C5 CHAPTER 5

Because of Ella's behavior, he lost her appetite and Damian decided to leave instead of talking to the woman. What he just couldn’t understand was why the woman suddenly changed. It was the first time he had seen her in such a manner and he was not in favor of the woman's behavior.

On his way to the office, he couldn't help but think about Ella. What has gotten into her? He was not immune to the woman's own beauty and several times he almost gave up from restraining himself. He was not a hypocritical man. However, common decency dictated him to stop thinking about Ella because he's already engaged with Monique!

When Damian arrived at the office, Ella was still inside his mind. Why couldn’t he forget the seductive look she had earlier while drinking milk? Last night, when Ella went to confront him, he was almost tempted to take her inside his room.

Damian was shaken and forced to dismiss her from his thoughts, but he recalled Rebecca previously mentioned that Ella loved men with dimples. Damian couldn’t understand himself why he regretted the fact he has no dimples.

Damian insisted on not thinking about Ella anymore so he sould finish his tasks. He no longer bothered his secretary Mori and dialed the number of Alvin, the top performer when it comes to sales.

"Alvin, what happened to your sales call earlier?" He was not like other company presidents who just wait for reports from department managers. He’s hands-on when it comes to business, and he knew all of their staff.

“It’s okay, sir. They will sign a contract that we will supply them with beef. Exclusive for five years,”Alvin announced the good results of his sales call at a newly opened restaurant which was located a few blocks from their office.

"Keep up the good work, Alvin!" said Damian before he hung up the phone. They could supply not only beef but also chicken and pork but their beef was more popular because all their animals were grass-fed and organic.

Damian was busy all morning. Meeting here, meeting there so he didn't even notice the time. It was quarter to twelve when Monique suddenly showed up.

“Hello, darling. It’s time to eat your lunch!” After saying that Monique approached her boyfriend and kissed the man on the cheek. "I already bought you something to eat so you don't have to go out again," Monique added.

"You shouldn't have bothered anymore, there's a restaurant around the corner." Damian replied but he was bored with what the woman did because he was no longer young to bring a lunchbox. "Look, Monique, haven't I told you before? I don't want you to bring food here to the office," Damian said.

Monique was offended by what Damian has said but she still smiled and hugged the man. “I missed you,” she said.

"Don’t you have work today?" Damian repeated his question earlier which the woman failed to respond.

"I filed for a half day leave for my monthly appointment with my doctor. And since, the clinic is just near here so I thought I'd just bring you lunch." Monique explained.

"Thank you, Monique, but I already ate my lunch an hour earlier,” he lied.

"I know. But just in case you're hungry, you already have something to eat. Or just give it to the staff." Monique replied but she wondered why something seemed to have changed in Damian. She felt that the man would prefer that she was not in front of him. Was he seeing someone else? However, she was with the man last night and they were fine. You’re overthinking, Monique! She scolded herself.

"Alright, I'll eat it, later. Aren't you late for your appointment yet?" He hoped Monique would get what he wanted to say. He looked at the watch he was wearing and said goodbye immediately. Damian felt guilty for driving his fiancée away but what would the two of them talk about in the office. He still has a lot to do. Damian sighed as he dialed the number at home. “Where’s Ella?” He inquired from Rebecca who was on the other line.

"She is busy with something, Damian." Rebecca replied.

"About what?" His forehead furrowed as he waited for Rebecca to answer.

"I don't know but I heard she’s going to look for a job somewhere else. She said she’s leaving Victorias very soon.”

"Is she crazy? Where would she go? There are many job opportunities here or she will just build her own business, tell her that I will talk to her right now!" Damian ordered Rebecca to call Ella. For a moment, Rebecca was silent on the other line. When he noticed that someone has picked up the receiver, he assumed it was Ella. Unfortunately, it was Rebecca. “Where’s Ella?”

“She can’t talk right now, that’s what she said,” Rebecca answered.

"What?" A vein almost erupted in his neck when he heard Rebecca's answer.

"Just call her cellphone, and I'll finish something here." Rebecca said and hung up the phone.

After Rebecca hung up the telephone, Damian tried to call Ella on her cellphone. He called her several times but the woman did not answer. After several attempts, she finally answered her phone. Damian sneezed first before speaking after he heard Ella's voice on the other line. "Where are you? Why did you take so long to answer?"

"I'm busy right now, Damian. Why?" Ella asked.

"Busy about what? I know you've resigned from your job!" Damian growled at the woman.

"That's why I'm busy because I'm looking for a job right now, what's your problem? All right, bye and I still have to submit something."

"Wait a minute, tell Rebecca I'll have lunch there." Damian ordered before he hung up the phone.

After he talked to Ella, it was only then that he wondered why he said to have lunch at home. He left the office and informed Mori that he was leaving first. As he drove home, thoughts about Ella rushed through inside his head. What’s wrong with him? As an engaged man, he wasn’t supposed to think about another woman!

"Where's Ella?" Damian immediately asked Rebecca when he didn't see the woman as soon he came home.

“She’s in her room.”

"I'll just go in a minute," he said goodbye to Rebecca before climbing upstairs. Rebecca informed him that Ella was busy but as soon as he reached the second floor of the house, the loud music coming from her bedroom has irritated his eardrums. The music was so loud that she didn’t hear him knocking on her door. He had to knock several times before she opened it. She looked surprised upon seeing him.

“Hi there, Damian, what’s up?” Ella asked.

"I thought you were busy?"

Ella wondered why Damian suddenly showed up at home during work hours. "I was busy earlier, but I'm free now, why? Do you need anything from me?"

"Come down and we'll eat together," Damian said.

"Okay, I'll just shower for a while." Ella replied smiling. In fact she was still confused by her feelings for the man. It's obvious that Damian didn’t like her as much as she liked him.

She wanted nothing more than for the man to be happy. But what about her? Can she be sad forever? What if Damian would be happier with her? She would be a coward if she wouldn’t tell him about how she truly felt, but it could damage their current camaraderie.

Win or lose, she decided to let him know. If she ever lost the gamble to do, at least she tried. Rather than waiting for her feelings for him to change, right? While in the shower she had already developed a plan on how to talk to the man about the true situation involving her heart. She would show the man that wouldn’t back down without a fight!