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Twist Of Fate

Katrina sat at her desk, her gaze fixed on the blank screen of her computer. She had tried to focus on her work for hours, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the troubling encounter with Don. Despite her best efforts to move on, she was still plagued by a knot of uncertainty and confusion. And just as she was trying to push these feelings away, she heard a sharp rap at the door.

"Come in," she said, trying to muster a welcoming tone despite her inner turmoil. She braced herself for yet another round of well-meaning encouragement from her ever-supportive friend.

When the door opened, Katrina's jaw dropped in surprise. She had expected Emily, but instead, there stood Don. Her frown deepened as she glared at him scornfully. If only she had seen him coming, she could have shut the door in his face. But now, he was standing right in front of her, and she felt a wave of nausea rising in her stomach. The memories of their past came flooding back, each one more painful than the last.

Sounds of footsteps truncated her trails of thought. She shuddered with fright. Instant sweat broke out on her forehead as her hand ferried to her trolley and picked a handkerchief before Don could notice it.

"Hello, Katrina," Don said, a serious expression on his face. "I know we have a lot to discuss, and I want to be clear that this is strictly about business. I'm not here to try and rekindle anything from the past."

Katrina nodded, relieved to hear him say it so plainly. "I appreciate that, Don. I'm also here to focus on the business at hand."

They sat down and began to discuss the issues facing her company, and how Don's experience might be able to help.

"I've been thinking about our new venture," said Don, his voice taut with eager anticipation.

"Have you given any thought to a new company name?" Don pressed, his voice brimming with eagerness and excitement.

Katrina's stomach churned as Don spoke, his voice making her feel physically ill. His words seemed to drip with insincerity, and she felt a surge of disgust. All she wanted was to get away from him and his false platitudes without making a technicolor yawn.

"Who told you I had consented to your ridiculous proposition?" she demanded, her voice sharp and scathing. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she fixed him with a withering glare, her lips curled into a sneer of contempt. "Do you think I want do this? Do you know how much I feel suffocated with you around me? Do you know how hard I'm trying to keep my ears close not wanting to listen to your bullshit?" She laid tons of questions at him, though not requesting for a reply.

"Let's focus on the business at hand, and put the past behind us," Don said, his voice steady despite the turmoil he felt inside concerning what Katrina had said. "The company's future is more important than any personal issues we may have." He steeled himself against the emotional manipulation he knew Katrina would try to use against her. This was about more than just their relationship - it was about the company and the people who depended on it.

"I'm not reflecting on the past, it's all because of the company and nothing else. I'm only trying to tell you that I've not accepted your seducing offer." Katrina spoke with sincerity and vulnerability, hoping to get her point across without hurting his feelings.

"I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood," he stammered, taken aback by the ferocity of her response. He took a step back, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. He noticed the frosty glare of Katrina on him.

"However, without my proposal, I'm not sure your company can succeed," he repeated, his voice conveying a mixture of desperation and defiance. He held her gaze, hoping to persuade her, but she remained unfazed. In fact, her expression grew even more disdainful, as if she were looking at something unpleasant and unwanted.

"Are you trying to pressure me with threats?" she snapped, her anger seething beneath the surface. Her tone was icy, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion and distrust.

"If you won't accept my proposal, I need to know within 48 hours," he snarled, his temper finally breaking. Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and stormed out the door, his face flushed with rage. As the door slammed behind him, the silence that remained was heavy and tense, filled with unspoken animosity.

As Don stormed down the hallway, his bodyguard fell into step beside him. The bodyguard's trained eye could tell that something had gone wrong - Don's posture was rigid with fury, his face set in a scowl. When they reached the parking lot, the bodyguard stood by the car door, waiting for Don to climb in. But Don remained frozen in place, his chest heaving as he struggled to calm himself.

"She has no other choice," Tyson mumbled under his breath. He was loyal to his boss, but he knew that the situation was dire. The company's future hung in the balance, and he could only hope that she would make the right decision. But in his heart, he knew that the outcome was far from certain.

With a sly smile that sent a chill down Tyson's spine, Don whispered, "I have a plan. I know what to do." It was a smile that did not reach his eyes, and Tyson couldn't help but wonder what dark scheme was brewing behind that expression.

......

Katrina packed her belongings into her car, she moved slowly and mechanically, as if her body was moving on autopilot. She was exhausted and overwhelmed, and she felt a profound sense of powerlessness. She knew she had to go home, but the thought of facing what awaited her there filled her with dread.

Her mother had taken it upon herself to find a suitable partner for her daughter, convinced that she knew better than Katrina herself.

She was determined to see her only child married, with a family of her own. She was worried that time was running out, and that her daughter would end up alone.

In her eyes, it was her duty as a mother to ensure that her daughter's future was secure, even if that meant making decisions for her.

As Katrina stepped out of her car, she felt like she was stepping into a trap. The front door of her house loomed before her like a prison gate, and she hesitated before taking that final step inside. Once she crossed the threshold, she knew she would be subject to her mother's will, with no chance of escape. With a heavy heart, she braced herself and walked through the door.

As Katrina entered the room, her mother proclaimed, "This is the man I told you about!" Taken aback by the sight of the man standing before her, Katrina was so caught off guard that she tripped over her own feet. Caught in a moment of surprise, she struggled to regain her composure. The man in question stood there, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

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