Max had reached the floor where Emma was working, intending to investigate about the client, Jack Bradford, and find out his decision. He also planned to seize the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Byrne about the upcoming meeting. As he stepped out of the elevator, he noticed a gathering of employees near Emma's office. Upon arriving, he witnessed a heated argument between Emma and Jamie, the HR representative. His eyes widened when Emma delivered a punch to Jamie's face, causing him to fall. Emma walked towards him, sat on her heels, and exchanged some words. Everyone around was attentive, and to Max's surprise, he saw Mrs. Byrne with a discreetly concealed smile."What is going on here?" Max asked, and everyone turned to look at him before dispersing. Mrs. Byrne cleared her throat and approached Emma's office. Emma stood up and waited beside Jamie for him to enter."I saw everything," Mrs. Byrne said. "Mr. insulted Miss Spencer, and she defended herself." Max was in the doorway, with Emm
Emma turned on the coffee maker at the usual time, fifteen minutes before six, while she took a shower and got ready. She would have her first cup of the day before leaving for work. Emma was a risk analyst at a major international company with its headquarters in Germany. She was the best at her job and had been the top-performing employee for over a year. She was relentless, strict, obsessed with cleanliness and order, a perfectionist, and… an exceptional woman. Everyone who knew her admired her, but not everyone."Where is my tie?!" Jamie, her fiancé, shouted. He stormed out of the room in his underwear and banged on the bathroom door. Emma, under the water, was focused on massaging her scalp, as she always did for a minute in the mornings. "Are you still fussing with your hair? I'm going to be late, woman," he continued pounding on the door, irritated. Emma opened her eyes and clenched her jaw, turning her gaze towards the door, visible through the water and steam-dampened glass.
The next day, Jamie waited at the main entrance of the company for Emma to appear, but it was strange not to see her. She was never late, always punctual. He looked at his watch again, and five minutes had already passed since her usual arrival time."Where could she be? She's always strictly punctual," he furrowed his brow and entered the building. On his way to the elevator, he thought that perhaps she had gone up to her office early to avoid running into him at the entrance. So, before starting his work, he decided to have a decent conversation. The wedding was just around the corner, and it had to happen. Upon reaching the floor, he noticed several risk specialists taking their positions at their desks. Jamie approached Emma's boss."Good morning, Mrs. Byrne. I'm looking for Emma. Do you happen to know where I can find her? Has she arrived?" Mrs. Byrne furrowed her brow, puzzled by his question."Emma? I gave her yesterday and today off so she could have more time to review the fi
Hawaii, United StatesThe honeymoon suite was one of the best in the hotel she had made a reservation at. Emma sighed as she took off the wildflower lei they had given her at the airport. She checked the itinerary, which was mostly designed for couples by default, but she decided to request a new one that would cater to her solo adventure. She wanted to do things on her own and explore each activity individually. The first one on the list was the surface diving adventure in Molokini aboard the Calypso. It promised an up-close encounter with Hawaiian green sea turtles, breakfast, and lunch served while sailing along the coast, and the catamaran even had water slides. However, Emma had no intention of going on the slides or getting close to the turtles, so she dismissed that option."There must be something else," she murmured, lowering her gaze to the itinerary list. "Scooter adventure in a submarine in Oahu, knife dancing in the welcome ceremony, hula dancing, weaving a coconut leaf h
Hotel Paradise, Hawaii.Presidential SuiteThe sunlight streamed through the window as the white curtains swayed in the cool breeze, accompanied by the distant sound of crashing waves. Emma stirred and reached out to find the sheet to pull it over herself, feeling a chill. But she didn't find the sheet. Instead, her fingers encountered the bare back of someone lying next to her, still asleep with their mouth slightly open. She slowly withdrew her hand, opened one eye to glance, and then opened the other. She swallowed hard, "Who is this?" Images from the previous night quickly flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly shut, the memory awakening the heat that had ignited with the German man last night. She denied it to herself, "How is it possible to feel this way about a stranger she had known for only a few hours?" It was as if a sexual appetite she didn't even know existed had awakened for the first time."Good morning, lioness," the deep, sleepy, and s
Max paced back and forth while waiting to board the plane. Four friends watched him, starting to get nervous."What are you going to do?" Alex asked, absentmindedly biting his thumbnail while keeping his eyes on Max, who continued walking."I don't know. Coming to Hawaii to pretend I know nothing, I think it was a mistake. I should be there and confront them," Gus replied, shaking his head."Don't tell me coming and getting out of the hell you were in was a mistake. We're your friends, and at least you had some fun, right?" Max stopped walking and smiled weakly, looking at his four friends: Gustavo and Alejandro, both Americans, Viktor and Sasha, Germans who came to work with him from Berlin."Of course, he's had fun shamelessly!" They all burst into laughter, seeing their friend blush and give himself away."Shut up, you jerk," they laughed even louder in that private boarding lounge."I want to know," said the tall, well-built, elegant man, crossing one leg over his knee and leaning
Sunday afternoon rolled around, and Emma was busy packing her clothes into her suitcase, making all the necessary preparations to depart for the airport in just an hour. Her destination: New York. Although she still had one more week remaining in the current location, she felt that it was sufficient. She had achieved a beautiful tan and enjoyed ample rest, and now she was eager to return and move forward with her life. The thought of selling her apartment and using her savings to purchase a fresh new one had crossed her mind. Likewise, she contemplated selling her car and acquiring a different one, longing for everything to be new and untouched by Jamie… or her secret lover.****The following hours felt eternal for her. She thought about all the work that awaited her on Monday, and just thinking about it relaxed her. Emma was addicted to work; focusing her mind on something productive and rewarding was something many wouldn't understand. As she glanced out the window, she saw the dist
Days later...Emma finally completed the purchase of her new apartment. She had used her savings to furnish it to her liking, since everything she had in her old apartment was sold along with it. She looked out of the window in her new living room, and the view was breathtaking. She crossed her arms and admired the Statue of Liberty in the distance as the incoming light bathed the entire space."Finally, a fresh start," she said after adjusting the photo frame next to the state-of-the-art, built-in television. The photo captured her graduation from university, standing alone with a serious expression she often wore in pictures. She smiled and then sighed. Her phone rang in the nearby bedroom. When she picked it up, she saw an unknown number on the screen. She squinted, thinking it could be Jamie, as she had blocked all unknown numbers, but this was a new one. "Do I have to change my number?" The unknown number persisted, so she answered, "Hello?""Can you stop blocking me? I've been t