IMMEDIATELY AS they entered the gymnasium, they were greeted by cheerful volunteers who handed them their supplies and directed them to their tables. The tables were covered in plastic tablecloths, and each table had its own box of supplies: scissors, glue, markers, paints, glitter, and more. Each family had to spin a wheel and create whatever the wheel pointer chose. Their team was supposed to make a miniature maze out of whatever they wished. After they had gathered ideas from each one of them regarding how the maze should appear, they came to the final conclusion of creating a wooden tabletop maze that is open to the air, with lights and decorations inside and out. The maze would be designed with a musical key at each dead end that buzzes when a wheeled toy or whatnot comes in contact with it. But when it reaches the end of the maze, it triggers the motion sensor which prompts a sequence of flashing lights and a victory tune, so that the player gets a big celebration for w

BRAD WAS signing a couple of contracts, when his assistant, Mark Turner, walked in to remind him of his 2:00 p.m. schedule. "Mr. President, you have an executive committee meeting in two minutes," he chimed in his usual teasing and jovial tune. "Thanks, Mark!" Mark Turner was more than just an assistant to him—he was a friend and confidant and had been by his side for many years. He had been instrumental in assisting him navigate the transition from employee to president of the company and had continued to be a pillar of support in the years since. Mark was like a brother to him, and he was among the few people he trusted implicitly. Brad stood up quickly to make for the boardroom, but a piercing, excruciating pain struck his abdomen so hard that he groaned out loud, clutching his stomach. He'd felt a mild discomfort a couple of hours ago. Thinking it was because he'd skipped breakfast, he had gone all out, stuffing his stomach with delightful delicacies, but th

DORIS' EYES wavered as Brad stared right back at her, his dull eyes wide and unblinking. She felt her heart skip a beat as their gazes locked, and she couldn't help but smile. Uh. . .!" In a need to avoid the awkward moment, Doris asked, "How do you feel? Are you still in pain?" Brad did not respond to her questions. He just kept staring at her. His silence was deafening, and his unblinking stare sent shivers down her spine. She felt as if she was being scrutinized, and examined under a microscope, and it made her feel vulnerable and uncertain. The tension in the air was palpable, and she held her breath, waiting for him to say something, anything, to break the silence. But he did not and as his gaze lingered, she could feel the temperature in the room rising, or perhaps it was just her own body heating up under his intense scrutiny. She expected him to flare up and begin to remind her how many laws she'd just broken by stealing a kiss from someone without their consen

ASSHOLE!!! Doris muttered under her breath as she peeled off her sweaty workout outfit from her body. It was the next day and she still couldn't get the way he'd treated her out of her head. Hell! She couldn't even sleep last night. Venting all her pent-up indignation to her father hadn't even helped to calm the storm, raging within her. Why was he always the one hurting her and getting away with it? She flung a shirt aggressively into the hamper. Maybe she had been too relaxed. Maybe she had forgotten why she came here in the first place and thought, for a moment, he deserved the benefit of the doubt. She'd given him way too much peace and freedom. It was time to get her revenge plan back on track. Time to move to the next number on her list. . . GET HIM IN YOUR BED! She tittered diabolically, making an evil face at her reflection in the bathroom's mirror. Getting him in her bed would be one of the easiest and most entertaining tasks of them

DORIS SNICKERED to herself as she made her way back to the parking space. Seducing Brad was getting much more fun than she had imagined. He has proven to be a man after all. Though his heart was made of ice and he knew nothing about romance, he still got flustered every now and then when he saw what he had a preference for. At the rate at which she was going and how he was reacting, getting him in her bed may happen much sooner than later. Doris whistled with delight as she sauntered toward her car, twirling her car key in one hand while her bag swung loosely below the other hand. Her car beeped twice as she pushed the unlock button on the remote. The day was a beautiful day. The weather was beautiful. Everything was beaut. . . "WHAT THE HELL!" Doris yelled at the top of her voice as she scurried towards her car. Her eyes widened and so did her mouth. She was beyond horrified as her eyes and fingertips followed the massive dent in the left side of the car.