A sudden pain shot through my brain, making me wide awake. I sat up straight, clutching my head. Tears started flowing through my eyes because of the immense pain. Wiping the tears away, I peeked at the clock, which struck ten. My brows furrowed when I saw sunlight illuminating my room. It's ten in the morning! Fuck!

My head spun like I got down from a merry-go-round. Slowly, I placed my feet on the ground and it felt numb. My legs didn't even feel anything when I placed them on the floor. Confused, I touched my feet, and I could feel nothing. Groaning, I searched for a glass of water. My throat felt so dry that it felt like a barren land. My eyes landed on the bedside table, a paper, medicine, and a jug of water placed on it.

Confused, I placed the water jug and medicine aside and held the paper to read it. It had scribbled handwriting that was pretty hard to read considering my state. I focused, and it said, "Eat me.". I read it once more and it ended with a phone number.

A note below it states, "So unfortunate of me to not have my wife's number. Here is mine and I have a really important matter to discuss with you. Call back when you are sober." Ends with a smiley.

Shaking my head at his childishness, I put the paper aside. Slowly, I stood on my feet again and held the nearby chair. I found another note. It read, "Why do you need to be so stubborn? I have placed a plate full of food on the table. Have it. You will feel good." What even was the matter with him?. I wondered, but couldn't stop when a smile took over my lips.

I won't eat unless I get cleaned properly as I stink of alcohol. I cringed when I took in my attire. Small memories flashed before me when I brushed my teeth, taking in my attire. Zearo changed my dress and thank God, I wore this thin clothing instead of complete nakedness.

Maxy hugged my body and, to be honest, it barely covered anything. I did not think I would be comfortable wearing these if I was sober. All credit goes to Keryl. She forced me to drink, as I was beyond nervous for my liking even if the entire party was to celebrate my fake marriage...

I washed out the stink of alcohol nicely. While in the shower, my mind threw flashbacks of last night. Normally, I don't remember a thing about stuff that happened in my drunken state, but I didn't even have any idea why I saw the faces of Zearo and Julie again and again that I so desperately wanted to forget.

Frustrated with me, I had to find something to engross on, something to remove their faces from my head. Hastily, I put on a faded grey t-shirt for a change and black jeans. I normally would avoid wearing casuals for my work, but weirdly I wanted a change and my eyes landed on this beautiful pair that Keryl brought for me long ago.

To give it a formal look, I put on an overcoat that ended mid-thigh. It was so cold outside and I wouldn't want to catch a cold. It would hamper my work. To be honest, these parties hampered a lot of work and I had a super tight schedule for crying out loud.

Eating the food on the table, I took the pill as my headache was so hard making me unable to move. Folding the note that Zearo left for me, I put it in my overcoat, taking a mental note to call him when I'd be done with today's work.

****†*****†******†*****†***

As the clock struck six, I took a deep, audible breath. My day passed like a breeze in cold weather. I felt the rush but couldn't manage the time properly as it slipped past my hand. Clicking on the intercom, I was making sure for Aria to note what I wanted to order. But she didn't pick up.

Surprised, I cursed under my breath as my head didn't cope with me now that I tortured it with the heavy work all day long. I tried calling her again, but this time she picked it up on time. "Aria, come to my office with my black coffee, please." I hung it, not waiting for her to say anything.

Picking the speed again, I flipped the pages of the file that piled in front of me. Anderson's has been a pain in my ass after I took over the company. Until yesterday, they took me as a competitor but now; they knew my identity. Even if I had my mom's surname, Keryl and Dima took proper care to sever all the connections that would lead to the fact that Samantha D'Waner is my mom.

Putting my pen down, I gently massaged my eyes as they started hurting. To rest a little, I pushed my chair away from the table and laid back a little. My eyes scan the portrait of my mom and grandma. Jonathan Anderson met me so many times. We did so many contracts together, but he never got past the conference room. If he would have been allowed, I was sure he would know who I was. My identity was because of my mom and grandma. Their portrait was the only support that pushed me to cross all the hurdles.

"Destiny has a funny way to get to you when it wants to," I whispered. A smile on my face appeared as I imagined the horror on their faces that they lost to the same girl who they desperately wanted to kill before she was born. He was just a hall away from knowing the source of his destruction, but he couldn't. His fate had something else on his plate. Much more destructive one. I chuckled and twirled a little in my chair. Assuming that they must have had an amazing night yesterday.

My movement stopped when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said, getting back to my work. My poker face on and the pen twirling in my hand. "Ma'am, your black coffee." Aria trotted inside my cabin with a tray full of food and a black coffee. Surprised, I looked at her as I asked her to bring me only a cup of black coffee.

"Uhm, Mia ma'am came to the office and wanted me to serve you food when she found you did not have your fill today." She said, as usual, in a nervous tone. Her eyes were on the ground and her fingers twitched.

"When did she come? And why was I not informed about it?" I asked as I did not know that Mia was there. I didn't even get to meet her. She usually comes when she has a task to disturb my work schedule and I was worried about it today as well.

"Because Mia ma'am wanted to let you work as long as she doesn't get bored?" Mia enters my cabin with a bright smile on her face. Her short dress made me cringe at the site.

"What the hell did you even wear?" I asked her, standing from my seat and pointing at the skirt that didn't even bother touching her knees. She barely wears short dresses as her boyfriend hates it to guts. "Did the sunrise from the west today?" I asked Aria and she looked at me as if I was serious.

"Aria, please will you excuse us?" Mia said to her, glaring at me hard. Her eyes were red and swollen. I couldn't even imagine what happened to her. She never loses her cool in the way she was behaving.

As soon as Aria was out of our site, I walked past my table and held Mia's hands. She looked everywhere else but me. My suspicious mind studied her body whether she was hurt somewhere but I couldn't find any injury.

"Mia?" I questioned. My voice was a lot calmer than before. Pulling her towards the couch, I sat down, studying her face. She smiled nervously, but then it turned to a cry baby expression.

"You are worrying me." My voice betrayed me by thinking of the various possibilities.

"Arian wants to marry me." She whispered with a shaky breath. "Okay" is all I could say, as it was so clear that he was going to propose to her one day.

"Liara!"

"What? You didn't expect that?" I questioned her, flabbergasted, as she cried louder, calling my name.

"Noooooo!" She shook her head, clutching it in both her hands.

"You don't love him?" I was trying to figure out what exactly made her nervous.

"What?! No! I mean yes, I love him!" She hastily stood from her seat and trotted from one corner of my office to another. Not bothering to have neck pain by staring at her, I unlocked my phone and texted Emma and Olivia.

"What's in your mind?" I asked her as my hands worked their ways, informing my other friends I needed them.

"I think I'm not enough for him. He is so handsome, wealthy, and has a family. I'm just a nobody! And to top it off, he wants to settle in LA." she said, her thoughts rolling down her tongue. I could detect that it was her insecurity talking. I sighed as I knew she would never accept how amazing as a human and as a beautician she was.

"Did you look in the mirror? That guy is head over heels for you! He never cared about status or society. It's you he needs most in his life. He even wants to leave his family and settle in LA, Mia! Los Angeles is your dream city. Your profession would boost a thousandfold in that city!" I tried weighing the cons and pros. She always dreamt of setting up her business in LA. I couldn't understand why she was so tense about her dream coming true.

"I don't want to leave you." She declared, looking me in the eye. I knew she loved me but I can never tolerate it if she'd deny her happiness because of me. Guilt filled in my senses, making it hard for me to accept that she wanted to lose her love just to stay with me.

"Look, you gotta stop behaving as your life revolves around me, alright? You don't have to babysit me. I can take care of myself." I felt a pain in my chest thinking about her leaving me. But I would never let her know it affected me.

"But you are my life!" She sobbed. Taking steps closer to her, I hugged her tightly, allowing her to release all her sadness and every built-up emotion. Just the thought of her leaving me was killing me inside, but I patted her shoulder with a smile on my face, making sure not to lose it in front of her.

I couldn't recall how long we stood like statues. Her constant blabber of promises of not leaving me soon changed to staying in touch after her marriage. I shook my head at my friend's mentality. She was so deep in love with him but yet wanted to end that because of me. I wiped the tears away from her cheeks and said, "Life gives you only one chance to be happy your entire life. Grab it when you can, otherwise, you will regret it forever."

"I didn't even answer him, Liara!. When he proposed to me, it followed his plans along with it. I freaked out and rushed directly to meet you. He will be so worried." She was back in her form, I could tell. Wiping the tears away from her face, she dialed his number, and I moved away, not bothering to listen to the two lovebirds talking.

"What even was so urgent? Gosh! I had an emergency meeting with a celebrity!" Emma came bombarding my cabin along with Olivia. I did not tell them what the matter was, but I just sent a quick message asking them to meet me here asap.

"As if that celebrity didn't meet you yesterday or the day before yesterday." Olivia mocked her and Mia laughed, walking toward me. Her eyes questioned me if I asked them to come. I nodded.

"Guys, I have news for you." She said, and I walked towards her, giving a little squeeze to her hands.

"You are giving us a heart attack, woman." Emma groaned and Olivia slapped Emma's shoulder.

"Arian proposed to me."

"Okay." Olivia and Emma gave the same expression I did. Mia looked at me, and our eyes met. I gave her an expression by lifting my eyebrows and a smirk on my lips, showing "I told you."

"Guys!" She shouted.

"What?" Emma asked, confused.

"Mia, you lived in denial. We didn't. We knew he was going to propose to you one day." Olivia explained, giving Mia a tight hug, Emma following suit.

"He wants to settle in LA," she said as they parted ways. Emma looked at me and then at her, knowing why it was a big deal for Mia.

"Mia, LA is your dream city, and that guy loves you so much. What's bothering you?" Emma asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Nevermind, she cleared things up with him and got everything sorted." I tried ending the discussion and Olivia chimed in, giving me a heart attack.

"We have to celebrate this day!"

"Where are we going?" Mia asked, happiness so clear on her face.

"THE SHIMMERS NIGHT!" Olivia and Emma high-fived each other and I could feel my body freezing.

"Isn't that the same bar where Zearo works?" Mia asked, excited about the night out.

"I'm not sure if I can join you guys. I have an emergency meeting." I said and walked past them. Shimmer's Night has always been a nightmare for me.

"No can do, lady. You are coming with us and that's final." Mia folded her hands below her cheeks and glared at me. Olivia and Emma join her.

"Why did I befriend you guys?" I groaned when I knew they wouldn't shut until I agreed to their plans. Shimmers Night, here I come.

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