**Third person**Lucas turned to glare at him, shrugged, and continued walking.Valerie stood with her head poking out of the restroom, watching Lucas and the dirty looks he got as he strolled by. Her colleague’s obvious infatuation with him made her cringe.How could anyone be so captivated by someone they barely knew?Just then, Lucas ran his thick fingers through his jet-black hair. His side profile was striking, with a chiseled jaw and pointed nose.She swallowed hard. It seemed like he was deliberately drawing attention to himself.If only they knew how condescending and arrogant he truly was.“You sure look at him like you want to fuck him.”Valerie flinched and spun around, startled by the voice.She clutched her chest and released her breath when she saw the face. “Why did you do that? You scared me.”“I’m Tessa. I work in that office,” she said, pointing to the project design department.“Hi, Tessa. I’m Valerie.” She shook Tessa’s outstretched hand and moved toward the water
**Third person**In Stone Enterprises, Lucas had just walked in when he was told that his mother was waiting for him in the cafeteria.Stepping into the elevator, he pressed the button for the last floor. Whenever Mrs. Stone came by, they always sat in that cafeteria.“Lucas, darling!”Mrs. Stone was already on her feet, her face lighting with excitement as soon as Lucas walked in. "I was so bored at home, I simply had to come see you." They exchanged a quick, affectionate hug, her eyes scanning him for any signs of distress.Lucas managed a smile. “Mom, you didn’t have to come all the way. We could have just talked over the phone.”She waved a dismissive hand. "I wanted to. Besides, I’ve brought you lunch." She gestured to the oversized bag she was carrying.And even though the place was usually almost empty since most of the employees ate in the other cafeterias, they stayed in a corner. Their table was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, streaming sunlight onto the crisp whi
**Third person**Valerie's feet trembled as she made her way back to her chair.Amelia eyed her suspiciously and then scoffed in disbelief. “Don't you think you're being too dramatic for just a slap?” But Val remained silent, the content of the text message still echoing in her head. *You don't get to have a second chance with a new face and identity and then act this impulsively. Next time, think through your actions before you execute.*Her eyes darted around the office, searching for anyone watching her.Someone in the office right now knows who she is. The person had been observing everything. They'd seen her stand up and head toward Adam's office. But how could they have known her intentions? Maybe they'd guessed, pondering why she'd wanted to interrupt Adam's conversation with his wife just after the slap.The thoughts of this mystery person sent shivers down her spine.Whoever it was must have watched her so closely to be able to predict her actions.Valerie's anxious gaze
**Third person**Matt traced her line of sight and saw the man walking to their table. Then his eyes flickered back to Val. “Do you know him?” She opened her mouth to say something, but the words refused to come out. Lucas kept advancing towards them.And just when she thought he was going to stop at their table, he passed by and headed to the table behind Matt. Valerie let out a small, amused snort. "I guess not," she replied.“Oh,” he murmured, his eyes darting between Lucas, who had just settled on a chair, and Valerie, who was sitting opposite him. He'd clearly noticed something was amiss, but he decided not to push it. "So, about this new friend of yours..." he began, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere. "Friend is a strong word," she corrected. “I barely know her.”And after the painful betrayal of those she loved the most, she wasn't in a hurry to make new friends."So, what's she like?” Matt asked curiously.“She's bubbly… Talks a lot.”Valerie could feel Lucas's
**Third person**“She sometimes leaves work very late,” Amelia continued. “We could ask them to wait for her just outside the premises. Then we could kidnap her and ask her questions.”Karen let out a wry chuckle. “Let her be for now. Doing all that right now won't solve anything.”“Or we could call the delivery company and make sure they tell us who sent the package,” Amelia insisted curtly.Then she shrugged and added, “And she's been disrespectful to me lately."Karen’s brow raised in amusement. “Really? What did she do?”“Uh…she,” Amelia stuttered; she wasn't expecting Karen to ask for the details. “She's been making eyes and glaring at me,” Amelia managed.“Well, glare at her back,” Karen shot.Amelia blinked in disbelief. “Ma'am?”“Stop the car,” Karen ordered the driver, and the car immediately screeched to a halt.Then she turned to Amelia. “You should get off now.”"But it'll be difficult for me to get a cab from h-" Amelia's words trailed off as she met Karen's icy gaze."O
**Third person**Karen's mind drifted off to her relationship with her sister, Ashley, and how similar this Valerie girl was to her.They always wanted to help, were always convinced they could fix everything, and believed themselves to be incredibly intelligent.Back then, Ashley always pretended to be a saint; she'd acted so innocently... And she even fooled James into liking her.Karen rolled her eyes.And that must be why Val thinks she could handle a project like this in one week.Then Karen turned to look at Amelia, who had been staring at her the entire time, waiting for an answer.”There's no plan. I simply wait for her to fail and then fire her for being incompetent."Valerie was certainly not worth making plans for; Karen could easily make her disappear forever if she wanted to.“Wow, that's brilliant, ma'am,” Amelia chirped, a satisfied grin plastering on her face as she spoke.Val spent the rest of the day working on the project, her mind occasionally filled with thoughts
**Valerie**I cleared my throat, trying to hide my surprise. “Uh, yeah.”My heart raced. Lucas was the investor?“Well, I've been working. I just decided to cool off a bit by coming here,” I quickly added. "Oh, okay, then, I could help if you need anything,” she offered.“Sure, thank you.”With that, I hung up, and then I saw Matt walking towards me. “Any problem?” He asked, taking the seat beside me.I sighed. “Well, the presentation I told you about... I just realized that the investor I'll be pitching to is someone I don't like.”“Someone you don't like?” Matthew cocked a questioning eyebrow at me but didn't say anything more.“Well, I kind of encountered him before, and we started on the wrong foot,” I explained, my fingers playing with my brush.His jaw clenched visibly, and his brows furrowed.“Val? Did he do something bad to you?”“No, no. I was the one who answered his call,” I blurted out without thinking. Shit… How could I have said that?Even though I don't owe Matt any
**Third person** Valerie smiled, pretending to be unfazed. "I've done extensive research on the target demographic, and I believe that our product will resonate with them on a deep level,” she replied confidently. “Plus, I've analyzed the numbers, and I'm certain that we can increase sales by at least 20% within the first quarter." Lucas snorted. "That sounds like a lot of buzzwords. Can you give me some actual numbers?" "Of course, Mr. Stone.” Val shifted her focus back to the slides before she continued. “According to my research, our target demographic is most active on social media between the hours of 7pm and 10pm. By targeting our ads during this time period, I believe we can increase our reach by at least 30%." Then her eyes returned to Lucas, who seemed to have an impressed look on his face, and she felt her stomach swell with satisfaction. Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I'll give you credit, Miss Thorne. You've done your homework. But what’s the biggest potential setback
**Third person**Inside the hospital, Angela kept pacing around the waiting area. She couldn't let Lucas do the DNA test on her baby, else he'll find out what she was hiding.Is it even possible to do a DNA test this early in pregnancy? She thought.Valerie and Lucas were seated on the same bench, but Val had made sure to put enough distance between them. Calvin stood behind Lucas.Lucas's phone beeped, and he stepped away to answer the call."Mrs. Smith finally woke up, but briefly," Elliot reported.Lucas nodded thoughtfully, still confused himself at why Valerie had chosen to help Karen."Okay, there's no need to inform Miss Thorne now," Lucas instructed. "Maybe you can call her by evening."'Call me selfish, but I didn't want anything that'll take Val away from what we were doing here,' he thought to himself."Okay, sir."He hung up and then signaled for Calvin to come over.While Calvin and Lucas were away, Angela looked at Valerie. "So is this what you want?" Angela hissed, her
**Lucas**I'd been waiting all morning for Valerie to show up. Then I saw my competition—Matthew— arrive and my jaw tightened. But it immediately loosened when I saw Valerie arrive.Even all that had happened on her yacht, she still looked stunning. She had her hair packed up in a ponytail, and she was clad in a pink tank top and free jeans.I didn't want to approach them now; it'll only make me look bad if the guy and I get into another altercation.When she came out with Matthew, and he got into his car, I felt relieved. I'd thought he was going to spend quite some time there.Valerie's eyes met mine briefly, and she increased her pace. I did the same too and caught up with her.“Please just give me one minute of your time. Just one,” I stared at her, my eyes pleading, “no more than that.”Her eyes met mine, and she studied my face without saying a word.“I'll tell you everything,” I added. “No lies, okay?”She just pressed her lips into a thin line and let out a defeated sigh.I to
**Valerie**I walked quickly to the bathroom, the cool tile beneath my feet a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside me. My crying came out as sobs until I was standing in front of the mirror, my hands clutched to my mouth to prevent myself from wailing. He was right. I was a fucking weakling, and a dumb one at that.My hands pressed my aching chest to suppress the pain. It hurt so much, I didn't know what exactly, but he hurt. Maybe it was the realization that he was right."God, why am I so weak?" I shrieked, my voice echoing off the bathroom walls.I didn't even want to dwell on the fact that the anonymous person knew what happened. It could be anyone; crew members, my colleagues, security, or even this mysterious guy who didn't want to share his name. Or maybe someone who wasn't even on this ship, but had an informant.Then I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection; puffy and red eyes, running nose, smudged mascara that made me look like a panda."You fool," I
**Third person**Valerie let out a gasp and shuddered as soon as she heard the splashing sound that the water made when Karen's body hit it.The screams and gurgling sounds from the water filled Valerie's mind and she pressed her palms against her ears to shut it out. Adam moved away from the scene with the men, his face a mask of satisfaction and joy.Valerie’s chest tightened and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Slowly, the darkness creeped in until she lost her consciousness and slumped to the ground.Elliot, who had been keeping an eye on her from a distance, rushed up to her. “Ma'am?” His hand tapped Valerie and she opened her eyes. She looked and saw that she was on the ground. She must have passed out after witnessing what happened, she thought. And almost immediately, she reached for her phone and stopped the recording.She glanced at Elliot confused, but recognizing him. “How long have I been out for?”“Barely a minute,” he answered.Her head was spinning but she stood
**Third person**Back inside,“Move!” The man dragged Valerie. Her heart sank as she peeped at the dining area to see everyone asleep.Was this a repeat of last time? She'd thought that this arrangement was meant for Karen, but why was this strange man pulling her away?“You've got the wrong person,” she yelled at the man.The masked man kept dragging her until they were outside in the yacht. The night breeze made the scent of the ocean fill her nostrils. A scent she'd once loved, but now she loathed.Valerie noticed that the man was trying to pull her to the edge. Her heart hammered even harder against her chest. “No, no, no,” she cried. “Not again.”She began jumping and struggling vigorously against his grip. It was just two of them, and seeing what he wanted to do made adrenaline course through her veins.Val bit the arm of the man hard. “Argh,” he groaned in pain. He swirled her hair around his fingers and pulled her mouth away from his skin.If he felt any more pain from what sh
**Third person**Adam had told the organizer that he had some urgent things to attend to, but that wouldn't have mattered if Valerie had given him even the tiniest bit of her attention.After playing a few other games, everyone headed back to their cabin. They needed to rest and then begin to prepare for the anniversary tonight.At 7pm, the lounge was abuzz with laughter and music as everyone gathered for the celebration. The area was beautifully decorated. Not the typical way you'd decorate a hall for an anniversary, but it'll do just fine since they were on a yacht.It was adorned with strawberry-red roses and white lilacs dripping at the arc of the entrance to give the venue an elegant look.Different well-decorated tables with glasses and cutlery were scattered across the hall. Each of them was a table for three.At the end of the hall sat a buffet spot with a variety of foods that had the air filled with an exotic aroma while two servers walked around with wine.Valerie had just
**Valerie**The next morning, we all gathered in the cockpit by 9am.“Hello, so we've decided to organize some fun games here. At least to make our stay here worthwhile.”The employees cheered.“Hey, how's that leg?” Gabriel asked, appearing beside me.“It's all fixed,” I smiled, stretching a leg forward to show him.“You're going to pair yourselves in groups of twos. Your left leg will be attached to the right leg of your partner and vice versa.Noise filled the air—murmurs, cheer.“Then you and your partner will make a stop at three different places. There'll be a timer, and the team that reaches the finish line within the time limit wins.Gabriel leaned over to me and whispered, “I'm sure we'll kill it, girl. We make a great team.”I nodded, a bit excited. It's been a while since I allowed myself to engage in these types of activities. I also think I needed the distraction from my loud thoughts.Thank goodness Adam or his wife isn't here. It's obvious that the employees feel freer
**Third person**“I've told you, call me Adam,” he said with a soft voice.Valerie's eyes immediately snapped to the door. She was sure that she'd locked it after Gabriel left, before drifting off to sleep.The cabin with its plush carpet and elegant furnishing seemed to close in on her. “How did you get in here?” She questioned. The daggers her eyes shot at Adam was hard to miss even with the dim lightning in her cabin. Adam smirked before lifting a bunch of keys and jingling them at her. “Spare keys.”She groaned inwardly. Seems she'll have to start bolting the door from inside to prevent scenarios like this, Valerie thought.“Please, leave. I was sleeping before he came in,” she tried her possible best to keep her voice calm and polite. Adam was still her boss after all. She'd ask him first to leave calmly and if he doesn't, then she'll have to take drastic action.But her anger slipped into her tone as she spoke.“Val, don't you think that this is long overdue?” He adjusted on th
**Third person**Everyone was settling in the yacht. Valerie was the only lucky one amongst the selected employees who had a room to herself.She had just unpacked her things from her box into the wardrobe. A casual pair for later tonight, a dinner gown for tomorrow night, another casual cloth for before dinner, and then the clothes she'll leave with on Sunday.Then Val arranged all her cosmetics and makeup into the cupboard. The yacht was huge, with about six luxurious cabins, a master suite—where she assumed Adam and Karen would be staying—and then a VIP suite.They probably paired the employees two-to-one room, and since they were an odd number, that's how she ended up alone, Valerie thought to herself.The yacht was one of those expenses she had made on herself before marrying Adam. She had decided to splurge some money on herself for working hard, so she didn't spare a dime when purchasing it.Later, when she got married to Adam, he had berated her for it, saying, What kind of wo