The next few days were spent staying at home all the time and sulking in self misery and before I knew, I was standing right in front of my office building once again.

Can't say I missed this place.

I sighed and made my way inside, knowing very well about all the pitiful stares I was about to get from each person I knew in this enterprise.

As I walked inside I noticed Sasha sitting at her counter. She waved at me as soon as she saw me and I smiled and gave her a little nod before skirring towards the elevator.

I saw Jonathan in the way, who gave me a sad smile to which I reciprocated with the same gesture. I didn't know how long was I going to go on like this if everyone here kept reminding me of the only thing I wanted to forget at the moment.

When I walked out of the elevator, the coffee cup in my hand was about to fall because I bumped into none other than Alex himself but thank goodness it didn't because making coffee for Mr. Rhodes was my duty and I didn't want him to treat me specially because I was grieving.

"Deja Vu," Alex chuckled and I narrowed my eyes at him and cursed under my breath.

"Yeah except it's hot coffee that would have done some damage unlike your iced one," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

"Well someone's in a bad mood today," he slung his arm around my shoulders as we made our way towards Mr. Rhodes' office.

"Go away. Don't you have better things to do?" I said with annoyance but I was actually glad that at least Alex was behaving like his usual self.

"I've told you a hundred times, nothing is better than annoying you JellyBelly," he said in a dramatic voice and I chuckled.

"Dramatic ass," I muttered under my breath.

Alex's phone started ringing in his pocket and he stopped as he pulled it out before making a face that stated that he wasn't very pleased about the phone call.

"Ugh I've got to take this one. See you around Belle," Alex said and ran off to God knew where and I smiled and shook my head.

After some time, I decided to take the coffee to Mr. Rhodes' office. I didn't know why, but when Alex got busy and I mused the fact that I had to go alone in there and face him, I started to get nervous so I decided to give myself some time to relax and think about it.

It was just a stupid coffee. I had done it a hundred times before. No big deal. At all.

I knocked at his office's door and waited for his 'come in' before stepping inside his office and closing the door behind.

My heartbeat picked up an abnormal pace as I looked at his oh so familiar silhouette buried in piles and piles of work.

"Alex I told you before I'm not- oh it's you," Mr. Rhodes started talking but stopped mid sentence when he realised that I wasn't Alex but his secretary who had been MIA for a while.

"I didn't know you were coming back today," he mused closing the lid of his laptop.

Yeah me neither.

"Yeah...I thought it would good to keep myself busy....here's your coffee," I put the coffee cup on his table and took a step back, waiting for him to say something or to dismiss me but instead he just kept staring at me intently that made me squirm.

He stood up from his chair and walked over towards where I was standing and I fidgeted with my fingers to keep my mind from going haywire again.

He kept getting closer and closer until I could practically feel his breath fanning my face.

I lifted my head up to look at him and boy was it a bad move. His eyes showed passion, concern, longing....but for whom?

He lightly lifted his hand up and so delicately cupped my cheek like I would break under his touch.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice soft as velvet.

"I'm f-fine," I stammered like the idiot I was.

"No. How you really are?" his expression showed that he saw right through my facade and I felt my guard dropping low and low with each passing second I spent with him.

I could feel my eyes brimming with tears but I refused to cry. Crying in front of anyone only made you pathetic so I shut my eyes closed and took heavy breaths to keep the darn tears from falling.

I wouldn't cry. I couldn't cry.

Not here. Not again.

When the pain in my chest was unbearable I gave in and the tears came out like a waterfall while I quietly sobbed. My eyes were still closed but I felt Mr. Rhodes wrap his arms around me in a protective manner as I buried my head in the hollow of his neck.

"You're so strong Princess," he whispered and kissed my hair.

I didn't know why but just being with this man alone made me so emotional that I started feeling everything so deeply to a point where it hurt.

**********

"Well how are you holding up?"

"Oh I'm good," the same question, the same answer for the trillionth time today.

Sasha just caught up with me while I was sneaking out of the cafeteria with only a latte with me and insisted on eating together.

"C'mon girl, you gotta eat something. I'm ordering you a sandwich," Sasha said and before I had a chance to deny, she was off towards the counter.

I sighed and sipped my coffee, looking around the familiar faces and surroundings. As I looked around, I fell in deep thoughts.

Everything was moving too fast around me and if I had to catch up with them, I had to make myself stronger. Sitting alone in darkness and sulking wasn't going to help. So I decided to take one deep breath, plaster a fake smile, face the world and accept whatever was written for me because I knew papa would have wanted me to. I couldn't just sit around and wait for the void in my heart to fill. I had to ignore the emptiness and try to embrace the adversities with whatever strength I had left in me because if Mr. Rhodes believed I was strong, then I was going to prove it to him too.

No more crying from today.

************

I saw her. I saw her as she tied her hair in a ponytail and buried herself in loads and loads of work. I saw her as she refused to let people see how she was hurting inside. I saw her as she gave everyone a big smile and hoped for them to buy it.

I saw everything she did and everything she was trying so hard to do.

"Ace?"

I jolted my head upwards as I saw Alex sitting on the seat beside me on the sofa.

"Yeah. What's up?" I asked and dragged a hand down my face.

"You tell. You've been acting weird lately," he stated and I inwardly groaned as I realised that being Alex he would never let it slip so easily.

"Am I? I don't know. Must be the stress work," I shrugged casually and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah and I was born yesterday," he said while loosening his tie and relaxing back on the sofa.

"I'll get back to work if you don't have anything useful to say," I said while standing up and hoped for Alex to just let it slide this time. I really did not want to talk about it.

"Yeah yeah run away while you can. One day the truth's gonna crush you hard and trust me that shit is gonna hurt," Alex gave me a sarcastic tight lipped smile to which I only responded by showing him my middle finger.

Just when I thought I was concentrating on work again, someone knocked at the door and I sighed because I already knew who it was.

"Come in," I half yelled as Alex's attention finally averted from his phone.

"Mr. Rhodes, I wanted to ask you about Miss Claire's appointment, are you still up for it?" Isabelle asked in her professional voice while holding a file in her hands and trying her best not to look at me straight in the eyes.

"Nah I don't think I'm in a mood for that today. Just give her an appointment for some other time this week," I shrugged it off and she nodded.

"Jellybelly, this office sure missed you a lot these last couple of days," Alex butted in and unintentionally, a smile crept up on my cheek realising how true his words were.

I sure missed her coming to my office every once in a while and just getting all flustered whenever I said something out of line.

"Well now I'm back," she smiled at him, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes but a smile nonetheless.

****************

No I didn't die. I am extremely sorry you all for acting like a pain in the ass for the last couple of weeks. I'm just facing this writer's block thing and I don't wanna update in a rush which probably would end up ruining the story line or something.

I hope you all understand!!!

Don't forget the to vote ❤