Even with the collaboration I had with Carlo and John, I still struggled with the public's doubts about my abilities. The Public Relations Department had been working tirelessly to manage the news about our company. The workload was too much for me to handle on my own without a secretary, so I had to post a job opening for the position.
With the project launch on hold until I could find a reliable secretary to represent me in case of scheduling conflicts, Carlo assisted me in reviewing the list of applicants. As he scanned through the resumes, he murmured, "Eric?"
"Eric?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion as Carlo placed a resume of a familiar person on top of my desk. "Eric Martinez? Why? What's wrong?"
"He sent his intent to apply for the position of your secretary," Carlo replied, chuckling as he tapped Eric’s resume on my table.
Double-checking the list of applicants, I was surprised to see Eric's name on it.
"I wonder if he kno
Eric's eyes held a hint of confusion as Carlo led him to the couch, while I settled back into my own chair. "I never expected to see you here," he said, still processing the information. "I tried my best to stay out of the spotlight," I replied, flashing a smile. " I'll clarify everything after the interview. For the time being, please act as if you don't know us." Despite the perplexity in his expression, he nodded his agreement, and we carried on with the interview. During the interview, Eric displayed his in-depth knowledge of stocks and analysis of data, impressing me with his quick wit and ability to understand the necessary actions to be taken in certain situations. "I can see that you have a good understanding of the market, Eric," I said, nodding approvingly. "Tell me, how do you keep up with the constantly changing trends?" "I subscribe to financial news websites and newsletters to stay up to date," Eric replied confidently. "I also make sure to analyze past market perfo
Nina led me down the quiet corridor towards Laia’s room, while my parents were processing the papers needed to be processed. As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the small, white bundle she held in her arms. The sight of it made my heart sink—it could only be one thing. My hands shook with anticipation as Nina gently handed me the bundle, the soft white blanket warm against my skin. I knew what was inside, but I couldn't bring myself to open it just yet.Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched the bundle to my chest, my whole body was trembling. The weight of it seemed so small, so insignificant compared to the immense grief I felt. I couldn't believe that our baby was gone forever, that we would never get to hold him or watch him grow. The sense of loss was almost unbearable.Nina gave me a sad smile before gesturing for the nurse to leave the room. “We'll leave you alone for a moment,” Nina said softly.I sank into a nearby chair,
Laia and I sat alone in the empty nursery, surrounded by the remnants of what was supposed to be our child's life. The walls were painted a soft blue, the crib neatly made with a plush teddy bear sitting atop it. But the room remained silent, empty, and devoid of the cries and laughter that should have filled it. It hadn’t been that long since Laia and my parents started to set up this room. My heart ached with the pain of loss, as I thought back to the moment when we had to say goodbye to our beloved son.After the death of our baby, the hospital room felt suffocatingly silent without the sound of our child's cries. Laia lay in bed, recovering from the trauma of her untimely childbirth, the loss of our son and the injuries she acquired from the car accident, while I sat beside her, feeling helpless and lost.Our families and friends had come to offer their condolences and support, but their presence did little to ease the heaviness in my heart. The emptiness of
My parents had to go because Laia requested some alone time after Lucas’ death. I didn't push to have anyone else around us because I respected her wishes. Yet hearing her sob in silence crushes my heart to bits. I gave my all to make her feel better, but it never seemed to be enough. Both of us were suffering from the loss of our child, and I was unsure of how to make her eyes sparkle once again. I regretted not being present for her more. I tried to ignore the anguish and sorrow I felt within by spending most of my days at the office. When Laia finally broke the silence once more, her remarks threw me off guard. When she retreated from my embrace, she muttered, "Az... let's dissolve our marriage." Dread and despair mixed as I quavered, dropping to my knees while trying to reach for her hand. "I apologize for not spending more time with you at times like this; please do not abandon me," I begged. It felt like a massive rock was crushing me, and I had no idea how to convince her to
The next morning, I woke up early, still weighed down by grief and exhaustion from the previous days. Because I needed to be with my wife during this difficult time, I decided to work from home.I carefully stood up and went to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee and went back to the room. I placed my coffee on the nightstand as I set up the table beside the bed, then set up my laptop and the papers that I needed to review on it.Laia remained sound asleep on the bed, her breathing steady and slow. For a brief moment, I sat on the edge of the bed, sipping my coffee and feeling a wave of peace as I watched her chest rise and fall. My wife's presence kept me from being productive and focused on the task at hand. I want to roll over again and cuddle with her.I shook my head, trying to concentrate on the task at hand as I went through my emails, responding to urgent messages and making a list of tasks that needed to be completed. But my thoughts kept going back to Lucas and the investiga
I felt as though I was falling in love with Laia all over again, but this time it was deeper and more intense than anything I had ever felt before. a depth that I knew I couldn't get away from—and I don't want to get away from either. It was a love that would confine me and support me through the darkest times of my life. Our breaths were heavy as our lips parted. I looked at every inch of her face, still in disbelief. My hand was still cradling her face as my thumb unconsciously traced her lips. My heart was still pounding as I craved her more. It felt like we were the only people in the world at the time. Nothing else mattered except our feelings for one another. I realized then that I would go to any lengths for her. I would fight for her, protect her, and cherish her with all my might. "Are you just going to stare at me all day?" she asked, breaking the silence as she looked at me in the eyes. "Let's get this through together," I said as I shook my head and drew her closer, wra
It was not so easy to clear up the issue if it wasn't for my friends' and my wife's help; I did prepare all the proof that Tiffany and I never had an affair, at least during Laia and my marriage, and that the child was not mine, but to my surprise, my friends' and my wife's help helped me clear up my name. "My wife and I were overly saddened because of the allegations that had been circulating over the past few days, especially during this period when we were still mourning the loss of our own child, Luas," I sighed, trembling despite trying my best to calm myself in front of everyone. Laia stroked my back as she added, "We will not tolerate such actions; therefore, we are announcing that we will press charges against those who release news spreading lies over the media." "Ma'am, do you have any proof that the news regarding your husband is just a hoax?" a male reporter asked eagerly. "We do, and we will show it at court," Laia replied. "Would
Laia's POVIt hasn't been all that long since Az and I began running a new firm with the aid of his pals, but I was relieved to find that his business acumen is far above what I had anticipated.I turned to my secretary as we were both watching the livestream of the debut of our project and asked, "Can you recommend a decent gift for a man?"She grinned and asked, "Is it for Mr. Elrod?"Seeing her smile made me realize that our employees had never seen me act affectionately toward my husband, despite how sweet he is to me. I just don't feel comfortable showing off our relationship to others.I nodded and said, "What do you typically get your boyfriend?" As I felt my cheeks sting with embarrassment, I turned away."I'm not sure what the boss loves, but I normally get my boyfriend a pricey collection of anime figures as a gift because he enjoys watching anime," she retorted.I paused to consider my husband'