Chapter 4

• Surely, the world was full of wonders.
• The assistant carried out his assignment promptly, knowing that this wasn’t a thing to be delayed. Because more than his boss, he was eager for answers. However, the information he had gathered left him in wonder.
• And to make sure there wasn’t a tiny mistake, he took it upon himself to see with his own eyes. Not only did his resource turn out accurate, but also his expectations were shattered.
• He walked into his Boss’s office and saw the man sitting across his desk on a swivel chair. The dark aura hadn’t faded. And despite his eyes being closed, he gave off an intimidating presence, making the assistant question if this was the right time to report this to him.
• “What did you find out?” As if sensing his presence, the man said without opening his eyes.
• Now, it was too late for the assistant to turn around and leave. He gulped and scurried forward with the papers in his hands.
• When he reached the desk, the man had opened his eyes. Remnants of yesterday’s fury lingered in them as well as exhaustion. Which made the assistant doubt if his Boss even slept at night.
• “Spill it.” While the assistant hesitated, the man narrowed his eyes, his expression flashing with impatience.
• The assistant cleared his throat and placed the papers on the desk. “This is the information I’ve gathered.” He started. “Annabelle Lin. She was born and raised in this city. Her mother owns a stall in X district where they live. She has a younger brother who’s currently at a college in this city. As for her father…”
• The assistant trailed off and glanced at his Boss. The man was listening keenly, but his blank expression didn’t give away what he was thinking at the moment.
• “What about her father?” He asked.
• The assistant sighed and shook his head. “I am sorry, Mr. Lim. I couldn’t gather much information about him. The man’s whereabouts as well as Mrs. Lin’s past are a bit mysterious. One thing is for sure, Mrs. Lin did leave this city sometime in the past for some unknown reasons. She only came back three years ago.”
• “Unknown reason,” Andrew scoffed. “What else did you gather?”
• “Ehm.” Now the assistant’s hesitation was evident. He opened his mouth but closed it, seemingly not wanting to speak further.
• He studied his Boss’s expression. The man looked impatient again. Then he shook his head and went on. “About that…”
• “It is true that Mrs. Lin works in this company. She is an employee in the Arts department. And recently, she has just been promoted to the Assistant Manager’s position.”
• Maybe the man already saw it coming, because his expression didn’t change. Or maybe he just didn’t care.
• “And one more thing…” The assistant took some seconds to complete his statement. “A few months ago, Mrs. Lim got engaged to Mr. Juan, the current manager of the Arts department.”
• This was the main reason why the assistant had visited that department himself. To confirm with his own eyes and ears. And everyone attested to that, including a crazy lady who kept saying she was copying his phrase.
• He looked at his Boss’s expression and had the urge to flee.
• Annie. Engaged.
• Just like glue, that word just happened to stick to Andrew’s brain. It was still echoing in his mind even as he sat in the backseat of his car.
• The car drove through the city. It was nighttime already. It drove toward a residential area at the end of the city before coming to a stop in front of a Villa.
• One could tell that the house was newly built, as it radiated luxury and extravagance. Even at this time, servants worked around. The place was being decorated and inside the house, you could hear the chatter of people.
• The driver held the door open and Andrew stepped out. With both hands in his pocket, he took some minutes, standing in the wide space not far from a water fountain.
• He looked up at the sky. And as if mocking him, the stars seemed to be making a constellation of those words.
• Engaged. Annie. What else did she hide from him?
• He walked inside the house and a middle-aged woman met him on the way. “You’re finally back, Son. What do you think about this decoration? I know you want your new home to be perfect, so I hired the most expensive designer.”
• His mother’s eyes shone with joy as she bombarded him with talks. Andrew looked around the place and gave a curt nod. “Anything will do, Mum. You must be jetlagged. Don’t stress yourself.”
• “How can you call it stress? I just want everything to be perfect.” The woman smiled widely. “Andy, you took it open yourself to acquire a whole company in a new city. Your father and I are doing our best to make sure that your home is to your liking. You must be exhausted from all those meetings with the shareholders, so just tell us anything you need.”
• “Anything will do, Mum.” The man repeated his initial words. This time he sounded tired. And he headed upstairs, his footsteps slow.
• “Won’t you ask about your father?” The woman’s eyes followed her son’s back and she frowned. Something about him seemed a bit off. The workload shouldn’t possibly make her son moody. He’d taken up heavier tasks in the past without complaining.
• Her son that rarely lost his cool now looked as if he was keeping in his rage. When was the last time she saw this kind of look on his face? Was it three years ago?
• “Aunty, what happened?” A young lady came and stood beside her and asked softly. Her eyes followed the direction the woman was staring at and she added, “Is something wrong with him?”
• “Rayne, I’m worried.” The woman faced the girl and said desperately, “Andrew isn’t himself and you know how my instincts are always right.”
• “What do you mean?” The girl’s expression changed instantly.
• “Your wedding is only in a few weeks, however, I see a storm coming. Is it perhaps related to that girl?”
• …
• “Annie, tell me the truth.” The guy managed to say the words gently despite his heart beating hard at the moment. “What is between you and the new CEO, Annie?”