No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

"Felicia!"

Dustin's voice, as smooth and pleasant as ever, pierced through the air.

Yet, the moment it reached my ears, it felt like a soft thorn, painfully stabbing at my heart.

How could someone, who appeared so harmless on the outside, harbor such darkness within? To achieve his goals, he wouldn't hesitate to go to extreme lengths.

Suppressing the pain, I went straight to the point, "Dustin, I need a favor."

"Sure, tell me," Dustin's tone was different now. Taking over the reins of the Wagner Group from Conrad had lent him an air of authority.

Seems like your position not only shapes your thoughts but your actions as well.

"Our colleague, Deborah, also a good friend of mine, up and quit her job under some weird circumstances. I have no clue where she is now and was hoping you'd use your contacts to help track her down." "Deborah?" Dustin repeated, "Okay."

"Thanks, Dustin," I replied, maintaining the same courteous tone as before.

"Felicia," he called out softly, "Can we meet up?"

"Sure, when's good for you?" I agreed readily.

Dustin always had this way of accommodating me. He never expected me to adjust my schedule for him,

in these small gestures, but back then, my eyes were only for Conrad, and I

parents. It's been a while since I visited," I

family... Why did you want me to stay away? I might not listen to you this time..." At the department dinner that night,

Collins

informed Grant about Ernest's absence but hadn't shared the news with everyone else, simply saying he had left

the sadness hit me again, leading me to drink more

faint in my drunken haze, "Ernest would

gone...My Ernest is

next day, I woke up

you sobered up yet?" Grant

getting me home," I managed to say, despite having drunk a lot, my

so you remember it was me. Seems like you didn't drink that much after all. Do you recall what I said?" His question jogged something

couldn't remember clearly, so I asked him,

a lot of

could he have said anything of significance? I wasn't that

this early, you're

me, are you?