CAPTURED HEART

Ema Standson, a strong independent young woman who has a stable job working for L&M Company Ltd. an IT company where she is the Directing Manager for the Design Department. A subset of the IT Department where her best friend works, Ferdinand Carlson who is in charge of the company's system security in the IT Department. Ema's flips upside down before she even realised after her father's unjustified accident, when she decided to find justice for her father by infiltrating the company with a false identity in order to find out the truth behind her father's death....

The chaos to Ema's life began when Ema meets the bossy, cocky, smart, controlling and handsome Jamie Tayoh Collon who is now the new owner and CEO of her father's company, FS Fashion. Shocked to find out the new CEO is the same arrogant but intriguing man she met a few weeks before she started working for the company as his Executive Assistant, she realises her tasks of getting what she wants won't be as easy as she thought it was going to be. She'd have to bury her attraction for the man and keep her head in the game or give in to her attraction, let her heart be captured and lose focus....

As the sun rises in the early morning, the sounds of the birds whistle on the trees and the soft wind blowing across the window. The beauty flips her blanket over her body and walks over to her window enjoying the view and feeling the loving breeze and the warm sun race flickering through the window. She walks slowly to her balcony door which is a two-door, side-by-side and opens it wide with both hands while walking towards the balcony. She leaned on the balcony of her small but comfortable apartment, and watched the sun rise with a warm smile; she didn't realize how long she had been standing there until she heard a knock on her bedroom door which startled her before she turned towards the door to see who was there. And there! Was the person she least expected especially not at this hour in her house and at her bedroom door for that matter. Is this incident going to change Ema's life for good? Giving her life a turning point! Is this turning point going to be to the positive direction or the other way around?

Ema has a tough decision to make but what-if she uses their attraction to her advantage? Would she be condemned for betrayal? Would she even be able to get the information she wants? All these thoughts crossed Ema's mind and since she's already involved, she would have to make a decision fast! A company the shareholders which is a part of connived and sold it without her knowledge and she had no idea she had shares in the company until later on in her investigation. This is where the beginning of betrayal, hurt, lies, confusion, misunderstandings, stems from in the story. Ema in the course of her investigation, will encounter a lot of dark secrets which will lead to more confusion and misunderstanding, because she has no idea who to trust anymore and does not know how to stop digging and leading herself into more danger and trouble....

Let me tell you a little about Ema's personality;

Ema Standson is a very composed person and doesn't get scared of anything except for one thing......'The Heart!' She could get hot-headed sometimes, and say some things in anger or when she's pissed off without thinking but all the same, she's fun to be with though she likes being by herself and doing things on her own. She could be a pain in the ass sometimes but anyone who knows and is willing to understand her better, will know how to handle that. Ema loves sports, music, movies, writing and reading. She is a big fan of nature and loves adventure. ..

Jamie Tayoh Collon is a business tycoon who owns a chain of businesses, FS Fashion being the newest addition. He may be very arrogant, stern and cocky when it comes to business, but he has a soft and understanding heart underneath the hard facade. Jamie is enamored not only by the beauty and intelligence of Ema, but also by the way she is able to challenge him personally which drives him crazy. The saying "Opposites Attract" seems true in the case of Jamie and Ema's lives.

Ema had a perfect life after all she had to endure until that moment where fate has a big surprise for her! How far is Ema willing to go in order to make her life what it once was or at least something similar? Continue reading to find out more about Ema's adventure. Let's get started.....

Surprised to see my best friend, Fernando and for short, Ferdi; whom we haven't had any communication for a while with all the work at the office, gave me a questioning expression, like a what-is-going-on look and I asked; "what are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

"I've been knocking on your door for a while now and I thought you were not around until I had to touch the doorknob, only find the door open, so I let myself in guessing you'll be in your bedroom if you were at home" he said oh shit! The Hanna lady left the door open when she left and she didn't even make me aware of it.

"Ok. So why are you here this early? Aren't you supposed to be at work by now cause I'll be out of here soon." Touching the back of his neck, he started stuttering,

"uhhmm.....I have bad news..." there! I knew it! With that kind of expression on his face, I knew there was something there; something's wrong and that's what I didn't want to get after waking up on a good side today prepared to start work on a good stance. This isn't good at all!! And the sadder his face looked, I could imagine the gravity of how bad the news was but I still wanted to hear it.

Ferdinand Carlson is a very good friend of Ema's and they are co-workers. Ferdi is as hard headed as Ema and compassionate as well; he is not as fearless as Ema but time and challenges can change a person completely. He is focused and diligent when it comes to his work which he is same with Ema in the technological department of the L&M Company Ltd and is responsible for the security of the company while Ema is part of the Design Department of the same company and is responsible for every product/service design the company offers and is part of. Ferdi and Ema are not only co-workers, but neighbors as well.

Ema....

"Yeah, Ferdi what'sup? Why are you looking so pale? You're scaring me you know......" he took a deep breath twice then spoke which left me speechless.

"Okay.....there was an accident and your Dad was involved while on his way here to see you. He died on the way to the hospital.........am sorry Em that I have to break this to you this early. I couldn't wait.."

I lifted my hand to cut him off cause that was one hell of a bad news to get this early in the morning and too much to assimilate. I didn't know what to feel or say, then I thought of my Mum!

"Where is she? I mean my Mum" I asked, still not looking at him, I just couldn't

"She's with him at the hospital, she asked me to call you, but I decided to just come get you at once," he said, shifting from one foot to the other.

"okay let me change and we can go.'' Grief was beyond me and it was so hard to accept cause my dad was my closest friend and my mum, don't have words to describe the kind of relationship we had........I changed into something presentable like my genes and blue t-shirt with my converse and we left for the hospital

There were times I always thought life is and will just continue being as interesting and just wanted to revel in the moment and wished it never ends. Little did I realise life or rather fate has its own surprises for each and every person in its own time. I never thought my life could get any worse as I hoped Dad gone will just be a grief and pass and then life goes on while I deal with the pain! But no! There was something more and there is always something more......

Dad passing away was just the beginning of how bad my life would turn out to be. Dad always acted like all was okay and well and nothing was wrong, I believed him. Hell! He was my rock and always there for me when I needed him.

He always told me everything was going to be fine even when he was troubled about something, little did I know our financial situation was that bad; no make it worse!

I was so confused and most of all, shocked! After the funeral when the lawyer called us I didn't think or rather it didn't even cross my mind that the situation was that bad. I knew Dad had some business problems but not as bad as it was now and he always said he'll find a way each time I tried to help out when he comes to pay me a visit which was always often and he'll say

"My dear don't worry, just focus on your job there's nothing wrong sweetheart everything is fine. I'm fine. Am just glad you're happy with what you do..." and who am I to say otherwise? I'll just let it pass and move on. But now I know exactly why.....

".....he tried to remedy the situation of the company but it got worse as there was a mole in the company.....Ema are you with us?"

I was pulled out of my thoughts and wasn't even listening to what the lawyer was saying any longer. It was too much to take in at once.

"....uh yeah I am...just what were you saying didn't get the last part?" I was lost......"yeah I know this isn't an easy thing to take in and it's a lot I didn't tell you since it wasn't my place to do so and he didn't want to do so I had to respect his decision but now that he came across a sudden death I have no choice but to let you know the situation at hand.." the lawyer said.

The poor man; he's not too young or too old could be in his mid-forties. Mr. Mark is a strong looking man despite his age, and I could see the stress lines furrowing on his forehead but I had more to worry about and a decision to make.

So from all what he was saying, it seems my Dad's company had gone bankrupt and he was trying to recover from the losses due to the act of a mole that was in there working for one of his competitors. And I think this is more than a competitive rivalry.

Then he was in an accident not long after he found a way to revive the company! This is a lot more suspicious than I thought. There is more to the story than what meets the eye! I have a feeling the accident and bankruptcy are connected somehow but that's something for another day.

Thank God my best friend came with me. I don't know what I would do without him! Mum was another story! She had refused to come and acted like she didn't care Dad was gone.

I don't know what to say to that.....after I insisted and asked her why she acted like Dad going didn't seem to border her, she then accepted to follow me just to evade the question but I knew she felt his absence even if she acted as though she didn't. There was much more to this story and she knew something!

Seems like it was yesterday

That I saw your face

You told me how proud you were

But I want to wait

If only I knew what I know today

I would hold you close.....

....

There's nothing I wanna do

To hear your voice again

Sometimes I wanna call you

But I know you won't be there

(STESSY B.)

When Mark was telling us about Dad's debts and issues, Mum didn't act surprised though she tried but I knew better which just went ahead to confirm my suspicions that she knew something and I hope it won't be too late before I found out what it is.

"So what should we do to resolve the situation?" I asked, wanting to know what he had in mind.

"We can't really resolve the situation completely since we have no idea yet who the mole was and the police are still on the case so the company is not completely closed down yet but it's not really that functional as well. But someone needs to be in charge so when things are calm and there seems to be no way out we can decide on closi..." I cut him off before he even has the chance to complete his sentence..

"No! That's my father's hard work throughout his life and he worked so hard to make it what it was before someone decided to bring it down but it's not over yet.

"Am sorry Ms. Standson it's just a suggestion" he apologized

"It's okay I just got carried away. Anything else?" I just don't want Dad's company to be completely closed down, and it won't, without a fight.

"It's okay I understand and no I don't think so since the police haven't said anything yet" he replied coolly

"So what if there is someone to take charge of the company and we keep the knowledge of the situation stagnant while using it as a means to get the culprit?" That's what I think but I need to get his opinion first

"Yeah that's a great idea! And no one has thought of that but the problem is who will take charge?"

"Honey, I need to get back home. I don't feel too well and I don't think I can be part of this discussion anymore. The company is down just let it be"

Throughout this discussion I had even forgotten Mum was there until she spoke. She had been so quiet you wouldn't even notice. And she says what! I should let it be?? Seriously! "Mum, are you serious about what you just said?" I wanted to be sure I heard correctly

"Yeah why not! The company is down already. What's the point of keeping it if it would only cost more?" I couldn't believe she was the one talking like that....of all the things she could have said...this!?

"That's Dad's company we are talking about here and he worked so hard to make it. What are you talking about?" I couldn't just let this pass

"I am not talking about anything. Of course I know how hard he worked I watched him give his life to that stupid company and look where it has gotten him! And worse of all, us! Now we have to pay his debts and suffer for his mistakes. He should have thought of the consequences before he decided to expand" I was so shocked it made me speechless.

I had no idea Mum harbored so much hatred for Dad's company. What did Dad ever do to her? I don't know...or rather what did the company have to do with her? Cause she seems like she has a lot to say about that. So I'll let it slide for now.

Throughout this discussion I had even forgotten Mum was there until she spoke. She had been so quiet you wouldn't even notice. And she says what! I should let it be?? Seriously! "Mum, are you serious about what you just said?" I wanted to be sure I heard correctly

"Yeah why not! The company is down already. What's the point of keeping it if it would only cost more?" I couldn't believe she was the one talking like that....of all the things she could have said...this!?

"That's Dad's company we are talking about here and he worked so hard to make it. What are you talking about?" I couldn't just let this pass

"I am not talking about anything. Of course I know how hard he worked I watched him give his life to that stupid company and look where it has gotten him! And worse of all, us! Now we have to pay his debts and suffer for his mistakes. He should have thought of the consequences before he decided to expand" I was so shocked it made me speechless.

I had no idea Mum harbored so much hatred for Dad's company. What did Dad ever do to her? I don't know...or rather what did the company have to do with her? Cuz she seems like she has a lot to say about that. So I'll let it slide for now.

Sometimes I feel like that clouds are closing in on me and there's nothing I can do about it and now is one of those times when I need my Dad the most but it's actually his absence that's making me feel this way and I don't know who to turn to.

I take a taxi home to freshen up before going to Mum's and also give her some time to calm down before we talk. Cause we really need to talk.

There's just so much to talk about and I am quite sure she won't let loose all she's harboring inside and I know she has been keeping that for a very long time but how long is what I am not so sure about.

I walk in and she's standing by the window watching the cars go by and the busy street. She looks deep in thought and I don't want to disturb her but we need to talk, I need to clear some things before I can move ahead; I don't know about her but I'll do everything I can to ensure that Dad's company comes back to life.

"Mum" she slowly turns around to look at me and from the look on her face; it shows she's been crying.

"Yeah, what are you doing here? Thought you'll be home resting" I don't know where to start from or even how to start.

"No. I went home to take a shower and come, here cause we need to talk or rather finish what we started at Mr. Mark's office." She exhales a heavy breath then takes a seat and motions me to do the same.