The shop was bustling with customers. The brooch artisan, finally distracted, avoided the topic, feigning busyness."See? Most of them are like that, indirectly extorting, blaming trivial things on others to get their work bought. Isn't it sneaky?"Netty nodded, genuinely impressed by Louis's unexpected perceptiveness."Let's go.""Wait! You're my boss now, won't going together put me back in the spotlight?"Louis started to speak, but the man who almost discovered his identity yesterday reappeared. Netty quickly got into the car and slammed the door shut."What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost..." Louis opened the conversation."Ah, i-it's nothing. I just feel we should leave quickly." Netty kept glancing behind, making sure her brother Alessandro didn't see her, then sighed."Really?" Receiving a nod, Louis drove to Nexgen Attire Co.Getting out, Netty unbuckled her seatbelt, but her movement was again stopped. "Can you please stop being so formal with me?""Why? This is
Clara presented her burgundy dress, retrieved from the closet, to her husband with a somber expression.Seeing her face, Joe furrowed his brows. "What's wrong with the dress?" He took it, examined it, and discovered a tear at the corner. He hadn't expected his hours-long search to end like this. His gaze softened as he watched his wife lamenting her favorite dress. "Forget it," he said, picking up a dress from the pile of clothes scattered on the floor. "You can buy another one. Look, I think this one's nice too. You always look stunning in everything you wear," he added patiently.Clara glanced at it without much interest. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I've worn it to the annual event too many times."Suddenly, an idea struck Clara. She opened a shopping app on her phone and smiled. "I think I can still buy some clothes before our guests arrive. We still have time before 8 PM."Joe was speechless. Watching his wife add several fashion items to her cart, he asked, "Why are you buying so
The world of the mafia; everyone assumes a mafioso is a ruthless criminal. But Raffaele wasn't like that. He led a clandestine group operating within the legal system, dispensing a twisted form of justice. They were handsomely paid – a price well worth the work. Raffaele was a judicial mafia, a man courted by corporations eager to secure his services. Yet, he remained fiercely loyal, refusing additional clients.Selena's eyes widened in shock at the text message from her son, Alessandro. Despite the thrill, a deep-seated anxiety gnawed at her. Raffaele's past, no matter how long buried, would eventually resurface.Selena was baffled. How did Alessandro know? The events were years old. Fear gripped her; she imagined Alessandro plotting revenge. At her age, fleeing wasn't an option. She couldn't just abandon her life with Raffaele.Selena stared rigidly at the man beside her in bed, then slipped out when she heard voices.Outside on the veranda, Giselle cradled her baby, tending
"Giselle, can you give me some money? I have a social event today, and I can't show up empty-handed!" Her mother-in-law's voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the air from the family room.Giselle braced herself. Her mother-in-law stood in the doorway, her hand outstretched, looking like she was collecting a debt. "Mother…" Giselle began, but her mother-in-law cut her off."Give it to me now. Didn't your grocery store sales increase this week? That's because I helped promote it.""I know, but the money I gave you yesterday…" Giselle protested weakly."Yesterday? Are you kidding? How much did you even give me? It wouldn't last long, Giselle. And you know a woman's needs are endless. I need a body scrub at the salon."A salon? Giselle rubbed her temples. Her mother-in-law was talking about luxury treatments while Giselle herself barely had enough for diapers."Can't you postpone your… little trip to the spa? I don't have any extra money right now. I need to restock the store."
Raffaelle was hesitant, but seeing that his wife was losing confidence in him, Raffaele approached them and whispered."Never mind, it's no good talking in the street, we should go in there and talk over a drink. Wouldn't that be more relaxing?" Both of their eyebrows rose when Raffaele pointed to a cafe not far from them. Their eyes met, as if negotiating this."No need!" Selena said suddenly, which was surprising. But, it seemed that she was trying to argue with a stable facial expression. "My husband is not doing well, at least as a wife I should take care of him and treat him. I'll give you whatever you want as long as the problem can be solved here, isn't it simple?"Raffaelle did not expect Selena to defend him now. His surprise made him finally agree to his wife's proposal. "Did you hear what my wife said? As soon as this problem is over, we can leave immediately."The sound of mocking laughter was heard again.Raffaele somewhat regretted that he was so weak at the moment, wh
At Values Airport, Clara Clark stood nervously in the waiting area, a large suitcase at her feet.She glanced at her watch again. It had been forty-five minutes since she disembarked the plane. Yet, her husband, the man she had married a year ago, was nowhere to be seen.She frowned, smoothing her dress with her fingers, already harboring a bad feeling about a man she had never met.This was supposed to be their first meeting. How could he be so late?As she watched people come and go, she couldn't help but recall her rushed marriage.It had happened a year ago, after her grandfather had fallen critically ill.Clara, who had been abroad at the time, rushed home to see him. Her grandfather expressed his wish to see her married before he passed.Clara had wanted to refuse. But remembering how her grandfather had adopted her from a destitute family and raised her to be the woman she was, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint him.And so, Clara married the man her grandfather had chose
Clara and Sheina rode the elevator to the top floor.During the ride, Sheina was very enthusiastic. She kept telling Clara about the company. “The CEO’s main office occupies the entire top floor. Most employees are not allowed to enter there. Only those who report directly to him or have something very important can go there.”Clara listened silently.She wanted to learn as much as possible about her new boss, so she appreciated this new lecture.Suddenly, Sheina stopped. Then, she turned to Clara and asked casually, “I heard before that you worked at one of the group’s branches abroad. Why were you suddenly transferred to the headquarters? Did you know Mr. Halle before?”Curiosity shone in Sheina's eyes. It was clear she wanted to know this for gossip purposes.Never before in the history of Founderflash Group had anyone been hired or transferred without going through an interview. In fact, the process of becoming an employee here was longer than most.Clara had broken that record.T
Sheina led Clara to the public relations department. She then introduced her to the other employees. “Listen up, everyone! This is Clara Clark, your new colleague.”With a polite smile, Clara said, “Nice to meet you all. It's an honor to be a part of this department. Hopefully, we can all work well together.”The others were surprised by Clara's quick acceptance. They whispered to each other.“Is she the PR officer who was transferred here to work directly for Mr. Halle? She looks beautiful. I wonder if she’s beautiful and intelligent or just empty.”“Come on. You should know that Mr. Halle picks the best talent. I’m sure she’s an expert in her field.”“I’m so envious of her. She gets to work close to Mr. Halle. How lucky!”Clara heard everything. However, her smile remained the same, and she didn’t say anything.On the other hand, Sheina’s face turned slightly red. She frowned at Clara.These comments reinforced Sheina’s dissatisfaction.Everyone knew that Adrian conducted strict int
Raffaelle was hesitant, but seeing that his wife was losing confidence in him, Raffaele approached them and whispered."Never mind, it's no good talking in the street, we should go in there and talk over a drink. Wouldn't that be more relaxing?" Both of their eyebrows rose when Raffaele pointed to a cafe not far from them. Their eyes met, as if negotiating this."No need!" Selena said suddenly, which was surprising. But, it seemed that she was trying to argue with a stable facial expression. "My husband is not doing well, at least as a wife I should take care of him and treat him. I'll give you whatever you want as long as the problem can be solved here, isn't it simple?"Raffaelle did not expect Selena to defend him now. His surprise made him finally agree to his wife's proposal. "Did you hear what my wife said? As soon as this problem is over, we can leave immediately."The sound of mocking laughter was heard again.Raffaele somewhat regretted that he was so weak at the moment, wh
"Giselle, can you give me some money? I have a social event today, and I can't show up empty-handed!" Her mother-in-law's voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the air from the family room.Giselle braced herself. Her mother-in-law stood in the doorway, her hand outstretched, looking like she was collecting a debt. "Mother…" Giselle began, but her mother-in-law cut her off."Give it to me now. Didn't your grocery store sales increase this week? That's because I helped promote it.""I know, but the money I gave you yesterday…" Giselle protested weakly."Yesterday? Are you kidding? How much did you even give me? It wouldn't last long, Giselle. And you know a woman's needs are endless. I need a body scrub at the salon."A salon? Giselle rubbed her temples. Her mother-in-law was talking about luxury treatments while Giselle herself barely had enough for diapers."Can't you postpone your… little trip to the spa? I don't have any extra money right now. I need to restock the store."
The world of the mafia; everyone assumes a mafioso is a ruthless criminal. But Raffaele wasn't like that. He led a clandestine group operating within the legal system, dispensing a twisted form of justice. They were handsomely paid – a price well worth the work. Raffaele was a judicial mafia, a man courted by corporations eager to secure his services. Yet, he remained fiercely loyal, refusing additional clients.Selena's eyes widened in shock at the text message from her son, Alessandro. Despite the thrill, a deep-seated anxiety gnawed at her. Raffaele's past, no matter how long buried, would eventually resurface.Selena was baffled. How did Alessandro know? The events were years old. Fear gripped her; she imagined Alessandro plotting revenge. At her age, fleeing wasn't an option. She couldn't just abandon her life with Raffaele.Selena stared rigidly at the man beside her in bed, then slipped out when she heard voices.Outside on the veranda, Giselle cradled her baby, tending
Clara presented her burgundy dress, retrieved from the closet, to her husband with a somber expression.Seeing her face, Joe furrowed his brows. "What's wrong with the dress?" He took it, examined it, and discovered a tear at the corner. He hadn't expected his hours-long search to end like this. His gaze softened as he watched his wife lamenting her favorite dress. "Forget it," he said, picking up a dress from the pile of clothes scattered on the floor. "You can buy another one. Look, I think this one's nice too. You always look stunning in everything you wear," he added patiently.Clara glanced at it without much interest. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I've worn it to the annual event too many times."Suddenly, an idea struck Clara. She opened a shopping app on her phone and smiled. "I think I can still buy some clothes before our guests arrive. We still have time before 8 PM."Joe was speechless. Watching his wife add several fashion items to her cart, he asked, "Why are you buying so
The shop was bustling with customers. The brooch artisan, finally distracted, avoided the topic, feigning busyness."See? Most of them are like that, indirectly extorting, blaming trivial things on others to get their work bought. Isn't it sneaky?"Netty nodded, genuinely impressed by Louis's unexpected perceptiveness."Let's go.""Wait! You're my boss now, won't going together put me back in the spotlight?"Louis started to speak, but the man who almost discovered his identity yesterday reappeared. Netty quickly got into the car and slammed the door shut."What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost..." Louis opened the conversation."Ah, i-it's nothing. I just feel we should leave quickly." Netty kept glancing behind, making sure her brother Alessandro didn't see her, then sighed."Really?" Receiving a nod, Louis drove to Nexgen Attire Co.Getting out, Netty unbuckled her seatbelt, but her movement was again stopped. "Can you please stop being so formal with me?""Why? This is
"Louis, thank you for today," Netty finally spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched through their journey from the restaurant.Louis responded with a warm smile. Netty herself felt adrift, unsure of herself, almost brazen in her renewed proximity to the man she'd previously forbidden from seeing her.Back at Netty's lodging, Louis broached a delicate subject. "Netty, could our friendship blossom into something more? I'm curious to hear your thoughts."Netty was speechless, her mind reeling. She had no immediate answer.Louis continued, "I won't pressure you for an answer now. Take your time. Go inside and rest. We can talk tomorrow."Tomorrow? Yes, they'd be seeing each other more often, but that didn't mean Netty was ready to answer his question then. ***"Ouch!" Netty yelped as her door burst open, her head colliding with the frame."Netty...""Why did you just barge in? At least knock!" she grumbled.The man before her stood there, unfazed. Netty realized she was only i
She dismissed her suspicions when she finally spotted an empty taxi and hopped in.Arriving at her lodgings, Netty was startled by a shout directed at her. "You!" The woman pointed angrily.Netty turned to see the woman destroying plants in her yard. "Excuse me, who are you? Why are you doing this in front of my house?""Are you still asking?" The woman scoffed. "You have the nerve to look at me like that after you dared to flirt with my fiancé, Louis.""Louis?" Netty's eyes widened. "He's your fiancé?" A mocking smile played on her lips as she looked at the slightly older woman. "I almost mistook you for his maid.""Don't be so cheeky…" Netty closed her eyes, bracing for a slap, but the woman didn't hit her.What's this? She's not a coward, is she?Opening her eyes, Netty was even more shocked to see Louis holding the woman's arm, preventing her from striking. "Y-you?""What are you doing here, Mischa? Your presence is disturbing everyone!" he said firmly.Netty was speechless,
"Just a petty reason?" Netty hung her head, silent. Louis, however, was impatient. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a nearby cafe."Wait! Are you sure about this?" Netty asked, resisting his pull."Yeah, I guess we haven't eaten anything since this morning."Netty was indeed hungry. Besides, who could refuse a free meal from a rich guy like Louis? It would definitely save her some cash.The atmosphere was awkward. Netty barely touched her food. "What's wrong? Eat before it gets cold. Or, do you want me to help you finish it?" Louis tried to lighten the mood with a joke.Netty remained silent, slowly picking at her food. His words earlier were gnawing at her. But distancing herself from someone close… that seemed like the better option. She knew she was being selfish, but to keep her job, she'd decided to become a stranger in a strange land.By the time they finished, Louis was different. He was cold, distant. He didn't even open her car door or say goodbye when he drop
Out of town...Netty went to a company to apply for a job, looking at the face of the person who was interviewing her, she remembered someone who looked a lot like someone, could it be...Netty shook her head quickly, waking up to the strange thoughts that were going through her mind."Netty!""Yes!" Although she was surprised, Netty enthusiastically answered when her name was called. "You've read all the rules in this company, right?"Nervous Netty nodded,"The same rules will apply in the future. Remember! You have not been formally accepted, but to test your performance you are given a month until you officially become a permanent employee here and even then if you pass.""What? So this..." Netty showed her disappointment when she got a response from the company."That's right, before getting a salary, your ability must be tested.""Without salary?" Netty repeated the same word. Hufft... She com