Sara and Maddy sat at a small table, eating their lunch and chatting. Maddy asked Sara, "Why is your mom so... old-fashioned? I mean, I know she wants the best for you, but some of her ideas seem so... outdated."Sara sighed, putting down her fork. "It's because of where we come from, Maddy. Tehran, where I grew up, is a different world. My mom... she had a really tough life."Maddy's eyes were curious. "What do you mean?"Sara hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But Maddy's kind face encouraged her to open up. "My mom, she was married off when she was really young. She had me when she was barely 18. And... she had a lot of miscarriages. Five, to be exact."Maddy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god, Sara. I'm so sorry."Sara nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "It was really tough on her. And on me, too. We didn't have much, and my mom was always worried about my safety and my future. She became really protective, really controlling."Maddy reached out and took Sara's hand. "
Sara groggily opened one eye to find her alarm clock blaring loudly on her nightstand. She let out a groan and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head."Maddy, turn it off!" She mumbled, her voice muffled by the blankets.Madison stomped into Sara's room, looking frazzled. "Come on, Sara! You're going to be late!" she exclaimed, snatching up the alarm clock and silencing it.Sara sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Five more minutes," she begged.Madison threw up her hands in exasperation. "You don't have five more minutes! You have an interview in an hour, and you still need to shower and get dressed!"Sara yawned and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll be fine," she said, but Madison was having none of it."No, you won't be fine!" Madison said, grabbing Sara's arm and pulling her out of bed. "You're going to be late, and you're going to blow it! Now come on, let's get moving!"Maddy dragged Sara into the bathroom, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "You'
Sara stood nervously outside the sleek glass façade of NovaTech's headquarters, her eyes fixed on the large digital clock above the entrance. She was running perilously late, thanks to the unreliable bus that had dropped her off several blocks away with barely enough time to sprint to her destination.As she checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time, Sara's anxiety spiked. She had been preparing for this interview for weeks, researching the company and practicing her responses to every possible question. But now, as she stood outside the building, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to blow it.With a deep breath, Sara pushed open the door and stepped into the gleaming lobby, her heels clicking on the polished marble floor. She made her way to the reception desk, where a friendly-looking woman with a warm smile greeted her."Hi there, can I help you?" the receptionist asked, eyeing Sara's flustered expression.Sara took another deep breath and composed hers
Nova's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she leaned forward, her voice taking on a gentle, probing tone. "Sara, can you tell me why you left Franklin's company? You were one of our top performers, and we were sad to see you go."Sara's gaze flickered to Franklin, who was watching her with an amused smirk on his face. She felt a surge of discomfort as she realized he was enjoying her discomfort. Nova's question hung in the air, waiting for an answer, but Sara's mind was frozen.Just as she was about to speak, Sara felt a sudden, jolting sensation. Franklin's hand had slipped under the table, his fingers wrapping around her thigh. Sara's eyes widened in shock as she felt his hand caressing her skin, his touch sending shivers down her spine.But it wasn't a gentle touch. Franklin's fingers dug deep into her thigh, his grip tightening like a vice. Sara flinched, her body jerking away from the painful pressure. She felt a wave of panic wash over her, her heart racing with fear.Franklin's sm
Christopher walked into his cabin, expecting to see his assistant, Suzy, sitting at her desk, ready to tackle the day's tasks. But as he scanned the room, his eyes fell on an empty chair, and a sense of unease crept over him."Where is Suzy?" he muttered to himself, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Suzy's number. She picked up on the first ring, and Christopher's voice was firm but controlled. "Suzy, where are you? Why aren't you at your desk?"There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Christopher wondered if the connection had been lost. But then Suzy's voice came through, her tone hesitant and unsure. "Mr. Reed... I'm sorry... he fired me."Christopher's eyes widened in shock, and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "What? Why? Ask your business partner?" Suzy's voice was cryptic, but before Christopher could press her for more information, she hung up.Christopher's mind was reeling as he walked tow
Sara walked briskly along the sidewalk, her eyes fixed on the office building ahead. She was already running late, thanks to a sleep-filled morning that had left her groggy and disoriented. Madison had specifically told her not to be late, and here she was, already 10 minutes behind schedule.As she turned a corner, a black SUV sped past her, sending a wave of water from the road splashing over her. The water had accumulated on the road from the morning rain, and the SUV's tires had kicked it up, drenching Sara.Sara's eyes widened in anger as she felt the cold water seep into her clothes. She let out a string of abusive words, her voice echoing through the morning air."Seriously?The SUV sped past her, sending a wave of water splashing over her; Sara's anger boiled over. "Are you fucking blind, you rich bastard?" she shouted, her voice echoing through the morning air. "Can't you see people? Fucking dog!"As soon as the words left her lips, the SUV screeched to a halt just a few feet
"What is she doing here?" he demanded, his eyes never leaving Sara's face.Christopher looked up from the papers on his desk, a hint of surprise on his face. "Sara is here as my new assistant," he explained, his voice calm and even.Austin's eyes widened in incredulity, and he took a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "You can't be serious," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "This woman is rude, arrogant, and completely unprofessional. She can't work here."Sara's eyes flashed with anger, and she took a step forward, her chin held high. "Excuse me?" she said, her voice icy cold. "I'm standing right here, and I don't appreciate being talked about like I'm not even in the room."Austin's eyes locked onto Sara's, and he sneered at her. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "I forgot that you're so fragile and delicate. Please, do go on. I'm fascinated by your... unique perspective."Sara's face flushed with anger, and she took another step forward, her
Sara and Madison settled into their favorite spots on the couch, eager to unwind and share stories about their day. Sara, still buzzing from her interview, couldn't stop raving about Christopher."Oh, Maddy, he's such a great guy!" Sara exclaimed, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "He's so respectful and kind, and he really listens to what you have to say. I feel like I can totally trust him."Madison listened attentively, a knowing smile spreading across her face. She had heard Sara's glowing reviews of Christopher before, but she was more interested in hearing about Sara's encounter with Austin."And what about Mr. Reed?" Madison asked, her voice laced with amusement. "How did that go?"Sara's expression darkened, and she let out a dismissive snort. "Ugh, don't even get me started on him," she said, rolling her eyes. "He's so arrogant and condescending, and he doesn't know the first thing about respecting women. I swear, he's got a chip on his shoulder or something."Madison chuckle
Sara and Maddy sat at a small table, eating their lunch and chatting. Maddy asked Sara, "Why is your mom so... old-fashioned? I mean, I know she wants the best for you, but some of her ideas seem so... outdated."Sara sighed, putting down her fork. "It's because of where we come from, Maddy. Tehran, where I grew up, is a different world. My mom... she had a really tough life."Maddy's eyes were curious. "What do you mean?"Sara hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But Maddy's kind face encouraged her to open up. "My mom, she was married off when she was really young. She had me when she was barely 18. And... she had a lot of miscarriages. Five, to be exact."Maddy's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god, Sara. I'm so sorry."Sara nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "It was really tough on her. And on me, too. We didn't have much, and my mom was always worried about my safety and my future. She became really protective, really controlling."Maddy reached out and took Sara's hand. "
Just as Austin's fingers were untangling Sara's hair from his shirt button, an employee walked into the room, a look of surprise on his face. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him—Austin and Sara, tangled together, their faces inches apart.The employee's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, and he quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..." before beating a hasty retreat.Austin and Sara quickly scrambled to their feet, their faces flushed with embarrassment. They both tried to call out to the employee to stop him and explain the situation, but it was too late. The employee had already disappeared around the corner.Austin's face turned red with anger as he turned to Sara. "This is all your fault," he spat, his voice low and menacing. "If you hadn't been so clumsy, so stupid, we wouldn't be in this situation."Sara's eyes flashed with anger as she stood up to Austin. "Oh, so now it's my fault?" She shot back, her voice rising. "You'r
Austin leads Sara to a cramped, windowless room deep in the office building. The room is filled with stacks of dusty files and papers, and a single, flickering fluorescent light overhead casts eerie shadows on the walls.Austin gestures to the files. "I need you to go through all of these and organize them by date and category," he says, his voice cold and detached. "It's a tedious task, but I'm sure you're up to it."Sara looks around the room, her eyes widening in dismay. "How long will this take?" she asks, her voice hesitant.Austin shrugs. "As long as it takes. You'll be working on this task exclusively until it's completed. And I expect it to be done perfectly."Sara nods, her shoulders squaring in determination. But as she begins to work on the task, she realizes that something is off. The files seem to be in disarray, and there are strange notes and symbols in the margins.As she delves deeper into the task, Sara starts to uncover a mysterious trail of clues that suggest somet
As the minutes ticked by, Sara grew more and more frustrated with her laptop. She had tried every trick in the book, every troubleshooting technique she knew, but nothing seemed to work. She was starting to feel desperate, like she was going to lose all her work and have to start from scratch.Just as she was about to give up, there was a knock at the door. Sara looked up, expecting to see one of her coworkers or maybe even Austin again. But to her surprise, it was Kevin, his face creased into a warm smile."Hey, Sara, I saw you were still in here, and I thought I'd check on you," he said, his voice friendly and concerned. "Do you need some help?"Sara hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to accept Kevin's offer. But then she looked at her laptop, still refusing to cooperate, and nodded. "Yeah, I could use some help."Kevin walked over to her, his eyes scanning the laptop screen. "What's going on?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.Sara explained the situation, and
The room was still reeling from the awkwardness of the situation. Sara's face was on fire with embarrassment, and she couldn't bear to look at anyone. Austin's smirk had grown wider, and he seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.Chris, however, had finally regained his composure. He cleared his throat, his voice firm and authoritative. "Alright, let's take a break. We'll reconvene in 15 minutes."As the room began to empty, Chris turned to Sara. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.Sara nodded, still feeling mortified. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about...that."Chris smiled reassuringly. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Austin's just being his usual self."Sara raised an eyebrow, surprised by Chris's words. "You're not mad at me?" she asked.Chris shook his head. "No, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Austin for pulling a stunt like that."Sara felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been worried that Chris would be angry with her, but instead, he seemed to be
As the time for the meeting approached, the meeting room was quiet, with only a handful of people present. Chris sat at the conference table, engrossed in a phone call. Austin stood nearby, looking bored.Suddenly turned to Maddy and asked, "Hey, Maddy, can you grab me a cup of coffee? I need a caffeine boost before this meeting starts."Maddy nodded and headed out of the meeting room to fetch Chris's coffee. As she left, Sara took the opportunity to double-check her laptop and presentation materials. But as she scanned her notes, she realized with a sinking feeling that she had left the project report on her desk.Panicked, Sara quickly got up and rushed out of the meeting room to retrieve the report. As she left, Austin, who had been chatting with Chris, suddenly found himself alone in the meeting room with Sara's laptop.A sly smirk spread across Austin's face as he gazed at Sara's laptop, still connected to the projector. Without hesitation, he walked over to the laptop and opened
Sara sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by papers, notes, and her laptop, as she worked late into the night to finalize the project and prepare for the presentation. The apartment was quiet, except for the occasional sound of the refrigerator humming in the background.Maddy walked toward her, carrying a steaming cup of hot coffee. She smiled as she approached Sara. "Thought you could use a pick-me-up," she said, setting the cup down in front of Sara.Sara looked up, grateful, and smiled. "Thanks, Maddy. You're a lifesaver."Maddy sat down beside Sara, watching as she worked. "You're going to rock this presentation tomorrow, girl," she said, her voice filled with confidence.Sara smiled, feeling a surge of determination. "Thanks, Maddy. I'm going to try my best."Maddy nodded, her expression serious. "I know you will. But don't forget to take care of yourself, okay? You need to get some rest before tomorrow."Sara nodded, though she didn't look up from her laptop. "I will, Maddy. I
Christopher walked down the hallway; he noticed Sara standing by the elevator, a box in her hands. He approached her, a look of curiosity on his face. "Where are you off to with that box?" he asked, nodding towards the box.Maddy, who was walking behind Christopher, chimed in. "She's convinced that you and Mr. Reed are going to fire her because of her behavior today, so she's decided to leave on her own terms."Christopher's eyes locked onto Sara's, a hint of amusement dancing in their depths. "Who told you I was going to fire you?" he asked, his voice low and soothing. "Come on, no one is going to fire you just because you called someone what he really is—arrogant." He paused, a sly smile spreading across his face. "And yeah, an asshole sometimes," he whispered, his voice barely audible.Sara's face lit up with a smile, and she looked at Christopher with a mixture of relief and gratitude. Maddy, on the other hand, looked at Christopher with a look of admiration, her eyes shining with
Sara's voice was steady, but her eyes flashed with defiance. "Oh, Mr. Reed, it's inappropriate to eavesdrop on someone's conversation, don't you know?"Austin's smile was cold and calculating. "Oh, and it's okay to be backbiting, huh?"Sara's eyes narrowed, her voice rising in indignation. "I was not backbiting; I was telling the truth."Austin's laughter was low and menacing. "Oh, truth? Should I also share the truth about what you are and what I think about you?"Sara's hands flew to her hips, her eyes flashing with anger. "What do you think about me, huh?" she asked, her voice firm and challenging.The room was silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the two combatants. Maddy and Kevin's eyes were wide with shock, their mouths hanging open in amazement. Christopher's face was a mask of concern, his eyes darting back and forth between Austin and Sara.The air was electric with tension, the anticipation hanging like a challenge between them. Austin's eyes locked onto Sara's, hi