The title “Resignation Letter” was boldly written at the top of the document.Apprehension filling up the space of her chest, Heidi lingered by the doorway, hesitating to go near the desk. She called out to one of the secretaries who hurried up to her hastily.“Good morning, Ms. Olsen. Can I help you with anything?”“Has Isla come to the company today?”Probably, Isla left for some emergency. Her assistant had never been this late to work,And that resignation letter must be from one of the secretaries who resided in the president's area. The secretary sighed upon hearing Heidi's question. “You mean Ms. Kendall? She came and dropped a message then left.” While speaking, she picked up the document. “Ms. Kendall told me that in case you don't see it, I should give it to you.”The document Heidi detested to look at was being extended towards her. Her fingers shaking slightly, she took it and stared at it; and her heart sank at that moment, because her fear was real. Isla was resigning
Isla rose to her feet. She fidgeted with her fingers, looking from Heidi to Killian. “W-What are you here, Mr. Jonas?”“You know the answer…” Killian came forward. “I'm here to see you.”Covering her face, Isla cried helplessly. “Won't you leave me alone until the scandal escalates and tarnishes your image?”“What scandal?” Killian took her hands, moving them away from her face. “Believe me, that gossip won't spend the next minute on the media. I've ordered for it to be taken down.”“Is that supposed to make me happy?” Isla shook her head. “I've caused you your marriage; I can't live with this shame.”Killian pulled her into a hug. “Blaming yourself for everything is bad for your mental health. Why don't you put all your worries to sleep? I'm here for you.”Heidi wasn't able to calm Isla down, but Killian was able to.The couple hugged passionately, with Isla sobbing in his arms while Killian reassured her with words that came right from his heart.The sight was heart-warming, shakin
Lucas cupped her cheeks gently in his palms, using his thumbs to wipe her tears. “Killian told me what happened.”“I'm the most horrible person.” Heidi sobbed. “What if I hadn't asked you to convince Killian to marry one of my cousins?”“So what if you did?” Lucas murmured, his tone dripping with sadness. “I was the only one who could fulfill your wish at that time.”“My wish was a selfish one…” Heidi looked down. “If only I knew that Killian and Isla were together.” She sighed. “What if I knew things would turn out like this?”“What if fate had it that things would turn out this way?” Lucas answered. “Stop blaming yourself, Heidi.”He hugged her again. “Things were bound to happen this way.”For several minutes, Heidi remained in his embrace, reveling in the warmth and comfort it brought to her heart.It took a while before she came to terms with this monumental mistake. Finally, she shifted. Lucas looked relieved to find out she'd stopped crying.“You'll find a better assistant, H
Tracy's appearance affected the atmosphere in the office. Accompanying the deafening silence was the dark tension that hung in the air. The man sitting beside Heidi seemed to be emanating a chilling aura as the air around her froze. Taken aback at first, Heidi couldn't utter a word, and when she returned to her senses, she couldn't believe her eyes. Tracy's bump was a lot bigger than hers as if she'd give birth to quadruplets. “Uhm, why do you look so shocked, Heidi?” Tracy went on, a sweet smile plastered on her face. “Surprised to see me, huh?”“What brought you here?” Lucas's icy voice cut through the tension, rage swirling in his eyes.As if unfazed, Tracy continued smiling. “Relax, Lucas… I'm not here to see you.” Her gentle gaze fell on Heidi. “I have come to visit Heidi and also to congratulate her.”Ironically, Tracy had said the opposite words while outside bantering with her secretary.The secretary barged inside, her pupils constricted, her eyes full of fear and anxiety
Tracy's smile went away. She didn't look sad, though. In fact, she appeared angry with the man.“I'm not here to make a scene, so I'll quietly leave, Lucas…” She spoke in an offended tone. “The whole world now knows you and Heidi love each other, and I'm the third wheel. There's no need to treat me harshly.”“Will you get out or not?”“Sadly.” She replied. “Although I want to spend some time with Heidi. No problem, Heidi doesn't seem comfortable with me around.”Tracy turned for the door, ready to leave. Heidi had been listening and watching in awe while Tracy gave her heartfelt speech. As Tracy was about to leave, she snapped out of her reverie. “Hey, come back.”“Huh?” Tracy spun around, her eyes brightening. Heidi pointed at the shopping bag. “You forgot something.”Of course, Tracy had dropped the bag on the couch beside Heidi while she was giving that strange speech. The gloom made its way back to Tracy's eyes. She picked up the bag. “Oh, I guess you don't like it.”“No thanks
~Despite Lucas's assurance and the hours he took explaining the situation to Heidi in her office, the pool of her heart had already been muddied by Tracy's appearance. She couldn't indulge in the reassurance when Tracy had just reminded her of her uncertainties.But between Tracy and Lucas, who should she have more faith in?“It's the truth, Heidi… Don't think much about it.”With a calm expression on his face, Lucas looked unbothered as he drove her back home that evening, something that didn't settle well with Heidi even though he'd managed to convince her to dismiss the driver,Even though he'd assured her that he would only drop her at the gates. Why shouldn't Heidi think much about it? What if her baby turned out to be siblings with Tracy's child?“People make mistakes…” Lucas went on. “I would never make such an erroneous mistake, however. I didn't believe it from the start.”One hand left the steering wheel. He interlocked their fingers, stroking her hand. “Please believe m
Did Heidi hear wrong or was that Grandpa Jeffery's voice?Goosebumps ran over her skin, and blood rushed to her cheeks. She jerked away from Lucas, dreading to turn around and confirm her suspicion. It was true that Heidi hadn't heard wrong, otherwise why would Lucas express the same reaction as her?As he had a full view of the window behind her, his eyes literary widened before he looked down and face-palmed himself, cursing under his breath. 'Shit! We're in trouble.’Heidi didn't hear him say the words, but she could read them from his lips.Embarrassment washed over her as someone tapped on the window behind her. “You're not done devouring each other yet, do you want me to break down the window?”Surely, that was Grandpa Jeffery's voice. Heidi shut her eyes, wishing the ground would open up. Her cheeks ached as she tried to put on her best smile. Spinning around, she faced Grandpa Jeffery who was peering through the car's window. Damnit! The glasses weren't tinted. Heidi al
Heidi only saw them once, and it had been quite long, but she'd never mistake the faces of Tracy's parents. Especially Tracy's grandfather whose stern face was forever engraved in her senses. Not only them, but her Mum and Dad were inside the living room too. With Grandpa Jeffery sitting on his king-sized chair, the others occupied two of the couches opposite each other. Lucas's hold on her hand tightened. Not only was he surprised, Heidi could also feel anger emanating from him. “Why are you just standing? Come have a sit,” Grandpa Jeffery ordered, gesturing to the empty couch. Heidi sat beside Lucas. When Lucas acknowledged her parents, the couple looked anything but enthusiastic. Her mother's wary gaze was on Tracy's grandfather, and her father looked anxious, tapping his feet on the floor. “Dad, we are complete. What announcement did you want to make?”Grandpa Jeffery squinted. “Why are you in a rush, Caleb? But we're not yet complete.”Slow footsteps echoed against the t