Aunt Elsie had come back from work quite late that day, fuming in anger due to what occurred earlier that day between her and the executives at the Lerman's company.
She knew the contract she had ripped off was concrete evidence to oust her presence from the company and overthrow her from her post, but she wasn't ready to admit it.
She might have ripped off Ryan's evidence, but that wasn't even enough to stop him; not when Ciara's copy of the contract is still existing. The executives had given Ryan his words and were bent on it, leaving Aunt Elsie to being a loser.
Aunt Elsie would never admit to being the loser -she had come a long way for all of this! She had sacrificed Dwayne's life, Ciara's mental health and Herzl's happiness to come this far; all of these are not for her to be addressed as a loser at the end!
Earlierthat day at the office, after she returned from the Lerman's company, she had searched every part of the office for Ciara's copy of the contract, but her efforts proved abortive.
"That insane girl had managed to hid hers from anyone's eyes reach!" She muttered angrily under her breath. "-like she was expecting something like this to happen."
In anger, she had asked Milan if she had any idea of what the contract looked like or where Ciara might have hid it. "I've searched for it, but I can't find it anywhere around this place." She added in despair.
"I don't think I know anything about the contract you are asking about, ma'am." Milan replied, as she did her best to avoid Aunt Elsie's gaze. The fury in it was visible, and Milan wasn't ready to get consumed in it. "Ms. Fellers had never hidden anything from me -but at the same time, she had never talked about having a signed contract with Mr. Lerman."
Aunt Elsie wasn't satisfied with Milan's response and had dismissed her immediately, telling her she's of no help to what's she sought for. "Just leave, I'll find it myself!" She told her, waving her right palm dismissively at her.
Milan would have left the office with a mixed feeling of fear and confusion, but because she vividly understood why Aunt Elsie was so angry and why she was so fixated on this contract -she did say nothing in reply and had quietly left her boss, just as ordered.
Aunt Elsie, on the flip side, knew Milan wouldn't be of help to her and had decided to find it herself even if she had to go through holes for it! She has to destroy every evidence that might stand in her way for her to accomplish her aim -and wouldn't mind taking down anyone who plans to stand in her way either!
Aunt Elsie was determined to find the contract, no matter what it takes her. She was convinced that if she could destroy it, she would be able to keep her position and continue on with her plan.
She started going through the office, looking for any clues that might lead herto the contract. Furthermore, she searched through file cabinets, drawers, and even under desks, but she couldn't find anything.
Frustrated, she decided to go home and look for it in the house. Who knows if she might have hidden it in the house? The Ciara she knows can be very sensitive when it comes to vital things as this and she continually tries to be extra careful when dealing with them.
Aunt Elsie hurried home, her heart pounding with anticipation. She knew it will be a waste of time searching only the office all day when she had other options, so she was convinced that she would be able to find the contract at home.
After all, Ciara had always been so careful about herwork, and it seemed unlikely that she would have left the contract in the office. It must have been too precious for her not to keep it in her office -maybe her study room was the right answer after all!
As Aunt Elsie drove home, she thought about how she would search the house. Should she start in the living room, or in Ciara's bedroom? Would the contract be hidden somewhere obvious, or somewhere more obscure? But first, she will have to search her study room before anywhere else!
That's a smart idea! It makes sense that Aunt Elsie would want to check Ciara's study room first. After all, that's where she would likely have been working on the contract. And if it wasn't there, then she could move on to other areas of the house.
As she pulled into the driveway, Aunt Elsie felt a sense of urgency. She knew that time was of the essence, and she needed to find the contract as soon as possible. As she walked into the house, she could feel her anxiety rising. Where could the contract be?
As Aunt Elsie got closer to the main entrance to the house, she heard loud laughter -not just of one person but two. She recognized one of them as Herzl, but the other voice was not of anyone familiar.
"Who could that be?" She wondered aloud, her brows creased deeply in curiosity. She might have said the other voice was that of Graciela, but it wasn't -the laughter was that of a male.
Aunt Elsie's curiosity was piqued. Who was this mysterious visitor to the house? Was it a friend of Herzl's, or someone else entirely? She crept closer to the door, careful not to make a sound. As she reached the doorway, she peered around the corner and saw Herzl and a man who she did recognize his face.
They were both laughing and chatting, and the man had his arm around Herzl's shoulder. Aunt Elsie was intrigued, but also a bit angry. How did he manage to get in, and what was he doing in her house?
Aunt Elsie was shocked to see that the man was none otherthan Ryan, the newly assigned CEO of Lerman's company. She couldn't believe that Herzl would bring Ryan to her house, and she felt a wave of anger wash over her. She stepped out into the living room, banging the door behind her and drawing the attention of both Herzl and Ryan.
"Auntie, you are back already." Herzl uttered, his voice tinged with nervousness as he noticed the hard stare on her face; he could tell she was angry at him for bringing a stranger in.
Ryan, on the other hand, simply looked at her, a smug smile on his face. "Welcome..." He uttered mockingly as he flaunted the file with him in the air. "Looking for this...？"
Aunt Elsie's eyes sparkled in recognition, and that of shock too. She had almost gone crazy looking for it all day in the office -how did it manage to get to Ryan's grip...？