The door at Evan's office was pushed opened and Ken with his dark face entered, lips pursing together with anger.
He walked straight towards the couch and settled there, while Glen was sitting on the single leather couch in front of him and Kirby standing at Evan's desk while the latter was resting on his swivel chair with eyes shut.
"Stupid woman!" he exclaimed, eyebrows creasing deeply as he tried to inhale the air around.
"I am so furious right now I can even smell her here!" he took in a deep breath, turned to Evan and found him looking at him with a bored expression.
"We are working Ken, you don't barge in here and starts nagging," Evan replied, wondering if the woman that he mentioned was Daniella, "who is she?" he asked curiously.
Ken shrugged, his face was still wrinkled in irritation, "some woman name Daisy," he replied and relaxed to the couch, "who named their kids after a cactus?" he continued with a scoff.
Glen let out a faint chuckle, "Daisy is not a cactus Ken, it's a flower."
On the other side, Evan blew out a relieved sigh, he really thought it was Daniella.
"Evan, its lunch, maybe we can follow Daniella. I heard they are going to the restaurant downstairs," Glen spoke as he rose from his chair and picked up his suitcase.
Without replying, Evan got up as well, "want to go?" he asked Ken.
Ken shrugged reluctantly but he later got up and followed Glen and Evan out of the office.
--
On the other side.
Jenna and Daniella together with Jenna's assistant ended up at the diner next to the Su Financial Bank. Since it's in the middle of the city, the diner was full but Daniella and Jenna were able to find a table.
They sat on the three-seater leather couch with a rectangular table, Jenna and Daniella seated opposite of each other while Jenna's assistant was sitting next to Jenna.
When the waiter came, Jenna turned to look at him, "I would like three portobello mushroom burger," she said with a smile.
"I want a different burger, Ms. Marcus," the assistant said shyly.
"oh! Those three burgers are for me!" and she giggled.
When it was Daniella's turn, she handed him a list of what she wanted to order, "no pickles," she winked at the waiter and the man blushed for a moment but it soon faded when he saw her list for three double meat burgers with no pickles.
Daniella saw how the waiter sized her up, she didn't have a proper meal in the last two days so ordering a huge meal was normal for her, especially that Jenna was around.
Embarrassed with her boss's order, the assistant lowered her face to the menu and said to the waiter, "I'll just have a coffee," she smiled faintly.
"Damn it!" Daniella cursed suddenly, her hand swiftly grabbed the assistant's round glasses and asked for a marker.
"What do you need the marker for?" Jenna asked, perplexed by the panic she's seeing on Daniella's face.
"Ken Chu is coming here with Evan. I need a disguise, marker. Quick"
With a rush, Jenna handed her the black pen she has in her bag and helped Daniella drew a mole on her cheeks.
"Wait," Daniella held Jenna's hand to stop her, "I think my mole was on my right cheek," she said and used the tissue to remove the fake mole that her friend drew.
"Why are you so scared of this Ken Chu?" Jenna asked as she finished drawing the mole on her face.
"You heard the voicemail, right?"
"The voicemail at Mr. Su's office?" Jenna asked, putting the pen back to her bag.
When Daniella nodded, a whimsical laugh let out of Jenna's lips, "what kind of trouble did you get into Daniella?"
Daniella pursed her lips together; she couldn't let Jenna know that she met Peyton. They two had a history after Peyton slept with Jenna's now ex-husband.
"Hey," Jenna called Daniella and took out an envelope from her purse, "I always brought this with me because I know that I will see you one day."
Daniella stared at the white envelope which had been slightly wrinkled, she sighed and wondered what it was inside, the handwriting outside with her name 'Ella' was printed in calligraphy and this writing was so familiar to her.
She gulped hard and stared at the writing absently.
"James asked me to give it to you," Jenna continued.
Daniella looked aside, suddenly her eyes felt itchy and wanted to cry.
"You didn't get a normal break up with him Daniella," Jenna's calm voice has made the tears in her eyes dropped.
Daniella wiped it with her palms, "normal break up?" she lightly scoffed, "I thought seeing him screwing another woman in bed was enough," she breathed out, wondering why she suddenly cried, she thought she was done crying for him.
"Why were you crying then?" Jenna asked.
"I am not crying!" Daniella blurted, "I just..." she paused as she contemplated her thoughts. Was she crying because of James or was she scared to go through the same pain again?
She remembered the pain as if it was just yesterday, it was different than the one she experienced back at the bas.e.m.e.nt nor the pain she felt when her family died.
"Why do you think he cheated on me?" Daniella asked Jenna.
She didn't have a chance to ask James that question. It had been in her mind, buried under the other question she had about her existence.
Jenna gave her a half shrug, "you were always jealous Daniella," she paused and opened the bottled water she got from her bag, "you didn't want him to touch you," she closed the bottle and sighed, "He's a man Daniella. He has needs and you refused to fulfill it."
"I was just seventeen when I lived with him," Daniella retorted.
"Right, but you were twenty when you left him. You've never let him kiss you anywhere aside from your big forehead and cheeks."
Hearing that, Daniella absently ran a palm on her forehead, "it has a normal size," she said and looked outside, refusing to meet Jenna's eyes.
"You should call him to get the real answer."
From looking at the glass wall which showed the people passing the street, Daniella shifted at Jenna, "I don't know his number."
A lopsided grin curled on Jenna's lips, "you had Scott bring me two bags of cash from Macao. If you found a way to smuggle that money into the UK, for sure you can find a way to contact him."
Jenna has a point, Daniella knew that. It's not a problem but why was there a part of her urging her not to do it.
She sighed; she might have known the answer. But she's afraid, afraid that if James confirmed it, she would lose her confidence. There were a few things James hated about her which became the hindrance to their relationship.
Her eyes
Scars
Personality
Or maybe her existence itself was the problem. She had caused him troubles, got him into fights because of her mouth.
'You're going to get us killed one day Daniella.'
James' pissed off voice sounded in her mind. The relationship they had was full of secrets. She was full of secrets that she didn't want to share with him, she lived two different lives while in a relationship with him.
Just like what Evan's father had said. Anyone who came close to her would eventually die. But don't people die?
Did James decides to cheat on her because he didn't give herself to him or he was just trying to find an excuse to leave her?
She wanted the answer right now, so her hand grabbed her phone and dialed the number that her brain has memorized.
As she listened to the ring, a part of her was praying that he wouldn't answer the call.
"Hello?"
That voice...
It brought her back to the time they first met.