Charmaine arrived into the office earlier than usual. She hadn't slept a wink all night. At the police station she recounted what happened to the police officers and halfway through her statement Raymond arrived. As expected, word of his presence spread like fire and less than half an hour later, reporters were outside waiting for a glimpse of him. Raymond had tried to catch her attention but Charmaine pretended she wasn't aware of it. After she was done, she demurely accepted Wayne's offer of a ride home without any acknowledgment towards Raymond. Outside the police station, as she was getting into Wayne's car, she heard Raymond's footsteps stampeding down the gravel drive in her direction. She quickly turned and with her eyes she scanned the reporters that were now rushing towards him. Giving him a pointed look, she silently pleaded for him not to say or do anything he'll regret. With a slight inclination of her head she got into Wayne's car and turned to give him one final look. However she wasn't able to see him for those overly eager reporters have already closed in on him.

Alone in her apartment, she shuddered in bed as sleep refuse to come. She kept thinking what if Raymond didn't come when he did? What would have happened to her? The thought made her tremble in fear and with it came the vision of Raymond. Somehow thinking of him drove away all the fears and insecurities that had been creeping up on her all night since the attack. When Ron Ng was squeezing the life out of her all she could think of was Raymond and how she didn't want to have her life taken without seeing him one last time. She had so much to say to him, things that she had been fighting against for two years. In her heart she knew she still loves him and she'll always will. Yet with the incident behind her now and reason once again directing her, she knows that she and Raymond could never be together. It was too complicated. Even if she was able to forgive him for the past she would never be able to trust him again. Trust is the building foundation for a relationship. Without it, no relationship can survive. If only Raymond was just an ordinary guy. Then loving and being with him would be so much easier and less stressful.

"Good morning," Wayne called out to her from the doorway.

Charmaine looked up from her thoughts and smiled a greeting. "Morning."

"Get any sleep last night?" Wayne asked with concern when he saw the dark circles beneath her eyes.

Charmaine laughed sheepishly and said, "I won't until Ron Ng is behind bars."

Wayne nodded with understanding and walked into her office. "Can I get you a cup of coffee? Some breakfast?"

"No thanks. I already ate," Charmaine said and waited for Wayne to leave. When he remained standing there with a grim expression, she asked, "Do you have something to say to me?"

Wayne saw the fatigue on her face and debated whether this was the right time to ask her openly about Raymond Lam. Surely after what she went through last night the last thing on her mind was being questioned about her personal life. But Wayne wanted to know. Actually, he needed to know. Taking a seat, Wayne waited for Charmaine to do the same. When she was seated, he asked directly, "What kind of relationship did you really have with Raymond Lam?"

Charmaine wasn't the least bit surprise by the question. In fact, since last night, she had been waiting for him to question her about Raymond Lam. Now that he was, she felt somewhat relieved. Leaning back against her chair she said softly, "If you're asking whether we dated then the answer is yes. No one knows of this and I want to keep it that way. Two years ago, when I was working as his assistant, we were together for a short time."

Wayne was pleased that she trusted him enough to tell him this secret. "Why did you pretend not to know him when he first came to our office?"

Looking down at her hands, Charmaine said softly, "Because he was someone from the past that I've been trying so hard to forget only..."

"Only you can't no matter how hard you try," Wayne finished for her.

Charmaine lifted her gaze to Wayne and asked in that same soft voice, "Do you think I'm foolish for loving someone like Raymond Lam knowing that there will never be a future for us?"

Wayne thought his answer would be yes but after a brief pause he smiled and said, "Actually I don't. When love hits there is no set boundary on who that person may be."

Charmaine nodded in agreement and said bleakly, "Love is funny that way. I thought I could forget him but I can't. What's worse is I can't stop loving him knowing I can never be with him."

Perplexed by her words, Wayne asked with curiosity, "Do you mind if I ask why you feel you can't be with him?"

Charmaine was taken aback by the question. Wasn't it obvious? Wayne, of all people, should know how the lifestyle of the rich and famous differs from those of the ordinary people, such as themselves. Even as she tried to form the words to explain to Wayne how it was impossible for her and Raymond to have a future together, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears and constricted. Swallowing back the lump, she looked straight at Wayne and said hoarsely, "It's too complicated for us."

Wayne saw the first drop of tear slide out from the corner of her eye and quickly went to her side where he kneeled down in front of her. Touching her arm gently, he asked, "Do you really love him?"

Charmaine nodded her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "I do," she whispered and then unable to contain her emotions and all the built in frustration and tension she had been living with since her break up with Raymond, she broke down in heart wrenching sobs.

Wayne was stunned by the ferocity of her breakdown. To him, Charmaine was poised and collected, always calm and regal. Nothing ever sets her back. To see her crying with such emotion made his heart ache and he long to help her in any way he can. With uncertainty he slowly wrapped his arms around her and she went into his embrace willingly. "It's okay," he soothed. "Cry it out. Cry it all out."

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Myolie opened her eyes and found herself lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. She felt a cool film over her body and realized she was stark . Grabbing the sheet by her side, she quickly covered herself. Where was she? What's going on? Even as these questions filled her mind she became aware of an aching soreness between her legs. What has happened?! She fought against her fuzzy memory to remember how she ended up here. Her mind went blank.

"You're awake," Ron said from where he sat in a corner of the room.

Startled by the voice, Myolie's eyes flew towards it. Memories of last night came surging forth. She remembered colliding with this man on the street. She even helped him back to his feet and then he grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her go. Next thing she knew she felt something hit her and then she must have lost consciousness for she couldn't remember anything else after that. Clutching the blanket around her, she asked with growing alarm, "W-Who are you? W-What did you do?"

Smiling with amusement, Ron leisurely walked towards her. Placing a hand over his chest he scolded softly, "It hurts my ego that you don't remember who I am especially after what we did last night."

The implication of his words confirmed Myolie's suspicions and with anger mixed in with fear she shouted, "I'm going to press charges against you!"

Ron laughed loudly and turned from her. He walked towards the television centered in front of the bed and flicked it on. Seconds later the once black screen flared up in color and on screen was a couple on a bed. The couple was and it was plain to see what they were doing.

Myolie stared at the screen in horror realizing who the couple was. Pulling her eyes from the screen she glared at Ron and seethed, "What exactly do you want?"

Ron flicked the TV off and sat down at the end of the bed. With a smug smile he said, "For starters, I want you to keep your mouth shut. If you don't then this video will be posted on the internet for all to say."

"And they'll all see that I was unconscious and that makes it !" Myolie fired out and although she told herself not to let him intimidate her in any way, she was unable to stop the tears from falling. "You'll only incriminate yourself," she added the last with a slight tremor in her voice.

Ron made a snickering sound and then spoke gently, as if to a child, "But where does that leave you? Are you really willing to risk having this video leaked and circulated to the public?"

Myolie already knew the answer to that. It was no. The shame of being exposed in that way was too much for her to bear. Hating herself for giving him the leverage to blackmail her, Myolie whimpered, "I won't say a word about this to any one." She then brought her eyes to stare hatefully at him, "But don't let me see you ever again!"

Suppressing a satisfactory smile, Ron shifted on the bed towards Myolie and when he saw her about to jump off the bed he quickly clasped her arm and held her in place. "We're not done yet," he murmured silkily.

Myolie twisted her arm in vain to free herself but that only made Ron tighten his hold. Slapping at his offensive hand, she cried in frustration, "I've already told you I won't go to the police! Let me go now!"

Pulling her towards him, Ron pushed Myolie back down on the bed. Imprisoning her with his body, he stared down at her and cooed, "Keeping your mouth shut is just the beginning. I want more from you."

Myolie saw the smothering look in his eyes and knew what he wanted. She tried to push him away but was not a match for his strength. "Please…No…," she sobbed.

Ron merely laughed as he ripped the blanket off her body.