Chapter 13

Their conversation was interrupted when Mrs. Rika—the head of their division, came to the table with a pile of work to complete.

"Nancy, please print new ID cards for the intern's employee. Here are the data," said Mrs. Rika.

"Alright."

Rachel glanced at the watch on her wrist, then sighed softly when the clock showed one o'clock in the afternoon, it didn't feel like the break was over. Mrs. Rika is known to be very disciplined, especially regarding time.

"Rachel, please photocopy these files and bring them to my desk right away. As soon as possible, I'll be waiting."

Rachel looked up as she received the file.

The woman got up, then walked towards the photocopy machine that was specially provided on the floor of her division.

Of course, because of the HR & GA division, one of the divisions that have never been separated from printing files is also copying employee data.

"Would you like a photocopy, Miss?" asked an employee who appeared to be fiddling with a photocopier when she arrived.

Rachel nodded slowly in response.

"If it's urgent, it's better to go to the general photocopying room, Miss. This machine is jammed, I'll fix it."

The woman then rushed to the elevator for the public photocopying room on the ground floor.

Luckily, when she arrived the room was empty. Immediately Rachel did her job and stood in front of the machine waiting for it to finish scanning and printing.

The woman gasped in surprise when she heard the sound of the door being closed and locked. She turned her head, then was even more shocked when the culprit was Xavier.

The woman sighed as she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Xavier again.

Can't she just work quietly for a day?

Rachel chose to ignore him, even though in fact Rachel's chest was pounding hard, afraid that what happened in Xavier's office room would repeat itself for the umpteenth time.

"Rachel..." Xavier grabbed her arm when she chose to keep herself busy with files instead of him. "I just wanted to talk."

Rachel yanked hard at the hand that was holding her while staring flatly.

"Sorry, Mr. Alexandre. I don't think any part of my job relates directly to you. So, there doesn't seem to be any 'work stuff' to talk about."

Rachel deliberately emphasized the word 'work matters' to remind him that their status in this office was nothing more than superiors and subordinates.

"Rachel!" Xavier rubbed his face and looked annoyed. "I just wanted to apologize."

Rachel's eyebrows rose high hearing that. "Apologize for?"

The man looked down, her gaze turning wistful. "Sorry I almost lost control earlier."

Rachel, who was tidying up the files she had copied, was silent for a moment. "I forgive you." Then the next second she resumed her activities and said, "But I beg you, in the future, don't ever bother me again."

"Rachel … do you really don't love me anymore?"

One question that Xavier threw like an arrow that shot straight into Rachel's heart.

It hurts too tight, being asked like that.

Rachel's hands clenched into fists, almost squeezing the files she was holding.

Xavier shouldn't have asked that question. The woman that Xavier asked, was the woman who for ten years had remained faithfully waiting for him! when Xavier himself is living a good life and even wants to marry another woman!

"Love or not, does it matter now?" Rachel muttered under her breath. "Whatever it is, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Not important, you say?"

Rachel's answer surprised Xavier. One of Xavier's hands is on his waist, while the other is fiddling with his hair in frustration.

Xavier laughed bitterly. "Too many things we've been through together, and you say they don't matter anymore to you? How can you say that, Rachel?"

The man approached Rachel and grabbed the woman's shoulders to face her.

"Look at me, Rachel." Xavier's darknet looked at her so closely. "And say, if you don't love me anymore and you've forgotten all about us."

But what Xavier found was that Rachel cut her gaze and looked away.

"You don't dare look at me and say that, do you, Rachel?"

Xavier's intimidation is getting bigger. He squeezed her shoulders with a gaze as sharp as an eagle.

Rachel felt she was too small for Xavier, who was absolute and powerful.

"That is, everything you say is just in your mouth. In fact, your heart still belongs to me completely," he said while placing his index finger on Rachel's chest.

Rachel took a step back, looking annoyed that Xavier still hadn't given up. "So, what? Still, in love or not, that doesn't change anything. It's not going to make me change my mind and get back with you."

"At least give me a reason." Xavier swallowed hard. Holding on desperately so as not to get carried away by emotions until you lose control. "Give me a reason, Rachel, why you just left me like that."

Rachel could hardly believe what she was hearing. Is Xavier still not aware of where their problem lies? Of course, it was all due to his own choice of choosing and planning a wedding with another woman!

"You ask, the reason I desperately refused you?" Rachel looked at Xavier furiously.

"You think I want a guy who already has a fiancé, and even wants to get married next month?"

Xavier's body stiffened. The handsome face looked shocked, not at all expecting that the reason for Rachel's refusal was this, Nathalie and the wedding plans.

But soon Rachel furrowed her brows in surprise, finding Xavier actually laughing. The man pulled Rachel in a hug and then said, "So you're desperately avoiding it because of this? Rachel, why don't you ask me directly, and instead speculate alone? I can explain everything."

Rachel struggled until she finally managed to release Xavier.

"Explain what, huh? It's so easy for you to laugh as if it's all just a trivial thing. Do you think I'm not hurt?" The woman stared at him blankly, looking increasingly furious. "Ten years, X! I've been waiting for you for ten years, and when I finally met you, you actually wanted to marry another girl."

Rachel didn't want to cry in front of Xavier, but in fact, seeing the man's jerk attitude made her hurt even more.

"Things aren't what you think, Rachel, I never—"

"Never what?" she cut his words with a bold look increasingly challenging. "Never agree to the marriage? Did everything happen because of an arranged marriage, and not of your own volition? it's stale, X." Rachel roughly wiped her tears. "Because whatever the reason, the reality is that marriage will still happen. And I don't want to be a bad woman who ruins other women's happiness."

"Rachel, I really don't want this marriage! Not only your heart are you hurt, but I'm also—"

"But you still accept, and the wedding is still planned and will happen, right?" Rach again cut off Xavier's words, which for her, are now just nonsense and no longer mean anything. "For me, those two things are enough to choose to retreat and leave your life, X. So, forget me and continue your life with her."

Even if the marriage was not Xavier's will, couldn't the man have rejected it? For Rachel, whatever the reason, it was too late.

"No, Rachel!" Xavier's stubborn. "You think I'll just give up like that? I won't! Ten years ago, even now my heart hasn't changed a bit. You're mine. And it will always be like that."

Rachel didn't seem surprised, knowing Xavier for more than ten years made it easy for her to expect Xavier's reaction to be like this.

The woman was not afraid even though Xavier began to show his emotional side.

Rachel took a step back, putting more distance between them. She looked at Xavier angrily.

"Don't be a jerk, X, don't betray the woman who will be your life partner, just for the sake of your past."

Immediately Rachel turned around and grabbed the doorknob, spending too much time with Xavier could be dangerous for her. Don't let what happened this morning happen again.

"And this is the last time, X. In the future, private conversations like this will never happen again. Because we are now nothing more than strangers. Excuse me."