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    MSin people had got a very impressive building. The reception area where they were seated was ssy.


    Marissa could almost feel her eyes gliding on the sparkling floor. The receptionist offered them a professional smile and informed them that it was next to impossible to meet Mr. Joseph without an appointment.


    Though Marissa was expecting it, she wanted to try her luck. Akari was apanying her, and she was <b>as </b>impressed as Marissa.


    “Seems like their building is made of ss and marble…” she told Marissa in a dreamy whisper, “If their offices are so impressive, then how polished their homes must be.”


    Marissa gave <b>a </b>small smile to Akari


    <i>“</i><i>I </i>once <i>lived </i><i>in </i>such <i>a </i><i>big </i><i>mansion</i><i>, </i><i>Akari</i><i>. </i><i>All </i><i>that </i><i>glitters </i>is <i>not </i><i>gold</i><i>, </i><i>my </i><i>friend</i>. People living <i>in </i><i>massive </i><i>houses </i><i>are </i>usually heartless<i>.</i>” She didn’t say it out loud and eyed the glossy floor


    beneath her shoes.


    “Ms. Aaron? Ms. Akari?” a pleasantly looking young man approached them with a smile on his face. He looked good in the ck suit and the golden ss frames suited him a lot.


    Marissa and Akari got up from the couch when he stood over them, “Hello. I’m Dean.” He extended his hand for a handshake towards


    Marissa.


    And then he moved his attention to Akari, “You must be the owner, Ms. Akari. Right?”


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    Marissa and Akari both looked at cach other for a moment then Akari cleared her throat and shook her head, “I think there is some misunderstanding, but she is the owner. I just attend the official calls on Xander’s Catering behalf<b>.</b><b>”</b>


    “Oh,” Dean wanted to jump in a river and kill himself for this ill information. Why did he think that the person taking his calls has to be the owner just because it’s a home–based business?


    “It’s OK, Dean,” Marissa offered him a kind smile. The issue at hand. wasn’t the ownership of the business but the mess Amir created for them.


    “We…” she turned her head to shoot a look at Akari and found her


    nodding her head in encouragement. Dean witnessed the silent. exchange and gestured for them to walk with him,


    “Please let me take you somewhere, where you can talk to me freely,” he said walking ahead.


    Marissa was not expecting this wee. Dean hadn’t even heard them but was treating them quite cordially.


    Was there still hope?


    “Don’t worry,” Akari consoled her in a whisper, “I think they are pretty impressed by our work and that’s why giving us VIP


    treatment.”


    Marissa showed Akari her wide eyes in a warning and mouthed a silent, “Shut up.”


    All Akari was praying for, was to get out of the mess. Though she couldn’t be med, but still she felt guilt–ridden.


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    Dean took them to a huge room, where every piece of furniture ced there, seemed to be hand–picked. He made them seated, “Please befortable and tell me if you would like tea or coffee.” He said taking a chair, “What is the issue?”


    Marissa swallowed hard and a nervous chuckle escaped her lips. What to tell Dean? That a man who she took some loan from, forced them to quit the contract?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    It all seemed quite messy and unprofessional. And childish too.


    “Actually…” Akari started speaking slowly, “There was some misunderstanding… we received another order and …” she shrugged and pasted a forced smile on her face, “I… I mixed up. the numbers… I mean contact numbers… his name was… also


    Dean… so we thought we should say No to them but…I called you ..by mistake… it’s my mistake… I know and I own it and take full responsibility of it…”


    Dean’s eyes were wide while observing Akari and though Merissa felt peculiar, she wanted to throw back her head andugh hard.


    Akari was looking too cute while exining to him with the help of those broken sentences like a kid.


    Dean raised his brow and then chuckled, “OK. So, this Dean gave you the same order that we gave? Like a three–course meal?”


    For some odd reason, Marissa felt like he was more ufortable and more nervous than them.


    Why?


    His eyes were darting again and again to the corner of the ceiling. With a frown, Marissa followed his gaze and found <b>a </b>small CCTV


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    camera installed in that spot.


    Were they under surveince?


    There must not be anything fishy here as they are a big name. She decided to go outside the room.


    “Umm. I think I left my purse in the reception area,” This was the best excuse she coulde up with and then she gave an over–brightened smile to Dean and Akari, “Why don’t you two discuss the menu of the trial dishes, I’ll go and fetch my purse from


    that sofa.”


    Dean stood up in panic, “Umm. I don’t think I should let you go like that… I mean you are our prestigious guest, and I can send someone to bring it up…”


    “Oh, please,” Marissa raised her hand to stop him, “purse is something very private. I’d rather prefer to bring it myself.”


    Before Dean could say anything, she was out of that room. It was indeed Dean’s attitude that was making it fishy, but she needed to talk to some employees to dig out about thispany.


    What if they were a mafia n and were running an underground operationalpany?


    ***


    “What is she doing?” Joseph saw Marissa leaving the room on hisptop screen and hissed. He was sitting on Rafael’s chair while Rafael was standing behind him in agitation.


    He wanted to meet Marissa at that very moment, but Joseph stopped him. He didn’t want Rafael to expose himself before time.


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    It was very much necessary to build up thepany’s name and let her ease into it so that Marissa could trust them.


    They couldn’t afford to scare her off.


    “I think Dean blew it up,” Rafael balled his hands into fists and looked for something around him to punch hard, “J… just look at him. Why is he repeatedly looking at the camera? The other girl couldn’t sense it. But… Merissa… I know her. She is intelligent. I think she is out to talk to someone… just to know about us.”


    “To know about what? She can’t ask our employees… about our reputation…” Joseph trailed off in confusion and slowly a proud grin made its way to Rafael’s lips.


    “No. She won’t ask our employees… because I taught her something else.”


    “Right now, it’s best if we send them away,” Joseph’s focus moved to Rafael from theptop screen, “If by any chance they find out your presence, then Marissa might…”


    “This time she won’t run away, Joseph,” Rafael said with a smile, “She is no more my timid Marissa who used to trust me blindly. Now she is the owner of an uing business. She might not know it but the building she is standing in… she owns it as well. And look…” Rafael pointed out to the screen where they could see Marissa talking to a woman, “She hasn’t chosen a corporate woman or the receptionist. She is talking to the cleaningdy. My wife is so


    brilliant.”


    He could hear his wordsing from the past:


    <i>“</i><i>Always </i><i>remember</i>, <i>Strawberry</i><i>. </i><i>If </i><i>you </i>feel some uneasiness <i>around</i>


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    you or <i>you </i>are doubtful about a <i>business </i>building, <i>never </i><i>talk </i>to an <i>employee</i><i>. </i><i>Nopes</i>. That’s a risk. <i>Always </i><i>talk </i><i>to </i>their lower staff<i>. </i><i>They’ll </i><i>tell </i><i>you </i><i>better</i><i>.</i><i>”</i>


    All the anxiety in Rafael’s body seemed to have evaporated. His wife still remembered the lessons taught by him.


    Now he needed to check if she still remembered him or not.


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