Chapter 3- WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOU WORK HERE

Preview: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOU WORK HERE

I stayed mute. Does he really know my identity? Whatever, I’m definitely not the heir to AG Group anymore.

MELANIE~~

“Hey Melanie, you’re off for work already?” my dad asked from his bed.

“Yes dad, I’ve to work late this week to be able to pay the rent,” I answered, trying to sound cheerful.

“Oh, I’m sorry Melanie. It’s been so tough on you.”

“It’s okay dad. I’m okay as long as you’re okay.”

“Huhh...” He let out a heavy sigh.

“Bye dad, I’m leaving.”

“Bye.”

Working in a hotel is really stressing. Despite the snowing weather, I had to come to work today. Ughh, who am I to complain? This is just my fate.

“Hi Rosalie,” I said, catching up with my workmate and good friend.

“Hey, you’re here!”

“Yeah, let me help you with that,” I said, reaching for the heavy room-service cart she was pushing.

“You don’t have to,” she rejected my offer.

“Nope, I insist.”

“I’m serious, I mean it,” she said in a serious tone.

“How about this—you treat me to a meal later?” I grinned, taking over the handle. She smiled as I moved the cart down the hall. I remembered something and turned back to her. “Room number?”

“Oh, 12 VIP.”

“See you!” I smiled, leaving her behind.

I knocked on the heavy door of room 12. After I heard the inwards response to my knock, I pushed it open.

“Good day sir, this is room ser—” I froze. Darn it. It’s Bryan. Shit, I’m totally messed up.

“It’s you!” we chorused at the exact same time. I stood stock-still, gripping the metal cart like a lifeline.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing.

“What question is that? I work here.”

“What do you mean by you work here? The daughter of the Frederick Family? The heir apparent to the AG Group?”

I stayed mute. Does he really know my identity? Whatever, I’m definitely not the heir to AG Group anymore.

“I need an explanation to this,” Bryan said, his voice dropping low.

“It’s my decision, and perhaps I don’t think you deserve an explanation.” I turned to leave immediately. Behind me, he stood up fast, maybe trying to stop me.

While walking out, I realized something was wrong. I stepped right onto my own shoe lace. I couldn’t get hold of myself.

I was totally supposed to land myself face-first on the floor, right? But something happened. He lunged forward and caught me. While turning back from the momentum, we both fell right onto the bed.

We crashed down, our lips landing perfectly on each other’s. My eyes opened wide. All I could see up close was his intense look. My heart beats increased to a faster beat immediately. For over two minutes, I couldn’t even stand up. I finally realized I was still completely on his body. I scrambled up, my face burning, and ran straight out the door.

“Thank you,” was all I could gasp out after slamming the door shut behind me.

I stood in the hallway, chest heaving. Why did his abs seem to have the exact same texture like that of the stranger from that night? Or am I just hallucinating?

“Hey Rosalie, why didn’t you tell me it was Bryan Dills I was serving?” I groaned while having lunch with her in the breakroom.

“I was just about to say it before you strode out!”

“Ughhhhhhh!!”

“What’s wrong? Did he do anything to you?” she asked, being totally inquisitive.

“You can put it that way,” I said, looking down, completely ashamed of myself.

“What happened?” she asked, taking a piece of steak from her plate and taking a bite.

“We kissed.”

“What?!!!!”

“Shhhhhh!” I hushed her quickly, looking around.

“This is a big mess! How?”

“Maybe it wasn’t intentional. It was an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yeah, look here. I didn’t watch my shoe lace and I stepped on it. Whiie I was about falling, he held me, and then we fell on the bed with our lips together.”

“Huhhh, it’s so hard for you Melanie,” Rosalie said, frowning. “First it was that strange man who took your first kiss, now another one. A jerk to say.”

“It’s just so strange... I find Bryan familiar to the guy of that night.”

“Could it be him?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“Impossible. He is a top businessman. I don’t think he would have time to spend on prostitutes.”

“You’re right, but what if there is something behind it?”

“There is where the problem lies.”

“Melanie, you’re too young to face all this,” she said, her face dropping into a deep frown.

“Ughh, it’s okay. I’m already used to my bad luck right from high school.”

“Don’t worry, we would find a way to fix things. I’m here for you no matter what,” she patted my shoulder, smiling gently.

“Thank you,” I said, drying a stray tear.

We washed the dishes together, and later that night, she walked me out to where I could get a cab home. This work is really stressing. I have to wake up at 6am every day and I don't go home until 10pm every single night.

Walking from the main road to my house always seems scary in the dark. There wasn’t any cab available tonight, and Rosalie wasn’t going my way.

While I was taking a lonely walk home, a sleek car drove up slowly behind me.

“Hey Miss, hop in. Let me give you a ride.”

The voice sounded incredibly familiar. I leaned over and looked through the rolled-down window. It was my old college friend, Killian.

“Hey, it’s been a while!” he said, a huge smile breaking across his face.

“Yeah,” I said, my heart calming down a bit.

“Hop in, let me give you a ride to your destination,” he insisted.

“Oh, thanks for the kind gesture.” I opened the door and climbed into the warmth of the car.

“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, smiling as he shifted gears. “Seat belt, please.”

“Oh, okay.” I clicked it in. He nodded in satisfaction and halted forward into the street.

And from there, a dead silence fell over the car.

“When did you come back from Russia?” I finally asked, trying to break the ice.

“Like five years ago. I actually went back to our old school to find you, but I heard you dropped out. Why?”

“Ummm, nothing. Just some kind of private stuffs.”

“You won’t share?” he asked, staring briefly at me before looking back at the road. He looked so eager to know my reasons.

“You can put it that way,” I said softly. I didn’t want to turn him down in a rude way. He has been my friend for over a decade and he was clearly worried about my private stuff, but I really can’t tell him my messy family secrets.

“Oh, okay. So what are you on now?” he asked, still curious.

“Nothing much. I work in a hotel,” I said, feeling a little sting of shame.

“A hotel... is it really conducive for you?”

“I think so. Like, it’s better than not doing anything.” I really couldn’t tell him how miserable I actually felt. I just have to bear with it.

“Isn’t your dad the top shareholder of AG Group?” he asked again, his curiosity peaking.

“Yeah, he is. I just feel like working at the hotel to gain some outside experience.”

“Really!”

“Yeah.” But honestly, who would believe my lies? My dad is supposed to be the top shareholder of AG Group, and yet here I am, a college dropout working manual labor at a hotel.

“By the way, I’ll stop here,” I said quickly as we approached a random corner.

“You live here?” Killian asked, looking around the unfamiliar neighborhood.

“Umm no, I came to visit an uncle,” I lied again.

“Oh.”

“Good night,” I said, opening the door and stepping out into the cold.

“Good night.” He waved and zoomed off down the road.

Ughhh, it really isn’t easy to hide a family identity. He almost found out about my entire family secret.

By the time I got inside, my dad was asleep already. I tiptoed quietly to the kitchen, drank a cold glass of water, and went straight back to my room. Falling onto the mattress, I dozed off instantly. Thank goodness I'm home today as early as I could.

The web novel continues! What should happen next?

• Should Bryan start acting differently around Melanie at the hotel now that he knows she works there?

• Will Killian start investigating Melanie's "uncle" and discover the truth about her father's accident?

• Do you want to see Mariel's reaction when she finds out Melanie and Bryan's wedding is officially moving forward?

Let me know your choice, and I will write the next part!