Chapter ８

I choose the beer so that I can go back to sleep easily. I feel fresh and full so I decided to go back to my bedroom. I slammed my back against the mattress of my bed. My mind drifted to Miss Anika Perez, the CEO of Perez Hotel and Resort. She looks intriguing to me. I loved hard to get a woman like her. She challenges me, those fierce eyes of her and rough attitude make me want her more.

I smirked while imagining that curvy body of her. She reminds me of someone from my past.

I rolled my body on my bed trying to find a better position to help me sleep sooner. Tomorrow was another day and Anika Perez is another challenge for me.

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200 B.C

Ariana PoV

I screamed as my body floats in the air. I wiggled my feet and my hands from my sudden fall. I don't know what happened but when I opened my eyes, I saw darkness everywhere. I was shrouded by the opaque color surroundings.

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" Anybody here?" Ariana shrieked inside an empty shallow dark place.

She touches her face with her fingers and there's no thick fury skin anymore. Her crumpled face brightened when she realized that she was back to normal.

" I'm human again. At last! I'm human again!" She shouted in joy but how can she go out of this weird place. She felt like she was being trapped by someone's body or someplace with no rooms to escape.

She ran to find a way but she ran many fines and found herself in the same location where she stood earlier again and again. She felt weak. She crouched her body down and hold her knees. She wants to surrender.

" I'm tired now. I want to seep and hoping that when I wake up, I'm back in my husband's arms again. No room for fear and only happiness when im with him.

My poor Arem, I hope he's okay.

October 2020 (Present)

Sometimes, Anika feels empty. She's wondering what she wants that could make her happy.

She had everything, power, wealth, beauty, and brain. She's a perfect example of an Alpha woman in the Society but she thinks something is missing. Her true identity. Her real parents and where she came from.

A dark grey sky could be seen from her window. Anika rose from her bed and welcome the sunrise from her big mansion in Manhattan. She keeps yawning even it's already six in the morning. Maybe she sleeps late last night because she fond of watching a Documentary of our daily lives entitled " Alone in the Forest". She was a fan of that channel.

She went back to sleep after.

One hour later

She yawned while stretching her body together with her arms and legs. She slowly peeled her eyes open and looked around. She's still sleepy and wants to go back to sleep again but having the CEO of your own company was tiring. You had to wake up so early and start working day and night. Her adopted parents leave the company to her after they died so as the only daughter, she made a promise to take care of it until the last day of her life.

If Jerick was a good man, maybe they're now married with cute little kids but that's not what happened. Every love story has an ending and it wasn't like in fairy tales. He left her and go with another woman on the day of their marriage. Anikas was shattered into pieces, her soul, heart, body, and dignity.

Flashback...

Ten years ago

Anika was sitting inside the hotel where they will going to held the party after the nuptials ceremony but she was not there to celebrate but she was there alone to let go of all of the heartaches which Jerick made.

She was sobbing and wailing by herself. Everyone can't go in because she told the receptionist to lock the place for her. She paid for it by herself.

Her eyes were swollen and her nose reddened from nonstop crying until morning.

Jerick left her and go to his new girl. It's their wedding day and he did this to her. He made fun of her in front of the media. He told everyone that Anika was only his option to be rich but he found someone richer than her. Of course, her parents recently died and their business couldn't get back on track. He used her. He fooled her.

" Hey, what are you? A girl where everyone could stomp on you?" she's yelling to herself.

She began to crease and torn her wedding dress in front of the mirror. Her beautiful make-up and eyeshadows spread on her face. Her black eyeliner almost covered all of her cheeks.

She sniffs and wiped the tears keeps falling from her saggy eyes.

She glared in front of the mirror and uttering a cursing word to the people who hurt her.

" I swear until on my grave, all of you especially you asshole, I'll show you what I'm capable of!!! " she yelled.

" Ahhhhh!!!!"

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

She's screaming inside the hotel venue.

After that day, she took a vacation and went to Hawaii. She wants to forget all the bad reminiscences she had when she was in New York.

End of flashback...

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Perez Hotel and Resorts

" Good morning Madame!" They greeted her when she passed by.

Anika Perez was wearing a red coat tops with a matching black belt on her waist. She pairs it with above-knee boots and black leather shorts. She looks sophisticated in her attire with a channel off-white pouch.

She's been so cold and blunt to everyone since she doesn't trust anybody but herself alone.

She roamed her eyes on every employee and she noticed that Mr. Dave Park was not at his desk, his assistant.

" Ana, where's Dave?" She asked her accountant.

Ana Miller was a weirdo but smart to be the company's top accountant this month. Her lips quickly quiver when Anika asked her. They were all scared of her especially her apathetic eyes and tone.

" Mada-me ahh, he --he went to-" she's trembling.

" Where? For Pete's sake Ana, don't talk to me like that! Am I look monster to you!?"  Ana jumped in surprise with her loud voice.

" Sorry ma'am" she mumbled when Dave came and cut off their conversation.

He looks calm and ready for Anika's terror.

" Oh, Ma'am Anika, good morning! Why did you yell at Ana? She's one of your gems here. I'm so sorry Ms. Millerr " he said and grabbed her hands and lead them back to her office.

Anika took a deep breath to calm herself.

" Explain to me Dave, where the hell are you so early in the morning?" She asked him with her annoyed face.

Dave sat on an empty chair in front of her desk and he told her what happened.

He told her that Argus Mateo called him and he told him to meet him outside their building. Anika heard the name Argus and she doesn't know why she feels like he's seeing another Jerick soul. She made a research about this man but almost of his account were all private.

" Why? What is his business with you? He won't come to meet me?" Her face crumpled again like a piece of paper.

Dave holds his chin and scratches it. He and Anika were childhood friends so only Dave knows everything about her especially her failed marriage to Jerick. He sarcastically laughed at her.

" Nika, will you please relax. Don't put too much weight on your shoulders!" Dave reminded her.

Anika knows what he was trying to say. She ignored it.

" Tell me, Dave. Don't make excuses. What he wants from you?" She asked him again and this time she was serious.

" Okay but please don't tell him okay," he said like it was very important.

Anika suddenly looks irritated and she wants to hit Dave in his head but he avoided it.

" Okay. He asked me about you. I think he likes you!" Dave's eyes spark like he was the one in love.

Anika frowned.

" Just go back to work. I don't want to hear nonsense things from you moron" she roared at him and Dave just followed his boss.

Anika sat back on her chair and took a deep breath and close her eyes. She doesn't know what to think about Dave's story about Mr. Mateo.