John was startled by his initial answer.

"No," he immediately changed it. He couldn't comprehend how he had arrived at the 'Yes,' feeling as if he were inviting his own death.

Alex felt like a raging bull amidst a sea of red flags. Either everyone around him was behaving foolishly, which he knew wasn't the case, or else he wouldn't have employed an incompetent assistant.

However, since Alisha entered his life, everyone seemed to sound increasingly foolish, as if they were teetering on the ...