**Valerie**I got into the conference room and took a seat at the back. Mr. Denver walked over to the front, where most of the department heads sat.Within 10 minutes, the conference room began to fill with curious and concerned employees. Pockets of hushed conversations sprouted around the room, like wildfires fueled by curiosity."I heard it was someone from accounting," a coworker whispered to another, her voice barely audible over the growing murmur.“No, I heard the person is from the finance department,” the other person countered.I let out a small chuckle, as if...Nearby, another group of colleagues huddled around the watercooler behind me, their voices barely audible."Do you think it's true? Did someone really steal from Mr. Smith?""Yes, it is; I heard it from one of the guards.” Then she looked around and covered her mouth to whisper into the other lady's ear. “I heard it was someone close to him."But it was still loud enough for those around, me included, to hear.Scan
**Valerie**The murmurs in the hall increased even more.Mister Denver's face contorted in despair as he walked up to the podium where Adam was and fell to his knees, his hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. "No, sir, please! I've given my life to this company!” He begged. “I've worked tirelessly for years, dedicating every waking moment to its success. I would never, ever betray that trust!"His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes welling up with tears, and he clung onto the hem of Adam's trouser. "I swear on my family's name; I am innocent!"My heart ached, my eyes shifting to the side instinctively, and that's when finally I saw it—the smile on Amelia's face.I clenched my jaw.So she'd known all along that she wasn't going to be called out as the culprit? What the hell was going on?How exactly did she do it? Then my gaze snapped back to Mr. Denver, who was still pleading his case. "Please, sir, have mercy! I'll do anything to clear my name! I'll work for free; I'll do
**Third person**As soon as the men were out, Amelia dropped to her knees, her shoulders shaking violently."What's this about?" Karen asked, a bit of unease creeping into her voice.Amelia's knees remained on the floor as she explained everything to Karen amidst tears. When she was done, the room fell into a heavy silence.Karen stood up from her chair and walked over to where Amelia was kneeling."Stand up," she instructed with a calm voice.Amelia immediately stood up, her smile growing. "Thank you, ma'a..."But before she could finish her statement, Karen swung her arm, and her palm connected with Amelia's cheek with a sickening smack. Amelia stumbled and fell, her hand flying to her burning face. Karen followed, her stiletto heel digging into Amelia's stomach with a force that made Amelia groan in pain. Tears streamed down Amelia's face as she curled into a ball on the floor, her body trembling with pain and fear."You're just old and stupid!" Karen barked, her legs kicking any
**Valerie**I walked into the room after a relaxing shower.Grabbing my blow dryer, I began drying my hair while singing along to “In the Stars” by Benson Boone playing.“I'm still holding on to everything that's dead and gone.”“I don't wanna say goodbye cos this one means forever.”“Now you're in the stars, and six feet never felt so far.”At this point, I'd stopped drying my hair. The dryer served as a microphone while I sang my heart out, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Here I am alone between the heavens and the embers.”“It hurts so much, for a million different reasons, you took the best of my heart and left the rest in pieces.”Then I tossed the dryer and slumped into my bed with my half-dry hair, more tears rolling down from the sides of my eyes.Maybe if my daughter survived, maybe I wouldn't feel so lonely and empty.Just then, my phone started ringing. I sighed when I saw that the caller was Adam.“Hello,” I murmured, placing the phone in my ear.“Hey, Val. How are you d
**Third person**“Fucking bastard,” Lucas cursed and then spun him around.His jaw dropped and his face contorted in confusion when he saw the face staring at him. “What the hell, man?” The teenage-looking boy staring at Lucas asked with a scowl.He'd seen the person's side profile, and this was definitely not him. Still, Lucas took the boy's hand and rolled his sleeves up. And as suspected, the bullet graze was missing.He got the wrong person. Shit!!!Lucas tried to steady his breath, his eyes roaming about the busy space. Where did he go?“Why are you holding my son? Let him go,” A woman's voice snapped him out of his daze.Then he released his grip on the boy. The boy took off with his mother, both of them giving Lucas dirty looks as they left.Just then, Calvin and the rest of the men caught up to him, their breathing heavy.“Hey, boss. Did you get him?” Calvin asked, still trying to catch his breath.Lucas turned to stare at Calvin, his eyes shooting daggers at him, and Calvi
**Valerie** I swallowed. Him carrying me won't be bad though, but instead I shot him a brief glare and then got in. “How did you know where I live?” I asked as soon as he started the car. He scoffed lightly. “Was it supposed to be a secret?” I turned to look at him, my lips slightly apart. Oh wow, the location of my house wasn't a secret? Means any random guy could just show up at my place? As if reading my mind, he said, “Don't worry, you're safe.” “And how do you know that?” “I just know,” he muttered without taking his eyes off the road. Soon, we arrived at the Stone's family house. It was not quite how I'd imagined it. It wasn't as big and majestic as the one where Lucas lived. The house was a warm beige bungalow with a manicured lawn, vibrant flowers, and a lone oak tree. It was as though Lucas read my thoughts. He leaned forward and said, “My mom prefers something small, says it makes it homely. And especially since it's just her and my grandfather li
**Third person**Mrs. Stone pushed open the creaking door of her father's room, the familiar scent of antiseptic air filling her nostrils. Grandpa sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. A soft, rhythmic tapping filled the silence; it was the sound of his fingers tracing patterns on the quilt."Still awake, Papa?" she asked gently, even though the answer was obvious.Grandpa didn't respond, his expression blank. Mrs. Stone was used to his silence by now, but it still tugged at her heartstrings. She sat beside him, her hand resting lightly on his."What do you think about Valerie, Lucas's girlfriend?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.To her surprise, Grandpa turned to her, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "She's lovely," he said, his voice a soft murmur.Mrs. Stone turned to look at him, her heart swelling. "Really?" she replied, a smile creeping across her face. "I think so too. She's a wonderful girl."The smile on Mrs. Stone's face ling
**Third person**Karen was alone in the bedroom, and so she picked up her phone and dialed Layla’s number. Layla was going to be the new department head of project design. “Hey, girl. What's up with you calling by this time?” Layla asked.Layla was a friend to both Ashley and Karen since they were teenagers.“Oh, it's nothing serious. I want you to handle something for me,” Karen stated, her voice lacking the cheerfulness that Layla's held.Layla sat up. “What's that?”“Make someone so frustrated with work that she decides to quit on her own.”Layla chuckled. “You've still not given up on this path. Why don't you deal with her directly or have her fired already?”Karen scoffed. “She's dating Lucas Stone.”“The Lucas Stone?” Layla repeated, shocked. “Well then, I hope I won't get into trouble for doing that?”“Why would you? She doesn't need to know that you're trying to make life difficult for her,” Karen clarified.“Ohhh…” Layla let out a giggle in understanding, and Karen followed