"Where is my son?" Asa's demand lingered in the still air, only to be met by Oleg's infuriatingly serene and almost mocking smile. His evident pleasure in her anguish was evident. Asa, once so resilient, appeared to be crumbling under the weight of her fear and vulnerability. "He's with me," Oleg responded nonchalantly. "And I don't intend to allow you to see him." At his signal, two men materialized and restrained Asa. Despite her frantic attempts to break free, they held her firm. All the while, Oleg reveled in her desperate struggle."Oleg, release her!" Anastasia's voice pierced through the silent tension like a blade. She stood her ground, her eyes hardened with determination, but the flicker of fear lurking within them was unmistakable.Oleg simply turned his head, meeting Anastasia's gaze with an insolent smile. "Oh, look who's become the defender," he taunted, a wicked glint in his eyes.With a flinch, Asa tried again to break free from the men's iron grip, her voice coming

"This is Oleg's house, isn't it?" Timofel murmured to himself, a wave of realization washing over him.Without wasting another moment, he picked up his phone and dialed Biden's number. "Sir, I think I've found her," he reported, his tone cautious."You think?" Biden's voice echoed through the phone, laced with irritation."I've found her," Timofel corrected himself quickly, hoping to assuage his boss's frustration."Where?" Biden demanded, his tone curt."Oleg's house," Timofel replied, bracing himself for Biden's reaction.Biden's response was a wave of anger that echoed through the phone line. "In her ex husband's house again?" He spat out the words with a venom that made Timofel flinch.With a curt click, the line went dead. Biden grabbed his car keys, his hands trembling with suppressed rage. Asa's actions were a slap in the face – a reminder of the childhood sweetheart he had lost, of the forced marriage, and of her continued association with her ex-husband.His car cut through t

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," she pleaded, hoping to appeal to her boss's empathetic side.Miss Evanna maintained her silence, leaving Asa in a state of uneasy anticipation.Finally, the stern expression on Miss Evan's face softened slightly. After a few heart-stopping moments of silence, she said, "I'll consider your plea."A wave of relief washed over Asa. "Thank you, ma'am," she managed to say, her heart still pounding in her chest. She felt a flicker of hope amidst the storm that had been her life recently."While I'm considering that, I'd like you to take that cake to Priscilla," Miss Evanna instructed, pointing towards a cake box on a side table.Curiosity piqued, Asa approached the box and saw the inscription on the cake: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. BIDEN, from Evanna, the head of the design department.' She had to suppress a gasp of surprise. She had no idea it was Biden's birthday. "Tell Priscilla to deliver the cake to the CEO," Miss Evanna continued, not lifting her eyes f

When Asa left work, she went straight to Anastasia's house. Sitting in her living room, Anastasia's eyes held an intensity that seemed to pierce through Asa's defenses. "Asa," she started, her voice low yet laced with a concern that couldn't be masked, "You've been awfully silent?" Asa sat still, her gaze fixed on an indistinct spot on the floor. Her voice, when it finally came, was as fragile as a gossamer thread, barely audible. "Anastasia, there's... there's nothing to say."Anastasia, however, wasn't easily placated. She studied her friend closely, noting the telltale signs of a storm brewing beneath the surface - the slight quiver of her lip, the trembling hands clenched in her lap. With a sudden rush of determination, Anastasia closed the gap between them, taking a seat next to Asa. She knew her friend was struggling, and she was determined to be the pillar of support Asa needed."Asa, talk to me," Anastasia urged, her voice tender, a stark contrast to the firm grip she had on

The lively chatter and music filled the hall as Biden made his way back from his father's room. Despite the noise and distractions, his mind was caught in a loop around the sight of Asa in the crowd. It was unexpected and unsettling. Extracting his phone from his pocket, he quickly shot her a text: "What are you doing here?"Asa's phone buzzed on the table, breaking her into a startled gasp. She hastily picked it up, reading the message from Biden. She quickly composed a reply, her fingers hovering over the screen before finally hitting send. "My mom invited me here. Don't you want me here? I can leave."Biden's phone vibrated with Asa's response. He scanned her message, his face giving away nothing. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, his mind in turmoil.Across the hall, Evanna and Priscilla had been following Biden's movements like hawks, their gazes filled with admiration and longing.Evanna, unable to resist the lure any longer, decided to approach Biden. She carefully adj