"Why did you arrive so late, Blair?" Evelyn's voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to put her phone away.
"Yeah, I was late today. My eyes just refused to open early this morning," Blair replied, slightly amused.
"Well, now the boss will make sure your eyes are wide open," Evelyn warned her in a serious tone.
Evelyn had been her good friend since they met four years ago. She was in her late twenties, with bright brown eyes and dark hair styled in soft curls around her face. Her smile was perfect. When they met on that first day, they clicked instantly. They shared much more than just a great sense of humor; their personalities meshed seamlessly. Blair often talked about her latest cake creations while Evelyn listened with a soft expression. They had similar tastes in music and movies, though Blair preferred indie over pop or hip-hop. They were equally passionate about books, which led Evelyn to share stories about her family's love for reading, even though she hadn't read much herself.
"Why? What's going on? Where is the boss?" Blair inquired, feeling a sense of concern.
"In her office," Evelyn replied, gesturing with her eyes. Blair glanced toward the glass door and saw her boss in a heated argument with William. She wore a form-fitting black pencil skirt, complemented by black silk stockings and matching high heels, along with an opulent crimson blouse adorned with sparkling diamond embellishments. As their eyes met through the reflective surface of the door, Blair noticed irritation etched on her face.
Blair felt a pang of anxiety as she watched the scene unfold. It was unusual for the boss to reprimand William, a highly respected employee, so early in the day. Hastily arranging her belongings on her desk, Blair cautiously approached the office, hoping to avoid any scolding this morning.
Upon entering the office, she felt the air thick with tension. William appeared visibly flustered and filled with remorse. Sitting behind her desk, Ms. Dorothy, the boss, wore a disappointed and frustrated expression.
"William, how could you be so careless? Your mistake has cost us a major client in Singapore, resulting in billions of dollars in losses," Ms. Dorothy yelled at him.
A knot formed in Blair's stomach as she considered the situation. William was known for his meticulousness and attention to detail. It was highly unusual for him to make such a significant mistake. Blair couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong.
"I understand, but-"
"I don't want to hear any excuses, William! This was a crucial account, and you were responsible for ensuring its success. Now we've lost not only a valuable client but also a significant amount of revenue." Ms. Dorothy's voice boomed, making Blair involuntarily flinch.
Ms. Dorothy gestured for William to leave and then turned her attention towards Blair, her tone filled with frustration. "Why on earth are you just standing there like a complete idiot!"
Blair felt a pang of envy as she watched Kaylee and Ms. Dorothy interact so seamlessly. It was hard not to compare herself to Kaylee, who seemed to effortlessly command the boss's approval. Blair shook her head, trying to push away the negative thoughts as she approached.
"Hey, Kaylee," she said, forcing a smile. "How's everything going?"
Kaylee turned, her expression brightening. "Almost ready! Just a few last-minute adjustments, and we'll be set for Ms. Charlotte's arrival."
Blair nodded, hoping her own nerves didn't show. "Do you need any help? I can assist with the decorations or refreshments."
"That would be great," Kaylee replied, glancing back at Ms. Dorothy. "She's a bit stressed, and I could use another set of hands."
Blair felt a small surge of relief. Maybe this was her chance to prove herself. As they moved together to the refreshments table, she quickly took stock of what was needed.
"Do you know what Ms. Charlotte prefers?" Blair asked, trying to sound casual.
Kaylee shrugged, focusing on arranging the pastries. "She likes everything to be perfect-presentation matters more than anything else. If it doesn't look right, you'll hear about it."
Blair's stomach twisted at the thought. With her own pressures looming, the idea of failing in front of the new CEO was daunting. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she could handle it.
As they worked, the tension in the air became palpable. Employees rushed about, and the faint sound of cameras clicking hinted that the press was gathering outside. Blair caught a glimpse of Evelyn, who was already engaging with the reporters, her bright smile cutting through the chaos.
"Let's make sure everything is set before they start streaming in," Kaylee said, snapping Blair back to reality.
"Right, let's finish up," Blair agreed, focusing on her tasks. She wanted to make today memorable-not just for Ms. Charlotte, but for herself, too. This was her chance to shine amidst the pressure.
They finished arranging the final touches just as Ms. Dorothy emerged from her office, her demeanor still tense but slightly more composed.
"Is everything ready?" she called out, scanning the room with an authoritative gaze.
"Almost done, boss," Kaylee replied, straightening up.
Blair felt her heart race as Ms. Dorothy approached them. "Make sure it's flawless," she said, her voice low but firm. "We can't afford any mistakes today."
Blair nodded, determination flooding her. She would not let Ms. Dorothy down-or herself. As the final minutes ticked away, she could feel the weight of expectations resting heavily on her shoulders. But deep down, she knew she was capable. Today had to be perfect.
"I hoped you disappeared, Kaylee," Blair muttered, unsure if it was fueled by her envy or pure rage. She had always yearned to be the one standing by the boss's side, aiding and backing her up.
At precisely 10 o'clock, Ethan Lopez entered the hallway, causing all the cameras to shift their focus onto him. He was the only child of the company's president, Ms. Charlotte Lopez, and the exclusive proprietor of Lopez Food Company, having recently finished his education in Australia.
Amidst the bustling crowd, the sound of his footsteps went unnoticed. He possessed a captivating allure, with his slender frame, lustrous light brown hair, and piercing blue eyes, which he hid behind glasses. He held an air of enigma and charm. Clad in a black suit and gray tie, he exuded an aura of effortless elegance, accentuating his tan and emanating a distinct sense of cool sophistication. As he strolled down the aisle of the hall, where individuals sat in rows of red velvet chairs, he greeted each person with a charming smile.
Blair couldn't help but think how perfect his life was. Just then, Masson's message appeared on her phone screen, snapping her back to reality. She tapped the screen to read his message.
'Opulent Heights'
'Luxor Lodgings Hotel' 'Meeting' '10:30 pm'[Flashback]"How long did you sit here in your dead mother's room, Charlotte? It had been a month since she died."She lifted her head upon hearing her father's voice, her eyes heavy with sorrow and weariness. The room remained untouched, adorned with her mother's possessions, as if it was trapped in a moment frozen in time. Once more, Charlotte turned her gaze towards her mother's photograph. Her mother's smile greeted her from the frame on her dresser, her eyes wide open and filled with joy, devoid of any trace of pain or sadness.As her lengthy blonde hair was neatly tied up in a bun, it exposed the pallid complexion of her face, which had faded with the passing years. However, even in that moment, her beauty remained captivating. Charlotte felt tears forming within her, and she had to restrain them from streaming down her face. A soft sigh escaped her lips, the only sound in the silent house."Now that you are eight months pregnant, you should not take too much stress in such a co
She exhaled deeply, trying to clear her mind before going into the flat. Knowing its digital lock, she punched in the code with ease, and the door opened. She closed the door behind her and paused to look around. The living room was dark, and the silence was deafening, making her thoughts race through her head.She looked at the open door to her bedroom, where she and Gabriel had once slept. She heard faint whispers coming from inside. A dim source of light appeared as a soft glow filtered through the half-open door. She moved stealthily toward the room, taking care to avoid making a sound. Disbelief overcame her as she looked through the small opening and saw what was happening.She saw her husband with another woman. They laughed at something while drinking and enjoying their so-called meetings. Charlotte felt disgusted, as if it were somehow her fault that they were together. Rage consumed every part of her body. Her hands trembled violently, and she felt hot tears fill her eyes. T
Charlotte was a middle-aged woman who still looked young despite her age. Her blond hair was tied in a neat bun at the back of her head. She had blue eyes that resembled the sky, just like her son's. The color of her skin contrasted with the paleness of her features, clear like an apple. She wore an elegant dress made of the finest material and embellished with gold thread. Several rings sparkled on each of her fingers in the light of her room. A single golden chain lay around her neck, resembling the sun, shining above her shoulder as it glowed and reflected the white ceiling of the room. She looked at the camera with a smile on her face, her blue eyes twinkling.As soon as the speech ended, Ms. Charlotte boldly picked up her bag and headed for her son's office, following the bright flashes from the cameras. He started his work there that day. She felt the importance of that moment as she made her way through the bustling crowd of reporters and photographers.Upon entering the office
"About what?" Ethan asked, tilting his head to the right, curious. "Was there any new information?""There was a lot of good news," Thomas chuckled. Ethan took another sip from his glass and motioned for him to continue. "First, we discovered the whereabouts of those four men you asked about," Ethan's eyes widened."They were hiding in New York," Thomas continued. "We found a warehouse near Central Park where a large number of illegal weapons were stored." Ethan stared at his hands and nodded as understanding dawned on him. "When we searched through them, they seemed mostly related to guns and other explosives," Thomas paused, "but one particular object caught our attention, Mr. Lopez." Thomas held up a small metallic object. It was a tiny round device resembling an eye. Ethan's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "A prototype that hid a memory chip." Ethan took a deep breath as he held it, feeling like he had been waiting for this chip to arrive.Ethan closed his eyes and exhaled he
Ethan smiled back at her, "You think?" His dark gaze traveled down to her body, making her heart stop for a couple of seconds. "I can just shoot you right there, in your heart." That was when the true horror hit her. Kaylee yelled frantically and jumped from the sofa and tried to run. She was too late. Ethan didn't hesitate a moment longer. In one fluid motion his hands pulled the trigger of his handgun and the bullet hit the wall. Hastily, she covered her ears with her fingers to muffle the sound of the gunfire, but it seemed he had used acoustic panels. Slowly she lifted her head up and saw a large hole appeared in the wall where the bullet had struck. Kaylee ran faster, but before she could get too far, she tripped on the rug and fell onto the floor. Ethan chuckled, but then raised the gun again. This time, however, he wasn't smiling anymore. "Where were you heading anyway?" He asked her. Then he stood up and calmly walked toward her until he was right in front of her. "You can'
Her mind was going haywire from all the stress and fear. All she wanted was a moment to breathe so that maybe, just maybe she would be able to stop crying but her tears just wouldn't leave her eyes. Her body was so cold and sweaty, she could hardly walk without dropping something.She looked around for anything that could help her, but the only thing she saw was the stairs, which seemed impossibly far away. Instead of trying to escape down the stairs, she turned right and headed in a direction she hoped would be safer. But that path ended in a dead end with just one large window."Just stop struggling now," Ethan said as he approached her. "You're making my job harder." Kaylee didn’t reply, continuing to fight him with every ounce of strength she had. "We both know you won’t get anywhere if you keep this up." She tried desperately to scream at him, but he clamped his hand over her mouth, silencing her. He grabbed her by the arms and dragged her toward him, forcing her to stand in fron
Charlotte was sitting in her luxurious mansion, in a room with a large view of the city below and the sea beyond. A glass of fine champagne in her hand and a letter from the Delish Delight Company's Presidents, Mr. Corleone and Mr. Moretti sitting atop a table beside the box of cake. She took another sip and then opened the letter. Her eyes roamed over the letter, taking in every word, as if she could somehow absorb it into her body. Suddenly she threw the champagne glass across the room, where it shattered on the floor. The shards of glass reflected light that fell through the walls onto Charlotte's face, making it look even paler than it already was.She read the letter faster this time. The words raced across the page but didn't get lost. Charlotte didn't need to read them more than once before they were embedded deep into her brain, forming an image that would last for weeks on end, even years. The letters continued to buzz through her mind like a swarm of angry insects, each word
[5 am, morning]It was 5 o'clock in the morning when Blair and Masson hurriedly made their way to the Luxor Lodgings Hotel, where they were supposed to arrive at 10:30 pm. Exhausted from their long and difficult journey, they stumbled through the hotel entrance, drained of energy. The darkness of the early morning surrounded them as they quickly headed towards the entrance, desperately seeking relief from their weariness. He hides his short curly black hair under a hoodie and his warm brown eyes look curiously around people.Walking was becoming challenging for them, as they were wearing designer clothes for the first time today. Neither of them could afford such expensive clothing, but Masson was unsure where Blair had obtained so much money. When he asked her about it, she changed the topic and he didn't press further. Even if it was just for one day, he felt a sense of wealth.With anticipation and apprehension, they cautiously entered the hotel. Their hearts pounded as they were m
"Everything is arranged as per your instructions ma'am," Rose said respectfully with a slight bow of her head. Ms. Charlotte looked at her and nodded. She made her way to the dining room and started waiting for guests to arrive. This time she doesn't want to make any mistakes. Ms. Charlotte was waiting with her eyes fixed on the needles of her wrist watch while Rose was standing at some distance to her side holding a brown file. After a few seconds a man, probably their PA, opened the door and two guests entered the room and walked toward them. Her first introduction was Mr. Henry L. Smith while her second introduction was Mr. S.A. William. They both looked in their late forties as they introduced themselves and greeted everyone with an elegant manner. Ms. Charlotte greeted them warmly.As soon as they seated Mr. Henry started to talk business with Ms.Charlotte. She listened attentively to his presentation about how they were planning to invest in a huge project and how great they're
She could smell the faint aroma of cooking dinner spread around the house but her anxiety made her feel restless so she folded the page properly and put it back in her jeans pocket and came to her room. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to get comfortable for a second before taking off her special customized converse shoes and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. She took a long shower to wash away the hospital smell and the memory of her meeting with her father before she focused on her foot. Slowly she took off her prosthetic toe which she used to cover her fourth and fifth toe of right foot. She raised it off with warm water making her feel refreshed from her bath as it felt nice on the sore skin. Now with the prosthetic on, she could feel more confident that if someone ever tries something bad to her toes, they couldn't find them. This is why she's always wearing these shoes whenever she goes out. After a much needed shower, she dried herself and put her pajamas on bef
“Blair, I don't understand why, but I envy you,” Ava glanced at her from head to toe. Blair looked into her eyes angrily and tried to understand her meaning. “I mean, I really like your personality…your face……your smile……your hair..….and the way you carry yourself,” She said, reaching out to touch her hair with one hand while running her fingers through it with the other. Blair quickly tried to pull her hair back.“Wait a minute, let me look at them, please," Ava asked like an innocent child who wanted to look at her toy for the last time as she can't afford it. She started looking at Blair's hair without blinking. Suddenly, she took out the chewing gum from her mouth and put it on her hair.“What on earth Jolie,” Blair yelled angrily and started to take it off, but it was stuck firmly.“How's your mom, Blair?” On this question, she jolted back from her past. The classroom and the children who used to mock her have vanished into thin air.“You are not at the place to ask this question
[St. Mew Hospital, ICU]“Blair, dear, your father has regained consciousness," she turned her head back to Uncle Nicolas' voice. Her heart began to race, its pounding audible to anyone nearby. Yeah ok, she had been with her father since last night, but this would be the first time she would see him after he regained consciousness. Just this thought made her wounds bleed again, she doesn't know what's going to happen next?She ignored Masson when he asked about her father. Because she had no answer to any of his questions, nor did she want to give at this time. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts, and started following Uncle Nicolas to the ICU room. Until now, the atmosphere of this hospital and the smell of medicine seemed normal to her. She was able to breathe in it effortlessly, but now she starts feeling very uneasy.As they approached the room, her palms grew sweaty, and her stomach churned with a mix of anxiety and anger. As soon as she entered the room, sh
Half an hour later, Masson looked into the room through the glass and saw Ms. Charlotte was still talking to Blair, probably giving some instructions. But because the door of the room was closed, he could not hear anything.[Phone rings]On the sound of the bell, Masson glanced at the phone, and her mom's number was flashing on its screen. He raised his head and looked inside the room again, but she was still busy talking. When the phone rang again, he received the call. “Hello, Auntie. This is Masson speaking.”“Hello, dear, how are you?” Ms. Elizabeth sounded polite.“I'm fine, Blair just went inside the emergency room. You can talk when she comes out,” he informed her without second thought .“Emergency room? Why there? Everything is fine, right? Last night, she was at Evelyn's house,” Ms. Elizabeth panicked and started questioning.“Evenly…? Yes, last night she was at her house. But now Ms. Charlotte called her, so she came, and don't worry she's totally fine. I'm here for her,” M
[St. Mew Hospital][Waiting Area]“So, why are you here?” Blair's question drew Masson's attention back to her from the TV screen.“They're lying,” Masson said in a whimsical tone.“Who's lying?” She asked, looking into his eyes.“The whole system is working for Ethan Lopez,” they both walked towards the emergency room where Ethan lay. “Today at 4 o'clock in the morning I called the police and told them that 50 girls are imprisoned in Gabriel Jose's house. In fact, I have video evidence. But in the news, they reported that Ethan was the one who informed them about this. And what bothers me is that those girls are also supporting him.”“But why?” Blair, who was standing quietly listening to him, asked, “What is bothering you about this case?”“Everything....every angle of this case was bothering me," Masson frowned, sitting down heavily on the hospital waiting chair. It made a hollow scraping sound against the vinyl tile floor. “It's like there are pieces missing from all these puzzl
In the middle of the living room of the house, Ethan was lying unconscious and bleeding from the back of his head. “But I didn't hit him,” Masson inadvertently blurted out, “Then who hit him? Aoife? No, no, how can she do that? She was a victim herself, and she didn't even have the courage to fight against him.” Masson carefully turned Ethan over and closely examined his head wound. It was a very deep wound that was bleeding, as if someone had struck it with a heavy object. And the most surprising thing that shocked him was the angle of his wound. Looking at it, it seemed as if his hands were very expert in this work, as if he had done this many times.On the sound of a Police Siren, Masson straightened his body and stood a little far away. He could hear their shoes from inside. Some policemen gathered outside the house, while others entered. They held guns in their hands, their arms straight. These individuals walked quickly and approached the area where they were standing. "I repo
[ Present][Gabriel Jose's house][3 am, morning]“Hey get up Patricia, hurry,” she quickly rubs her eyes at the voice. “What's up, Jennifer, is he here?”“No, no, look, she has unlocked her foot. That means she's going to run away,” Jennifer replied in a hushed tone.“Who has opened it? Who has the courage to run away from this prison?” Patricia asked in surprise at her courage.“That new girl who arrived last week,” Jennifer said with a frown.“You can't escape Calista , you will never be able to escape,” Patricia said with tears in her eyes. “They'll kill you, and no one would be able to know about us, about you. How you died, where you were buried.”“Hey girl!!! Open this lock and set me free too,” Aoife said loudly and grabbed Calista's hand and pulled her. Aoife uncomfortably moved her chained leg towards her. But Calista pushed her back forcefully due to which her head hit the ground. Masson never saw Aoife in real life but he saw her on the TV and she really changed a lot just
But her mother didn't seem bothered by them. She very contentedly took Blair's hand and came to Mia's father's office while walking along that straight path. She was walking with so much confidence that no guard dared to ask her any question. “Henry Moretti, Chief Operating Officer,” she squinted her eyes and read his name before entering his office. She started talking to him very distinctly. Blair was surprised to see a fake smile on her mother's face.“Hi sir, I am Blair Anderson's mother," she held a warm smile on her face as she introduced herself. But Mr. Moretti fixed his gaze on the laptop that was open in front of him, showing no interest.“I heard about you from my daughter Blair, so I thought I'd meet,” not getting an answer, she fixed her hair with one hand and slowly started walking towards the moving chair. “Umm…. Blair has received a suspension letter from the school, so….”“One minute, Mrs. Anderson… Oops!!! My bad, I just forgot, now you are not Mrs. Anderson, but Ms.