I AlwaYs havE AnD I AlwayS WiLL --PART-2-TimE & AgaiN" Ongoing.

CHAPTER 17 -- "Expectations & Disappointments!"

Chapter 17

Expectations & Disappointments ---

Chonging , 2019 :

Alex was just drying her hair after a shower when her mobile rang.

'Alex Jilang ,' she said crisply into the mouthpiece.

'Yes, that is who I wish to speak to,' said the voice, sounding slightly familiar. 'This is Max, director of Max Industries and Textiles. You are supposed to report at 9:00 am. As it's your first day, I'm giving you an hour's lease, but no more than that.'

'Hold on a sec,' said Alex. 'Are you hiring me?'

'I decided I wanted efficiency over coldness, so yeah,' came Haikuan's cool voice. 'Try not to be extremely late on your first day, will you?'

Before Alex could give vent to her anger on being called cold, the call went off, and she glared at the mobile phone. She was beginning to regret applying for it-almost. Fine, Mr. Max , she thought. Let's play.

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Wang Mansion :

Lan Wangji scrunched his hand into a fist, trying to ignore the temptation of punching the wall- and dislodging the bricks. That stupid dream.

Wei Ying's face, the picture of misery. The pain he had given Wei Ying so many times, reflected in the brown orbs. But those words...that voice!

Those words...had not someone else spoken the very same ones to him?

He let out an involuntary growl, trying to push back the memories of that hateful woman. How sweet, how kind she had been. Correction-pretended to be. And then had turned around and betrayed him, as easy as pie. It was all her fault the three of them had died that night. If not all, then half, definitely- why else would Haikuan have defended her, all those years ago?

It bothered him now, when he thought of her. It was unnerving to see the man he loved most, speak the same words as the woman he hated most. More than Qing .

And those eyes...those wide, brown eyes that sometimes shone with mischief or happiness...

Wei Ying's eyes reminded him instantaneously of Wuxian's.

And suddenly, he felt a surge of hatred for Wuxian. Even though she was long dead now. He hoped she'd had a painful death. Preferably a long drawn out one.

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'Wangji ?' came the soft voice of his mother.

'Why haven't you left for Office yet?'

'I don't feel like it, Mom,' he snapped irritably.

Carmen looked annoyed. 'Don't be foolish,' she snapped. 'Apparently that girl "Lucy" is missing and cannot be traced. You know as well as I do that that mad man-he'll stop at nothing to involve us in the matter. And if you don't go to Office for the meeting , it'll fuel rumours that -'

'I don't CARE!' yelled Lan Wangji suddenly. His hand reached out and swiped at a glass vase : it fell to the floor and shattered. 'Stop dictating me, Mom! I've had enough!'

'Wangji--" began Carmen tentatively, but Lan Zhan didn't stop to listen.

'You- you think this is a game don't you? All of you!' he roared in anger, ignoring his father, who had just arrived. 'The whole lot of you- you, Dad, Wei Ying , Alex , that new vampire, the werewolves- what do you think, I'm the effing God of the world, who can handle anything and everything and be absolutely perky about it!