Chapter 3

"Good morning Miss Diane" the secretary greeted her respectively as she walked into the office hurriedly.

She nodded in reply without glancing at the other woman. She doesn't have time to waste, she had intended to skip work today because of what happened between her and Michael but later changed her mind.

She has important work related issues to attend to than wallowing in her stupidity. She doesn't want her relationship to get in the way of work. The company is more important than her pathetic  love life.

Diane broods as she arranges the documents she needs for the morning's meeting.

The meeting is very important and she can't afford to mess it up, situations like this are always handled by Michael but she can't bear staying in the same space as him right now and she decided to go for the meeting all by herself even though it wasn't a good idea.

After giving a series of instructions to the secretary and what to tell Michael if he asks about her even though she was sure he won't ask. Diane left  the company for the meeting.

After almost ten minutes' drive she arrived at a stylish exclusive restaurant, situated amid the busy city. It doesn't give the feelings of a classy place from the outside but getting inside was like entering a new world.

The place was quiet and breathtaking, it was a fancy restaurant that one  wouldn't mind having a dinner there all alone while staring at the busy street.

She was directed into the inner part of the restaurant after giving the hostess her name.

She followed behind the older woman and was brought into a room.

It was richly decorated just like the rest of the restaurant.

"Good morning Mr Jeremy, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting" Diane greeted with courtesy before sitting across the man that looked like he was frozen in place if not for a single finger that was tapping slowly on the table.

"I'm sorry for being late" Diane said again after the man said nothing, she hoped he wasn't angry at her or something. She really wishes she doesn't mess up this meeting but the man not saying a single word was making it hard for her.

"It's fine" he replied suddenly in a husky voice, Diane felt relief and decided to waste no time and discuss the main reason for the meeting.

"Are you..paying attention to what I have been saying?" Diane asked in mild frustration after realizing that he had been staring straight at her for some time now.

"Yes I am" he replied emotionlessly, further infuriating Diane.

"Do you know it's rude to stare at someone this long?" Diane said suddenly after exhausting her patience.

The question hung in the hair creating an awkward atmosphere but he stopped staring and they proceeded with the meeting.

Everything went well and the brief exchange was almost like a dream to Diane after they shook hands at the ending of the meeting.

She left the place feeling a certain sense of loss, the man left an unintended mark on her. The way he stared at her opened the door to some emotions she had no idea she  possessed before.

She was about to start the car when a phone buzzed loudly in her handbag.

It definitely wasn't her phone because she kept it in silence, she picked it up hurriedly before realizing it belonged to the man at the hospital.

Rhea gave the phone to her this morning on her way to work, she pondered for a minute before picking the call.

"Hello," she said softly.

But got no reply.

It was rude to pick  someone else's call but she did it out of curiosity anyways.

After ending the call, her own phone started lighting up indicating an incoming call.

"Hello" she said carefully into the phone given  that the number wasn't saved on her phone.

There was no response from the other side and she was about to end the call when the caller finally spoke.

"Where have you been?, And why have you been ignoring my calls." The voice that drifted into her ear ruined her mood.

"And when is it my duty to pick your call?, where I have been is also none of your concern" Diane replied curtly feeling sour.

Silence followed her brief reply and made her feel bad for reacting that way.

She ended the call  and drove to the office, she was sure he was there now, and she hadn't intended to ignore his call despite what he did to her because their relationship isn't over yet.

He cheated but she is willing to forgive him if he apologizes.

The secretary hurriedly approaches her as she was about to enter the CEO's office and where she spends most of her time despite having her own office.

"What  is it? Diane asked, feeling confused.

" umm..Mr Michael has a visitor and he is currently busy" The secretary said slowly with discomfort laced with nervousness.

"If he is in a meeting, that is fine. I just want to pick a document and leave and this isn't the first time I'm interrupting his meeting and you know that".  Diane said in a careful but strong voice as a realization was starting to hit her.

" Did he ask you to stop me from coming inside? Diane asked, her voice shaking slightly, the other woman dropped her head in affirmation to the question.

She also knew it would be difficult stopping Miss Diane from entering the Ceo's office but she doesn't want to lose her job.

"I'm sorry" the secretary apologized softly, feeling torn between the two people. She had thought she heard him wrong when he gave the instruction and he repeated himself before she knew she didn't hear him wrong.

It's just unusual of him to say that but she follows his instructions with no question.

"Go back to your seat" Diane commanded softly after deciding on what to do.

"Miss.." The secretary was about to argue but a single killing glare was all it took to get acting straight.

Without argument she returned to her seat while crying inside.

Diane braced herself before pushing the door open without knocking and she immediately wished she never did.