandma had insisted yesterday that they be kept in the house until morning so that this meeting could hold.Earlier that day, Detective Eric, Dante, and a team of officers stormed the mansion after Dante reached out to his grandmother. The plan had been executed flawlessly.The gates were shut off and immediately surrounded by policemen. Lucas and Mirabel had been locked up in the room, their faces frozen in shock and apprehension as they tri
After about three hours of waiting, the lead doctor returned from the emergency ward. Dante leaped from the chair.“Yes doctor? How is she doing?”“Calm down, Mr. Dante; we are making progress. She is not fully up yet. But we are making progress. I’m confident she will survive thiss." He tapped on Dante’s shoulder.“Take some rest. This is going to take a few more hours.”Dante was a little relieved by the confident tone of the doctor; at least he wasn’t sounding as tensed as he was when they first came.He decided to use the free time to hunt her attackers.Once he was outside the hospital building, he stood at one spot, mumbling to himself as he tried to piece together the events of the past few hours. The attack on Lyra, the driverless truck—it all felt like a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. The more he thought, the clearer it became that someone was keeping tabs on them, closely monitoring their every move.“I mean, how did they know I was going to be parking at that exact spot?
Dante stepped out of the gleaming glass doors of his office building. It was past 6 p.m. already, and the late evening sun hovered above the sky, ready to start receding.The usual hum of traffic and distant chatter filled the air, but something felt off. As he approached his car in the open parking lot, he noticed the front tires looked slightly deflated, and fresh scratches marred the previously pristine rims.He stopped a few steps from the car, hanging his hands on his waist.“What the hell?” He muttered, crouching to inspect the damage. Everything had been in perfect shape when he parked this morning. A sense of unease settled in his chest. Who would tamper with his car, and why?He looked around the fenced expanse for a moment but couldn’t find anyone close by.In helpless resignation, he climbed into the car and drove off slowly.In a few minutes, he managed to totter the vehicle to a nearby repair shop, less than five miles away from his office headquarters, carefully maneuve
The good light of the evening filtered through the blinds, casting a pale glow over the sterile hospital room.Lyra stirred on the narrow blue bed, feeling groggy and disoriented. She blinked a few times, her vision blurry, trying to make sense of her surroundings.The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air, and the gentle beeping of machines created a rhythmic noise in the background.As her vision cleared, she noticed Dante sitting by her side, his eyes heavy with concern.His presence was a reassuring anchor.She took a deep breath, her voice barely a whisper.“You came? Where is…where is…”“Shhhh!” Dante hushed, leaning forward tenderly, his hand gently holding hers. “He’s gone.” He muttered calmly."You fainted a few hours ago, Lyra. Felix called me. He told me everything that happened. We brought you here immediately. After that, I asked him to leave."Lyra's heart thumped as the memories of the restaurant flooded back in that minute. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tu
Lyra drove towards Philly April’s café with a blank expression, even though her heart was aching with curiosity.Felix had called earlier to promise his sincere apologies, and more importantly, he had claimed that he was ready to make some significant confessions, but she remained skeptical.She wondered if this was another one of his ploys, but that would not be a problem because she was ready to go any length to force the truth out of him, particularly the real truth about Aria's involvement in all of this.As greatly as she would have wished never to see or talk with Felix, her determination to uncover the truth pushed her forward.As she parked her car and approached the café, she steeled herself for the confrontation.The café was quiet, and the afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the cozy interior. Lyra spotted Felix immediately. He sat at a secluded table, his posture slumped, and his head tilted downward. His guilty, cowering look only fueled her anger.“I just hope this isn
Dante stood outside Lyra’s apartment, his heart rumbling with different thoughts, and he ached for her to appear so he could finally get the chance to defend himself.He took a deep breath and knocked on the door about four times, his knuckles rapping sharply against the wood.Inside, he heard the muffled sounds of movement, followed by Lyra’s voice, strained with pain and anger.“Just go away, Dante! I don’t want to see you!”Dante knocked again, louder this time. “Lyra, please, just hear me out!”“I’ve heard enough lies already!” Her voice reverberated through the door, each word a stab at his heart.“I said, just go away. Leave me the heck alone. Is that too much to ask?”The oppressive weight of desperation settled over him.He knocked once more, his voice rising.“Lyra, it’s about Mirabel. You need to know the truth. Just hear me out. Don't tell me you haven't been asking some questions either. Just give me the chance to offer you some answers; that is all I ask.”There was a bri
Dante sat next to his study desk, his eyes fixed on his phone. He dialed Lyra’s number again, waiting anxiously as it rang. Once, twice, and three times, each ring echos in the silent room. After five rings, the call went to voicemail. He let out a frustrated sigh, his mind racing with questions."Please pick up the phone, Lyra." He muttered quietly, pushing the phone aside as he stood up to start pacing the room. The last judgmental image he had of her, coupled with the unanswered calls so far, was only adding to his confusion and frustration.He debated going to her apartment, but the thought of facing her without answers held him back. His mind wandered back to that night. What exactly had happened? His thoughts spiraled, imagining the worst. Had he really slept with Amara? But How?The memory was hazy and fragmented. How had it come to this? He reasoned, his mind a whirlwind of doubt. The last thing he remembered was sitting in a hall with Mirabel. Amara was so much farther a