TWO

Lara noticed Rachel being oddly quiet so she back-pedalled so that they could walk together. "Hey, are you okay?"

Hearing Lara's voice, Rachel looked up and stared at her for a second. Then she gave her a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry 'about me. Let's go. I'm hungry..." she said, walking past her without looking back if Lara's following her or not.

Lara was clearly not entirely convinced. She watched Rachel's back with concern.

"What happened?" Chance came to her side. His eyes looked at Rachel as well. 

"I don't know..." Lara shrugged

Chance looked at her. His eyebrow raised sceptically. "Really? Because honestly, I wanted to ask her what was wrong. But then I saw her face, I got scared coz she had this gloomy aura, you know."

Lara sighed. "Well, Rachel didn't say anything to me so, I'm clearly clueless as you are."

"Huh." Chance paused for thought. 

Lara glanced at him. "Yeah, huh."

"You know, she was sparkling like a disco ball before we got separated for work." He said. 

Rachel's cheerful smile was still fresh in his mind. But now, the Rachel they were looking at was gloomy. Like thunderclouds were looming over her as she took a seat at the table, just by herself, and started eating her food with a lifeless look on her face. 

"She looks like she had her life sucked out by a Dementor." Chance said, referencing a supernatural entity in the Harry Potter series that sucks out their victim's soul to torment them, which kinda describes how lifeless Rachel was, at the moment.

The corner of Lara's lips twitched. Chance's description of Rachel's appearance was so spot on, she didn't know if she should laugh or not. 

"If you're really curious about why she's being like that, then how about you go and ask her? As I said, I don't know much so I can't tell you anything." She said.

Chance looked at her, still expecting her to know something. "Aren't you guys in the same department?" He asked.

Lara sighed, "We are. But I got distracted with work, and everyone was so hectic trying to finish their own workloads as though chasing a deadline. Believe me, if you saw how people were torturing themselves in there, you'll know what I'm talking about."

Chance blinked. "Really?"

Lara nodded. "Really. I didn't even have a chance to relax since I started bringing everyone coffee and photocopying papers for them left and right."

"That sounds exhausting." Chance said, like hearing about it was making him tired as well.

"Kind of." Lara shrugged. "But anyway, that's why I didn't see how Rachel was holding up. Unlike me, she was assigned to a cubicle..."

Chance pouted. "Oh poor you..." He tried to comfort her with a hug but Lara just laughed.

"Stop that."

And he, indeed, stopped.

"I've got to interrogate her then. We wouldn't know how to bring her back if we don't ask." Chance said.

In agreement with this, Lara nodded. "Please be subtle when you ask her though. She might... you know, snap at you if you suddenly-"

Chance rolled his eyes. "Of course, I know that. Just- shh- and let me think."

Lara pursed her lips. "Okay..."

When they arrived at the table, Lara and Chance quietly sat in front of Rachel who was quietly munching her food.

"Rach?"

Rachel looked up. A frown marred her beautiful face when she noticed her friends staring at her directly making her feel weird.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" She asked.

Lara opened her mouth, but no words came out of her lips.

Chance sighed and decided to ask the question instead. "Can we ask you something?"

Rachel placed her spoon down and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

Chance nudged Lara under the table. He wanted her to ask the question first, but the woman froze up the moment Rachel looked her in the eyes when she was about to say something.

Seeing how useless she is. Chance sighed in disbelief. Looks like he has to go through this, alone.

Gathering himself, Chance asked. "Why are you gloomy today?" He said without batting an eyelash. It caught Rachel by surprise and she was confused by his question that she blinked. 

"What?" She asked.

"Why are you so gloomy today?" Chance repeated his question and Rachel still didn't get it. 

"What do you mean gloomy?" She asked.

Chance sighed. "Gloomy." He said, emphasizing the word while gesturing at her head. "There's an ugly dark cloud looming over your head. Don't you see it?"

Rachel stared at Chance with a blank expression on her face. 

Apparently, she didn't.

An awkward silence loomed between the three. 

Was he serious? Rachel turned towards Lara who was eagerly leaning over the table. She was waiting for her answer as well.

Rachel sighed. "You two aren't going to stop interrogating me, aren't you?"

"Nope." Lara grinned. "And that's exaggerated, by the way. We're not interrogating you. We're just asking-"

"Unless!" Chance said, cutting in. "If you're hiding something from us." He said. 

Lara turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing?"

Chance just smiled and winked at her.

Rachel looked between her friends and asked. "What something?"

"Well, something you wouldn't want to tell us, of course." Chanced said, eyeing Rachel suspiciously. 

Rachel stared at Chance for a second before chuckling softly, her complexion suddenly turning lighter than before.

"Seriously, you guys." She laughed softly. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm only frustrated with myself, that's all."

"Why?" Lara asked, still concerned. "It's only our first day..."

Rachel nodded. "Exactly. It's only been a day and I'm already overwhelmed by work..." She said, depressed.

Without a word, Lara reached her hand out, touching Rachel's hand to comfort her.

Rachel gave her a thankful smile before sighing. "Tasks kept on coming in while my headache was killing me, like literally killing me. That's why I was-" She paused and looked at Chance. "Just like you said. Gloomy..."

"Why didn't you tell us that you weren't fine?" Chance asked with a frown. He was disappointed that Rachel didn't open up to them when she was struggling like this by herself.

Rachel sighed softly. "I just didn't want you guys to worry, that's all."

Chance stared at Rachel for a moment, then stabbed a lettuce with his fork. "You should have been assigned to my department then. We're pretty laid back there..." He said, making Rachel glow up like a light bulb when she heard that. 

"Really?" But then her expression fell. "But I can't switch sides on my first day."

"Yeah. You'd have to suffer for a month before you can request for your transfer." Lara said. 

She remembered the rules clearly and it was introduced to them during the briefing.

Rachel pouted. "Ugh! I hate this..." She groaned as she dragged her well-manicured fingers through her hair in frustration.

Lara just gave her friend a sympathizing tap on her shoulder to pass her sentiments toward her. Her friend was in a dilemma. She had no choice but to follow the rules to get what she wanted. And by that, she had to wait for a month before she can request a transfer.

"I swear, if there is hell on earth, I think it's the finance department," Rachel complained as she chewed on her food.

Lara chuckled. She didn't know Rachel could be so over dramatic sometimes. She initially thought she was all sunshine and rainbows but that's not the case at the moment. 

"Our department is not that bad."

Rachel turned to her with her eyebrows raised. "Not that bad? Lara, how can you say that?" 

Lara shrugged. Truthfully speaking, she was satisfied with her workplace.

Rachel scowled at her. "I saw you, you know. You're the only one who's working hard in there."

Lara scoffed. "You're exaggerating."

"Nope. I saw you. You've been walking around running errands for everyone. Aren't your feet even sore yet with all that walking?"

Lara stared at her feet under the table and wiggled her toes inside her shoes. "They're both fine... I think."

Rachel's scowl went even deeper. "This is wrong." She said turning to Chance. "Look at me." she pointed at her face. "Look at her." Then she pointed at Lara.

"Uh-hmmm." Chance followed Rachel while Lara just shook her head, not minding Rachel's drama and continued her meal.

"See the difference?"

Chanced tilted his head at Rachel's words. He stared at Lara's face. "Yeah... I think I know what you mean."

Lara looked at her friends and frowned in confusion. "What?"

"She doesn't even look as haggard as I am," Rachel whined. 

Surprised by Rachel's words, Lara blinked. "But you've always been gorgeous, Rach." She said, earning a pout from her friend who still looked unsatisfied. 

Rachel obviously didn't get what she meant.

"See, Chance? She's even more optimistic than I am."

Chance chuckled before munching his lettuce.

"What are you even conscious about? You look stunning when you're haggard." Lara said.

"You're just doing that to make me feel better..." Rachel whined even more.

Lara suddenly felt problematic. "I'm really not..."

Rachel sighed. Giving up on her tantrum. "If I could only see the CEO's face right now, I think I'm going to be a lot better..." She dreamily said, hugging her hands to her chest while sighing like a maiden in love.

Lara listened and shrugged, continuing her meal. The CEO. Well, he was handsome indeed. 

She only saw his photo during the briefing and it was clear that almost all of the female workers were taken by him. He was even more attractive than her best friend, Cedric, who was the second most gorgeous man she ever knew.

Noah James Smith. That's his name. She remembered what she felt after seeing his picture. She felt these goosebumps growing on her skin. His cold, penetrating gaze seemed to reach her through the picture, and it was strange, really really strange...

"Speaking of the CEO, ladies. Do you wanna hear a gossip I've heard about him?" Chance asked, stabbing his fork on his plate with a smirk.

"What?" Rachel looked curious now, so she leaned in and waited for him to spill the beans.

"I heard, that he's already..." Chance paused for effect. 

"What?" Rachel asked.

He whispered the next word in suspense. "Engaged..."

"Engaged?" Rachel gasped loudly. "No." Now, she was crestfallen. "I was just dreaming, you know, of seducing him..."

"Opportunity gone, girl." Chance said with a chuckle while chewing his food. "Deal with it." He added, poking at her pride.

"You-" Before Rachel could stab his fingers with a fork, Chance changed the topic.

"Did you hear the news, by the way? Yesterday, another person went missing again..."

Rachel stopped. Her expression became worried as she lowered the fork. "Yeah, I saw the news too. Now I'm afraid to go out tonight."

The two continued to talk about the news while Lara was in a daze. Her mind was still left on the topic of their big boss is engaged. 

Thinking of his handsome face, she suddenly thought that, if a man as beautiful as him had a fiancé, then she must be very pretty.

***

A black, luxurious car stopped in front of the entrance of the building. A stunning woman with sharp brown eyes and crimson red lips wearing a professional office suit came out of the shotgun seat. She turned around. Her long silky brown hair reached her lower back gracefully swaying as she moved.

"Get out." She frowned at the man who had just come out of the car. No one heard her, but it was clear that she was in a bad mood.

The man who came out of the car had a blank look on his face. His electric blue eyes looked at the woman who had been his secretary for five years. 

"You shouldn't speak to me in that tone while we're in the office, Ms Anderson." He lightly advised, buttoning his grey suit.

Ms Anderson, the secretary, just rolled her eyes and didn't reply. Instead, she faked a sarcastic smile on her face in an enduring manner, keeping her image as the perfect secretary since both of them were standing in front of the entrance of the company and the employees can see them.

"After you, Your Highness..."  She gestured sarcastically at the entrance, bowing at him since she had to wait for him to enter the building before she does.

Ignoring her theatrics, the man entered the company building and the workers greeted them both as they walked by. 

Suddenly, the man stopped. He felt an itchy feeling creeping under his skin. His body tensed, full of alertness, as he scanned his surroundings.

"Do you feel that?" he asked, and the woman beside him felt the same thing.

"Yes." Her eyes scanned their surroundings. "The smell is faint, but it's certainly not human." She said, her voice dropping dangerously.

Then, the itchy feeling vanished and the man narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

"I think he ran away," he murmured, amused, and his secretary gradually relaxed, hearing that the threat was gone.

"Are we going to send someone to follow him?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No need. He's already far gone so, it's useless."

She sighed. She wanted to protest, but her boss turned around and went for the elevator. 

Noah pressed the up button and waited for the doors to open up. His fingers tapped on his face which was tilted sideways while he was thinking.

When his secretary was beside him, he spoke. "I think he came to investigate from a distance so there's no need to chase him." He said.

"Do you have any idea why he came then?" She asked.

Noah straightened up. He was done thinking. "He knew we detected him and ran away. He's strong." He said, getting inside the elevator when it opened and pressed the top floor where his office was located.

Stefani Anderson, his secretary, followed him inside the elevator and asked. "So, what do you want me to do?"