Vivian stepped out of the studio into the cool night air, the last of the camera lights still flickering behind the heavy glass doors.The session had been a pure blast. Every question from Cecilia perfectly went down with the answer she gave. Oh, she could almost picture Kyle watching her, remote in hand, and color draining from his face as he watched and heard her. The thought made something warm and sharp settle low in her chest.This was the first step. The first deliberate cut.Her phone vibrated in her clutch. She drew it out, noting it was warm. The device must have been buzzing during the session.When she saw the name across the screen, she laughed out loud. Of course he was calling.She dropped the phone back into her purse without answering and walked toward the waiting car, heels clicking against the pavement with premium satisfaction.Only after she had settled behind the wheel, started the engine and pulled into the traffic did she reach for the phone again. It was stil

Dora didn't flinch. She leaned forward in her chair, elbows on the desk, and eyes locked on his. "You heard me. Did you even think about your employment contract when you decided to throw hands with Raymond in public?""He hit me first," Kyle replied, eyes fixed sternly on Dora."Doesn't matter!" Dora snapped, the words cracking through the office like a whip. He tried to speak again but she held up her hand. "It doesn't matter who swung first. What matters is that you engaged, and the story created out of that incident made Transcorp look unstable. And now look where we are."Kyle glanced once at Olivia who stayed quiet by the edge of the desk, arms folded as she watched the exchange like someone who knew better than to interrupt. He still didn't know what was going on. "You're completely out of character, Dora," he said in an even tone. "What's going on?"Dora stood up slowly, walking around the desk until a few feet separated them."Do you have any idea how many investors had a

"But I do," Olivia countered again, standing up so abruptly the chair rolled back and hit the wall with a soft thud. Then she began pacing the length of her office, arms folded tight across her chest and heels clicking in a restless rhythm against the polished floor."We're close," she repeated. "I know we're close to nailing Catherine and I feel it."Kyle watched her from the other side of the desk, pen still poised over the legal pad. The half-drawn web of names and arrows continued to stare up at him like some unfinished accusation."First off," he said, "how exactly did you know the engagement was cancelled? Are you...what? A friend to Catherine?"Olivia stopped mid-stride and gave him a sharp look. "I'm the COO of this company and I know my staff. Besides, we're women. We see through ourselves."Kyle's mouth twitched. "Yeah, right.""But that isn't the point here," Olivia continued, resuming her pacing. She paused near the window, staring out at the late-afternoon haze for a mo

Kyle held Eleanor's hand across the table, his thumb brushing over her knuckles the way he had done since boyhood whenever her mood turned inward."You're with us now," he said softly. "And you'll be with us for a long, long time."Then he laughed under his breath, expecting the familiar warmth in return. But Eleanor barely smiled and looked away from him, her eyes fixing on the half-eaten plate between them.Kyle's smile faded. "Is anything wrong?"She gave no answer. Only the faint tick of the wall clock filled the space."Mother?" His voice dropped. "Oh, now you're freaking me out."She shifted her gaze back to him at last, something heavy now sitting behind her eyes."When you return," she said, "there is something I need to tell you."Kyle leaned closer to her, now dead serious. "Mother? Is everything all right?"Still no reply. She reached for the glass of water, drank, then rose to her feet with a quiet scrape of the chair. “Good night, son.”As she turned, a dry chuckle escape

"Listen carefully," Olivia said, "Fact-check every single piece of information you've got on Transcorp–and on whatever company Zintech was already willing to snitch on us for. There is clear misinformation with the data you just recited. Those numbers you listed are not even a testament of Trancsorp's ventures over the past decade. Not even close."Silence stretched on the other end for a moment—long enough that Olivia began to wonder if the line had gone dead."We were just about to proceed with the deal involving Vivian Group," the woman finally said, her voice quieter and stripped of its earlier amusement. "I guess it will have to be halted while we make further findings."Olivia nodded once."I'll get back to you next week. Monday. Same time.""Alright," Olivia answered. She let a beat pass before adding, "We didn't get to know your name."A low chuckle drifted through the speaker. "Oh, I am everything but American."The call ended with a soft click.Olivia lowered the phone and r