Returning to the boardroom, I sat down and casually gave Eric a few minutes to collect himself and join us. Predictably, it didn’t take long for him to reappear, his face a mixture of frustration and defeat. He slipped into his seat quietly, but I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes.I turned my attention back to Tina Flager, dismissing Eric from my thoughts entirely. "Sorry about that," I said with a calm smile. "Mina left, but I’m confident we can find a way to convince her to return."Eric’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. His mouth moved soundlessly, no doubt struggling to contain the torrent of words he wanted to unleash. He understood, though. He knew I wasn’t bluffing earlier. So, for once, he stayed silent.Tina raised a perfectly manicured brow, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh, really? You’d be willing to do that?" she asked, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "You’re quite the boss, Emerson. And here I thought jealousy might get in the
I took a deep breath and turned to look towards Eric. As soon as my attention was on him, and Tina and everybody else in the boardroom had already left, he full-blown started laughing. A booming voice, just laughing, like someone who was on the verge of blasting, on the verge of full-blown blowing up. I was just about to talk to him, but then I realized that our discussion was not going to turn out well. He was going to do one of his spectacles, and today was not the day for him to test me. After all, he had done, today was not the day that he thought he was going to try and cause a commotion.So I started putting my things in order and then stood up."So you're just going to leave?" he asked. He was seared while removing his tie and buttoning the top of his buttons."What do you want, Eric?" I asked him pointedly."You're not going to do it, are you?""I'm not going to do what, Eric?" I responded my voice calm but edged with impatience. "Ask specific questions so I know how to answ
Eric took a deep breath as he looked at me. The room was charged with silence as the two of us stared at each other until he asked, "Why are you really marrying her, Dad? Why are you really marrying Mina? I mean, do you know how people make fun of me? My own father taking my wife away from me, I am the laughing stock of this whole city. I can't even go out with my friends anymore because all they do is make fun of me. You're making a mockery of me. I mean, what kind of a father marries his son's wife?" I cut him off before he could go further. "I'll stop you right there, Eric. Mina is no longer your wife. Why can't you just get it in your head? You are no longer married to Mina. She is your ex-wife. She is no longer married to you. She is my fiancée. You are married, but not to Mina. You are married to Rita. That's who your wife is. You cheated on your wife, Mina, and you divorced her. Just comprehend that you slept with your wife's sister when the two of you were married for m
“What?” I asked her, my tone steady but my mind racing.Tina sighed, shaking her head as if the answer was obvious to everyone but me. “Oh, come on. It ain’t right. I mean, Mina, seriously? She was like a daughter to you. You used to be a father figure to her. I mean, she saw you as her father. You and Robert were friends when he was alive. She was like your little girl in those days.”“Yeah, I know,” I cut her off before she could go further. “You’re stating the obvious. Do you think I don’t know that? You think this is news to me?” I looked at her, my eyes steady, unwilling to let her manipulate the conversation further.But she wasn’t done. She pushed forward with her charade, relentless in her questioning. “And to top it all off, she was married to your son.”I stopped her with a firm tone. “I also know that, Tina.”She continued, undeterred, “Your only son. Your only heir. The only blood relation you have in this world. She was married to him, and you’re still going to get marrie
I couldn’t help myself. I suddenly burst out laughing. It wasn’t a polite chuckle or a suppressed giggle. It was a full-blown, gut-wrenching laugh that echoed in the room. My stomach ached, and I had to lean back in my chair to steady myself. The absurdity of it all hit me like a tidal wave, and I couldn’t contain it.When I finally looked up, wiping tears from my eyes, I saw Tina Flager’s face. She was staring at me, astonished and horrified, her lips parted in disbelief. Her expression only made it harder to stop, but I managed to rein myself in.“I’m sorry, Tina,” I said, holding up a hand as I struggled to catch my breath. “I’m sorry. That was either the biggest insult I’ve ever received in my life or the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. And instead of choosing the dark side, I decided to find it funny. It’s funny.”Tina didn’t respond. Her eyes stayed fixed on me, her disbelief unwavering. I pressed on, my voice now tinged with a mix of amusement and exasperation.“I mean, how lon
"What do you want me to do? How do you want me to make this right?" I asked Tina, my voice steady but weary as I watched her and waited to hear what she had to say.“For starters, I want to see Mina,” she said, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.“That’s fine. She’ll be coming to work tomorrow, and the two of you can sit down and talk, whatever you want.” I offered.“No,” she interjected firmly. “I will be leaving tomorrow night. I want to have dinner with her before I leave.”“Tomorrow then,” I replied, nodding. “Not a problem. Do you want it to be just the two of you or would you want me there?”“No,” she said with a faint smile. “I’m in town, and I haven’t seen my friend in such a long time. Plus, I’m here with my son, and I want him to meet Mina before the two of them start working together.”“Okay. What do you propose?” I asked, trying to gauge her intent.“I want us to have a family dinner together, my family and yours” she declared. “I’ll come with my son. You come with M
Mina"So, what do you think?" I asked Emerson, my voice steady, but my heart was pounding so hard it felt like the beats might echo through the room. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It was alive, alive and nervous because I had no idea what Emerson was thinking.What if I had made a massive mistake? What if this was too soon? What if all those beautiful days in Paris didn’t mean we were ready for this step? What if I had completely misread the signals?"Hmm," he finally said, his tone neutral as he walked past me, and then turned around.I couldn’t read his expression, only the broad line of his shoulders and the way he moved, deliberate but calm. He glanced around the room, his silence stretching until I couldn’t bear it any longer.He was standing there, the same unreadable look on his face.“Come on,” I said, my voice shaky but light, trying to mask my nerves. “What do you think? Just tell me. Give it to me straight.”“Um… it’s not bad,” he said, shrugging.“Not bad?” I repeated, my
Thank you for making my day," Emmerson said, his voice soft and genuine as his eyes locked with mine, holding my gaze in a way that made my heart skip. He wasn’t just saying words; he was letting me feel them. He wanted me to understand, to truly grasp what he meant. And I did.I saw it in his expression, the sincerity in his tone. I understood him completely, and more than that, I believed him. Every single word.“This has turned out to be a very good day," he continued, his lips curving into a smile that felt like the sun breaking through clouds. "And I’m sure it’s going to be even better, all because of you." He paused as if searching for the perfect words to express himself. "Thank you.”I felt a warm flush in my chest at his appreciation. But then his expression shifted slightly, just enough to catch my attention. A shadow of something darker flickered in his eyes. "Because yesterday…" he trailed off,“Yesterday was a total disaster.” His shoulders tensed as he exhaled, shaking h
MinaI was in the delivery room about to bring my baby into this world, and who knew it hurt like hell? Mmh!I was very lucky and very grateful to have my husband here with me. He kept holding my hand, telling me sweet things, and encouraging me when the doctors told me to push. He pushed with me, breathed with me. It was kind of crazy. I don't know, maybe after I was done here I would think about this moment and laugh about it. It was a moment in my life when I really needed him, and I was so, so happy and so grateful to have him here beside me.The two doctors that Mr. Emerson insisted on having here were top in their fields. He didn’t care, he had to fly one in as long as I got everything and I was in great hands.The doctors were great, they were encouraging. I just wanted this moment to be over and for my baby to come into this world so I could hear their cry. We were still in the dark; we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a b
EmmersonThe next morning, I decided to handle things myself. I know Mina’s already been through enough trauma with her family, so I don’t want to involve her in this. She’s still asleep, and I slip out quietly to deal with Eric.I find him at the hotel, slumped over, still asleep. I nudge him with the toe of my shoe, the force making him stir. Slowly, his eyes flicker open, and the haze of sleep and alcohol makes him groggy. He rises, blinking and groaning, his hand clutching his head."Wake up, Eric," I tell him as I open the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. He immediately shields his eyes, groaning louder."My head... hurts," he mutters, his voice thick with a hangover. He grabs the bottle of water on the bedside table and gulps down a large portion in one go."Last night," he laments, "I didn't like how your men dragged me out of that nightclub.""You call that a nightclub? It was a strip
EmmersonOh yeah?” Mina’s voice is a little high-pitched.And then Rita says something that makes my blood cold.“Of course,” she replies, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I mean if I could take Eric from you so easily before… When you weren’t this heavily pregnant, and we weren’t even living in the same house. Just think how simple it would be to take his father from you now.”Her voice is low and suggestive. Mina scoffs, maybe out of shock, but Rita doesn’t stop.“I mean, look at you,” she continues, mockingly. “You’re pregnant. You can’t even walk properly without someone holding you. You have to be carried just to get around.” She chuckles,“And me?” she adds. “I’m just getting started. The exercises I’ll do, the maintenance I’ll keep up… You know I won't be breastfeeding, right? This baby is feeding from the bottle. Nothing is messing up this....hot body.”In my mind, I can already picture her motioning to her bo
Emmerson By nightfall, the police have already paid us a visit. It’s all over the news. Madeline had a little accident on the highway. Her car hit the side of a bridge and went down under. She suffocated. But I know the truth. Let her feel what it’s like to lose air. Anyway, the point is—she’s dead. The police came because, after her attack on Mina, there was already a record of her actions. They were just here to deliver the report. To tell us that she was gone. That also settled the issue with Rose. Mina had never been convinced that Rose was behind it, and now that Madeline was out of the picture, it was clear she had been wrongfully accused. Mina was shocked with the news, I never thought she would actually be upset after everything. Even though there’s still sadness in her eyes, I can see the difference. She’s no
EmmersonAfter I had taken Mina home, I gave her a bath, making sure she was okay and taken Care of. She was reluctant to eat at first, but I insisted. “You need nutrition,” I reminded her. “I know you don't want to but do it for the baby. You’re pregnant, you're doing it for our baby.”She sighed, but eventually gave in, taking small sips of the warm soup I had prepared. I watched her closely, ensuring she had everything she needed. Then, I sat her down and gently caressed her hair.I kept talking as I did it—about everything and nothing at the same time. Just filling the silence, making sure she felt covered and safe. My voice was low and comforting. I caressed her head, feeling the softness of her scalp, letting her know she wasn’t alone.And then, she fell asleep.Once I was sure she was deep in rest, I finally allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of failure.How could I h
As Emerson's voice continued on the phone, offering words of comfort, trying to calm me, I felt my tears flow faster. I couldn't hear him clearly anymore over the noise in my head, the panic, the certainty that I was going to die. I just listened to him, letting his voice be a thread tying me to something.Then, the banging stopped.I hadn't even realized it.Instead, a knock. A soft, reassuring knock."Mina, Mina, come on, open the door," Emerson's voice came through the phone, clearer now.I still didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was so clouded by fear, but hearing his voice… it soothed me in ways I couldn’t explain. I was barely aware of his words, just the sound of him calling my name, telling me it was okay."Emerson, is that you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."Yes, it's me. Open the door, Mina."The reality of it hit me. I had been trapped in a nightmare, my heart frozen with terror, bu
I started scribbling on the piece of paper.[I can't do this anymore. I'm going to kill myself.]I set the pen down and exhaled. "Okay, I'm done."Madeline narrowed her eyes. "What did you write so fast?"She stalked toward me, snatched the paper out of my hands, and read it. Her expression darkened, and before I could brace myself, she slapped me hard across the face. The force nearly knocked me out of the chair.A sharp sting spread across my cheek, my vision blurred for a second. My entire face tingled from the impact, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to let a single tear fall.Who knew I would ever be in this situation? Kidnapped at gunpoint. Forced to write my own suicide letter.Madeline took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Then she smirked."You're smart, Mina. We can argue about a lot of things, but not that. You're a smart little thing, a devious little thing. That’s how you got Emerson i
Madeline’s grip on my arm became almost painful. I could feel the gun on my side, like a silent, invisible threat.I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "Oh, you know... My condition." I gestured vaguely at myself. "It’s still hard for me to get up, takes a while to get out of bed. I was sleeping."Tom stared at me, his eyes searching my face as if he was trying to read through my words.Then, finally, he gave a slow nod. "Okay."But he still didn’t leave."Can I come in?" he asked. "I can give you some company.""No!" The word shot out of my mouth too fast, too loud, too desperate.Madeline pressed the gun against my side, a silent threat, a warning that made my blood turn cold.Tom’s frown deepened.I forced another smile, shaking my head quickly. "I mean—no, it’s okay. I was sleeping. I don’t need company right now."I gave an awkward laugh, motioning toward the inside of the apartment. "If you came in, you’d just be sitting alone because I’m going back to bed."Tom didn’t look conv
"I'm sorry, Madeline, I swear I didn’t—""Just tell me why!" she shouted to my face, her voice filled with frustration.I was shaking, my throat dry, my mind running a mile a minute. "I don't know, okay? Maybe because he was there. He was nice. He was understanding, and he made me feel safe. He made me happy. He made me feel like I could be the person I wanted to be." My voice cracked, and I rushed to explain, desperate for her to believe me. "It was never about his age, Madeline. I always thought he was cute, you know? I always thought he was really handsome. And then when we slept together, I realized I could have everything I ever wanted with him, okay? I'm sorry. I really didn’t know—"She let out a cold laugh, cutting me off. "You're not sorry. Stop trying to act like some innocent girl who thought he was ‘the one.’"Her voice was mocking, twisting my words into something dirty."You don’t even love him. Not really. You love the things he represents." She took a step closer, he