"You seem tense... are you okay?" Tae-Joon asked Ann, who was just sitting quietly beside him. They had chosen to sit at a park not far from her house.
"I'm okay," Ann said, turning to look into his face. Now that she was here, sitting beside him, she suddenly was short of what to say to him.
"How was work today?" She suddenly asked, making him cock a brow at her. He would never have thought she was the type to ask such a question. It suddenly seemed to him like she was trying so hard to think up something to talk about.
"You really do seem nervous. What's wrong?" He asked again with a worried frown.
"I'm fine, really," She said, sighing heavily.
"If you say so. Work was hectic, I had to attend several meetings, and I also had lunch with some clients to close a deal," He said, taking off his jacket to place on her shoulders when he noticed she was having goosebumps.
Ann hugged the jacket and turned her head away from him to sniff into the jacket. She couldn't believe she was wrapped up in his jacket. 'Dreams really came true,' She told herself.
"What did you do today?" Tae-Joon asked her curiously. He wasn't usually the type to make small talk, but he suddenly found himself wanting to know how she had spent her day.
"I employed a new personal assistant. She's really pretty with sparkling gray eyes," Ann said, complimenting herself.
What was that? Is she interested in girls? Why was she suddenly talking about the eyes of her new personal assistant, who turns out to be a lady? Tae-Joon wondered.
"You... Uhm, you must really like her," Tae-Joon said, clearing his throat as he spoke.
"Yea, I do. She is beautiful, warm, funny, and charming, she doesn't really sing well, but she has a good heart," Ann went on talking about herself without taking note of the impression she was giving to Tae-Joon.
Tae-Joon decided to just listen to her without interrupting her as she went on and on about Ann. "Was that the lady you talked to at the restaurant yesterday?" Tae-Joon asked when she mentioned the restaurant.
"Yea, she's the one," Ann said, nodding her head. She was really pleased that he remembered the face.
"What do you think about her? If you were not rich and you were under no pressure to marry from a rich home, do you think she's someone you could fall in love with? Looks and everything?" Ann asked curiously.
Tae-Joon looked at her with an amused gaze, and he couldn't believe they had spent almost thirty minutes talking about another lady. She was even asking him if he could date her... She was either testing him, or she was a lesbian... maybe a bisexual since she did ask him to kiss her the previous day.
"If she truly has all those qualities you mentioned, I might have dated her and even married her. She is my type... but as you can see, I'm rich, and we are both here... so I'll rather focus on you," He said, trying to bring her back to the present.
She smiled and nodded in acceptance, but he could tell she wasn't very happy. She lapsed into another round of silence.
So she was his type, but because he was rich, he wouldn't consider her... Not that she wanted him to start considering dating her since she wasn't the one occupying her body at the moment, but she wanted him to keep an open mind towards her in case she returned to her body anytime soon.
"What's going on in your head?" He asked curiously.
"Can you leave all your wealth for the sake of love? What if you love someone who you're not supposed to love, and you're asked to choose between being with her or being disowned? Which would you choose?" She asked, turning to look at him.
Tae-Joon frowned... Where was that coming from? Was it possible she was in love with her personal assistant and thinking of eloping with her? He just couldn't understand what was going on in her head, but he decided to give her the answer that worked best for him.
"I don't think I can leave my family... my grandfather is all I have, and I am all he has... I don't know much about this love and the strange things it makes people do... But I know I'll rather stick to my family and wealth than run off with anyone," Tae-Joon said with a shrug.
Ann nodded her head again before turning her face away from him. She didn't want him to see the disappointment or the sadness on her face.
She had just been giving herself false hopes... Maybe it was best she simply enjoyed all she could at the moment so that when eventually she returned to her body, she would have the memories for a lifetime.
"We should probably head back now. It's getting late, and you have to join your family for dinner," Tae-Joon said.
***********
Chairman Jiang watched as Grace walked towards the dining table. He felt like he probably would have recognized her even if he hadn't heard the truth... or maybe not.
She may have been in a new body, but the way she walked and moved her eyes was still the same... He could see her flicking her nails like she usually did when she was nervous. He smiled to himself as he watched her... This whole thing was weird, crazy, and quite funny to him.
She bowed her head in polite greeting as she tried taking her spot on the table.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mrs. Jiang asked coldly.
"Calm down, honey, I want to get to know her. Let her be," Chairman Jiang said and nodded to her to take her seat.
"You can't seat there. That is sis's seat," Zoe protested, looking at her father.
"Grace isn't here yet... She can seat elsewhere when she comes," Chairman Jiang said, nodding to her to sit down.
"It's unlike Grace to be late for dinner... Where is she?" Mrs. Jiang asked, wanting to send a maid to her room.
"I saw her stepping out with Wang Tae-Joon when I was coming in. I'm sure she'll be back soon," Chairman Jiang told her without taking his eyes off Grace, who simply kept her eyes on her plate with her hands folded on her lap.
"I hear your name is Ann, and you're Grace's personal assistant?" He asked rhetorically with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Yes, sir," She said without looking at him. Though she was close to Zoe, but her father was the person she loved most in the family, they shared a special kind of bond, and she feared that she would break down if he treated her harshly too.
"Isn't that sis's gown you're wearing?" Zoe asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yes... She gave me some of her clothes to change into," Grace said tightly. Zoe was beginning to get on her nerves, and she was going to snap at her at any moment if she lost her temper.
"It looks better on her," Zoe said with a scoff.
Chairman Jiang could tell Grace was trying hard to stay calm, and he tried hard to stop himself from chuckling. He had always told her that someday she would regret her harsh treatment towards others, and he could tell that that day was coming very soon. He couldn't explain whatever had happened, and he hoped his daughter would repossess her body soon... but until then, he hoped this would serve to teach her the lesson he had been unable to.