Had Serene known that her life would be peaceful once she returned to Coast City, she would have flown back home immediately after graduation. It would probably have saved her countless days of loneliness and homesickness.However, she had a stubborn streak and was hungry to prove something for herself, not to mention there were few opportunities available for a newcomer like her.Thankfully, Mary had taken her under her wings. As always, she had been her savior. This time, she recommended her to her brother Albert who just started a small IT company which focused on expense management. Having had previous exposure to project implementation, she got assigned to the Implementation Department.How she loved this job. She gets to focus on working on a specific project, helping their clients in customizing their softwar

Serene was seething in anger. She puffed her cheeks and took deep breaths as she tried to control herself. The warmth on her face was unmistakable; so she knew she must be as red as a tomato, but she did not care about that now.She stood up from her chair and looked down at him. She took advantage of the temporary position of power she had over him. Glaring angrily, her voice shaking, she pointed at his face, “If you think you can bribe me with your compensation, Mr. Rain, think again! I will never give my eggs to you!”She did not bother waiting for his response. She stormed out of the cafe in her angry strides, not even bothering to look back.Serene left Justin stunned and puzzled. She was long gone, but he remained in his seat, looking in the direction she stormed out of. What just happened?The more he thought about the words she said, the more painful his head became. He shook his head and massaged his temples to ease the growing headache he felt. She

The Rain International Building looked very imposing. Its 80 floors towered over Hyacinth Bay’s Central Business District. Serene recalled that she looked at this same building with excitement and enthusiasm after she had graduated. On her first day of work, she felt nothing but pride when her high-heeled feet first set on its premise.How ironic, now here she is, craning her neck as she tries to look at the skyscraper’s expanse. She no longer felt the same amount of excitement, pride and elation she felt almost three years ago. The feeling of dread now replaced those emotions. She dreaded to see those three men.Taking a deep breath, Serene lifted her foot and entered the building. She approached the lobby receptionist, whom she no longer recognized. She informed her of her name and purpose; the receptionist gave her her ID pass. 

Because Justin was driving, Serene had no choice but to take the front passenger seat. She felt uneasy and kept shifting in her seat. She did not know where to place her hands. She placed them in her lap, then crossed her arms across her chest, then placed her interlaced fingers on her lap and twiddled her thumbs. Justin missed none of these. He’s in a good mood and could not help but have a tiny smirk on his lips. His fascination with her kept growing as he observed her.  Serene could feel Justin’s eyes on her. She stole a quick glance in his direction and saw that indeed his eyes were on her. Was that a smirk on his face? She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but his gaze met hers. The longer their eyes stayed locked, the more she felt uncomfortable. After a while, she saw Justin leaning forward, his face moving closer and closer to her. 

The meal ‌went smoothly. She now felt more at ease with his company. Although Justin looked stoic and arrogant, deep down he’s a warm person. And gosh, that laugh. It hugged Serene’s heart and sent shivers down her spine. She has not felt this good in such a long time.  After the meal, Justin drove her back to the hotel she was staying.   “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” Justin gave her a quick glance. “This weekend? I’ll be in Coast City.”  “I see.” Justin nodded.   He stopped the car a few meters from the hotel’s entrance, which earned a confused look from Serene.  He cleared his throat and looked at her. He scanned her face, not