172 TERRIFIED, BLISSFUL NIGHTS ARIEL’S POV After helping my mother with the garden, I made my way back to work, to the company. The bustling energy of the office was palpable as everyone settled into their desks and began their workday. I sat at my desk, sipping on my coffee and scrolling through emails, trying to shake off the thoughts that kept on revolving my head. Just then, Andre walked in, followed by his sister, Hannah. “Good day everyone,” Andre’s booming voice echoed through the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you all to our newest team member, Hannah,” he said, gesturing towards the her as she stood beside him. “Hannah comes to us with a wealth of experience in the industry and I have no doubt she will be a remarkable addition to our company. The entire office erupted into a round of applause as Hannah smiled and waved. I was really happy for her. She was a smart intelligent lady, so of course, this wouldn’t be a challenge for her. As the applause died down, Andre continued, “Hannah will be joining our team, getting the remarkable spot and she will be working closely with Ariel.” His eyes went to mine, and he smirked, winking as well. I laughed silently, shaking my head. “Please give her a warm welcome and show her the Vitality Group spirit,” Andre concluded, before leading Hannah out of the room to give her a tour of the office. I went to meet Hannah, congratulating her. It was actually a great thing to see the Vitality Group improving day by day. Oh, I was forgetting that it’s now a family business, like it used to be, before Andre went ahead into creativity. “Congratulates ort your new job, Hannah,” I told her, with a smile on my face. “Aww thanks, Ariel. This really means a lot to me. We hugged each other, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about Luke. Tomorrow, Mason would start coming to ask me silly questions about the paper, and I literally had no idea how I would get out of the situation. But look at us, quite wealthy, humbling yourself is the key So, it had been an exhausting day at work, having different conversations, working on various projects. It was really tiring but thank God it was all over. Five stars to Andre and Manuel who were still at the office, looking forward to spending the night there, going through some files. I got into o my car, ar, and as I was about to drive, I received a text, it was from Mason, and he told me to come to a location not too far from the company. I could just wonder what he was up to now, but I decided to do as he had said. I drove to the location, ravishing waterfall around here, with the beautiful lights. It was an amazing view. But my look changed all of a sudden. 172 TERRIFIED, BLISSFUL NIGHTS 2/1 I sighted Lukel and Janice together in the backseat of a car, Mason’s car. The scumbag was ensconcing himself at the front seat. I wasn’t too settled with this. What the hell was he about to do to my children? Mason’s eyes caught mine, and he noticed how I was just glaring at him. He laughed, blew his car horn, the two children looked at me. “Mommy!” Lukel exclaimed and quickly left the car. Janice followed suit. They both ran to me. “How have you both been, my babies?” I asked the two of them. “We’ve been doing great, mommy,” Janice replied. “Uncle Mason took us out, and told us that you be coming. “He did?” I asked, and Janice nodded. I set my eyes on Mason after that, all he could do was smirk. This man was now playing games with me, but I had the feeling that he was giving me a warning. I need to get Luke to sign those papers, and I needed to do that tonight. I had a fun time with Lukel and Janice, but I definitely didn’t let them step foot inside Mason’s car. The night was a great one, with the moon hanging low in the sky, casting a delightful glow from up there. We were having a great conversation, walking right in the bustling streets, and then we approached the quaint ice cream shop on the corner. The sweet aroma of freshly made waffle cones wafted through the air, drawing us closer with each step. As we entered the shop, Janice’s hair bounced with excitement as she tugged at my hand, while Lukel, gazed around with wonder on his face. I smiled at their enthusiasm and led them to the front of the line, where we were greeted by a friendly young woman behind the counter. “Hello there!” she chirped, her eyes twinkling. “Hello,” I greeted, with a smile on my visage. “What can I get for you today?” The young wom winked at the little children. After much deliberation and a few giggles, Janice finally settled on a scoop of cotton candy ice cream in a bubblegum cone, while Lukel chose a classic chocolate cone. I decided on a scoop of mint chocolate chip for myself, a flavor I loved. No doubt about that. With our cones in hand, we made our way to a cozy table by the window, the late afternoon sunlight streaming in and casting a warm glow over our faces. The kids eagerly dug into their ice cream, their faces lighting up with joy at the first taste of the cold, creamy treat. As they savored their cones, I watched my children with a heart full of love. I couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly they were growing up, how their laughter filled me with a sense of pure happiness that I had never known before becoming a mother. Now Mason was telling me that he was going to take away these two children from me, all because I didn’t follow through with some goddamn plan? 172 TERRIFIED, BLISSFUL NIGHTS 3/3 Janice’s face was smeared with streaks of pink and blue from her cotton candy ice cream, her eyes sparkling with delight. Lukel, usually the quiet one, was chattering away animatedly about a bird he had seen in the park earlier that day. I listened with a smile, my heart swelling with pride at the wonderful, curious little people my children were becoming- The ice cream shop bustled around us, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air. Couples strolled by outside, hand in hand, their faces turned towards each other with love and affection. I couldn’t help but feel grateful for this moment, this simple joy of sharing a sweet treat with my children on a bedtiful afternoon. As we finished our cones, the kids begged for just one more scoop, their eyes wide and pleading. I chuckled and shook my head, ruffling Janice’s hair affectionately. “Come on now dear, I think that’s enough.” With contented sighs, we pushed our empty cones aside and sat back in our chairs, relishing the moment. I wrapped my arms around my children, pulling them close in a tight hug. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to the both of you,” I spoke, and it was as if I almost burst into tears. I couldn’t let anything terrible happen to them, so I think I’d have to get Luke to sign those papers. Fuck love, or any other feelings.
