The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Baffled, I lowered my head and asked, "What is it?"noveldrama

Penelope bit her lower lip as if mulling over what she was about to tell me. A long pause later, she confessed, "Someone in our class has been picking on Willow. I tried to stop them and tell them bullying was wrong, but they refused to listen to me." She kept her gaze on her feet, looking ashamed. She appeared to be disappointed that she couldn't stand up for Willow.

Upon hearing this, I crouched and held Penelope's hand. "You're so brave, Penelope. You spoke up when you saw someone do something wrong."

She stared at me in disbelief. "Aren't you upset that I didn't protect Willow?"

She tipped her head to the side as if puzzled at my words. I elaborated, "It's normal for you to feel helpless when facing a tough situation like that, but thank you for telling me about it. If you hadn't told me, I might never know what Willow is dealing with in school." Penelope blinked at me. Relief colored her face as she said, "I'm glad you care about Willow."

I chuckled. "You're just a kid, Penelope."

"Penelope!" Willow had finished washing up and hurtled out of her bedroom to beckon for Penelope. "It's your turn to shower!" "Coming!" Penelope bounded upstairs. Willow linked arms with her as they made their way into the bedroom.

After showering, Penelope and Willow played with their toys on the third floor. Milton and Dorothy stayed to keep an eye on them.

Only then did I step away and turn my gaze to Suzy. She had showered, too, and put on a new set of clothes. If their lack of casual conversation was any indication, she probably felt awkward around Zane. She even started informing him of her work progress. She was a bona fide workaholic. It hadn't been that long since the last project was wrapped up, yet she didn't take a break and instead dived into planning the upcoming project.

I was stunned. Ambitious women truly had a place in Huxley Corporation. It was where they could thrive in their element.

Zane listened to Suzy's proposal quietly. He looked solemn, and it was impossible to tell what was on his mind.

He waited for her to stop talking before commenting, "Your idea's pretty solid, but there's room for plenty of adjustments. If you don't mind, grab a pen and paper to fot them down. I don't want you to forget them."

Suzy winced. This was Zane's house, after all. She wouldn't know where to get a pen or paper.

Seeing this, I hurriedly passed her my notepad and pen.

She thanked me and turned to Zane. "You may begin, sir."

Their discussion would take a while. With Milton and Dorothy keeping an eye on Willow and Penelope, there was no better time than now for me to sketch. As such, I quietly went upstairs and began drawing.

There was no telling how long it would take me to autograph the comics at the printing house tomorrow. Not to mention, I had I Willow's performance the day after to attend. I ought to use my free time to sketch new panels. That way, I wouldn't have to come up with more panels when things got busy for me.

I turned on the bedroom lights and padded over to the desk. As I turned on my laptop, I visualized what I wanted to draw and started my sketch.

...

Jessica rested until nightfall and excitedly clicked on the recording Casper had sent her. She stared at the footage, her eyes glittering. She couldn't help but be thrilled as she

watched Casper push Annalise

down.

Casper must have been lying when he told her he hadn't slept with Annalise. At this rate, Jessica would expect nothing less. A wicked smile curved her lips as she waited for the big moment. Zane and Annalise would be over once the video was up on the internet!

However, just as Jessica was close to bursting with excitement, Annalise began to reason calmly with Casper.