Jane heard a man's voice.

"Huh! He picked up!"

Tears flooded Jane's eyes, uncontrollably flowing like that of a child who had lost something precious.

sob... sob...

Five minutes had passed, yet her tears showed no signs of stopping.

Oh, how she missed him!

Last night's horrible dream had left her in a state of anguish and turmoil. The anxiety and loneliness that gripped her upon waking crawled up her throat, manifesting as an outpouring of tears.

After a while, her eyes ran dry, though her heart still ached. She took a deep breath, gathering the strength to speak in a trembling voice.

"Hello."

"How are you? Are you busy? Did you eat?"

Jane's pain caused her to bombard him with a rapid succession of questions.

Silence hung on the other end of the phone.

Perhaps she had gone too far with her cries and interrogation. How foolish of her to cry so openly!

"Actually... ahem!... I had a nightmare yesterday, and in that nightmare, I saw you. I saw... I saw your face, but it was lifeless, dead," Jane confessed in a dull voice. It was painful for her to utter such dreadful things, but it was a thought that had tormented her throughout the day.

"I worried about you all day. You haven't replied to my messages in months, and I feared something might have happened to you. I'm so relieved to hear your voice. Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay," Jane spoke rapidly, panting between her words. Her longing for Victor compelled her to pour out her thoughts and concerns.

The continued silence from the other end of the phone felt abnormal. Something was off.

"Why isn't he saying anything? Why is it so quiet? I can hear his breath, so he must still be on the line," she wondered.

Jane felt uneasy about Victor's silence and his lack of response to any of her questions. It felt as if something was amiss.

They remained silent for some time.

But Jane didn't mind. It was better than not having the opportunity to talk to him at all.

She could hear his deep breaths resonating through the phone, offering her some solace. Listening to his breaths, Jane wanted to believe that Victor's heart beat fast and loud for her.

"I'm standing at the bridge where we had our first kiss. The wind is chilly today. I remember how you held my hand that day. I loved the warmth I felt in my heart," Jane shared, her voice filled with nostalgia and affection.

"I love you," Jane desperately wanted to express her feelings. She didn't care how desperate she might sound; she simply needed him to know how deeply she loved him.

"I love you so much. Please come back to me. I love you! I miss you!" Jane longed to share everything that had been concealed within her heart.

"You know, the nights feel incredibly lonely without you. I yearn for your embrace. My cheeks flush with color at the thought of you. Even in this chilly breeze, reminiscing about our night together gives me goosebumps," Jane confessed in a whisper, gasping for breath.

Speaking these words to him was both astonishing and brave for Jane herself.

Her heart racing, Jane became flustered and confused.

"Goodbye," she immediately hung up.

She had said everything she wanted to say and prayed that Victor had heard her feelings and concerns. Talking to him brought her a sense of relief and satisfaction.

"Next time we meet, he's going to get a good scolding!" Jane clenched her fist around the phone and gritted her teeth firmly.

Taking deep breaths, she paused to admire the night view from the bridge.

ring... ring...

Jane's phone began to ring.

Picking up the call eagerly, she saw Bella's name flashing on the screen.

"Hi!" Jane answered without hesitation.

"Clear your schedule for Saturday. You're going to the masquerade ball with me," Bella commanded.

"Okay," Jane replied, resigned to her lack of choice. After all, she was free next weekend anyway.

beep

The call ended.

 

***

Bella forcefully dropped her phone on her office desk. She was in a foul mood.

Sitting across from her on the office sofa was Sheila, her assistant, surrounded by files and paperwork spread across the glass table.

"Do you think it's a good idea for Jane to accompany you to the foundation ball?" Sheila asked, her voice low and firm, while she examined the paperwork in her hands.

Bella responded with suspicion in her voice, "Don't worry about it. She'll be fine."

Bella was well aware that Jane had met and fallen in love with Victor three months ago. Although she didn't know the exact details of their relationship, she felt furious that Jane was suffering because of him.

"I understand that the company is facing difficulties, but that doesn't mean you can involve Jane in this mess," Sheila retorted, undeterred by Bella's wrathful gaze.

"Excuse me!" Bella snapped, her rage directed at Sheila.

Sheila was a competent secretary who feared nothing.

Fresh out of a meeting with stakeholders, Bella and Sheila had discussed the dissolution of INKS Corporation as the main agenda. INKS Corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy but had concealed it from everyone while attempting to join forces with their rival, ON Corporation, the largest market share holder in Royal City.

Everything would have gone according to plan, but once Victor assumed office as the heir of ON Corporation, their support was withdrawn at a crucial moment.

The first action Victor took upon assuming his new role was to destroy his biggest competitor. Ruthless!

The funding that INKS Corporation had promised Bella's company was denied, resulting in a significant setback. If they didn't find a new source of funds, many employees would suffer, and the company might have to lay off staff and revoke insurance privileges.

Bella was determined not to let her company's reputation be tarnished.

"Sheila, set up a meeting with ON Corporation," Bella commanded, her gaze fixed intently on the file open on her desk, as she sat with folded hands.

Sheila quickly grasped Bella's intentions. "You want to negotiate with Victor?"

Bella had never met Victor face to face, nor had she felt the need to before. But now, circumstances had changed, and she had to exhaust every possible means to save her company.

"I want to confront him. His vision before assuming office was to support INKS, but the current situation is entirely different!" Bella exclaimed, grinding her teeth in anger.

She was resolute in her determination. She demanded answers. Before assuming office, Victor's vision had aligned with INKS, yet upon joining the company, he had destroyed it. What had changed in those three months?

Was it related to the accident that occurred three months ago? If so, how?

"Tell me everything you know about the accident three months ago," Bella turned her head towards Sheila, who stood by her side, holding the paperwork she had been working on earlier.