Episode 5
575 Words
Under One Roof
The announcement spread through the business world like wildfire.
Larson Automotive and Emerald Motors would jointly develop the nation's first luxury eco-friendly vehicle under the Green Future Initiative.
Most people were excited.
Kyle Larson and Jade Jordan were not.
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The following Monday...
Jade arrived at Larson Automotive's headquarters for the first project meeting.
She stepped out of her car, adjusting the sleeves of her emerald blazer.
Diana Ross glanced up at the towering glass building.
"I have to admit... this place is impressive."
"It's just a building," Jade replied.
"Built by an arrogant CEO."
Before they could enter, the front doors opened.
Kyle walked out with Verona Desmond.
Their eyes met instantly.
"What a coincidence," Jade said sarcastically.
Kyle slipped one hand into his pocket.
"I was about to say the same."
Verona smiled warmly.
"Welcome to Larson Automotive, Miss Jordan."
"Thank you, Mrs. Desmond."
Unlike Kyle, Jade found Verona surprisingly kind.
---
Inside the conference room...
Engineers from both companies exchanged ideas.
Everything was going smoothly...
Until Kyle and Jade started talking.
"The battery should be positioned lower," Kyle said.
"No," Jade replied.
"It reduces cabin space."
"It improves stability."
"It sacrifices comfort."
"It improves safety."
The room fell silent.
Neither of them was willing to compromise.
One engineer whispered,
"Here we go again..."
Diana covered her face with a notebook.
Verona quietly sipped her tea as though she had expected this all along.
After nearly twenty minutes of debating...
The lead engineer finally spoke.
"What if we combine both ideas?"
Kyle looked at Jade.
She looked back at him.
Neither wanted to admit it...
But the suggestion was brilliant.
"It could work," Kyle admitted.
Jade nodded.
"For once... I agree."
Everyone in the room sighed in relief.
---
After the meeting...
Jade walked toward the parking lot.
Just as she reached her car, she noticed a man standing across the street.
He wore a black hoodie and cap.
The moment their eyes met...
He quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Jade frowned.
"That's strange."
"Diana."
"Yes?"
"Did you see that man?"
Diana looked around.
"What man?"
Jade sighed.
"Forget it."
---
Elsewhere...
Inside a luxurious penthouse...
Layla, Tiana, and Ariana sat around a glass table.
Brian entered the room.
He looked older than Jade remembered, dressed in an expensive suit that couldn't hide the guilt in his eyes.
"You called me," Brian said.
Layla smirked.
"Jade is becoming too powerful."
"So?"
"We want you to get close to her again."
Brian frowned.
"I don't think she'll even listen to me."
"Make her."
"And if I refuse?"
Ariana leaned forward.
"Then we'll expose every secret from college."
Brian clenched his fists.
He had spent years trying to forget the past.
Now...
It was coming back.
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That evening...
Kyle returned home later than usual.
As he entered his study, his eyes fell on the old bracelet inside the wooden box.
He picked it up gently.
"I still don't know your name..."
"But wherever you are..."
"I hope life has been kind to you."
For reasons he couldn't explain...
A picture of Jade flashed through his mind.
He quickly shook his head.
"Impossible."
He closed the box.
Outside the mansion, Verona watched from the hallway.
She smiled softly.
"The heart remembers what the mind forgets."
Neither Kyle nor Jade knew it...
But destiny had already begun guiding them toward a truth buried deep in the past.
End of Episode 5
- Writer
