Ethan's POV: Ethan’s DilemmaI stare at my father for a long moment, the words hanging in the air like smoke. He’s calm, as always—too damn calm for my liking. The old man has this way of making everything seem like it’s already set in stone, like I don’t even get a say. He’s the one who built the empire, who carved out a legacy that I’m supposed to carry on, but sometimes I wonder if I’m just the heir to his plans, not a man in my own right.“Who is she?” I ask, my voice low, not bothering to hide the frustration I can’t quite keep down.He leans back in his chair as if he's been waiting for me to ask that question. Of course he has. “Her name is Sophia Greenwood.” He says it like it’s supposed to mean something to me.Sophia Greenwood. I’ve heard the name. Her father’s got his fingers in a lot of pies—real estate, tech startups, and a few other things I won’t get into, but he is ranked Number one (1), in the world and I’m guessing that’s why my father wants to partner with him, for
As I stepped into Ethan's office, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness about our upcoming trip to Italy. Earlier that morning, I had shared the thrilling news with my closest friends, Mia and Alex, about the monumental project that would take me abroad. "I'm telling you, guys, this is a game-changer for my company," I explained over coffee. "We're on the cusp of going global. Our brand will be recognized internationally, and our reach will expand exponentially." Mia's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I hope you won't forget about us little people when you're a global mogul." I chuckled, feeling grateful for their unwavering support. "Of course not, Mia. You'll always be my go-to crew." Alex, ever the practical one, asked, "So, how long will you be away?" I hesitated, considering the timeline Ethan and I had discussed. "Not too long, I promise. I'll be back before you know it." Mia and Alex exchanged a knowing glance, and I could sense their quiet pride in m
By the time we arrived at the De’Lanor Hotel, the streets of the small Italian town were bathed in the soft glow of midnight. The boutique hotel was as elegant as I had imagined, its classic façade adorned with ivy and softly lit lanterns. Ethan and I walked into the sumptuous lobby together, both feeling quite weary after the arduous trip.The receptionist smiled at us with an exhausted but gracious mouth. "Good evening. Welcome to De’Lanor Hotel. May I have your name, please?"Ethan Gray," he answered (his tone steady into the night of the hour)," he said.The receptionist entered into her computer and then frowned a little. "Ah, yes. We have your reservation here, Mr. Gray However..."Ethan’s brows furrowed. "However?"She glanced up, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "It seems there was an error in the booking. We only have one room reserved under your name.""What?" Ethan and I said in unison, our voices rising slightly"I deeply apologize for the inconvenience," she continued
lThe morning breeze drifted through the hotel’s dining terrace, carrying the scent of fresh pastries and espresso. Rachel and Ethan sat at a table overlooking a charming courtyard, where vines climbed the walls and birds chirped softly. It was serene, far from the chaos of the previous night but Rachel’s mind was already racing with business ideas. "Alright," Rachel said, pulling out her tablet and stylus. "We can use this time to finalize the presentation. I also want to review the designs again and.." Ethan held up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Rachel," he said firmly, "we’re not diving into work today." She blinked, surprised. "What do you mean? This is why we’re here, Ethan. We have so much to prepare for " Ethan leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee leisurely. "And we will. But first, we’re taking three days to enjoy Italy before the madness begins." Rachel frowned, clearly taken aback. "Three days? Ethan, we don’t have time for a vacation!" “We do,"
Ethan slammed the door of their hotel room behind him. He tossed his phone on the table and paced the room. Rachel pulled out her laptop, her fingers trembling as she opened the video call app. I quickly sent out a text message. "We need everyone on this call. Now," she said, her voice sharp. ‘Who would have done thatEthan stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. "Do you think it’s someone on the team? That doesn’t sit right with me, Rachel." Rachel didn’t look up. "What else could it be? Designs don’t leak themselves, Ethan, especially when it's your team." The laptop screen blinked to life as Danny's face appeared, her expression already filled with concern. "What’s going on?" "Someone leaked our designs," Rachel said bluntly. Danny gasped. "What? How is that even possible?" "That’s what we’re trying to figure out," Ethan cut in. "Could it have been a hack? Or maybe someone accidentally forwarded something?" Liam joined the call next, his face groggy. "It’s three
Rachel sat at the small desk in their hotel room, her laptop open. The screen displayed their immediate team in a grid of video call windows. Ethan stood behind her, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “I don't think why my team will betray me now," Ethan said as the call kept ringing Rachel looked exhausted, her hair tied up messily. Ethan's face was tense, his jaw clenched. The IT manager, Greg, had just joined the call, blinking sleep from his eyes. Rachel wasted no time. "We’re not here to point fingers, but we need answers. Someone accessed the prototypes without authorization. We need to know who, how, and why." Greg adjusted his glasses nervously. "I’ve been reviewing the server logs since Danny alerted me. The unauthorized login came from an IP address in Europe. It wasn’t from anyone on the team... at least not directly." "Not directly?" Rachel asked, narrowing her eyes. Greg cleared his throat. "It could’ve been someone using stolen credentials. Or... someone
Rachel stood frozen in front of her laptop, staring at the breaking news headline splashed across the screen: “Star design set to reveal their latest project online" The color drained from her face as she read the subtext: Rumored to feature their prototype of the design. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, slamming the laptop shut. Ethan leaned against the hotel desk, arms crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on her. “This is it. They’ve taken the bait and want to claim it as theirs.” Rachel rubbed her temples, her mind racing. “They’re going to flaunt our work. And worse, they’ll beat us to the market. Everything we’ve worked for is gone.” Ethan straightened, his expression calm but determined. “Not if we outdo them.” Rachel turned to him, her tone biting. “And how exactly do we do that, Ethan? The launch is in a week. We’ve lost our key designs, and now you want to know what? Start over?” “Yes,” Ethan said simply, his confidence unwavering. Rachel gaped at him. “Do you hear you
The soft clink of espresso cups and low hum of conversation filled the small café in the heart of Rome. Ethan leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes studying the man across from him. Luca De Luca, with his slicked-back hair and easy smile, looked every bit the polished Italian businessman. “You owe me for this,” Luca said, stirring his coffee with a silver spoon. “If anyone finds out I told you…” “They won’t,” Ethan promised, keeping his tone steady. “Your name stays out of it.” Luca nodded, lowering his voice. “Strata’s CEO, Moretti, likes to keep up appearances, but his operation isn’t as flawless as it seems. Their Achilles’ heel is logistics. They’ve been having trouble meeting deadlines. Too many delays and missing shipments. It’s starting to hurt their reputation.” Ethan leaned forward, his mind racing. “And they’re hosting a big press conference tomorrow. If their designs are ready but they can’t deliver them on time…” “They’ll lose credibility,” Luca finished. “But
The day had arrived.It was the day they were to showcase their design to Emma Stone and the rest of the team. The tension in the air was palpable, but the excitement of finally seeing their hard work come to fruition kept everyone focused. Ethan and Rachel had spent the morning preparing, finalizing the last details of the prototype, and mentally preparing for the big presentation.Rachel stood in front of the mirror in her hotel room, adjusting her outfit for the final reveal. She had chosen a sleek, navy blue dress that was both professional and stylish, hoping to make the best impression possible. But as she zipped up the back of her dress, the zipper suddenly stuck halfway. No matter how hard she tried, it refused to move.Frustrated, Rachel let out a sigh. She tugged again, but the zipper wouldn't budge. Her hands were shaking with a mix of nerves and exasperation. There was no way she could present like this."Great," she muttered to herself. She glanced over at her phone on t
The hotel room was silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning. Rachel sat on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. The weight of the past few weeks pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. The project was in chaos, her family was far away, and the guilt of missing her kids gnawed at her constantly. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, lighting up with a picture of her daughter Danielle. Rachel stared at it, hesitating. She didn’t have the strength to answer. Instead, she stood and walked to the window, staring out at the bustling streets of Italy. The city’s beauty felt like a cruel contrast to the turmoil inside her. The sound of the door opening behind her broke her thoughts. Ethan stepped in, carrying a bag of takeout. He looked tired but determined. “Thought you might need dinner,” he said, setting the bag on the small table. Rachel didn’t move. “I’m not hungry.” Ethan frowned, studying her. “You’ve been off all day. What’s going on?” Sh
The tension in the room was palpable as Rachel and Ethan worked late into the night. Their team had been briefed earlier on the decoy prototype, a bold distraction meant to throw Star off course. But behind the scenes, they were quietly working on their real innovation: a revolutionary fashion design that would make headlines if they could pull it off in time. Danny sat at her desk, stitching fabric samples, while Liam tested the decoy prototype on a mannequin. Rachel paced, her mind racing with ideas and doubts. Ethan, seated across the room, sketched the final details for their secret project. “This decoy better work,” Rachel muttered. “If Star catches on, we’re finished.” Ethan didn’t look up. “It will. They’ll be so focused on stealing the fake design that they won’t see what’s coming.” Rachel stopped pacing and turned to him. “And what if they do? What if this backfires?” Ethan finally looked at her, his expression calm but firm. “We’ve calculated the risks. Worrying wo
The soft clink of espresso cups and low hum of conversation filled the small café in the heart of Rome. Ethan leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes studying the man across from him. Luca De Luca, with his slicked-back hair and easy smile, looked every bit the polished Italian businessman. “You owe me for this,” Luca said, stirring his coffee with a silver spoon. “If anyone finds out I told you…” “They won’t,” Ethan promised, keeping his tone steady. “Your name stays out of it.” Luca nodded, lowering his voice. “Strata’s CEO, Moretti, likes to keep up appearances, but his operation isn’t as flawless as it seems. Their Achilles’ heel is logistics. They’ve been having trouble meeting deadlines. Too many delays and missing shipments. It’s starting to hurt their reputation.” Ethan leaned forward, his mind racing. “And they’re hosting a big press conference tomorrow. If their designs are ready but they can’t deliver them on time…” “They’ll lose credibility,” Luca finished. “But
Rachel stood frozen in front of her laptop, staring at the breaking news headline splashed across the screen: “Star design set to reveal their latest project online" The color drained from her face as she read the subtext: Rumored to feature their prototype of the design. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, slamming the laptop shut. Ethan leaned against the hotel desk, arms crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on her. “This is it. They’ve taken the bait and want to claim it as theirs.” Rachel rubbed her temples, her mind racing. “They’re going to flaunt our work. And worse, they’ll beat us to the market. Everything we’ve worked for is gone.” Ethan straightened, his expression calm but determined. “Not if we outdo them.” Rachel turned to him, her tone biting. “And how exactly do we do that, Ethan? The launch is in a week. We’ve lost our key designs, and now you want to know what? Start over?” “Yes,” Ethan said simply, his confidence unwavering. Rachel gaped at him. “Do you hear you
Rachel sat at the small desk in their hotel room, her laptop open. The screen displayed their immediate team in a grid of video call windows. Ethan stood behind her, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “I don't think why my team will betray me now," Ethan said as the call kept ringing Rachel looked exhausted, her hair tied up messily. Ethan's face was tense, his jaw clenched. The IT manager, Greg, had just joined the call, blinking sleep from his eyes. Rachel wasted no time. "We’re not here to point fingers, but we need answers. Someone accessed the prototypes without authorization. We need to know who, how, and why." Greg adjusted his glasses nervously. "I’ve been reviewing the server logs since Danny alerted me. The unauthorized login came from an IP address in Europe. It wasn’t from anyone on the team... at least not directly." "Not directly?" Rachel asked, narrowing her eyes. Greg cleared his throat. "It could’ve been someone using stolen credentials. Or... someone
Ethan slammed the door of their hotel room behind him. He tossed his phone on the table and paced the room. Rachel pulled out her laptop, her fingers trembling as she opened the video call app. I quickly sent out a text message. "We need everyone on this call. Now," she said, her voice sharp. ‘Who would have done thatEthan stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. "Do you think it’s someone on the team? That doesn’t sit right with me, Rachel." Rachel didn’t look up. "What else could it be? Designs don’t leak themselves, Ethan, especially when it's your team." The laptop screen blinked to life as Danny's face appeared, her expression already filled with concern. "What’s going on?" "Someone leaked our designs," Rachel said bluntly. Danny gasped. "What? How is that even possible?" "That’s what we’re trying to figure out," Ethan cut in. "Could it have been a hack? Or maybe someone accidentally forwarded something?" Liam joined the call next, his face groggy. "It’s three
lThe morning breeze drifted through the hotel’s dining terrace, carrying the scent of fresh pastries and espresso. Rachel and Ethan sat at a table overlooking a charming courtyard, where vines climbed the walls and birds chirped softly. It was serene, far from the chaos of the previous night but Rachel’s mind was already racing with business ideas. "Alright," Rachel said, pulling out her tablet and stylus. "We can use this time to finalize the presentation. I also want to review the designs again and.." Ethan held up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Rachel," he said firmly, "we’re not diving into work today." She blinked, surprised. "What do you mean? This is why we’re here, Ethan. We have so much to prepare for " Ethan leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee leisurely. "And we will. But first, we’re taking three days to enjoy Italy before the madness begins." Rachel frowned, clearly taken aback. "Three days? Ethan, we don’t have time for a vacation!" “We do,"
By the time we arrived at the De’Lanor Hotel, the streets of the small Italian town were bathed in the soft glow of midnight. The boutique hotel was as elegant as I had imagined, its classic façade adorned with ivy and softly lit lanterns. Ethan and I walked into the sumptuous lobby together, both feeling quite weary after the arduous trip.The receptionist smiled at us with an exhausted but gracious mouth. "Good evening. Welcome to De’Lanor Hotel. May I have your name, please?"Ethan Gray," he answered (his tone steady into the night of the hour)," he said.The receptionist entered into her computer and then frowned a little. "Ah, yes. We have your reservation here, Mr. Gray However..."Ethan’s brows furrowed. "However?"She glanced up, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "It seems there was an error in the booking. We only have one room reserved under your name.""What?" Ethan and I said in unison, our voices rising slightly"I deeply apologize for the inconvenience," she continued