A SECOND CHANCE IN LOVE

CHAPTER 8

"It stated here in your resumè that you're an actress? Will this affect your work?"

Vanessa firmly said "no" at the man sitting opposite from her, who was carefully looking at her resumè.

He was the owner of the coffee shop near her apartment, and for convenience purposes she decided to try her luck here.

It was already her fifth interview that afternoon; for some reason, all the hiring owners and managers of the shops where she had applied for a part-time job seemed to think that she was unsuitable for the task.

And Vanessa was starting to get a headache from walking too much under the hot sun. Some tendrils of her hair had plastered at the back of her neck, and sweat made her clothes clung to her body.

Thankfully, this coffee shop had air conditioning and comfortable sofas, so she could rest for a little bit.

Manny was mesmerized by the beauty sitting in front of him. In truth, he was just asking her random questions only to make the interview seem more real. He had already accepted her the instant she walked in his coffee shop.

If this beauty worked under him, not only would his eyes be cleansed everyday, he would reap money as well. The society of today put looks above everything else; this was the reason why he hired workers that were serving the customers' orders directly based on their looks.

And this woman was not enough to call a beauty— because that would be insulting. This girl before him, with her delicate face, wide starry eyes, silky hair, and perfect figure...Manny could only describe her with one word, and that word was goddess!

She was a goddess that was beautiful beyond compare!

Just as Manny was about to tell Vanessa that she was hired, his phone suddenly rang.

His annoyance changed into extreme shock when he read the caller's name.

"Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Ford," Manny said apologetically, and hurried out of his office to take the call.

After closing the door behind him, Manny cleared his throat and answered his phone. "Manager Fa—" He had barely gotten a word in when a cry nearly burst his eardrums.

"Don't hire her!!!"

Manny held the phone far away from his ear, wincing. He looked at the caller ID. Was it really Manager Faustino that was calling him? So he checked again. It was indeed his name, but what happened to his always cool, always calm image? Why was he shouting now? Did something happen to the main branch?

One could say that it was normal for Manny to be this shocked. Manager Faustino managed the main branch of their coffeehouse chain, and Manny had only briefly seen him during one of their company's business-related parties.

He didn't even manage to get to talk to the man. After all, he was just a small owner of one of their coffee shop. It has to be said that there were at least hundreds of this same coffee shop across the country.

So why is he calling him now, sounding so panicked?

"Don't hire who, Manager Faustino?" He asked curiously.

It didn't enter his mind that Manager Faustino was actually referring to the beauty sitting inside his office right now, calmly waiting for him.

Although a great beauty, she was only an ordinary girl looking for a part-time job. How could she be connected to Manager Faustino?

"Don't hire that girl named Vanessa Ford!" He sounded like he was on the verge of a heart attack. "She's Kiran Lauder's woman!"

Manny's mind went blank.

"W-what??"

Manny gasped in wonder. He knew Kiran Lauder, and who didn't? Only a deaf and blind person wouldn't have heard of the most eligible bachelor of the whole country..

Just at the age of twenty-six, he was already a big shot whose own company, entirely dominated the stock market.

His name was listed as one of the wealthiest men alive in the whole world; he had a face that made the girls who saw him instantly fall in love, and he belonged to a family whose status and power in politics made them the last people you want to cross with.

"Ki—Kiran Lauder?" Manny stammered.

Cold sweat started to form on his back, and he looked at the closed door of his office with fear.

"Miss Vanessa Ford is his woman?"

On the other side of the phone, Manager Faustino was looking pale, his eyes still remembering the short text message he had only received a few minutes earlier. It only listed the location of a coffee shop that was under their company, a girl's name, and a brief warning.

But it was enough to scare him shitless.

"Yes!" Manager Faustino snapped at the phone, wondering if Manny had a hard time hearing. "Don't hire that girl! Treat her well, but immediately make her leave. Leave a good impression!"

"Yes sir! Right away sir!" Manny straightened his back like a military soldier taking orders, but his face looked like he swallowed something sour.

Don't hire her, but leave a good impression? Treat her well, but immediately make her leave? How was he supposed to do all that?!

Manny calmed himself a bit after Manager Faustino hung up. He stared at the mahogany door that separated him from his office, remembering just how beautiful the girl on the other side was.

No wonder she became Kiran Lauder woman. She was a goddess after all! What a failure on his part to not realize her importance.

Vanessa was getting impatient when the door finally opened, and Manny finally came back. She smiled at him, but his head was bowed, so he didn't see it.

Vanessa frowned.

He looked different than earlier, more...timid?

What happened to him in such a short time?

Manny avoided her eyes as he cleared his throat and fumbled with the stuff on his desk, giving his shaking hands something to do.

"Um...a—about the job, Miss Ford..."

At the sound of his deflated voice, Vanessa felt her heart sink. Didn't she do well on the interview? Why was he looking at her like a doctor who had bad news to tell?

"I think..." Cough, cough. "You're really unsuitable for the job."

Unsuitable! Vanessa clenched her hands.

That despicable word again!

She forced the words out of her mouth. "Why?"

Manny met her eyes, and quickly focused on the wall behind her.

His heart was racing inside his chest, and he felt like he was at gunpoint as he slowly said, "For one, you lack the experience. Although making coffee is easy, we...ah, we don't have the time to train new employees."

What bullshit! Manny looked at the girl's reaction, wanting to see if she realized that he was lying. Of course they had time to train people! What kind of coffee shop would they be if they just hired people without teaching them the ropes first?

But Manny saw that Vanessa was actually considering his words carefully.

Vanessa felt that his reason was understandable. She had never worked in a coffee shop before. Unlike her, who was a complete newbie, they should hire people with more experience instead, no?

But why did he look so guilty?

She felt suspicious of his sudden change, but knowing that she couldn't do anything to change his mind, Vanessa stood up and offered him a gentle smile.

"I completely understand your concern, Sir Manny. Thank you for this opportunity."

Manny felt himself shrinking under the girl's benevolent gaze. Such elegance! She was truly a goddess, to even thank a lying man like him.

"I'm really sorry for this, Miss Ford." His voice was weak. "How about I give you free coffee every time you find yourself in our shop? It will be on the house!"

Free coffee? Why did he need to treat her to free coffee, and even offer that kind of ridiculous gesture?

She was just someone whom he rejected to hire because of her inexperience, did he really need to give her such special treatment?

Vanessa stared at the man for a second longer. Then she opened her mouth and spoke two words.

"Kiran Lauder."

Manny jumped like a cat whose tail had gotten stepped on.

"W—w—what did you say, Miss Ford?" he stuttered.

Vanessa's expression darkened.

As expected, it was that man!

No wonder nobody hired her! Vanessa had indeed suspected that something was wrong ever since her third interview.

The first one, she thought that the phone call was nothing out of ordinary. When her second interviewer rejected her after a phone call made him look nervous, Vanessa thought it was simply a coincidence. When that happened for the third time, then the fourth and the fifth, and now the sixth time...she could only draw her own conclusions.

It was indeed because of that bastard!

"You don't have to worry about it, Sir Manny," Vanessa said when she noticed that the man had started sweating despite the working air conditioner. "And you don't need to treat me to free coffee. But I appreciate the kind gesture."

After she left the coffee shop, Vanessa dialed the familiar phone number, her expression a direct contrast to the warm weather.

After the second ring, it immediately clicked.

"Yes?"

His voice was melodious and husky, like an intimate whisper in her ear. Vanessa could feel her body responding, but she gritted her teeth and made her voice turn cold.

"Don't play innocent. Why are you stopping me from taking a part-time job? Do you want me to starve?"

There was a short pause. "Are you short on money?"

Hearing his relaxed tone, Vanessa wanted to choke him.

"Of course I'm short on money! Why would I look for a part-time job if I had a lot of money?" She yelled.

She knew this was the first time she had lost her temper with Kiran. Because of her background, she had tried hard to become a perfect lady in front of him, so that he would marry her.

Now that she didn't have the intention of being with him, she didn't need to pretend anymore.

"If you marry me, you will never run out of money."

Hearing the assured confidence in his tone, Vanessa was speechless.

But did you know, when I married you, I became even poorer, alright?! Ah, Vanessa wanted to scream that out loud but forced herself to calm down.

"You could work at the company and become my secretary."

Although his voice was casual, as if what he was suggesting was only something he had thought of just now, it was an invitation that he had been thinking for over half an hour.

If Vanessa worked at the company, she would always be somewhere on his line of sight.

That way, she couldn't run away from him anymore.

"No!" But she didn't hesitate to reject him.

If she worked at his company, Vanessa would only find herself more bound to him than ever. And what if Riana became his wife again in this lifetime, there would be no telling what they would do to her.

Just remembering the way that car had slammed into her body...

She shuddered in fright.

At the sound of the girl's quick snub of his offer, Kiran found himself gripping the phone hard with his hand. He took a deep breath before he could lose his temper, reciting the numbers of pi inside his head.

The stubbornness of this woman could easily drive him mad!

"Fine," he said coldly. "Just make sure you don't come begging me for money!"

.................