Chapter 23: Forgotten Relationship

Before Ian went to bed last night, he had been on the phone with Lisa. His mind kept betraying him, and he was forced to hang up. He lay there tossing and turning for an hour before finally falling asleep. Ian knew it was the drug in his system that caused him to have those thoughts, and it seemed to be out of his control. As his eyes closed, he wondered what Mina was dreaming about.

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In the morning, the sun shone brightly into Ian's bedroom. He seldom slept at home and he did not remember to pull down the curtains. With his Nan gone, the other help in the house had become timid. He knew they were afraid of him and that none of them would enter his room without permission. It goes without saying, that no one dared come in to shut the curtains once Ian closed the door behind him. He might as well have put up a 'beware of dog' sign.

The entering light landed on Ian's face and he shifted in bed. He was not ready to wake up, but he was no longer sleepy. He was feeling extremely comfortable and relaxed. Everything around him was perfect. A smile cracked on Ian's face and he slowly opened his eyes. He could not remember a time when he had slept so soundly. He stretched out his arms and legs and let out a big yawn. Ian pulled back the blankets and looked down at himself. He was not the only one happy this morning. Ian grunted as he stood up from the bed. This had not happened to him since puberty. It was his own body, but he still found it embarrassing.

One hour and a cold shower later, Ian was ready to start his day. He picked up his phone and saw he had Seven missed calls. Two from Zane, one from Luna and four from Lisa. He called Lisa first.

"Hello…" Lisa's voice was hoarse, it sounded like she had been crying. "Li Lee, what's wrong? I saw your calls, I'm sorry. I slept in today."

Lisa pulled her phone away from her face and looked at it suspiciously. Who was she talking to right now?

This was the first time that Ian Lee had ever apologized to her first. She did not even get the chance to tell him what was bothering her.

The truth was that Lisa was not angry with Ian, but she was hurt by him. Yesterday he had told her that he had an emergency at work, so this morning Lisa stopped by Ian's office to bring him breakfast. She knew that he forgot to eat when he was busy, and that his secretary was too intimidated by him to disturb him. So, Lisa often brought meals to Ian. While he was eating, she would sit on the couch in his office and silently watch him. Every now and then he would look up and tell her that she did not have to stay if she were busy, but she would always tell him that she liked being in his office. He never commented after she said that. Ian would just look down and continue working.

Ian's office at work was decorated in dark colors. The walls were white, but the desk and all the furniture were either deep grey or black. He was not an excessively neat or clean person, but he liked his surroundings to be organized, so his entire office was decorated in a minimalist theme. The less clutter, the more comfortable Ian felt. To the left of Ian's desk, there was a small rest area, complete with a bed, wardrobe, and a shower.

Ian did not have to work to live, but he lived to work. Because of this, Ian's office had been his unofficial home since he took over the Lee corporation. Like Lisa, those who were close to Ian were familiar with his work habits. So, when she called him last night, she imagined he was sitting in his office at work, reviewing one file or another. When he told her there was an emergency, she pictured him staying up all night.

Thus, when Lisa arrived at Ian's office earlier, she imagined he would have just been waking from sleep. His bed would still be warm, and his hair would still be a little wet from his morning shower, but Lisa did not get to see any of that. Instead, she got to see Ian's secretary neatly piling documents that needed to be reviewed on his desk.

Lisa huffed her way out of Ian's office and stomped down the hall. All the employees in the corridor quickly pressed themselves against the wall as the woman made her way through the building. Her heels clicked loudly on the black tiles, and she gave off the vibe of a shrewd businesswoman. She was beautiful in the way only the rich could be. She exuded confidence and all the men in the office could not understand why President Lee had not already married her. They were obviously dating, and it had already been such a long time. Miss Lisa was one of the few people who could show up unannounced, and it was clear to everyone that President Lee treated her differently from the way he treated others.

What was more is that Miss Lisa did not have to rely on a man to take care of her. She owned and managed a few businesses, and she played an important role in her father's corporation. With her status, she could have been content to sit at home and wait for President Lee to marry her, but she did not want to be a burden to anyone. She enjoyed being her own woman and she only planned to give it up if Ian asked her to. So far, he had not.

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Zane, who was in his office at the time, heard the loud footsteps headed toward his door. He stood up expectantly. He had just broken up with someone, and he figured she was coming to beg for a second chance. Zane's office door flung open and a woman came striding in. When their eyes met, his frown deepened. It's not that Zane didn't like Lisa, it's that he just did not particularly care for her. When they were younger, she followed Ian around like a puppy and he found it cute. But she forgot about the reason she was able to get close to Ian and had let the friendship between herself and Luna crumble. It made Zane feel like she did not cherish a relationship unless it came with a benefit.