With the Waston Groupâs former presidentâs passing, the shareholders were embroiled in a fierce fight for power.
Melissa entered, breaking the tension with a simple, âMr.
Waston!â
Albertâs response was a quiet nod, a brief acknowledgment before he instructed, âSit down.
â
The meeting stretched from the late afternoon into the night, ending at ten.
Despite the physical discomfort, the attendees departed swiftly, leaving Albert alone, massaging his temples in the now-quiet conference room.
Melissa brewed a cup of coffee for Albert and set it before him.
âIâm sorry, Mr.
Waston.
The deal with Summit Ltd.
didnât go through.
â
Albert, already aware of the news from the morning, looked up.
Melissaâs admission confirmed his suspicions about the dealâs failure.
He took the coffee and whispered, âAny regrets?â
She merely shook her head in response.
He offered a slight smile.
âThatâs good to hear.
â
After sipping his coffee, he broached the subject of damage control, âThe main office hasnât been informed yet.
We need to manage the situation discreetly before they make any announcements.
The loss of this contract isnât favorable for us.
â
Melissaâs instinct was to apologize, but Albert reassured her, emphasizing her value over the contract.
âGiven the circumstances, youâre more crucial than this deal.
â
Standing, he proposed, âLetâs have dinner and then go pay your respect.
He⦠liked you a lot when he was still alive.
â
His voice carried a note of sorrow.
Melissa agreed.
The visit to the Waston familyâs mansion was followed by her return to the hotel around midnight.
Checking in, she was momentarily distracted by the silent snowfall outside the window, almost missing the receptionistâs call to collect her room key.
Later, as she lay in bed after freshening up, the dayâs events, particularly the argument with Marcus, replayed in her mind.
The emotional turmoil wasnât easy; convincing herself to reconcile with Marcus had been hard enough, leaving her heartache in his absence palpable.
As adults, Melissa and Marcus had ceased contact following her decision to end their relationship.
By seven in the morning, Melissa had already started her day, leaving after breakfast.
Her schedule was packed, meetings, late nights at work, and social commitments left her drained, with little bandwidth for personal reflections.
Her only respite was the daily calls to Matthew and Julie, providing brief moments of connection amidst her hectic routine.
Marcus, and the brief interlude of warmth they shared, gradually receded into the backdrop of her memory, their time together seeming more like a fleeting dream.
In the bustling environment of the Fowler Group as the new year approached, Marcus stood by the window, his gaze lost in the heavy snowfall.
Sylvia entered, breaking the silence.
âMr.
Fowler, the press conference is about to start.
Are we really proceeding with the announcement of our collaboration with Summit Ltd?â