Third time, the charm!

- CHAPTER 14 -

On a certain floor inside a certain building, two women sit alone at a table. The air feels cold, colder than the recycled air humming out of the AC. The chilly atmosphere might as well keep their iced drinks in a permafrost state.

To the common eye, it probably looks like any other meeting between two acquaintances. They wouldn't know, one single photo right now would send the tabloids into a frenzy.

These two women are none other than Roselyn Paramaanantra and Ananya Itthiwatkam.

Ananya is the first to break the silence, "It has been a while."

In true Roselyn fashion, she doesn't bother with niceties and plainly snubs her, "I didn't think you would have the face to come back."

After everything you did.

The unspoken words linger in the air.

Ananya isn't flustered, she calmly replies back, "Things change. People change."

"Time is funny like that. It waits for none. When you are so busy trying to keep up with time, one day you stop to look around and realise, things are no longer the way it used to be."

If her words are supposed to have another meaning, Ananya pretends to not show it.

Roselyn merely smirks in contempt, "You're still the same as ever."

Ananya gently tugs a corner of her lips into a half-smile, "And you are not who you used to be."

Roselyn stares into her eyes. Behind her calm gaze, she knows Ananya is hiding a lot of calculations.

"I heard you broke off your engagement with the daughter of MPC Group."

By 'you', she means Roselyn's son. In their circle, children don't have the freedom to decide their marriage. Their descendants are simply another set of bargaining chips to control and expand their influence. How would they be lucky enough to be both a golden spoon and also have the luxury of choosing their own future?

Roselyn crosses her arms in front of her chest and scoffs. She leans her body back into her chair in a lax manner. People who see the Paramaanantra matriarch in her current state would not believe this is the same CEO who appears so imposing and daunting in all the news and media.

"A good teacher knows when their student has surpassed them."

In her cold face, there is a hint of pride in her eyes.

Indeed, her son is no longer the person he used to be a year ago. After all the challenges and setbacks, he has learnt to be responsible, he has learnt to fight for what he believes in. A strange sense of pride swells up in the bottom of her stomach every time she thinks of that.

"Oh, what's this? I never pegged you as the sentimental type."

Ananya slowly lifts one hand and traces the rim of her glass, "That's a shame. I thought Thyme would make a good candidate."

For her.

For Yua.

Roselyn dismisses her comment, "That wouldn't work. After everything he did to be with Gorya."

Ananya's hand stops in the middle of her movement. A cold light flashes past her eyes, in a blink and you'll miss it fashion. When she looks up, there is a warm smile on her face, "What a small world. The other day my daughter told me about a new friend she made at her school. I think her name was Gorya Jundee. It wouldn't happen to be the same person, would it?"