Chapter 7 7

Azalea made her way towards her office, and Ray trailed closely behind her. As they walked down the hallway, the employees respectfully greeted her, and she responded with a nod before continuing towards her office.

"Ray, I need you to personally welcome Mr. Asher and escort him to the meeting room. I will be there shortly. First, I need to sort out some files," she said urgently.

Ray nodded in agreement and was about to turn around when Azalea interrupted him. Her gaze was distracted, and her brow furrowed.

"Wait, before that, double-check all the arrangements and ensure that everything is flawless. I won't tolerate any mistakes. Is that clear?" she said sternly.

"Yes, I understand," Ray replied, quickly departing as Asher's arrival was imminent.

Azalea stood still, feeling overwhelmed as many thoughts swirled in her mind. She nervously kneaded her palms and bit down on her lip.

"Okay, I need to calm down. I need to retrieve the letter from the locker, but for that, I need the key," she thought, pausing for a moment before continuing.

She walked towards her desk and took a seat behind it. Leaning forward, she pulled out the drawer, revealing an array of files stacked on top of each other. She pushed them aside and uncovered a small velvet box that contained the key to her locker. With a sigh of relief, she opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver key.

Outside the towering building, several cars came to a halt, and the hotel employees rushed to greet the chairman of The Evergreen Builders, Asher Grimshaw. The guests of the Grandeur Hotel were astonished to see the level of attention and protocol given to one man. Ray stood at the door with his hands clasped in front of him, waiting for Asher to step out of the car. Many curious eyes were fixated on the entrance, eager to catch a glimpse of the illustrious figure that they had heard so much about.

As Asher's guard opened the sleek black car door, a flash of moonlight silver hair caught their attention, and a face that was unforgettable emerged. Asher stepped out slowly and gazed up at the building as if reminiscing about old times before proceeding towards the employees who awaited him. He looked at Ray but was disappointed when he didn't see the person he was hoping for.

"Welcome, Mr. Grimshaw. I am Ray Nazar, the Chairwoman's personal assistant. I will be escorting you to the meeting room," Ray greeted Asher with a courteous smile.

"Tsk..." Asher clicked his tongue and closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "I thought Azalea would be greeting me personally, but I guess I was thinking too much," he expressed his disappointment in a visibly frustrated voice, causing Ray's facial muscles to stiffen up. But Ray had a job to do, so he tried to lighten the mood.

"Madam wanted to prepare some fields for the meetings, so she couldn't come. You will be meeting her shortly in the meeting hall," Ray responded with a professional tone, trying to ease Asher's frustration.

Asher looked into Ray's eyes with a powerful gaze that could intimidate any grown-up man. "Well, I don't mind waiting another fifteen minutes when I have already waited for fifteen years," he muttered under his breath, giving a wicked smile to Ray, causing shudders to run down his spine. Ray didn't understand what he meant, but it was not something that was very exciting to hear from a man like him.

"Lead the way," Asher finally spoke up, and Ray followed him and his army of guards into the hotel and headed towards the meeting room.

Meanwhile, Azalea too came out of her office and marched over to the destined room, where she was to meet her late husband's best friend, whom he wanted to form an alliance with ever since the two children were born. She hugged a sealed leather file against her chest, feeling the weight of the responsibility she carried.

"Finally, this will be over now," Azalea muttered to herself, feeling relieved, and a blissful smile appeared on her face. As the two parties walked towards the same destination, they were bound to meet in the way, and so they did.

Asher's gaze softened the second the elevator's door opened, and he spotted a lady in a sophisticated white suit and her dazzling black hair falling on her back with a few strands cherishing her cheeks. Her slender fingers wrapped around a file, and her lips formed into a content smile. Asher couldn't help but admire her beauty, and his wait for all these years had definitely been paid off.

His gaze didn't get off the woman, but she seemed to have barely noticed him. Only when she saw Ray did she notice their presence. "Madam!" Ray called out to her, and she looked at him, her eyes widening as she realized that the guests were already here. She brushed her eyes past Ray and locked them on Asher, but there was nothing but emptiness in her gaze, as if she didn't recognize him at all.

"Greetings. You must be Asher Grimshaw. Nice meeting you. I am Azalea Phoenix," Azalea greeted Asher with a warm smile, approaching him. But her smile quickly faded as she noticed the confusion in Asher's expression, which was not too obvious at first.

He held out his right hand while his other hand was lazily laying in his pocket. "Nice to meet you too," he added in his alluring tone, waiting for her to shake his hand.

Azalea looked at his hand and then back at him, her gaze pained and reluctant. But she didn't seem to have a choice, so she reluctantly shook his hand and pulled it away as quickly as she could. Everyone around them noticed her reluctance, but she tried her best to be considerate and gestured for them to walk ahead.

"We should proceed inside now, and I hope not to take too much of your valuable time, as I understand you are a busy man," Azalea said, her voice laced with a soft smile. Asher's eyes were still fixed on her hand, which she had quickly withdrawn from his grasp. It appeared that she didn't want to be held at all.

Asher responded with a sarcastic tone, "Yes, indeed, I am a busy man, but never as busy as you have been, am I right?" Azalea's face contorted with confusion, and she couldn't help but ask, "Pardon me?"

"Isn't it a bit harsh to forget a friend? I was expecting a warmer greeting than this," Asher continued, sounding annoyed.

Azalea's smile faltered, and she looked down, unsure of how to respond. "I...I didn't realize we were that close, so..." she trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.

Asher's eyebrows furrowed, and he let out a cold laugh. "Ha! You don't have to feel pressured. We have our whole lives ahead of us to get closer and more comfortable with each other, right?" His tone was loaded with meaning.

Azalea nodded halfheartedly, adding, "Yes, I suppose we can." The awkwardness was palpable, and it was not lost on either of them.