The ride was quiet; the air growing thicker as they were approaching the edge of the city. Tasha gazed out the window, feeling her thoughts drift back to Fabian. What about him? How would he react if he saw her risking her life for someone else – maybe even someone like Loretta?She couldn’t afford the luxury of those thoughts. Fabian was a burden she did not need, particularly at that moment.When they got out several blocks from the estate, Julian switched off the engine and turned to look at her. “Okay, listen up, here’s the plan. We wait for the signal, then we move in. I’ll take care of the guards at the front, and you go through the side door. We get Loretta and leave before anyone realizes what we are doing.”Tasha nodded, the blood pumping in her chest. “What if anything goes wrong?”Julian shrugged, smirking again. “There are no worries. Nothing is going wrong tonight.”But Tasha was wise enough not to place her faith in utopian schemes. The night was filled with the essence
Before long, when he got to her door, he opened it with a slightly over-the-top show as if trying to lighten the mood. ‘Ladies first,’ he said with a smile on his face, ushering her to exit.Emma chuckled and waved her hand in dismissal. “Thanks,” she said, climbing out of the car and embracing the feeling of cold air against her skin. The strangeness that had existed in their interaction was still present, but now it was somewhat alleviated by a hint of humor.She stood on the sidewalk and so did he, both of them motionless for a minute, and the same tension that had been there before was still present even after making a possible effort to ease it. ‘Anyway,’ she said, inclining her head towards him, ‘thanks for the ride, Mikel,’ she said, the silence finally succumbing to speech.“Whenever you want,” he said and stared at the building, stuffing his hands in his pockets. After a moment, he turned towards her. “I suppose… I will see you around, yeah?”Emma smiled small again and nodde
Taking a long sigh, she pressed the lock and opened the door to her apartment, stepping in. Now focused on a different problem within moments, how she will ensure Antonio attends the meeting.As Mikel left Emma's home, he remembered how they almost kissed and a smile came to his face. A heat rushed through him, and he lost the ability to control the thrill that rose within him. Without knowing what he was doing, he pressed the button that would open the window.“Yes!” he yelled to the sky on the silent street. One hand holding the steering wheel, and the other was pushed out of the car as the cool wind came in, ruffling his hair. He laughed, feeling lighter than he had felt for a long time.The evening had its fair share of embarrassing silences, quiet tension, and things left unspoken, yet the way this all unraveled at the end – the intimacy, that look in Emma’s eyes – all seemed so worthwhile. The kiss on the forehead had been an impromptu action, safe but affectionate. He had his d
As if he had been expecting her for a while, his father’s gaze was already on her when she entered the living room and found him seated in his regular chair. There was a flash of something serious in that gaze and she halted for a second.“Tasha,” he called out, his voice even and nonchalant, “what were you doing?”“Doing nothing interesting,” she said, attempting to shrug it off. Well, she had not done anything to be ashamed of, but rather, in recent days, she had been crushed by the burden that was…the reluctance of Fabian. Any thoughts regarding his impending marriage brought fear and excitement to her in equal measure.“Because of that, please remember what I was reading long ago, where have I entered into I want to know more,” Father rolled over opened the newspaper, and narrowed his eyes.Thinking of the name she mentioned, Tasha felt a pang of excitement in her chest. She composed herself and met her father's stare. “What about him?”Her father let out a heavy sigh, the tightne
He was well aware of Martinez’s expectations, a mere outline devoid of any uncertainties, which highlighted the purpose of the marriage between their two families. The merger was dependent on that marriage, the last curve of a big scheme that had existed well before he and Tasha had even been introduced to one another.Fabian rubbed the back of his head, memories of yesterday returning to the fore of his mind. He had told Tasha that he would try, that they could make it work. But now, with Martinez a hallway away awaiting his presence to finalize an agreement that would tether them both in ways they had never imagined detrimentally, he felt the ever-present enemy within, fighting to overpower him once again.Mikel had always excelled in social interactions, especially when it came to women in the workplace. Fabianski raised an eyebrow but otherwise ignored the comment. Flirting at the office was the least of his concerns given the meeting that was fast approaching, and the trouble he
Mr. Martinez bent toward them, focused. “We don’t want your lofty ideas of love, Fabian. We want dedication. You have to do it for the sake of these families, this dynasty. You have to do it. There are no feelings in this game.”Sandra did not speak but looked at Fabian as if willing him to do what she wanted him to do.Fabian felt the walls closing in again, the inflexibility of their expectations pressing strangleholds on him. He had believed a discussion with Martinez would help clear things up. But now, it felt like nothing had changed.Fabian balled his fists by his sides, feeling his heartbeat accelerate. He had always recognized this day would arrive, that the shackles of responsibilities thrust upon him since his formative years would become impossible to evade. But that surely did not make the pill easy to swallow.“You’ve both made your positions clear,” Fabian said, his voice low but firm. “But marriage should not be understood as a business transaction. Tasha is worth more
A few moments passed in silence for Fabian as he listened to the one sound present in the room – the ticking clock affixed to the wall. Fabian felt as if he was at a dead end; every alternative he had seemed to be leading to the same conclusion. Give up everything for a deal that he was unsure he even still wanted- was he expected to do that?“What are your views about this Emma?” Fabian finally opted to ask as he turned to look at her. “Is there a way out of this?”Emma seemed to think carefully before moving towards the desk. “Ali?” She asked. “Yes, it’s possible, but it is quite difficult. You can speak to Martinez, maybe, there is a possibility of negotiating the merger and not the marriage. But, knowing how much he wants that marriage, that’s so hard to believe.”“Understood, and what if I decline that option as well?” Fabian asked after a pause.Emma's demeanor became severe. "If you choose not to, Martinez may back off, and you would lose the deal. It would be even worse if the
Fabian’s hands became knots at the mention of his mother’s saying. She was aware of who Loretta was, but not of the extent of the whole mess or how far Fabian had gotten in it. Also, if Sandra got wind of Loretta being missing, he circled as it would come back to haunt him in that too.“I will assure that,” Sandra added at the end of the conversation, sounding as if the last nail was driven into the coffin.Fabian was quietly fighting between his concern for the wellbeing of Loretta and the depression brought about by his mother. The net was tightening and he did not know how much more wear he could put on the mask.His mother exited, and for a brief moment, Fabian sat still in his chair and pulled his hair. Activating his mind was very complicated indeed. Loretta continued to be missing and Martinez was also raising the stakes for him with this engagement thing. He was in a corner but not ready to concede yet.He quickly dialed his friend Tasha. After a few moments, the ringing cease