"Wouldn't it be hard for you to move on when you're there?" There was so much worry in his voice as he spoke, and I understood where it was coming from. But I couldn't think of him in that instance, there was something more important than what they feel, and that was my revenge.
"I'll search patiently for pieces of shredded evidence they had left and work hard to form the picture-puzzle of the culprit. I will make them pay for what they've caused me. And this place shall witness my initial step."
The seat belt was probably screaming as I tightened my grip on it and it wasn't far from the current state of my heart. It was screaming with pain and hunger for justice.
With black pointed shoes, a pencil cut skirt, and checkered inserted, I stepped out of the car and walked towards the building.
It had been a long time since my last visit to this place. Last time I checked, I was with my mom, and now I have to come alone. It didn't change a bit. I used to stay here when I was little, but as I grew up, my parents tended to pull me away from this place. They were once one major stakeholder of this company.
I looked around and searched for familiar faces, but there were only a few. They were busy, not even aware of my presence. My shoulder-length hair waved as a warm wind brushed from behind me. It felt like it was pushing me through.
I walked towards the elevator floor and waited for it to open. As I stood there, the steel sheet with a crimson touch on its sides allowed me to see my reflection. My almost a year effort of losing weight worked just fine and gave me a figure of a petite lady. The face that was once so ordinary changed a lot as I fixed parts that weren't so good before. This way, those few staff I'd encountered here before would not be able to recognize me.
I just wish my mom is here to witness this change in me.
For like minutes, the elevator finally opened, and It was empty. I made my way in and searched for the button where the HR floor was, the 4th floor, then pressed it. With my eyes closed, I sighed and relaxed.
Things might not go the way I planned it but I have to be strong, for the sake of my parents' justice.
The elevator's gate slowly slid to close, good thing there weren't many people. My phone beeped as a person in gray tuxedo ran to stop the electronic sliding door from closing with his hand. His cool perfume scattered as he made his way in.
"You saw me coming, yet you didn't click the button to stop it from closing?" he grumbled.
I raised my eyebrow and eyed him. "Sorry? You don't actually think that you are that attractive and important to be noticed immediately?" I conceded. I became mean, but I didn't intend to treat him like that.
The door finally closed leaving the two of us in this moving box with a tension that I didn't know if I was the only one aware of.
"I..." I felt a vibration from my shoulder bag. I was about to say sorry, but I had to take the phone first.
"You didn't miss me that instant do you?" I welcomed Lexter's call with sarcasm.
["I'm sorry. I'm worried you didn't reply."]
"Don't be. I can handle things just fine."
["You know you don't need to do this"]
"Thanks for your concern, but I made up my mind, " I told him and put my right hand on my waist level, frustrated as I couldn't see an end to this discussion.
"Ehem." My gaze drifted to my right side. I almost forgot that someone was with me in the elevator.
["Who's there?"] Lexter inquired. He was quite vigilant.
"No one. Just a stranger," I replied
"Stranger?" Their voice perfectly blended as they ask the same thing at the same time, and with the same tone. I looked at the person beside me from my shoulder and gave him a 'shut up' look. Something in him suddenly made my blood boiled.
"Yeah, I'll call you later." The elevator door was about to open. I fixed myself and sighed as the view of a cream-lighted hallway grew wider in my eyes.
I stepped out. The paintings and wallpapers dangling on every part of the wall caught my attention. Most of it was abstract, dark, and shadowy.
Creepy.
I made my steps forward while staring at each like I was in an art gallery. The painter must be lonely, as his masterpieces hid a lot of messages behind these crafts.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. I walked at a fast speed, but a hand grabbed my wrist from behind causing me to twist it and put it right to his back.
"Ouch... Ouch!" The guy whimpered as I twisted his arm. I studied martial arts in case I will be put in this kind of situation.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I demanded.
"I'm the 'stranger' from the elevator. I just wanted to return this!" He emphasized the word stranger in between his agonizing groan, then showed me a handkerchief - my handkerchief. "You left this in the elevator. "
"Oh." I grabbed it from his left hand and let his right arm off. I didn't notice it was missing.
"Th-thank you," I mumbled.
"Thank you? Is that all?" he said. I sensed some anticipation in his voice but I didn't give him what he was probably asking for.
"What about a 'sorry' for almost breaking my arm?" he added.
I raised my eyebrow at him. Why would I? I didn't do anything. It was his fault that he made himself look suspicious.
I noticed that he lowered his eyes to the folder I was holding in my other hand, so I hid it behind me. "Okay, it seems though that I don't have to ask for it."
"What are you saying?"
"You'll know," he grimaced.
Asking for help is not in my vocabulary.
"JA NEH!" (Goodbye) he said as he disappeared from my sight. I lost my concentration because of him.
Relax Max, you have to concentrate on your interview. You have to make it in or you might lose a chance to fish for information essential for your family's case.
Juliet concluded that someone from this company might be responsible for the extinction of our family as culprits usually hid their masks behind a decent image. I wasn't convince really, but with the ambiguous case in my hand, I had to make a move.
~~~
"You are hired! You can start your job now." After like hours of waiting, a lady in gray slacks and creamed-colored tuxedo appeared in front of me. She had a delicate and natural beauty with a pinkish white skin.
"T-thank you," I mumbled. I didn't expect the process to be that easy, knowing that it should be a hot potato in the first place.
I was offered the position as a secretary to the COO, and I enthusiastically took it. The higher the position, the more access to information.
"Where can I find Mr. Llaneda's office?" I asked. His first name slipped out of my head.
"From the door go straight, then ride in the elevator going to the 24th floor, go left. Finally, you go right and look for his office."
"O-kay."
That was a bit confusing. Anyway, I'll just figure it out.
I shadowed her as she made her way to her office.
"Don't leave until he signs all of it. These are escalated papers and need to be signed immediately. Can you do it?"
"I can d-do i-it?" At first, I was confident, but my jaw dropped as a bundle of papers appeared in front of my eyes. I didn't expect it to be that many.
I kept my spirit up. I can still manage this one.

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After what felt like years of searching, I finally found an office named after Mr. Lleneda. I knocked, but no one answered. The papers felt so heavy on my arms and I got exhausted for searching his room, so I pushed open the steel door and decided to put the papers on the table. Facing it was a two rectangular-shaped sofa with a glass table in the middle. It felt so soft and tempting; right before I realized it, my body was already lying flat, lost on its cloudy like texture. A few minutes later, after I felt an increase in my energy level, I got up. No one is around yet, this is a good opportunity to start looking for information. My hand roamed around as it tried to feel the surfaces of each object, not really sure of what to look for. The office was clean yet covered with a thick cream-colored curtain which made his room look dim. There were more or less three portraits plastered on the
While waiting for our order to come to the table, Lexter started talking about his meeting with the private investigator. "Our investigator had been looking through various profiles your parents had a connection with. He couldn't find any suspicious individuals yet, but-," he cut his words short, hesitant if he should say it or not. "But?" I urged impatiently.
The dark and gloomy sky was bathed in magical silver light and I can't help but watch in awe from the comfort of the soft foamy front seat of Lexter's car. He decided to stop for a while on the near edge of the world so we could breathe from the stress and frustrations of life. "How's your back? Can you feel any crack on your spine?" he interrupted, worried about the condition of my back after I told him everything that happened in the room.
The vibrant hues of red blended with tangerines and purples painted the sky and sent a quite invigorating panorama that welcomed us as we landed in Narita International Airport. The rays touched down in the horizon behind the shadow of a mountain peak as the moon appeared on the other side to catch up with the escaping sun. No one but myself seemed to appreciate the nature-sent invitation as passengers moved swiftly out of the plane.
When the day bleedsinto nightfalland you're not hereto help me through it all,I let my guard down and let you pull the rugI was getting kinda used to being someone you love.
It was getting late, so I decided to go back to the hotel. But as I approached the grand entrance, a couple of familiar faces in their black tuxedo made their way out. I turned my back on them and shifted my movement opposite to their direction. I kept an eye at them over my shoulder as I slowly walked away. They all rode in different automobiles and it moved one after the other. I didn't avert my eyes as they slowly disappear from my sight. They were stakeholders of the company, same with my parents, I just wondered why they were here. I knew that Mr. Ryle was in a m
Scrolling my phone up and down -like a boomerang- with my mind lost in space, had been my state since I woke up from sleep. I had been waiting for a reply from my uncle, but he hadn't sent me one. My hands got fringy, so I dialed his number again. I hoped he would answer the call, because I didn't have a good sleep thinking about what had transpired after I left.
The jacuzzi experience was the best part of my stay in the hotel. The water was at a toleratable temperature, enough to make me feel warm and relaxed. I had flanged my body for half an hour: I didn't even notice the twelve missed calls from my uncle. I quickly changed into my nightgown and returned some calls, but he didn't pick up. I had attempted many times until drowsiness visited me.