The CEO..As I stepped into Twinkle Company, a surge of happiness lifted my spirits, making me almost immune to the gravity of Tracy's words when she called earlier. She had mentioned needing to discuss something important, but in my buoyant mood, her message seemed to barely register.Her P.A. walked up to me. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her usual weird red lipstick today."It's Phoebe," she smiled. "Tracy is waiting for you. Please follow me."Phoebe led me to the rooftop, where Tracy was waiting.Tracy sat there on the rooftop, wearing that particular shade of red lipstick I couldn't stand. Its bold hue contrasted sharply with the serene skyline behind her, making her look both striking and somewhat out of place. I rolled my eyes, settling into the chair opposite her, already feeling the weight of an impending lengthy conversation. Her expression was serious, her posture tense, signaling that whatever she had to say was going to demand my full attention.Tracy's eyes softened
The toy..I opened the door and found Eliana standing outside. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she kept glancing around, her eyes a mix of unfocused and darting, as if searching for something she couldn't find.“Hi,” I greeted her, waving her in.“Hey girl, how are you?” She responded with a faint smile.“I’m good. What about you?” I asked, noting the way her hands fiddled with the strap of her bag.“Fine, I guess. Just the usual day-to-day work,” she replied, shrugging a little too casually.“I have something I want to let you know,” I said, locking eyes with her. My fingers tapped lightly against my leg, and I felt tightness in my chest. “Have a seat first.” I gestured to the sofa and then made my way to the fridge. As I grabbed a bottle of juice and a pack of cookies, I tried to steady my breathing, my hands moving a bit too quickly.“Here you go,” I offered, handing them to her before sitting down beside her.Eliana’s eyes sparkled as she took a bite of the cookies, for th
The toy..It’s been a week and no one has heard from Damon. I had sent messages, and they didn’t even turn double, let alone blue. I got up from the bed and entered the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and had my bath. Opening the closet, I pulled out a black body-fitting skirt and a white dress shirt. After putting them on, I applied my makeup and brushed my hair. Although it wasn’t time for me to resume work yet, I just had to go. I needed something to distract me. I just couldn’t lie here and do nothing. My thoughts would eat my brains out. My mind had been replaying the day of the accident when Aria died, and whenever it did, some chills went down my spine. And it felt like someone was watching me.Locking the door of my apartment, I decided to book a cab. I had no strength to drive. The cab arrived in five minutes, and it took me to work.Stepping out of the car, I headed to my office. I got a lot of stares—some like they had just met a ghost, some like they were looking at a lo
The toy..My eyes widened, my expression twisted as my nose wrinkled and my lips curled—disgust proudly and boldly etched on my face. It was clear that my reaction spoke volumes about how I felt. It took every ounce of self-control not to lash out with a sharp slap.Mr. Brian leaned in, a smug smirk playing on his lips. "From what I've heard, he never took you seriously to begin with. You've even got a nickname—one that's pretty well-known. It'd be disrespectful to say it to your face, so I won't."I rolled my eyes, feeling a surge of frustration. It was disrespectful enough for him to think he could date me as if I were some gold digger who'd be impressed by his money. The audacity of him mentioning his billion-dollar company, as though that would sway me, was utterly ridiculous.I felt a strong urge to push back against this degradation; Aria would have never stood for it, and I couldn't either. Sitting back and taking his arrogance silently would have been a betrayal to her memor
The toy..With boredom eating at my soul, Jessie out planning an event, and Eliana busy with her store, I felt so useless. Life felt meaningless. After my morning routine, I crashed back on the bed. I picked up my phone and checked the message; it still hadn’t doubled. I sighed and tossed the phone back on the bed. My eyes fell on both diaries on my dresser. Although mine was smaller, it always felt heavier in my hands. The more I knew about myself, the more I became weak and acted like Ariel in the dairy. But with nothing to do, I picked up Aria’s diary—that was the only thing I had left of her. A thought slipped into my mind—should I go back to Warwick? I dismissed the thought. I am bored, but not that bored. ..Guess I was that bored because I found myself driving through the roads of Warwick. I kept weaving through the town till I stopped at the front of my house. I parked the car and stepped out.Opening the door, the musty smell had thickened and the cobwebs had increased.
The toy..“Breathe in and out, calm down,” Jessie said. “What did you say?” She questioned, arching her brows.I did exactly as I was told—inhaling and exhaling. “I think someone killed Aria.” I picked up the paper and handed it over to her.Jessie was on her way to work when I called her to come over. My tone and speech were so urgent she couldn’t refuse. Jessie took the paper, paper, and her eyes widened as she read through it. “This looks serious,” she remarked, squeezing her thumb beneath the other fingers. She leaned back on the sofa in the sitting room. “Do you remember the night you had the accident?”“Like yesterday,” I responded. Every time I shut my eyes, I relived the incident. Yesterday, after seeing the paper, it was vivid. “And for Aria to print the chat out, it must have been very serious.” I paced around the center table.“So what do we do now?” For the first time, the great strategist Jessie didn’t know what to do.I stopped and faced her, throwing my hands casual
Lucy..I stood before the mirror, taking in the weary sight reflected back at me. My dark eyes, shadowed and listless, and my skin, dull and dry—all underscore the struggles I’d been facing. There was no way I could present myself to the world looking like this; the signs of my inner trials were written all over my face.With a sigh, I pulled open a panel of my dressing mirror, revealing the neatly arranged array of luxurious makeup and skincare products. Each item cost at least a small fortune, a testament to my relentless pursuit of perfection to my appearance. I selected them with care, meticulously applying each product to my face and skin. As I layered on foundation, concealer, and creams, I hoped to mask the fatigue and stress etched into my facial features, transforming the tired visage into something polished and presentable.After spending a little more than an hour perfecting my look, I examined the result in the mirror. "That's more like it," I muttered, trying out diff
The CEO..“What was the meaning of that message?” My voice darkened as I inched closer.Binky dashed down the stairs and pulled me into a hug. Her warmth seeped into me, casting the coldness that had been devouring my soul since.“So if I didn’t type that, you wouldn’t have returned?” Her voice soaked in concern. “Everyone has been worried about you.” Her voice softened.How do I miss her voice, her presence?If I hadn’t seen the text message, I wouldn’t have come back. I’m not healed yet. I don’t even know if I could ever get over it. I shook my thoughts—let me just focus on my Binky for tonight. A weak smile formed on my lips. “Everyone?” I questioned. I raised her face by the chin, her eyes locking with mine. “Who is the everyone?”Binky responded with a soft smile. “Fine, I have been worried about you.” A soft frown formed on her face as she crossed her arm. “Now tell me, young man, where did you go? You just vanished—no picking up calls, no replying to texts. Who did you leave