The meeting with the stakeholders was already underway, with everyone seated and waiting for Jackson's arrival. As he entered the room, they all stood up to greet him, except for Ava, who remained seated and relaxed, her eyes fixed on Jackson with a hint of amusement.Jackson cleared his throat, trying to compose himself, and made his way to his seat at the head of the table. "Let's get started, shall we?" he said, trying to sound confident.One of the stakeholders, a middle-aged man with a stern expression, spoke up. "Jackson, before we begin, I have to ask. Did you really steal the company from Ava, or should I say, Emily Greenfield? Because the story you told us about her willing the company over to you doesn't quite add up."Jackson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to cover his lies. "Well, it's not exactly like that. Ava and I had an agreement, a contractual arrangement..."Ava raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical, but she remained silent, letting Jackson dig hims
Uncle Smith sat in the prison cafeteria, eating his lunch, when a warden approached him. "Hey! Fool, you have a call. Come with me to answer it." The warden's voice was firm and very unkind.Uncle Smith's curiosity was piqued as he followed the warden to the phone stand. Who could be calling him? He hadn't had a visitor in weeks, and his phone calls were few and far between. As he walked, he wondered if it might be his lawyer, calling with some update on his case. Or maybe it was a friend, checking in to see how he was doing.But as he reached the phone stand and picked up the receiver, he heard a voice that made his heart skip a beat. "Hello, Uncle Smith," Amelia said, her voice warm and familiar.He immediately looked around, covering the speaker with his hand, whispering harshly, "Amelia? What’s going on? Why are you just calling me now? Why haven't I been released yet? Have you forgotten about me? I thought you were working on getting me out of here."Amelia's voice was apologetic
After Uncle Smith ended the call, the warden approached him, "Hey, you've got a visitor."Uncle Smith followed the warden to a room that looked like an interrogation room. The walls were a drab gray, and the floor was made of worn linoleum. The air was thick with the smell of stale cigarettes and sweat. In the center of the room, an iron chair sat, its surface scratched and rusted. Uncle Smith was led to the chair, his hands cuffed behind his back as he sat down.The door to the room opened, and a man in a black suit walked in. He was average in height, with a forgettable face and a receding hairline. His eyes were a dull brown, and his nose was slightly too large for his face. He wore a white shirt with a black tie, and his suit pants were creased from sitting.The man sat down in a chair across from Uncle Smith, his eyes fixed on him with a neutral expression. Uncle Smith looked him up and down, trying to read his face."Who are you?" Uncle Smith asked his voice firm despite the unc
The next day, Amelia sat beside Mr. Timberlake's hospital bed, her eyes fixed on his frail form. Half of his face was paralyzed, a stark reminder of the stroke he had suffered. But as she gazed at him, her attention was diverted to the TV screen mounted on the wall. Breaking news flashed on the screen, and Amelia's heart skipped a beat as she saw a man covered in white cloth being carried on a cart inside an emergency bus. The news caster's voice was somber, "Tragedy struck last night at the local prison, where inmate Smith Greenfield was found dead in the prison toilet. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death."Amelia rose to her feet, trembling uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had hoped that Uncle Smith would be released, that he would be safe. But now, he was gone.Even though she didn’t want him anywhere aro
Amelia's tears seemed to sober her up, and Jackson's heart began to melt at the sight of her distress. He held her hands and pulled her into a hug, his anger dissipating as he felt her tremble in his arms.Amelia's voice was muffled against his chest. "I was so scared in prison, Jackson. Alone, with no one to turn to. I thought about John every day, wondering if I'd ever see him again."She pulled back, her eyes pleading. "Why don't we get back together? We can work through this, for John's sake. We can be a family again."Jackson's expression hardened, and he pushed her away. "What? No way. I'm not getting back to you after all the lies and troubles you've caused me. You broke my trust, Amelia. I can't just forget that."Amelia's face fell, her eyes welling up with tears again. "Why won't you? You're still in love with Ava, aren't you? That's why you won't give me another chance."Jackson's silence was telling, and Amelia's eyes widened in shock. "What? You're joking! Why would you s
“Do you know,” Jackson's face twisted in disgust, his voice laced with contempt. "You're a monster, Amelia. A manipulative, selfish monster. How could you do all that? Use me, lie to me, destroy innocent lives...all for your own gain. You're worse than I ever could have imagined."“Expensive coming from you,” Amelia's eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising. "Don't call me that, Jackson. I did all this for you. It's all for you, so you can be happy, satisfy your father...I did it all for us. I wanted to give you the world, Jackson. I wanted to make you happy."Jackson's voice was incredulous. "Happy? You call this happy? You've ruined my life, Amelia. You've destroyed everything I hold dear. And now I see why Ava would never forgive me. She saw through you, Amelia. She knew what you were capable of. She knew you were a toxic, manipulative person who would stop at nothing to get what you want."Amelia's face twisted in a snarl, her voice venomous. "Don't play victim, Jackson. Didn’t
Amelia ran until she was cornered, her heart beating fast, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She thought to herself, "The Timberlakes were never to be trusted. They used me, manipulated me, and now they're disposing of me." She swore under her breath, tears streaming down her face.As she stood there, trapped, the weather started to change. Dark clouds gathered, and a thunderstorm rolled in. The rain started falling heavily, soaking Amelia to the bone.It was already evening, and the rooftop was dimly lit. Amelia saw the officers approaching her, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the walls. She knew she couldn't give up now. She took off running again, not looking back.Some of the officers shouted, "Faster! After her! Don't let her get away!" Their footsteps pounded the rooftop, getting closer and closer.Amelia's heart was racing, her legs pumping as she ran. She could feel the officers closing in, their breath on her neck. She didn't dare look back, fearing what she might
A smile appeared afterward on her lips and then she hugged her back, her voice muffled against Ava's shoulder. "I'll miss you too, Ava. Take good care of yourself, okay?" Ava nodded, her eyes shining with tears. "You too, Lisa. Take care of yourself. Don't forget about me." “I won’t.” Lisa pulled away, her eyes welling up with tears. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but it was no use. As she started to walk away, tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she began to cry again. Her hand covered her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs. Her legs carried her out of the penthouse, her luggage rolling behind her. Ava watched her go, her own eyes streaming with tears. She stood there, frozen, until Lisa disappeared. The entrance of the penthouse slid close, and Ava was left standing alone, her heart heavy with emotion. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but the ache in her heart lingered. She knew she would miss Lisa dearly, miss her concern, her smile, he