Upon hearing her friend's revelation, Charlotte's expression changed abruptly."What are you talking about?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.Maria hesitated before speaking, "the other day, I saw her with Damien... I asked who she was to him, and he introduced her as his girlfriend. I was shocked. I had no idea he was into younger girls."Certainly, she couldn't confess to her so-called friend that she had gone on a blind date with her ex-boyfriend. To be brutally honest, Maria was well aware that Damien Davis was going to be her blind date; she had insisted her dad set her up with him.She had always liked him. She had harbored feelings for him even when he was still in a relationship with Charlotte. However, Maria had kept those emotions to herself.After three years since their breakup, she thought, why not try her luck? But before she could make a move, she faced a crushing failure–Damien introduced a young girl as his girlfriend.Suddenly, Charlotte burst into laughter, taking
___________Beats Corporations HQ."Have George drive the car to the entrance. I'm leaving now," ordered CEO Shawn. He retrieved his overcoat from the rack, making a swift exit from his opulent office, trailed by his personal assistant carrying his briefcase.Lucas, caught off guard, glanced at his wristwatch—it was just after eight.Still too early.Typically, the CEO worked until almost midnight before departing. But these days..."You don't understand, do you?" Shawn's deep voice interrupted Lucas's train of thought."Sir?" He blinked, watching the Big Boss's back as they entered the elevator."Um. That's because you're not married yet. Your lonely, single self can't relate to being a diligent, loving, and caring husband like me," boasted the CEO, hands pocketed.Lucas was stunned. ‘Wow.’"You can never relate," he added, clicking his tongue.The elevator doors slid open upon reaching the ground floor, and the Big Boss and his subordinate headed straight to the entrance.Walking b
Shawn reached the door and paused, studying it briefly before twisting the doorknob. Upon entering, Mia suddenly appeared, catching him off guard."I apologize. I've made a grave mistake. It was unintentional, unforeseen. I went against your words—I had no idea. Please forgive me."He could roughly guess what..."What are you rambling about?" His eyebrow arched up.Mia hesitated, biting her lower lip. "I-He... Aish!" She stuttered, squeezing her eyes shut. Rushing out of her mouth, she explained, "The person you warned me about came to pick up his niece at my workplace today. He greeted me, and suddenly hugged me—it happened too fast. I didn't anticipate it, should have moved away immediately—I don't know what I was thinking—I'm sorry!"Shawn observed her, mouth parted slightly open. ‘What is she, a radio? Talking nonstop like that…’"Being a TV presenter suits you indeed," he clicked his tongue, moving past her.Huh? Mia quickly opened her eyes and turned to face him, surprised.Obse
Upon hearing the workers’ words, Martha swiftly rose to her feet, assuming a defensive pose as she hurried over to Mia's cubicle, spreading her hands in a protective gesture. "Guys, please. Leave her out of this."Everyone was surprised. Why was she suddenly being so protective?"Mia has been through a lot; please, just leave her out of this. Please."The entire office scrutinized Mia. What was going on?Just then, Veronica, who had been silent all this time, flared up. "Why? Why are you protecting her?" She snapped, sneering.Facing everyone, she spat out venom, "Mia didn't say anything because she's jealous of Martha!""What?!" The entire office was thrown into a frenzy."Jealous in what sense?""As how?""They're best friends, aren’t they?”Scoffing, Veronica continued, "Yes, jealous. She once tried to steal Martha's position by snatching Max from her. Thank goodness the heavens interven--"Before she could finish, Martha swiftly shuffled over, clasping her hand over Veronica's mou
Yvonne sighed, placing her glass on the table. She gazed straight at Mia, asking, "how much do you want?"Mia's head snapped up in bewilderment. She was lost, struggling to grasp the woman's words."Don't play dumb," Yvonne scoffed. "You might fool Shawn and Damien by feigning gullibility, but not me. Cut the act."With each word, Mia's heart pounded."Feigni..." Her small voice trailed off. "I don't quite un..."Yvonne couldn't believe the girl's adept pretense. The urge to strike her across the face overwhelmed her, but she suppressed it."How much to keep away from Shawn?" She inquired calmly.Mia blinked in disbelief, "Excuse me?""50 million?" Yvonne cut in sharply."What?!" "150 million?"Mia’s eyes widened in disbelief.Noticing the girl's lack of response, Yvonne interpreted it as dissatisfaction with the offered amount. She scoffed."Fine. I'll wire you a check of 500 million. You won't find a better offer anywhere. Just vanish from sight," she added, "it won't be challengin
Same day. Beats Corporations Headquarters."Did she really say that to her?" The CEO mused while on the phone. "One should know their place too."What was Yvonne thinking, going to his wife's workplace to bully her?Initially, as Jasper reported the meeting between Little One and Yvonne, his blood boiled. However, upon hearing Mia's response to Yvonne, he couldn't help but burst into deep, throaty laughter. That was his girl."Anyway, good job."With that, he ended the call.It might seem as though his wife had more fire in her than she appeared. She wasn't the pushover she seemed to be.Chuckling, Shawn returned to work.____________A couple of days passed, and soon it was the weekend.Shawn Mendez's residence buzzed with activity as he and his wife planned to visit his mother-in-law that morning.After preparing several hamper baskets with ample provisions, the maids loaded them into the car trunks."Ready?" Shawn handed his cologne to Little One as they stood before the mirror, ad
"How did you meet her?" Shawn's deep voice resonated with curiosity."Huh?" Mia looked up, puzzled by the unexpected question.What was he talking about?"You said she's not your birth mother, so how did you two cross paths?" He calmly inquired once more.Mia's eyes blinked repeatedly, and she took a deep breath as her mind strolled down memory lane.She began, "My dad brought in a woman and a daughter a few months older than me right after my mom was buried. It was devastating. From the moment they stepped into our house, I knew no peace. Three years ago, one night, I left home with the determination never to return." She paused and then continued, "Tears streamed down my face as I ran along the roadside with no destination in mind. Just as I kept running, I came across a burning vehicle."Shawn inhaled sharply, his heart pounding in his chest."An accident happened... Shattered glass scattered on the ground... Fear gripped me. Without a phone to call the police and the area eerily s
Mia realized that over the last three years, she had unknowingly been tending to her husband's mother—her mother-in-law. The realization left her incredulous. Despite processing the information over and over again, it felt like an enduring, surreal dream.Suddenly, Shawn's arms enveloped her shoulders from behind, causing her to freeze. ‘What’s going on?’"Thank you," he whispered in his husky voice, his minty breath sending a shiver down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.Each time Mia hurried to the hospital, even on every weekend, it was all for his mother. Shawn couldn't help but feel gratitude."Thank you," he whispered once more.___________The couple stayed in the ward until the next morning. Mia dozed off after a few hours of tending to her mother-in-law, while Shawn remained awake throughout the night until daybreak.Doctor Alfred and his colleagues came to check on the patient five times throughout the night before dawn, ensuring she was perfectl