Kylie's P. O. V
I walked fast towards my office. It is only ten minute's walk from my apartment. When I reached in front of my office building I looked at the tall building in front of me. Star Advertising Company was once the biggest advertising company in New York. But now it is losing its fame and on the verge of bankruptcy. After the sudden death of the previous CEO Mr. Sterling, his sons couldn't manage the company and it went down. Though half of my colleagues left their jobs here and transferred to some other company I couldn't leave this job. This is my only way of earning. I cannot take risk of leaving this job and searching for another. Who knows if the next job will be decent like this? Now I am just hoping the new management will keep me in my old job. Yes, you heard it right. We have new management as the sons of Mr. Sterling sold this company to some billionaire who can take it back to its old position of number one. As I heard the new management will take over this week. I hurriedly entered the building, and security guard John smiled at me. He is a jolly guy. I directly went to the elevator and it was empty. I pressed sixteen as my desk was on the sixteenth floor. I worked as a secretary to Mr. Sterling when he was alive. After him, I was the secretary of his elder son Jack Sterling. Now that we have new management I don't know what will be my position. I just hope they won't fire me.
Soon I reached the sixteenth floor and got off the lift. I walked directly to my cabin. It's a small cabin just in front of the CEO's office. It has a medium-sized desk with a desktop on it and a chair behind the desk, a shelf for files, and a coffee machine in a corner. I settled behind my desk and put my bag inside the drawer. I was relaxing a bit leaning on my chair when Cindy came into my office. She is my colleague and my only best friend in this city. She is a brunette with a model-like figure and a heart-shaped face. She is a pretty girl and very energetic. She only has one bad habit and that is gossiping.
"Have you heard the rumors?" she asked as soon as she entered my cabin.
"Good morning to you too. And no I haven't heard any rumors I was waiting for the great gossip queen to break the news." I replied to her with a bored expression. She laughed at my remarks and continued.
"You are so funny. Now listen to me. Everyone is saying that the new management will take over from today and the CEO is already here. And he is a deliciously handsome man." she explained with such an expression that she is going to eat the new CEO.
"Come on Cindy you said the same last month for the new accountant." I mocked her.
"That accountant is nothing near to the new CEO. He is a young billionaire and most eligible bachelor. I wish he would fall in love with me." she said dreamily.
"Keep wishing girl. Now let me take some rest," I whined.
"You just came to the office. Why do you need to rest right now? Haaa. Girl, what is wrong with your eyes? You have such big eye bags. Don't tell me you had another dream about your ex," she looked at me frowning and I just avoided her gaze like a guilty child.
"Girl, you should date someone. Most importantly you should get laid. How long will you be stuck with your past?" Cindy asked me with concern in her voice.
"It is not like that I want to stick with the past. I can't just control my dreams. What should I do?" I asked frustrated by my problems and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.
"Okay, okay, I am sorry. Now I am going to make a new wish for you," she said dramatically and I looked at her. She clasped her hands and stood in a praying position and started chanting, "Dear god please make our new CEO fall for my best friend. I am sacrificing one handsome man for her," she continued her childish prayer. I couldn't control it anymore and burst into laughter.
"Stop it or you will kill me. I cannot stop my laugh," I told her in between my laughing.
"I am sacrificing one handsome man for you and you are laughing at me?" she glared at me placing her hands on her waist.
"Thanks for sacrificing the man that you have not even met yet. Now go back to your cabin or we both will be kicked out of the company." I told her and she left my cabin angrily stomping her high heels. See she is such a child.
I concentrated on my work. I checked the pile of files on my desk. After that, I prepared a report on our sales and business for the last ten years. I prepared all the account information too. I desperately wanted to impress our new CEO, so that he will let me be at my current job. Soon everything was done. I was feeling very tired from all of the work and my sleepless night. So I decided to make a cup of strong coffee for myself. I got up from my desk and went to the coffee machine. I had just taken my coffee cup when I heard some commotion outside my cabin. I put the cup back on the coffee table and walked outside my office. A few men were standing there in black suits. They were all very muscular and from their serious look, it was evident that they were bodyguards. But who carries so many bodyguards with him? I looked behind them and saw a man's back at me. The man was in a grey tailored suit. His hair was neatly brushed and he was very tall and muscular. Though I cannot see his face from here I was sure he is the new CEO, Cindy was talking about. The man was talking with my former boss Mr. Sterling.
I was standing at my cabin's door when Cindy came to me with a huge grin.
"Have you seen how handsome he is? He is the CEO of Smith Industries and the only son of Mr. Reynold Smith." as soon as Cindy finished her sentence the man turned around and our eyes met. I felt like someone had just taken away the air I was breathing.
"Sebastian." I spelled his name in a whisper.
"Mr. Smith, I just received a call from the secretarial office. Miss Lawrence's assistant asked for your appointment for a meeting. She wants our company to work on their promotional advertisement in New York," Paul informed Sebastian."Contact her and schedule a meeting for tomorrow," Sebastian said. After thinking momentarily, he added, "Also, ask Cindy to join the meeting with me.""Okay, sir," Paul nodded and left. Sebastian thought for a long moment about the similarities between Kate Lawrence and Kylie. Though their faces were somewhat similar, their personalities were far apart. That's why he asked Cindy to join the meeting. He wanted to see Kate's expression after meeting Cindy; since the latter was Kylie's long-time best friend.While waiting for her assistant Christine inside the car, Kate Lawrence checked the time on her limited edition wristwatch. She reached New York the day before yesterday. It had been hectic for her to go around between her new mansion and setting up h
Lying in the VIP ward of the hospital, Mae was playing with her mobile. Whereas Sebastian was sitting on the attached lounge working on his laptop. Mae was frustrated, she worked so hard to make Sebastian fall in love with her but he only thought of her as a friend. "Wasn't a Kylie enough in her life that a new threat Kate Lawrence appeared out of nowhere with the same face?" Mae muttered under her breath. She wanted to scratch the face of Kate so that nothing would remind Sebastian about Kylie. When she was plotting in her mind, she heard the sound of the door opening. Someone entered the front lounge. Because of the closed door of her room, she couldn't see the person but only heard muffled voices.
Mark Lawrence turned to his daughter with a questioning gaze. Kylie gave him an assured look with a smile. She didn't want her father to worry about her."Sure, and make sure you take good care of her. She is my only daughter," Mark said with a hint of authority making sure to let Sebastian know that Kate Lawrence wasn't someone he could play with. She was the precious daughter of Business tycoon Mark Lawrence."I would take good care of Miss Lawrence," Sebastian said before facing Kylie. Mark glanced at his daughter again before leaving them alone. "May I Miss Lawrence?" Seba
"Kate, I have guests who want to meet you," Alan said as he approached Kylie with Mae and Sebastian. Kylie's eyes changed several expressions sensing the presence behind her. First, her eyes became tensed and then cold before they turned lively. She turned around with a glass of red wine and a smile plastered on her glossy lips.Mae froze on her place seeing the familiar face before her eyes. She never thought she would see that face ever again. She was both shocked and scared of the face standing in front of her. Meanwhile, Sebastian was composed and calm compared to Mae. He had seen Kate's face before, he was just observing her expression and body language to confirm his suspicion."Kate, this is my best friend from school, Sebastian Smith; I have told you about him before remember? And she is Miss Mae Wiggins, the only daughter of Mr. Wiggins from the Wiggins Group," Alan introduced the guests to his cousin."Hello, I am Kate Lawrence. It's a pleasure meeting a great businessman li
"Hey, Mark, is it true that you found your long-lost daughter?" asked Senator Jackson to Mark Lawrence. The were very old friends."It's true. We almost lost all hope of finding her. You know how hard we tried searching for her after her kidnapping. Finally, Alan found her recently in New York. She managed to escape from the kidnapper and a kind couple rescued her and adopted her. They raised her as their own daughter," Mark Lawrence replied with a heavy heart."It must have been tough for poor Kate. However, I am impressed that she managed to become a successful designer. My daughter loves the dresses Kate designs," Senator Jackson praised Kylie with admiration. Mark Lawrence felt proud of his daughter."Well both me and Lily are proud of her. We are also looking for a potential life partner for Kate. Do you have someone in mind that is suitable for her?" Mark asked. He was aware of Kylie's tough life with Sebastian, thus he took the matter of finding a life partner for his daughter
"Did he recognize me?" Kylie was standing at the entrance of the garden. Seeing Alan returning she asked him."As expected, he suspected you. everything is going according to your plan. I told him you would need his help establishing your new branch there," Alan responded. The usual playfulness of his face was replaced with seriousness."Of course, I would take his help to destroy him," Kylie smirked with a scoff. "Do you think you could suppress your feelings for him when you would meet him? You loved him for four long years," Alan asked placing his hands inside his pockets."All the feelings I had him before were washed away in that river when I fell. I only have one feeling for him now and that is hatred. Don't worry about me," she said sitting on the swing in the garden."Have you ever thought from a different prospect? What if it wasn't him? What if he was also being deceived by Mae and his father just like you?" Alan couldn't help but the question that had been bothering him fo
"Hey, Mom and Dad, did you miss me?" Kylie chimed as soon as she entered the Lawrence Mansion. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence were having their evening coffee in the living room. Their faces lit up when they heard the voice of their beloved daughter."Kate, you are back. I missed you a lot honey," Mrs. Lawrence said and went ahead to hug her. "You just saw her this morning, Aunt Lily," Alan said leaning against the door frame."How could I not miss my precious daughter? I haven't seen her for twenty years. When I found her after all these years, you are taking her away again," Mrs Lawrence complained to Alan. She wasn't happy that her daughter was going back to New York. She had searched for her dear daughter for two decades after her kidnapping, Now that she's back after going through the dark part of her life, she should stay with her parents and enjoy a blissful life instead of going back to get revenge. Mr. Lawrence knew well what was going through his wife's mind so he decided to join in
Kylie's P. O. V"How could he kill my father? He's a bloody monster," cried my heart out sitting on the passenger seat of Mae's car. She didn't utter a single word from the moment we got inside the car and I was grateful to her for giving me some time alone.I don't know how long I cried until there weren't any tears left in my eyes. Mae was still driving the car. I wiped the tears from my eyes being composed after crying all my emotions out. Then my eyes landed on the road ahead of us. I wasn't familiar with this road."Where are we going, Mae?" I asked turning back to her but her expression was cold. She wasn't the cheerful Mae I had met before. Her eyes were like a maniac. I was feeling afraid suddenly."Mae, stop the car, I am not feeling good," I said grabbing her hand but she shoved my hand off."Do I look like, I care what are you feeling?" she asked raising a brow. I wasn't expecting this reaction from her so it made me shocked for a few seconds before the reality struck me."
"Sir, you have a meeting in the afternoon with the foreign delegate, before that you have a lunch meeting with one of our clients," Paul informed Sebastian about his schedule. Sebastian didn't respond to him, he was engrossed in the report in his hand. Paul sighed, he felt sad for his boss. If it wasn't for that accident three years ago and the disappearance of Mrs. Kylie then his boss wouldn't be a workaholic like this. "Mr. Smith," Paul said clearing his throat a bit louder. Sebastian frowned before rising head from the report."Any news on Kylie?" he asked and that was the most dreaded question Paul was facing for the last three years."Sir, our people are constantly searching but still they couldn't find any trace of Mrs. Smith. Police already lost all hope and closed the case. According to them, Miss Kylie didn't survive the fall and her body may have been washed away by the water. Why don't you also stop waiting for her," as soon as those words left Paul's lips, he heard a loud