Joyce's POVThe morning was like every other: exhausted smiles, soggy cereals, and the frantic rush to get my little one ready for daycare on time.I made him use his face cap and rushed out of the house. It was already 8:30 a.m.; I couldn't afford to be late for the meeting. I boarded a cab, which took us right to Santoria Industries.The next step was to drop Rafael off at the daycare. Madame Pat greeted me stoically, and I smiled, trying to ease the awkward tension.""Good morning, Madame Pat," I greeted politely."Good morning to you, too," she replied flatly."I won't be late this time," I assured her.She ignored me and greeted Rafael with a smile. I watched him settle down before leaving for the office. I sighed in relief when I got there and noticed Adrian wasn't in by the time I arrived.The incident from last night flashed before me, and I tensed at the thought of him finding out that I was the one who had tried to make him a tad bit comfortable as he slept."I shook my head
Adrian's POVI drummed my fingers on the table, checking my wristwatch occasionally. Joyce had yet to return since she left to get my coffee.Had she found a new recipe, or was she caught up with something?I couldn't tell.At that moment, I decided to leave to look for her if she wasn't back in two minutes. It was 9:25 a.m. already, and we had yet to go for the meeting.The door was suddenly flung open, and Joyce appeared with a tray in her arms, looking agitated.I frowned. "What took you so long?""I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Daniel stopped me to invite me to the celebratory party on Friday. He said I had to come in your place," She replied, breathing heavily.She had been running."It's fine. You're granted permission to attend, but first, we must deal with this meeting," I stated, standing up hurriedly from my seat. I approached her, grabbed the coffee from the tray, and sipped. It was quite better than the last one I had."Get every material needed for the meeting. We're leaving now," I
Gabriel's POVNatalia really did it this time. She didn't stop at making me believe she would delete the video after making those calls; she had to go as far as putting me under surveillance for the next two weeks. I couldn't even bring myself to express my frustration to Ivan, who stood before me."Sir... Mr. Moreno?" His worried voice snapped me back to reality. "Boss, were you listening to what I've been saying?"I massaged my throbbing head. "What were you saying again?"He stared at me with a weird expression. "You asked if I had any updates for you today?""And?" I inquired with a feeling of apprehension."I said the deal we had with the Smith company is moving forward, and the marketing team has finalized the campaign for the new product launch.""Smith company?" I asked, trying to remember where I had heard the name from. The pressure on me had been too much lately."Boss, are you sure you're okay?" Ivan questioned."Just answer the damn question," I half yelled, irritated by
Natalia's POVAs I drove down the highway, an amusing picture of Gabriel's silly facial expression when I had stated my conditions suddenly popped into my head. I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a warmth spread across my face.At least I was starting to get what I wanted. Gabriel was under my close watch, which meant he wasn't going to plan anything stupid behind my back.The only thing left was to find Joyce. Madrileno was giving me a hard time, and I had not called or spoken to him since my argument with his sister. Going back there would be dangerous, but I was going to try.But first, I needed to waste the money I had forcefully taken from Gabriel. I had the intention of emptying a whole clothing store for myself.I drove into the gate of my favorite clothing store. They always had what I wanted.I ignored the security man's greeting and strutted into the building to be startled by a clerk, whom I recognized immediately."Welcome, Mrs. Moreno. It's so lovely to see you again. Wh
Adrian's POVThe Gerrovial Infrastructure team filed out of the conference room, their faces reflecting anxiety and hope. It took a lot of promises to convince them that they weren't going to lose their jobs."I'm sorry for the interrogations," Javier, who sat on my left, profusely apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed.I waved my hands dismissively. "It's expected. Waking up to the news that the only company responsible for their source of income is about to go bankrupt and was purchased by another CEO is enough to make them doubtful.""Well, now that we have settled things. Don't you think it's time to select the acting CEO?" Miguel chipped in. He was seated on the right next to Joyce."Yes, it is time," I replied, understanding the situation.Navigating my duties between Santoria Industries and Gerrovial Infrastructure was only possible with a representative.I fixed my gaze on Javier. "Javier, can I leave the welfare of this company in your hands?""Huh... Me?" He inquired, loo
Natalia's POVLigia must have noticed the little interaction between Luis and me. Her frown said it all."Er... Luis," she called cutely, prying our hands apart. We still have a lot of guests to attend to. Let's all discuss this after the party.""Alright, babe," Luis replied, pulling Ligia by the waist, capturing her lips with his, and kissing her roughly."Get a room, you two," I snorted, disgusted by the sight. They looked like two shameless slobbering teenagers. The man really had no shame in doing that in public. Even the guests who saw them were taken aback."Bye, Nat, " Rose waved, winking at me.A waiter passed before me with a glass of champagne on a tray. I quickly grabbed one and walked to one of the tables. I spotted a few familiar people and approached them."Hi, Antonia," I greeted the lady with the blonde hair. She didn't seem pleased to see me, but she smiled regardless."Hello, Natalia. We haven't seen each other in a while," she stated, an underlying meaning in her
Javier's POVI stood in the familiar office, now a symbol of newfound responsibility. Mr. Ortega, the new CEO, had surprisingly entrusted me with the company's reins, and his words echoed nonstop in my mind.However, my loyalty remained with the former CEO's family, especially his daughter, Elizabeth. Her father's downfall weighed heavily upon her shoulders. His legacy was tarnished.I couldn't let her bear the pain alone. The feelings I had for her were still rigid in my heart. As I gazed out the window,I made a vow to protect Elizabeth from her father's mistakes. I'd be her rock and her confidant.A knock on the door jolted me out of my thoughts, and Elizabeth's vulnerable yet resilient face vanished from my mind."Who is it?" I asked without turning to see who the visitor was.The door creaked open, and I heard footsteps approach."Mr. Castillo," a soft voice called out to me."Ana? Is that you?" I questioned, turning around to see the person."Yes, Mr. Castillo. The documents for
Natalia's POV"How dare you?" Antonia exclaimed, her face red with anger.It took me great resolve to control the laughter threatening to erupt from my belly."Girl, relax. I was just giving a general warning. Why are you getting all worked up?" I asked scornfully. I'm sure you can replace any artifacts you break. You know, maybe we should give it a...""That's enough!" A voice rang out, commanding attention.Everyone's gaze shifted to the source of the voice. There, we saw Ligia and Luis walk in. The man seemed to have an air of pride looming over him. It was clear he wanted to show off."What's going on here? My fiancee told me you ladies have grown past throwing shades at each other, but it seems she made a mistake," Luis complained, his hands clasped in Rose's."I'm sorry, Mr. Lopez. Natalia insulted me, and I couldn't take it," Antonia whined like a child, stomping her feet on the ground.I felt Luis's lewd gaze on me. It was disgusting, but I had to endure and use it to my advan