CHAPTER 14 - An offer from Celine

At dawn, Selena dressed up and was ready to leave for the office.

She wore a silky white shirt underneath and a black polyester blazer above the shirt. She wore matching pants and casual details: a wristwatch in her right hand, and an artificial gold necklace on her neck.

Her hair wrapped around a rubber band, giving professional vibes.

She put on a red light-shaded lipstick to match her style. And grabbing her purse, she left her place.

Pleasant weather made her heart flutter. She took steps inside the office and almost reached the entrance after the lift door when someone pulled her arm from behind. She wore classic heels that sounded when she left the area, along with the guy holding her arm.

Frowned, he dragged her upstairs, and he was none other than her troublemaker boss Shawn.

Struggling, he released her hand and looked at her with a pissed-off look.

"What the heck was that, Shawn?" She shouted at him when he scolded her back. "The heck is wrong with you, Selena. You played too well."

His words triggered her, yet she couldn't understand at all. What was he trying to say? What exactly did she do?

She grimaced. "What are you talking about?"

"Hmph! After signing up with Celine, now you don't understand my words anymore. Good, Selena."

"What?"

"I know he offered you a contract to work for Celine. Don't play dumb here."

*Flashback*

Coming back from work late at night, Selena stood at the bus stand when a sound from a car caught her attention.

'Beep! Beep!'

Selena looked back, and her face lit up. With a smile, she approached the guy inside the car. 

"Chris, what are you doing here?"

"Well, just passing by. Selena, do you have time?"

"Now...?"

"Yes, I want to have dinner with you."

She paused for a while and thought about it when Chris gave up and dragged her. "Come on! One dinner with me won't harm your working life."

....................................................

He brought her to eat food in an expensive hotel that made her a bit uncomfortable.

He picked the menu list from a corner and handed it to Selena.

"Order whatever you want to eat. It's my treat."

She nervously opened the menu, but then the prices were on the seventh sky. 

Her eyes widened as she glanced at him. "Shall we go to another one? It's so fancy and the prices..." He knew how she felt, but he remained calm and answered. "Don't worry about the price. Just order."

Although she knew there would be no lack of money, yet she didn't want to waste someone else's money in a flow. 

She kept her dishes aside and ordered the less expensive one.

While their food was being prepared, both of them kept talking for a long time. 

They also had many topics to talk about. After all, both shared the same personality. 

Her words went on as Chris slowly shifted to his actual goal.

"Selena, I have something for you."

He took out a file and placed it between them. 

She glanced at it before asking him. "What is it, Chris?"

He took a deep breath before revealing his real motive.

"It's... A contract to be my assistant. Join Celine. I know your salary in Vaughan groups. I'm offering you the double amount. Also, there are many other facilities. Please, consider before rejecting me."

"I... Why do you want me in Celine?"

"You had a great sense of movies, dramas that Celine wants. If you work over here, it'll be beneficial for you. Our staff cares about genuine talent."

Looking at her, he drawled the contract towards her and said. "Take your time, Selena. Think about your future first. There's no future in Vaughan groups for you."

He smiled at her to cheer her up. "Answer me tomorrow, okay?"

Just then, the server came with the food, and he shifted the atmosphere. The smell filled with yummy food lightened up, and they had dinner peacefully.

*Flashback ended*

"The next day, I refused him. I know by myself I have an enormous debt to pay you. Besides, I have good colleagues who care for me." She crinkled her eyes while he couldn't meet her eyes anymore. He once again judged her.

He thought she would leave her, too. He wanted to hold her close and didn't want to let her go. Call him selfish because he was. 

"I thought you had trust in me, Shawn. But what you did was investigate me and control me. Now, I know I was wrong about you all the time."

She pressed her lips together and left from there. 

He sat there for a while, regretting his decision once again. A sigh escaped his lips that made the atmosphere more depressing.

..............................................

Days by days, weeks by weeks, everything paused around. There was no fun left in life anymore. She was with him, but still was not there. The joy in their eyes turned lonely roads again. Where they individually walked alone. 

There were ways of fate, but it was all parallel, with no meeting point.

On such a day, she again got late to catch the bus, but unexpectedly she met Mark there. He was there without notice, staring at her for a long time.

It took her time to notice him. He was behind the board from where he could admire his love.

After a while, he came out, and Selena was not happy to see him. In fact, it triggered her more. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him, nor did she want any talk.

Her slack expression showed depression. She was no longer at ease in life. Her daily schedule and mental fights confused her.

She was confused about what she was doing in life? That's not what she wanted, ever.

She thought after getting the job, things would be back on track.

The more she was thinking of fixing everything, the more things were getting worse.

She was slowly getting drenched in the difficulties of life. The control of her life was gradually slipping from her hand.

She had nothing but confusion.

"What do you want now?" She asked him in a tedious voice. 

His moist eyes had concerns for her only. It was impossible to tell if it was fake or what? For a second, it felt as if he really cared about her. Then, the next moment, her past gave her another explanation. Maybe he was faking to get her attention once again.

"Selena, let's have a friendly talk."