The morning after the party, the Langston family gathered around the grand dining table for breakfast. The clinking of silverware and the soft murmur of conversation filled the air, but Robert Langston barely touched his food. He sat stiffly, lost in thought, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his coffee cup.
Lucy, ever perceptive, noticed his distraction and frowned slightly. "You're barely eating, Robert. Is everything alright?"
Robert snapped out of his daze, glancing at her briefly before standing up. "I'm full. I need to leave now. See you later," he said abruptly, pushing his chair back and striding out of the room without another word.
Lucy's gaze followed him with a mixture of concern and suspicion.
Eric, the only one seemingly unaffected by his father's strange behavior, continued his conversation with his mother about the success of the party. Meanwhile, Athaliah, seated next to Melissa, reached for the sugar bowl but found it just out of her reach.
"Melissa, could you pass the sugar?" she asked politely.
Melissa ignored her completely, pretending not to hear.
Eric, who had been watching, exchanged a glance with Athaliah before simply reaching for the sugar himself and placing it in front of her.
"Here you go," he said casually.
"Thanks," Athaliah replied, furrowing her brows in confusion as she looked at Melissa, wondering what she had done to deserve such coldness.
Lucy caught the interaction and, once Melissa had also risen to leave for work, turned to Athaliah. "Did something happen between you two?"
"Not that I know of," Athaliah replied, genuinely puzzled. She stood up, leaned down to kiss Lucy on the cheek, and grabbed her bag. "I have to go. See you later, Mom."
"Have a great day, sweetheart," Lucy called after her.
At Melissa's Workplace
Melissa arrived at work and greeted her colleagues before heading to her office. She had barely settled in when Nathaniel appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his usual effortless charm.
"So, did you finish the file?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he stepped inside.
Melissa smiled. "Yes, it's done."
"Great. Let's go over it once more before the meeting—just to make sure there aren't any errors," he suggested.
"Sure," Melissa agreed. She reached into her bag to retrieve the file but found nothing. Her brows knit together as she searched again.
"It's not here," she muttered, standing up abruptly. "I must've left it in my car. Give me a minute—I'll go check."
Nathaniel nodded, and Melissa hurried outside. She rummaged through her car but still couldn't find the file. Her mind raced as she tried to recall where she could have left it.
As she walked back inside, her thoughts still occupied, a familiar voice called her name from down the corridor.
"Melissa!"
She stopped and turned to see Athaliah approaching.
Melissa sighed and waited for her to come closer before speaking, her tone distant. "What do you want? I'm busy working."
Athaliah frowned slightly at her sister's cold demeanor but held out a folder. "You left this on the couch this morning," she said simply.
Melissa glanced at the file, then back at Athaliah. "Anything else?"
Athaliah shook her head. "No."
Just as they were about to part ways, Nathaniel appeared, looking for Melissa. "What's taking you so long?" he asked, then noticed Athaliah and flashed her a friendly smile. "Oh, I didn't know you were here."
"I just arrived," Athaliah said. "I brought the file Melissa forgot at home."
Nathaniel's grin widened. "That's great! You just saved us a lot of trouble. Thanks!"
Athaliah returned his smile. "It's my pleasure."
Nathaniel, still smiling, added, "We owe you one. How about I take you out for lunch as a thank you?"
Before Athaliah could respond, Melissa cut in sharply. "Aren't you getting late for work?"
Athaliah took a quick glance at her watch. "Yeah, I have to go. Bye."
She turned and walked away. Nathaniel watched her retreating figure for a beat too long, his gaze thoughtful.
Melissa, irritated, tapped him on the arm. "Are we going to review the file, or are we just going to stand here staring after her all day?"
Nathaniel chuckled. "Yeah, let's go."
At Langston Enterprises
Robert arrived at his office in a storm of tension, shutting the door behind him with unnecessary force. Without a second thought, he pressed the intercom.
"Emily. In my office. Now."
A few moments later, Emily Hastings entered, wearing a composed expression. "You called?"
Without warning, Robert grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall.
"Is it you?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Are you the one blackmailing me?"
Emily gasped, clawing at his hands. "Robert—stop! You're hurting me!"
Something in her desperate voice snapped him back to reality. He released her abruptly, stepping away, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.
Emily coughed, rubbing her neck. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Instead of answering, Robert pulled out his phone and shoved it into her hands. "Look at this."
Emily's eyes widened as she scrolled through the threatening messages and incriminating pictures. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"Robert, I was with you the whole time. How could I have taken these?" she whispered, her voice shaky.
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "Then who the hell did?!"
Emily swallowed hard. "It could be one of your business rivals. Someone who wants to take you down—ruin Langston Enterprises."
Robert's jaw clenched. "Not while I'm still alive."
Emily thought for a moment. "I know someone who might be able to help—Leonardo, my son's friend. He's good with tech. If anyone can trace the source of these photos, it's him."
"Call him," Robert ordered.
Minutes later, they were on their way to meet Leonardo at his university.
Meanwhile, at Langston Enterprises
Eric knocked on his father's office door, a folder in hand. When no answer came, he pushed it open only to find the room empty.
As he stepped back into the hallway, he spotted Robert and Emily walking briskly toward the exit.
"Dad?"
Robert barely glanced at him. "I don't have time, Eric. Whatever it is, sign on my behalf. Something urgent came up."
And just like that, he was gone.
Eric stood in the corridor, dumbfounded. His father never delegated important documents—especially not ones concerning major deals. Something was definitely wrong.
Lucy's Unexpected Call
Later that day, Lucy went to the spa with her friends, Regina and Anita, seeking relaxation. The soothing scent of lavender filled the air, and soft music played in the background.
Just as she was beginning to unwind, her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen—Private Number.
Frowning, she answered. "Hello?"
A distorted voice came through the line. "Mrs. Langston?"
"Who is this?" she asked, sitting up straighter.
"If you want to know the truth about your husband, meet me tomorrow at 6 PM. I'll text you the address."
Lucy's pulse quickened. "Wait—who are you? What do you know?"
The line went dead.
Regina and Anita exchanged concerned glances as Lucy lowered the phone, her expression unreadable.
"What happened?" Regina asked.
Lucy exhaled slowly. "Someone just called. She said she has information about Robert."
Anita leaned in. "About what?"
"I dont know, she said I should meet with her tomorrow if I want to know the truth." Lucy responded
Anita said, "so are you going."
Lucy hesitated, then nodded. "I need to know what's going on, Robert has been behaving strange lately and I need to find answers."Lucy leaned back, her mind racing. Who was the caller? And what truth was she about to reveal?
A storm was brewing in the Langston household—and Lucy was determined to uncover the truth.