Love Aftermath (1)

Rachel stepped out of her room, seeking something to do to pass the time.

The mansion felt stifling with its grandeur and emptiness, and she needed to escape the confines of her thoughts.

She remembered her plan to visit her parents, but it was still late morning, so she decided to take a walk around the house instead.

As she made her way down the hallway, she heard the familiar angry tones of Derek's voice.

She followed the sound, curiosity piqued, and soon spotted him near the main exit of the mansion, pacing back and forth, his phone pressed tightly to his ear.

"I thought I made everything clear," Derek was saying, his voice rising with frustration. "How could my woman be taken off the list for the upcoming movie with J Emory's Entertainment? I invested money! I gave out shares!"

Rachel paused, listening intently.

She couldn't hear the response from the other end of the line, but Derek's fury was palpable.

After a brief pause, he shouted, "Of course she's my woman! Aside from her, who else could it be?"

Rachel's curiosity turned to joy. Yes! Mask X had done it.

She squared her shoulders and approached Derek, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor.

Derek, sensing her presence, turned to face her, his expression shifting from anger to surprise. He quickly ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket.

"Hello, Derek," Rachel greeted him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Your woman? You were mentioning something about 'your woman.' Is it your mom you're referring to?"

Derek's eyes flickered with a mixture of irritation and defensiveness. "Rachel, it's not what you think," he began, but Rachel cut him off.

"Then explain it to me, Derek," she said, her voice steady but laced with a challenge. "Who exactly were you talking about?"

Derek hesitated, his mind racing for an excuse. "It's... complicated," he finally said, avoiding her gaze.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, not satisfied with his vague response. "Complicated how? You seemed pretty clear just now."

Derek's jaw tightened. "Look, Rachel, it's business. You wouldn't understand."

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Derek sighed, clearly frustrated. "Fine. I was talking about Lucinda, okay? She's been taken off a project we were working on together, and it's a big deal."

Derek thought he heard a tone of jealousy mixed with annoyance when Rachel said, "Lucinda? And she's 'your woman' now?"

Well, perhaps… Nah, Rachel was only putting up a show.

Derek shook his head. "You know it's not like that, Rachel. It's just business. She's a valuable asset to my projects."

Rachel's expression softened slightly, but her guard remained up. "Why are you explaining this to me? It's not my business though."

Derek: "...."

Derek nodded, though his eyes still held a trace of anger. "Noted. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to sort this out."

He'd just deal with her later!

Rachel watched as Derek stormed out of the mansion, his phone already back to his ear. She sighed, feeling a mix of relief and joy.

As Derek left, Rachel received a sudden and urgent phone call from an unsaved number but she recognized it to be Richard's secretary's number though.

"Hello?" Rachel answered anxiously.

"Ma'am, can you come to the office right now?" It was Richard's secretary on the other end, his voice strained. "I'm sending a car to you. The boss is in... a critical state. I don't know what to do."

Rachel's breath caught in her throat. The dream and now this call—it all felt too ominous.

"I'm on my way, I'm on my way," she replied urgently, her voice trembling with fear and concern.

She hurriedly grabbed her essentials and rushed outside, still on the phone.

She ran towards the street, frantically hailing a cab, repeating to herself and to the phone, "I'm coming, Richard, I'm coming. I can't wait for the car you sent to arrive."

Her mind raced with possibilities. What could have happened? Was it related to his health, or was it something else entirely?

The uncertainty gnawed at her as the car sped towards the office, her thoughts consumed by fear for Richard's well-being.

Rachel's mind raced with worry during the tense car ride to Richard's office. She tried to calm herself, but the image of Richard in distress lingered vividly from her dream.

The city blurred past her window, the urgency of the situation propelling her forward.

Arriving at the grand corporate building, she rushed through the revolving doors and into the lobby where Richard's secretary, visibly flustered, met her.

"Ma'am, thank you for coming," the secretary said hurriedly, leading her towards the elevator. "He's in his office. It's been chaotic since he collapsed."

Collapsed? The word struck Rachel like a thunderbolt. She struggled to maintain her composure as they ascended to the executive floor.

Thoughts of their recent interactions, the tensions between them, and her own feelings of unease flooded her mind.

As the elevator doors opened, Rachel stepped out into a scene of controlled chaos.

People hurriedly moved about, whispers and urgent conversations filled the air. She followed the secretary through the maze of cubicles and glass-walled offices until they reached Richard's corner office.

Pushing open the door, Rachel entered the office.

In his office, Richard sat alone, his face contorted with pain as he clutched his stomach.

When Rachel hurried into the room, she was taken aback by the intensity of his glare. Before she could say anything, he groaned, "What did you put in that drink?"

Rachel's mind raced back to the juice she had prepared for Derek, adding a bit of something to make him stool for like two to three days, but according to the maid, Richard had angrily consumed it instead.

Rachel wiped away her tears and facepalmed, realizing she had been crying without noticing. "You drank it yourself," she pointed out incredulously.

Richard widened his eyes in disbelief. "Can you imagine? I'm here in pain, and you… aahh!" He groaned, clearly suffering from the effects of the drink.