The universe was at a standstill as Ellen watched Leo, holding her breath as she listened. The table had turned in a way she had not expected. How was he even the CEO of the only company that had called her back and offered her employment? "Very well then, the first would be..." Leo said, trailing off at the last word. He smiled and stopped mid sentence, making her nervous as to what exactly he had in mind. "I can’t really read them off to you now; you are going to wait outside while I have it drawn up." Leo said, taunting her. He knew she would never agree to sign what he had in mind, and he was ready to watch her give up. "Okay sir." Ellen agreed; her earlier confidence not so evident now. "Yes, and be ready to sign whatever it is; as you said, you’ll do anything," Leo reminded her. She looked determined to see this through. She must really need the job; we’ll see about that, Leo thought. "If you’ll excuse me," Leo said, pointing towards the door. "Yes, of course, thank you, M
Her hands clenched in fists, her brow raised, and her voice seethed with anger as she said "Get out!". Too angry to move from the door of the bathroom, water dripped from her skin and pooled on the floor. Standing at her door was Emily, the betrayer and backstabbing friend. "I won’t repeat myself," Ellen said again, struggling to calm herself. "I would gladly do that, Ellen, except your mom asked me to drop by," Emily said, not the least bothered. Taking a deep breath, Ellen moved towards her wardrobe, not facing Emily. She said "Then you should have told her we weren't friends anymore". Emily turned towards the door and placed a hand on the handle as she said, "I guess you haven’t told her." "Leave Emily and never come back here, ever," Ellen replied with a hard voice, her shoulders rigid as she tried to control herself. The silent click of her bedroom door closing was the response she got. Later that night, Ellen barely ate her food; she had lost her appetite. The visit from E
"Ellen, come to my office now!" came Leo’s voice from the other end. His hard tone didn’t help. She could feel her heart about to burst out of her chest. On trembling legs, Ellen walked into Leo’s office. Alex was seated with Leo at the lounge on the left side of the office. "Ms. Grater, come sit here," came Alex’s voice, shaking Ellen out of her frozen state. Oh no, what am I going to say? I totally forgot to go through the document yesterday, Ellen thought to herself as she sat beside Alex. Leo turned to her, his face rigid and void of emotion as he said, "Ellen, we will be making some important changes to the plan for the forth coming meeting with the board." With a trembling voice, Ellen managed to answer, Okay, sir." Glancing in Alex's direction, she saw he was not paying them any attention but was instead engrossed with something on his laptop. "The meeting has been moved; it would be taking place here on Monday, so I need you to make arrangements with other departments,"
Leo had gotten into the elevator before he remembered what he was putting on. "It’s not like anyone would come into my office at this time." He said to himself as he shook his head and added, "Why do I have to always forget that damn phone anyway?" The elevator door opened, and he stepped into his office. He had grown so familiar with the office that he didn’t bother to turn on the lights. "It’s not on the tables, nor is it in the drawers; where else could I have dropped it?" He muttered as he searched. Leo stood for a second and mentally replayed the day's activities in his mind to pinpoint the last place he had used the phone. A broad smile took over his face as he snapped his finger. "Bingo, the lounge; it should be on one of those seats, he muttered as he moved to check. As he bent to check the chair he had sat on, he heard his office door open. "Who’s there?" he heard Ellen’s voice say. Why was she still around? He thought. Just as he tried to call her attention, she turn
As Leo got to Ellen’s desk, he placed both hands on his waist, and with a hardened voice, he calmly said to Ellen, "Why did you omit the last document?"Ellen looked from him to Alex; she had no idea what document he spoke of.Choosing her words carefully, Ellen stuttered, "Mr. Warner, I packed all the documents you asked of me."Leo took a deep breath and combed his right hand through his hair, trying to calm himself as he asked her again. "The document about the presentation you were supposed to give?""Oh my god! Mr. Warner, I didn’t know you asked me to include that," Ellen replied, trying to salvage an already complicated situation."The first thing you should learn, Ellen, is that I hate excuses!" Leo said it with the coldest voice Ellen had ever heard as he went to his office.Alex turned to Ellen and asked her, his concern evident on his face, "Are you sure he didn’t ask you for it? Mr. Warner hardly forgets what documents he asks for."Confused and not knowing what to say, El
Felix saw her knock the folders to the floor and hurried over to assist her in gathering them.Moving closer to them, Leo saw Ellen look at Felix and heard her ask him, "What are you doing here?"As they stood up from packing all the folders, Leo asked them, "Do you know each other?""Yes, Leo, I know her," Felix answered Leo as he smiled at Ellen."We meet again," Felix said to Ellen as he extended his hand in a shake to introduce himself. "Hi, I’m Felix, Leo’s cousin.""Cousin?" Ellen repeated, not sure she had heard him correctly."Yes," Leo affirmed as he looked from her to Felix, who had a huge grin on his face.Taking his hand, Ellen responded, "Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Ellen Grater, Mr. Warner’s secretary.""Please call me Felix; nice to meet you, Ellen," Felix told her with a smile.Ellen watched Felix follow Leo into his office, wondering how the man she’d met randomly had turned out to be her boss’s cousin.Just then Alex came in from the rest room, and he saw Ellen lookin
It was the sound of a dog barking from its crate.Stamping her left leg on the floor, "quiet penny," the lady said forcefully, not moving her eyes away from Ellen."Is that a dog?" Ellen asked, looking at the crate by the lady’s leg."It’s just Penny; she’s harmless," the lady said, unbothered that her dog just attracted more attention to them."Go up and tell your boss I’m the package," the lady continued to say. A few guests had stopped to observe what was going on, and being aware of this, Ellen had to be careful about her choice of words."I’m sorry, Ms., but Mr. Warner..."Frustrated and fed up, the lady picked up her dog and said to Ellen,I'll be back."Watching the lady go, Ellen wondered what in the name of the heavens had just happened.When Ellen got to her desk, she picked up the phone and dialed Leo’s office."Hello sir, there wasn’t any package; it was a young..." Ellen said but was interrupted by Leo, who answered, "Yea, thank you for taking care of it," and ended the ca
Luke was surprised that Ellen had actually slapped him."What the hell?" Luke swore as he turned his angry eyes at her.Leo stepped out of the elevator, and straight before him, down a corridor, were Ellen and a man. Assuming it was probably an acquaintance, Leo turned to head out through the lobby to get his car but was stopped in his tracks. The guy's movement caught his attention."Don’t you ever open your lying mouth to say I’m cheap," Ellen said, tight-lipped. She turned to go, and Luke grabbed her by the arm.Halting her movement, Luke said, "Where in hell do you think you’re going?"Leo saw the man grab Ellen’s arm, and in five long strides, he was at the entrance to the corridor. "Is anything the matter here?" he asked the duo before him.Luke turned to face the person who had interrupted. The man he saw looked familiar; he was handsome; he had on a nice black suit; and his left hand was in his pants pocket like he owned the place.Jerking her arm from Luke’s, Ellen told Leo,
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