"Is he still around? Daddy," Shikera asked. She had not called or spoken to her father since that day when she stord out from the house.
"He left that sa day. I think his condition got worse after seeing you so his doctor required him to return imdiately," Mrs Mason replied.
"Does he know?"
"I don’t think so. And if this helps, I can guarantee that I was there when your mother died but this...I don’t know how to explain."
"She is not my mother," Shikera looked up from the phone, returning it back to it’s owner. She continued, "It’s just a lookalike."
Mrs Mason shook her head, the certainty in her eyes startling Shikera.
"If it was simply because I saw her at the airport, I would conclude it’s a lookalike too. But Shikera, I saw her at Anderson Corporation too. Why would she co—"
Shikera interrupted her, "Anderson Corporation? Did she co up to ask for daddy or...?"
"No. And she was so lost in thought while looking around that I was able to take that video without alerting her," Mrs Mason pointed at the phone.
It was at that mont that Shikera noticed that the setting of the video was actually the lobby of Anderson corporation.
’How did this woman even get in?’ she asked herself inwardly, unable to bring herself to call the woman ’mom’. As much as Shikera had thought she loved her mother, she didn’t seem to feel any emotions for the woman in the video. In fact, instead of feeling excited, she felt scared...like she would not be able to control the things that would happen to her from this mont on.
"Shikera? I have to get back to work. Do you want to stay with you?" Mrs Mason snapped Shikera out of her thoughts.
"It’s alright, Aunt Lu. When next you see this woman, do let know," Shikera implored her, getting up from her seat and walking out from the cafe.
Whether her mother was dead or not, she still had to get to work and show the person she would repay her before answering the inevitable call of death.
Mrs Mason watched her leave the cafe before standing up from the chair. She went to settle her bill and was about to leave when her phone rang.
"Chairman Anderson?" she murmured aloud, picking the call imdiately.
"I heard Natalia was loitering around the corporation premises, is that true?" Liam went straight to the point, not bothering to dilly dally.
Mrs Mason’s eyes widened, but she was quick to regain her composure.
"What are you saying, Sir? We all know Natalia is dead," she replied, making sure her nervousness was not reflected in her voice.
"Lu, I am talking to you personally now and there’s no one else around! Natalia is dead to the world, but we didn’t confirm it ourselves so I will ask again. Did you see her?" he asked again.
"I did."
"That’s good. You know what to do. I will be arriving in three weeks."
★★★
First floor, DL Corporation...
Ruthlyn looked up when Enoch and Raymond stepped out of the elevator, and a sly smile crossed her lips. She waited until Raymond entered Ethan’s office, and Enoch was on his seat before standing.
Enoch was waving at Toni now, so the situation was perfectly alright.
"Hey Ryu," she called, walking over to the man’s table. Her voice in the silent room made all the secretaries look up, as they didn’t have much work that morning and had been less busy.
"Hi...Ruth? Good morning," Ryu greeted, wondering inwardly if Ruthlyn had alter personalities. He had greeted her cheerfully this morning and she had responded formally, but what was this now?
On the other hand, the other secretaries and Enoch were wondering when Ryu and Ruthlyn began to address each other on first na basis, and didn’t do a good job at hiding their surprise.
Ruthlyn looked around, smiling brightly.
"Why are you all looking at us? Or do I have sothing on my face?" she asked, her eyes moving from face to face before settling on Toni’s.
Feeling the need to reply to their senior, Toni hurriedly answered, "It’s nothing. We were just surprised that you were addressing Secretary Ryu informally, which is unlike you."
Ruthlyn tilted her head sideways, looking Toni up and down in an inoffensive way.
"That’s true. But can’t I do that? After all, you and...Enoch here do the sa. I am not an old granny." She laughed, seeing Enoch’s face contort into a frown, before completing her walk to Ryu’s seat.
"Yeah Ryu, I’m on my way to the HR departnt to pick up sothing. If you are less busy, care to go with ?" she asked.
"Of course, it’s my pleasure."
She smiled at his reply, while hoping at the sa ti that he didn’t think much of what she was doing. She turned to the others,
"We will also drop by at the cafe on the ground floor. Anyone wants to get sothing?"
★★★
The side of Maxwell’s lips were almost reaching his ears when he was done reading Shikera’s proposal. Now, he has another reason to be happy that he didn’t reject Team Leader Zuresh’s offer to work here. Though, he sohow felt like the woman asked him to co here only because she wanted him to guide and protect Shikera. From what? He didn’t know.
"This is great, Shikera. Did you think of a na?" He looked up and asked.
"I did..." She hesitated, swallowing her shyness before looking back up.
"It may seem kind of weird..."
"If it’s weird, then it’s better. It would make viewers wonder what the inspiration behind it is," Max said.
"Alright then. I’m thinking of using one of Elovien and Vienlor; which do you think is better?" She asked.
"Uhm...I think both are elegant. I’ll go with Elovien though so is it Elovien’s Spotlight, Elovien’s Chronicles, or Elovien’s report? Which do you prefer?"
"Spotlight. I think it fits my the well, what do you think?"
"It’s great...Are you alright, though? You haven’t smiled once since you got in here," Max pointed out, frowning.
Shikera struggled to place a smile on her face, in spite of her troubled mind.
"I just feel a little bit weak. It’s okay since I will be leaving for ho now," she inford, and Max nodded.
"I will call you whenever we need you."
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