c2 - Blank Stare.

“Hey, Jade. Have you heard the news?” Mireia asked.

Jade smiled. Her friend really had a unique way of saying good morning.

“Good morning to you too, Reia.”

“Geez,” Mireia smiled sheepishly. “I’m just excited to tell you what I overheard in the elevator today. Guess what?”

“The CEO is getting engaged this weekend,” Jade answered.

“You already know?”

“Apparently.”

“Argh! When will I ever tell you something you don't already know?” Mireia slumped in her chair.

Jade stuck out her tongue at Mireia.

But actually, her heart was aching.

It had taken her five years and a lot of sacrifice to finally enter Z’s world. Although she had never intended to make herself known to him, it still hurt to hear he was getting engaged.

Because Z was the CEO of the company she worked for. He was Zane Frost. A man too powerful in the business world. A man completely out of Jade’s league.

Jade had promised herself before that she wouldn’t try to find out who Z really was. But after admitting she had fallen for him, she seriously considered fulfilling their pinky promise. Yet when she eventually found out who he was, she decided against it.

They were worlds apart. Disappearing had been the right thing to do.

She continued her studies and moved to the city to find a job, targeting Frost Industries. She might have decided to stay anonymous, but she still wished to be close to him somehow—to work for him at the very least. Luckily, she got hired.

Ever since securing a job in his company a year ago, Jade had yet to meet Zane face-to-face. It was okay, though. She understood that regular employees rarely got to interact with the boss.

Besides, she wasn't there to introduce herself to him. She had no right to intrude in his world. She was there simply to know how he was doing... to be his silent cheerleader from afar. She was there to be happy for him, even for his upcoming engagement.

“Reia, tomorrow, Zia’s nanny asked for a day off. Is it okay if I bring her here?” she asked her closest friend.

“Of course! It's good you told me in advance. I’ll bring her some cookies!” Mireia answered excitedly. “Last time I didn’t even have anything to bribe her.”

Jade laughed.

“Thanks, Reia. I knew I could count on you!”

“Just make sure Zia behaves. Or else... you know what will happen,” Mireia whispered, throwing a glance toward one of their strict coworkers.

Jade chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up.

They focused on work again. Both were part of the support team under the Administrative Department. It might have been an entry-level position, but being part of Frost Industries Inc. was already a big achievement in the corporate world.

Frost Industries, or FII, dominated the construction industry. A family-owned corporation now in its third generation, Zane had taken over the CEO position at just twenty-five. A year later, tragedy struck—he was believed to have died in a car accident. No body was found. Some said he burned with the wreckage; others whispered that wild animals might have finished what the fire hadn't.

Of course, at that time, Zane had been under Jade’s care—protecting him and keeping his whereabouts a secret because they believed his accident had been no accident, but an attempted murder.

When he regained his eyesight, he returned from the “dead” and reclaimed control of FII.

Jade didn’t know what happened after that, but she had watched his return and the celebrations for him on TV, her heart full of pride and sadness at the same time.

—

The next morning, Jade crouched down in the elevator lobby, adjusting Zia’s hairpin.

"Zia, remember to behave, okay?" she said gently.

"Yes, Mommy. I promise I won’t cause trouble," her three-year-old daughter chirped.

"Good girl. Make Mommy proud. And remember, no running around in the office—"

The elevator dinged open.

"It’s here, Mommy!" Zia interrupted.

Jade stood up—and immediately locked eyes with Zane Frost.

He was inside the elevator with his assistant, phone to his ear. Yet his cold, piercing gaze was fixed right on her and Zia. Or was it?

Jade froze. She felt her heart on her throat. 

The elevator doors slid closed, breaking the moment.

"Mommy, we missed it," Zia said, tugging her hand.

"It’s okay, sweetheart. That elevator’s not for us," Jade whispered, heart pounding. No one dared to share a lift with the CEO.

But why was he using the common elevator today? He had his own private one.

Her knees felt weak. It was the first time in five years she had seen him this close. Her chest tightened. In the past, Zane had been blind—she had memorized his features but never experienced him seeing her.

Today, their eyes had met.

But she reminded herself—it had been nothing. Just a cold, blank stare for a stranger. Because in reality, he couldn’t have recognized her. Zane didn’t know what Jay looked like.

—

“I want the information on that mother and child within thirty minutes,” Zane instructed Ryan as soon as the elevator doors closed.

Ryan was surprised at the sudden command. When he looked at his boss, he was taken aback by the rare flicker of emotion on his face.

“Mr. Frost, our company allows employees to bring their children occasionally...” he tried.

Zane didn’t answer, his gaze distant.

Ryan bowed slightly. “Yes, Sir.”

Zane wasn’t concerned about company rules. It’s about something else entirely and he couldn’t believe it.

Just now, when the elevator doors opened at the ground floor, he thought he had heard her voice.

But when he lifted his gaze, all he saw was a mother and her child standing outside.

There was no one else there. 

If the fact that he thought he heard Jay’s voice was not enough, Zane was stunned when he saw the child. An overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over him. But it's impossible… Zaira was long gone.