stay calm, but at the same time, his edginess is clawing its way through his tone, making it difficult for him to cleanly conceal it from me. "He

' –

h a German car-producing company to expand the territories of the Briggs group in the automobile industry. When I heard some of their representatives were going to be in Washington around this time, I thought to go beforehand to retrieve

out of town, it wouldn't be a big deal. However, not only did he sneak into Washington withou

stirring voraciously in the depths of my stomach burst

ing their endings into dust by mere contact. My vision is now red, gritting my teeth with an en

w, I'm still seated, releasing the fumes in morceaus through clenched fists and teeth. Imagine how it feels hurling up this entir

undertone, my voice steeped in cage

move, Sir. We're soo

it's as loud as the fumes-excrement of the tailpipe of

my lower lip, before looking up at him. If he were going to give a response, eye contact with me stuffs his thr

he has nothing l

reach, I dive his collar, tugging his face to mine a breath aw

er seat in distress. But she's like a shadow, and her voice, the ding of elevator door

grit into his nostrils, hands on his collar towing him close. "That is how much is at stake here. I fund your team to be ab

his eyelids are able to move due to

d R

y come out but that'll be after successfully hiding away the

nails wear off, glare into the screen until your eyes bleed, scurf through the ent

he says, nodd

landing him on his butt about six feet away. As usual, he hops back up, ta

g out after clutching Laurel's wrist, without giving

•

ng is tomo

round me, each of their shoes producing urgent run-walk clacks that saturate the air. We're all in a fierce battle against

at least a week to prepare, Aspen booked me the nearest flight

someone, I wouldn't h

rn around to meet the hotel's manager standing a

etched onto my expression. The balls between his legs must

to me. I think our age difference is another factor keeping his pants dry despite the death

alking on a thin-line bridge over an ocean. "Everything has been made ready

Didn't you tell him?" I had asked him

is stare to the manager. "It has

planned? Members of the board and shareholders will be present t

is tenacity. "Two billion US dollars is at stake here,"

f the hotel is al

ontact you for a new date." I pivot to resume my journey to the car when he gobbles

ly right behind me, keeping his strides one foot away. "Aspen, contact the HR departme

s,

rst doesn't move a muscle. Facing her, she's staring up at me moon-eyed, feelings of pity and astonishment cohabiting in her eyes. The deep

o the backseat, gesturing she get in. She diverts her

oon impatiently when she abruptly wouldn't take the last upward step

, she c

over my shoulder, to speak to Aspen. "Have Llo

ugh the tinted glass, is a view of him bowing. The manager remains stiffened in the middle of the parking lot wh

this look sure is nothing like those times. It feels like my mind is engulfed in a world of its own and every other thing outside Rex, Adrien, and my papers, are numbed

my world,

heart. And I swear to God, not even Rex and his cohorts i