“A fever?” Evelyn cried.“Oh c'mon mom. It's just a day off work.” Liam replied to his mother who was already making a big deal out of the situation.“You need to see a doctor.”“I'd call Dr Davis right away.” Evelyn continued.She had placed both hands on his cheeks as though he was a baby who needed to be pet.“No mom. You don't have to.”“I'm fine.”“I'm only taking the day off from the office. And —no, I don't have a fever. I can still work.” Liam replied, holding her arms and rubbing on them to reassure her.“I don't think so Liam.”“You look sick.” She looked him directly in the eyes, almost summoning tears to her eyes.“—Just hold on. Let me call him.” She added.“... You really don't have to.”“I just need some time away. —A different air perhaps. —Away from distractions.” Liam explained.Evelyn raised her brows, a sign of discovery from his words.“Did you say distractions?” She asked.“TRIX stands on a prestigious ground and you command every bit of its dynasty. What seems t
“What say you….. For instance, a man. A grown man feels a gush of melting coal down his throat. Sweating out profusely.”“—And then, his close vicinity and the people around him trigger that feeling even more.” He explained.His descriptions were hardly understandable and Beth struggled to make sense of them.“... I don't follow Mr. Liam,” she replied.Trying so hard to miss the intended details, Liam spoke in parables to Beth. Would he look stupid talking to her about such things in detail? He wondered.“... Perhaps a desire for something far from what the environment speaks. —When an encounter is made, it feels somewhat exhilarating to the mind.” He continued, his words bringing unmatchable meanings. “.... Perhaps, if you explain in detail I could grasp what you mean to say. —I honestly don't understand any of what you've said, Mr Liam.” Miss Beth responded.Perhaps this was a bad idea!Maybe talking to Beth was not what he needed. She couldn't understand his simple words. How w
Jessica woke with a bang. Her head was heavy, with a dull ache that pulsed through her temples.A wave of nausea sprung increasingly within her, and she stumbled to the bathroom, the porcelain bowl her only refuge.She was sweating profusely. Just last night, she was okay. What was suddenly wrong? She wondered.Minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, her reflection in the mirror, a pale and drawn image of herself.“Oh gosh! You look a mess, Jess!” She said to herself.While gently prepping for the day's order, a glance at her phone revealed a string of missed calls and unread messages.Upon seeing Mike's name at the top of the list, a feeling of something close to a sting picked her.A sudden surge of apprehension too.“Argh! Let me be, will you?” She Said furiously.Text message: “Please pick up my calls. I miss you and the times together. I know I messed up, let me come back. I promise to make amends.”More texts of him pleading and wanting a second chance brought more ache
Jessica woke up at the earliest hour of the morning. Even Ms Felicia, the early-rising neighbor wasn't up by this time.With a start, her body was racked with chills. A dull ache panged behind her eyes, and her throat felt like sandpaper. She was burning up. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and groaned, only to feel a rush of vertigo hit her.She stumbled to the restroom, looking like a pale, thin parody of herself in the mirror.Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin flushed.It was clear she was coming down with something serious.Her health deteriorated further throughout the morning.She felt weak and confused, her muscles aching, her coughing unabated, and her temperature seeming to go higher by the minute.She was hardly able to function by the light of the early sun.Just the night before, Ann had sensed her distress and insisted on staying the night. Jessica, too weak to argue, reluctantly agreed.Now she was shivering uncontrollably, and her breathing became labor
Liam paced the waiting room, his mind racing with a million terrifying possibilities. He replayed their interactions, searching for any clues that might explain her sudden collapse as Ann had explained to him.Ann joined him, her face pale and drawn. "I don't know what happened," she said, her voice shaky and her eyes, almost in tears. "One minute she was having a headache but gradually getting better….. the next..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.Liam took her hand, offering silent comfort. The room echoed with the sound of the ticking clock as they sat in nervous quiet. Every minute seemed to go on forever.Finally, a doctor emerged from the emergency room. He was a tall, gaunt man with tired eyes. "Mr. Thorne, Ms. Francis?" he asked, his voice filled with sympathy.Liam and Ann stood up, their hearts pounding."Jessica is being moved to the ICU. She has a severe case of pneumonia," the doctor explained. "We're doing everything we can."A wave of relief washed ove
Jessica stared at the phone and without wanting any hesitation crossing her face, she spoke up.“.... It's not a bother. I'll call when I'm better.” She said,Liam simply heeded without any doubt.The door opened and Ann came in with a lovely bouquet and some packs of chocolate.The girls were excited and Liam simply watched them act all goofy around each other. It was rather unsettling but he couldn't understand, could he?“.... Get well soon Jess.” He said finally and with a final formal greeting to Ann, he excused himself and headed back to the TRIX.Jessica's recovery was quite speedy. She returned home after a series of checkups and medications.Ms. Felicia had mentioned that a Hulk bully had come to her apartment in search of her. She had also mentioned that it was probably because Jessica was in some kind of trouble.But Jessica simply understood what she meant. Liam had told her he was at her apartment before coming to the hospital.That was just Miss Felicia's way of describi
The imposing figure of Evelyn Thorne commanded attention as she walked into the conference room.Not the usual days that Jessica was used to but it felt rather urgent, given the way the senior and high board members filled the conference room.Evelyn’s impeccably tailored suit and sharp features exuded an aura of power and authority. Her eyes were as sharp as an eagle and the glint of mascara around them made them further piercing.Miss Beth had followed Evelyn like a chick behind the mother-hen every step of the way from the moment she stepped foot into TRIX.There in the conference room, well seated by her right-hand side was Liam. Jessica, seated on her left-hand side, directly opposite Liam couldn't help but feel a surge of nervous anticipation. Something was intimidating about the older woman, a silent demand for respect.Liam seemed unfazed by his mother’s presence. His posture was relaxed, his expression confident. He was obviously used to the limelight, something he had recei
“.... ugh”.Jessica managed to get out of bed. A strain of headache arose from the left corner of her head. It was as if some effects of her illness still lingered on.Stepping into the bathroom, she took a dose of painkillers and stared at the image that reflected herself. “.... Not —so — bad.” She said and went ahead to run a quick bath. Not until she got out of the bathroom did she notice she was running late for work. Hurrying out of her apartment to the side of the road, she highlighted.“Taxi!” She called out.Jessica arrived late. But that wasn't bad enough. The offices on the top floor felt empty. She had experienced this before and she feared that it could be happening again.Well, it did. A meeting was held in the conference room again. Through the see-through glasses, she entered quietly, and once again, everyone turned to her.But something was different.Evelyn was in the meeting. Now, she was sitting at the left-hand side of the head of the table and Liam was at the h