Chapter Eight: Unforgettable Encounters

Trina's POV 

"Excuse me," I quickly said, standing up. "I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Justin's face instantly whipped towards me, and his brows furrowed into a frown. He’s my friend and knows me as well as I know him, so I'm sure he figured out the real reason why I’m excusing myself but nonetheless, I simply smiled and walked away. There's no question about it, I’m certain that I can't give Justin what he wanted from me– what he really deserved. But who knows, maybe this fan of his, or someone like her, could…

With my mind preoccupied with thoughts of Eleanor alone in the car with the chauffeur, I absentmindedly pushed open the door to what I assumed was the women's restroom. I don't trust chauffeurs at all, afterall, my dad was once the chauffeur to my mom's extra-rich family who pretended to fall in love with her and see where that landed us!

Upon entering, I realized that the restroom was empty and silent, much to my preference.

I approached the sink, the sound of my heels echoing in the empty restroom. I rummaged through my purse and fished out my lipstick. Since I made excuses to go to the restroom, I might as well keep myself occupied while in there. 

But just as I finished applying the lipstick and smacked my lips together for even distribution, a sudden movement in the mirror caught my eye.

My jaw dropped open in shock because right there behind me, stood a man… in the women's restroom!

 I don't know when I suddenly whirled around, shouting. "Pervert!" 

 My right hand balled into a fist as I swung at him, adrenaline coursing through my veins. “You pervert! How dare you?! This is the women's restroom!”

The tall man, who was dressed in a charcoal-gray Armani suit dodged my attack effortlessly.  At first, he didn't say anything, letting his eyes speak for him. And those eyes… oo la la! His gray… gorgeous gray orbs, if I may add, fixed me with a steely, intimidating gaze that instantly made me feel sweaty.

Holy macaroni! Who in the blazes is this guy? The man is so damn hot and intimidating! The kind of hotness and charisma he's oozing out… I might likely burst up in flames at any moment from now. He is That hot! Perhaps he's the devil himself, because even the mere sight of him could make a woman want to sin…

"What are you doing?" his calm, baritone and extremely cold voice finally rent the air, suddenly changing the room temperature from extremely hot to chillingly cold.

 Okay, I have changed my mind. This stranger isn't hot, but rather cold. Extremely cold! With those steely, frosty eyes and that oh-so-cold voice, this charismatic Greek god could definitely freeze a person into an ice block!

As I just remained there gaping at the charismatic stranger, he added in the same cold tone,

"Look around you."

Even though I was confused about why he asked me to look around, I still obeyed and what I saw shocked me to the core. About five or so urinals lined one wall… this is definitely not the women's restroom!

Heat instantly flooded to my face as embarrassment washed over me. God! How could I have been so stupid! I even called the man a pervert when I am actually the one in the wrong!

"I…I’m so sorry,"  I stuttered, as I started retreating backwards towards the door. "I thought... I didn't realize..."

I was so embarrassed, so ashamed of myself that I couldn't even bring myself to complete one comprehensible sentence. Turning around, I fled from the restroom, all the while feeling the intensity of the mysterious stranger’s piercing gaze following me all the way out.

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Zane’s POV:

As I stood there watching the woman's retreating form, I finally let the frown appear on my face. There's something a bit familiar about that woman… I couldn't quite place a finger on it but something about her reminds of that unforgettable night many years ago. That fateful night that changed the course of my life…

As I shrugged off the thought, dismissing it as just a similarity, my eyes fell on the sink, where a small object instantly caught my attention. It's a wallet… a women’s wallet. It must belong to that woman who just left. I guess in her haste to escape from the embarrassment she caused upon herself, she must have left it behind.

I turned to go about my business but curiosity got the better of me. Despite my inhibitions, I picked up the wallet, turning it over in my hands. I know that I shouldn't open it. In normal circumstances, I wouldn't even go near a mile radius of it but this case is different. Even though I tried to shove it away, that sense of familiarity still persisted and so I just found myself opening the wallet.

There was a wad of cash— some dollar bills and French euros but that wasn't what caught my rapt attention. It was the photograph secured behind a plastic covering that drew my attention. In the picture, the same woman from moments ago smiled back at me with her arm wrapped lovingly around a young girl as they both smiled at the camera. They had the same eyes and identical smiles. No doubt about it, they are mother and daughter.

I carefully studied the image, with my brows furrowing. The longer I stared at the picture, the more that nagging sense of familiarity increased. The woman's face stirred something in my memory, but try as hard as I can to remember exactly what it was, all I get is just a hazy, blurry and unclear snippets of a night that happened long ago. Besides, the presence of the child in the picture complicated things.

"Looks like she is married with a daughter," I silently mused to myself with my fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the photograph.

With different thoughts buzzing in my head, I closed the wallet. Of course, the proper thing to do would be to give it to the manager of the coffeehouse so that the owner can be traced. But I just couldn't bring myself to do that. Something held me back. That persistent sense of familiarity just felt too significant to ignore. And as a highly successful businessman who never leaves a significant issue to chance, my mind was already made up.

 

Pocketing the wallet, I went about my business before exiting the restroom. I know what I have to do…