Flora recognized all too well the scenes and people in those photos.
That was all taken in Desire’s Chamber No.1, when her clothes were disheveled, and Dylan’s side profile was unmistakable. From every angle, his impressive demeanor was evident. Even a stranger could tell, with just a glance, that the person beneath him was Flora.
Her life, which had just settled down, was once again thrown into chaos.
Her coworkers’ gazes felt like sharp needles piercing her, and some were even bolder, displaying the pictures of their passionate kisses on their screens.
Flora calmly clicked the X in the top right corner and grabbed a file, burying her face in it.
Her expression remained calm, but her mind was in turmoil.
“Who could have sent these photos to the company’s internal network?” She reasoned. “Dylan seems unlikely. He has numerous scandals, but this business is his, and he would not do something that would harm his own interests.”
Flora racked her brain but could not find any leads. In such a large company, it seemed like employees had nothing better to do than watch her and gossip all day.
The office door opened and closed. When her coworkers saw Lilian leave, they dared to raise their previously lowered voices. “Lilian must be furious…”
“You don’t say. The president pursued her so persistently, and she never gave him a glance. Now someone else has taken advantage of the situation…”
“Look, this place seems to be Desire, right?”
…
Flora sat in the corner, propping her cheek with one hand. Once she was calm, she began familiarizing herself with her work and this whole business. Julie, who sat in the front row, occasionally looked back.
“Are you okay?” asked Julie.
Flora was always generous with sincerity to those who were kind to her. “I am fine, thank you.”
Julie dragged her chair next to Flora. “These are useless. To quickly understand the business, you need to review previous design projects. I have some; I will get them for you.”
Indeed, Flora did not have time for gossip. Although Dylan had allowed her to join the company, she still needed to develop her skills on her own.
The long, spacious, yet quiet corridor felt suffocating. Lilian walked briskly, her grip on the proposal getting tighter, wrinkling a corner of the paper.
“Lilian.” In the office area, Kitty greeted her warmly.
Lilian stopped. “Where is the president?”
“He is inside.”
She smoothed the wrinkled proposal again in her hand. The slight irritation on her delicate face had been suppressed, replaced by a cold, indifferent expression. She raised her hand and knocked on the president’s office door.
“Step on in,” a snappy voice chimed.
Inside, Dylan was lounging on the couch, eyes shut. Even so, he gave off a magnetic vibe.
A sleek silver-white suit dangled nearby, and a stack of pressing papers sat on the table.
Nobody could question Dylan’s professional chops, personal life aside.
“Mr. Bowles,” Lilian strolled over and set the proposal before him. “Here’s the design for Soutsar Hill. Please take a look.”
Dylan rubbed his temples. Noticing his exhaustion, Lilian’s mind flashed to the email pics. A sting pricked her eyes, but she hid it well, masking her emotions.
Dylan skimmed the pages. “Leave it, and swing by tomorrow.”
“Got it.”
As Lilian pivoted to exit, her face stayed cool and detached, like she had no wishes or wants, like nothing could sway her.
“Lilian,” Dylan said softly, setting his pen down.
The lean woman halted, a fleeting grin crossing her lips before she spun back around, her expression icy. “Anything else?”
“Join me for dinner tonight.”
Lilian knew his cat-and-mouse game. She nodded. “Sure.”
After leaving the office and shutting the door, a smile spread across her lips.
Dylan had a slew of ladies, but she alone held his attention for the long haul.
Lilian knew that playing hard to get was the deadliest play for a guy like Dylan. The easier to nab something, the shorter its lifespan.
When the workday wrapped up, Julie was the lone coworker to chat with Flora.
In a single day, Julie had cozied up enough to link arms with Flora as they left. Though Flora wasn’t into it, she didn’t push back.
Exiting the building, they spotted Dylan’s driver rolling up.
Dylan snagged the keys and hopped in first. Behind them, Lilian glided by.
Her Chanel No. 5 scent was on point, and as she breezed past Flora, she shot a smug, victorious look, her eyes glistening with shadow.
Dylan glimpsed Flora in the rearview mirror but quickly looked away.
Lilian slid into the car with poise, and the swanky sports car zoomed off, kicking up dust.
Julie eyed Flora warily. Judging by the photos, she and Dylan seemed tight. “Are you… okay?” Julie asked.
Flora pulled her gaze away, her nonchalance authentic. She had no love for him, thus no sadness at all.
His colleagues, and even Lilian, they’d all blown her thing with Dylan out of proportion.
“I’m good. Let’s roll,” Flora said. The bus stop was just down the way.
Just a stone’s throw from the gate, Flora heard a guy holler her name.
She spun around, her face tense, as the man closed in. “Josh, what brings you here?”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Catching the drift, Julie discreetly tugged Flora’s wrist. “I’ll leave you two to it. Catch you tomorrow.”
“Alright, bye.” Flora watched Julie go, then faced Josh. “What’s up?”
“So you work here,” Josh eyed the sky-high building, worried. “Flora, come work at my place instead. La Comte isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Flora had heard the buzz, but Josh’s business couldn’t hold a candle to La Comte. She’d be safer here. “Thanks, but I’m good,” she said politely.
“Flora, I want to… look out for you.” After much stalling, Josh blurted it out.
Flora brushed past him towards the street, and Josh trailed behind. After a long pause, she whispered, “Is it because of HIM?”
“No!” Josh response was immediate, even catching Flora off guard.
“Then why?” she asked.
Josh stepped in front of her, his tidy, short hair falling over his masculine forehead. He hesitantly rested his hands on her shoulders and said, “Justin and I met you at the same time, and back then, I…”
“Josh!” She cut him off sharply, subtly sidestepping so his hand missed her shoulder. “Don’t.”
As she dodged him again, Josh kept pace. “Is Justin still off-limits in your heart? Can’t we even say his name?”
Cars zipped by, hot on each other’s heels.
Just Flora, standing before a massive billboard, felt her heart shrivel and rip again from Josh’s words.
Her fresh hurt and old pain fused, making even breathing sting.
Josh was dead set on not letting her slip away, wanting to dive into her heart and untangle this snarl.
He tried to grasp her hand, but she shook it off in a flash. Leaning on the bus stop, Flora’s eyes welled up. “Yeah, he’s my no-go zone. His spot in my heart won’t budge in this lifetime. Even if someone finds their way into my heart, they won’t take Justin’s place.”
The bus pulled up, and all Josh saw was Flora’s determined, lonesome steps boarding on.
He didn’t chase after her. Through the tinted windows, he clearly saw tears welling in her eyes. Before they could spill, Flora wiped them away.
Her resilience always struck a chord.
Even Josh wondered how fiery she and Justin had been before to leave her in such endless sorrow.
Time zipped by, and before Flora knew it, a month had gone by.
In the design department, Flora’s relationships with everyone, except Julie, were pretty average. Luckily, she had at least become skilled in her work.
After work each day, Josh could almost always be spotted waiting outside the company. He didn’t do much else, just accompanied Flora to the bus stop before driving home.
On the familiar city route, the setting sun streaming through the glass, cast a glow on the Flora’s stunning face.
She got off the bus one stop before her neighborhood, only a short walk away from her home.
She walked, head down, crossing the crosswalk, totally oblivious to the black Audi sneaking up behind her.
In the hustle and bustle, no one noticed this sudden turn of events. Flora was yanked into the back seat, a large hand covering her eyes, her hands and feet swiftly bound with rope.
“Let me go!” Caught off guard, she struggled. “Who are you?”
“Pipe down.” The man’s deep voice was menacing as he signaled the driver to hit the gas.
The Audi sped for about ten minutes before jerking to a halt with a sharp, ear-piercing screech.
Flora was hastily shoved out of the car and stumbled as they guided her into a warehouse.
As soon as Flora anxiously sat in a chair, the people around her seemed to have vanished in a flash. Blindfolded, Flora could only rely on her ears to pick up some clues. Based on the cold, damp air, she guessed they were in a chilly, wet spot.
Faintly, she could hear water dripping.
When sight is impaired, other senses become extra sharp. Flora listened carefully as footsteps neared from not too far away.
The person didn’t seem eager to build suspense, so the footsteps were heavy. Each step felt like a hammer pounding Flora’s anxious heart.
Her shoulders suddenly weighed down, and slender fingers gripped her collarbone. The fingers slowly opened and then closed one by one.
“Who?” At this moment, her voice seemed feeble.
The fingers, reeking of cigarette smoke, touched Flora’s face on both sides. The right hand went over her lips, paused briefly, and then firmly clamped her mouth shut.
“Mmm!” Flora whimper, thinking this guy might want to kill her.
