"Is he not picking?" James asked, looking terrified, and Charles continued to dial Longman's number frantically, in hopes that he might pick up the call, even though he knew it had to be deliberate that he wasn't picking up. "Let me call him. He might pick it if it's from an unknown number." Amelia suggested, tapping her pockets furiously for her phone. She found it, and Charles went to her. He called out Longman's number, and she dialed it immediately; it began to ring. It was too hard to wait, with James' arm still beeping hard. Vera turned, and made towards the door. "Where are you going?" Charles asked. "To Longman's crazy office! How can I sit back?" She asked, with her nostrils flaring, but just as she was about to step out the door, the beeping slowed, and eventually came to a halt. "Is it… is it fine now?" Vera asked, going towards Charles, and Amelia ran to him, crying, as she wrapped her arms around him. Then, Charles' phone rang. It was Longman. "Son of a bitch!" Charles cursed, immediately he picked the call, unable to stop himself. Before Longman could say a word, he had continued to curse at him angrily. "What the hell was that all about?" He asked, breathing hard. "Oh, I see you got my message." Longman drawled, still pretending he hadn't known all along. It disgusted Charles. "Well, I think maybe I intended to serve it as a warning, you know. I know you as a very crafty business man, who always gets what he wants. I saw what you did to the Lincolns, and to sweet Miss Penny. "I'm not about to bargain with you brainlessly. I'm different from every other person you've dealt with. You can't escape me easily. So, unless you want to see your right-hand man barbecued, I think it's best you listen to me, and give me what I want. That's easy to do, right?" It only served to kindle Charles' anger. "You damned…" he was about to curse, but Longman laughed, and ended the call, leaving Charles' anger kindled. "Damn him!" He spat, throwing his phone onto a sofa. "I should just…" He continued angrily, and turned to storm out the door, but Vera stopped him. "Where do you think you're going?""Does he think he can play like that? How can he just toy with someone else's emotions?" He shouted, feeling frustrated. "I know it's annoying. Just… just let him be." James said. "Going to him might make him do further stupid things. I think calming down is the best thing to do right now." Amelia chipped in, softly. "Amelia's right. There's no telling what that crazy man will do if you go storming his office, shouting and swearing at him. It's not gonna help matters, Charles. He's only going to humiliate you because he knows you'll do anything for James." Vera added, still holding on to his arm, and Charles bit his lip hard. "Let's just wait, and think." John said, and Charles tapped his feet furiously on the floor. Before they could calm him down, it took a while. The four of them settled into silence, just sitting, and staring into space. Each in a world of their own. Afterwards, James began to feel exhausted, with his own thoughts, and slowly drifted to sleep. Sleep was his only place of comfort. ~ The next day, Charles visited his company, which was to compete alongside Longman's company in the competition. They had a meeting, discussing what product to produce for the competition, and it was a heated discussion, as ideas flew from left to right. All good ideas. Charles couldn't seem to pick one for the competition. Whatever product he was going to submit with Longman for the competition, he didn't want it to be his best. He wanted a product that he could easily surpass with another when he was free from Longman. "Mr. Lincoln. I have a question." A lady asked, and Charles turned to her. "Go ahead, please." Charles replied. "What about the team from Mr. Longman's company? I thought we were supposed to work together. I mean, we're partnering, so shouldn't they be here, so our plans can be made known to them?" She asked, and Charles took a deep breath, rubbing his brows. "The product we are discussing, and deliberating on, is for us and us alone. Longman isn't involved with this. This is a special product that would be produced from our company, without being under any partnership. We will give this to the company when it's developed, and no one from Longman's company must hear about this." Charles explained, and she nodded, thoughtfully. "Then what about the product for the competition?" A man asked. "Yes, that will be a different product we will partner with Longman for." Charles replied. "So we're making two products. A special secret product for us, and one for the competition, which we'll partner with Longman?" Another lady asked, and Charles nodded. "Exactly." They had smiles on their faces, and Charles guessed they were also pleased with the idea that they wouldn't be sharing anything like trade secrets. "So, all questions asked, I'd need you all to think of two products. The better of the products will be for us, and the other will be for the partnership. Do you all get me?" He asked, and they replied enthusiastically. Charles trusted the team he had put to work. They were the best brains in his company. With that, Charles ended the meeting, and went to his office. There he met Vera, typing away furiously on her laptop. "What's that?" He asked. "A new schedule. You have new appointments, and more things to do." She said, without taking her eyes, and fingers off the laptop. Charles sighed, and went to his seat, plopping down in it tiredly. He checked for some documents on his table he could clear, and then letters began to form in front of him, from the system. He paused, and stared at him. It was a reminder, and it said: TASKS YET TO BE FULFILLED.