Lucid dreaming offers individuals the opportunity to harness the dream state that occurs each night, creating an immersive alternate reality. Despite the lifelike appearance of dreams, they exist solely within the confines of the mind, prompting the realization that the physical world is also a product of construction. This revelation highlights the immense power of the mind to influence reality in ways previously unconsidered.
"Elena?...Elena!" Her eyes snapped open the instant a hand touched her shoulder. Startled, she gazed into the warm smile of a woman.
"Mrs. Carter? What...what happened?" she gasped, terrified by her own actions. Lea smiled, a hint of confusion flickering across her face at the unexpected reaction.
"You were asleep! You must have been having a deep dream because I've been here for almost an hour and you didn't even notice," she explained. Elena blinked in disbelief, her gaze slowly shifting to the bed where Jack lay sleeping.
"He's alive?" Elena asked, a mix of relief and disbelief in her voice, prompting another smile from Lea. She reached out and gently touched Elena's cheek, nodding in affirmation.
"He is! The doctors said he might regain consciousness later today when the medication wears off," Lea reassured, her touch comforting on Elena's face. Elena smiled nervously, a realization dawning on her that it could all have been a dream. A dream so vivid and terrifying that it had shaken her to the core with its realism.
"Oh, that's a relief!" Elena exclaimed as she stood up from her seat. Lea's eyes sparkled with a smile as she gazed at her son, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude to see him breathing and looking better than the day they had found him.
"Oh, I brought you some coffee!" Lea said softly, reaching for the foam cup and handing it to Elena. Elena smiled gratefully, accepting the coffee with both hands and bowing her head slightly in appreciation of Lea's kind gesture.
"Thank you, Lea!" Elena responded, taking a quick sip of the coffee. She closed her eyes, savoring the familiar taste and warmth of the morning beverage.
"You didn't even sleep on the guest bed, it's still so neat! That's probably why you look so exhausted, dear," Lea observed, noting Elena's tired appearance with dark circles under her eyes as she sipped her coffee.
"It's not that! I just had a nightmare, but I'm fine! I should head back home to get ready for work," Elena reassured with a gentle smile. Lea smiled back, her eyebrows raising slightly in response.
"Elena, you're the boss of your company! Why don't you just go home, rest properly, and come back when Jack wakes up?" Lea suggested, brushing her hand gently on Elena's arm.
"It's just that I have something really important to take care of today. That's why I need to get back to work as soon as possible," Elena replied, offering a grateful smile as she bowed slightly before Lea.
"I will come to visit later today," Elena said softly, giving Lea a quick and modest kiss goodbye on the cheek. She hurried out and made her way back home.
The day appeared bleak outside, hinting at the possibility of bad weather. In the bathroom, Elena ran her fingers through her scalp as she washed her hair with shampoo. The sound of water cascading down her body filled the room, creating a peaceful atmosphere. With her eyes closed, she allowed herself to relax, feeling the soothing warmth of the water caressing her skin. The delightful scent of cherry blossom from her shampoo added to the calming experience.
Rinsing away the bubbles and foam from her hair, Elena ran the washing cloth along her body, enjoying the soothing sensation of the water. After almost twenty minutes in the shower, she turned off the water and reached for a dry towel to dry herself. As she dried her stomach, Elena noticed small bruises along her hips. Blinking in bewilderment, she realized she hadn't paid much attention to the fact that she had bruises.
"What in the world? How did I even get these bruises?" Elena questioned herself as she approached a mirror. She stood there, deep in thought, trying to recall how it could have happened, but no memory surfaced to explain the bruises.
"Strange," Elena mumbled under her breath before quickly moving on to blow dry her hair. After getting ready and driving to her company, Elena was back to doing what she loved most. She immersed herself in her work, ignoring any distractions like her phone. The weight of responsibility fell solely on her shoulders following the dismissals of Erica and Clover, both of whom were now selling their shares back to Elena per their contract. As she was focused on writing an email, the sudden ringing of the phone interrupted her concentration.
"Tell me, Sofia," Elena muttered into the speaker.
"Miss Elena... I... I don't know how to say this, but there's a man here asking to see you," Sofia replied in a low voice, sounding almost terrified. Elena raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"And who is that?" Elena inquired.
"Mr. Callaway, Miss," Sofia replied, her words sending a shiver down Elena's spine.
"What? How on earth did he manage to enter my company?" Elena questioned in a stern tone.
"Miss... I'm not sure how he got in, but he's waiting outside your door for your permission. I've already called security, Miss," Sofia informed. Elena nervously nibbled on her bottom lip as she contemplated her next move, eventually letting out a sigh.
"No, it's fine! Let him in," Elena instructed over the phone. Sofia gulped nervously upon hearing her boss's decision. Moments later, the door opened, revealing Carlton himself. Elena's eyes widened in surprise as she gazed at him from her desk. Carlton smiled warmly and closed the door behind him.
"Carl..." Elena murmured as she observed him approaching. His smile remained unchanged as he swiftly removed his sunglasses in a smooth and dramatic motion, reminiscent of scenes from a movie. His large and intense eyes stirred up emotions within her that she had never experienced before. It was as if she had missed witnessing these captivating gestures of his.
"It turns out that with sunglasses, nobody really recognizes me! Interesting, isn't it?" He asked with a smile, pulling out a chair and taking a seat in front of her desk. Elena's eyes widened in surprise at the realization that her security had failed to properly identify him. Clearing her throat in annoyance, she gave him a disapproving look.
"Why are you here, Carl? Do you want me to get beheaded this time by my father, huh?" Elena chided in frustration, causing him to scoff slightly in response.
"Relax, I made sure no one saw my face entering this place!" He said with a cheeky smile. Elena groaned in annoyance at his words.
"Sure, because nobody has ever seen Carlton Callaway wearing shades! I'm safe!" Elena muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Carlton remained silent as he observed her obvious annoyance. Slowly leaning forward, he gave her a look of amusement.
"I missed your displays of annoyance and irritation! It was a classic part of every moment we spent together!" He remarked, catching her off guard.
"What?" She mumbled, her eyes widening in surprise. He gazed steadily into her eyes, his own filled with adoration as if he had just shared a kiss with her.
"El, I just want to make peace between us. If we can't be together, then I would be content with just your friendship. One where I won't get my hopes up for something genuine like love," he expressed, and she listened intently to his words.
"Here!" He mumbled swiftly, tossing a map with documents onto her desk. Elena hesitantly glanced down at the map, then slowly reached out to pick it up. As she opened the documents and began reading the first few pages, her eyes widened in realization.
"These... these papers!" She uttered in disbelief, her eyes glued to the pages. Carlton smirked in satisfaction at her reaction.
"Yeah! It's the contracts with the suppliers and distributors that I took from you! I want to give them back to you," he stated, causing Elena to be completely stunned as she examined the breached contracts from Carlton's company. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes directly.
"I breached the contracts and discussed with them that you and I had agreed upon switching them over to you," he confessed.
"I... I... I don't know what to say!" Elena stuttered in surprise, a smile spreading across her face at the thought of regaining her top partners, which would greatly benefit her company.
"You don't have to say anything! I wasn't really expecting anything, considering I was the one who took them behind your back. I just hope you can see me in a different light, Elena. I don't want to be your enemy like in the past, nor someone you despise because I couldn't keep my word," he expressed earnestly.
"I admit that I took our situation as something serious, causing you a lot of trouble. So, I hope you see now that with this, I just want to clear our path of any further problems between us," he said, his eyes reflecting the sincerity of his words. Elena smiled in response, and her gesture elicited a smile from him as well.
"I appreciate it! I truly didn't expect this," she said after closing the map on her desk. He gave her a small nod and swiftly rose from his seat.
"I will go now! I promise that this will be the only and last time I ever come to this building," he said with a smile in his eyes, causing her own smile to widen. As he quickly pivoted towards the door and put on his sunglasses, her next words stopped him from opening it.
"Thank you, Carl! You just made my day," she said with a soft voice. He slowly turned his head to look at her dewy eyes smiling back at him. With a small bow of his head, he swiftly walked out of her office, leaving an elated woman behind.