6

Angela walked into her office, feeling exhausted since she barely slept last night. Something in her mind didn’t feel right, she didn’t know what it was that was bothering her so she allowed that thought to linger on her mind.

As she took a whiff of her Espresso,  she could feel her mind falling back together. The longer she closed her eyes to smell the aroma from her espresso, she felt at ease. No one could dampen her day if she regains her composure and attitude once she gets excited to start her day.

She could hear her door open but her eyes remained closed. “Miss. Angela.”

She slowly opened her eyes to see a gentlemen walking into her office. She gasped as she got up to close the door, shutting the blinds and locking the door before staring at the person who came in.

He was the last person who would show up at her office, not knowing what he was doing here, she was left in shock.

“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

The man walked over to her seat, sat down and twirled the chair around in a full rotation. He then proceed to put his legs on the table, stretching his legs as he popped out a cigarette. When the tip reached his lips, she took it and threw it into the garbage. She then proceed to open the windows, wanting to balance the room’s natural aroma with his heavy scent of cologne.

“Geez! You’re so up-tight.” He cursed. “I need information and I figured, I know the perfect place!”

 “How did you get in? Where was security? What. Did. You. Do?”

“You see, it has something to do with the case 7 years ago. I need the information and you’re the right person for ask.”

He attempted to look into a folder in front of him but she quickly slammed her hands on it, preventing him from peeking into the file.

“How did you get in? Is one of your men disguised as a co-worker? How. Did. You. Get. In?”

He stared into her light brown eyes, plopping down onto the couch as he leaned back like it was nothing. Relaxing his entire body as he positioned himself comfortably.

“This is not a hotel, stop coming in like an employee. If anyone finds out the relationship we have, you and I are screwed. No, I am screwed.”

“Chill! You need to relaxx~ seriously. It’s not important how I got in but more importantly, I need your help, it’s urgent.”

“How urgent can it be? I didn’t know that the word ‘urgent’ existed in your vocabulary.”

“Stop playing with me and give me answers, Angela... or should I say Miss. Qiu.”

She glared at him, she despised him not because he was her brother but because he was known as one of the notorious gang member.

“You still keep files that’s like ancient history right? So it won’t be too much work if I just say I want Father’s case right? Since my dear baby sis, you’re the one still looking into it right?”

“Ao Long, do not–“

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT! I go by Alan now. Whether you want to believe it or not, I abandoned that name 7 years ago when father decided to leave me this job. You’re not the only blessed one here. You and I got what we wanted, you wanted to work a normal job and I wanted to follow in our father’s footsteps. So hand me the information to the case and I won’t be tempted to set this entire building on fire. It would be a disaster if news gets out that one of the famous and oldest gang choose to blow this newspaper company up. Soon, your face and mine would be associated with one another. How does that sound? It has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?”

Angela hates the way he negotiates. It’s true, she wanted to walk the path that normal citizens walk everyday without a single worry but how can she leisurely walk around when she knew what her family background was? She was lucky her Uncle convinced the employers to overlook her family background and look at her stats that was retrieved through hard work and independence. Everything would’ve been for nothing if they knew who she was and whose family she belonged to.

She quickly grabbed the folder containing basic information, taking out a sheet out and quickly placed it in the envelope. But before he could take it, she grabbed onto his collar and glared at him.

“I don’t know what you’re going to do but do not pull me along cause I don’t want to drown with you. Not in this lifetime, Ao Long.”

She threatened as she threw the envelope to him. Alan chuckled as he walked towards the door before stopping for a moment.

“This office is so boring, why don’t you follow father’s dream instead? He left a position for you anyways, he was positive that the role was perfect for you. Who knew you would choice to reject the position and sit in this damn booring room.”

“Why would I watch you torture drunken man while watching their lifespan decrease by half as you demand for payments, loans, gamble, and worthless girls? I prefer to stay in the safety of this room.”

“Suit yourself, I enjoy this chase your trying so hard to keep up... but let’s face it, you’re basically chasing after dust since you won’t be able to get your hands the smallest information, do you wonder why? It’s because whoever is associated with us (gangsters) are sworn to vow their allegiance to whom they serve. Even if you are a step further than the rest of your... fellow.. members, our race is always a step further and far beyond your intelligence. You can’t catch up sweetheart.”

He whispered as he smiled at his sister before walking out the room as fashionable as he can. Attracting attention was given since he walked out while smiling over to the majority of the female staff, making them swoon over his charms as he exited the building.

“Who was he? He sure is handsome~”

Her employee stepped into her room as Angela leaned against her desk, rubbing her temples as she dropped the case on her desk.

“Are you okay?” She asked as Angela nodded. “So who was he?”

“Just someone I know. Why? Don’t tell me your interested in him? Don’t be, he is trouble, from head to toe.”  

“I will let you in on the latest trend my dear innocent friend, trouble spells out h-o-t hot and then it progresses into the term teens use frequently, known as player. And players are attractive, I don’t mind dating a player. I read in a magazine this one time that players are known to treat girls like diamonds and believe it or not, I haven’t felt a guy treat me like a princess in a long time. So why don’t you introduce me?”

Player? Ao Long? Angela rolled her eyes as she gave a nervous laugh.

“Well anyways, Mei Mei, what’s new?”

“Always changing the subject....”

Mei Mei muttered under her breath as she opened her file to say what was the agenda for today.

................

Alan glanced at the sheet of paper Angela gave him, he smelled the strong scent of the black coffee, he didn’t know what magic coffee had but it always bring him back to reality.

“A family of doctors...” He whispered quietly as he continued to scan the contents. “Wu Fu Chen... She is a beauty.”

His eyes went on and landed on the picture of a petite, cheerful girl. He dropped his cup on the table and his eyes stared at the girl called Wu. Ying. Jie.

And in an instant, his world of endless games continue to spark his deepest desire as he remembered the time when they were in junior high. Shall we go back to the time where his desire for the women started?

Allow me to bring you back to the time where all love is kind and fair.

What happens when the urge to devour can’t be detained?

Flashback

Senior year.

Students dream of their senior year, either to graduate with an passing grade or just to graduate with their friends. Academic was important to those who had dreams and hope to shoot higher and become more than they could be. While for those, academic was just a total waste of time. All in all, school aka senior year, was the time to shine.

Alan, he was the upperclassman that girls dream off. He and Jay Chou were seniors that made girls swoon like butterflies. But one thing led to another when the entire male population’s mind was on the annual senior boys tradition, created by a group of male students decades before them. A tradition that started since this school was built, dedicated for the boys. The goal of this ridiculous tradition is to promote the not-so popular boys and transform them into once-in-a-lifetime popular kids.

Tradition states that once boys turn 18, they will immediately be put to the test. And that is to undergo the transformation to become a man. Being boys at this age, popularity and being high up in the social ladder says it all. It was a title, just a title, but it means more than the world to them at this age, to the point where it blinded them, tempting them to cross the line between teens to adults.

As popular as he was, Alan was next in line for the tradition so every guy crowded around the table, wondering who this lucky lady was. They spun the bottle, the bottle slowly slows down and within a couple of seconds, one lucky girl has been chosen. The bottled stopped, the guys turned to see who it was, and it was Wu Ying Jie.

Wu Ying Jie was popular because she has rejected all those who confessed their love for her, and in addition to her title, she was the little sister of Wu Fu Chen, who was the school’s beauty. No one really went further than to hold hands with Wu Ying Jie because she was so pure, it ticked the girls off but to the guys, they saw it as uplifting.

So given a few days, Alan would have to come up with something to get her attention and get what he wanted, her innocence.

For any other girl, it would be easy. In the case of Wu Ying Jie, it was a difficult task. How can he be successful when she rejects every guy’s confession off the bat?

Therefore, he decided to use a simple trick and that’s to play the nice guy card, every girl loves nice guys right? Being the notorious player he was, using the nice guy card wasn’t to his benefit. So he was quite determined to go past the line as ‘just friends’ and go into the zone where he was comfortable at.

So he called her after school ended, curious, she stayed and looked at him, flashing her angelic smile as he felt himself second thinking his actions. With the deadline ticking away, he felt the rush to pull her into a corner to get it over with. Rumours were rumours, but the rumours that labeled him as rough, tough, hard to shake off, he was proud to say that it was all true.

He felt that was a good plan so he quickly grabbed her hand and pushed her against the wall, trying to be like a man that he know he is. He leaned in close to plant a kiss on her lips but she kept squirming, trying to break free from his strong grip. The more she resisted, the more he grew impatient. But this was all she could handle, she has reached her limit when her eyes started to tear up.

He could feel something wet as he stopped for a moment, giving a chance for Ying Jie to quickly slip through his grip and slap him in the face before running out of the room.

She knew everyone was probably out of the building, going home with their friends but she wished that someone had stayed behind. Lucky for her, when she ran out of the room, Aaron was right there.

She continued to cry under his embrace. He could feel her own body shake so he wrapped his jacket around her, hoping that by doing this would make her feel more secure. He continued to hug her as she stopped crying when she heard his voice comforting her.

Alan never seen it coming.

The next day, he kept his failure a secret, afraid of his title breaking, he was determined to keep it a secret. It was until news got out that he failed when someone anonymously posted a note on the boy’s locker room. It came to a shock for the boys and it let the girls know that this tradition wasn’t just a rumour. It was real.

End of Flashback