“Don’t touch me!” Viva shouted at the guard who was stationed at the elevator.“You can’t go in, ma'am; he is in a meeting,” the guard told her, but she wouldn’t listen. Ellen and Alex hurried out of Leo’s office to see the ruckus Viva was causing as she struggled to get past the guard.“Viva, what’s going on?” Alex asked as soon as he and Ellen walked up to her.“I just need to see Leo; is that such a crime?” Viva asked vehemently as she glared.“You can’t do this now; if you can, please calm down; we’ll get it all sorted out in no time,” Ellen said, trying to calm down the situation.“What is going on here?” Leo asked as soon as he ran out of his office, with Felix right behind him.“Leo, there you are,” Viva purred as soon as she saw Leo, her face breaking into a smile from the hard look she had on just minutes ago.“It’s just a slight misunderstanding, Mr. Warner; it’s been sorted out already,” Alex answered quickly. He cast a warning glance in Viva’s direction, hoping she got it.
Ellen blinked twice, wishing away the second line on the stick, but the more she stared, the clearer it became. It’s been three months since the trip to LA, and Ellen has missed her period twice.“Oh, no, this is not happening,” Ellen croaked in a small voice as she sat down on the toilet. How could this happen? Ellen thought as tears streamed down her eyes.“How could this happen? Why was I so careless?” Ellen questioned herself in tears.“How would I tell Leo? Would he believe me?” Ellen muttered in a small voice as she palmed her hand over her face.An hour later, she stood at the entrance of the hotel. She stared at the tall building and wondered how her life had changed in a matter of months.“Hey, Ellen, Is there something you’re staring at?” Alex questioned Ellen from behind, looking up in the direction she had been staring.Ellen was startled. She jerked forward and turned to look at him. “Good morning, Alex; it’s nothing; let’s head in,” she said.“Okay, I see. Good morning t
Sandra's heart almost burst out of her chest as the door sprang open to reveal Alex. “Sandra? What are you doing at Leo’s desk?” Alex said this as soon as he walked into the office. He had been in a hurry, but his foot steps reduced as he saw Sandra. Placing a hand on her chest, Sandra hissed a sigh of relief. "Nothing; I was just looking around,” she replied nonchalantly as she walked back to the lounge. Alex looked at her skeptically for a few seconds before hurrying to pick up a file from Leo’s desk. “Leo would not like you at his desk, Sandra, not when Ellen isn’t in the office.” Alex told her. “What are you doing here, by the way? I was told you guys were out of the office,” Sandra asked Alex, pretending not to hear him as she walked back to the lounge. “Yes, I had to come back to get something we forgot,” Alex replied. “Hmm, Alex, is it true Ellen is on probation?” Sandra asked innocently as Alex walked toward the door. Alex paused. “Sandra, leave the poor girl alone; don
“What? What is missing?” Ellen exclaimed as a frozen look took over her expression. Now she understood why they were all standing in the office.“You were the last person to leave the office yesterday, right?” Leo asked Ellen, his voice barely above a whisper as he peered at her through slit eyelids.“Yes, I was.” Ellen answered cautiously, wondering why he would ask her when he already knew.“I need you to go check the CCTV to see who came by my office yesterday,” Leo instructed the guard, who turned and hurried out to do Leo’s bidding.“Mr. Warner, what do we do in the main time? We are supposed to meet with them in the next five hours,” Alex stated, his face wrinkled with worry.Ellen was confused; she had no idea what exactly was missing, so she stepped forward and asked, “What is missing exactly?”Leo brushed his hand through his hair in frustration as he moved from his seat towards the glass wall to stare out at the city.Alex turned to Ellen and said, “There’s an important docu
Ellen’s heart froze. “What is what?” she asked as she watched Leo’s hand slide under her desk to retrieve something, his eyes locked on hers as well.“You found something right; what is it?” Sandra asked eagerly, as if waiting for a present to be unraveled.Leo’s hand clasped around a folder that was tucked at the far back of the table. He pulled it out, his expression ice-cold and unreadable.“Did you find something, Mr. Warner?” Alex asked as Leo pulled the file and placed it on the desk before everyone.Ellen staggered back, her eyes widening in amazement at the file Leo pulled out.“How did that get to my desk? I have never seen that document,” Ellen muttered, her voice wavering.“Leo, is that the file that went missing?” Felix asked Leo, who was frozen on the seat and silently staring at the file he had placed on the desk.“Yes, that’s the file,” Alex replied as he took a step closer to the desk.“What is it doing under your desk, Ellen, and in a suspicious place at that? It seem
Leo watched silently as Ellen said, “My confession is that I'm..." before pausing and looking down at her feet.Folding his hands on his chest, Leo looked away from her and said, “You know what? I don’t want to hear it. Just go and never come back here.”“I need to..." Ellen stuttered, her heart shattering at his words as she raised her eyes to him again.“You don’t need to say anything; I gave you the time to, but you didn’t say anything. Get out of here, Ellen,” Leo told her angrily as he pointed at the door.Ellen looked at him one last time before finally opening the door and leaving.“Ellen, what happened?” Felix asked as soon as Ellen stepped out of the office.“Nothing happened; I need to go,” Ellen told him as she walked to her desk.“I took the liberty to pack your bag,” Sandra told Ellen when she got to her desk.Jerking the bag from her, Ellen said, “Don’t you touch my things ever.”“Not that there’ll be a next time, you know,” Sandra told Ellen as she swerved in Ellen’s se
Ellen wiped her tears as the elevator touched down in the lobby. Holding her shoulders high, she walked briskly towards the door.“Ellen!” Felix shouted, hurrying through the lobby to catch up with Ellen.“Wait up, why are you so in a hurry to leave? This can still be rectified,” Felix said, panting as he caught up with her outside the hotel.“Nothing can be rectified, Felix. I should be thankful he let me go this easily; it could have blown into something big,” Ellen replied as she kept walking.“Okay, hold on a minute, please,” Felix said, holding Ellen’s shoulders to halt her steps.“Are you certain you know nothing about that document?” Felix asked.“Do you also believe I stole the document?” Ellen asked as a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her.“If you say you didn't, then I believe; I just needed to ask it out loud,” Felix assured her.“Well, it’s of no use now; I should go,” Ellen told him as she turned to leave.“Can we talk, maybe tomorrow?” Felix asked her, holding on to
What is it? Is something wrong?” Felix asked as soon as he saw the look on Leo’sface."Yes, something is wrong,” Leo stuttered as he tried to make sense of the email."From the look on your face, it seems like it is something serious," Felix replied, looking at him inquisitively."Yes, Felix, it’s an urgent matter that needs my attention. I need to be in LA right away," Leo stated with a hint of urgency in his voice.“Los Angeles? Why? Does it have anything to do with the branch?” Felix asked, wondering why Leo was suddenly needed in LA.“All of a sudden, what really happened that demands your attention in person?” Felix added.“Yeah, basically, there is an important client who is on the verge of denying us a contract if I am not in LA as soon as possible,” Leo explained as he tapped away at the keyboard to reply to the email.“Oh, really, okay, well, I’ll just conclude…” Felix was saying, but Leo cut him off.“Let’s finish what we were talking about when I get back Felix, please,” L
Leo looked back to see Felix walk into the office with a smug look on his face. "Felix! Where have you been?" Leo asked before looking to see Ellen pointing at Felix with a look of panic on her face again. "Why are you pointing at Felix? Ellen, what is going on? Are you sure this isn't just an act?" Leo asked, stepping away from her. "It's him; he is behind it, Leo," Ellen said, speaking up. Leo shook his head in amazement and replied, "If this is some sort of joke, would you please stop it?" "I am telling you the damn truth; would you for once believe me?" Ellen shouted at him. Leo paused for a minute, then turned to look at Felix as he asked, "What the hell is she saying?" Felix shrugged and said, "I don't know Leo; I think she needs to go to the hospital; it's probably a panic due to the pregnancy." Leo turned to Ellen, concern etched on his face this time around as he said, "Ellen, I think we should get you to the hospital." Ellen screamed, beating Leo on the chest as she
Downstairs, Felix navigated through the crowd as he tried to avoid mingling. Everyone was having a light conversation while they all waited for the host."Felix? Over here," Mr. Phillips called from the crowd.Felix waved and smiled, hoping he would be able to slip away without having to go over, but Mr. Phillips had other plans."Felix, what a lovely event you have here. I must say that these past few days have made the Haven hotel the talk of the town," Mr. Phillips commented."I'm glad the event turned out better than we imagined," Felix replied, trying to keep his smile in place."I'm sure Leo is glad to have you on this; truly, two good heads are better than one," Mr. Phillips added."Felix, have you really been around? It's almost like you don't stay in New York," Viva said as she joined them with a glass of wine."I am Viva, but you only have eyes for one person; I guess that's why you haven't noticed me," Felix replied with a charming grin.Every other person in the group chuc
Ellen could feel her inside running faster than her physical legs could carry her."I should go home; yes, that's what I should do." Ellen murmured and walked out of the restaurant.She couldn't look back, for fear of seeing Felix come out of the restroom already.Ellen hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of her house."Alright, ma'am," the cab driver said, and he drove back onto the road.It was then that Ellen had the courage to look back, and she saw Felix walking out of the restaurant."This could just be a misunderstanding, right? I mean, what if I'm just mistaken? What if it's pregnancy hormones?" Ellen murmured.“I think I should have stayed to ask him,” Ellen muttered, adding, “It felt so real.”"I should tell Leo right; he has every right to know; he needs to know," Ellen whispered to herself with determination.She looked at her phone and realized it was too late to head to the hotel. She picked up her phone and dialed Leo's number. It rang for eternity, and nobody
Suddenly, fear gripped Ellen, her heart skipping as she looked back at the person behind her."Did I really scare you?" Felix asked, a broad grin on his face as he enjoyed the look on Ellen's face."What the hell was that about?" Ellen exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest as she calmed herself."I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to pull a prank on you," Felix explained as he laughed at her."That was not funny, Felix," Ellen told him, feigning anger."I know, but the look on your face was cute," Felix replied.Ellen turned and continued walking. "I thought you were too busy to come here," she said.Felix hurried after her and said, "Yeah, I had some things to take care of, but now I'm here and I'm taking you for dinner.Ellen paused, stopping in her tracks. "Dinner? All of a sudden?""Yes, you're done for the day, right? Let's go. I'll treat you to a nice meal," Felix said, grabbing Ellen's arm as he started walking towards his car.*******In Leo's office, he was going over
"What do you want, Sandra?" Ellen said, looking at Sandra, who showed up from nowhere to stand in front of her."You've grown some guts, Ellen; I thought you were banned from coming to this hotel." Sandra glared, stepping closer to her."Sandra, is there something specific you need or want to tell me?" Ellen asked calmly."You think I would have something important to talk to you about?" Sandra mocked."Whatever this is, I really don't have the time for it," Ellen informed her, stepping backward to create space between them.Sandra laughed mockingly, "What do you have if not time? I mean, with that pregnancy and all, I doubt if anyone is going to look your way.""Do you feel better from being mean?" Ellen asked.Sandra's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What did you just say?"Ellen struggled to remain calm. She looked at Sandra and smiled. "It's fine; we can't all have it perfect."Sandra's face went rigid. "Leo will never come back to you; I'll make sure of it," she hissed.Ellen looked
Leo brushed a hand through his hair and said, "Grandma, Ellen is...""Ellen!" Mrs. Grater exclaimed before Leo could finish his statement.Ellen? Where? Leo wondered as he looked towards the door, but there she was, in flesh."Uhm, hi, Mrs. Warner," Ellen said, stuttering as she tried to put on a smile for Mrs. Warner."How are you doing? Leo has been busy with school, you know; he has not come home. Why didn't you bring him home?" Mrs. Warner asked Ellen.Ellen didn't know how to explain it, so instead, she replied, "I'll make sure he comes from now on."That put a smile on Mrs. Warner's face as she pulled Ellen back to the lounge with her."Leo, see, it is Ellen." Mrs. Warner announced as if Leo was blind and hadn't seen her."Yes, grandma, it's Ellen," Leo replied, gesturing with his hand towards her.As Mrs. Warner pulled Ellen down beside her, they heard a commotion at the door."No, you can't do that now; it's supposed to be later today," Alex said as he walked through the door
Felix turned towards the wall nearest to him and slammed his hands against the wall, his face filled with anger as he cursed under his breath."F**k you!"Ellen didn't know what to do—if she was supposed to call him or just wait there till he saw her.Felix turned and headed out towards the entrance. Ellen hurried out and waited till he got to the entrance before she called out to him."Hey Felix, I didn't know you were still around," Ellen said, faking a surprised smile.Upon hearing Ellen call out to him, Felix relaxed his expression and turned up his lips in a smile."Hey, what's up? Yes, I am. I assumed you had gone already," Felix replied as he turned to face her."Uhm, we finished not too long ago; how are you?" Ellen asked, adding, "Are you heading to the hotel?""Uhm, yes, I am. Do you need a ride home?" Felix asked."No, don't worry, I'll find my way," Ellen replied. She wished she could ask him what was wrong, but she couldn't."Okay, call me when you get home," Felix told h
"Love stems from the most surprising places," Leo said, his voice deep and hoarse.Ellen placed her hand on the wall, her heart beating fast as she processed what she had just heard Leo say.The anchor for the broadcast asked again, "Would you say you have experienced this, Mr. Warner?"Leo smiled as he replied, "Yes, I have."Ellen hurried away into the restroom; she didn't stay to hear more of what Leo had to say."Our legacy was formed from love, and that is why the theme for this event is love and light," Leo concluded.In the restroom, Ellen stared at herself in the mirror. "I thought I was over this; he has found love. What do I care?"Her words didn't make her feel any better, but they gave her the strength to head out to meet the rest of the team after she relieved herself."Are you okay? That took you so long," Janet said to Ellen when she joined them."Yes, I'm fine," Ellen assured her."Okay, everyone, we are to meet here tomorrow; all that we have done will either be chang
Felix was jerked out of his thoughts. He glanced towards Ellen, embarrassed that he had been so lost in thought."Uhm, nothing; I was just thinking out loud about, you know, not knowing what goes on in Leo's mind," he explained.Ellen chuckled. "Did you really just give serious thought to understanding what goes on in Leo's mind?" she asked.Felix grinned in reply. "I guess I just did."Ellen laughed. "You have a better chance of winning the lottery than cracking the code in Leo's mind."They laughed at the thought until Felix pulled his car onto the sidewalk of Ellen's apartment."Thank you for bringing me home and for making me laugh too," Ellen stated, a soft smile on her face as she turned towards Felix."You're welcome, dear. I think I should make more jokes about Leo since it seems to crack you up so much," Felix joked.Ellen chuckled. "I don't think that would be necessary. All your jokes make me laugh anyway.""I'm glad to hear that." Felix replied, adding, "Do you mind if I p