Goddess, Angel, or Both?

. . .

Meanwhile, all the men inside the shed had their eyes on the floor. The spoiled food and booze could drain the life out of them. It was like buying your favorite chicken nuggets just to trip on your own. Thus, the tragedy of seeing them scattered all over the floor.

But for this night, they were engulfed with silence. The pain of seeing their food spoiled on the floor was overcome by worry. They were worried for Zhi Lin.

She, who was once the person who caused them nightmares before waking up in cold sweat, wondering when she'll come for them, was now someone they respected and looked up to.

"Are we gonna lose our job?" Gardo asked them.

Jonas shook his head. "That's not the worst thing that could happen."

"Then..." Matthew said, "Will Miss Lin lose her job? Did she really say those words?"

Everyone fell silent. Just when they started having faith in her, this happened. They were back to zero. With doubts clouding up their thoughts.

"No," Jonas said. He sound determined, his faith anchored on the ground, "I'm sure she'll keep her job. And I'm sure those words are untrue."

Gerome scoffed. "She already admitted everything, Jonas... We're fools for thinking there's a way out of this muddy life." He threw his cap down to the ground. With all the hopes he'd piled up in the last hours.

Luisito, who'd remained silent the entire time, finally spoke. "Don't bow your heads, you fools." They all brought their gazes up, "What she'd done was enough to convince each and everyone of us. She's not like one of those greedy higher-ups who can't live without three heads. She's different. That's all you have to remember."

Jonas's eyes sparkled. "That's right! There has to be something behind that clip!" He stood up from the corner and reached out for his bag. But before he could open his laptop, Luisito stopped him.

"You don't have to do anything, Jonas," he said.

"But I have to know the truth. So I can let people know."

Luisito shook his head. "She's an intelligent person. You know that," he took his wallet from his pockets. "All we can do right now is believe in her. Or else we'd be failing our own CEO. Wouldn't we?"

All the men brought their gazes up. They needed a few more seconds before nodding their heads. Luisito smiled before flicking some cash in his hands.

"Now hold your heads up and buy us some more drinks! This celebration is not over!"

The four men smiled.

"Alright!" Matthew beamed, "Jonas, you go—ah!"

Gardo bonked him in the head. "He's a minor. Buy the drinks yourself!"

Everyone laughed as he scratched his head on his way out to the convenience store.

* * *

Some time after midnight...

Zerienne found herself outside Pontecelli Penthouse. She finished three wine bottles all to herself and had to call a driver to send her home even if she was not a bit intoxicated. She arrived in front of Ponticelli Penthouse with reporters camping outside.

"Hey hey hey!" One of the reporters stopped a lady from stepping into the building. He gripped her hands while inching his face closer to hers.

Everyone turned after hearing a loud slap. They all saw the reporter with a clear palm print—red in his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" The woman shouted.

"You bi-!" Before he could even say a word, his arms were twisted back. Dozens of men in their suits surrounded the area.

Zeirenne raised her brows upon witnessing this spectacle. "You messed with the wrong person."

The lady on the scene was, Dahlia Montgomery, the only daughter of a famous businessman. Zeirenne knew her. Dahlia lives on the floor below hers. One time she saw Dahlia screaming her lungs out on the rooftop and offered her company. She brought her inside the greenhouse and offered her some drinks.

Eventually, it didn't take Dahlia long to open up. She just felt like opening up to Zeirenne, or Zhi Lin, as she'd known her, given her dainty looks.

In fact, even before the rooftop incident, she'd always admired Zeirenne from a distance.

Like a fan girl, she gazes into her with complete admiration. With her fair skin and gorgeous features, she'd always considered Zeirenne's beauty amounting to that of a goddess. She addressed her as Miss Goddess inside her head.

But after seeing Zhi Lin up close, and getting to know her, she had a change of mind. She was not just a goddess, she was also an angel.

Their faithful first meeting never left her mind:

One cloudy afternoon, when she was frustrated over the actions of everyone surrounding her, she decided to let some steam off. She went up on the rooftop and strained her voice screaming. But when she looked back, Zhi Lin was watching her from a distance.

She was flushed from embarrassment for a few seconds and had her hands covering her face. But when she looked up, expecting Zhi Lin to laugh at her, she was frozen on the spot. Zhi Lin was smiling. And it was not a simple smile. There was understanding in it—as if she knew what exactly was inside Dahlia's mind.

Dahlia gazed at her unknowingly. In her eyes, Zhi Lin looked angelic with a soft smile on her face, her white dress flowing with the wind. She also fancied her long black hair that ended just above her waist, framing her face face perfectly with soft waves.

In the middle of it all, Dahlia realized she'd been staring at Zhi Lin for quite some time. She felt her cheeks getting flushed even more. The first time, from embarrassment, the second time, from admiration, and the third time, embarrassment from busted admiration.

Still, Zeirenne invited her into the greenhouse and at that moment, Dhalia's eyes develop their own filter for her presence. With a halo and white glow covering Zeirenne's body—that's how she'd seen her ever since. Adding the slow motion effect whenever she walked.

"Please clear all these reporters out!" Dahlia said, acting like a brat.

Her personal butler nodded. "Will do, Young Miss."

"Huh! You can't get us out of this place! We're doing nothing wrong!" The reporter flailed his arms to grab the attention of Ponticelli Penthouse's Head Guard, "You-!"

"We let you camp outside our building assuming you'd never cross the lime. But now that you've decided to lay your hand our residents. I'd gladly push you out. You're overstepping your boundaries."

"Wha-!"

The guards immediately cleared the crowd. With everything on broadcast, the reporters failed to gain sympathy from the viewers. "Why did they have to involve an innocent girl? Tsk!"

After a few minutes, the bustling crowd dispersed.

"Sorry for the trouble, Miss Montgomery." The head guard bowed before leading his team back inside.

"Let's head in now, Young Miss."

"Okay."

Dahlia glanced at Zeirenne's direction to meet her gaze before giving a cute wink. This caught Zeirenne by surprise.

"How did she see me from such a far distance?" she whispered to herself before entering Ponticelli Penthouse, "She sure has some clear eyes..."

Walking ahead of her, Dahlia, was just as surprised. She couldn't believe she managed to pull that wink. She giggled with her hands covering her face—leaping on tip toes like a giddy child.

"Her halo was just as vibrant, Butler Frank."

"Pardon? I couldn't catch your words, Young Miss."

She smiled. "I saw her halo glowing from a distance. Even after all those news I heard, they still looked the brightest to me."

. . .