Shadows of Forbidden Hearts

"Silent Echoes of Love"

Isabelle

This morning, on my way to Daniel's office, I noticed Matto outside. As I approached, a friendly smile crossed my face, and I greeted him, saying, "Hi Matto, good morning!" In response, he met my eyes and with a smirk on his lips and raised eyebrows, he remarked, "Good morning, Isabelle. You're here bright and early on your second day - looks like someone's eager to impress the boss with their punctuality."

I returned his smirk, taking a step closer while maintaining a respectful distance. With a playful tone, I quipped, "What if I tell you I'm here to impress you, not the guy over there?"

He responded with a smile, saying, "Well, that's certainly interesting, especially coming from someone like you." The exchange left us both smiling, locked in a moment of shared amusement.

We burst out laughing, After a minute of laughter, a sudden shift occurred - Matto stopped laughing while I continued.

Confused, I glanced back at him, still laughing, only to find him awkwardly smiling and looking behind me. Curious, I turned around while maintaining my laughter.

As I turned around, my laughter froze, mouth agape, and eyes wide open. There stood Daniel, locking eyes with me, wearing a serious expression and biting his left inner cheek. I Awkwardly burst into laughter, but it resembled the sound of a struggling bike attempting to start.

"What's going on here?" Daniel inquired, maintaining his ice-cold expression. Caught in the moment, I glanced at Matto and then back at Daniel, responding with an awkward smile.

Did he overhear our conversation? I wondered. "Nothing, Mr Santoro. Just discussing work matters with Matto," I replied. Daniel raised his eyebrows, stating, "Flirting is an unfamiliar work category here. Never knew that You'll be working with my personal bodyguard - something new."

His gaze bore into mine, intimidating. I turned to Matto for support, but that bitch remained silent, focusing on his duties, leaving me to navigate the situation alone.

I was about to say something but Stop As the elevator doors opened, an older man in his late 50s emerged, looking confused. I turned to Daniel, witnessing a slight softening of his expression that quickly reverted to his usual ice-cold face. His fists clenched, hinting at controlled anger.

They exchanged a hug and headed towards Daniel's office. Before leaving, Daniel paused, glanced back at me, and instructed, "Meet me in 5 minutes. Until then, refrain from disturbing me, and most importantly, do not flirt with him!"

With a somewhat exasperated expression, I pondered silently, "Who does he think he is? Donkey?" The more pressing question echoed in my mind - the identity of the man and his connection with Daniel. I turned to Matto, questioning "who he is , is he Mr Santoro's father?"

He shook his head, explaining, "No, that's his uncle, just arrived from Japan." When I inquired about Daniel's father,"doesn't Mr Santoro meet his father often?"

Matto shrugged, revealing, "I haven't seen him much, but their relationship seems strained. When they talk on the phone, Mr Santoro appears upset, angry, disappointed - it's hard to describe."

Lost in thought, I nodded and headed to my office, the recent events swirling in my mind. Questions lingered - could Daniel's strained relationship with his father be linked to a tragic past involving his father and Daniel's girlfriend? The mystery deepened as I wondered why his father's visit was shrouded in secrecy and why there was a lack of information about him.