The Ties of Fate

Nathan finished buttoning his shirt and was adjusting his tie when a soft knock came at his door. It was Allison, his trusted maid.

"Sir, you have a visitor," Allison said politely.

Nathan sighed. "Who is it?"

"It's your mother," she replied, her tone cautious.

Nathan frowned but nodded. "Alright. Tell her I'll be right down."

When Nathan descended the stairs, he saw his mother sitting gracefully on the couch, her expression calm but concerned. His jaw tightened as he walked toward her.

"What are you doing here again?" Nathan asked bluntly, his tone colder than intended.

Mrs. Reed looked up at him, her face softening. "Nathan, I just wanted to check on you. You didn't let me finish yesterday."

Nathan crossed his arms. "I don't need you to check on me. I'm fine."

Mrs. Reed sighed deeply. "Nathan, are you still holding onto this anger? It's been two years."

Nathan's voice rose. "Of course, I am! You ruined everything! You—"

"Stop," she interrupted her voice firm. "You don't know the full story, Nathan. You never cared to ask."

"I don't need to know anything more," he snapped. "I've seen enough."

Mrs. Reed's composure faltered, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Nathan, I've made mistakes but I did what I thought was best for our family. Can't you at least hear me out?"

"I've heard enough of your excuses," Nathan replied sharply. "Can you just leave?"

Her shoulders sagged, and she stood slowly, her voice trembling. "Fine. I'll leave. But Nathan, one day, you'll realize that not everything is as it seems."

She walked to the door and paused. "I'll be going back to Germany tonight. I just hope you'll reconsider someday."

Nathan didn't respond. He watched her leave, his chest tight with frustration.

Nathan arrived at work, trying to shake off the lingering tension from the morning. As he walked in, his employees greeted him warmly, though their curiosity about his behavior was palpable.

Near the reception desk, Sharon and Jessie exchanged whispers.

"Have you noticed?" Sharon said, glancing at Nathan as he passed. "He's been smiling more lately, but he's not his usual workaholic self."

Jessie nodded. "I know, right? It's like he's distracted. Do you think he's in love?"

Sharon smirked. "Love? With who? The guy barely talks to anyone outside work."

Jessie leaned closer. "You never know. Billionaires can have secrets too."

They both giggled softly before returning to their tasks.

Once in his office, Nathan decided to call Elena.

"Hey," he greeted her when she picked up. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Elena replied, her voice cheerful. "What about you?"

"Better now," Nathan said with a chuckle. "Are you free tonight? I was thinking we could hang out."

Elena hesitated for a moment, then agreed. "Sure, I'd love to."

Nathan smiled. "Great. I'll pick you up at seven."

After spending a week together, Nathan and Elena's bond grew stronger. Their friendship was solid, and they were more comfortable with each other than ever.

Elena returned to work, and her friend Mia was ecstatic to see her.

"You're back!" Mia exclaimed, pulling Elena into a hug. "I missed you so much. Now spill—how was your time off? And more importantly, what's going on with Nathan?"

Elena laughed. "Mia, calm down. We just hung out a lot. He's sweet."

Mia gave her a knowing look. "Sweet, huh? Sounds like someone's falling for him."

Elena's cheeks turned red. "What? No! It's not like that."

Mia smirked. "Sure, sure. But I've never seen you blush like this before. Face it—you like him."

Elena groaned. "Mia, stop. We're just friends."

Mia grinned mischievously. "My friend is in love. I can't believe it!"

Elena playfully shoved her. "Enough already."

That afternoon, Nathan instructed Thomas to order coffee from Elena's café and make sure Elena delivered it.

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Really? Should I write 'Only Elena must deliver' in the special instructions?"

Nathan shot him a look. "Just do it."

Thomas chuckled. "Alright, alright. You're so obvious."

Later, a young lady named Jenny, one of Nathan's most trusted employees, entered his office with files.

"Good afternoon, sir," Jenny said, placing the documents on his desk. "Here are the reports you requested."

"Thank you, Jenny. Anything I need to know?" Nathan asked.

Jenny nodded. "Yes. The projections for the next quarter are higher than expected, but we may need to adjust the budget for the new project."

Nathan leaned back, thinking. "Good. Send me the details, and I'll review them tonight."

"Will do," Jenny replied with a smile. She hesitated for a moment. "By the way, are we still on track for the merger?"

"Yes," Nathan confirmed. "Keep an eye on the negotiations. Let me know if anything changes."

Jenny nodded and Thomas walked in, grinning.

"She's on her way," Thomas said.

When Elena arrived at Nathan's company, she was awestruck by the size and elegance of the building.

"This is where Nathan works?" she muttered to herself.

Inside, she found Thomas, who greeted her warmly.

"Here to see the boss?" he teased.

"Just delivering coffee," Elena replied, trying not to show her nervousness.

Thomas led her to Nathan's office. When she entered, she saw Nathan talking to Jenny.

Nathan glanced at Elena and smiled. "Jenny, we'll finish this later. Thank you."

Jenny left, but not before giving Elena a curious look.

"Hey," Nathan said, standing up. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Elena replied, setting the coffee on his desk. "Is this your office? It's huge."

Nathan grinned. "Like it? I could give you a tour if you want."

Elena shook her head. "No, thanks. I should get back to work."

Nathan looked disappointed but quickly hid it. "At least stay for a little while. Please?"

Elena hesitated but eventually agreed. They chatted for a while, their laughter filling the room.

Meanwhile, Jenny found Thomas and asked, "Who is she?"

"Just a friend," Thomas replied with a smirk.

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Nathan seems… different around her."

Thomas shrugged. "It's nothing."

That evening, after the café closed, Mia invited Elena to dinner.

As they chatted over their meal, Elena's phone buzzed. It was a message from Nathan: 

Mia leaned over. "Is that Nathan?"

Elena nodded, trying to hide her smile.

"Tell him where we are!" Mia said excitedly.

"No!" Elena protested, but Mia grabbed her phone and typed a reply.

Minutes later, Nathan arrived at the restaurant. Mia's jaw dropped as she realized she was sitting with a billionaire.

They all chatted, but Elena ended up drinking too much. When it was time to leave, Nathan offered to take her home while Thomas ensured Mia got home safely.

In the car, Elena began mumbling nonsense.

"Nathan," she slurred, "you… you're too perfect. It's annoying."

Nathan chuckled. "Annoying, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes. You're rich, handsome, and… nice. Too nice."

When they reached her house, Nathan carried her inside and laid her gently on the bed. As he turned to leave, Elena grabbed his hand.

"Don't go," she whispered, her eyes half-closed.

Nathan's heart raced, but he composed himself. He stayed until she fell asleep, then quietly left. At home, Nathan received a call from his younger brother, Kelvin.

"Nathan!" Kelvin's cheerful voice came through. "Guess what? I'm coming to the US tomorrow!"

"That's great," Nathan replied, smiling.

Kelvin's tone turned serious. "Hey, about Mom… you should give her a chance. Look into the past yourself."

Nathan sighed. "Kelvin, I don't want to talk about this."

Kelvin chuckled. "Fine. See you tomorrow."

The next day, Kelvin arrived, his playful personality brightening Nathan's mood.

"Big bro!" Kelvin said, hugging him. "You've gotten even grumpier. Is that possible?"

Nathan laughed. "Shut up, Kelvin."

As they chatted, Kelvin teased him about everything from his workaholic habits 

Meanwhile, Elena woke up to a message from Nathan: How are you feeling today?

She smiled, her heart fluttering as she typed a reply.

Elena dressed up, ready to return to the café after her eventful night. As soon as she arrived, Mia greeted her with a mischievous grin. 

"Well, well, look who's here," Mia teased. "How's our little drunk from last night? Do you even remember anything?" 

Elena rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing. "Mia, keep quiet. Of course, I remember… bits and pieces." 

They both burst into laughter, cracking jokes about the previous night and how Nathan had come to her rescue. 

Meanwhile, at Nathan's house, Kelvin was brimming with energy. He decided to join Nathan at the office for the day, mostly because he wanted to see his favorite staff members, Jessie and Sharon. 

"I've missed them so much!" Kelvin exclaimed as he ate breakfast. 

Nathan raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Out of all my employees, your favorites are the two biggest gossips in the office? Really?" 

Kelvin grinned unapologetically. "They're hilarious. They keep things interesting." 

Nathan chuckled. "Alright, fine. But try not to distract them too much. Come on, let's go." 

On the way to the office, Kelvin couldn't resist teasing Nathan about his newfound cheerfulness. "So, big brother, what's the deal? You've been unusually smiley lately. Is it work… or a certain someone?" 

Nathan shot him a playful glare. "Shut up, Kelvin." 

Kelvin laughed. "Oh, I'm definitely onto something!" 

When they arrived at the office, Nathan had Kelvin hide so he could surprise the staff. Nathan stepped into the building with his usual confidence, but today, there was a rare smile on his face. 

Sharon, who was on her way to the water dispenser, spotted him. She froze for a moment, then smiled back nervously. 

"Good morning, Mr. Reed," she said, almost dropping her cup. 

Nathan grabbed her hand gently. "Come with me," he said, pulling her toward the main office area. 

Sharon was stunned. As they walked, whispers began to ripple through the office. 

"Is he… holding her hand?" one staff member murmured. 

"First time I've seen that," another added. "Is Sharon the reason behind his smile lately?" 

Jessie, watching from her desk, felt a pang of jealousy. Her mind raced with wild assumptions about Nathan and Sharon's relationship. 

By the time Nathan and Sharon reached the middle of the office, everyone had their eyes on them. 

"Good morning, President Reed," the staff greeted in unison, their curiosity barely concealed. 

Nathan smiled at them and said, "I have something to share with you all. But first, close your eyes." 

The staff exchanged puzzled glances but obeyed. Nathan noticed Sharon still staring at him, smiling. 

"Close your eyes, too," Nathan said with a small laugh. 

Sharon giggled and finally closed her eyes, her cheeks pink. The room buzzed with anticipation. Jessie, overwhelmed by her imagination, was already tearing up, thinking Nathan was about to confess his love for Sharon. 

Nathan cleared his throat. "Come in," he said loudly. 

Kelvin entered the room with a beaming smile. "Surprise!" 

The staff opened their eyes, gasping in unison as they saw Kelvin standing beside Sharon. 

"Mr. KELVIN!" Jessie cried out, tears streaming down her face. 

The staff erupted into cheers, rushing to hug Kelvin. Jessie stayed rooted to her spot, crying loudly. 

Kelvin approached her with a soft smile. "Hey, Jessie, why are you crying?" 

Jessie sniffled, her voice shaky. "I missed you so much!" 

Kelvin, touched by her words, pulled her into a warm hug. "I missed you, too. You and Sharon." 

Sharon, who had been watching jealously, joined in the hug, prompting laughter and teasing from the other staff. 

"You two are my favorites," Kelvin said, grinning. "And I promise to take everyone out for dinner before I leave for Australia." 

The announcement was met with cheers and applause. After a few more moments of excitement, Kelvin told the staff to return to their posts, and he followed Nathan to his office. 

As they settled in Nathan's office, Nathan asked Thomas to prepare for a visit to Elena later that evening. 

Thomas nodded. "Got it, sir." 

Kelvin's curiosity piqued. "Elena? Who's that?" 

Nathan hesitated, then smiled. "Someone special." 

Kelvin's eyes widened. "Wait… are you in love?" 

Nathan laughed softly. "Maybe." 

Kelvin jumped up, pumping his fist in the air. "Finally! After two years, my brother is in love again! This is amazing!" 

Nathan shook his head, amused. "Calm down, Kelvin." 

"Calm down? I'm overjoyed! Who is she? What's she like? Can I meet her tonight?" Kelvin fired off questions excitedly. 

Nathan chuckled. "You'll meet her soon enough. Just don't scare her off with your antics." 

Kelvin laughed. "I make no promises." 

Meanwhile, in the office, the workers gathered in a corner, buzzing with curiosity about Nathan and Sharon. 

"Are they secretly dating?" one whispered. 

"No way," Sharon said, laughing. "There's nothing between us." 

Jessie crossed her arms. "Then why was he holding your hand earlier?" 

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Because he was leading me to the office for Kelvin's surprise. That's all." 

Jessie sighed in relief. "Good. I thought something was going on." 

The group laughed and decided to head out for lunch, with Jessie and Sharon leading the way as their usual gossiping duo. 

As the day wound down, Nathan prepared to visit Elena, his excitement building. Kelvin, thrilled by the prospect of meeting Elena, couldn't stop teasing Nathan about his newfound happiness. 

"Big brother, I can't wait to meet the woman behind that smile of yours," Kelvin said, grinning from ear to ear. 

Nathan shook his head, trying not to laugh. "You're impossible, Kelvin." 

"Impossible and proud of it," Kelvin replied with a wink.