-What A Pleasant Surprise!-

Louis came out of the elevator as Verena stood at the receptionist table. "Sie, you got a guest."

Louis looked at the lady and gave Verena a warm smile and said, "Verena, what a pleasant surprise! It's so good to see you here." 

"Hi."

"Come with me."

In the elevator, Verena could feel the tension in the air, but she remained silent, not wanting to escalate the situation further.

Once inside his office, Louis finally spoke: "I'm sorry you had to witness that. Ms. Ella can be a bit persistent at times."

Verena offered a reassuring smile that didn't reach her eyes and said, "It's okay, Mr. Louis. I understand."

Louis sighed. "I hope she gets the message and stops bothering me."

"I'm sure she'll come around," Verena replied, trying to ease the awkwardness.

Changing the subject, Louis gestured towards a comfortable chair and said, "Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

Verena nodded. "Sure, a glass of water would be great." She was already feeling thirsty because of the drama down the hall.

Verena settled into the chair, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the tense situation appeared to be diffusing.

As Louis poured her water, he couldn't help but wonder why she suddenly showed up. Anyhow, he didn't complain about it and offered her the glass.

"Here you go." Verena took the glass and thanked Louis, a calm smile playing on her lips. She took a sip and savoured the coolness of the water, grateful for the distraction it provided.

As the silence lingered, Louis decided to break it by asking, "So, how have you been?"

"I've been alright," Verena replied, taking another sip of water. "Just dealing with some things; you know how it is." She tried to keep her tone light, not wanting to burden Louis with her troubles.

"So, have you finally de..decided?" Louis asked, his voice filled with nervousness. Verena looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of hesitation and stubbornness.

"Yes," she finally said, a hint of relief in her voice. "I've made my decision, and I'm ready to take the next step."

Louis nodded, a proud smile spreading across his face. "I knew you would," he remarked, his voice filled with confidence.

But the next second he leaned his body forward and crosses his fingers on the table and with a serious tone. He said, "I'm here for you, every step of the way."

Blood in her veins started to rush all together, the thunder of her heartbeat bursting her eardrums at his words.

Knowing that she had made the right choice in confiding in him. But only she knew how she had made this difficult decision.

"Thank you. As you said that day, I have time to get to know you. I should use my resources and understand YOU. You will acquire our marriage certificate within the next week, no matter what." Verena shrugged her shoulders in a lazy way, but she was quite seductive.

Louis couldn't help but admire the lady in front of him. She had spent four horrible years of her life, and here she was sitting in front of him, strong and confident.

He admired her determination and resilience, realising that she possessed a strength he had never seen before. The way she carried herself with such grace and seductiveness only added to her allure.

Louis couldn't help but feel grateful that she had chosen to confide in him. It just made him proud of him whenever he was able to help her in any way possible.

"So, here I am." Louis nodded, and a small smile played on his lips as he watched her look around his office.

"Is that so?" He lazyly murmured to him.

"Wouldn't we start dating today?" Verena asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Louis was taken aback by her boldness, but he found himself unable to resist her charm.

He chuckled softly and replied, "Well, I suppose we could consider this our second unofficial date."

Verena frowned and thought, When was the first one? As he read her thoughts, he replied, "Two days ago. I thought you would remember it your whole life." Verena's eyes widened in realisation.

She had completely forgotten about their first encounter in the hotel. It was just a casual conversation over dinner, but Louis had clearly taken it to heart.

She felt a pang of guilt for not remembering, but also a flutter of excitement at the thought that he had been thinking about her all this time.

With a sheepish smile, she replied, "Well, in that case, I guess this can be our second official date." Verena grinned, her confidence radiating as she leaned in closer to him.

"I have a feeling this is just the beginning of something amazing," she whispered, her voice filled with anticipation.

And in that moment, Louis knew he was about to embark on a journey unlike any other he had experienced before.