As Andrew strolled into the parking lot, his assistant who had been pacing in front of the car for a while saw him and his expression relaxed. He walked forward to meet his boss on the way but instantly put a brake on his steps.
Saying the man was enraged was an understatement. The dark aura emanating from him would make even the most mentally resilient person cower. And it so happened to have the same effect on the assistant.
“Mr. Lim…” he cleared his throat. However, the assistant couldn’t voice out his question about why the boss suddenly disappeared from the ceremony.
Then something else caught his attention and he couldn’t help but say it out loud with a deep frown. “Mr. Lim, Y–Your shirt’s button is missing.”
If there was anything his boss cared the most about, it would be his appearance. Therefore, the assistant was flabbergasted to see one of the buttons of his suit jacket missing.
Annie.
Andrew’s expression darkened, staring at the center of his suit jacket where there had once been a button. He balled his fists before ripping the jacket off and walking away.
The assistant quickly caught the jacket before it touched the ground. His boss might want nothing to do with it anymore, but it cost thousands. This had been specially designed for this ceremony.
Andrew sat in the backseat of the car, taking deep breaths. He closed his eyes and her image flashed in his vision. That made him snap his eyes open and he grunted.
“You left everyone speechless, Mr. Lim,” his assistant said from the front seat. “The shareholders are wondering if you found anything displeasing that prompted you to suddenly leave.”
After this button incident, the assistant could now point his fingers at the reason why his boss was mad. But he didn’t get any response from the man whose dark aura seemed to suffocate the whole car, so he continued.
“Is it because of that lady?”
“Don’t talk about her!” His voice was intimidating, sending shivers down the assistant’s spine.
He gulped and quickly nodded. He didn’t need to guess anymore. Earlier, he’d thought it was just someone that shared the same resemblance with her. But how was this possible?
“Didn’t she…?”
The assistant was quick to put a halt to his question, sensing his boss’s annoyance. As the car drove out of the company, he kept glancing at the rearview mirror to glimpse the man whose eyes were closed.
And after a while, he heard his boss say, “Investigate if she works here. Find out everything about her. Don’t leave even the smallest bit of information out.”
“Yes, Mr. Lim.” The assistant nodded promptly then sighed inside. What else did fate have in store? This was obviously bad timing.
Andrew decided to keep his eyes open. Now only in his white long-sleeved shirt, the man did not look any less intimidating.
His eyes strayed to the window as that expression and that careless smile stuck to his senses.
“Mr. Lim, we are nothing but strangers.”
In that same careless voice, she’d uttered similar heartless words three years ago. “Let’s stop deceiving ourselves, Andy. I can’t go on with this relationship. In the name of love, people turn themselves into prisoners of their hearts. I’m not asking for your opinion, I want to let you know that I’m done with this marriage. Let’s get a divorce.”
…
Without any effort, the memories came flooding on their own, just like the downpour.
Annie stood on the balcony, letting the cold wind sip into her bones. She hoped the deafening splatters of the rain against the roofs would suppress the voices in her head. She hoped the clap of thunder now and then would snap her back to reality.
Maybe the things that happened earlier were just a part of her imagination.
Her phone beeped from her hand and she looked at the message that flashed on it.
[Please exercise more patience. We’ve been doing our best to track her. However, now that you appear eager, we’re going to work harder.]
“Are you planning to get yourself drenched in the rain!?” Her mother’s loud voice rang in her ears and she dropped the phone into her pajamas pocket.
The woman was standing by the door, giving her daughter a look of disbelief. “Annie, tell me what happened at work today.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Annie smiled and walked past her into her bedroom. But her mother followed her to the bed and stood in front of her.
“Then why is it that since you returned from work, you seem a bit out of yourself? And why did you return early? Why didn’t Jason bring you back? Did you two perhaps have an argument?”
“You’re thinking too far, Ma. I told you I’m alright,” Annie said carelessly.
The woman raised an inquisitive brow but she didn’t speak further. She dropped the blanket in her hands on the bed then went to the window and drew the curtains.
“That brat didn’t return, and it’s even raining. Only God knows where he’s spending this night. Talk sense into him when he returns, Annie. I can swear he’s getting out of hand.”
“I will.” Annie picked up a book from the bedside table and began reading. As her mother grumbled around, she got engrossed in the book.
The woman gave her daughter a last glance then shook her head and left the room. Although her daughter rarely spoke and kept to herself most of the time, whenever something was off with her, she could sense it.
Just like three years ago when she returned to the country. The woman never managed to get a word out of the girl’s mouth, but her instincts told her that something about her daughter had changed.