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Ryan“Great idea,” I replied, inspecting the latest developments in the alpha test of my dream project. “The turnaround time has reduced further. Good.”I handed Paula her device, ensuring all the changes she had made were saved. Paula was one of the best program analysts and ethical hackers I had ever come across. I had hired her four years ago when she corrected my code while serving me coffee in a small town. She and her team were critical to the project, and she is my protege.“Thank you, sir,” she nodded, saving her progress again.I surveyed the team working on the project and said, “The alpha test results are great, but I need you all to be careful. The recent unsuccessful hacking attempt on our company makes me a bit concerned. We can’t afford any vulnerabilities. Double-check all our backdoors and security software.”Paula reassured me, “I’ve been monitoring our security systems closely and working with the cybersecurity team to fortify our defenses. We won’t let any breach go
AmyI sighed as I slumped to the ground, keeping a watchful eye on Liam. The park was alive with the laughter of children playing, and Liam’s infectious smile added to the joy around. He spotted me, waved enthusiastically, and sprinted in my direction.“Slow down, buddy,” I chided, as he stood before me, panting.“Amy,” he whined, “Water. Water. Water.” His urgency to rejoin his friends was evident.Furrowing my brows, I questioned, “How do we ask if we need anything, buddy?”“Sorry,” he gave me an apologetic smile. “May I have some water, please?”“Good boy,” I smiled, ruffling his sweaty hair. As I reached for my bag, a realization hit me—I had left it in the car. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the playground.I looked at Liam and replied, “I forgot it in the car. Give me a minute and I will be back. Don't go anywhere.”He nodded, and I asked Jim to look after Liam while I grabbed the bottle. Before Jim could reply, I ran towards the car in the parking l
Ryan“Jesus fucking Christ,” I muttered, shutting the laptop with more force than needed. My anger flared up, aggravated by the untimely server update on my laptop.The intercom buzzed, and Caine’s voice came through cautiously, “Sir, Mr. Donovan wants to see you,” he said cautiously, knowing I was in no mood for any shit right now.“I don’t want to be disturbed,” I replied curtly, cutting the call. The intercom buzzed again, further fueling my frustration. “What?” I barked, picking up the call.“Either you fucking tell me the new code of your office, or I can fuck the system and disable it. You choose!” Mark’s angry voice resonated through the phone.“Mark,” I said with clenched teeth. I was too overwhelmed to hear any of his shit right now.“Ryan!” he snapped. “Open the door. Now!”I huffed and unlocked the door, and it swung open with a beep. Mark barged in, his expression clearly angry. He marched in front of my desk and took a seat, his gaze piercing. No smiles or jokes meant he w
Amy “So clumsy,” Mr. Crawford whispered, sending shivers through my almost limp body in his arms. His hands on my waist tightened, grounding me back to reality. I straightened up, my cheeks hot, and cleared my throat, creating a necessary distance between us. My heart galloped in my chest, and I felt as if he could hear its hammering in the otherwise silent room. He straightened as well, walking back. I braced myself for his usual harsh words, well aware of his tendency to undermine me at every turn in my job. I huffed, “Mr. Crawford...” “Amy,” he started, and we spoke at the same time. I gulped, “You can...” “What I...” our words clashed again, prompting a chuckle from me and earning a small smirk from Mr. Crawford. He held up his hand, indicating he wanted to speak, and I zipped my lips, anticipating the brutal appellation that was likely to follow. But this time, I wouldn’t take it. I knew I wasn’t wrong when I tried to help him. “Amy, I just want to apologize again,” he sa
RyanI cracked my neck and walked to the bathroom. The past three days without my usual exercise routine had left my body a bit stiff. My body was a creature of habit, and once it adopted a routine, it required no external motivation. Like my internal clock, which never needed an alarm — my eyes popped open exactly at 6 a.m.Completing my morning routine, I threw on my basketball shorts and a tank top, and made my way down the stairs. It was the weekend, and I contemplated squeezing in a quiet lap at the swimming pool before diving into some work. Later be with Liam and Amy at the amusement park, spending 1-2 hours there before returning home for a relaxed dinner or something.As I finalized my plans in my head, I reached the foot of the stairs and nearly yelped at the sight of Amy and Liam standing there.“What are you two up to?” I asked, slightly breathless. A sense of mischief hung in the air as they stood together with those cute expressions on their faces.Cute? My brain caught o
AmyI flung open the car door, my heartbeat racing in tandem with my footsteps as I sprinted towards the imposing hospital gate. The only thing that was circling in my mind was to reach my mom. Nurse Emily called and informed me that my mama had a strong panic attack when she could not remember anything.Her cryptic call had left me on edge, reminiscent of a similar distressing incident seven months ago that etched itself into my nightmares, where my mother had to be sedated and restrained.I shuttered remembering that sight. It was heartbreaking and I pray it wasn’t like that.“Amy!”Ryan’s sharp voice broke my frantic beeline for the hospital entrance. I pivoted to see him jogging behind me, holding a sleeping but fitful Liam against his chest. Guilt spawns on my chest like an octopus spreading its tentacles. In my panicked rush, I’d completely forgotten about them.“I’m sorry, Ryan,” I rasped, emotions tightening my voice. “Thank you for the ride, but you don’t need to stay. I know
RyanThe dahlias were a refreshing sight after working in the garden all morning. Their soft blush pink petals seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight. I was satisfied as I clipped off a finished bloom, thinking of how the flowers had persevered despite the recent cold snap.Amy popped into my mind, her blonde hair and warm smile as bright as the dahlias. I felt my cheeks grow warm at the thought of her. Clearing my throat, I pushed the image aside and gathered my tools to head inside.After scrubbing the dirt from my hands and arms, I hurried upstairs to shower and change. As the hot spray soaked into my sore muscles, my thoughts drifted back to Amy. It had been a week since the harrowing trip to the hospital. I recalled her ashen face and the deep worry lines that framed her mouth as the doctors described her mother’s condition.I walked to the bedroom with a towel around my lower body to plug my phone into the charger, the brochures I had reviewed yesterday after my extensive resea
Amy"Do you want me to punch him in his throat? You know I took some karate when I was ten," Mara huffed as she sped towards her house.We had just wrapped up a cup of coffee at our favorite cafe, and I spilled the beans about everything that had unfolded since the moment Ryan and I kissed until I called Mara to pick me up. She was upset but not entirely surprised; after all, Ryan and I were both 'lobsters'—whatever that meant."Mara," I cautioned, aware that she wasn't the violent type, but her frustration could lead to some impulsive actions, like following Ryan and slashing his tires.My jaw clenched as I tried to keep my breath steady and my eyes dry. I didn't want to reveal how much Ryan going on a date after our kiss at the carnival last week affected me. The kiss that had ignited a spark in me was now drowned with a deluge of disappointment.And he didn't even have the decency to tell me. I overheard it when Caleb and Ryan were talking. Here I was, contemplating discussing the k