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Chapter One hundred and eleven
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2024-05-21 16:05:04Related chapters
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and twelve
It was the fourth and final day of the meeting, which also doubled as the most anticipated and filled moment of the meeting. The grand ballroom had been redecorated for this event and was abuzz with excitement as the crème de la crème of the business world gathered for the annual Business Excellence Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. One would know that this was indeed an awards ceremony that was worthy of being the talk of the town; everything was top-notch. The media presence at the ceremony was impressive, with a diverse range of outlets and journalists invited to cover the event. The list included leading dailies of national newspapers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal; industry-specific business publications like Forbes, Fortune, and Bloomberg Businessweek had a strong presence; and digital media outlets like CNBC and Reuters were also in attendance. Regional newspapers and business journals from the host city and its environs we
Last Updated : 2024-05-22TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Thirteen
It was going to be a celebration galore all through the night for the Black Bricks group. Cameron receiving the award would be the precursor to many other good things for the company. The management had called Lana, informing her of close to ten deals and contracts coming from different sources; even the government had called in to congratulate him. Congratulations were still pouring in from different sources despite it being a few hours, leaving them to wonder about the amazement of photography and wire sources. In honour of his team, Cameron decided to throw a little party, more of a gesture of appreciation for their efforts. The party was planned to be thrown the next day, and Lana was tasked with inviting different personalities. Darby, acting as the event planner, in cooperation with the welfare department of Black Bricks Group, was running here and there, making sure everything was in equal proportion. Cameron must be so happy for him to agree to host a party in honour of th
Last Updated : 2024-05-22TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fourteen
The hall was resplendent in a warm, celebratory ambience, elegantly set for the prestigious award celebration. The walls, adorned with golden accents, gleamed in the soft light, while the polished marble floor shimmered like a canvas of elegance. Round tables, covered in crisp white linens, were arranged throughout the hall, each one adorned with a stunning floral centrepiece that added a pop of colour to the sophisticated setting. The chairs, upholstered in rich velvet, were positioned with precision, inviting guests to linger and mingle. A grand stage, adorned with a gleaming podium and a majestic backdrop, stood proudly at the front of the hall, awaiting speeches on the award. The lighting was dimmed to create an intimate atmosphere, with spotlights strategically placed to highlight the award recipients and guest speakers. The walls were beautified with sleek, modern displays showcasing the achievements and contributions of the Black Bricks entire team, who were indeed the awar
Last Updated : 2024-05-23TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifteen
Little did the attendees know that the event was about to take a whole new turn that they hadn’t expected. After the music band had dazzled the audience, Cameron was invited on stage to give a speech in honour of the award. He stepped onto the podium, his baritone-filled voice echoing through the room. He held up the award in his hand, the evidence of excellence glittering in the bright reflection of the hall’s bulbs. “Good evening, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of society. A special thanks to the organisers of this event for giving us this award. We really appreciate it.” There were clicks and flashes from cameras from different angles. He flinched from the sudden light attack but regained his composure, picking up the microphone. He dropped the award on the floor, much to the amazement of everyone, and got down from the podium with one hand in his pocket. “This award, once again, is not mine; it is ours. My thanks go to the entire team, from welfare, who are making sure we
Last Updated : 2024-05-23TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixteen
Despite it not being the first time that Lana would be thrown such a question, this was definitely the most special. She couldn’t control her tears as they flowed down their cheeks, and she tried to choke them back. She suddenly felt a buildup of heat all over her body, despite the high-efficiency air conditioning machines in the event centre at full blast. Cameron was still kneeling down in front of her, and the crowd was already screaming. Their shouts echoed through her system and reverberated around the room, bouncing through her skull. Right in front of her was the best man in the world; he treated her like there was no other girl in the whole wide world, and if there was a chance to finally have a life with him, she would take it. With all the courage and composure she could muster, she muttered her yes in the loudest way possible, even though it was barely audible to her, and stretched her hand to receive the ring. Without thinking, the guy who was holding the microphone b
Last Updated : 2024-05-25TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Seventeen
This was the night of their lives. It was a time worth celebrating; this time was going to herald in a whole new era. A new era of happiness, joy, and a new beginning—they were both bubbling as the limo made its way to the Oriental Pearl Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in the city. The side windows rolled down to reveal the opulent insides of the hotel’s car park, decorated with red roses and sweet-smelling perfumes. Lana was surprised to see the usually full hotel’s car park empty. What could possibly make the Oriental Pearl empty? A staff member of the hotel came on each side, opening the door for the couples as they stepped out. “I thought we were going home.” Lana was confused. “Yes. But we celebrate here first.” He answered, taking her by the hand and leading her inside the hotel lobby. She was more surprised to find the hotel lobby decorated and empty, except for the receptionist who sat behind her desk, flipping through a social magazine. She straightened up when she saw
Last Updated : 2024-05-27TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Eighteen
Andre had been properly disgraced at the award-giving ceremony, or, as he should put it, improperly disgraced. He paced around in his room, shaken by what he had just seen. He tried to get it all together and ordered the strongest bottle of alcohol from the cellars downstairs. Alcohol wasn’t going to solve anything, he knew, but he still wanted it. He needed something to just get it off his chest. His own awards ceremony had been the previous day, and here he was, sulking over the matter. He ignored the cup that came with the drink and instead took a swig from the bottle, downing half of it in one go. Cameron and Lana, with their little friends, had hurt his ego, and he was surely going to pay them back. He looked at the naked, sleeping secretary on his bed and suddenly became irritated at her sight. He tried to remember what had transpired between them, and the disgust on his face deepened. Andre tapped her lightly; it was time to go. “Good morning, sunshine.” She yawned, stretc
Last Updated : 2024-05-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter one hundred and nineteen
Sally was just done reviewing the documents that had been sent in from the archives. Right after the awards, she had scored a multimillion-dollar contract that would take her to three different continents. But before she was able to score that, she had to sit in front of a ten-man panel in one of the biggest interviews of her life. If she wasn’t going to prepare for anything, she had to prepare for this. She called the staff and had them bring all the files in the archive to her office, totaling over three thousand pieces. Of course, she wasn’t going to go through them all; she was not Jarvis in the Iron Man trilogy. She sat down with a steaming cup of coffee as the staff brought in the documents in carts, wheels after wheels rolling into her office. She had been hinted at by Megumi, who provided the connection that this was supposed to be a special intelligence force that needs some sort of legal backup wherever they are going on missions. Part of the job description was that sh
Last Updated : 2024-05-30
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and three
Andre’s POV Two Years LaterMy mother was upset that I had gone behind her back to sabotage her. To sell her company to that little brat—that is what she refers to Lana as now—who knew nothing about business, but I did not have to tell her that it was either that or see her remanded in prison. To watch everything I had and everyone I loved taken away from me. I did not need to tell her that we were lucky we had a choice. The poor girl had no choice back then and had to take life as it was handed to her. My mother would live—abort sourly—but at least she would still live. We could build back the company even if it took a long time. Thankfully, all she had back then was a minor heart attack. As for the little brat, Lana, she and Cameron got married two years ago and have spent the last two years of their marriage touring the world.I was envious of the love they found. The comfort they gave each other, the strength in their numbers, but as time went on, I too was beginning to live wi
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and two
Lana’s POV The house was still the same way I remembered it. The chairs, the arm stool, and the and the settees All of the arrangements were still the same, and it struck a chord of familiarity within me. I settled into the plush armchair and watched Andre move towards the bar, his demeanour calm and composed. It was hard to reconcile this composed man with the man I had known years ago. Andre returned with a glass of red wine, just the way I liked it. He handed it to me, then sat across from me. “Have you come to a conclusion regarding what we discussed?” I crossed my legs, one above the other, and stared blankly at him. “Regarding what exactly? The only thing I remember that we have yet to talk about are the kids and how we’ll split their days between us. Other than that, I don't think we have any unfinished business. Except you are talking about signing the documents, which would see me as the new CEO of Ranhold.” Andre heaved a long sigh and rubbed his temples. Was he beginnin
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and one
Lana’s POV We spent the next week gathering evidence against Freda and meeting with potential witnesses who could testify against her if we were to take her to court, but it seemed as though that would not be needed. It was some time towards the end of the week when what was going to be our break happened. It came in the form of André getting a recognition award. I had no idea what his relationship with Freda had been like following everything that had happened lately, so I cannot talk about that. But upon receiving the award, Freda was so happy with her son that she decided to allow him to make certain decisions that regarded the leadership of Ranhold. In the past, André had been nothing but a figurehead. Although he sat in the CEO position, his mother, Freda, usually handled all the decision-making, and everyone knew this. He was useless, and if it was important that his signature be appended to a document, he had to get permission from Freda first before doing it. But now, all
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred
Lana’s POV Back at my apartment, we laid out all the new information we had gathered. It felt like we were finally making progress, and the weight of uncertainty was beginning to lift. But then a call entered my phone, which was going to either bring everything crashing down on us again or continue pushing us forward.We had laid everything on the table in front of us, and we were about to start sitting through them when the ringtone of my phone shattered through the peace, quiet, and anxiety that had settled over us. Sighing and thinking it was from one of my colleagues at Lukem, I pulled the phone from my pocket and paused when I saw the caller ID displaying on my screen.“Hmmm... Andre.” I said it out loud, alerting the other guys to who the caller was. Without waiting for their response, I swiped on the screen and placed the phone in my ear. “Hey, Andre.” I greeted. “What’s going on?”“I found something.” He announced. From over the phone, I could not make out the time of his vo
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-nine
Lana’s POV Fred smiled warmly, taking a seat beside Clara. “It’s been a long time, Aunt Clara. We have so much to catch up on, but there’s something important we need to ask you about first.”Clara looked at him. “Of course, anything. What do you need to know?”Fred glanced at me, and I handed Clara the letter. “We found this among my father’s papers. It mentions a promise to protect you. We need to understand what happened.”Clara took the letter and began reading it. As she read through it, I noticed the change in her expression. She took a deep breath and glanced up at us. “This... this brings back memories I thought I’d buried. Your mother and Mr. West were the best friends I ever had. But there was more to it, and it brought trouble or would have brought trouble had Mr. West not decided to act in what he believed to be the best interest of everyone, including your mother. Fred’s face lightened up, as did mine. “What do you mean?”Clara sighed. “Secrets.” She whispered. “Anne an
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-eight
Lana’s POVFred shrugged. “She hinted at societal expectations and family obligations,” he replied. “But she didn’t give specifics. I think she knows a lot more than she’s letting on.”I nodded slowly. “My father never mentioned anything about your mother or you and Kathy. And I started going through his papers; maybe I would find something.”Fred’s expression softened. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but it is not to be helped. I cannot say I know how you feel or what you are feeling right now. Finding out that a person you think you know has another side, which you have no idea of, can really do something to you.”I reached out and touched Fred’s hand briefly. “We’ll figure it out together. I have some of my father’s old letters and documents that might help us piece things together. Maybe we can confront Freda again with more concrete questions? What do you think? Right now, she’s the only person who can give us answers, and we are not even on good terms.”We returned to m
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-seven
Narrator’s POV Freda’s smile faltered for the briefest of moments, a shadow crossing her eyes before she quickly regained her composure. She leaned back in her chair, interlacing her fingers and resting them on her desk.“That’s quite a heavy topic, Fred,” she said, her tone now more serious. “Why are you suddenly interested in this?”Fred shrugged. “Perhaps after Kathy’s death, I realised something. I just want to know why he abandoned my mother, why he chose his other family above us, and why he caused us so much pain and loss. I want to understand all of these things; perhaps it would help me forgive, let go, and move on.”A shadow of a smile crossed Freda’s face. “Ahhhh... I guess it runs in the family then.” Fred narrowed his eyes, wondering what she meant by that statement. “I don’t understand. What runs in the family?”Freda stood to her feet and approached the floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a great view of the city. From here, he could view the city’s skyline and wat
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-six
Narrator’s POV Freda’s office was located on the uppermost floor of the skyscraper that acted as Ranhold’s headquarters, a detail that made Fred pause as he stepped out of the taxi five minutes ago. He blinked against the rays of sunlight reflecting off the monolithic structure of steel and glass, momentarily blinded. The reflective surface mirrored the city below, creating an illusion of infinite depth.The other buildings around it were similar in their grandeur, each with its own unique design. For the umpteenth time since his arrival in the city, Fred was reminded of how little he had traveled. There were places outside of his known world yet to be explored, and this city of steel and glass was one of them. He had spent—wasted—five minutes entranced by the sleek, modern design, temporarily forgetting his purpose for being there.Pulling himself back to reality, he straightened his suit and approached the entrance. The revolving glass doors spun smoothly, ushering him into a grand
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-five
Lana’s POVI took tentative steps towards the bouquet. Whether unconsciously or by some reflex response in our system, we all had taken steps away from the bouquet. For some reason, we felt threatened by it. This was not the first time we would receive threats disguised as gifts, and I guess that has taught us a lesson. Slowly, I pulled out the card in the bouquet and glanced at Cameron and Sally, who both gave me curt nods. I opened it and began reading it aloud. “Congratulations on Zoe’s recovery. Best wishes for the future. – Freda.”The room fell silent as the implications of the message sank in. Sally was the first to break the silence. “Freda has acted once again. First of all, it was an almost dead bird on my door, and now congratulatory bouquet?”My grip on the card tightened. “Is this supposed to mean something?”Cameron stepped closer, resting his hand on the small of my back. “Hey, we’ll keep our guard up. She’s only trying to play mind games, but we won’t give her the sat
