Page 26 of Forbidden Deception

“Okay. I know what you are thinking. Why the sudden need to go for a snack after work? But you don’t understand how hard it has been to walk past you every day when all you wanted was a friend at work.” She takes a deep breath, then a frown twists on her face.

“It’s all Mr Gustav’s fault. He didn’t allow anyone to get close to you. He wanted you isolated to see how well you work under pressure and on your own. He does this to everyone, and only when they have passed this test to his exacting standard does he allow everyone to finally drop the act.” She rolls her eyes.

“Talk about being such a workaholic that you isolate your assistant. He’s been like this since I started working here five years ago. Forgive me, please. I have tried to make it up to you by dropping by a few times, but every time, Mr Gustav has shown up, and I just had to walk away.” She rubs at her temples, clearly stressed about it.

“I had a feeling,” I mutter, glancing down at the dark wooden table.

“What?” She snaps her head up.

“I think I kind of knew that he did that because any time someone made eye contact with me, they would look away immediately in alarm, as if they were going to get caught doing something illegal.” I shrug, but Danyi is smiling. “Why are you smiling? This isn’t funny.”

Danyi bursts out laughing, her head falling back.

“Oh, you are so good at this. The ones before you quit because they felt so isolated and fell victim to Mr Gustav’s taunts. Gustav Industries is not a joke. You need to be able to handle Mr Gustav’s anger and pressure to be able to stand amongst his business partners and associates. But forgive me, please?”

I laugh, shaking my head at her.

“I forgive you. I had an inkling, and I’m not stupid enough to believe I’m that unlikeable.” I throw my hair off my shoulder and lift it in an amused shrug coupled with a smirk.

“I got you a gift!” She grins. Grabbing her bag, she pulls out a small white box and places it in front of me.

It’s got a cute white bow on it, too.

“Oh my God! For me?” I gasp, not daring to touch it.

“Yes, open it. I have a feeling you will love it.”

Taking hold of the box, I carefully pull the ribbon, and it falls away. I open the box and smile.

“This is so cute!” It’s a pair of bow earrings.

Danyi grins, leaning forward on the table. “Wear them tomorrow. You will look gorgeous in them.”

“Thank you so much, Danyi. You have no idea what you taking this step with me means to me. It truly has been quite lonely working here.” I snap the box shut, swallowing thickly.

I may have survived, but working alone has taken a toll on me.

We sit together for a long time. Danyi sips her lemonade and chats away, telling me all the juicy gossip around the company. She’s listing who’s good and who’s not, who got married recently, and a little more about Rafael himself.

It seems Rafael has eased off on me, allowing everyone to work as normal around me.

I don’t want to be in the state I was in when I was in boarding school here. This city already feels a bit hostile, and I don’t want to keep silently suffering when it was me who asked to come here by myself.

9

13 years ago

Idon’t know where we are right now.

Mommy did say that we will be going on a long vacation. Maybe we are going to a cabin in the mountains? Like the ones I see in stories.

The place we are going is far out of the city. Grandma and Grandpa aren’t alive anymore so we didn’t bring them with us and I barely stopped feeling sad that Mum and Dad came to get me. And now, just a few days later, I am going on vacation with them.

Do they actually want me around them?

Why didn’t they come for me before?

I look down at my lap, wringing my hands together. I’m nervous. I don’t know what to talk to them about.

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