The Wish You Left Behind

Chapter 31: The Proposal

FAYE

Faye stares at the lipstick mark left on the rim of her coffee cup. She still couldn’t comprehend how her boss can be such a tease sometimes.

She finished her drink, avoiding the lipstick mark, of course, before entering the building. Greetings of good mornings welcomes her and Faye can’t help but return it.

How come she missed Apasra Corp this much?

Faye sees the receptionist first. It seems too engrossed in something she’s reading.

“Janice!”

The woman looks ahead upon hearing her and beams. “Hey!” She fiddles something in one drawer. “Welcome back to Apasra Development Corp!” she said before handing her old ID.

Faye takes it gratefully. “It’s still here, huh?”

“Yeah, well. The boss ordered not to throw it yet, so —.”

“Oh.” Faye pins it to her breast pocket before checking her watch. “I should go. I’ll see you around.”

“That would be great. Oh, do you know where the conference room is?”

“Sorry, where?”

Despite the conference room’s gray interior, it is bright. There are six people inside. Yoko is sitting next to her brother, Big. Infront of them are two men she didn’t recognize. Marissa and Ice stand by the doorway as though waiting for her.

The doctor smacks her arm as a greeting.

“Faye,” Marissa said, balancing folders on her arm. Faye offers to help, but the young woman declines.

Yoko only glances at her before leafing through a folder in front of her. Despite their encounter earlier, her boss suddenly looks serious.

Big waves at her before slouching in his chair. He checks his watch, looking bored.

Faye looks at Ice. “Er — doc, what are you doing here?”

As Marissa puts down the folders to the long table, Ice leans closer. “Well —you’re here to prevent punches being thrown. I’m here in case you fail.”

She looks at the woman incredulously.

“I’m only kidding, Faye.”

Faye huffs but scans the room, studying the two men in front of the siblings.

The man in the blue suit looks older than the other.

The man in gray, the younger one, is clean shaven, unlike his companion; he looks dashing. His broad smile never falters.

When he turned to see Faye, his smile broadens, and he stands.

Yoko follows his every move.

“You’re Faye. Hi.” Instead of wai, he offered his hand for a handshake.

Faye returns the gesture firmly.

Ice clears her throat. “Faye, this is Kun Apasra, Yoko’s cousin.”

“Oh. Nice to meet you, Mr. Kun.”

“Oh, please.” He waves a dismissing hand. “Kun is fine. Actually, I’m a fan of yours. I’m actually the one who recommends you to Big.”

“Oh.”

“I would like to talk to you later. If that’s alright?”

Faye shifted uncomfortably. “Of course.”

Yoko’s voice booms in the room. “It’s already time. Just do your presentation, Kun.”

From what Faye gathered so far, the man with Kun is an architect. They’re proposing a park to the land the Apasras just acquired. The land in which Yoko had a press conference about, on the day she was kidnapped.