1 Prologue

Sighs! More work to do and it still keeps coming.

It's another long day and not for long, the evening came. The sunset slowly pulled its way down behind the clouds and the skyscrapers of the city. Not for long, the coffee that I just brewed 5 minutes ago had gotten cold due to the exposure from the cold atmosphere in the room. A knock tapped on the threshold of my office as my best friend, Louise Zafra entered with a clipboard at hand, eyes sharp with a hint of a smirk. "Ms. Moon, may I interrupt you for a while, Mr. Dela Cruz called on you to see him in his office. I would like you to follow me—"

"Liz, cut out the gesture and formalities and tell Randolph 'later' I'm too busy here as you could see." Louise pissed, snapped me with the rubber band that she took from her wrist. "Owww!!" I exclaimed "How did you do that with a clipboard at hand."

"If I could do that then you could, too. Take at least one hand of yours and lend me your ears for once, Mr. Dela Cruz wants to talk to you ASAP and it is more crucial than those reports at your hands right now . And I would like you to not call Mr. Cruz's name in his first name. It's rude, Ms. Ishka Victoria Torres Moon." Louise said, standing tall and mighty like a smart ass she is.

I can't stop but laugh, she has always been serious at her job ever since I met her in the university. She is a brunette with a beautiful face and body figure and tall, but her character doesn't match her personality. She has a tiny mole beside her eye as her birthmark. She is the secretary of my boss and she has feelings towards my boss, too. So she takes her job to heart to get the wanted attention. My boss in the other hand is my long childhood friend of mine, Randolph Dela Cruz. Though we have a mutual relationship as best friends, we aren't that close. Even though our bond is constant, we still want to keep it that way. It's secretive but at the same time explicitly there.

Louise knows our relationship and she and I then, created a bond. She uses me as an encyclopedia of Randolph and it can't be help because she once helped me when we were in the university. Thanks to her I'm still here living "dyingly" hahahaha.

I sipped the now cold coffee and put it down in disgust. "Nope, the works here has to be done by the end of this hour and I still have a lot of stuff to accomplish until then, I have not time to have a chit-chat with Randolph for now." I fixed my eyeglasses to go with the next set of documents on hand. " Ishka, you only have one job and that's—" "To finish my work, not to go to sudden appointments that are beyond my hands." Silence filled the room. Louise then fixed her collar and I.D. pin to look presentable. "Ehem! I see that your coffee is getting cold, don't you mind that I'll get you a new one? My treat this time if you go see Mr. Dela Cruz." I clapped" Haha, you know me well, Liz. Fine, I'll go." I stood up and fixed myself. Louise then grunted "You are such a bratty little lady, you know that!". I shrugged as we headed out to the elevator.

Louise pressed the up button as employees walked by, greeting us with a smile "Oops! I almost forgot, the coffee must be at my office, hot and fragrant, as soon as I'm back, okie." I winked and smiled at her. "Hey! I'm not your secretary—" the elevator doors opened as a tall man walked out and bumped into Louise. "Ouch! That hurt bastard—." "Oh! My bad, Mrs. Zafra." Randolph caught her on his arms as she realized in horror. "Oh, Mr. Dela Cruz, I'm so sorry for ruining your suit." embarassed, she wiped off his collar and caressed his corporation badge. "Haha! No trouble, are you ok? I must have hurt you badly." He smiled and looked through her arms. "No, I'm fine and well, nothing to be worried about Mr. Dela Cruz." "That's good." Randolph looked at me "Oh there you are, I've been waiting for you, what's taking you so long?" "What do you want, Randolph? I'm very busy." I crossed my arms and lift an eyebrow. "Oh I'm sorry for the trouble but, there is someone that I want you to meet in my office."

"Is it important? I could meet him after I finish my—" "Now means now, Ishka. It seems he really wants to see you in person ASAP." just now, I could see grievance and feelings of longing in his tone and look in his eyes. Surprised I agreed, "Fine." I pressed the up button while Louise kept buzzing in the background. "Umm are you really ok, Ms Zafra?"worried, Randolph patted her shoulders to wake her up. "Heheh..... J-Just c-call me Louise or L-Liz, Rand— I mean Mr. Dela Cruz." Louise said dreamingly as the elevator doors opened.

Louise rushed to her desk and continued her work as Randolph opened his office door for me "Come in".

Just then I saw a man sitting adjacent to Randolph's desk. His features aren't bad, great built but I feel a familiarity in him that I can't explain. His silky dark blue hair reflected the sunset glow from the window with his hands professionally rested on his lap. He seems calm and silent but I could see from his face that he feels grief and loss with a little of hope. As he looked up and gazed at me a shock kicked in and it seems the man feels it, too. He begins to feel hopeful and surprised at the same time.

"Ishka, I would like you to meet some one who seems to have known you for quite a long time. He said that he's been looking for you and finally found you here. I would like you to—" "Ishka, is that you?" a voice so familiar but deeper. Where have I seen him or met him, I can't remember. "Who are you?" I asked with a confused look. At that point it worsen the situation. The guy suddenly teared up and I felt embarrassed and guilty for hurting him like this. "Are you ok? I'll go fetch you some water, is that ok? I'll be right back." Randolph took the initiative to lend me the room for both of us to speak as he winked and got out.

I turned towards the man, who right now is looking at me with a serious look. "Are you alright? There must be a misunderstanding. I don't think I know you or met you before. I might be just a doppelgänger of that person. Try to find—" I was cut off by the sound of footsteps heading towards me as the man gripped my arms. "Are you really Ishka Moon?" He exclaimed. It seems that that's the only words he could say when he met me. "Umm yes Sir, but would you excuse me, it seems that—" before I could get out of his grip he pulled me into his body, it felt nostalgic and relieving at the same that I am getting weirded out about myself and this situation. "Please! Please! Try to remember me! Remember us! Remember how we were back then." He begged " Hey! It hurts let me go. " I exclaimed as his arms wrapped me tighter. "Please! It has been so long since I've lost you! Don't you know how I missed you so much?" We kept struggling and I yelled "Hey, stop it, let me go! This is harassment, let me go—"

We both fell to the floor with his hands gripping my arms and our bodies together. I could feel his breath in my left ear huffing rapidly as if he ran up the stairs to the room. He whispered something that I can't understand. From that moment my heart beat pumped up faster and the adrenaline rush increased. I was red and hot. "I guess there's no choice but to wait for you once more." He mumbled as my vision blurred into darkness.