SURPRISE. I feel the coldness of the stainless door handle of my office as I grip it to open. I take a deep breath before pushing the door. I feel a sudden unsettled in the pit of my stomach when a flowery-scent hits my nostrils.

I hear a gasp from ahead and that's when my head snaps and my eyes fix on the woman in front of me. Everything stops, my surrounding blurs, the beating of my heart races, my eyes widen in surprise, and my jaw drops.

I'm not expecting to see her here in my office at all. I wasn't thinking about her when dad told me to be nice to my assistant. Is this means she is my assistant?

I close my gaping mouth and cough.

"Trinity," it comes out a whisper.

She blinks many times then she clears her throat. She gives me a smile, a tight smile; just a plain smile; a forceful smile. "Mr. Hughes, Good Morning and welcome to your new office!" She greets with courtesy.

Mr. Hughes?

"I hope you like the setting of your office and I hope the interior fits for your liking but we can still request and change ju-"

I raise my sweaty hands for her to stop. My heart beats faster than before, my lungs expand than normal that could crack my ribcage and it makes me difficult to breathe. I look at her for seconds, she meets my gaze then breaks it immediately.

"You didn't come to the party my family threw out two days ago," I tell her almost in silence.

She grabs some files on top of my desk with an iPad placing it on top. She hugs them to her chest gracefully and says casually, "I sent Lizzy a message that I couldn't come."

"So, as you know already, I'm your new assistant; temporarily and my office will be adjacent to yours," she tells me, emphasizing the temporarily while pointing at the door on my left. Her stares give me shiver; her green eyes are shooting an icy glare on me.

She changed a lot. Her hair is cut short just above her shoulders, she doesn't change the color though. Her face still has freckles but they're less maybe due to the makeup she applies on. Her lips are still full painted with a red lipstick.

She taps on her iPad. "You'll have a meeting in less than ten minutes."

I take a deep breath. "Trinity, just leave the meeting for a while, will you?" I move closer to her.

She swallow hard. "Okay, you're the boss. I placed all the paper works that have been left by Mr. Peter Williams." She gestures to the file on top my desk.

"I'm not interested in that either." I snap.b"What happened to you, Trinity?"

She looks like she's taken aback. "What happened to me?" She asks back pointing her finger to herself, "nothing happened bad to me, Mr. Hughes. If you don't want me as your temporary assistant, please just ask the HR for my replacement," she adds sternly.

"That's not what I mean." Why is she acting like she doesn't know me?

"Stop calling me Mr. Hughes, you're my best friend,"

"Was," she cuts me off.

"Ex-best friend, Mr. Hughes, you are my boss so it's proper to address you as"

"I am your boss, so do as I say," I tell her in an authoritative tone.

"Sure." She looks down at the empty chair placed in front of my desk.

She places back down the file she took a while ago and smoothens her dark blue pencil cut skirt that ends just above her knees. She wears a white blouse with a dark blue blazer. She looks beautiful, elegant and very professional.

"I came to see you before my flight to U.K but you were not there. You went to your grandparents in Boston."

She didn't say anything. I guess she's listening.

I continue, "I want to apologize that day and take back our friendship, Trinity but you didn't even answer my calls and reply my messages."

"It doesn't matter, that was four years ago," she says coolly.

I snort. "That's it? I mean you just wasted our friendship for years with just one mistake I made and you made mistakes too, Trinity."

"I don't want to be your friend, Bash! Can't you understand that? Your friends, classmates, and girlfriends thought I was just your slave, I'm a dog in your leash, your personal maid!" She yells.

"Did I listen to them even once? How many times did I fight for you against them? How many times did I choose you against my girlfriends? How many times did I defend you against those bloody idiots, Trinity? How many times?!" My voice fills in the room.

"I don't care. I have friends now. I'm sure you made friends with Brits." She isn't affected at all. She's so cold.

"You're such an immature!"

"You're an asshole!"

I narrow my gaze on her. "Watch your language when you're in my office, Trinity! I'm still your boss!"

"My apology, Mr. Hughes," she says silently.

"Don't I get a welcome back hug?" I ask.

She rolls her eyes. "That's inappropriate. Meeting in less than four minutes, Mr. Seb Hughes will introduce you as the new CFO."

I grab the iPad from her hand and scroll it down at what she jotted down, my brow furrows.

"Dinner with Luke; to discuss the engagement?" I read slowly and I almost drop the iPod from my hand. My heart just crashes in my chest. "You're engaged!" . I grab her hand a bit stronger and there you go.

The fucking engagement ring on her finger!

My life is doomed! I look at her but she doesn't look back at me. She just looks down at the iPad that I tossed down the chair.

I sprint towards the door and slamming it behind me. I almost collide with Lizzy when I walk my way to the conference room door.

"Bash, we are about to start in less than two minutes. Get inside and take a seat."

I shove my hand on my pocket and look at the monolithic view of the building outside ignoring Lizzy's voice.

Pressing my lips into a thin line and slumping my shoulders in defeat and just swallow hard the lump in my throat. I lose her forever.

What's the point of coming back?

I don't answer my sister.

"Bash, you okay?" she asks with a worried tone of a sister like she used to when we were just kids. I feel a hand rubbing my back.

I look down at her five-foot-eight inches framed. I shake my head.

"I will never be okay, Lizzy," I answer quietly.

"You will be, Bash. You will be and you should be. It's never been too late," she says and walks away leaving me alone with these glass windows.

____

The meeting went well as I expected and I can't help but stole glances at Trinity who's busy writing something on the notepad. She didn't follow her dreams to be an architect instead she chose to study business management.

She must study hard to pass them because she hated numbers in every way possible. I walk out of the conference door after talking with dad for a few minutes.

"Leaving already?" I Look at Dean marching towards me.

I give him a smile and a nod. "Yeah, first day and still having a jet-lagged. I think I'm excused, right?"

He laughs. "Bash, you owned the 15% of this company and your family owned this, you can work your fatty ass in the Caribbean or at the yacht, nobody cares."

I shake my head for an amusement. "Like my dad will agree," I say, rolling my eyes.

"I'm always free for a good talk, Bash. Just call me," he says, patting my shoulder.

"I keep that in mind, Thanks, Dean! You're not bad after all."

He laughs arching his head. "I know you don't like me or maybe you don't trust me for your sister but I can't blame you to be an overprotective brother over her, but man, I love her with all my life and I don't care if you are against us or not and it's not gonna stop me from loving Liz."

"Wow! quite a speech, Dean. Got to go before we will develop with each other."

He laughs again. "You will be fine. It's not too late, Bash!"

Remind me to strangle my big sister.

_____

"Bash, I think we should go home now. You've wasted already." Edmund's hand gripping my arms guiding me out of the bar.

I've been drinking my ass and got into a challenge with the girls for tequila shots. I'm not much of a drinker. Maybe that's why the alcohol kicks in on my systems immediately.

"I can still handle some shots, Edmund boy," I tell him with a slurred.

"Shut up drunk-ass! I'll lose my job because of you, baby Bash!"

I punch his arm. "Stop calling me baby Bash or I will light your ass on fire!"

I hear him chuckle. My half-opened eyes flutter closed as soon as I get inside the car.

"Night, Edmund!" I howl.

"Shut up!" He barks out from the front seat. I hear the music plays in the speaker.

______

My hundred pounds heavy eyes force to open when I hear the doorbell rings repeatedly. My head pounding with headaches when I abruptly sit on the edge of my bed rubbing my aching temples.

Whoever in that door makes sure he has a good reason bombarding my penthouse. I'm sure it's my family, they are the only one has passed to be here without interfering the security.

I swallow the two tablets placed on my nightstand and gulp the still cold water poured into the glass. I feel relief as the water run down to my achy throat.

I lick my dry lips and walk with a lazy pace to my living room towards the door and still rubbing my heavy eyes. I hear the doorbell rings again.

"Coming!" I yell, groaning.

I press some keys to unlock and squeezing the doorknob to open.

"Can't be a little patient?" I ask with a groggy voice. I open the door wider and walk away without bother looking whoever in the door. I stop when I hear a gasp at my back. I turn my back only to see Trinity looks shocked with her hands covering her mouth.

I stand frozen in my place like I just turn into an ice statue. I remember I forgot to wear a shirt and I'm only on my pants from yesterday. She didn't move and just stare at me without blinking.

I clear my throat. "Trinity, come in and close the door behind you. Feel comfortable. I'll just grab a shirt." I walk away from standing still Trinity.

"Oh My God."

"Have a seat, Trinity, be down in a bit."

I wash my face with cold water when I feel stings on my back. I stretch my arms wider and it pricks my skin and it hurts. I reach my hand to touch my back where the place hurts a lot. My eyes widen when the vague of events from last night flashing back on me like a cold water.

"Fuck! What the hell have I done?!" I turn to let my back facing the mirror. My eyes grow wider when I see what's on my back.

A fucking tattoo!

________

BEAUTIFUL READERS,

Wait! What's wrong if Trinity is engaged? Why did he react that way?

Hope you did enjoy this chapter.

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