My Heart Beats For You

Lugubrious

Mr. Raynott slumps in his worn leather office chair, his usually confident posture replaced by a defeated slouch. While the world outside carries on with its usual hustle and bustle, today feels different for him.

This is the first time in his life that he's truly felt adrift. Staring at the pile of cash on his desk, it seems devoid of any meaning, resembling nothing more than a collection of worthless paper.

For the very first time, he found himself at a loss for solutions. The news of his son being in jail had spread like wildfire across the internet and news channels.

The company's stock shares were plummeting, and a large number of the staff had submitted their resignations via email. His secretary regarded him with eyes full of sympathy.

"Sir, Raydens didn't accept the money." The secretary informed her, and she turned her heels to walk away.

"What do they need instead?"

The secretary looks back. "They said they respected Dean's wish."

"Wasn't that kid present there?"

The secretary shook her head. "He was not present." She tore a piece of paper from her notepad. "This is his brother, Ethan's number."

Mr. Raynott raised his eyebrows and took the paper. "What happened to his number?"

"I didn't ask about it."

Mr. Raynott nodded his head and gestured for the secretary to leave.

Once she left, he stood up from his chair. "What should I do now?"

He remembers Calder's words:
Only Dean can save your son. Request that he take the complaint back.

He glanced at the blank check and chuckled to himself. "This money is not able to buy my reputation." He tore it. "I am not able to buy my son's freedom."

Life is inherently uncertain and full of unexpected twists and turns. Even the most seemingly secure individuals can face sudden and dramatic falls from grace due to a single misstep. This misstep could manifest as acts of selfishness, greed, envy, or even simply a lapse in judgment.

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Calder took a bite of the bread, his thoughtful expression revealing his preoccupied mind. His wife, noticing his distant gaze, furrowed her eyebrows and fixed her eyes on him, silently urging him to meet her gaze. Despite her efforts, Calder merely took another bite and continued to chew, lost in his own thoughts.

"What's wrong?" She asked with a worried gaze.

"I'm just thinking..." He continued chewing and stopped eating with a long sigh.

"Will you just tell me?"

His words are making her upset. She wants her goofy husband back. The one who makes others happy and smiles all the time.

"I have a bad feeling." Calder lets out a sigh after feeling his wife's frustration. "A storm is going to hit Roman's peace very soon. The horror is that I can't even warn him. How am I supposed to warn him?" He looks at me while blinking his eyes. "Just now, I saw Roman being himself again. He started smiling for himself, and this has to happen."

His wife carefully stood up from the chair and held her belly while walking towards him. "I'm in no mood to solve riddles."

"It's about Amelia." He held her waist, kept his head carefully over the baby, and sighed. "Anyhow, Roman was accepting that Amelia is no more and he can give up fighting. But this has to happen."

"Why did Dean step into Roman's life? He was going to get fine with time." Calder mumbled, which the lady heard.

"Bu-but, Roman likes De--"