4. The World Is Pretty Small

The gaze can shoot a cupid arrow at the speed of light or even faster.

***

“Make sure all designs are perfect, Ae Ri! No mistake, even a little bit.” Chin Hwa reminded Qeiza once more time.

“I’ve checked them many times,” answered Qeiza.

Chin Hwa was still busy to check the documents he’s going to take with him. He should totally be sure that none of them left.”

“By the way, is the one we’re going to meet a kind of perfectionist?”

Qeiza couldn’t help her curiosity. Even though she’s just been a week working for Chin Hwa, at least eight hours a day, she could analyse that he was a kind of calm person and could control his work rhythm. He never got cracking.

Chin Hwa paused what he was doing. He stood up and looked at Qeiza with narrowed eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you about the person we’re going to meet?”

Qeiza shook her head. “No, you didn’t,” she replied.

“I’m sorry. I should have let you know earlier.” Chin Hwa felt a bit guilty. “The rumors said that the new director is not only a perfectionist, but also very thorough.”

“It sounds pretty scary,” Qeiza commented.

“Absolutely,” replied Chin Hwa. “He’s also hard to deal with.”

“But, you don’t need to worry,” said Chin Hwa. “I won’t let him give you a hard time.”

“I’m not that weak.”

Qeiza went back to her table, sorting out again the designs that she’s going to carry with Chin Hwa.

“Okay, let’s go!” asked Chin Hwa while passing Qeiza’s table.

***

Different from Chin Hwa who looked so sedate, Qeiza felt a bit twitchy while waiting for the arrival of the director of the Company M they’re going to meet, even more when she remembered what kind of person the man was.

A piece of that information reminded her of Ansel. Her ex-husband was also a perfectionist and pretty hard to face. It’s proven by the reality that though she’d been Ansel’s wife for four years, she had never been able to win over Ansel’s heart even if she wanted to talk to him or meet him just once.

Subconciously, Qeiza nipped her lower lip. What a shame! She became a widow at a young age. The worst, she was still a virgin. What did other people say if they knew the truth?

Fleeing to a foreign country with her new identity was the only best way popped up in her mind. She would have no chance to meet Ansel again, right?

Nevertheless, it looked like the universe still wanted to make fun of her with a game of fate. Qeiza gapped in disbelief, looking at two men who were walking closer to their table while Chin Hwa was raising his right hand high, notifying their position.

Qeiza’s face was shortly pale. Even, her sweat began to drip. She stood up and hid herself behind Chin Hwa’s back. Her head bowed in depth. She didn’t want the two men to be able to clearly see her uneasy face.

'How could this world be so small?' Qeiza thought.

She didn’t only meet Chin Hwa who knew her real identity, but she also had to face Ansel, unfortunately, as a business partner as well.

'Wait a moment!' Qeiza screamed inside of her heart. 'Ansel won’t possibly recognize me, will he?'

Remembering that Ansel had never met her, Qeiza’s heart simmered down. Even during the divorce vows hearing, the man didn’t take a gaze at her at all. Besides, at that time she also appeared in disguise.

Qeiza’s heart became calmer even more. There’s nothing to fear now. Though she should admit that there’s still a subtle shiver she felt when she gazed at Ansel’s face, Qeiza forced herself to forget him for the rest of her lifetime.

The feeling of love that affected her heartstrings since the first time she saw Ansel’s face when he was doing the consent granted process of their marriage had to be crushed down to the roots. Four years were enough for her to waste her precious lifetime in futile waiting.

“Have a seat, Mr. Malik!” said Chin Hwa in a friendly tone.

Ansel then sat down and started the conversation about the designs they needed without further ado. He was never interested in observing the atmosphere in the café.

'Tsk! What a very stiff man!' Qeiza mocked by heart.

The corner of her lips curved up a bit, but she spontaneously changed it to a smile when she realized that Ansel gave a sharp gaze at her.

DEG! DEG!

Ansel felt his heart raced. The hazel eyes of the young woman who was sitting on Chin Hwa’s left side looked so lively and bright. He had never found such warm and cheery eyes before.

“May I see the designs, Miss ….”

Ansel clammed up. Suddenly he regretted for not paying attention to Chin Hwa’s words earlier when that man introduced his personal assistant.

“Kim Ae Ri,” said Chin Hwa, reminding Ansel.

“Ah, yes. May I see the designs, Miss Kim?”

Ansel repeated his request. His eyes which were almost pretty dark and gave a mysterious impression had never turned away from Qeiza’s damn pretty face.

“Of course, here you are,” replied Qeiza, handing the tube contained the designs she’s still holding.

Ansel gulped. The small red lips really looked so tempting every time they moved producing the words. Even, her voice sounded pretty sexy in his ears.

For a few minutes, Ansel focused his attention on the designs in front of his eyes in order to get rid of strange delusions that entered his mind.

As long as his entire life, Ansel had never let his mind embrace a wild fantasy of any women. But, the young woman who was sitting in the opposite side of his seemed to have a magical power to tear down his soul fortress.

“I need some changes on some parts,” Ansel said.

Chin Hwa and Qeiza simultaneously took a deep breath. They seemed struggling to hide their disappointments.

“All right, Mr. Malik,” said Chin Hwa. “Just let us know what you want, we will fix them all.”

For a few seconds, Ansel’s eyes splashed in winning euphoria. He had passed the first stumbling block. Actually, there’s nothing flawed on those designs. They all were just so perfect and unique. It was just he needed to find a way to tie her up close to him.

“I want Miss Kim to do and finish all the designs in my office so that I can keep my eyes on her works directly.”

Listening to Ansel request, Qeiza clenched her teeth. Her eyeballs changed colors. A moment they looked green then in a second they got brown.

The changes of Qeiza’s eye colors which were so fast did not escape from Ansel’s observation and he was more and more fascinated.

“If Miss Kim minds, it’ll be fine,” Ansel said.

It was relieving, but also making Qeiza confused. Since when on the hell was Ansel willing to give up on his wishes? Was all the information that Xander gave her at the time they had just got married totally wrong?

As far as she could remember, Ansel was a kind of person who would never tolerate any rejections. Besides, she was also like a hunter who would never let his prey loose so easily. That’s why it’s not surprising he finally rose to the pinnacle of success at a very young age.

“But … I’m not sure to continue this cooperation,” he added.

Ansel read the changes in Qeiza’s face colors with his striking gaze as sharp as an eagle look. A pair of those hazel eyes gleamed fiercely as if they wanted to crush Ansel’s body all over like hot lava melted a piece of iron.

'I knew it!' said Qeiza in silence. 'He would never change in a blink. It’s truly a sneaky trick.'

Qeiza grumbled for so long deep inside of her heart, twitting and cursing how dirty Ansel’s trick was in business.

“It seems that your demand is not pure for our cooperation only,” Chin Hwa satirized. “Are you also inherited the bad habits of the former director, Mr. Malik?”

Ansel’s good-looking face stiffened. His pride felt insulted by the question Chin Hwa asked him. In the contrary, Chin Hwa’s guess was not completely wrong.

He had ever heard a rumor about the hostility between Chin Hwa and the former director. That happened because that man tried to seduce and influenced Chin Hwa’s trusted assistant so as that woman betrayed him and preferred to defect to the company M.

“Haha ….” Ansel burst false hoots of laughter.

***