"Hello, Noah. Please, I need to see you urgently," Leah said into the phone, her voice trembling with panic.Noah sighed audibly on the other end. "Of course, Noah only gets remembered when trouble brews," he said, rolling his eyes."Don't be like this, Noah. It's a serious matter," Leah pleaded, her tone filled with urgency."I know. If it wasn't serious, you wouldn't call me," Noah replied curtly. His voice was laced with irritation. The call had been on speaker, but he quickly switched to handset mode and moved to a quieter environment."When was the last time you called me, Leah? We have unresolved issues, but you never cared enough to reach out and iron them out. You've changed so much," he said, his anger seeping through."I'm sorry, Noah. Please, let's meet up and talk," Leah implored.Noah wasn't ready to let go of his frustration. "Well, I'm busy with work. I don't have time," he said sharply."Come on, Noah. Don't be like this," Leah begged.But Noah was firm in his resolve.
Devastation weighed heavily on Leah as she found herself in a dimly lit bar. The clinking of glasses, muffled laughter, and faint music filled the room, but her mind was too clouded to enjoy the atmosphere. She wasn’t here to mingle or celebrate; she just wanted to clear her head. Her shaky hands gripped the glass in front of her as she took a long sip of her drink, trying to drown the chaos within her.And then she saw someone. It was as if luck had shined on her. Big Margaret was at the bar with some acquaintances. Her driver was seated alone somewhere behind sipping from his glass.A nasty thought ran through Leah's mind. Her phone buzzed. It was Jeremy. She declined the call and turned off her phone. “Excuse me,” Leah called out to the waiter. The waiter moved close to her and she whispered something into the ears of the waiter and discreetly squeezed some money into her hands. The waiter smiled and nodded before leaving.Leah then moved to the seat where Big Margaret's driver w
Leah woke up the next morning, too embarrassed to step out of her room. Her head aches badly from hangover. She needed some lemon juice to help with the hangover but was too embarrassed to leave her room. She couldn't face Jeremy or Maggie, especially Jeremy. Not after last night. She decided she would just pretend she didn't remember anything. But she recalled everything and she wasn't proud.She let her emotions emote and had endangered the life of a young innocent man, and even cost him his job. “Perhaps he wasn't so innocent. Maybe he was somehow involved in Big Margaret's shady deeds,” she thought, to somehow feel better.But still, she wasn't a bringer of justice or of death. She wasn't such a person. What had come over her. She hadn't even linked Big Margaret to her father's disappearance and yet, she went that extreme.She reprimanded herself for acting foolishly last night; with Noah, with Big Margaret and her driver and with Jeremy.She clenched her fists, frustration mingl
“Noah, I'm so sorry,” Leah pleaded over the phone. Her voice was a blend of desperation and guilt as she tried to bridge the gap that had grown between them.Noah remained silent. The pause on the other end of the line stretched uncomfortably, but Leah could hear his breathing; a quiet reminder that he was still there, still listening, even if he didn't utter a single word.“Please say something. I miss you. I miss us,” Leah said, her voice calm and soft, insistent. “What has come over you, Noah?”“Me? I'm the problem, huh? You toss me about like I mean nothing. Like I'm just indispensable,” Noah said, his voice sounding frustrated.“You mean everything to me, Noah. You're my best friend. I couldn't afford to lose you,” Leah said sincerely.Noah was pleased to hear that. However, he longed for more. But he wouldn't push it. It had to flow naturally. He and Leah should be together, he believed. “I'm sorry I left the way I did knowing you had just discovered something as important as t
Jeremy glared at Sarah, his expression a mixture of disdain and suppressed anger. The woman standing before him was once the center of his world, someone he had loved deeply and trusted completely. Now, she was nothing but a painful reminder of betrayal. “You stopped being a friend the moment you betrayed me. Now, unless you have something useful to say, I suggest you leave,” Jeremy said,his voice firm and authoritative.Her smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. “I came to talk about Conrad.”“Conrad?” Jeremy repeated, his interest piqued despite himself. “What about him?”Sarah hesitated, glancing at the door to ensure it was closed. “He’s planning something, Jeremy. Something big. And it involves your company.”Jeremy narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. He knew that though. “Why are you telling me this? What’s your angle?”Sarah sighed, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face. “Let’s just say… I’ve realized I made some mistakes. Big ones. And I want to make things right.”
Noah tracked and found Sarah. He pretended to accidentally bump into her. Her bag fell off, the contents scattered on the ground. Noah helped her pack her things from the floor, scanning through every item, his fingers moving swiftly, yet deliberately. “I'm so sorry,” he apologized. “Get lost, you loser,” Sarah yelled, her voice sharp as she quickly grabbed her bag and got up. She walked into a car and kissed the man who was in the driver's seat, before the car zoomed off. Noah figured the man must be Conrad. Noah quickly hopped on his scooter and drove away too, but he didn't follow the car. He stopped by a flower shop and bought a bouquet of flowers. Then he called Leah on the phone. “Hey. Can you come out?” Noah asked when Leah answered the phone. “Sure. You found something? Leah inquired. “Yeah. Let's meet at the usual spot,” Noah said. “See you shortly,” Leah replied and hung up. She quickly slipped into a fine simple silk gown, parked her hair up and zoomed off.
“Ugh!” Jeremy screamed from pain and frustration and anger. But what was he even angry about? He couldn't understand where his anger had stemmed from. He had been anxious, excited to come home, to Leah, but now… what was even wrong with him?Leah was startled by the outburst and rushed to help him. “Are you okay?”Jeremy shrugged his hands off her shoulders. “I'm fine, I'm fine. I can manage on my own,” he said, his tone a bit harsh.Leah took a step back, confused and slightly hurt. Still, she was impressively shocked by what she'd earlier seen. “I saw you…. standing? Jeremy, you did it!” Leah said excitedly.But Jeremy's expression was anything but. He struggled to adjust himself and when Leah attempted to help him, he turned away. “Don't worry, I can manage on my own.”“Our contract has been on for a little over two months now, huh?” Jeremy asked.The question sprung from nowhere and Leah couldn't fathom. “Have I done something wrong?” she asked him.“No, you haven't. I'm only tryi
Big Margaret had been discharged from the hospital and was at home resting now. However, her driver had lost his job. He had been too reckless with her car and her life, so she settled him and fired him.Then she made a few calls, requesting that she needed a replacement as quickly as possible. The salary was very attractive.“Hello, Sarah. I have been trying to reach Conrad. Is he with you?” Big Margaret asked when Sarah picked her phone call. Sarah sighed, clearly annoyed by something.“Yeah, just a minute,” Sarah said and went to hand over the phone to Conrad. “There's a call for you.”Conrad looked surprised. “Who's it?” He asked.“Here, please,” Sarah handed him the phone almost aggressively, hissing.Big Margaret rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for any lovebird fights, and there was work that needed to be done.Conrad hesitantly spoke. “Hello?”“Conrad. You two are fighting again? About what this time?” Big Margaret asked just out of courtesy and curiosity.“Please ignore
The day of Elizabeth’s funeral dawned cold and grey, as though the skies themselves mourned her passing. The cemetery was silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves and the silent sobs of those who had gathered to say their final goodbyes. Everyone was dressed in black, a sea of mourning hearts united in grief.Leah and Maggie stood side by side, drowning in sorrow. Leah wore a fitted black top and matching trousers, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark shades that masked her eyes that had become swollen from crying. She looked down most of the time, her fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her sleeve.Beside her, Maggie looked like a shadow of herself. Her black gown flowed loosely over her frame, long and free, barely brushing the ground. She had covered her hair with a simple black scarf, tying it tightly as though to hold herself together. Her lips trembled, and her hands were clasped so tightly in front of her that her knuckles had turned white.Jeremy and Alfred st
The news spread like wildfire.It didn’t take long before everyone who mattered knew. Word of Elizabeth’s death moved through the city like an unstoppable wave. Her loved ones, acquaintances, even those who barely knew her but admired her from afar, had all heard of her passing. For those closest to her, those who had shared in her life, her pain, her secrets, the grief was something far more tangible, suffocating even.Maggie and Alfred had rushed to the hospital the moment they got the call. Time seemed suspended as they rode in silence, each consumed by their thoughts. Maggie stared blankly through the window, her heart a mess of denial and sorrow. Her hands trembled in her lap as Alfred gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight, trying to stay composed for her sake.They met Mrs. Callahan there. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her nose runny, and her cheeks flushed with grief. She clutched a damp handkerchief that had long stopped being useful. It was soaked wi
Jeremy could hear his pulse thundering in his ears as he stared down the barrel of Big Margaret’s gun. The room was tense, air thick with danger and fear. He could hear Leah's cries, muffled and desperate, cutting through the chaos. His heart beat harder with every second that ticked by, and in that moment, something inside him snapped.With a roar of rage and courage, Jeremy moved forward.Big Margaret hadn’t expected it. Her moment of triumph turned to confusion as Jeremy charged. He crashed into her, knocking her sideways. In the same motion, his hand seized the cold steel of her pistol. They struggled for control, her hands clawing at his, but Jeremy was faster. Fueled by fury and desperation, he took the weapon from her.Without hesitation, Jeremy spun toward the armed guard, who was already raising his gun to fire.BANG!The guard was shot down before he could even pull the trigger. Blood splattered across the tiled floor as the body dropped to the ground. Jeremy didn’t flinch.
Leah didn't go home after office hours that day. She rotated herself in her chair, her mind spinning on the recent events, until sleep found her.She had rested her head on the table, hoping to rest only for a little while, but sleep came like a thief and dragged her into unconsciousness.When she opened her eyes, the world around her had changed.This wasn't her office.Her neck ached as she jerked upright, blinking rapidly as she observed the surroundings. Cold, clean air. A dim light from a nearby desk lamp. Her eyes adjusted to the space, and that’s when she realized where she was.Jeremy's office? How?She looked at her wristwatch. It was past 9 PM. She tried to get up when she noticed she'd been tied to the chair she was sitting on. What the heck! She struggled to break free, twisting her body violently, testing the binds, but the ropes held firm. “What the hell is going on?” she muttered, her voice shaky.“Hello!” she called out, but she only heard the echoes of her own voice
Elizabeth was preparing to go to the office that morning when she slummed.Thankfully, her mother, Mrs. Callahan was present.She quickly made a phone call and requested for an ambulance, and in no time, the ambulance arrived.The nurses moved swiftly, the hum of overhead fluorescent lights, and the wheeled gurney rushing past in a blur. On it lay Elizabeth, her body weak, trembling, her breathing shallow and erratic. Maggie stood frozen, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest as she watched the hospital staff work swiftly around her.Alfred was by Elizabeth’s side, passing instructions to the nurses, his voice tight with urgency. He had tried to remain composed for as long as he could, but this—this was different. Elizabeth’s lips had turned a terrifying shade of blue by the time they arrived, and her eyes, though they were open, they seemed to flutter between consciousness and something far more terrifying.As the nurses wheeled Elizabeth into the emergency room, the doors
Ivan had been invited by the board members, and as soon as he arrived, two police men covered him.“Ivan Fisher,” one of the police men said. “You're under arrest fo the attempted murder of Leah Fisher.”His hands were cuffed behind his back as he stepped out with the police men, the flash of red and blue lights reflected off the glass doors, casting eerie shadows across his face. The officers barely spoke as they read him his rights. There was no need for dramatics. The real spectacle was the betrayal written across Ivan’s eyes.Monica stood still. She didn’t cry, didn’t plead. She just watched, her lips tight and her shoulders stiff. Then she rushed to her station and was quickly clearing her desk, as if trying to run away and never return.Leah couldn't understand what was happening. Who had called the police on Ivan? He was being arrested for orchestrating her accident. She didn't report it even after she found out. Then who did?Was it Monica? Had she doublecrossed Ivan?She ru
The rain had stopped by morning, but the world felt no lighter. Leah stood in the kitchen, the mug in her hands long gone cold. Her thoughts spun in a thousand directions, each one pulling at a different thread of betrayal.Jeremy entered, still in the same shirt from the night before. “No sleep?”Leah shook her head. “Sleep feels like a luxury I can’t afford.”He leaned against the counter. “I combed through more of the files. Ivan didn’t just want to remove you from the board… he wanted to erase your entire claim. Financially. Legally. He’s built a case against you using your amnesia.”Leah set her mug down. “And Monica?”“She’s been a go-between. Messages. Meetings. Hush-hush coordination. But it gets worse. There are references to a player, someone labeled as M. Ivan’s not acting alone.”Leah’s eyes narrowed. “M? Same as C. M. Voss, or a different person” Jeremy shook his head. “I have no idea. But whoever M is… they’ve funded parts of this. Masked transfers. Multiple shell compa
“I know it hurts and you're upset, but you can't be at war with your brother,” Noah said, his voice filled with concern as he leaned forward on the couch, the phone pressed tightly on his ear. The atmosphere in his apartment was quiet, except for the distant hum of traffic outside his window.On the other end of the call, Leah let out a bitter laugh, one that sounded more like a scoff than amusement. “My enemy, you mean. He staged the war. He hates me with a passion. You don't understand, Noah.” Her voice trembled slightly, the pain and betrayal etched into every syllable. “Forget it. How are you?”“I'm good. Hey, buddy. Handle this with wisdom, please. Tell mama about it,” Noah advised.“I don't want to trouble that poor woman. She's already been through too much. I'll handle Ivan. Don't worry,” Leah said firmly. There was a finality in her tone. “I gotta go. Talk later.”“Alright. Bye,” Noah said softly before hanging up.He set his phone down and sat still for a moment, absorbing e
Rain tapped gently against the windows as Leah sat at her desk, rereading one of the letters Noah had given her. Ivan’s words were written with raw emotion; part regret, part bitterness. But one line lingered in her mind like an echo:"You forgot us and chose a stranger. Even in forgetfulness, you chose Maggie."Leah stared at the sentence, her lips parting in disbelief. It didn’t sit right. Not just because of the words themselves, but because of the intent. The accusation wasn’t about memory. It was about betrayal. As if her amnesia was a weapon she had wielded on purpose.Her chest tightened. Something deeper lurked beneath the surface of these letters.She flipped through the other letters again, this time slower, looking beyond the words. The tone varied. Some were loving, others accusatory. But a few of them… they were cold. Detached. Like they weren’t written for healing but for reminding her of a debt.Leah frowned. Why would someone write you letters you were never meant to r