Alexander was already dressed and ready to leave for his meeting with Elena. He checked the time, almost eight. He stepped out of the house and walked to the roadside, waiting for a ride.
Just then, a reckless driver sped past and splashed dirty water all over his clothes. Before Alexander could even react, as he raised a hand as if to curse the driver, the car was gone. The words caught in his throat. But then slowly dropped his hand. He looked down at his wet shirt and trousers, checked the time again, and sighed. With no choice, he turned around and went back home to change.
Meanwhile, in her office at Carter Group, Elena paced back and forth. She was working hard to gather every possible resource to find a good doctor while she waited for Nadia's father to give feedback. She had already spoken with Nadia on the phone, but the silence from her father gnawed at her, made Elena's worry grow stronger..
Two receptionists leaned in close, keeping their voices low.
Boss didn't look too good this morning," the first one whispered. "You think everything's okay?"
The second nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. I heard her grandpa isn't doing well and she's been trying to find help for him—"
"Keep it down," the first one cut in quickly. "Mind your own business before you say something you shouldn't. I don't want to lose my job over gossip."
The second one hissed. "Stop acting like you weren't listening to me. Don't come asking me for any more office gossip, especially about bo—"
The rest of the sentence died in her throat the second Nadia walked through the doors.
They both knew her, she was their boss's close friend. The two women straightened up fast and greeted her at the same time.
"Good morning, ma'am."
Nadia didn't answer the way she usually did. Her face was tight and serious. She gave them a quick wave and headed straight for Elena's office without slowing down or stopping.
As soon as she was out of sight, the two receptionists turned to each other.
"I told you," the first one said.
The second one looked away quickly. "I didn't hear anything. As a matter of fact, I haven't even seen you this morning. I'm just seeing you right now."
"Fine," the first one replied, folding her arms. "I'll remember that."
Nadia made her way down the hallway to Elena's office. Just as she raised her hand to knock, her phone rang. She paused and took the phone from her handbag and glanced at the screen. It was her father. She stepped to the side, heart beating with both hope and worry, silently praying it was good news.
"Good morning, Dad."
"Good morning, my dear. How are you doing?"
"I'm not fine, Dad. How did it go?"
"He is already on his way. He should be in town in about 30 minutes." her father said.
Nadia let out a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Relief washed over her. A bright smile spread across her face. "Thank you, Dad."
"You're welcome. Hope you're feeling better now."
She smiled wider. "Why not, Dad?"
Her dad chuckled softly. "I'll let you know the moment he arrives."
"Okay, Dad. Thank you. Let me give my friend the good news. She's been really worried."
"Go ahead. Talk to you later."
Nadia ended the call and opened the door to Elena's office without even remembering to knock. Her face was glowing with happiness, but Elena's wasn't. She was already seated at her desk, waiting anxiously to hear from Nadia's dad so she could figure out her next move. Time was running out, and she didn't have any left to waste.
The moment the door opened, Elena looked up. It was Nadia. She jumped to her feet immediately.
Nadia walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. They both sat down.
Just as Elena opened her mouth to ask if she had heard from her dad, Nadia interrupted with a big smile.
"Hey, Elena! Guess what? Come on, guess!"
Elena sighed, exhausted. "Why guess when you can just tell me? I'm terrible at guessing."
"One guess. Just one."
"Dania, please… I'm really not in the mood right now." Elena finally let her worry show. "Did you hear back from your dad? Any news?"
Nadia was about to answer when Elena's phone rang. The screen lit up with Harlan's name.
Nadia paused, her mouth closing quietly.
When Elena saw the name, her stomach tightened. Why is he calling? Is something wrong with Grandpa? Or has Drake already made a move? She became more afraid, silently hoping nothing had happened to her grandpa.
She looked at Nadia, who noticed her hesitation. Their eyes met, and Nadia gave her a small nod, encouraging her to pick up.
She looked at Nadia, who noticed her hesitation. Their eyes met, and Nadia gave her a small nod to go ahead and pick up.
Elena answered the call.
There was no greeting. Harlan's voice came through loud and angry.
"I'll see how long you stay in that chair if Grandpa dies, you sneaky woman."
Elena's heart skipped a beat. A wave of dread washed over her as her mind immediately went to the worst possible place. Without even thinking, she pushed back from her desk and stood up, her legs feeling a bit shaky.
Dania watched her closely, her own eyes filling with fear. She didn't know what was being said on the other end of the line, but seeing the color drain from Elena's face made her stomach knot. She held her breath, silently praying that there wasn't any truly bad news waiting for them.
"So you have the nerve to harass your boyfriend,"
"Mind your word" she warned.
But Harlan continued bitterly. "You refused to give him what he wanted and now you're depriving Grandpa of his healing. Acting all innocent and pure, like you can't just let any man do whatever he wants with you to save Grandpa."
The words stung.
"Will you shut your mouth before you keep talking nonsense?" Elena snapped back.
"Am I talking nonsense? Fine. Then get over here and fix what you started," Harlan shot back, his voice sharp and bitter. "Because it looks like that CEO position matters more to you than Grandpa's life. You're probably still sitting comfortably in the office right now. Even at this time when Grandpa's condition needs urgent attention, when you should be out looking for Drake, kneeling and begging him to give you one last chance, you are—"
"Harlan!" Elena cut in loudly, anger rising in her voice. Nadia sat watching quietly, eyes wide with concern.
"You forget that I'm still your elder sister. Don't insult me. You'd better respect yourself."
"How am I supposed to respect you when you're busy running a company while the man who put you there is lying between life and death?"
"Listen," Elena said, trying hard to keep her voice steady, "I don't have time for your insults. I came here to use every resource this company has to find another doctor. And as for Drake, tell him I don't want to see him again. If he tries anything unlawful, I'll make sure he ends up in police custody."
"Empty threats," Harlan said coldly. "Whether you like it or not, Drake is here to stay in your life. One way or another, you're going to accept it. Get that through your head."
Elena opened her mouth to reply, but the call had already ended.
Nadia shook her head. "That was your brother Harlan, huh?"
Elena didn't answer. She just sank back into her chair, looking drained.
"Please try to forget about Harlan for now," Nadia said gently. "This whole CEO thing is what's driving him crazy. That's not the Harlan we used to know, the one who sometimes actually made sense."
But Elena was barely listening. Her mind kept replaying Harlan's harsh words to her. And about Grandpa making fear sat heavily in her chest.