Episode 13
588 Words
The Bracelet
The morning after the charity gala...
Every newspaper carried the same headline.
"Business Rivals or Something More? Kyle Larson and Jade Jordan's Dance Sparks Dating Rumors!"
Social media was flooded with photos of their dance.
One picture, in particular, had gone viral—
The moment Kyle pulled Jade away from the falling glass of wine.
---
Inside Emerald Motors...
Diana burst into Jade's office, holding her phone.
"You have to see this!"
"I've already seen it."
"No, not this one."
She showed Jade thousands of comments.
"They're perfect together!"
"Please tell me they're dating!"
"The Cold CEO smiled at her!"
Jade sighed and placed the phone on her desk.
"People have too much free time."
Diana laughed.
"But..."
"...he really smiled."
Jade paused.
For a split second...
She remembered that smile.
Then she quickly shook the thought away.
---
At Larson Automotive...
Kyle was greeted by his executives with amused expressions.
One of them nervously cleared his throat.
"Sir..."
"We've never seen you smile before."
Kyle looked up from his documents.
"You still haven't."
The room fell silent.
Verona couldn't help but laugh.
"They're talking about the gala."
Kyle continued signing papers as if nothing had happened.
"It was a dance."
"Nothing more."
"Of course," Verona replied, trying not to smile.
---
That afternoon...
Jade left the office early to visit City General Hospital.
As she walked through the hospital garden, she noticed a little boy sitting alone on a bench.
He couldn't have been older than seven.
He was crying softly.
Jade slowly approached him.
"Hey..."
"Why are you crying?"
The little boy sniffled.
"I lost something."
"What did you lose?"
"My bracelet."
Jade smiled gently.
"Then let's find it."
They searched together for several minutes.
Finally...
Jade spotted a small woven bracelet beneath a flower pot.
"There it is."
The boy's face lit up.
"My bracelet!"
He hugged it tightly.
"My grandma made it for me."
Jade smiled.
"Then don't lose it again."
"I won't!"
The little boy grinned.
"You remind me of someone."
Jade tilted her head.
"Who?"
"My grandma says kind people never disappear."
"They just meet us again when we need them."
Before Jade could reply...
The boy's mother called him.
He waved goodbye and ran off.
Jade stood there quietly.
For reasons she couldn't explain...
The bracelet had stirred something inside her.
A faint memory flashed through her mind.
A rainy afternoon...
A frightened little boy...
Her tiny hands tying a bracelet around his wrist.
"Don't be scared."
"You'll be okay."
Jade gasped softly.
"My head..."
The memory disappeared as quickly as it had come.
---
Meanwhile...
At Larson Mansion...
Kyle unlocked the wooden box containing his faded bracelet.
As he held it in his hand, a sharp pain shot through his head.
Another memory surfaced.
A little girl with bright eyes...
Smiling warmly.
"Whenever you're afraid..."
"Look at this bracelet."
Kyle closed his eyes.
"I know that voice..."
"But why can't I remember her face?"
---
Elsewhere...
Layla, Tiana, and Ariana watched the viral photos from the gala.
Layla's smile faded.
"They're getting too close."
Tiana crossed her arms.
"We need to separate them."
Ariana nodded.
"Before they discover the truth."
"What truth?" Brian's voice came from the doorway.
The three women exchanged nervous glances.
Layla recovered first.
"The truth..."
"...that some secrets should stay buried."
Brian stared at them suspiciously.
For the first time...
He realized the women who had ruined Jade's life...
Were hiding something far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
End of Episode 13
- Writer
