Karvel leaned back in his chair, studying Morrison with sharp eyes. Something was different about him. Normally, Morrison was the loud one, the one who joked around and played tricks to lighten the mood. But today, silence hung over him like a heavy cloud.“Why have you been so quiet?” Karvel finally asked, breaking the silence. His voice was calm but serious, carrying the weight of genuine concern. “This is the first time I’ve seen you like this. You’re always laughing, always teasing. But now? You’re not yourself.” He leaned forward, folding his arms. “Tell me, is this because of Florida?”Morrison’s shoulders stiffened at the name. For a moment, he didn’t answer. His eyes drifted to the floor, and he drew in a long breath.Karvel pushed gently. “Come on. You can’t give up so easily. Women don’t always say yes the first time. You know that. Sometimes, it takes courage to try again.”Finally, Morrison lifted his gaze. His eyes looked tired, almost defeated. “That’s not the issue, You

Karvel stood quietly near the window, his hands resting in his pockets. The sunlight poured through the open curtains, spreading across the room in a golden glow. His eyes lingered on his mother, who was standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the necklace around her neck. Her fingers moved slowly, carefully, as though she wanted it to sit perfectly.The sunlight touched her face, softening the fine lines that years of worry and heartache had left behind. She was still beautiful, but it was the kind of beauty shaped by strength rather than youth. Karvel’s chest tightened as he watched her. There had been so many years when he kept himself busy with work, running away from this warmth, burying himself under duty and the heavy shadow of his grandfather.When his mother finally turned her head, her eyes met his. A small smile touched her lips, soft and fragile, yet filled with a warmth he had missed.“You look beautiful when you smile,” Karvel said softly. His voice carried both love

Liza clapped her hands together sharply, a wicked smile spreading across her face.“What do you think will happen if this goes on social media?” she asked, her tone playful yet cruel. “I’ll also send it to you, Elena, just for future reference.”She pulled out her phone, waving it like a weapon, and unlocked the screen with deliberate slowness. A video was ready, and she tilted the screen toward Elena.For a moment, Elena felt her chest tighten. Her heart raced, and her legs turned weak. She wanted to snatch the phone away, to crush it into pieces, to make it disappear. If she had any kind of superpower, she would have pulled that device right out of Liza’s hand and destroyed it before anyone could see what it contained.Her palms grew sweaty, her throat dry. She couldn’t believe Liza would go this far.Patricia, standing beside her daughter, noticed Elena’s pale face. With a protective instinct, she stepped closer to Liza and reached for the phone.“Give it to me,” Patricia said firm

Karvel sat in his large black chair, turning it left and right as if he was restless. His sharp eyes stayed on the door until it opened. Morrison and Michael stepped inside the office, looking tense. The room felt heavy, filled with silence, until Karvel broke it.He leaned forward and spoke in a deep, cold voice.“How can you help me, Michael? Or is it that you want me to help you? Do you even know what you are asking? You want me to believe you, yet you come here after selling fake products.” His lips curved into a dangerous smile. “You know I can get you arrested, right?”Michael froze. He felt sweat run down his back. His legs almost gave way, and he dropped to his knees on the smooth office floor. Raising both hands high above his head, he pleaded, his voice shaking.“Please, don’t do this to me, sir. I beg you. Help me out. My family depends on me. I only have that company, it’s the only thing that feeds us. If I lose it, everything will be gone. Please, don’t destroy me.”Karve

The factory doors had been forced open, and policemen poured in, their uniforms crisp, their faces unreadable. Behind them walked Karvel and Morrison, calm and collected, Karvel sharp eyes scanning every corner as though he owned the building already.The owner of the factory, a man in his fifties with sweat dripping down his forehead, staggered forward. His face was red with anger, and his voice cracked with desperation.“You can’t close my factory down! You can’t do this to me!” he shouted, his arms flailing as policemen tried to push him back. “How can you treat me like this? Do you know how many people work here? Do you know how many mouths I feed?”His workers whispered among themselves, fear spreading like wildfire. Some of them looked away, others clutched their pay slips, and a few even slipped quietly toward the back door, afraid they might be dragged into this mess.Before the factory owner could reach Karvel, Morrison stepped forward. He blocked the man’s path, his tall fra