Chapter 7 "She Changed"

Third Person’s POV

“Harriet. Please do remind the board of directors about the meeting later this…”

Chairman Sorren, the owner of Fantell Architecture Firm, could not finish his words as soon as he turned back and saw his crying secretary. Harriet is silently sobbing while staring at the old man.

Sorren’s heart melted for the young lad.

Ever since kid, Harriet is a optimistic kid. He rarely sees her cry or complain about Madell.  And when Harriet grew up as a fine lady, Sorren did not see her feels so discourage.

Harriet only realized that she’s crying so hard, when she noticed the chairman’s empathetic gaze towards her. She brought her hands up and quickly dried her eyes and cheeks.

“What’s the problem? Why are you crying?” asked Sorren.

Harriet sobbed. She bowed her head and shook it to show that she’s fine, when she’s not.

“Did Sherly nag at you? Or did Madell do something again?” the old man inquired.

Sniffing, Harriet once again shook her head.

She really wanted to run to the old man and hug him so tight.

Harriet missed him.

However, Sorren might get so confused if Harriet over reacted. If she failed to control her emotion, she might tell him the truth that she came from the future where Sorren is no longer alive.

Will someone believe her?

Although Sorren sees Harriet as his own grandchild, there’s a possibility that he would not believe this undreamed miracle.

Harriet heard chairman’s sighing while she stared at the floor and calmed herself.

Then, Sorren spoke again.

“Do you remember when was the first time I saw you crying?”

With blurry eyes, she lifted her head.

“It happened when I called you in your new name.”  

As Sorren words, Harriet remembered the day when Sorren adopted her.

Months passed after the little Harriet was brought to the orphanage. No one know her real identity, nor her name, since the kid lost her memories. She came with a huge injury in her head, and that must be the reason why she could not remember anything.

The police distributed flyer and did their best to find her parents. But months passed, no one claimed as her parents or relative. Due to this, the authority decided to put her at the adoption lists, while they can’t find her real family.

One day, the rich chairman of Fantell Architecture Firm visited the orphanage. Sorren had no plan of adopting a kid. But when he saw a little girl who’s reading a book so loud and clear, his heart went soft for the intelligent kid. And so, Sorren decided to take her along with him.

“From now on, I will be your new family,” said Sorren to the child.

The little kid looked at him the blinked her round eyes very cutely.

“What is your name?” Sorren asked.

The orphan answered, “Avellino.”

“Your name is Avellino?”

“I am not sure. But I always remember that word. Avellino.”

“Hmmm, really. Then from now on, you will use a new name. Your name will be… Harriet Avellino.”

When the kid heard her new name, she suddenly burst crying so loud.

That is the first time Sorren saw Harriet crying. And now is the second; after she became an adult.

“I thought that will be the first and last time I see you cry,” Sorren continued after remiscing of the past. “So for you to cry, what is the reason, my dear?”

Harriet wiped her eyes. It was followed with a beam, as sweet as honey, towards the person who gave her a new name.

Everyone abandoned her. But she knows Sorren will never turn his back against her.

“I just… miss you,” Harriet have him an excuse.

Sorren chuckled with throaty voice.

For Sorren, Harriet and him have just met yesterday. So why did his secretary miss  him when they are always together,

Even so, Sorren felt so touch.

“Having a sweet grandchild is the answer to an old man’s loneliness,” the old man said.

Grandchild.

Sorren called her his granddaughter even if she’s not registered in the Fabroa family tree. Although the old man wanted to make Harriet his real grandchild, many would opposed.

“I thought you cried because you hate working as Zion’s secretary.”

Her tears seemed went back to her eyes the moment she heard the name of the she loved so much. She was reminded of the truth, that tomorrow, she will start working as Zion’s assistant.

Harriet was so confused.

In the original future, Sorren did not appoint her as Zion’s new secretary. What made Sorren do this?

“Chairman, about that.” Harriet murmured. “Why did you make me Zion’s secretary?”

Sorren shut and opened his lips.

“Your birthday is coming. I just though that this will be the best gift I can give to you, Harriet.”

Harriet’s alluring eyes widened.

‘Does it mean that grandpa Sorren also knows that… I… To Sorren I…’

Harriet likes Zion. The way she looks and smiles at him, everyone can notice he has a special place in her head. So if Sorren purposely putting them together, does it mean he supports Harriet as Zion’s woman in the future?

If the answer is yes, then it is a big problem for Harriet.

The old Harriet might be jumping up and down. But the Harriet now, made a vow that she won’t leave a single affection towards the man who abandoned her before.

“Actually, this is a favor,” Sorren added.

Harriet lifted her head and looked at him again.

“My grandchild, Zion, has no plan of managing the company seriously. It is only you who can handle him, Harriet. With you beside him, Zion will definitely progress.”

The chairman made his intention clear. He wanted to for Zion and Harriet to end up together, and to help his grandchild to change and be serious in life. Sorren firmly believes that is it Harriet who can only do that.

Ever since a kid, Zion only became serious when it comes to Harriet.

However, Harriet thinks the opposite. For her, it won’t do any good being closer for the man she wanted to avoid so much. Even so, she thinks it might be her opportunity to ask for something in return and achieve her goal.

“Just like what you said, this is a favor, right?”

Sorren nodded his head as his answer.

“Then that means, I have the rights to decide whether I will accept the job or now. Is that correct?”

“You’re right. I don’t want to force you, Harriet.”

Harriet took a deep breath. And as she looked back, she dropped her remark.

“I will accept the offer of working as Zion’s secretary. But only under one condition.”

Harriet is asking for a condition?!

This is the first time Sorren experienced such thing!

So perplexed, the old man hurried and responded, “Of course! What is it? What will make you accept the favor? Whatever it is, I will make sure to grant it.”

Harriet set a stern gaze towards the chairman. Then she told him her condition.

“I heard that you have a grandson living in New York. His name is Cassius Fabroa. Can you… send him home?”

Cassius Fabroa; the other grandchild who also has the right to inherit the Fantell Architecture Firm.

In this place where Harriet cannot find someone to trust except Sorren, she knows it will be better to find people who can by her side.

‘And Cassius Fabroa might be the answer,’ Harriet said inwardly.

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It was 6pm when Zion asked his friends to go to their favorite bar and drink. It is a luxurious quiet bar which sell expensive drinks, only few people like Zion can afford.

Zion is not a fan of alcohol and would rather choose to race car than drinking everyday. But when he’s not in the mad, he rarely thinks of drinking with his friends.

“So why did you suddenly ask us to drink?” Jules, one of his friends, asked.

“You’re so late in the news,” Mark said to Jules, then kicked his tongue. He placed his arm around Zion, who’s sitting in front of the counter. “We came to celebrate for our friend,” he added.

Shaking his head, Zion laughed bitterly.

“What? Something good happened?” Jules inquired.

With a sigh, Zion drank the tequila in front of him and answered, “Starting tomorrow, I will work in my grandpa’s company.”

“Oh, sh*t,” Jules cursed with chuckled. “You’re happy days are over, dude!”

Mark and Jules laughed together and even went for a high-five. They know that Zion hates to meddle into his family’s business. So hearing that Zion had to work from now on, it feels like seeing their friend walks involuntarily inside the jail with no escape.

“Because of that, I will pay all of your bills tonight,” Mark teased, tapping his friend’s lonely back.

Zion only smiled and drank again. Then he sighed and looked afar.

He is actually a talkative man. Every time he went out of their house, he always carry stories to tell. Mostly, it is about his childhood friend who stubbornly stay in the mansion even if everyone torments her.

When Jules and Mark saw how quiet Zion is, they had doubts.

“Hey. Are you going to drink all night? Just drink?” Mark asked.

“I guess he is now tired talking about that girl, Harriet,” Jules said.

Mark took a sip on his tequila and answered, “You mean the girl who has a crush on Zion?”

Zion crumpled his forehead.

He could not remember a day when he told his friends that Harriet has feelings for him. Unfortunately, in the way he tells them story about her, it is easy for Mark and Jules to think that: ‘Harriet is head over heels to Zion.’

When they brought up Harriet’s name, it was then Zion remembered the real reason why he suddenly thought of drinking and be wasted tonight.

He already foreseen that a day will come when he had to stop playing and work for Fantell firm. So he was ready for this. But today, there are few things which took him by surprise.

First, Harriet’s appearance this morning.

Harriet is originally pretty from head to toe. But she does not wear femininely. Yet this morning, Zion’s jaw almost dropped as soon as he saw her in that yellow dress.

Why did he just notice her beautiful appearance just now?

‘She looks so damn sexy with that dress,’ Zion thought while drinking his alcohol.

Guilt came rushing after he agnized the sudden desire he felt towards his friend. He promptly shook his head.

The second reason is Harriet’s odd reaction today.

Before, she looks so happy just after hearing that Zion will visit the mansion. She never forgets to reply a sheepish smile, with reddened cheeks, whenever Zion smiles at her. Thus, no matter how much Harriet tried to hide her feelings, Zion will still notice her special gaze for him.

Actually, he enjoys it.

He enjoys to see Harriet’s reaction, even if he knows he can only see her as his little sister. He just found her so cute.

But now, she’s so different.

Harriet can’t even stare directly into his eyes.

Zion thought he’s the reason why Harriet dolled up herself today, and she will be happy to work as his secretary. However…

[“Thank you for the dress that you gave me before. But starting from now on, you don’t need to give me a gift. Please don’t do that anymore, sir Zion.”]

Until now, Harriet’s cold voice rings  inside his ears.

What made her changed?

She does not look like tha Harriet he knows!

Since they will see each other tomorrow, Zion planned of talking and asking Harriet. However, he will make a mistake tonight, for he could not control his alcohol well.

He emptied the bottle of tequila and went so drunk.

With blurry thoughts, the first person he called is the woman who stirred these weird emotions in his heart.

[“Zion. Why did you call?”]

So drunk, Zion, answered, “Hi Harriet. You probably got so shock because I called you. Right?”

[“…”]

“I need your… help right now.”

[“Are you drunk?”]

“Hmmmm. I am so… drunk. So can you get me here? Come and see me, now.”