Mark’s POV
I was in my home office going through some work files when a reminder for the shareholders' meeting popped up on my laptop.
I heaved a deep sigh immediately when I saw it. I knew for sure what that meeting was about. Those old folks just couldn’t wait to remove me as the CEO of my father’s company.
However, just before I could confirm my attendance at the meeting, I heard a knock on my door,
“Sir?” Rita called and waited for my response.
“Come in,” I answered immediately, packing up the files spread out on the table.
“Did you find her?” I asked with curiosity, leaning back into my chair.
Rita marched forward and placed a folder on the table, looking anxious and quirky,
“Uhm, I did, but not much.”
“What do you mean?” I questioned with a frown on my face.
“I mean I found the woman, but it seems like she has completely disappeared in the last eight years. All her records are gone,” Rita explained, leaving me even more confused.
“Disappeared?” I asked, raising my brow in curiosity. How could a person just disappear?
“Yes, the woman you slept with eight years ago can’t be found on any database. It’s like she just vanished,” she answered.
I heaved a deep sigh, scratching my head in confusion. I knew I was drunk that night, but I couldn’t have been that drunk to hallucinate an evening together with a total stranger.
Something felt odd. I could remember some things from that night. She was different from the other girls I’d been with, just the same way Anna was.
Could it be possible that they were the same person? I wondered and quickly shook my head, dismissing the thought. I met her in Brigdon, whereas from Rita’s reports, Anna seems to have lived her life in Delroy.
“Sir, I also checked Ms Brookes's data,” Rita said, interrupting my train of thoughts.
I looked up and gestured for her to proceed.
“She’s twenty-eight years old from Delaware, no parents, went to college in Campbell, graduated top of her class, and is currently living downtown in Abbey Street,” she said.
Anna seemed a lot more impressive on paper than she did in person, which made me even more curious about what she could be hiding.
We’ve met twice and I could tell on both occasions that there was a certain mystery to her, and whatever it was, I had to find out.
“Is she married, any husband or kids?”
“Uhh…I don’t think so sir, I think she’s single,” Rita answered.
I remained quiet for a long while, something didn’t seem right. From Rita’s reports, it seemed that Anna could not be the girl I slept with eight years ago, but I could not shake this familiar feeling that we had met before.
I was sure it wasn’t all just in my head, the girl I met was real.
‘Urghh! Why could I not find her?!’ I screamed in my head.
This was so frustrating. Whoever she was, she had sparked something in me I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel again, not since Laura.
For the first time in many years, my heart ached for something, to risk the chance of breaking again, of loss.
I needed to find this girl, I needed to know who she was. If Anna was really her, then this time I wouldn’t let her slip away so easily.
Suddenly, an idea lit up in my head. If Anna was truly the girl from eight years ago, then I’d need her close to me, that way I could find out by myself. So immediately, I turned towards Rita,
“I need you to add a few more conditions to the contract for Ms Brookes.”
Rita stared at me for long with questions.
“Include that Ms Brookes will be the one to knot my tie every morning when I’m leaving for work.
She will also be present every day to serve me my breakfast and dinner,” I said, and paused for a brief moment, reconsidering my last rule.
I knew it wasn’t any of my business to be concerned with this, and also not entirely fair to her, but while I confirmed that she wasn’t the same girl from eight years ago, I needed to be sure I wouldn’t stand the chance of losing her to anyone else. So, with that, I cleared my throat and continued,
“Ms Brookes will not have any affairs with anyone and will remain single while she works here.”
Rita seemed taken aback by my last rule, but she understood she was not in any position to question me, so she swallowed her words and asked,
“Is that all sir?”
“That’ll be all, you can go,” I uttered and immediately she turned to leave.
“Oh, Rita… Inform me immediately you get more information about that girl,” I added.
She nodded in response and walked out.
As she walked out, I hunkered in my seat, replaying the memories of the night I had with that girl, trying to find any clues about her.
We were both drunk that night, and she was wearing a mask which made it almost impossible to identify her.
It was an unforgettable night, ironic that the only thing I could remember was kissing the birthmark just further down her shoulder, whispering in her ear how beautiful I found it.
Anna’s POVI stood at the entrance of the Grayson mansion, my heart pounding as I stared at the luxurious building. I had been so thrilled to get this job that I never paused to consider what would happen once I did. Now, standing before the mansion doors, I was filled with fear.It was eight in the morning, and I had left my children at home, rushing here to make breakfast for a man I should be avoiding.As I walked through the hallways, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had made the right decision in accepting this job.This job was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to give my children the life they deserved, but I could not help but wonder if I could fit in here.“Oh, it’s you… how nice of you to join us. Keep this up, and you’ll lose your job before you even begin,” Mia’s icy voice echoed through the hallways, and I immediately turned to meet her sharp eyes, assessing me from head to toe with a coldness in her gaze that sent a shiver down my spine.“I’m sorry Ms, I had to…” I b
Anna’s POVMy heart raced as Mark’s piercing gaze bore into me. I quickly realized Rita had set me up, but I doubted mentioning that would matter at this point.“Why are you in here, Anna?” Mark demanded coldly, his voice rising. I froze in fear, searching for an explanation that wouldn’t sound foolish.“I-I, I thought I heard something, so I decided to check it out,” I stammered, my voice trembling, and immediately regretted my choice of excuse. I was a terrible liar, and this was the worst excuse I could come up with.‘Good going, Anna,’ I scolded myself, trying hard to maintain my composure and not give myself up.However, just as I failed terribly in staying composed, Mark saw through my shallow lie instantly.“I can tell you’re lying,” he spat in disappointment, his eyes narrowing at me.He walked past me, and stopped, staring out the open glass windows of the room.“Leave my sight,” he uttered weakly.“Huh?” I asked, unable to hear him.“Get out now!” He yelled, swinging his
Anna’s POVThe sterile smell of the hospital still clung to me as I walked through the hallways. After what happened with Mark, I should have been worried about being late again, but I couldn't care less.My mind was consumed with worry and fear for my daughter as I walked to the kitchen, hoping no one had noticed my tardiness.I made my way through the hallway and overheard the maids whispering amongst themselves. Intrigued, I moved closer and overheard them conversing about Laura. ‘Laura…Laura?” I quickly delved into my head trying to remember where I’d heard that name before. Then it hit me - ‘The picture!’“She was so beautiful,” one of the maids said with emotion “And such a sweet soul.”My curiosity grew as I leaned closer to the kitchen door, straining to hear more.The staff’s reluctance to speak openly about her only deepened my curiosity. Who was this woman, and why did she affect Mark so much? I remember how furious he was yesterday when he saw me holding her picture, and
Anna’s POVLater that evening, I was cleaning the old library, still gripped by terror from the image I saw. Why was I in that picture? What happened between Rita and me? I finally glimpsed why she treated me the way she did now. Something must have happened between us. Just then, I noticed Mark staring at me through the doorway. He seemed more relaxed and softened this time as he approached. He could notice the unease on my face and said with a wry smile, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost”I stopped and tucked my hands behind my back nervously “Mr. Grayson, I want to apologize about yesterday, I didn’t know–““Enough about that, Anna,” he interjected calmly.“I was being hard on you. I realized you mustn’t have known that I don’t allow people into my room.”I remained silent, still unable to look him in the eye. I wasn’t afraid anymore, I only tried to keep my distance. With Rita and Mia watching me, I realized if I needed to keep this job, I’d have to keep away from Mark, no
Anna's POVAs I drew closer to my room, my mind was still occupied with the unanswered questions about my past and Mark's offer.Suddenly, I heard a noise inside and stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding. It sounded like someone or something was rummaging through my things.My first thought was Rita. She had been seething with jealousy and a clear disdain towards me ever since I moved into the mansion.Though I still could not understand why she felt that way about me, I had a strong guess. Rita seemed to have strong undisclosed feelings toward Mark, and strangely, I could share in her plight. Seeing him close to someone else must have been heartbreaking.However, I didn't think it was just her feelings for Mark that caused her to despise me; our past seemed to have left a huge sting on her.These reserved feelings had driven her to snoop through my belongings, searching for anything that could give her an edge.I slowly opened the door cautiously, and just as I had suspected, I fou
Anna's POVTears streamed down my face as I reflected on the difficult choices I had to make. At that moment, I wished I was back with my ex-fiance Luke. Even though he never gave me a chance to explain myself, things would have been easier with him.Since I left Brigdon and started a new life in Delroy, we hadn’t communicated at all. It was probably for the best, it was easier to let go of him that way, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Despite my curiosity, I'd never searched for him in the years we'd been apart. I didn't know anything about his life now, and the truth was, I didn't want to.The thought that he might be living his best life, and might have moved on with someone new was just so devastating. It would only hurt to see him happy knowing my life was shit.However, sometime last year, my curiosity got the best of me. I knew what I did to him was wrong, but I didn't even recognize myself or my thoughts that night. Somewhere deep down, I still wished he'd reach out to m
Mark"What are you doing here?" Anna asked, staring at me in shock."Shhh,” I quickly placed my finger on her lips, cutting her off. A few meters away, I could hear leaves rustling and knew those men were still around."I need you to remain quiet or we'll both be found," I whispered, staring directly into her eyes.After a short while, I peered over her shoulders, scanning the park to ensure those men were no longer in view. As I listened closely, this time, the park was quiet, and after a while, I was convinced there was nobody around.She was still staring at me in confusion when I shifted my gaze back to her."What are you doing alone in the park by this hour?" I demanded. "And who were those men?"Anna pushed me back, her eyes flashing with defiance. “I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"For a girl who seemed timid, she now appeared quite fearless. I had to be cautious; I couldn't let her know I had been stalking her, especially not when she was being this fei
MarkMy hands were shaking as I pressed the ceramic tile on the bathroom sink. I breathed in and out deeply, trying to control my emotions.My mind was still fixated on what happened at the park. However, it wasn't Anna's refusal of my help that frustrated me now, although it annoyed me that she was being so difficult even when I was only trying to help.Shortly after Eric dropped me off at the mansion, I received a message from my father, Jonathan Grayson, reminding me of the annual Grayson family meeting.I'd almost forgotten it was today. I never liked these meetings. We weren't like your typical family.My family was very competitive, and these annual family events were more of a reminder that despite my accomplishments with the family business, my father was still not satisfied with them. With the board members on my neck about stepping down as the CEO of the company, I could already imagine how today would go.I closed my eyes tightly, trying to focus my thoughts. I needed to ta