“I know you hold a grudge against me, Mr. Lim.” She stared into his eyes, her voice calm and collected. “But don’t you think it is petty of you to stalk me?”
The man was holding her too close to his body, and that same fragrance sipped into her senses. Tonight, the fragrance was deeper and more prominent on his body. As if he’d just walked right out of the closet.
Andrew’s hold tightened around her arm, his chest heaving up and down. One second, he was in his bedroom ready to call it a day, and the next second, he found himself racing to this street. Who would have thought he’d bump right into her?
“You think I hold a grudge against you?” He said between gritted teeth. “If I held a grudge, Annabelle, you know better than anyone that you wouldn’t be standing here today. I just dislike people like you.”
“If you dislike me then stop following me.” She smiled. “Even strangers dislike each other, and it doesn’t make them attack each other unnecessarily. Mr. Lim, I don’t have power over your emotions, so I won’t ask you to stop disliking me. All I ask is for you to stop following me.”
Strangers.
That word made Andrew’s heart tighten. The fury expanded in his chest, and if looks could kill, she might have long dropped dead from his glaring eyes.
“Are you going to keep saying we’re strangers?” He growled.
“If not strangers, how do you expect me to address our relationship?” There was a tone of ridicule to her words, as well as carelessness. Her face was masked with a smile, making it difficult for him to detect what she was thinking.
Maybe she really saw him as a stranger right now. This realization was supposed to make his anger plummet, but somehow, his eyelids were becoming heavy. The same sleep that had escaped his eyes since he saw her again, was now floating back.
Three years ago, she’d had the same effect on him. Andrew had thought he was already cured. But her appearance again didn’t only open up old memories, it also brought back old wounds and traumas.
“You are so despicable.” He pulled her closer until she was deep in his embrace and he murmured against her ear. “If I have kept a grudge, I wouldn’t have let you go easily three years ago. I just dislike your actions, I dislike your lies.”
“Then leave me alone.” She brought her hands up to his chest and pulled away. “As I have said, I can’t control your like or dislike towards me. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours. Then we won’t be a bother to each other.”
“You think that is easy?” The man chuckled, his eyes cold. “Don’t you want to know what I do to people I dislike, Annabelle?”
Annie took a step back, putting some distance between them. It didn’t show on her face whether his intimidating words had an effect on her or not.
And a cold smile flashed in her eyes as she said, “You are the new owner of MystiArt Productions. And I’m only an insignificant employee. If Mr. Lim wants to relieve me of my position, I’ll gladly look for another job.”
…
Annie’s eyes were wide open that night. Until the wee hours of the morning, she didn’t get a wink of sleep. His words rang in her head. And that expression stuck in her mind.
Wasn’t fate just so cruel? When a person thought they’d finally gotten hold of the reigns of their lives. When things appeared to click into place… like a whirlwind, destiny would come storming, leaving destruction in its wake.
She reached for her phone from the bedside table, then sat on the bed and supported her back against the headboard.
Scrolling down her contacts list, her fingers stopped at a particular contact and she sent a message.
[I’m not a baby. In the whole cyber universe, who doesn’t know that you’re the smartest hacker? Tell me if you want more red packets, I won’t hesitate to send them. All I want is her location.]
A reply came immediately.
[Ah, you’re praising me too much, Ms. Lin. I can’t help but commend your choice of words. Believe me, however, even I feel ashamed of admitting it. Whenever I happen to get traces of her, the clues disappear. Which makes me wonder if she’s ordinary.]
Annie dropped her phone and spaced out. Ordinary? The lady didn’t appear so. Although they’d only met once, she could tell that there was something strange about that lady.
But if it wasn’t for her, Annie wouldn’t have been where she was today, even though she did pay a huge price. And now, it was time to repay her debt.
“Where are you off to this early?” As she put on her sneakers, her mother’s voice came from the door.
Annie stood up and used a rubber band to tie her hair into a ponytail. “Jogging, Ma. Hope you slept well.” She gave her mother a brief hug before hurrying off.
The woman was left flabbergasted. She came here to investigate why her daughter returned very late last night, not expecting that she’d be hit with another surprise. Since when did she start jogging?
Her hand went to her chest and she patted it. These children surely would not give her a heart attack. And to think that that brat was still out there, forgetting that he had a family. ‘Urgh.’