Tyrson tried not to dwell on Meryl's words, telling himself that she would come around eventually. But as the day wore on, he found it difficult to push the conversation out of his mind.

Later, he called everyone to the balcony to discuss business.

"I've been in touch with Ludovic Hans," he announced, "and he's agreed to meet with us at his company to discuss the details of the deal."

"That's great news," Iris said, and everyone else nodded in agreement. "If he agrees to help us, we'll have a much better chance of winning the deal."

Meryl sat silently, not saying a word. Anytime Tyrson glanced in her direction, she looked away.

"Julia, how are you feeling?" Tyrson asked.

Julia smiled, though she looked a bit sheepish. "Much better, thank you," she replied.

Meryl's glare was palpable, but Tyrson ignored it too.

"You should get some rest and prepare for tomorrow's meeting."

"Are there any objections?" he asked, and everyone shook their heads, indicating their agreement.

"In that case, this meeting is adjourned. The chauffeurs will be here at 8:00 AM tomorrow, so make sure you're all dressed appropriately." With that, everyone began to disperse.

*

Chicago...

"That's enough for today, Michelle. Let's go home," Cassie said to Michelle, who seemed transfixed by the street dancers.

"Five more minutes, please," Michelle whined.

Cassie glared at her and folded her arms across her chest. "You promised we'd leave after the movie, and remember, you haven't done your assignment. You know your mother wouldn't be happy if she found out."

Michelle looked down at her feet, abashed. "Okay, I'll go.

"I just want to have some fun," Michelle pouted, looking sad. Cassie sighed, frustrated by her stubbornness.

"No, Michelle. We have to go home. It's getting late, and you haven't done your homework." Even though Cassie was firm, she could see that Michelle wasn't convinced.

She squatted down in front of Michelle. "Okay, we'll come back tomorrow." Her expression changed, and she beamed with excitement.

"Really? You promise?" Michelle asked, her eyes wide and full of hope.

""Pinky promise," Cassie replied, running a hand affectionately through Michelle's hair.

"Okay. Let's go," Michelle said.

As they were about to leave, Cassie bumped into a hard body and stumbled backwards, almost falling.

But just as she was about to fall, two strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly in place.

"Get off me!" Cassie exclaimed, shoving the stranger away from her.

"Are you all right?" the stranger asked, his voice sounding strangely familiar.

She looked up and saw the man she had bumped into in the elevator the last time she had visited the company.

"It's you?" she said at the same time as he said, "You?"

They both stared at each other, surprise and confusion evident on their faces.

"Scaredy cat!" Michelle called out, recognizing his face.

Manson shook his head and said, "Have you been stalking me?"

Cassie raised an eyebrow, her tone surprisingly calm. "I think that's the wrong way around. You're the one who's been following me around."

Manson shook his head again, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Is this your mom, Michelle?"

Michelle shook her head, and Manson nodded.

Before he could say anything else, his phone beeped. "Sorry, I've got to take this," he said and left.

"Do you know Scardy Cat, Auntie?" Michelle asked, her tone innocently curious.

Cassie coughed and ignored her question, instead grabbing her hand as they headed to the parking lot.

She packed their bags into the car's trunk and unlocked the car for Michelle to enter, while she went to the other side and got into the passenger seat.

They both put on their seat belts, and Cassie tried to start the engine, but it didn't turn on the first time, and the second time it didn't even respond.

"Aunt Cassie, what's wrong?" Michelle prompted in a tiny voice.

"I think the battery died," Cassie replied, her voice worried. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll have to take a cab home," she explained, and Michelle nodded in reply.

"Okay, then let's go," Cassie said. "Come on down," she instructed, and little Michelle complied. They both got out of the car, and Cassie took their bags from the trunk.

"Stay here, Michelle," Cassie said, hoping the little girl would understand. "I'll go look for a cab."

She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back. Suddenly, a masked man ran past them, snatching her handbag as he went.

"Hey! Give me back my bag!" she yelled, running after the thief. "Please give me back my bag!" she pleaded, her breath coming in gasps. She tripped over a stone and fell to the ground before she could go any further.

The thief kept running, and soon, Cassie lost sight of him. She almost cried with frustration.

"Dammit," she cursed, looking at her bruised hand.

"Need a hand?" a familiar voice asked, and Cassie looked up to see Manson standing there with his hand outstretched. She stared at him, her mind whirling.

*

California...

"Welcome to The Jewellers," the security guard at the entrance greeted them.

He asked for their IDs before they could enter, and Tyrson showed his. The guard's eyes widened, and he immediately apologized for not recognizing him and giving them a proper greeting.

They entered the building and walked up to the receptionist's desk. "Welcome to The Jewellers," the receptionist smiled, recognizing Tyrson right away.

The receptionist nodded in understanding. "I know what you're here for," she said, and made a quick phone call. A few minutes later, a woman in uniform appeared.

"Mr. Griffin?" the woman asked, and Tyrson nodded. "Please follow me," she said, and they all followed her.

She led them down a long hallway, through a door, and into a room filled with display cases full of sparkling jewelry.

"Please, come in," the woman directed them into the room, then left them there.

Tyrson entered the large hall, which appeared to be a boardroom.

They had arrived at the right time - it seemed that the meeting had just ended, as everyone was just standing up. A man, expensively dressed, turned to face them and smiled widely.

"Tyrson Griffin?" he asked, and Tyrson nodded, smiling back. "Ludovic Hans," he replied, and the man chuckled.

"You're right," Tyrson said, shaking the man's hand. He introduced him to the rest of the representatives of his company.

"Please, sit," Ludovic said, and everyone took a seat, except for Meryl, who remained rooted to the spot.

She looked disoriented, her gaze flickering between Ludovic and Tyrson. She was trembling, and her eyes were filled with fear. She took a few steps backward.

"Are you all right?" Tyrson asked, looking concerned. Meryl didn't respond.

Meryl's eyes were fixed on Ludovic, who still wore a smile on his face. She grabbed her hair, pulling it hard in a seeming attempt to ground herself.

"Meryl!" Tyrson exclaimed in concern, but she didn't seem to hear him. She was clearly in the midst of some sort of internal struggle.

Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from her mouth, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Meryl!!!"

****

"Vic, please let me go!" Meryl cried out in pain as he tightened his grip around her neck, making it hard for her to breathe.

"I'll kill you! How dare you flirt with my friend!" he yelled in a monstrous voice.

She could feel the life slipping out of her. "P-please," she managed to croak out between sobs, trying to scratch at his wrists with her nails.

But it was no use. "You're mine, Meryl," he said in a possessive tone.

Her eyelids started to close, and then darkness took over. She heard a faint voice calling her name, but she was too scared to open her eyes and see Hans again.

She rolled her eyes, then opened them slowly, squinting. "Meryl," she heard Tyrson's voice, and she turned to where it was coming from.

She found him sitting next to the bed, his eyes full of concern as he stared at her.

"Tyrson," she said, and he let out a sigh of relief. Before he knew it, she pushed herself up and pulled him into an embrace.

She needed this - to be in his arms, to feel safe. His body was comforting, and she felt like she could finally breathe again.

"Meryl," he called out again, this time trying to pull away from the embrace. But she held on tighter, not ready to let go.

"Please don't leave me," she said, her voice shaking.

"Meryl, please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, his voice full of concern. She couldn't hold back the sob that escaped her lips.

"It's too scary. I don't want to talk about it," she cried, and he could feel the tears dampening his shirt. He caressed her hair, running his fingers through it.

Tbc