Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Once Edward hung up the phone, Kyle spoke up, “Feeling down? Share it with me. Consider me your

emotional dumping ground.”

Kyle was known for his bluntness, so he had no reservations about admitting his feelings for her during

their time at the pizza restaurant.

Edward took another sip of his drink, lit a cigarette, and held it delicately between his fingers. The taste

of nicotine failed to dispel the agitation in his heart. “She’s pregnant.

This revelation caught Kyle off guard. He recalled their conversation at the restaurant, where he had

urged Edward not to let the opportunity slip away. Edward had mentioned that she was too young, but

now it seemed they had not only missed the chance, but she was already pregnant. Clearly, the

situation was far more complicated than just having a boyfriend.

Kyle asked earnestly. “So, she’s getting married? No chance to confess?”

Edward stubbed out his cigarette, a hint of bitterness lingering. He rubbed his aching temples and

replied, “She doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

Kyle thought of a term. “A one-night stand” Was the girl Edward liked that promiscuous? She didn’t

strike him as that type.

Edward tossed a tissue at him, staunchly defending her reputation despite her pregnancy. “What are

you thinking? She’s not that kind of person. Someone must have spiked her drink.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “But isn’t it still considered a one-night stand? What’s the difference?” As

someone who had never been in a romantic relationship, he couldn’t fathom the distinction.

They both happened in one night. Wasn’t that what a one-night stand was? Was there some other term

for it?

Perhaps a little intoxicated, Edward found himself opening up more than usual. He said, “I always

thought she was too young, so I held back, thinking I could wait a bit longer. But now, I don’t even have

a chance to confess. The girl I’ve liked for so long is pregnant Yet, I always considered her too young.

How ironic.”

Kyle shook his head in resignation, his curiosity getting the best of him. Edward’s feelings for her

seemed to have lasted much longer than just a year or two. “How long have you liked her?”

Edward shook his head, a wistful smile on his face. Instead of providing an exact timeframe, he began

to share a hidden secret from his heart. “We’ve been childhood friends. She was Sherri’s classmate

since we were little, from elementary school, middle school, high school, and even college. It’s quite a

remarkable connection. Sherri liked her and always brought her home to play. She was mature and

polite. Even Juana, who’s not easily pleased, adored her. How could I resist? Ever since we were

young, I’ve been drawn to her. I think it was around when she turned 15 that I realized I had feelings for

her. And now, it’s been eight years. Eight years of not being able to gather the courage to confess. And

now, I don’t even have a chance. It feels like a failure. I deserve to lose her.” With those words, he

downed a drink, his voice becoming slightly husky.

Even Kyle, despite his sharpness, hadn’t anticipated the depth to which Edward had concealed his

feelings. Eight years of unrequited love. What kind of love could withstand such endurance? Was it

Edward’s remarkable ability to hide his emotions, or was Miss Foster simply oblivious to his affections,

failing to see what was right in front of her?

Ultimately, it was Edward who had missed his chance. The outcome might have been different if he

dared to speak up earlier. Now, not even a sliver of opportunity remained.

If Edward were to make another confession now, it would be a two-for-one deal.

Kyle couldn’t help but recall a quote he had come across in a video recently. “I love you, but you have

no idea. When I wanted to share this secret with you, you had already married someone else.”

But now, it wasn’t about marrying someone else. It was about becoming a mother.

Perhaps this was one of the most tragic and heart-wrenching love stories.

Kyle sighed and couldn’t help but say to Edward, “I warned you earlier. You insisted on keeping

everything bottled up, hiding your true feelings.”

Damon, known for his swift actions, lived up to the name of his organization. Velocity Expeditions. The

speed was genuinely

remarkable.

The next day….

The news spread like wildfire, plastering the headlines with revelations about Emily. Photos surfaced

from her high school days, showing her in ambiguous situations with the affluent elite of Athana. There

were even scandalous pictures of her entering and leaving hotels with men during her college years.

Natalie, showing mercy, refrained from pursuing the release of more explicit photos. After all, she was

Mr. Foster’s granddaughter, and she couldn’t be too ruthless, preserving a semblance of dignity for her.

It shattered her aspirations of rising like a phoenix to new heights. It seemed unlikely that she would

find any high-quality suitors in the future, and the Wilson family would certainly never accept her.

Following closely behind was another piece of news, undoubtedly about Mia.

The news revealed the factual background of Mia. She was linked to the Sullivan family. She was

claimed to be the niece of Joy from the influential Blackwell family. Earning the fondness of Henry, she

had chosen to adopt the name Mia Blackwell. However, it was unveiled that she wasn’t the Blackwell

family’s biological granddaughter.

To make matters worse, photos revealed Mia’s flirtatious behavior with the project manager from the

previous bidding project. Although there were no explicit captions, they were placed beneath the news

article about her questionable status as a genuine Blackwell family member. Those with keen eyes

could easily decipher the implications. In this modern and progressive era, people’s minds are adept at

filling in the gaps, often indulging in vivid speculations.

The comment section was already buzzing with discussions. Mia was currently a trending topic with a

higher popularity than Emily, mainly due to her prominent status as a supposed granddaughter of the

Blackwell family. The more famous one becomes, the more scrutiny and opinions they attract. As a

minor character, Emily had no intention of creating a major uproar. She was merely the catalyst, while

Mia played the role of the puppet master behind the scenes.

“Damn, Mia is truly despicable. She’s already Joy’s niece, yet she insists on adopting the Blackwell

surname.”

*Could Mia be having an affair with the project manager? And isn’t she connected to that other person?

Does this mean the bidding for the project was biased?”

“Yeah, you know what? I heard that the other day, that person won the bid. Could it be because of

some special relationship

with Mia!”

In Athana, even when people were discussing sensitive matters, they avoided using direct names.

They would resort to using euphemisms or cryptic references.

Hardly anyone dared to discuss Trevon openly.

Unbeknownst to Natalie, her actions had caught Trevon off guard as well. Due to Mia’s connections,

some individuals who did not win the bid gathered the courage to demand a review and a fair re-

bidding process. This was in response to murmurs and behind-the-scenes complaints from influential

figures who were well-endowed. Feeling somewhat helpless, the leadership eventually conducted a

thorough investigation.

Naturally, they had discreetly approached Trevon beforehand to seek his insights.

They knew the importance of maintaining a harmonious relationship with such a powerful man and

didn’t want to risk offending him.