Page 20 of Deadly Secrets

Effective September 12th, Sienna Moore becomes the major shareholder at Cos Pharmaceuticals Inc.

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Cos Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: COS) would like to announce that Sienna Moore, daughter and sole heiress of the late Edward Moore, Founder & CEO, has assumed the role of major shareholder in our esteemed company, effective September 12th.

Until the Board of Directors appoints a new CEO, Peter Lawrence, COO at Cos Pharmaceuticals, will continue to oversee the business’s day-to-day administrative and operational functions.

“I feel very honored by the trust that my father placed upon me. My commitment to the company he built when I was a child is absolute, and with Peter Lawrence as my mentor and interim CEO, I have full confidence that my father’s legacy is in good hands,” Miss Moore commented.

Upon reading the announcement, I felt my palms grow sweaty and my breathing become shallow. Was I having a panic attack? I was overwhelmed because it all felt so painfully real that I felt like drowning. In the past three months, I’d endured the fallout of a nasty breakup and the death of both of my parents in a plane accident. Now, I had the massive responsibility of taking over my dad’s multimillion-dollar business. While I should have been excited about starting college, it got soured by my childhood best friend insulting me. Honestly, I was on the brink of a breakdown.

I hit reply and told Peter and the PR team that the text was perfect and that I didn’t wish to make any changes. The photo was okay. It was not my best picture, but at least I looked professional.

* * *

As I entered the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology class, I quickly spotted Maggie comfortably seated in the fifth row. It was our third day of college, and I was enjoying all my classes so far. The first day was a roller coaster of emotions. There were moments throughout the day when I wanted to call my mother and tell her all about my classes, my new apartment on campus, and my run-in with Ander. Sometimes, I would catch myself looking at my mobile screen with my thumb over her name on the agenda. I still kept their numbers active, as if deleting them or canceling their contracts would feel like admitting that they’ll never be able to answer my calls anymore. They were just numbers, but I kept telling myself the day would come when I felt strong enough to delete them. Until then, who cared?

Maggie and I were chatting when Professor James Reed entered the classroom. He was in his early thirties and quite attractive. I was sure more than one girl in this room wouldn’t mind doing special assignments to improve their grades. Don’t get me wrong, I got it. If all professors looked like him, absenteeism and illiteracy would be extinct.

“Good morning, everyone. I hope you have enjoyed your first two days because you may regret taking my course by the end of this class.”

A murmur broke out among the class as a result of his greeting, but he turned on the projector and continued presenting.

“Today, I’ll introduce proteins, their structure, function, synthesis, and degradation, so unless you have a question, I want silence and your full attention on the screen.”

Reed spent the next fifty-five minutes going through the basics, and by the end of the hour, he handed out a stack of papers to one of the students at the front. The guy picked one up and passed the entire stack to the next person to his right. When I got the chance to grab one for myself, I saw a list of questions. Fifty, to be more precise.

He stood in front of the class with his back to the table, his hands locked behind him.

“I want you to work on those questions and return your answers by the end of the week. I won’t accept assignments after 5 p.m. on Friday, so you have two days to work on them. I want short and concise answers. If you cannot reach the point quickly, I’ll mark your response invalid. Don’t waste my time,” he said sternly. After that, the class was dismissed.

The day went by quickly, and once I finished my last lecture, Vector Calculus for Engineers, I went straight to the campus library. My plan was to work until late tonight on Reed’s assignment and take Thursday and Friday to review my answers and work on being succinct. When I approached Maggie and invited her to join me, she declined, stating that she was weary and preferred to work from the comfort of her room, clad in her cozy pajamas. I couldn’t blame her. These first few days had proven to be draining for both of us. While the idea of studying from the convenience of my apartment seemed attractive, I couldn’t ignore the temptation that a nearby fridge posed as a potential distraction. I often found myself standing before the open refrigerator door, gazing into the void, unable to make up my mind. Frozen yogurt, cheese, or perhaps a satisfying sandwich?

Maggie had agreed to meet me tomorrow evening at my place to review our responses and offer suggestions for improvement, so I guessed tonight it was just me, myself, and I…and fifty questions to work through.

It was around midnight when I decided to call it a day and retreat to the solace of my apartment. It became evident that completing the assignment in its entirety tonight was an unattainable task, and to be frank, I was utterly drained both mentally and physically. I’d been yawning nonstop for the past half an hour, and I needed a shower and a bed. After I placed everything in my laptop bag and my phone in my back pocket, I walked through the expansive library aisles. The place was huge. During the day, it was full of students, but I didn’t think I had seen a single soul in the past hour. Given that it was only the first week of classes, it seemed people weren’t in study mode yet. But me? I’d forever been the student known for achieving excellent grades, never missing a deadline, and eagerly participating in class discussions.

Only my footsteps echoed softly through the library as I mentally reviewed the classes I had tomorrow. Suddenly, a faint sound of steps reached my ears from somewhere behind me. I instinctively glanced over my shoulder, but no one came into view. An anxious knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Perhaps it was the residual effect of having watched one too many horror movies, for this moment eerily mirrored those scenes where the unsuspecting blonde meets her untimely demise. But she shouldn’t have gone into the basement…should she? The voice in my head told me to get the fuck out.

Don’t be as stupid as the chicks in horror movies, Sienna.

As I reached the end of one aisle and turned right, I hit a wall. But it wasn’t a wall…it was someone’s chest. A startled scream escaped my lips, causing my bag to slip from my grasp and crash to the floor. My eyes darted upward, ready to face my murderer.

Noah.

“Sorry. Did I scare you, Sienna?” he said, raising one eyebrow with a mischievous smile.

I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.

“No,” I lied.

“Why are you here so late, by yourself?” he asked.

“I was working on an assignment. And you?”

“Actually, I was looking for you. We haven’t talked since Saturday, and I’ve been dying to see you.” His eyes darkened as he closed the gap between us, leaving me sandwiched between him and a bookshelf. He laid his hands on each side of my head and lowered his face only a few inches from mine, our noses almost touching. I could smell his scent, like coffee and sandalwood, with a hint of jasmine. I could feel his warmth all over me. It was intoxicating. I knew I should be scared. We were alone, and Ididn’t know him well enough. We had only met a couple of times, and although my instincts told me to run, his presence overwhelmed all my senses. He knew the effect he had on me.

“Are you avoiding me, Sienna?” His voice was low and seductive.

“No. I’ve been busy,” I breathed.

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