**THE NEXT MORNING.**
#"Good morning, sweetheart. How was your night, dear?"
"I'm good, Dad. Good morning to you too," she replied, hugging him tightly.
"What brings you here so early this morning?" she asked, still sounding sleepy.
"I just wanted to see how my beautiful daughter is doing."
"Dad, your daughter is fine, but I really miss you. I can't remember the last time you came to my room."
He glanced at his watch and replied, "I miss you too, dear. But aren't you supposed to be at work by now?" #
Suddenly, the clock began to ring loudly. She reached out to turn it off but struggled, eventually falling off the bed. It hurt, and as she rubbed her face, she realized it was just a dream. The fall had jolted her back to reality.
Vince rushed into the room, having overheard the commotion. "What happened?"
"Nothing really, just fell off," she said, walking toward the bathroom.
He held her gently and kissed her on the forehead. "How was your night, dear?"
"It was horrible knowing you weren't next to me," she admitted, hugging him tightly.
"I'm sorry, dear. I had some things I needed to take care of."
"Well, it seems I'll also start working," she announced.
"Why?" he asked, releasing her.
"Grandma was trying to talk me into returning home to continue my father's legacy, and I even had a dream about Dad asking me if it's time to get to work," she explained.
"I guess that's a good idea, but are you sure you can handle it?"
"Of course! What's there to handle?"
He pulled her closer and said, "Well, if you need me, I'm always just a call away," before kissing her affectionately.
****
"What's all this?!" Ruby shouted as she shoved papers toward James. He hurriedly tried to catch them.
"Why is the demand in the market diminishing?" she thundered.
"Ma'am, I'm not sure, but I think if we conduct a survey, we could find out," he suggested after collecting a few pages.
"And what are you waiting for? James, I didn't choose you to be my P.A. for no reason, so do what you have to do!" she replied angrily, returning to her computer.
Just then, she received a call from the front desk person.
She questioned, "How can I help you?"
"Mrs. Ruby, there's someone named David Armstrong here to see you."
The name struck a familiar chord and echoed in her mind.
"David Armstrong?"
"Yes, Mrs. Ruby. Would you like to see him?"
She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to see him or not. The front desk officer interrupted her thoughts. "Mrs. Ruby, are you there?"
This jolted her back to reality. "I don't know anyone by that name. He must be an imposter. Make sure he leaves the building immediately," she replied before ending the call.
Ruby stood up and walked to the coffee dispenser, her thoughts racing. She remembered David, the man she had shared her young love with. DAVID ARMSTRONG. She paced around, his name echoing in her memory.
#..He had drawn her into his arms and held her tightly. "Alessandra, I love you, and I promise to always be by your side, no matter what," he had said, embracing her.
She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Even though I have a baby?" She asked him as she looked innocently, eager to hear his response.
He hesitated, then, sensing her change in mood, he summoned the courage to ask, "Alessandra, do you have a baby?"
She nodded innocently, tears streaming down her face as she replied, "Yes, David. I'm expecting a child—our child."
David stepped back, trying to process her words.
"David, you'll marry me, right? We'll raise our child together, right?" she pleaded, tears still falling.
The man who had promised to be by her side was now about to abandon her.
David finally said, "Ales, no. I don't think I can."
Her heart felt like it had been pierced by an arrow. "David, no?"
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm willing to stand by you always, but Alessandra, we can't have a baby—not now."...#
A knock at the door jolted her back to reality. She turned towards it, hearing another knock follow. Fear gripped her—was he at the door? What could he possibly want?
She slowly approached the door, memories of the man who had left her when she needed him most, flooding her mind.
Before she could reach for the handle, the door creaked open, and she paused, watching it swing slowly wide.