Chapter 6: The Beautiful Woman Who Disappeared
1748 Words
Chapter 6: The Beautiful Woman Who Disappeared
Lucas stepped out of the bathroom with tiny droplets of water still clinging persistently to his broad, toned chest. He was wearing only a luxurious, silky white robe and held a small towel in his hand, drying his jet black, slightly damp hair as he walked out. He planned to wake her up after his shower because he had a very important business meeting scheduled for this morning.
When he woke up earlier and saw her still sleeping soundly, looking completely exhausted, he felt sorry for her. Last night, he hadn't been careful or gentle with her at all, like someone who had found a rare and precious treasure they didn't want to lose.
Her delicate, breathtakingly beautiful face rested against his warm chest. Lucas admitted that it felt good... so incredibly good. He gently kissed her forehead. Knowing he was her first made him feel even more attached and unwilling to let her go.
Being swept away by emotions without taking precautions led him to lose control completely and entirely several times. Regardless, he was already determined to take responsibility for her.
He wasn't the typical playboy who indulged in casual flings with women. He was someone who was exceptionally hard to please. If a woman approached him, he would instinctively turn them down. He preferred to be the one to make the first move if he liked someone.
Throughout his life, Lucas had focused on his studies and work. He was highly dedicated, immensely driven and ambitious, aspiring to match the success of his highly respected father and brother. Therefore, he pursued everything with unwavering determination and diligence.
As for women, he admitted that it was rare to meet someone he truly liked. She was undeniably charming, sweet, and vibrant. The first time he saw her, she seemed like a majestic, ethereal swan, captivating his gaze. But as he continued to secretly observe her, she appeared more like a small, charming, and adorably lively lovebird.
Importantly, she bore a striking resemblance in personality and appearance to his mother, Monica, a woman who was sweet and gentle but also full of warmth and grace.
- The saying that men often like women who resemble their mothers seemed quite accurate this time -
Lucas walked away with a faint but contented smile, reflecting on the happiness he felt with her last night, only to find the bed completely empty...
The woman was nowhere to be seen. Where had she gone? He bent down to pick up another bag of clothes that had fallen on the floor and looked around, guessing that she had hurriedly dressed and left. He hadn't even learned her name before she vanished.
Lucas checked the time and realized he was very late. Known for his punctuality in everything, he had to call his secretary to reschedule the meeting to precisely 1 PM due to unexpected and pressing urgent matters that needed his immediate attention.
This was probably the first time since working in the US that he hadn't been punctual, which made Lucas rush to get dressed. He had been lingering too long, lost in thoughts about that woman, and could only sigh at having let something else take precedence over his normally strict work priorities.
Before leaving the room, Lucas noticed a small but elegantly designed diamond ring lying on the bedside table.
It must be... hers, right?
He smirked slightly as he picked it up, his long fingers twirling the delicate, intricately crafted small ring.
He was certain he would meet her again.
—————-
At the Company
Manager's Office, Accounting Department
"I'm sorry, Manager. This morning I wasn't feeling well, so I woke up late," Maria said with a strained yet sincere expression, quickly bowing in apology to the manager. Given how late it was, there was no way she would make it to the meeting with the manager today.
But... isn't it already past ten o'clock?
"Ah... why is the manager still here? Aren't you supposed to be at the meeting?"
Maria looked up, her face showing genuine surprise as she questioned what she was curious about.
"You're lucky, Maria. The president had unexpected urgent business arise and postponed the meeting to one o'clock," the manager said calmly, even though she was quite annoyed in the morning because she couldn't reach Maria, whose phone was turned off.
She had planned to assign Maria to assist with the presentation because Maria was highly skilled, exceptionally meticulous and extremely detail-oriented. For a meeting of this level with this president, there couldn't be even the slightest error in the numbers.
"Go on, hurry up and get ready. Don't let there be any mistakes, not even a tiny one."
"Yes, yes, yes. Got it. I've prepared all the work summaries. I just need to check everything one more time, and it'll be fine," Maria adjusted her thick-rimmed glasses, smiling widely.
"Is it really that cold? With your shirt buttoned up to the neck, can you even breathe?" The manager couldn't help but comment on Maria's habitual, overly old-fashioned style.
"Oh, ha ha," Maria could only manage a dry smile. She was used to being teased about her outdated and completely untrendy style and could only respond with a small, awkward dry laugh.
After all, she was here to work, not to walk a fashion runway or make a statement, Maria thought to herself.
The real reason she had to wear a shirt buttoned up to the neck today was because of that guy from last night. She didn't realize how wildly intense he had been, leaving hickeys scattered all over her neck, and not just there. While showering, she noticed red marks trailing down all over her chest, even on the insides of her thighs. She didn't know exactly what he had done to her, only vaguely remembered the strong, muscular body with those rock-hard, well-defined abs hovering over her... and deep down, why did it feel... so unbelievably, intoxicatingly good?
"Mar! Mar! Maria!!"
The manager's voice snapped Maria back to reality as she was drifting off, lost in thoughts about last night.
“Oh... yes, yes, I’ll get to work now,” Maria jumped, then gave a sheepish but hurried smile to the manager and quickly excused herself to start working.
She hurriedly turned on her computer to prepare for work, then raised her hand to stifle a soft yawn, still feeling tired from last night's events.
Before long, Annie, her dear friend from the marketing department, came over to Maria's desk with the bag and phone she had forgotten last night.
“How did you sneak home, Mar? Here's your stuff. It's good nothing got lost when you left everything on the table like that.”
Annie complained, resting her hands on Maria's slightly cluttered desk.
“Uh... well, it's just that...” Maria mumbled, unsure how to explain that she got so drunk... so drunk that she ended up having a passionate, unexpected one-night stand with a mysterious stranger.
“Never mind, Mar. It's good you made it to work today. But why didn't you dress like I taught you last night? Look at you, dressed like a grandma again. And who buttons their shirt up so high? Here, let me unbutton it for you,” Annie scolded while reaching to unbutton Maria's shirt.
“No, no, no, don't, don't. Heh, heh, thanks, I like it this way,” Maria smiled awkwardly, quickly raising her hand to stop Annie, while her other hand moved to cover her neck. If her friend unbuttoned it now, she would see all the deep, unmistakable red marks on her neck.
“It's so outdated. Today, you finally get to attend a big meeting with the manager, right? Dress nicely. Oh well... here, take my scarf.”
Annie took off her scarf and tied it around Maria's neck, adjusting it neatly. She knew her friend was actually quite pretty, just not fond of dressing up or wearing makeup, even though Maria's family was well-off. After her parents passed away, they left her a lot of inheritance, but Maria chose to live simply. Sometimes, Annie couldn't tell if Maria was frugal or just downright oblivious. ^^
“That's better now,” Annie smiled. “But why did the president suddenly reschedule the meeting? It's so unusual, he never reschedules. It's strange... I wonder...” Annie seemed deep in thought.
“Wondering... wondering about what? Oh, could he be unwell? Maybe he's sick, you know. I think he works too hard because even after I left last night, I saw the president still working,” Maria speculated, recalling the evening before she went home when she saw the president before leaving.
Annie shook her head, dismissing the idea, then leaned down and whispered, “ Maria by the way, last night I saw someone who looked like him at the club, but I'm not sure,” before pulling back because Maria was already laughing before she could finish speaking.
"That's crazy, Annie. A workaholic like him going to a club? Impossible. I think you were seeing things," Maria laughed.
"Yeah, I thought so too. It's really unlikely. From a distance, it just looked similar, but it probably wasn't him."
"Right, I think there's no way it could be him."
"But you know, that club is for rich, high-society people only. So it could actually be the president, because only people of his level can get in."
"Then how did you and I, just regular office workers, get in?" Maria retorted immediately.
"Oh, well, I got a membership card from that James guy, the factory owner who's been trying to woo me. Just a few business meetings, and he won't stop chasing me. Probably wants me to be his side chick or something. He's so annoyingly persistent, it totally ruined my night." Annie looked annoyed as she recalled the events of last night.
Even though, on the outside, Annie might seem stylish and bold, she wasn't as easy as people might think. She's a professional AE, skilled in tactics and charm, and clever enough to handle any situation.
"Alright, you get back to work. I won't bother you anymore. I just came to give you your bag and phone. We've been chatting for ages."
"Yeah, see you later. Let's get back to work," Maria smiled before focusing back on her work.
———————-
- Writer
