"Love....Love...our next volume will be centered on love." Fahsai slurred in her speech. She was rehearsing in front of the marketing team on how she would report to Daniel. As she talked though, she started to stammer, unable to discuss about love.
"Memorize it verbatim, especially since you can't come up with your own ideas." The marketing team told her.
"Why would you have her memorize it?" Big Sis Fai came to her rescue since she knew those gossipmongers were bullies.
"In case Fahsai can do it, she should step aside so that another person can jump in." The market girl said. Fai knew her game though.
"Are you that desperate? I know you want to be the presenter so badly. If Daniel doesn't give thumps up for our concept because of Fahsai, then you can tell me what to do." Fai bargained. On the other hand, Fahsai didn't feel particularly confident about it.
"It's your opportunity to shine and show everyone that you're an adult. Who knows, if you do a good job, the Chief may want to approve your story or a column in the magazine." Fai said.
"C'mon little bunny. If you no longer want to be the errand girl at the company, you need to fight. Not even a second passes when people start giving you menial tasks." Fai added.
Fahsai realized her fate, if she didn't do well, even Fai unknowingly would give her a task.
That night Fahsai wrote her own spiel for the representation as she watched her parents getting cosy and cute with each other. She slowly walked to a mirror and smiled at her image.
"At least once upon a time in my heart, there was a beautiful love." She practiced the ending in front of the large mirror. She then pulled out Daniel's necklace and strayed to wonderland as she thought of him.
Chanming wasn't looking so pretty after the fistfight.
"Breaking the rules with someone who never follows the rules is not wrong." Tiang Kong encouraged the latter who had been down since the fistfight. He knew Chanming must have felt guilty for literally backstabbing Daniel.
"Don't dwell on it, instead we should focus on finding a way to get Fahsai on our side." Tiang Kong suggested to his little Boss.
Fahsai got a bouquet of flowers the next morning with a note from Chanming, that his brother was waiting for her.
"Will you work for him after all?" Nuth wondered.
"If I could help someone who needs me, I might do it, but it would be on weekends." She said.
"It's that moment...." Nuth chortled. Fahsai learned that she had to meet Daniel in his turf, for the presentation. She appeared nervous but took a deep breath before sauntering to his office.
Once she saw him in his office though, he noticed the wound on his forehead. Putting her civility and casualties aside, she rushed to his side.
"What happened to your face? She asked, forgetting to keep her distance since they were in the office.
"Sit down." He gave her a stoic face. "To the further end of the room, please." He told her when she chose to sit right in front of his desk. Fahsai felt aloof and when she turned back, his face softened into a smile.
"Before I forget, I thought you might need these back." She muttered as she returned his coat and necklace that she fixed back to him. She immediately launched into her presentation.
"I'm not ready, I still have some work to finish up." He said casually.
"Sorry." She sidled back to her corner with an apology. She even flashed him with a smile every time he looked at her. He too couldn't help it but smile as he turned away. Daniel though kept her waiting as he had more business to tend to.
Things were still rough between Dr. Eit and his fiancee. He found himself in rough waters when she gave him a cold shoulder.
"You know very well the reason why we chose you over other prospects, so don't disappoint us." Kwan's father told Eit. It was like a tall order and so he was driven back to his past. He recalled how uncomplicated and happy things were when he was with Fahsai.
By the time Daniel returned to his office, he found Fahsai asleep on the couch. He peered at her sleeping face and smiled. It reminded him of how he first met her to when he kissed her at the pier. He looked down at her glistening pink lips and licked his lips dry.
He then took a look at her notes, smiling at her presentation but not long enough as she was alluring to touch. He grazed his hand along her jaw, as if to memorize her face. Imagining stripping her naked and making love to her on top of the office table, worsened his groins as he felt his cock growing hard and perking up on his trousers. It took time and effort to regain his sanity, even as he gauged at her cute face, he realized he far over from letting a woman control his vulnerable side.