Two days had passed, Eric settled back in his mansion. He woke up more earlier in the morning than usual since he had to start work in the company from today. The company was never the place he wanted to be. Surrounded by his dad, his brothers and all their loyal dogs. It was frustrating as he had no say in the company and just a position for name. Eric finished his workout session and took a quick bath. He ran downstairs to have his breakfast at his usual 7 am timing. The moment he sat down his manager came in with his assistance team that failed to track down Lia.
"You still couldn't find her?" He yelled in a taunting voice
"Do you think she is an alien that disappeared to the Mars?" He got up from his chair and snatched the pieces of paper his manager held in his hand. He scorned at him shaking the paper
" How dare you come back without bringing her?"
"We really apologize Sir!" All of his assistants bowed to him.
"And what are these papers?"
"We came to know that she worked at the café near Jiseok's company, it'd be in walking distance sir. It's an old café named 'Eliza's Coffee'."
"Why did you not tell me then?" he questioned.
"We waited for her for 2 days Sir but she didn't seem to return so we think that she might've gone to another country, we even checked her address they moved out from the house and there's no trace of her after that"
"AHH! Is this some investigation? Anyways. Get ready. We'll personally go there right now!" he ordered.
"But Sir we have to go to the office at 9-" his manager continued.
"Did I ask you? Get the cars." he demanded.
Eric wore his white shirt with his black suit, trousers and a black tie. As the maids picked out a shinning shoe pair for him to wear, he wore his watch while another butler put on his long black winter coat for him. He took his sunglasses and left for the main gate where two of his bodyguards greeted him and opened the door for his blue Rolls-Royce car that stood in front of his billion dollar mansion.
They took off towards the company road. Taking the usual path that he had almost forgotten.
As they went ahead passing the company taking a detour to 'Eliza's Coffee' An old and small café that had these warm aesthetic vibes. Somewhere a person like Eric would never enter. It was calm and empty. There were no customers. You could see a backyard with tiny plants and herbs, it was a little garden just surrounding the cafe's area.
As soon as Eric entered the café he felt a very slight tingling feeling in his chest.
The manager and 2 assistants turned to the person who stood in front of the coffee counter shook.
"Is this...- ... this is..- Mr. Eric Jiseok ?
Eric sat on of the chairs nearest to the counter table. The manger explained him about the girl they came here looking for. And asked them if she worked here.
"She did. But she was on a break and she never returned after that. And I don't know much about her. But... umm.. why is Sir looking for her? Did she do something wrong?-..." the person on the counter replied.
Two of the waiters came in from what seemed like a backdoor and brought Eric a fresh made coffee, a latte with a heart art on it.
Eric was confused at first.
"It's on the house sir you could have anything from here. This latte is our specialty. Please accept this from us." the man around his 30's who seemed like the owner of the shop pleaded.
"Sir doesn't drink coffee" The manager glared at the shop owner signaling him to take the gueridon away.
"Wait!" Eric abruptly said.
"Bring the coffee" he continued. By one order the waiter placed his cup in front of him.
Eric's assistants just kept looking at each other in confusion. The manager remembered how Eric had became addicted to coffee since he was in Bangkok and how he kept ordering one from that maid at the hotel.
The moment Eric sipped his tea. He had some flashes of memories.
-'How do you like your coffee sir?
I like my coffee sweet
Like you!'-
He remembers the taste of Lia's coffee very well and no other coffee would move him. Taking the risk of drinking the coffee because it reminded him of Lia's coffee was his reason to drink from that stranger made cup. BUT.
This is Lia's coffee. I am sure of it. I know it. I just know this feeling. The coffee is warm and sweet The taste that was stuck in my memory was refreshed again.
He stood up looking a little raged. He pulled the shirt of the owner of the shop.
"She is here isn't she?" he stated. His looks; fierce and scary. Eyes telling as if he could kill people if they lie. He hated lies. He pushed the man away and went inside the place where the waiters came from bringing his coffee. He pushed the door it was a small room filled with café stuff and small coffee machines and plants. He was disappointed to see no one there. He sighed and looked down. The people still confused as to why their Sir is acting this way for a girl.
As he looked up he saw it.
A shadow near the window. And Lia's back. His emotions were steered up. And he ran towards the window in anticipation. He opened the backyard door that led to the garden near where the girl was standing. He saw it. A back. A shadow. He walked straight and took a turn to where the shadow lead him. The people just peeped through the window and the assistants followed him on a slow pace.
A woman stood there putting out the trash. He walked towards her. And reached one hand to tap her on her shoulder. The woman turned back in shock.
"Oh My God you scared me what-"
It wasn't her. It wasn't Lia. Just some other girl whose back looked similar. Eric was at his limits of disappointment.
"E-EE- ERIC...-... JISEOK!!!!!????" she whispered in a shock.
As he sighed and returned back leaving the coffee. Leaving the place in a hurry. He would or else be late for office.
"What's wrong with me? Why am I behaving this way? Why am I so desperate for her? What did I even want to do with her if I met her at the shop?" Eric thought and thought in utter confusion.
The Jiseok Company building stood the tallest among any other buildings you could easily recognize it from a far away distance. Many of the top cafes nouveaux/star hotels, bars, restaurants, golf courts, and other popular first class places were surrounded around the building The building was a landmark of a millennial, the streets around were just normal streets but the top notch business district in Korea. The windows of the Jiseok building were made of glass beautiful and high arched windows, allowing daylight to directly enter every corner and space of the building. A sturdily built wall surrounded the building as far as a naked eye could see the size of the land was immense, there were hundreds of office rooms, staff rooms, meeting halls, formal meeting areas and distributed into many more sections. The main gate was big enough to fit giraffes in it. Many security, bodyguard's surveillance cameras even drones could be seen. The main gate opened and big cars would appear going inside or coming out, a huge basement for parking. An elegant main hall that alas lead to gigantic elevators going up and down the 46 floor building.
And the focus of all the people around the place was this one person in black suit and his navy blue Rolls Royce car. None other than the CEO of Jiseok Company, Eric Jiseok.
"Sir is here!"
"He is back!"
"Welcome Sir"
Hundreds of voices echoed in the hall. There was chaos everywhere, people engrossed in respect looking down and constantly bowing to him.
A group of people came towards Eric
"Welcome back Sir!"
"The company is only complete with you Sir!"
"Yes Sir! Welcome back"
Countless greetings, every floor he went to there were people swarming like bees.
Eric was taken to the 19th floor, the floor where someone even bigger than Eric is waiting, his boss, his father's office.
At exactly 9 am not even a second late or early, 17 executives were present in the biggest office of Jiseok's building including Eric his team, and his brother Jun and his team, along with the assistants of his father the chairman.
Jiseok company being the top of business company's in Korea were very disciplined and strict in their rules, everything was done accordingly and not even a single mistake was made while dealing with businesses.
"You are back now ha?!" said Han Jiseok in a creaky old voice, while he sat on a black colored sumptuous sofa in the glass covered lavish office.
"Yes Mr. Chairman" he replied in an attentive way.
"Your brother will tell you all the work that you have to do! For now go back to your office all your materials and documents are set at place." His father continued.
"Yes!"
"Dismissed"
By his father's orders everyone returned back to their positions in their offices and all the work will be carried as smoothly as ever. After the main meeting every morning with the chairman the entire company doesn't start to operate. Only after it is when the work begins.
Eric moved in with his assistants back to his office which seemed like it could be someone's entire house was just a part of the company's office rooms. The office was reserved for Eric from the beginning. It had tall glass walls through which the view of the city could be seen. A splendid place indeed it was.
Eric was stormed with files, many huge piles of documents that needed to be sorted by him which could probably take the whole day without any sleep to complete it or a superhuman. This wasn't something a CEO would do, but it turns out Eric knows why he's the one doing it and apparently the only one ( no one is allowed to help him).
'Father really has some serious tricks up is sleeve to make me pay for all the years of my absence and well I think this is yet just the beginning. I know he's going to torture me to a point I give up. But I am not so easy to bring down. He is testing me. And I'll show him my true strengths. '
Eric's hectic day had begun the moment he entered the company's grounds he entered into a battlefield where there was war everywhere.
'Sigh. Human's are miserable.' The business industry was after all a war zone where morally dead people fought against each other for the throne. And the biggest opponent the Park Co-operation, everyone just wants to snatch away that place. The most high of all. What's the use if one had to drag each other down hunting like hungry wolves ready to behead anyone that comes in their way, it's all just a bloody fight losing all morals for something as temporary as paper money and fame.
Yes that is exactly what Eric thought, inspite of being one of them that's what deep down he felt. Maybe because he had seen too much. He didn't know where he wanted to be. Anywhere but here would've been better for him. But not this place.