Ares Simon's POV:
Leaning forward on the couch with elbows on my knees, I clasped my hands together, gaze tracking Maron's restless pacing. Annoyed, I unbuttoned my coat, tossing it onto the couch, and reclined against the cushions, arms crossed over my chest.
"Stop the pacing; it's annoying," I stated sternly, watching Maron as he stopped and settled on the couch across from me, still caught in his tumultuous thoughts. Suddenly, he blurted, "What if she doesn't even care about you anymore?"
"As if she did before?" I responded sarcastically, but an unexpected unease settled in my chest at his words, but I quickly hushed that feeling away.
If she did care, she wouldn't have concealed the truth about Aubrey from me.
Maron scoffed, "Well, that serves you right anyway. You think I don't know what you've been doing for the past few weeks since she came to work here?" I scowled, defending myself, "I was just showing you that Elysia isn't what she looks like—"
"Don't drag me into your attempts to stalk her. You knew very well she isn't that kind of a person. You just created a reason to justify your actions, while in reality, you just wanted to grab her attention," Maron mocked.
"That's not true," I retorted sharply.
"Yeah, then what's this?" He pointed at my hands, and I realized I'd been absentmindedly rubbing my stubble and immediately stopped my hand. Loosening my tie and unbuttoning my shirt's top three buttons, I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair.
"Don't deny that Elysia Lawson still has an effect on you," Maron declared. Frowning, I listened as he continued, "First love isn't easily forgettable—"
"Elysia Lawson isn't my first love, and if you say that again, you can submit your resignation letter," I cut in firmly, jaw clenched.
Maron huffed, muttering something under his breath, which I chose to ignore.
"Why are you bothered if she's working fine?" he questioned.
I lifted my head to meet his gaze. "She's not just working fine. She avoids eye contact, speaks only about work, leaves right after hours, and doesn't bring me coffee anymore."
"Maybe she's excelling at her job. Eye contact and coffee aren't in her job description," Maron reasoned, but his explanations irked me.
I knew it wasn't her job, but she used to bring me coffee, at least when she wasn't angry and ghosting herself from my eyes. Now it's Ronald who brings it, but I could tell it was her who made it. It's never hard for me to decipher her handmade coffee. Whatever she makes taste different compared to others.
As I remained silent, Maron sighed and suggested, "Why don't you ask her directly? If you think she's acting strange, just inquire about what's wrong."
"Yeah, sure. So, I get that 'I was just busy' answer once again?" I commented, sitting upright and reaching for my coat.
Elysia Lawson always does this; she acts like she cares one moment, then distances herself the next moment without any apparent reason. First, she creates havoc in people, only to leave them to sort things out on their own. It's perplexing and frustrating at the same time, and I don't know how much more I can endure before I explode.
As I stood up to leave, Maron urged, "Ares, in the past, you made decisions about Elysia with your heart. Now you're just using your brain. Trust me, once you open your heart to her, you won't be so exhausted."
Open my heart to Elysia Lawson again?
That's not happening...
***************
I returned to my office after talking to Maron. My gaze instinctively traveled to her office; she was engrossed in her work, oblivious to her surroundings. A scoff escaped my lips. If she wanted to act like a stranger, then two could play the game.
I turned around, walked back to my chair, and tossed my coat on the backrest. Folding my shirt sleeves up to my elbows, I stared at the file on my table. Creases formed on my forehead, jaw clenched firmly.
'Who are you really, Elysia?'
The background information about Elysia was right in front of me, yet instead of clarifying things, it only deepened the confusion. I sat down, opened the file again, and revisited the documents, recalling my conversation with Ronald earlier.
"Sir, this is everything we could find about Miss Lawson," Ronald placed the file in front of me.
The file lacked substantial information, only providing details such as date of birth, parents, hobbies, education, and basic facts.
"Is this all?" I asked, seriously pissed.
"Yes, sir. But..." Ronald's expression tensed.
"But?" I raised an eyebrow, dangerously close to losing my patience and threw this file across the floor. Ronald cleared his throat and continued.
"Sir, there's something odd about her information. If you look at her date of birth, it says she was born in Austria in December 1994. However, when I checked her traveling records, there's no indication that Miss Lawson ever traveled to Austria, not even once." My eyebrows furrowed as I reviewed her travel history.
"Dean and Sandra Lawson lived in Austria for years. They even traveled to Belgium during that time, but there's no record of Miss Lawson traveling with them. Even when they moved to the UK in 2003, there's no mention of Miss Elysia being with them. It's not until late 2004 that Dean Lawson registered their daughter."
How could that be?
Elysia must have been nine at that time, and if there are no traveling records, it's evident she was in London the whole time. But why would a little girl be without her parents, and how could she be born here when her parents weren't even in the country?
Was she... adopted?
I looked at Ronald with questioning eyes, my heart racing inside my chest. He shook his head. "There are no adoption records for Miss Lawson. According to the information we have gathered, she was never registered in any orphanage, foster care, or family register. Even her birth was never officially recorded. It's as if Elysia Lawson did not exist until late 2004." My mouth gaped, staring at the information dumbfounded.
How could this be possible? Where was Elysia for those ten years, and what happened to her?
"Someone intentionally forged her records, removing every single detail about her, and the most peculiar thing is," Ronald stepped forward, took the file from me with permission, opened the page of her working experience, and handed me the file again.
"She has no working experience in the corporate world. With her education and skills, she could have easily secured positions in several reputable companies, but she chose to work independently, under the pen name 'Sia Wills.' She never revealed her true identity until she joined our company and disclosed it to Sir Lopez," Ronald explained. My lips parted in shock as I glanced at her designs, countless confusing thoughts swirling inside my head. Maron hadn't mentioned this about her.
"You're telling me that Sia Wills is actually Elysia Dean Lawson?" I questioned, struggling to absorb all the information. Ronald nodded in confirmation.
Sia Wills is a well-known name in the field of jewelry design, but no one knew who she was. Her real identity was always hidden behind that name. Five years ago, our company attempted to hire talented designers like her, but our offer was instantly rejected with an apology, stating her preference for working independently. Other companies also sought to utilize her talent, but four years ago, she abruptly ceased working.
"So, you're telling me that the person who concealed her identity so thoroughly suddenly revealed herself in our company without a reason?" I asked, perplexed.
Ronald shook his head. "Sir, I believe there's a reason behind all this. It appears her mother is seriously ill and has been in and out of the hospital for years. She may have needed money, and our company is prominent in the design sector, not to mention the competitive pay. Perhaps she wanted to earn enough for her mother's treatment. As for why Mr. Lopez didn't place her in the design department, only he can answer that."
Elysia's mother is seriously ill?
Sliding the thoughts about Maron and his actions aside, I asked the question that had been bothering me for a while. "What about her dad, Dean Lawson?"
Ronald hesitated before flipping the page. "Six years ago, Dean Lawson went to Asia illegally but never returned. No complaint was filed about him being missing. As for why he went there and where he is currently, we are in the process of investigating."
I stared at the information on the pages in front of me, my gaze blank as I processed everything. I had met her parents once in high school when she won the competition. They seemed like nice and easygoing people. What could have happened to them? What could have happened to her?
I wasn't expecting to receive this complicated information about a seemingly simple girl like Elysia. It was like I didn't know anything about that girl at all; she was a complete mystery.
I had initially wanted to run a casual background check to see if she had any connections with Aubrey, but now everything seemed much more complicated.
"What about her connections?" I inquired as I recalled Aubrey.
Ronald shook his head. "No connections at all. Aubrey Anderson left for the US during high school, and since then, there's been no contact. Miss Lawson has been in touch with Sven Damaris and Esme Indira Vasquez, but other than that, there are no further connections," he explained.
I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts still swirling around Elysia. Until our relationship became strained in highschool, I remembered her as a soft marshmallow who always used to smile, and a girl who could die for her family. How had she been managing all these years?
She must have been broken to see her family falling apart like this.
"Would you like me to run a background check on Miss Anderson and their connection further, sir?" Ronald's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I stated, "There's no need." As long as Elysia isn't in contact with Aubrey, I don't care about anything further.
Sighing, my eyes landed on the papers again. My eyebrow raised as I read the heading of "Past Relationships."
Almost instinctively, my eyes followed the heading. When I saw "None" in the description, my eyebrows raised.
"No past relationships?" I inquired, perplexed.
"No, sir. There are none. According to my investigation, Miss Lawson has never been in a relationship with anyone," Ronald confirmed.
'I said I didn't date Sven; it doesn't mean I haven't dated at all.' Her words echoed in my head.
Suddenly, a small laugh automatically left my lips. She seriously got me there. That little kitten had learned to lie without stuttering.
When my gaze landed on Ronald, I paused, staring at his shocked expression while looking at me in disbelief. Quickly, I cleared my throat and sat straight.
"What else?" I inquired in my usual stern tone.
"This is all, sir. Regarding digging into Miss Lawson's past and Dean Lawson, I have contacted one of the best investigators, and he will be in touch with us soon," Ronald informed. I gave a nod, giving my approval.
"Also, bring me all the information regarding her mother, her condition, details about the doctor who's treating her, the hospital she is in, and everything related to her." Ronald instantly nodded and left.
•••
I sighed heavily, placing the file in my drawer and locking it. My gaze shifted to her office again, finding her still engrossed in her documents.
What's so important that she couldn't even raise her head and acknowledge me?
For the past two days, she had been acting as if we never knew each other, and it bothered me to no end. Whether in the past or present, this girl had disturbed my countless nights.
It was fine until I didn't see her again, but now that I did, things I thought I left in the past were resurfacing, and this time, I was losing the battle with myself.
I wanted to ask things directly to Elysia, but I was damn sure she would never tell me. I had no choice but to sneak my way into her past. Not to mention, as soon as I saw that distant expression on her face, it pissed me off.
Pushing her thoughts away, I opened my laptop to get some work done. Lately, I had barely worked up to my satisfaction since someone's particular amber eyes had been getting on my nerves.
An unopened email from Ronald captured my attention, and I clicked on it with furrowed eyebrows.
The email contained several pictures, all of Elysia. Glancing towards her office, where she was occupied, I refocused on the screen and opened the images.
They were a mix of pictures, ranging from our high school days to more recent ones, mostly from various events or trips, often group pictures.
I clicked on one from our school trip. Elysia stood next to me, a wide smile on her face as she looked at the camera, her amber eyes shining brightly with a carefree expression.
In terms of looks, Elysia hadn't changed much – the same small features, softness, and habits. However, her face had matured, and the carefree expressions of the past were replaced by a constant furrowing of her eyebrows.
My attention shifted to the person on her other side, and a scowl appeared on my face. Sven Damaris stood beside Elysia, his hand holding her sleeve, his expression tense in the camera's direction.
Swiping to the next picture, from the same moment, his face turned toward Elysia, a wide grin now on his face as he watched her, seemingly detached from his surroundings.
Feeling an irrational impulse, I quickly cropped him out of the picture, along with everyone else, leaving only Elysia.
Her image automatically zoomed on my screen, and my eyes scrutinized every detail of her features. When my gaze fell on her lips, a memory flashed before me – a moment from the past when she lost her balance on the stairs.
I gulped, touching my lips absentmindedly. I couldn't forget that day; it was my first kiss.
I scoffed, instantly removing my hand. It could barely be called a kiss; it was more like a peck, but still, it was not something I could easily forget.
I had always been an organized person, meticulously planning and keeping things under control, never once losing my grip on emotions. However, that moment marked the first instance in my life where my control was called into question.
I was holding back every ounce of my self-control, resisting the urge to move my lips and capture hers. It wasn't until she fainted that I snapped back to reality. Instantly, everything else faded away, and my sole focus became the fact that she was unconscious in my arms.
I shook my head, "How could I think about that?" I berated myself for not being able to forget about things that held no value anymore. It's been so many years; I'm sure she wouldn't even remember that.
I shifted my gaze back to the screen, intending to close it, but I stopped, staring at her lips again.
They felt so soft on mine, warm, desirable, and so... delicious! I wonder how they feel now?
Instinctively, my gaze shifted to her office when I abruptly paused, finding the reason for my headache and sleepless nights standing at my office door, staring back at me strangely.
"What the...? Why didn't you knock?" I exclaimed, immediately closing my laptop flap. I almost panicked, seeing her there, but instantly got back into senses.
"I-I d-did." She responded, her face turning red. My eyes narrowed at her for a second because her attitude seemed to change once again.
"Come in," I gave a nod, instantly reminding myself to keep my stern face.
"Sir! The f-files y-you asked f-for," Elysia walked towards me and placed the files on the desk with a slightly trembling hands.
"Thank you, Miss Lawson. Here is the file for Sanchez Group. Please create a SWOT analysis of our company's Italy branch and compare it," I said, extending my hand to give her the file and papers. Her hands shook even more as she took them, and in her nervousness, she accidentally dropped the papers, scattering them across the floor. My eyebrows furrowed at her. Was she anxious or something?
"Sorry, I'm s-sorry, sir!" She quickly bent down to collect the papers in a hurry. I rubbed my temple, feeling a slight headache coming on. We need to do something about this clumsiness, otherwise she is going to create trouble for herself sooner or later.
She swiftly stood up after gathering the papers and gave me a small bow before stepping back to leave the office. My eyes widened, and I raised my hand to warn her.
"Miss La-" but before I could finish, her back had already collided with a vase, causing it to topple over and spill a potted plant onto the floor. I pressed my lips together, trying to maintain composure and reminded myself not to react again.
"S-s-sorry, I a-am t-truly s-sorry," she stammered, her voice filled with embarrassment. She began to reach down to clean up the broken glass and soil with her bare hands, but I immediately halted her.
"Stop! Stop! Don't! It's not your job. I will call someone to clean it up. You may leave," I instructed firmly. She quickly straightened herself and almost ran to the door, while glancing at me, my gaze following her movements.
"CAREFUL!" I exclaimed loudly, but alas, it was too late. THUMP!! A harsh thumping sound echoed throughout the room as she bumped her head against the glass door.
Without a care of her injury, she turned to me with a small bump on her head, offering a nervous and hesitant smile before hastily bowing and walking out of the office.
I sat there, my mouth slightly agape, staring at the closed door. Was this woman specifically sent down from the heavens above to test my already paper-thin patience?
She just hit her head for heaven's sake, and then she acted like nothing happened. My jaw clenched, fists forming on my sides, restraining myself from barging into her office to check her forehead.
Why did she keep glancing at my table anyway? My eyes shifted to my laptop, then back at the door she just left.
Wait a minute!
I turned around, assessing the matte grey wall behind me. It wasn't glass; she couldn't have known what I was looking at, could she?
Returning my gaze to her office, I furrowed my brows again, recalling the harsh bump just now.
Sighing, I picked up the receiver and instructed Ronald. When he brought me what I asked for, I instructed him to ask a cleaning staff to clear the mess in my office and walked towards her office where she just returned.
Her eyes almost popped out when she noticed me entering. Closing the door behind me, I pinned her with a glare as she attempted to stand.
Approaching her, I held her swivel chair and turned her to face me, leaning against her table. Ignoring her shocked expression, I focused on the visible bump on her forehead. "Look up," I ordered. Confused, she complied.
Retrieving a cold compress from my pocket, I hovered over her and gently placed it on her forehead, using my foot to keep her chair in place. I had trapped her chair between my legs to limit her movement.
"I-I can d-do it myself," she stammered, attempting to take the compress from my hand. I held her chin in place with the other hand.
"Shut up, Elysia," I stated gently, checking if the compress was working fine.
With her clumsiness and stubbornness, life would undoubtedly be a handful.
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Your favorite character in "A Love Unseen", and why?