Chapter 3

Rachel was still waiting for the elevator on the ground floor when Nancy just came and approached.

"I was almost late, Rachel."

Rachel turned to the left with a surprised face. "You startled me, Nancy."

The shoulder-length blonde-haired woman just chuckled in response. She didn't seem too concerned about some of the employees who were also waiting for the elevator to go down to the ground floor.

"I heard that Mr. Alexandre was back, am I right?"

"It's rumored that he's started working again today."

"Oh, my gosh! After a year, I finally got to see my future husband again."

"Don't dream! Do you intend to be a mistress? He's planning to get married."

Rachel's ears caught the whispers of the employees who were waiting for the elevator with her. She turned to Nancy with a questioning expression, she was sure Nancy heard it too.

Nancy leaned close to her and whispered in her right ear. "Our young boss is starting to work today, so the employees in the office are starting to get busy to gossip him again."

Rachel just nodded in response. The elevator finally clinked and opened. They went inside. Rumors began to buzz again, talking about the handsome young boss who became the object of the imagination of women in their office.

Then, not long after, the elevator doors opened again on the floor where her division was.

"Uh, that's Mr. Alexandre," Nancy whispered as she gently nudged her arm.

Rachel who had been looking down contemplating something finally raised her face, and her body froze for a moment. It was so cold that she couldn't move. Her chest was pounding loudly voicing longing as she stared at the figure she knew so well.

His now mature face looked much more handsome than she remembered. In the past, the haircut was deliberately left a bit longer, until it passed the shoulders with a headband that was always attached to the forehead. So now the adult version is cut short. Makes him look clean and tidy.

The man stood side by side with Dimitri, not knowing what business he was in his division so early.

The employees started pouring out and greeting the man. But Rachel, who was standing at the back, was still frozen in place. The man smiled sweetly and nodded at each employee who came out of the elevator and said hello.

However, the friendly smile faded when all the employees from the elevator had left, leaving only two women, one of whom he recognized as soon as possible. The man was shocked as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing right now.

Rachel herself felt her chest rumbling, pounding fiercely at the sight of the two men. Rachel's focus was only on one object, on her ex who was also staring at her, without knowing what he was thinking at that time.

Her mind suddenly went blank. All of this was too sudden. It made her unable to anticipate, even though all this time she had continued to practice managing her heart if one day she met him again.

Nancy pulled her back from her reverie by gently elbowing her arm. She blinked and then looked away. While a few meters in front of him, Xavier seemed to be awakened by a tap on his shoulder then turned to Noah with a confused expression mixed with a question.

Finally, Rachel was forced to step to follow Nancy who had already walked ahead. When Nancy said hello, the man seemed to force a smile with his focus still on Rachel.

Rachel tried her best to keep her legs from wobbling as she walked closer. That handsome face smiled with an inexplicable look, but his smile faded as soon as Rachel arrived before him, she forced a smile, greeted him and Dimitri briefly, then walked past him as if they had never known each other.

"X, what are you doing? Were you fascinated by women just now? Rachel is a magnet for the men in this office. A very beautiful Asian face with a perfect ideal body, right?"

Xavier complied as Dimitri pulled him into the elevator, Dimitri not realizing Xavier's gaze turned blank after he passed Rachel. He turned to the side, at his cousin who looked happy when he talked about the women. "She's Rachel Lee, right?" For some reason, his throat suddenly went dry. Afraid that he'd just misunderstood, because she didn't seem to recognize him.

"Yes, her name is Rachel Lee." Dimitri nodded slowly. "You know her? Where do you know her?"

Dimitri was even more surprised when Xavier suddenly panicked pressing the elevator button to the floor where he met her earlier. "X! What are you doing? Did you leave something in the HRD headroom earlier?"

Xavier shook his head quickly. "You're the one in the meeting this morning. I'm not coming."

Dimitri looked at Xavier annoyed, because of his reckless attitude. "No! Don't be careless, you're the one who prepared the meeting material, you're the one who finished it. This is a big project! It might fail if I do the presentation because I don't have any preparations."

Xavier didn't seem too bothered. The handsome face looked irritated, he even brushed his hair when the elevator didn't take him upstairs. Stupid indeed. Of course, the elevator will not go directly to the floor Xavier wants, because the first destination is the ground floor considering they will have a meeting outside this morning.

"X, why are you suddenly being so stupid? The elevator won't go straight up before coming to the ground floor. What's the matter, anyway?"

Xavier didn't hear Dimitri grumbling about his stupidity just now. His head only contained Rachel, a woman who had never left his heart and dreams for ten years. Rachel, the woman he loved very much even though they had not seen each other for ten years.

(*)

After walking a few meters, Rachel dared to look back. Then find Dimitri pulled the man into the elevator. The woman touched her chest. Her heartbeat was fast. Until her hands and even her body seemed to be shaking because too hard to accept the blood pumping so fast.

Rachel just remembered that the man used to only mention his two first names, without ever mentioning his last name. All she knew was just Xavier, without ever asking if Xavier had a surname behind his name or not.

"Rachel! You're daydreaming again."

Rachel returned and changed the direction of her gaze forward, for a moment he forgot about Nancy's existence.

"You're amazed at Mr. Alexandre, aren't you? He's very handsome." Nancy hugged her arm, as she pulled her to walk towards their cubicle. "Don't move on with Mr. Alexandre, okay? He has someone."

Nancy's words succeeded in making Rachel stop walking. She turned around, looking shocked that she couldn't hide her surprise.

"Oh, I forgot to say." Nancy slapped her forehead lightly. "He already has a future wife. Mr. Alexandre is back in New York right because he wants to get married, I heard they want to get married next month."

Rachel sat in her chair with her hands shaking violently. They no longer listened to Nancy's chatter, moreover, they had arrived at their respective cubicles.

She cupped her face and took a deep breath. Ten years and she finally saw that face again. She wanted her to be happy and relieved to see he was fine. But in fact, there is a sense of bitterness in there. It was so painful and stinging, seeing that the man was fine and had even continued his life by finding another woman and planning to marry. Unlike her who had been crushed for years and just walking in place, waiting and waiting for when she would see him again.

Rachel groaned softly. Feeling angry and hurt at the same time.

'Look, Rachel! Xavier has been doing well so far! Step up and continue his life well. While you're slumped alone in the past.'

her mind cursed her stupidity all this time because she still believed the man would come back.