CHAPTER 5 – Meeting

~ Julian ~

Ever since I laid eyes on her, I just couldn’t concentrate.

Lily.

After six long years, she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking… different. Colder. It felt like the Lily I once even knew even tho we weren't close or spoke much had been tucked away, replaced by someone polished and distant. When I called her name, she didn’t even flinch. No surprise. No emotion. Just… nothing.

And it drove me absolutely mad that it affected me so deeply.

By five o’clock, I finally admitted to myself that I couldn’t get any work done. I grabbed my suitcase and was heading for the exit when Raymond, my assistant, popped up.

“Sir, before you head out,” he said quickly, “just a quick reminder, you have a meeting at Midtown Mall tomorrow at two p.m. The manager of the new flagship store wants to finalize the partnership deal.”

I nodded absentmindedly. “Okay. Just send me the details.”

He stepped aside as I walked out of the building.

---

The next day, I arrived at Midtown Mall a little early, hoping to grab a coffee before the meeting. My mind was supposed to be on work, or at least I wanted it to be when I turned a corner and bumped into two small figures.

“Whoa, watch it!” I caught them just in time to prevent a fall.

Two kids. A boy and a girl. Probably around six years old, at most. They had big brown eyes and messy dark hair…

The little girl adjusted the plastic tiara on her head, looking a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, mister. We were running.”

The boy crossed his arms, looking all serious, as if he were much older. “She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going.”

“Was too!” she shot back, glaring at him.

I almost smiled. Almost. Because as they bickered, I really took a moment to observe them.

There was something about the girl’s nose… the boy’s jawline… the way their eyes crinkled when they frowned…

They looked just like me when I was a kid.

Exactly like me.

It was almost absurd, yet the resemblance was so intense it left me momentarily speechless.

“Are you two okay?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah. We just need to hit the restroom,” the boy said flatly, as if I was interrupting something important.

“Thanks, mister!” the girl added, beaming at me with a bright smile before they dashed off toward the restrooms.

I stood there for a moment, watching them disappear.

No.

It was just a coincidence. It had to be.

But still… the resemblance lingered in my mind like an itch I couldn’t scratch.

I kept staring at the spot where the two kids had disappeared when Raymond’s voice broke through my thoughts.

"Sir," he said, glancing at his watch, "we're running behind schedule."

Right, the meeting.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to pull it together. "Let’s get going."

When we reached the private lounge, the store manager was already there. He was a tall, sharply dressed guy in a gray suit who greeted me with a firm handshake and a smile that felt just a bit too eager.

"Mr. Stone," he said. "It's an honor to have you here in person. We’re thrilled to partner with Stone Global for this launch."

I nodded briefly and took a seat. "Let’s cut to the chase."

The next forty-five minutes flew by with discussions about contracts, revenue projections, and logistics. Normally, I’d dissect those numbers in no time, but today they felt like mere background noise. Still, we managed to wrap everything up.

The agreement was finalized. Documents signed. Hands shaken.

As Raymond gathered the files, I stood up, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Please send over any additional paperwork that needs my attention," I told him. "I’ll review it at home.”

He nodded, quickly jotting down a note on his tablet.

As I stepped out of the mall, my suitcase in hand, I slid into the backseat of the waiting car.

But instead of heading straight to the penthouse, I pulled out my phone and hovered over a name I hadn’t called in years — Lily’s father. My thumb lingered over the screen, hesitating, before I finally locked the phone again and tossed it onto the seat beside me.

It would be pointless.

If she hadn’t reached out in six years, there was no way her father would know any more than I did.

I leaned back in my seat, my jaw tight, the image of those kids, their faces, their eyes, the uncanny resemblance stubbornly replaying in my mind.

Something felt off.

And I was determined to find out what.