The Elusive Bride

5. Uncanny Resemblance

THE ELEVATOR DOORS SLID OPEN, revealing an empty lobby to Valerie, or so she believed. Stepping out, she was taken aback when her eyes met those of a familiar, tall man with a slicked black hair. She couldn’t deny those looks. It was the same as long as she could remember.

Her mouth fell open in shock; she had not expected to encounter him in the same location. “That was fast,” she silently mused. Just moments ago, she had gathered her documents, prepared for the possibility of having to flee once more. This unexpected encounter only confirmed her suspicion. It didn’t take long for everything to fall into place.

She quickly averted her gaze, but she was too late. He was already staring at her with the desire to pull her close to his chest. He found her after all the hiding she did. They were finally breathing the same air, and he intentionally reached for her hand. As if she was the lost lamb, he was looking for all this time. Ironic, as she wanted nothing from him at all.

Glad that she was able to slip out of the way as none other than the CEO of Astor Industries whisked him towards the elevator.

Her hands trembled as she walked out of the building. All she wanted to do was run out and pack her things once again. It was her fight-or-flight response. She didn’t care about her work or the friends she would leave. Her freedom was important than the relationships she had. If she could stomach being away from her own family, then it would be easier to move again. Mustering up all the courage, she had to decide immediately. Time was running out for her, given the circumstances.

“Miss Val, are you alright?” The server asked her, not sure for how long he was standing in front of her. Nor how she managed to cross the street without getting hit by a car.

She let out a long breath, which she didn’t know she held out for a long time. With a smile she replied at Heath the server, “I am fine. Just another nerve racking day in the office.” She took the brown bag full of pastries and drinks absentmindedly. Her thoughts were running in circles at the man she saw and her near future.

“Oh, Heath, can I add another set meal please? And could you make it quickly? Our boss is already in the office, so I can only spare a few minutes.” She gave him the sweetest smile as she asked him a favor. One that wasn’t out of the ordinary, as she always placed an order in the cafe for a takeaway.

“No problem at all. May I know what would be the additional order?” Heath replied in a monotonic voice yet his eyes wrinkled a bit and his lips were curved upwardly. It was as if he was programmed to have a pleasant face no matter what the customer requested, even though he was tired and underpaid, just like some of her colleagues.

She glanced at the menu on the counter one more time and settled for a safe combo. Whoever the new executive was didn’t say their preference, so she was taking a wild guess. It was easier to change an Americano to something sweeter than the other drinks.

“I will have a croissant and an Americano, please. Just add it to my tab. Also, we may have additional items later, so have it open just in case.” She gave him her company card to pay for the orders as she looked across the street. It was best to leave her credit card there, given her intentions. Her mind was racing on the possibilities and how he was able to find her once again.

“There’s my beautiful daughter. You look lovely as always, Rie. Are you nervous?” A beautiful woman with similar features as her face greeted her. You won’t be able to discern her age unless you look closely at the wrinkles forming in the sides of her eyes.

“Mom, you know I have been looking forward to marrying Paul since we were young. I am rather excited than nervous. I can’t believe the man of my dreams would be officially become my husband today.” She beamed a bright smile at her mother as the staff did their best to finish her hair.

Her mother gave her a soft peck on her cheeks as she embraced her tightly. “You have grown so fast it all seemed to be surreal. I wish you the best, my daughter. Know that I am here to support your every decision, no matter what the world tells you. I love you! You will always be my little bean, remember that.” She let her go and sat beside her to finish her own hair and makeup.

“Thanks, Mom.” She replied, not fully aware why her mother said those things to her. She was never sentimental or anything. Sure, it was her wedding day and after this day, she would be coming home to the house Paul built for them, but it wasn’t like she would be far from each other. It would just be a few blocks from their house. She made sure the place was close enough for her to get to them if she wanted to.

Valerie was busy placing the food and drinks for each executive as they continued to discuss the items Eric presented to them. There were back-and-forth discussions about the opportunities the project promises. It seemed too optimistic for some old executives.

She minded her own business and continued to smile as she placed the food on the table.

The door opened up. Carter and Mason stepped inside, one after the other. “Apologies for being late. We got stuck with a few details about the contract. Good morning everyone. Allow me to formally present Charles Hearst, our new Chief of Marketing. He will be taking the helm to help us rise to new heights as Astor Industries take on the challenges of this trying times in the economy. Let’s all welcome him and show him around if you have sometime this week.” He stepped aside to give the limelight to Charles.

The executives greeted him and shook his hand as he moved around the conference table. They exchanged pleasantries before he sat in his designated place.

All the while, she froze in place, unable to concentrate on her work. She did hear it right. The guys she saw in the lobby was no other than the man she was hiding from. The bastard had the nerve to show his face like nothing was between them as he passed by her. Yet she was able to get a glimpse of his grin when he met her eyes. He confidently paraded his power over her.

Just his mere presence in the room gave her chills in the spine. Her worst nightmare came true and no amount of pep talk can get her out fast enough. It was like her feet had boulders above them. It was too heavy to move. Every inch was a struggle for her.

She kept smiling and greeting the executives while maintaining her posture. It took all of her courage to remain in the room and finish her work. She owed that much to Eric to leave him hanging at this crucial moment.

The meeting went by without her noticing anything about the agenda. All her focus was on Charles, who kept stealing glances at her. He did participate in the discussions, but all this time, he kept looking back at her every few minutes. He was like a guard dog or something, afraid his suspect would get away.

When she finally came over to his side, she slid the coffee and biscuit. All the while, she avoided making eye contact with him. “Enjoy the refreshments.” She said in a friendly manner.

The sneaky jerk then slid a small paper out of his palm. ‘It’s nice to see you, Rie. We are finally reunited again, my wife.’ The note stunned her. The audacity of Mason was beyond comprehensible. To claim her as his wife was outrageous. She was nobody’s wife.

Deep inside, she was fuming with anger and she imagined how she would kill him, yet outside she was all smiles to keep a facade. She couldn’t wait for this meeting to be over already.