Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 56: Meeting I

It has been over a month since Sarah last saw Henry. In this past month, she'd found a new corporate job as a sales assistant at Mascarada Corp. The sales and marketing manager at her new workplace, Madam Beka, must have noticed her potential because she let Sarah accompany her to any business meetings in hopes of honing her skills. Sarah had attended about six business gatherings so far, and Henry had attended none of them.

Any news about him was also difficult to obtain due to the great disparity between their statuses. And since he had chosen to leave her side, it was likely she would never have the chance to see him again in her entire life. Now, Sarah understood the kind of privilege she had failed to cherish. Henry is indeed a man of his word. No phone calls, no text messages and, for the few times Sarah tried visiting him, he wasn't home.

Even though Henry kept his promise, Sarah did not appreciate it. She would rather he broke it. She wanted to see him so badly; even a glimpse of him would do. It seemed she already cared more than she was willing to admit.  She regretted confronting him that day, breaking the delicate bond between them. 

This time Sarah was lucky enough to tag along to the biggest business convention held at one of the largest cities far north of the county. The convention was expected to last three days and the biggest business magnates were in attendance.

They walked into a conference hall with a classroom set up. The chairs were covered with white satin and a maroon ribbon tied into a bow at the back, giving the chairs an elegant and flowy look. The narrow tables had a bottle of mineral water, a pen, and a writing pad for each member. Each chair had a name tag corresponding to the name on the invitation card.

A small metal barricade separated the regular seating area from the VIP seating area. The VIP section had more comfortable chairs and a larger table adorned with elegant flower setups and refreshments in addition to the basic pen and paper. Although they tried to make it as lowkey as possible, one could still feel the difference between the two worlds.

Sarah and her manager, Madam Beka, belonged to the regular sitting area. They handed in their invitations and a tall young man with a maroon shirt and a white bowtie ushered them to their seats; three rows behind the VIP sitting area. Surprisingly they had a clear view of the stage.

Half an hour later, the room started filling up and the various VIPs had arrived. Madam Beka was so excited and would give a brief introduction to Sarah whenever a prominent person entered.

A figure emerged from the door and Sarah's heart dropped to her stomach. that handsome tall man with a crisp black suit, that must have cost an arm and a leg, took slow deliberate steps that radiated an air of confidence. The person she's been waiting for an entire month finally reappeared in front of her. In her excitement, she waved at him, wanting to let him know she was there.

Except his eyes weren't on her. He flashed that charming smile and proceeded to his seat, not once glancing in Sarah's direction. Sarah's hand froze midair. She lowered her hand in slow motion, a myriad of feelings coursing through her. Hot tears pooled in her eyes and she blinked a couple of times to prevent from falling. Did he forget her?  Was he still angry at her? Or, Was she really too inconspicuous in the crowd?

For the next two hours, Sarah did not hear a thing said in the session. Her mind was occupied by all the possible scenarios that would have been if she met with him again. All the things she'd imagined through the whole month replayed in her head, except, never in her dreams had she expected him to ignore existence completely. Maybe she didn't have much impact on him as she'd like to believe.

It seems he did not intend for them to cross paths again, or perhaps, unless necessary, he might completely disappear from her world. Because of her worlds that day, they had turned into strangers. Is this what she asked for? No, she made up her mind to look for him later and give a formal apology. She'd misunderstood him and he did not deserve such mean words.

A hearty clap interrupted her thoughts. She raised her head and saw Henry standing with a pair of scissors in his hand. a white ribbon lay on the floor and several cameras flashed at him. Behind him, maroon curtains slowly drew, exposing a golden plaque with some weird inscriptions. God knows what that was for. Perhaps she would have known if she paid attention.

She could clearly feel the difference between the two worlds. He was really attractive, shining like a star that could only be admired from afar. She felt like a sparrow thinking she was a phoenix only to realize she was still a sparrow. Minutes later, the session ended and Henry left without sparing a glance at her direction.

Sarah gazed at his departing back from afar, emptiness clouding her heart. He probably didn't see her. Even if he saw her, what could she do? To say he would return her peace meant Henry did not plan to interfere with her life anymore.  She wanted to yell at him, tell him she was sorry, and beg for his attention, but this wasn't a place for personal issues.

She gathered her papers and also left the conference hall. Madam Beka rushed out and left her alone since she was going to meet up with a friend. Sarah nodded at her absentmindedly. She wandered to the elegant hotel lobby but wasn't in the mood to admire the world-class interior design. She went to the barista and got herself white tea with extra cream.

Sarah glanced at her wristwatch and smiled. The meeting had ended earlier and she still had an hour to spare before returning to her hotel. She had booked a slightly cheaper hotel some distance from the Grand Regency Hotel, where this conference was held. This way, she got to save the extra money instead of wasting it on short-lived luxury.

She decided to walk around the hotel garden next to an elegant fountain that led to a small pond. She hoped to spot an exotic flower and, if she was lucky, get some seeds too. The sound of the water splashing calmed her nerves and she cast aside her troubles, adopting her playful personality. She crouched beside the pond, scooped some water on her cupped hands, and splashed it on the purple lotus flower floating on the man-made pond.

Unbeknownst to her, someone stood on a balcony on the third floor of the hotel, watching her every move with a smile.

Unknown time had passed and Sarah was still lost in her play. Soft footsteps approached her, and someone gently tapped her left shoulder. The sudden tap startled her and she whipped her head to the side, ready for a fight or flight response. One glance and her heart shook. Her blood turned cold and she almost fell into the pond.

A/N: who do you think tapped her?