Chapter 5

Chapter 005

As soon as the car stopped, I tore open its door and bolted into my suite, slamming its door behind me. My pulse raced as I gazed upon my flashy gold ring with its sparkling diamonds glittering under the soft glow of my bedside lamp.

Too extravagant. Too permanent.

As soon as I threw off my jacket and kicked off my shoes, my clothes hit the floor as I ran directly for the shower. Although warm water couldn't soothe away my frustration completely, it provided some form of solace at least.

As I lay tucked beneath my coverlet, I tightened it around my chin and closed my eyes tightly in the hope that perhaps, by morning, all this would have been some elaborate joke. That I wasn't engaged to an unstable man who thought he could control me; that my life still belonged solely to me.

I miss my apartment and quiet life.

The next morning, however, the sound of my phone buzzing jolted me awake; in my haze of sleepiness, I reached for it and was surprised by dozens of missed calls and messages waiting for me. Word quickly spread, with bold headlines proclaiming my supposed engagement on gossip sites and social media.

No one could dispute that I was in those photos; there was no way of pretending this wasn't happening.

My throat tightened as I realized if reporters began exploring my past and life again, there'd be no peace for me ever again.

Only one person could fix my mess, and I wasn't about to wait around for an appointment.

As soon as I left my suite, I quickly put the engagement ring back onto my finger—without it, I knew security would stop me even from making it through the lobby.

Vermeer Holdings loomed like an intimidating fortress in Amsterdam when I arrived by taxi.

Stepping inside, the buzz of conversations and phone rings met me like an onslaught; my casual outfit made me stand out among the well-groomed employees; their eyes followed me, yet I pulled out my phone to call Casper immediately.

No response? Tiuni, I will find him myself.

I found my elevator ride to be endless; passengers filled every available inch, their conversations filling my ears, their curious glances flicking in my direction—and yet here I sat, staring up at those numbers above and silently praying that soon it would all be over.

By the time I reached the top floor, I was alone.

At odds with the rest of the building's bustle was this floor: its air, filled with fresh coffee aroma and polished wood scents, was peaceful. Empty hallways stretched everywhere; corridors lay uninhabited in every direction.

As I passed by a glass-walled office at the end of a hall, a woman could be seen typing rapidly on her computer—no doubt making use of its air conditioning to stay cool despite sweat-forming beads on her forehead!

"Excuse me?" I gently knocked.

She raised her head, inquisitively. "Yes," she replied.

"I am here to see Mr. Vermeer."

She glanced over at my hand, took in my ring, then looked back up into my face.

"Who are you?"

I responded with, "Lena van Dijk." We both swayed on our heels as we waited.

"She must be one of those desperate ones." Her lips curled into a pout. "Oh dear."

My spine stiffened. "Excuse me?" I exclaimed.

"Nothing," she replied with an exasperated shrug of her shoulders.

Before I could raise my voice in argument, the intercom rang, and she answered it immediately.

"Yes, sir... No, sir... Please accept my sincerest apologies; I will send her right over."

She had barely finished gesturing towards my office before I had begun my walk down the hallway.

I opened the door by pushing it without making noise.

"Mr. Vermeer—"Casper," his voice cut through mine.

"What?"

I paused, disbelieving their insensitivity. Casper hadn't even looked up from his computer at that moment!

My fingers curled into fists. "Fine. Casper."

"So, what exactly is the issue here?"

"The media," my heart was racing. " Since this morning, my phone has been continuously vibrating; bloggers are not required to investigate my life and disseminate inaccurate information.

Finally, he looked up, his expression unreadable. He told her to relax as his anxiety would ease by the end of today; just keep your phone off!

"You seem too comfortable with this." I inhaled sharply.

"That is correct." There was a prolonged silence. She wanted to know when they could leave. His jaw tightened at her inquiry. "Do you wish to depart?" "Yes," he replied in surprise.

"I miss my apartment," I replied, nodding.

"Or perhaps," he suggested with narrowed eyes, "you just miss Noortje."

"What has this man got to do with anything?" I wondered aloud.

Casper leaned back, his voice turning cold. "I want to be clear—you cannot maintain any relationships with me, regardless of their past existence." Whatever connection there was must end now."

"Excuse me?" I stammered out in confusion.

"Listen, listen!" My anger flared as my response. "You do not get to control me or dictate who my friends are!"

His expression of boredom only fueled my anger, prompting me to grab the nearest pen and hurl it at him.

"Ugh! You're impossible!" A slow smirk tugged at his lips before he asked, "Are you done?"

I gritted my teeth and turned away, only for his next words to stop me dead in my tracks.

"We're meeting my parents tonight at six for dinner and would love for you to meet them.

"What?" My head flew back around so fast I almost experienced whiplash.

"Your outfit will arrive soon; ensure you are ready on time!"

I looked at him angrily, but his look told me it would be futile for us to argue further.

I drew in a sharp breath and made for the door.

"Once this is over," he advised, "you can return to Rotterdam."

I hesitated briefly before walking out without speaking further.

At least I didn't have to stay with him forever.

There is just one month left! As we approach the wedding, the excitement intensifies.

At least, that was my hope.