Chapter 8

Arielle shut the door immediately when she spotted the girl who was a mirror image of hers, "What the hell?" Her brain tried to process the entire information, "She's Iva? There's a real Iva?" She panicked.

She then heard the girl mutter, "Someone's there,"

"Let me check," She heard the guy speak.

"Wait, Joe, it's dangerous, let's call the police," Iva suggested.

"Whatever the hell was going on, let's get out of here first!" Arielle nodded as she looked around, she could hear the foot steps nearing, "Oh god!" She panicked, she needed to get out of there fast, how was she going to explain her situation, even if she did no one was going to believe her, if she got caught she was sure to rot in prison her entire life, her eyes then landed on the large window, she hurriedly opened the window and nearly shrieked at the height, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

After her adventurous morning, she walked down the road aimlessly, everything now made sense, the appointment letter she got without even applying, when she saw her look-alike at the office when Reece left for lunch without her and later complimented her for her performance at the meeting, it was all the real IVANA SMITH. She sighed and stopped, she then looked heavenward, if Ivana, the real Ivana was here, why the hell was she here then? "Ah I want to go back home already," she sighed as she continued down the road when she lifted her head she was in front of the book store. "Am I here again?" She sighed then walked away. After a few minutes, she found herself in front of the book store again, "Again?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course, it's not like I have any place to go." She sighed again.

"Wait, Let's try this again," She nodded determinedly. "Come forth, the portal," She waved her hands in the air as she shouted. Nothing happened, "Obviously!" She bit her lips in frustration, tears pooled in her eyes.

"Argh!" She shouted as she kicked the road letting out her frustration, she then turned her heels and walked away.

After reaching a distance, she turned around looking back at the bookstore, "Will he let me stay until I find my way back home?" She bit her lips, "As if, he'll kill me even before I finish my sentence," She sighed slumping down on the ground. Just then she heard a car honk, she looked at the car as it speeded towards her, "Maybe I'll return if I die?" She didn't move and opened her arms wide, welcoming the car.

"Oh no, I don't want to die," Her eyes shot open but her legs didn't move, the car screeched to halt just a few centimeters away from her, she released her breath she was holding.

"What the hell?" The guy on the back seat shouted at his driver, "Sorry sir, but someone's on the road," the driver then poked his head out and shouted at her. The guy got out of his car, his eyes widened in realization, "Ivana?" He muttered. When she heard the familiar voice, she raised her head finding the man of her dreams staring down at her, "Oh, it's Reece." She barely managed to smile. Even looking at her handsome face did little to lift her spirits.

"Are you okay?" He rushed to her side, "How come we always meet like this?" He shook his head, "I'm sorry about this," He helped her up.

"It's not your fault, Reece, I mean boss," She corrected herself.

"You can call me Reece," He smiled at her. "More importantly, are you okay?"

Seeing him smile she almost forgot the reason she was so upset about.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" He panicked when he saw tears pooling in her eyes.

"Oh," She touched her face as tears soaked her cheeks. "It's... I'm sorry, I'm just not..." She wiped her tears but unable to control her feelings, she sat down on the road and sobbed.

After a few minutes, they were sitting on a bench at the roadside as Reece was passing her tissue, he gave an awkward smile to passing strangers as they muttered something to each other.

"I'm sorry," She muttered wiping her tears, she then looked at him and gestured, "Can you please turn around and shut your ears?" He raised a brow at her, "I need to... you know...blow..." She gestured with the tissue covering her nose.

"Oh, I don't mind," He smiled at her affectionately.

"I do." She pouted.

"Okay," He chuckled as he did as requested.

"Do you feel better now?" He looked at her.

"I don't know." She muttered as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes again.

"I'm sorry, please don't cry," He panicked as she began to cry again.

Just then his phone rang, he fished out his phone and frowned, "Oh no," He muttered as he hurriedly picked the call, "I'm so sorry....yes, yes, I'll be there right away, promise...okay," He hung up and turned back to look at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine, I'm much better, thank you, you should go," She hurriedly got up and turned to go when he caught her wrist and pulled her back, her eyes went to his grip on her wrist and then back to him, "I'm sorry," He immediately let go, "Hmm... if you don't mind, would you like to come with me?' He suggested. "I think you should, you'll feel better."

She then saw her reflection at the windowpane of his car, she then realized she Ran out of the house as soon as she woke up, she hadn't washed her face, her hair was a mess and the tears hade her look horrible, she immediately covered her face cursing, she let him see her like this, now was the time she wished she had died. "I don't think it's a good idea," She muttered against her palm.

He smiled at her as he tried to remove her hands from her face, "No!" She protested, "I'm so embarrassed," She confessed.

"Isn't that too late?" He laughed, when she refused to remove her hands, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders a opened the door for her, "I can't go anywhere looking like this," She tried to protest.

"Don't worry, it's my duty as a boss to take care of my secretary," He whispered in her ear, "trust me." He then made her sit inside the car as he ran to the other side taking his seat, "Let's go," He nodded at his driver.

Half an hour later

Arielle looked at the unknown woman in front of her, she was dressed in an A-line scoop neck sleeveless tulle sweep train lace dress, her hair was combed into a side fishtail braid and her face was worked up on by the top beauticians, this is me? She tilted her head in confusion, the girl in front did the same, okay so this is me? She stared long enough to finally realize she had been looking at her own reflection.

She was then escorted out of the dressing room to the area where Reece had been waiting outside when she came into view, the air was knocked out of his lungs, his heart fluttered at the sight of her.

"I barely recognized myself so yes, it's me," She muttered shrugging.

"Yes," He muttered a little out of breath, "I mean, you look great... amazing... I mean you look beautiful." He shook his head.

"Thanks." She smiled shyly.

He then walked to her and offered his arm, "Shall we?"

*****

"She isn't here yet?" He looked around for his part-timer, she wasn't there, he glanced at the wall clock it was already time to open his store but there was no sign of his employee. "And she said she'd help until I find another one," He sighed shaking his head in disappointment. He paused for a moment, disappointed? Me? He shook his head, "It's better this way, I hope she doesn't show up, ever."

He cleaned the store and changed the sign on the door to 'Open', something caught his eyes. He opened the door but there was no one. He got back inside closing the door behind him, he moved to a corner picking out a book as he took his seat on his fine leather chair.

He heard a voice outside, he closed his book and placed it gently on the side table and walked to the door, when he opened it, again he didn't find anyone outside, his eyebrows knit together in a frown on his handsome face. He got back to his seat and picked his book as he resumed his reading, from his side view he caught the familiar figure, "Enough of this." He muttered getting up from his chair, he was about to march to the door but he paused as the shadow disappeared from the door, he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He then stood at the door for a few minutes when he didn't see any movement outside he sighed and got back to his seat and went back to his book.

Later at the lunch time, he cooked his food and sat down with the fork, when he was about to put the food inside his mouth he pause and glanced at the door when he didn't find any interruption, he munched on his food. A few minutes later, he finished his lunch and looked back at the remaining food which he had made extras for the always hungry mad woman, his part-timer.

"Guess, I'll have it all." He sighed as he was about to put it on his plate then he glanced at the door again he then shook his head and packed it in a box and stuffed it inside the refrigerator.