Did you ever cross paths with someone you didn't expect to meet again?

I thought that if it ever happened to me, I would feel a little embarrassed about myself. I think instead of greeting him or her, I will probably hide myself.

But at times, we do things out of control. I just know, as I can't get over what just happened at the office earlier.

"Lauren?" Matthew called me.

I can tell from the way he looks at me that he didn't expect to see me. 'Even me, it never crossed my mind that I would meet him again'

But our moment dissipated in a second when Tristan walked closer to me. With that worried look in his eyes, it felt like he snapped me back into reality when he grabbed my shoulder.

"Hey, what happened?" As Tristan tries to call my attention when I can't even take my eyes off the man behind him, I can feel tears on my face as I wipe it with just my hands.

"Nothing, I think something got into my eyes" as I tried to make some excuses, but what Tristan did next was something I didn't expect from him.

When he gently holds my chin up, making me face him as I meet his eyes. He leans closer to me as he tries to check if something has gotten inside my eyes. He was serious; he was not the childish Tristan I know.

'It felt like he really cares about me' when I see how Matthew's eyes darken when he watches Tristan hold my chin.

"I can't see anyth-- " I can see how surprised Tristan was when Matthew took off his hands from my face.

"I already warned you; I do not like it. When you get your hands on what is mine," Matthew said in his cold and serious voice as he held Tristan's arms.

'He changed,' as I can see how furious he looks when he loosens his grip, releasing Tristan's arms.

'Tiing' the elevator breaks the tension between them when it opens the door. his secretary, call him to get in. But his eyes stayed on me, like he wanted to say something.

But Tristan stood in front of me, covering Matthew's sight as he got in the elevator.

It feels like the air has flown on me when I can finally feel how heavy my breath is. Tristan, who is still standing in front of me facing the elevator, had his hands clenched, like he was holding back his anger.

"I didn't expect that you knew my brother, Ms. Lauren," he said, as I could see how his back muscles were tense when he mentioned his brother. He immediately composed himself as he faced me with those playful smiles of his.

I didn't know their whole story, but from what Tristan said to me, I can really tell that they didn't get along well as brothers.

"W-hat? Who?" Riza almost shouted on my face, trying to make me repeat what I just said. I try not to give her any reaction that it didn't affect me anymore as I show her how calm I was when I served her some coffee and a slice of cake on the counter.

I can feel her eyes watching every move I make while she was sitting in front of me. "I said, I met Matthew. He happens to be the new CEO at the company where I work," I repeated myself as I looked at her, eyeing the coffee and cake I served her, saying, 'Give it a try and stop asking.'

She looked at me with those doubtful eyes when I heard the door opening as a man with a bouquet of flowers entered. I smile at him, asking him to take a seat as he puts the flower on the table.

"Can I have an iced Americano, please?" Jonathan said to me with a smile as he took his seat beside Riza's. "One ice Americano, coming up," I said in excitement as I took a glass on the counter.

"Are you evaluating Lauren now?" Jonathan asked as she saw Riza still look at me in those doubtful eyes. She then looked at Jonathan with a questioning look on her face. "Right? Should we check on her, right?" Riza's said, still not moving on the topic of Matthew.

"Who? Matthew!?" Jonathan exclaimed in surprise as Riza told her what happened earlier in the office. "You can't believe it, right?" Riza asked Jonathan as he was still processing everything he heard. He looked at me, and I just shook my head, regretting that I was wrong in telling them.

"That is how you are supposed to react, right?" Riza's look at Jonathan before she gets her eyes on me, like saying on my face, 'How can you be so calm right now? '

I smile at her as I put the glass of iced Americano on the table in front of Jonathan. "It's just all in the past," I blurted out as I got a vase to put the flowers that Jonathan gave us.

It was my favorite, tulips. It looks so gentle and fragile as I put them one by one in the vase. and place it over the counter, where people can easily see it. "I already over him," I added, as I could see how their eyes follow everything I do.

"Look at me! Riza and I will soon open this shop," I say as I look around the shop, which is only waiting until next month before we open it. "And after a month, I will leave my work to focus on our business; I already have that much on my hands right now." I look at them, trying to give assurance in their worried eyes.

"I am fine, okay. Matthew? I am sure I will not be seeing him at the office. He must be busy doing his job, so do I." I said that as I could see how their eyes softened, but still not enough to take away their worry about me.

I just let out a sigh, seeing the two of them still not believing what I said.

'as it makes me worry more, seeing him again after all those years when I tried so hard just to forget everything about him' I can feel the pain in my heart as I remember how my love for him fell apart when he left me, in times where I needed him the most.

'Don't wait for three months; just resign already'
'You should focus now on your business; let's open the shop this month, Lauren'

I still remember the non-stop grant of Riza and Jonathan last night, trying to convince me to stop working and just focus on the business. 'I already consider that case, but thinking about the benefits I will get if I finish my contract makes me want to stay and have a proper turn-over of my job' I was in my deep thought when someone tapped on my desk.

"Mr. Harold is calling you," Camille whispered to me as I looked at Mr.Harold's office and saw him at the front door looking at me. I stand and quickly get into his office, as I can see that he has not been in a good mood since earlier this morning.

He took his seat as he took some documents and put them on his table. I looked at him before checking it out: 'Audit report branch office submitted by Tristan' My eyes automatically saw a lot of mistakes when I read his report.

"Ms.Lauren, am I the one who needs to see those mistakes and correct them?" He asked me in a serious tone. I straightened my body as I apologized for what happened.

"I apologized, Mr.Harold. I will correct it right away and submit it within today," I said, trying to calm him down.

"Should I make you a coffee, Mr.Harold?" I offer him, trying to change the topic. As I can see, his look changed a bit as he nodded at me.

I get a cup at the long table beside his office and open the kettle as I wait for it to boil in just a minute. Everyone knows how to calm Mr. Harold when he is not in a good mood. A cup of coffee can make him forget any mistake we make.

You can call it taking advantage of him, but Mr.Harold can do anything he wants when he becomes so furious and mad about something at work.

I could hear him stand on his seat while I was waiting for the water to boil. "It's been a while since I saw you in your skirt, Ms. Lauren," he said to me as he sat on the edge of his table, looking at me.

I step back as I try to take his eyes off of me. 'This old man, it makes me shiver in disgust when I see those eyes looking at me'. I try to smile as I put his coffee on his table.

"Are you still with your boyfriend, Ms. Lauren?" He asked me. "I didn't see anyone waiting for you when you got home," he continued as he got closer to me.

"If you want, Ms. Lauren, I can take you home later, and we can have a drink at your house," he said directly to me as I could see how his eyes traveled in my body. 'It's so disgusting.'

"Im sorry, but I already had plans. Later, Mr.—" he surprised me when I saw him stretch his arms trying to reach me. It was a sudden movement of me as I raised my hand for a defense.

I can see how his looks change for a while as he stops his hand in the middle of the air. "Did I scare you, Ms.Lauren?" she called me.

My feet felt frozen, as I still remember how his hand touched my body. He will be gentle, and in a second, his hand will give me pain as he pushes me through the wall.

I still remember it all—how Matthew became so furious as he kissed me before.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Harold." I just apologized when I got my senses back, but his eyes were not on me but behind me as someone entered his office. I didn't even hear the door open.

"This is Mr. Harold, our accounting head," his secretary said, explaining, as I already saw them inside the office. He just looked at me with those worried eyes. 'those eyes again'

'I hate it when you get your hands on what is mine.' I remember what he said to Tristan. If anything didn't change about Matthew, it was that he always made me confused with every action and word he said.

"Go—ood morning, Mr. Matthew." Mr.Harold stummered a little as he didn't expect that the new management would be here at his office. I excuse myself, still avoiding Matthew's eyes, but his cold presence gives me a chill when I walk beside him.

"I didn't know the new CEO would be so young and hot."
"Did you see the look in his eyes when he entered Mr. Harold's office?"
"Are you okay, Lauren?"

They all said as we had lunch in the nearby fast food restaurant outside the office. 'Did he see us? ' the question that ran through my mind for that day.

Tristan took a leave today as something happened at home. He texted me early this morning. It's already 6:00 in the afternoon, and I can see Camille packing her things and turning off her computer.

"Are you sure you can finish that today?" Kathrine asked me as she walked to my table with her bag on her shoulder.

"I will surely scold that boy tomorrow," Maddie also said to me.

"I just need to," I said as I smiled, gesturing that they could go home already. Mr.Harold took the afternoon leave as something urgent happened at his home, as Camille said to me.

It's been like about 3 hours since I finished revising the report. I sent it via email to Mr. Harold as I stretched my arms, taking a break for a while before I go home.

It's already 9:20 at night when I leave the office. I was waiting for the elevator, as I could feel how stiff my neck was as I tried to massage it with my hands.

'Tiinnng' 

The elevator door open, but before I can make a step to walk in. I was surprised to see Matthew standing inside. He looks so good in his black suit with a navy blue necktie with some pattern on it and his curly hair neatly swept back, showing his beautiful eyes as they look at me.

'He is looking at me.'

The elevator door was about to close when he pressed the button, and as it opened again for me, "Aren't you going in?" He asked me.

His voice snapped me out of thinking as I just entered the elevator with hesitation. It was silent. I didn't know that waiting for the elevator to go down could take so long that I couldn't wait to get out.

"Did Mr. Harold do something to you?" I was so surprised by his question that I almost turned my head back to look at him.

"I heard about how he treats his employee." His voice was deep and cold. I can't see his face, but I can feel that he was looking at me from behind.

"He's just like that," I said, trying to end the conversation. I can feel his movement from my back as I try to see his reflection from the elevator.

"I think you already heard me yesterday, Lauren." I froze when I could feel his breath on my ears; he was too closed.

But before I could hear the elevator door open in front of me, Matthew whispered something that made my heart cringe in pain.

"I make myself clear, Lauren. I didn't like it when someone took their hands on what was mine."

I was in a daze, slowly walking on the street as I stopped when I saw the red light on the crossway.

"I make myself clear, Lauren; I didn't like it when someone took their hands on what was mine."

It's like a noise that keeps repeating its words in my mind. I don't know what kind of emotions I am feeling right now.

But it's bringing back the ache in my heart. Is it pain? or did he make my heart skip a beat again?

After all those years that I have been healing myself, I can really tell 'that he still gives me the heartache that breaks my hearts into pieces.'

I can see people around me walking as the streetlight turns green, but my feet maybe weren't reacting to what it was supposed to do when someone ran into me, losing my balance.

It felt like the time was so slow at that moment, when I could see how his arm felt so strong on my back, those curly hairs that fell down on his eyes, covering his face.

"Matthew?" I called his name.

But I can see how his jaw tenseened when he heard the name, but he still looked at me with a smile. "Ms.Lauren, are you okay?" Tristan said as I could see disappointment within his eyes.

Or maybe it's how it looks—the reflection of my eyes on his.