After getting her leave letter from the HR Department, Annie walked out of the company, heading to the parking lot.
Most of the employees had already left as the work hours were over. Her phone beeped in her bag and she brought it out and saw Jason’s text.
[Wait for me in the parking lot. I’m on my way to pick you up]
Annie texted a reply.
[Didn’t you go home already]
[No, I’m returning to pick you up. I’m on the road]
After work hours, Jason had hoped to go home with her, but she was still waiting for her leave letter from the HR Department. So he took Layla home instead.
But he couldn’t let her take a taxi, especially when Layla had told him the news about what happened at the mall. So he had to return to make sure she got home safely.
Annie had already reached the parking lot by the time Jason’s last text popped up. She was about to text a reply, but her ears picked up the sound of heavy footsteps and she looked up.
“You.” She blinked at the guy who was suddenly standing in front of her.
“Erm, Ms. Lin, it is nice to see you again.” Assistant Jiang had on an awkward look. “You are leaving late, did you perhaps overwork yourself?”
Annie tilted her head, a small frown making its way to her face. She accessed the assistant before looking around the parking lot as if looking for someone.
“Assistant Jiang, it is unusual to see you in this kind of place.”
“Ah, you’re right.” The assistant laughed nervously. “Ms. Lin is smart as always. You must have already sensed that this poor assistant is looking for something.”
Annie twitched her lips. Something about him seemed fishy.
“What do you want, Assistant Jiang?” She folded her hands, staring straight at him.
The assistant’s heart beat a bit faster from her piercing gaze. He gulped inside then scratched his head.
“Haha, can you believe how silly I am? While I was leaving the company hours ago with Boss, I mistakenly dropped an important document. Now, Mr. Lim is like a volcano. I might lose my job, Ms. Lin.”
He looked so pitiful like a child waiting to be reprimanded. However, his words didn’t seem to have any effect on the girl.
“Isn’t it just a document?” Annie dropped her hands, her expression relaxing. “I am sure Assistant Jiang can print out a new one.”
“I also hope so, Mrs. Lin, but that document is unique.” Assistant Jiang quickly blocked her path as she was about to walk away. “Hehe, Ms. Lin, would you be merciful enough to help me look for it? This parking lot is a little dim, I could use some torchlight.”
“Use your phone.”
“Ah, but I left my phone at Boss’s place.” The assistant breathed out heavily. “Isn’t it unfortunate?”
“What do you want from me, Assistant Jiang?”
“Please lend me your phone’s torchlight, Ms. Lin.” The assistant gave her a pleading look. “I know Ms. Lin now sees me as a stranger, however, we’ve been tight buddies before. We even went through thick and thin together in the past, remember?”
Annie narrowed her eyes and she looked around the parking lot again. “You better not be up to something.”
She didn’t trust this assistant. His pitiful look just didn’t settle well with her.
“Sure–Sure, Mrs. Lin can be rest assured. After finding the documents, I won’t bother you anymore, I promise.” The guy gave her a fraudulent smile.
He turned his back to her and began scouring the place. “Ms. Lin, the torchlight please. I can’t see under this car.”
A car was parked not so far from where they stood. The assistant was now looking under it.
Annie turned on the flashlight in her phone and stepped forward. “Here, take it–“
The remaining words died down in her throat. The moment she approached that car, the door opened and strong hands grabbed her waist.
“Ah!” The girl yelped, completely thrown into a state of speechlessness. Inside the car, she stared back at the man whose eyes were boring through her.
The sound of the car’s door locking snapped her back to the present and she began struggling.
“Don’t even waste your energy,” Andrew said. His hands were firmly wrapped around her, securing her in his embrace.
He leaned closer until his face was close to hers and that made her heartbeat increase. “You. What do you want, Mr. Lim?”
However, the man kept leaning forward until his face was close to her neck.
“Don’t even try anything we’ll both regret. Mr. Lim, I am going to report you to the authorities.”
His hot breath fanned her neck as if he was sniffing her. Annie used both hands and tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he tightened his hold around her.
“Annabelle, won’t you heed my request?”
“It is too late, Mr. Lim. Stop asking for something that will never happen.”
“What if I told you I could make it happen?”
“Don’t try anything stupid. It won’t make me yield to you, Mr. Lim.” Her reply was sharp, ringing in his ears.
But his face was still hidden in her neck, and no one could tell what effect those words had on him.
After a moment of silence, his voice came again. This time, he didn’t sound angry. He almost sounded as if he was tired.
“Aren’t you the most heartless woman in the world, Annie? Let’s see how you’re going to get married to another man in my presence.”
“Marriage and divorce are two different things. You can’t force one, and when the latter comes, you can’t escape from it. Mr. Lim, why can’t you let go?”
Whether he had heard her words or not, she couldn’t tell. His reply never came again, only his even breathing that resounded in her ear.
The man was asleep.
“Mr. Lim,” Annie called out. No reply.
“Mr. Lim,” she called out again.
Her eyes strayed to the window. There was no sight of the assistant. She called out to the man again, tapping him, but he was deeply asleep.
Annie could tell he wasn’t faking it. Considering their awkward position, she couldn’t move freely. And after remaining in the same posture for a long time, her eyelids began getting heavy.
“Andrew, wake up,” she whispered, suppressing a yawn.
“Andy…” The urge to sleep was overpowering, and unable to fight it any longer, her head dropped on the man’s shoulder and she dozed off.