Thomas ran a hand through his hair, tugging so hard it felt like he might rip his own brain out. That brain of his—fucking brilliant when it wanted to be, yet always deciding it was right to jeopardize his career just to save… just to save a guy.His phone blared again. Of course, it was one of his uncles.“Are you playing games with us right now?” one barked through the phone.“Please give—”“It’s been two weeks since your grandma died! Enough time for you to pack your stupid ass out of the house!”“You ungrateful idiot. Go meet your parents if you’re broke!” snapped another.“Let me talk to him,” a voice cut in from the background. “Thomas, are you not ashamed of yourself? How old are you? At this age, and you can’t even provide a house for yourself? You’re a failure.”“A disgrace to the world,” another spat.“We’ve given you enough time in that house. Pack out before we send the cops to throw your properties

Thomas darted a glance at him, a flash of hurt crossing his face.“Man, you just mentioned your sister was sick. What does that mean? You probably spent everything you had at the hospital. Maybe even took out loans.”“But…” Thomas bit back the tears forming in his eyes.“You don’t have to be so emotional. You can pay me back later for telling you what’s so obvious,” Charles said, almost casually.Thomas looked at him again. How could this guy joke like that? Didn’t he see how serious he was? But…now that he thought about it, he still had debts, and it was because…his sister…“Didn’t know you had a sister,” Charles muttered some seconds later. “You’re not the only one who’s got shit to deal with,” Thomas replied quietly.“That’s not supposed to be a compliment, right?” Charles scoffed.“No idea how your brother died, but I’ve lost two of the most important people in my life too. One lived old, the other… died fa

Sadie tugged the brim of her cap lower and adjusted her facemask until half her face vanished. In her baggy pants and loose shirt, she looked like nothing more than another passerby. No one would dare guess it was her.Still, her heart stuttered when she passed through reception. Cox’s picture—that picture—blazed across the wall screen again. The same image that had been haunting her feeds all day. Her chest clenched, her steps faltered. She forced herself forward before anyone noticed the tremor in her walk.By the time she reached her grandmother’s suite, her body was shaking so badly she could barely knock. The door opened later than she expected.“You didn’t tell me you’d be back so ear—” Grandma’s voice cut off when she saw her. “Sadie… oh, my dear, come in.”Sadie staggered inside, slammed the door shut, and collapsed against it. The sobs came hard, unrestrained, tearing out of her until she crumpled onto the floor.“What is wrong w

Monday morning, Charles drove to the company Mr. Wyatt had forced him to agree to handling. He didn’t know what to expect, but he was preparing his mind for the worst—especially after the introduction he got from that guy the other day.He parked in the lot. From outside, everywhere looked decent. Far more decent than he expected. He’d agree.“Mr Charles!!!” The guy—Smith Andrei—the same one Charles met days back, was waving enthusiastically from the entrance.Charles, slightly embarrassed by the shouting, gave an uncomfortable smile but didn’t wave back.Soon, Smith was rushing to meet him.“Good morning, Mr Charles,” Smith greeted, bowing so low Charles half-expected his head to hit the ground.Charles smiled uncomfortably. “Good morning.”“This is the way to your office, sir. I made sure the cleaners cleaned it more than twenty times during the weekend. Everyone is excited to see you.”Charles nodded. Maybe t

“Yes, sir. Her name is Helena Varga,” the subordinate said. “Love you too,” Charles said, hanging up. Smith’s face turned red as a pumpkin as Charles approached. “I didn’t know you were married,” Smith stammered, clearly flustered. “We’re expecting a baby soon, so she craves a lot of things,” Charles lied smoothly. It seemed only the clients knew about his relationship with Sadie. “That must be hard,” Smith said, concern in his eyes. “My older brother just had his first kid two months ago—I know how stressful it was for him.” “It’s nothing,” Charles said, smiling and scanning the room as they walked. “I love her. And honestly, nothing compares to the strain she’s carrying with the baby.” “You’re such a caring husband,” Smith said, clearly impressed. “By the way,” Charles shifted the topic quickly, “do other people visit aside from VIP clients?” “Yes,