"Why are you dressed in such a manner, Ryleigh?" Curiosity prompted Abby to inquire while carrying Amelia. Rye was standing in front of the just-acquired full-length mirror. She expelled a heavy sigh. "I have a new job and have recently submitted my resignation from Shine and Dime." “What?” Abby displayed a shocked expression and moved closer to her. Still, Amelia was engaged in hair play with Abby. "The offer is more generous, and I need only—" "What will your employment entail? Don't say you're going to become a pole dancer!” Rye delivered a slam to Abby. “Silly. I will serve as the CEO's secretary and have been promised generous pay. And you're aware that it's a good concept, right? Amelia is growing rapidly—" Abby nodded, "I know.” Abby strolled up to the sofa and sat down before asking, "Well, if you won't mind, may I know the name of the company or only the name of your boss?" Amelia was permitted to sit on her lap. "It's confidential and I've been instructed not to disc
Ryleigh acknowledges that her job is simple. Specifically, she must deal with Ace Matthew's bipolarity. Even though she attempts to avoid him, she cannot. She was waiting for the wall clock to strike twelve when Ace obstructed her vision. She then grimaced but later forced a smile. The other part of her thinking whispered, "You must be kind to your boss." "Do you need anything, Boss?" she asked with a sarcastic tone in her voice. "Let's have lunch," he stated monotonously. It is a statement, not a question, to which she did not respond and instead exhibited a gaping mouth. "What game did you intend to play again?" The facial expression of Ace remains unchanged. “Why do you continuously accuse me of playing games?” She said, "Isn't it?" and laughed cynically. "Why would the enigmatic Ace Will Matthew take me to lunch? You dislike forming relationships with women, so why are you here asking me out?" she asked incredulously. It's the honest truth! Abby, Flora, and the others were a
"Fuck you, Blue! Withdrew it!” The voice of Ace echoed through the empty hall. The one named Blue went away from him. "I'm sorry, man, I can't—" "Damn it! Why didn't you inform me before scribbling my name on that damned paper?!" Still audible in Ace's voice is anger. One thing he detests is when others make decisions without his consent. "Come on, pal. You can do it. Moreover, your adversary is that conceited midget." “Bento?” Blue nodded. "See, it's simple. You can knock out that thug with a single blow." “Nonetheless, you should have notified me!” He yelled and took a step forward to approach Blue, but the latter moved away. He halted and fixed his gaze on his. “Therefore, I shall not take part.” Blue laughed out loud and then returned. "Do you wish for haters?" Ace smirked. "I already own. And I don't care." "They have paid for the tickets and will be waiting for you. You won't believe it, but all tickets so
Abby arrived at Rye's flat at 3:30 in the afternoon. Rye's ideas arrived abruptly. How will her life change without Abby? Will she grow this strong, or will she remain as feeble as ever? She was grateful that despite the things she had done in the past and the poor choices she had made, Abby still believes she deserves more and better. She may have chosen the wrong route in the past with Lucas, but God provides her with all she needs. “Would you mind sharing your thoughts?” Abby pushed her spirit back into her body when she saw the woman standing next to her. Abby regarded Rye's reflection in her compact vanity mirror. "What are your thoughts on Ace Matthew?" she questioned abruptly. “Arrogant.” Abby grinned and nodded her head. "Anything else?" “Bipolar.” Abby's mouth formed the letter O' in astonishment. "How does it feel to be in his presence? How did you obtain employment at his company? Not to mention that the role is secretary, d
Following Flora, she approached the restaurant's rear section. Rye frowns because she cannot observe Flora's physique. She wondered herself, "Where the hell did she go?" as she continued walking. She was only following her for a few moments, and now she's gone so quickly? Flora's vanishing mode triggered her, but she gasped as she prepared to advance. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing the steps. ‘Where in the hell would these stairs lead?’ she pondered. At that same time, she realizes something. She reasoned that Flora couldn't have left that quickly unless she had descended the stairs. Rye began to take a step down and grasp the icy bars. She is terrified by the weird atmosphere and the sudden screams she hears. She scowled as she continued to descend after hearing such sounds. Again, she questioned where it originated. She learns after some time that she would not be in this circumstance if she had followed Flora. As she made her final steps, she covered her eyes as a blindin
Abby continues to ring Rye's number, but her friend's phone is unreachable. She was sweating profusely as she tapped the screen of her smartphone. Now, her hunch got bigger. Those individuals, who appeared strange to her a few days ago, may have been keeping an eye on Rye. Those men were always across the street and a few streets away from Rye's flat. They wore uniforms from a cleaning service, which was perplexing because the neighborhood is maintained every week. And they are not required to employ cleaners. Prior to putting Amelia to bed, she heard a knock at the door. When she opened the envelope, one of the men inquired if she desired their services, but she rejected them. She was about to close the door when the man asked her if she was alone, seeing that she was holding a child. She repeatedly dialed Rye's number until she gave up and contacted her uncle instead. "We need to deal with that auction, Uncle," she began as soon as her uncle answered the phone. "Why the abrupt
Rye awoke with a sharp throb in her head. She muttered, "Ugh," as she adjusted her eyes to the dim surroundings. She wanders her eyes and is immediately seized with dread. She was resting on a cold, rust-scented steel bed in a dimly lit room. She stood up and initiated a phone call. However, after five attempts, no one answered, prompting her to stand up and walk to the door. As terror escapes her heart, she inhales more deeply. Her eyes began to leak tears. ‘Why am I here?’ She now regretted having followed Flora. If she had only gone home immediately, she might not be in this situation. As she approached the door, she began to knock. "Hello! Is anyone there?" she yelled. She was about to give up when she heard the knob suddenly twitch. She stepped back and awaited the door's opening. After a few seconds, a tall man wielding a long gun—she does not know what type of gun it was—entered the room and grabbed for the side light switch. As she adjusts her eyesight, Rye closes her eye
Rye was hauled away by two armed guys after a few hours of sitting in the dim room by the rusting, steel bed. At that point, she is unsure of her emotions. That Val never believes her words but insists she has some relationship with Ace. Even more, he slapped her. Pathetic. Even if they manage to kill her, Ace will not appear. Why would he, be right? She means absolutely nothing to him. "Can you just let me go? Why don't you believe me?” she persisted. She even attempted to escape by wriggling, but she cannot. "The placement of you has already been determined by the boss," the man on her left said. She grimaced. "Can you believe he chose to send me to hell?" She laughed with sarcasm. The armed guys shook their heads, convinced that she has lost her mind. "Your boss's name is Val?" Okay, she has begun to speak. She is on the point of death, but she is still making jokes. They both said, "No." She furrowed her left brow as they continued to travel and she had no idea what they
Ryleigh’s POV Months have already passed, yet Lucas is still not awake. There has been no advancement. And I almost gave up, but I am aware that he is fighting. He is attempting to return for me... for us. And every idea of losing him nearly rends me apart. How many drugs has he received by injection? I lost count. I pray every day and every moment, but especially while I am by his side, holding his hand, pressing it, and conversing with him. I am aware that there is yet hope. And I believe that miracles are possible. A month ago, our daughter became one year old. We celebrated it in his room, attempting to lighten the mood on that particular day, but we all knew it was futile. Lucas is laying on a hospital bed with equipment inserted into various portions of his body, and he is sleeping so soundly that we fear he will pass away at any time. Damn it! May God have mercy on me. Why should he be one of the many individuals who desired to engage in pointless activities? Why must Luca
When you believed that everything was in order, you relaxed and enjoyed yourself. Ryleigh never imagined that Hannah would reach the point where she would attempt to hurt innocents. Since Hannah had simply given Lucas until 4:00 p.m. to arrange everything, he asked her to stay, but she declined. "We must notify Abby. They can assist." “No! I will handle this on my own. Please comply. It is for your benefit. You have no idea what will happen—" "Lucas, we cannot predict what will occur. Please, let's coordinate with them rather than with law enforcement. You're a broker, correct?" "I resigned." The eyes of Rye expanded. "I don't care. Abby is my companion. Keith and Drake are your friends.” "This has no bearing on them. I must resolve this issue by myself." Rye yanked a hair strand out of fury. "You don't get it, do you? I desired to assist. My daughter—" "Our daughter," he remarked. “Yes. Ours. And I must—" Luke cupped her face and peered into her eyes, which caused her to st
It is an undeniable fact that we enjoy being liked. We have a natural yearning to feel a part of a group or to be liked by another individual. Life does not always afford us acceptance, however. Instead, it is frequently loaded with rejections, refusals, and everything else. Rejection helps us move our attention from our mistakes to how we can improve. Ace will utilize rejection as a defining event for himself. He then realizes that rejection becomes easier with repeated exposure. Continuously running into it demonstrates a gutsy will to seek out opportunities. And each time you recover from a setback, you emerge somewhat more powerful. Although he may accept the rejection, the anguish remains. It is still apparent, and it has further hurt his heart. The suffering of loving someone who does not return his affection is killing him. He feels as though his universe has fallen apart. Often, loving someone who does not love you back is heartbreaking. It is even awful. It is simple t
The following day, Rye was astonished to find Lucas sitting in her family's living room and conversing with her father. Then, carrying her child, she approached them. When he spotted them, the man stood up and smiled, which is unusual. He is not this way. She had never seen Lucas grin at her with such sincerity as he does now. He welcomed them with "Good morning, Rye" and moved closer to them. "You're early," is the only thing she can say. "I've decided to pay you a visit, and your father and I will be attending the summit." Rye was unable to speak. She suddenly recalled Ace. ‘How is he doing?’ She simply nodded. Lucas extended his hand towards Amelia and bit his lower lip. “Can I?” She grinned. The man desired to carry his daughter, thus Amelia was handed up to him. She asserted, "Let's have a cup of hot coffee in the kitchen." Lucas desired to smile and was incredibly red-faced. However, he held it. He does not wish to presume things for which he may have the opportunity.
Following breakfast, Rye decided to depart the motel. However, as she was ready to touch the elevator button, she hesitated. It began to manifest, Lucas. Her heart is close to bursting out of her chest due to shock. Her lips parted and her eyes expanded. The elevator was about to close when Lucas placed his hand between the doors to prevent it from closing. He then moved outside, but his sight never left Rye. Rye then pretended to have a cough and was about to enter the room when he stopped her. "We need to talk," he stated in a monotone voice. At that time, her body did not react appropriately. She caught herself nodding just now. She removed her arms from his grasp, causing him to scowl. He asserted, "Follow me," and started to walk. After a few minutes of strolling, they encountered the individuals she desired to avoid. “Ryleigh?” She whispered "Dad." It was her father and mother who were carrying her daughter. She is uncertain whether she will cry at that moment. Especially
Before arriving at the hotel, Ace never bothers Rye on their flights. The summit arranged for everything, from food to lodging. They will spend a week in California. At eight o'clock in the evening, he invited Rye to supper, but she declined. It is yet another sort of suffering for him. But what more could he do if she refused, claiming she was not hungry? Afterward, he spent the night alone. He decided to go to the bar in the restaurant where he had dinner. He then reached for some potent alcoholic beverages in an effort to forget his troubles. Ace was certain that it was Rye, not his past, that constantly caused his chest to clench. It took him days to grasp it. Since he met Rye, he has already let go of Margaret's memories and accepted everything from the past. When he had nearly consumed seven drinks, he decided to ascend to his chamber. When he reached their floor, he halted in front of Rye's room with the intention of knocking, but instead, he turned his back and entered the ro
"Why are you resigning, Lucas?" Keith's automobile was filled with the roar of his voice. They were on their way to the main office to hand over Lucas' resignation letter. Keith is unaware of his motive, but he is aware that it involves Hannah and Rye. “You can simply take a break without having to re—" Lucas said, "I've already chosen." His forehead contracted. “Why?” Lucas glanced at him before returning his attention to the road. "Do I need reasons for quitting?" he inquired. "Of course." He laughed with sarcasm. "I must only concentrate on the company. Individual investors are leaving the market. Hela also needs my focus. Perhaps these are sufficient grounds, right?" Keith let out a heavy sigh. "Well, the choice is yours. I am aware I cannot undo it." "I also wanted to recuperate fully from that accident and desperately wanted to retrieve those memories," he added. Keith nodded and remained silent till they arrived at the agency. It took only minutes for Lucas to submit
Rye spent all of her time in Ace's office, reading books and browsing the web. She was unable to comprehend Ace's actions. It seems like he's, her boyfriend. The manner in which he behaves as a possessive lover... being bipolar as a result of what occurred earlier—he is merely stating the obvious. And when she attempted to confront him, he would instantly change the subject. She sighed and glanced at her wristwatch, which revealed that it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. She looked at Ace and sighed once more. He is continuing to sign some documents that he was apparently unable to sign earlier due to distraction. She is curious as to why. She stood and adjusted her attire before approaching him. Ace then felt her presence, prompting him to look at her with a slightly furrowed brow. She inquired, "What time are we leaving for home?" Ace looked back over his actions. "I'm just going to complete this," he responded. She then nodded, placed her hand behind her back, and mo
After leaving the hospital, Rye and Abby proceeded to a coffee shop to discuss various matters. Abby exhales deeply and cannot look directly into Rye's eyes. Because she anticipated that her friend would inquire about her. "Your sigh is really disturbing, Abby. Seems you're nervous, huh?" Rye inquired while sipping her iced caramel coffee. She said, "I loathe the way you stared at me." Rye's brow furrowed as she nibbled on her onion toast. She added as she sipped her coffee, "I know you have a lot of questions running through your head right now, and I'm considering how to answer them." Rye let out a quiet chuckle. "You know me too well," she said. She gave a headshake. "I only wanted to ask one question. Do not fret," she added. At that moment, Abby scoffed. "You cannot deceive me. I anticipated that you would have additional questions following that." She even tapped the wooden table while laughing. “Amazing. Indeed, you're an agent," she confirmed, observing Abby's widening e