Amelia texted back, expressing her heartfelt gratitude to Alex for his generosity. She added a thoughtful request, asking if she could invite Flora to the celebration. Amelia explained that being new to the company, she hadn't yet formed close connections with anyone and would likely feel more comfortable and less bored if she had a familiar face with her at the event.Alex read her message, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction. Without hesitation, he replied, "Of course, Amelia. Flora is welcome to join us."After sending his response, Alex immediately dialed the manager's number. When the manager picked up, Alex's voice was filled with a blend of enthusiasm and authority. "I need you to please arrange for our best collection of drinks for the celebration. Make sure Flora is excluded but have some of the staff available to serve and take orders. Also, ensure we have a variety of edibles to go along with the drinks. I want this to be a memorable event for everyone."As he hung up, Ale

At past 8 pm, Flora arrived at Amelia's residence. As friends, they had visited each other occasionally, so it wasn't a problem for Flora to locate her apartment. They got in, and Flora tried all she could to stabilize Amelia.Flora asked Amelia if she could stay the night, being that she wasn't completely stable, but Amelia insisted she return home so that she could get to work early tomorrow.Flora obliged and made sure Amelia was half asleep before leaving. During the time she was home with Amelia, she had quickly made dinner and ensured Amelia had a shower. Flora bid her goodbye and left, hoping she'd feel better the following day.Forty-five minutes after Flora had gone, a knock on Amelia's door woke her from her sudden sleep. She sluggishly stood up from the bed, her eyes half-closed and heavy with sleep. Each step felt like a struggle as she dragged her feet to the door, her mind still foggy. As she peeped through the hole by the door, she realized it was Alex. Amelia hesitate

At 6:45 pm, Alex was still in the building. Every other employee had left for the day, including his personal assistant, Lucy, whom he had instructed to go home. He sat quietly in his chair, leaning back with his head tilted upwards, lost in thought.The weight of his circumstances pressed heavily on him. First, his mind wandered back to the conversation with his stepfather. Though he knew he would never consider the offer, he couldn't fathom how someone could be so greedy and selfish to want the most important thing his mother had left him.His thoughts then turned to Amelia, who had been avoiding him all day. Since their last encounter on the evening of the celebration, she hadn't answered his calls or returned his texts.His mind was troubled, adding to his emotional instability. He knew he had to pull himself together, as he and his team needed to start preparing for the final stage of the company's project.For the umpteenth time, he reached for his phone and called Amelia. As u