The day had not yet fully dawned when Elice opened the door to her home. The atmosphere inside was quiet, but far from peaceful. Elice could feel it clearly.
Since that day, for some reason, Elice knew that the atmosphere at home had changed. The peace that had once existed was gone, replaced by a lingering sadness that persisted even as the days passed.
Elice walked in and closed the door behind her, making her way through the dark living room. She could still see the picture on the wall. A photograph that captured Elice's happiness with her parents, Wilda Russell and Peter McLean.
Not immediately continuing her steps, Elice found her feet stopped right under the happy portrait. Her hand lifted to touch the photo, but had to settle for feeling the frame.
Elice bit her lower lip, realizing that after Peter's departure, she had almost failed to keep Wilda's smile from fading. Her mother no longer experienced happiness, but rather feelings of shame and sadn
"It doesn't look like a nice day."A comment that greeted Garrett's arrival that morning. Just as he was about to walk past his secretary's desk. The woman, who was in her late thirties, smiled warmly at Garrett.Garrett shook his head. "Definitely not one of the best mornings I've ever had."With that, Garrett continued on his way. Followed by the secretary who also got up from her seat. She followed Garrett with a book in her hand.As they entered his office, Garrett went to his desk. He set down his work bag and immediately settled into his chair."Is there anything important today?"Amber Bailey, the secretary who wore a black suit and knee-length skirt that day, shook her head."No, sir. There's nothing important today. No meetings or appointments."Garrett was relieved to hear Amber's words. Oh, it could not be put into words. He really needed a break. If possible, he would take today off. But when he imagined sudden appo
Talking about Pacific Energy, of course, meant talking about a value of more than a hundred million dollars. That's quite a number, isn't it? And you would think that just looking at all those zeros would make Garrett's eyes turn green with envy. But what? Nelson found the opposite to be true. He saw Garrett seem completely indifferent to the enormity of the company that could fall into his hands. It was truly unfathomable.Pacific Energy, as its name suggested, was a company focused on large-scale energy procurement. It was a coal mining company headquartered in Ashford City. It already had three subsidiaries and was solidifying its position as a mining company with a household name. So it was no surprise that the company caused some serious controversy among family members.Nelson knew for a fact that a life of turmoil was the main reason why, four years after Allan's death, Garrett still refused to accept his inheritance. He did not want the fortune to drag him back
When she received a message on her Instagram account, Elice realized that she had not done everything. She may have changed her phone number, but she forgot to do the same with her social media accounts.After reading the same message from the same person again, she immediately deleted her account. Not only Instagram, but also Facebook and Twitter.Please, Ariel. There's nothing left between us. So please don't contact me again.Of course, Elice did not say this to Ariel directly. It was just a whispered hope in her heart."Are you done?" Wilda's voice made Elice turn around. Her mother opened the door to her room and let her look inside. She saw that her daughter was still busy packing, with some clothes spread out on the bed.Elice shook her head. "Maybe in a little while," she replied. "Turns out I have more stuff than I thought."At first, Elice thought that packing her things would be an easy task. But it turned out to be quite
As usual, when Garrett and Norah entered the party, several pairs of eyes immediately turned to them. Some admired Garrett's good looks, that was obvious. But there were also those who looked down on his mother, which could not be denied. Neither Garrett nor Norah really cared, but it still had an effect, especially on Garrett.Norah gave several reassuring pats on Garrett's hand, a firm place for her hand to land, allowing her son to lead them where they were going."What a lively party," Norah complimented. "Don't you think so?"Garrett did not pay much attention to the party itself. But he nodded and gave his brief comment."Yes, it is a lively party. Especially considering the number of invited guests."Norah smiled faintly. At least she felt that her son still had a sense of humor that night, which was a good sign."You know, if I'm not mistaken... my boyfriend is also invited to this party."As they walked, Garrett glanced brief
When the drops of the drink fell and wetted Norah's head and face, not only Garrett was startled. All the guests present reacted in disbelief. How could a brother-in-law do this to his own sister-in-law? In public?As a result, the mood of the once lively party quickly changed. Tense whispers spread like wildfire and all eyes were fixed on the same scene.Farrah sighed heavily and placed the empty glass on a nearby round table. Her gaze remained fixed on Norah before shifting to Garrett.Words could not express the intense emotions swirling within Garrett at that moment. His face turned deep red, a clear indication of his anger. Anyone who looked at him, even briefly, could see it.Norah hastily tried to restrain Garrett, afraid that her son might act out. Although Garrett had never raised a hand against a woman, who could predict what might happen tonight?"Garrett."Norah cried, trying to bring him to his senses and stop him from doing som
"Garrett, this is not a difficult requirement. You just have to get married."Horror was written all over Garrett's face. Even though the room was at normal temperature, sweat began to form on his forehead and trickled down the sides of his cheeks, making his tanned skin glisten under the piercing gaze."Just?" Garrett repeated the word coldly, clearly disagreeing with Nelson's choice of words. "Just is definitely not the right word to describe marriage."Nelson chuckled. "I apologize. Marriage is indeed more than just that," he corrected himself playfully. "But what I meant was that you should understand my true intention."Still not convinced, Garrett shook his head as he paced back and forth."I'm not sure I understand what you mean, sir."As Garrett continued to pace, Nelson kept his eyes on him, nodding along with his movements."If that's the case, let me clear things up," Nelson said, adjusting his sitting pos
"She hasn't come back since that night."A voice caught Garrett's attention, causing him to turn on the backless round chair. When his hand landed on the bar, Garrett realized it was the bartender speaking to him. He offered Garrett a glass of drink."Thank you."Expressing his gratitude, Garrett immediately took the glass. He enjoyed a sip and noticed the bartender taking a deep breath. She was leaning against the bar."The last time I saw her was that night. With you. And she never came back after that. Not even once."While Garrett could ignore the first statement, he could not ignore the second. Of course, he couldn't pretend that the bartender wasn't talking to him. Because, in fact, he was."What's your name?"Finally, Garrett decided to join the conversation. Starting with a basic question."Bert."Garrett nodded once. "I'm Garrett. And the one you mean..."Garrett decided to leave his sentence hanging. He
Garrett just prayed that Norah would accept his decision. Regardless of the fact that he had taken this action without any discussion with his mother. Considering their last conversation about the inheritance, Garrett didn't have much hope. He would have expected to be bombarded with questions, but his assumption was wrong.Norah smiled and took a deep breath."Because of what happened that night at the party?"Norah's assumption was correct. She was sure of it, especially when she saw the change in Garrett's face. She smiled."You shouldn't have done that, Garrett."Shouldn't have. But then again, Garrett knew that maybe he should have."Not just because of that night," Garrett explained, somewhat evasively. "I know Nelson won't stop harassing me until he gets what he wants. He'll do anything to make sure I take everything."That was actually a reasonable reason. Norah nodded in understanding. Of course, she knew how determined this