Chapter 5 The Ghost From Her Past

-Three weeks later-

Vivienne clutched the strap of her bag as the elevator climbed toward the thirty-second floor. Her palms were slick. Her heart had been pounding since dawn out of anxiety.

That is what happens when you are selected for an interview at the best rising tech billion-dollar company in a country you aren't familiar with. And she was going to be interviewed by the CEO herself or himself. She had no idea what the gender of the boss was since she had rumors that he/she was selective and hand picked their company's staff by him/herself.

Even when she researched about the company, the CEO's face was not online. Must be a very private person.

In Tokyo here, Vivienne was just a commoner, or better, that was the identity she had chosen for herself. She hadn't just come to restart her life, but to erase her past.

The last thing she needed was to draw attention, especially from a company like TDC. Rumors followed its CEO didn't just recruit executives, It owned people silently and ruthlessly. But how bad could it get? She couldn't work in any lesser company considering how she was used to working with the top percents. And she needed that fat check. Her accounts have been frozen by her parents.

In her mother's words "You have to come back home or atleast tell us where exactly you are before we can unfreeze your account."

Her mother had said but instead of heeding, she had changed her contact. She would fend for herself and the feeling of independence had been worth it so far.

The elevator dinged.

She stepped out into a hallway so pristine it made her question if her shoes were too loud.

The receptionist gave her a curt smile which she returned.

Her reflection stared back at her in the black marble wall, composed on the surface, fraying underneath. She was wearing a nude jumpsuit with a black suit jacket on it, complimented with pairs of black heels and a black bag. Her hair was packed into a clean bun. There was no doubt she looks perfect and suitable for the job. She could only hope the CEO would think same thing.

"Miss Vivienne, the CEO will see you now." The secretary's voice broke her trance.

Vivienne nodded and walked toward the large doors ahead. Her hand hesitated just a second before she pushed them open.

But just before her fingers met the knob, Aiko's voice came to her like a balm.

"TDC only hires top experts. I've tried to get in so many times, but they didn't even call me for an interview. You're lucky, Vivienne."

The memory came from just yesterday. Aiko had smiled warmly across the coffee shop table, sliding a matcha latte toward her. Her café was small, and cozy. Aiko didn't know Vivienne's real identity or what she'd run from, yet she had been kind in helping her settle in Tokyo.

"Maybe I'm just lucky you didn't get in so that you can serve me tongue pleasing Matcha latte as this one," Vivienne had teased, laughing.

She remembered how free she'd felt in that moment. Just a girl drinking tea in Tokyo. Not a runaway. Not the fiancée who'd vanished before walking down the aisle. Not the girl who had seen her father kissing her future mother-in-law just moments before the ceremony.

Here in a new city, she was able to just be herself and she was loving it.

The anxiety feeling she was having deepened as she stepped inside the CEO's office.

The office was spacious, floor-to-ceiling windows offering a splendid view of the city. Behind a large desk sat a man with his back turned to her. Oh, it was a man after all. She thought to herself.

He was on phone, speaking in low, authoritative tones. Vivienne's heart skipped a beat. The voice sounded eerily familiar.

When he finally hung up and turned around...all her thoughts vanished.

Her bag slipped from her shoulder and crashed to the floor.

Her heart stopped.

There was no way in hell...

The man who faced her looked older, more hardened-but she'd know those eyes anywhere. That voice.

Tristan.

The love she'd buried.

The ghost she still dreamt about.

The man they said had died from gunshot.

Sitting before her was Tristan Bennett, her late ex and Tobias's stepbrother.

"Good morning," Tristan greeted professionally, not a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "You must be Vivienne Donovan."

Vivienne died in her head and resurrected again.

Beads of sweat ran down her forehead even though the air con was fully blaring.

"Are you okay, Miss Vivienne?" The CEO that had Tristan's face asked with a hint of concern laced in his tone. Vivienne nodded, unable to find her voice. This was impossible. She stared at him, searching for any sign that he knew who she was, but his expression remained professionally distant. She didn't know how to feel.

"Let's get started, Miss Vivienne," The boss said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. "Tell me about your previous work experience."

What? He didn't know her? Vivienne tried to keep her heart steady, focusing on the interview. And this was the kind of situation where she thanked God for how composed she could get even when her world was spilling apart.

"I have experience managing schedules, coordinating events, and handling confidential information." Her voice threatened to shake but she acted on.

The boss nodded, taking notes. "Why are you interested in this position as my personal assistant?" His voice was cold, lacking the warmth she knew with Tristan Bennett, even the air around him was so odd...dangerous.

Her eyes fell on the small triangle-like tattoo on his hand and a small frown visited her face for a second. That...she had seen that sign somewhere, but where?

"Is your mind here at all?" His hard but familiar voice jolted her back.

She hesitated, her mind still grappling with the shock. "Because...I'm good at it and I have passion for...tech."

Their conversation was interrupted when the door swung open without warning, and a beautiful woman with sharp features walked in. Her perfume swept in immediately, crowding the room.

She was tall, sleek black hair, heels clicking with confident strides. Her bold red stained lips parted as she got to the boss's table.

"Tom, I thought we had lunch plans today," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

So his name was Tom. Vivienne thought, confusion driving her crazier.

Tom's voice sounded far away as he responded, his eyes on Vivienne. "Mandy, as you can see, I'm in the middle of an interview."

Mandy glanced at Vivienne with narrowing eyes. "Oh, is this the new assistant candidate?" She approached Tristan's desk and leaned against it, possessively.

Vivienne's heart tugged when she spotted the same tattoo she had seen on Tom's hand on Mandy's too.

She got more alerted, discomfort setting in. She couldn't think straight and since her composure was wavering by the minute, it was better she left. She stood abruptly. "I think I should go," she said, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion.

Tom looked at her, surprised. "But we're not finished."

"We are," Vivienne replied, her voice steady despite herself. She turned on her heel and marched out of the office, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and frustration.

She was glanced at weirdly as she passed the staff while rushing out. If Tristan Bennett had truly risen from the dead and was now calling himself Tom Blake, then she needed answers.

The first thing she did as she got back into her car was look up online for different tattoos and their meanings, hoping she spot the one on Tom's hand, which the girl also had on her wrist.

It wasn't long before she spotted it amidst arrays of tattoos. The moment she read the meaning, her heart shifted in her chest.

The tattoo belongs to the powerful Yakuza family which were also known as the most powerful mafia underground family in Tokyo. Worse, whoever had that tattoo had been claimed forever.

And that left her with this question...could he really be Tristan or another person entirely with the same face and voice as him?

She wouldn't know unless she digged. And digging means she had to go back to complete her interview knowing that she would want to fully get involved in his life.

The bad news was, it could get her killed.