Tears

As the tension in the room reached its peak, everyone stood frozen in shock, lost for words in the wake of Dylan and Maureen's confrontation. The women in their group aren't fond of talking back, but this time they talk back to their boss, who is new to them. The once-vibrant atmosphere had turned somber, weighed down by the heaviness of the emotions swirling in the air.

Well, they knew that this wasn't the women's fault but their boss. So, they could only scold their boss in their hearts.

Amethyst felt the weight of everyone's stares bearing down on her, their silent scrutiny like a heavy burden on her shoulders. She doesn't want this to continue. She doesn't want to ruin Dylan's day just because of her. Despite the pain that gnawed at her heart, despite the disappointment, she knew she couldn't let it show. It will only make them feel like she's weak.

With a forced smile plastered on her lips, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, willing herself to appear unaffected by the turmoil surrounding her.

At times like this, all she could do was smile to make everything right. After all, smiling is what she's best at.

"It's okay," she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she broke the tense silence. Everyone looked at her worriedly as she smiled at them as if nothing had happened. "Let's not ruin the mood, shall we?"

With a flick of her wrist, she casually picked up the gift she had given Dylan, her movements deliberate and controlled. In one swift motion, she tossed it towards the nearby trash can, her eyes locking onto the target with unwavering focus.

The room held its breath as the gift sailed through the air, its trajectory guided by Amethyst's unspoken determination. And then, with a satisfying thud, it landed perfectly in the trash can, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the onlookers.

Their jaw drops.

They could not expect Amethyst to do that—to throw her gift in the trash can.

Amethyst's heart pounded in her chest as she turned to face the stunned faces of her friends and colleagues. Despite the facade of composure she had maintained, she knew that her eyes betrayed the truth of her pain; the depths of her anguish lay bare for all to see.

Even so, she couldn't let them see her weakness. She should stand in front of them with pride, not weakness.

Venna and Maureen exchanged worried glances, their concern etched plainly on their faces as they watched their friend struggle to hold herself together. They knew that behind her brave smile lay a heart that was breaking, a soul that was slowly being crushed under the weight of Dylan's callousness.

They saw Amethyst cry a lot before. In her first and second years of chasing, she cried. However, right now, it was only the heart that was crying, not Amethyst's eyes.

It breaks their hearts.

"Amethyst..." Venna began tentatively, her voice soft with concern. She held her hand and asked, "Are you... are you okay?"

Amethyst nodded, her smile faltering for the briefest of moments before she forced it back into place. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice steady and joyful despite the tremor in her hands. "Really, I am."

But Venna could see through the facade; she could see the pain lurking behind Amethyst's eyes like a shadow. She reached out and gently squeezed her friend's hand, offering her a silent gesture of support and understanding. This was not seen by anyone, but only Venna and Maureen saw it.

As the meeting commenced, palpable tension hung in the air, overshadowing the seriousness of the discussions at hand. While the members of the La Xiena Mafia upper echelon focused on the matters at hand, their thoughts were consumed by worry for Amethyst, who sat quietly in the corner, her presence a silent reminder of the turmoil that had unfolded earlier.

Dylan's voice cut through the silence, his words echoing off the walls of the meeting room as he outlined his plans for the future of the organization. He spoke with authority and confidence, his gaze sweeping over the assembled members as he laid out the tasks that lay ahead.

"In order to expand our operations and strengthen our influence, we need to diversify our portfolio," he declared, his tone unwavering. "Each of you will be tasked with selecting a company to manage, one that suits your individual skills and expertise."

As the members began to discuss their options and formulate their plans, Amethyst's heart sank at the realization that she had been effectively sidelined from the organization's core operations. He doesn't like her; she's really sure of that. Despite her years of dedication and expertise in accounting, she now finds herself feeling worthless and useless in the eyes of her colleagues.

It was because she's not good at handling business. Her businesses before always fell.

But before she could dwell on her feelings of uselessness, Venna and Maureen stepped forward, their expressions determined and resolute. "We'll take Amethyst," Venna declared firmly, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the others. After all, they could not let her stay at the main headquarters. "And we won't be asking for anyone's help."

Maureen nodded in agreement, her eyes flashing with defiance as she locked gazes with Dylan. "If you don't want Amethyst around, then we'll take her off your hands," she added, her tone tinged with a hint of challenge. Since he doesn't like her, they won't let him have her. "But don't expect us to lift a finger to help you with anything else."

Dylan's jaw clenched with barely concealed irritation, his pride wounded by their audacity. "I don't need your help," he retorted sharply, his tone defensive. "However, don't forget that your company is only a subsidiary company of our main company. Don't take our private matters inside this business."

But Maureen held up a hand, cutting him off before he could continue. "Save it," she snapped, her voice tinged with exasperation. "If it wasn't urgent, we wouldn't be offering to take Amethyst off your hands in the first place."

Venna then added, "If something happened and needed Amethyst, we'll see if it was urgent. If not, then Amethyst won't work with you, boss." She then looked around. "Neither with you, guys."

A collective groan echoed through the room as the other members realized the implications of Venna and Maureen's offer. They knew full well the value of Amethyst's skills when it came to accounting, and the thought of losing her to their rivals was a bitter pill to swallow.

Venna snorted derisively as she turned to leave, her parting words hanging in the air like a challenge. "Now you know her worth," she remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Maureen stepped forward, her expression one of fierce determination. "That was an incredible shot," she remarked, her voice tinged with admiration. "But Amethyst, you don't have to pretend like everything's okay. We're here for you, no matter what."

Amethyst felt a lump form in her throat at Maureen's words, the dam of her emotions threatening to burst forth at any moment. But she swallowed back the tears and forced a shaky smile onto her lips, grateful for the unwavering support of her friends.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely more than a whisper as she looked into the eyes of her friends. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

---

As the meeting room emptied, leaving only Nathan, Alex, and Dylan behind, the air grew heavy with tension. Nathan and Alex, longtime friends of Dylan's, were unafraid to speak their minds, their concern for their friend and colleague evident in their expressions.

Alex spoke up first, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and reproach. "Dylan, why did you have to hurt Amethyst like that?" he asked, his tone firm but not accusatory. "She's been nothing but loyal to you."

Dylan's jaw tightened at the question, his expression guarded as he searched for the right words. "She's been getting more and more annoying lately," he replied curtly, his tone defensive. "I had to put her in her place."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing as he regarded Dylan with a mixture of disbelief and disappointment. "Was it really necessary to say things that would hurt her?" he interjected, his voice calm but firm. "Couldn't you have handled the situation differently?"

Dylan fell silent, his thoughts racing as he struggled to find a response. He knew deep down that Nathan was right and that he had let his frustrations get the better of him in his treatment of Amethyst. But pride and stubbornness kept him from admitting it aloud.

Nathan sighed heavily, his expression weary as he regarded his friend. "Dylan, you need to be careful," he cautioned, his tone grave. "If you don't settle things with Amethyst as soon as possible, it could be the end of everything, and there might not be any second chances."

Dylan's jaw clenched at Nathan's words, his pride warring with the nagging voice of reason in the back of his mind. He knew that Nathan was speaking the truth and that he couldn't afford to let his pride stand in the way of doing what was right.

After a moment of tense silence, Dylan finally nodded, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "You're right," he admitted grudgingly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll handle it."

With that, he rose from his seat and strode out of the meeting room, his mind consumed with thoughts of how to make things right with Amethyst. And as Nathan and Alex watched him go, they couldn't help but hope that their friend would heed their advice before it was too late.

---

Inside Amethyst's condo unit, Venna and Maureen hovered around their friend, their concern palpable in the air. They had come to offer their support, hoping to provide some comfort in the wake of the recent events that had left Amethyst feeling bruised and vulnerable.

"Are you okay, Amethyst?" Venna asked gently, her voice tinged with worry as she watched her friend closely.

Amethyst forced a smile onto her lips, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm really okay," she reassured them, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "I'm hurt, but I'll be fine. You two don't have to worry about me."

Maureen frowned, her brow furrowed with concern, as she reached out to squeeze Amethyst's hand. "We're not going to leave you alone when you're feeling like this," she insisted, her voice soft but determined. "We're here for you, no matter what."

But Amethyst shook her head, her smile faltering slightly as she brushed off their concerns. "I won't do anything stupid, I promise," she assured them, her voice barely more than a whisper. "You two have your own lives to live. Don't worry about me."

Reluctantly, Venna and Maureen nodded, their hearts heavy with worry as they exchanged glances. They knew that Amethyst was trying to be strong for their sake, but they couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding the extent of her pain behind a facade of composure.

As they made their way towards the door, Maureen paused and turned back to look at Amethyst, her eyes filled with sympathy. "If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call us," she said softly, her voice laced with emotion.

Amethyst nodded, her throat tight with unspoken emotion, as she watched her friends leave. As soon as the door closed behind them, she sank onto the couch, her facade crumbling as the floodgates of emotion burst open.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, unchecked, as she allowed herself to finally release the pent-up anguish that had been building inside her. She felt raw and vulnerable, exposed to the harsh realities of her pain and loneliness.

Alone in the silence of her condo, Amethyst allowed herself to grieve, to mourn the loss of what could have been. And as the tears continued to fall, she clung to the small flicker of hope that burned within her, knowing that with time, she would find the strength to rise from the ashes of her despair.

Early in the morning.

As Amethyst strode into the La Xiena Headquarters, her demeanor was calm and composed, her mask of professionalism firmly in place. Despite the turmoil raging within her, she refused to let her emotions show and was determined to carry on as though nothing had happened.

The core members of the mafia watched her closely, their concern evident in their eyes as they exchanged worried glances. They knew that something was amiss, but they also knew better than to pry into matters that didn't concern them.

Dylan, ever the enigmatic leader, seemed unfazed by Amethyst's presence, his expression unreadable as he watched her from across the room. But as she approached, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of his stomach.

"Maureen, Venna, I need you both to accompany me to a meeting with a business partner," Dylan announced, his tone authoritative as he addressed the two women. "We leave in thirty minutes."

Maureen and Venna exchanged a meaningful glance, their resolve evident in the set of their jaws. "We won't come unless Amethyst accompanies us," Maureen declared firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Dylan's brow furrowed with irritation at their insistence, but he knew better than to push the issue. With a resigned sigh, he nodded his head in acquiescence, his gaze flickering briefly to Amethyst.

"Fine," he conceded, his tone terse. "But she better not do anything stupid."

Amethyst's heart sank at Dylan's warning, a pang of hurt piercing through her facade of composure. But she forced a tight smile onto her lips, masking her pain behind a veneer of professionalism.

"Don't worry about it, Dylan," she replied evenly, her voice steady despite the turmoil roiling within her. "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

Dylan's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features before he turned away, his attention drawn back to the matter at hand.

As Amethyst watched him go, a sense of bitterness welled up inside her, mingling with the hurt and betrayal she had been feeling since their confrontation. But she pushed aside her emotions, steeling herself for the task ahead.

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and followed Dylan out of the headquarters, her mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead. And as she climbed into the car alongside Maureen and Venna, she couldn't help but wonder if Dylan's discomfort was a sign that perhaps she held more power over him than she had previously realized.