My eyes narrowed as I stared straight ahead when I realized that the one that Dahlia was really here to see wasn’t me but the real Anthony whom she thought was supposed to be working here.
Why is she risky so much just to come and see him?
I had no idea what she was thinking or why she so desperately wanted to see my brother, but I was sure that I was about to find out.
...
**Dahlia’s point of view**
“He will see you now,” the woman at the lobby of the office building told me.
She smiled politely before gesturing to me to follow her. I thanked her while hoping that nothing would disturb my meeting with Anthony. It had been some time since I manage to slip out and get away from Zain and his men. The trick of telling the shop assistant to help me get away for a while because I wanted to surprise my husband worked all too well. The innocent shop assistant led me to the staff exit that was joined to the changing room and from there it wasn’t difficult to navigate my way out of the shopping mall.
Time was running out.
I knew that I was racing against time at that moment. Undoubtedly, Zain had realized by now that I had gone missing and if he knew then that meant that Bradon had been informed of my disappearance. The ride up the elevator to Anthony’s office felt so long and I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting from my nervousness. I was sure that Bradon must be out of his mind mad right now but that was a price that I was willing to pay. I would find some way to deal with him later if necessary after I talk things out with Anthony.
“Please follow me this way,” the woman told me before showing me a polite smile.
After telling them that I was here to see Anthony, they realized immediately who I was without any need for explanations. Of course, that was because they thought that I was my sister. The excuse of wanting to surprise my husband at work before going out for dinner together worked perfectly well. The only thing that made me worry was whether or not Anthony would agree to see me.
As far as Anthony was concerned, he wasn’t married, and he also knew that Diana had gone missing. There was no way that Diana would turn up to see him at his office. He must have known that it was me who had come to see him. When the woman called to ask if he would see me, I prayed non-stop that he would agree. Now, it was finally happening.
I’m about to see Anthony. This will be the first time that I’m going to meet him in years.
I was quite satisfied with my reflection in the mirror inside the elevator but that didn’t wipe away all of my nervousness as I followed the secretary down a luxuriously decorated modern hallway. Anthony’s office was at the end of this hallway and with each step, I was getting closer and closer to him.
“Lady Diana, Mr. Vulkan is waiting for you inside his office,” another woman said when she spotted me.
“Thank you so much,” I thanked her with a smile that I hoped looked natural.
I knew without asking that she must be Anthony’s secretary. The fact that she got to see him almost every day and also got to spend time with him made me feel slightly jealous. She knocked on the door to announce my arrival before opening the door for me to enter. My heart thudded fast and hard in my chest and I had to take a deep breath before entering Anthony’s office.
Finally, I’m going to see him.
His office was more spacious than I had anticipated. I wondered if my sister had ever visited Anthony at his office because if she had, she never mentioned it to me. My eyes swept over the large leather sofa set with a coffee table in the middle before landing on the man sitting behind a large worktable. The view of the cityscape from such a high floor looked breathtakingly beautiful but nothing could compare to my joy of laying eyes on Anthony again.
“Anthony...” I whispered softly as I approached him.
I wanted to thank him for agreeing to see me while I wondered if he truly knew about the situation that I was in. My mind felt jumbled as I tried to find the right words to say to him. There were so many things that I wanted to tell him but most of all, I wanted him to know just how badly I missed him ever since I left this country.
“It’s good to see you again, Dahlia,” Anthony said before his lips curved into a kind smile.
“It’s good to see you too. I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly...” I replied before showing him an apologetic smile.
“Take a seat,” he said as he gestured to the sofa.
“Thank you...” I murmured as I lowered myself down on the leather sofa.
Anthony got up from his seat and approached me. My heart beat so loudly in my chest and my head felt slightly light from my anxiousness. I didn’t dare look at him for too long but soon enough, Anthony sat down on the sofa opposite where I was seated. I steeled my nerves as I tried to remember that I wanted help from him. However, now that we were sitting face to face, it felt difficult for me to meet his gaze and I didn’t know how to start our conversation.
How am I supposed to ask him for help? Would he even consider helping me? How much does he know of my situation?
“How have you been?” he asked casually.
I would be lying if I said that I was totally fine but at the same time, I wasn’t sure what to tell him regarding the complicated relationship that I had with Bradon.
--To be continued...