As she squinted to get a clearer view, the tall figure's striking resemblance to her ex-boyfriend, Donovan, became more apparent. Her heart skipped a beat—what was he doing here?
Donovan had been her first boyfriend back in university. A handsome senior, he had showered her with sweetness, but she had always felt something missing—a lack of passion that left her wanting more. Their relationship had been innocent and tepid, with nothing more than hand-holding. Eventually, she mustered the courage to initiate the breakup, and despite Donovan's attempts to reconcile, she stood her ground, determined to move on. She had purposely avoided him and ignored his texts to ensure a clean break.
Now, finding him at this event with her boss left her feeling awkward and uneasy. What was he doing here at a business event? Wasn't he planning to pursue his doctorate?
Gathering herself, she turned to Lucas, forcing a smile to maintain her composure. Personal matters had to be set aside; she couldn't let them interfere with her professional obligations.
"Shall we go in, Lucas?" she asked, trying to push the sight of Donovan to the back of her mind.
"Of course," Lucas replied, giving her a curious look, but he didn't pry any further.
As they entered the event hall together, Milane tried to minimize her presence, hoping Donovan wouldn't notice her. Perhaps, she thought, he wouldn't approach her after the heartless rejections she had put him through in the past. But fate seemed to have other plans for her.
Her hopes were quickly shattered as she heard his familiar deep voice sounding from behind her.
"Mr. Leedon, nice to meet you here. I truly admire your talent and am thankful for your efforts in creating so many drugs that help save people's lives," Donovan greeted Lucas.
"Thank you," Lucas replied indifferently, still not meeting Donovan's eyes. He retained his arrogance, but Milane had to admit that his talents matched his self-assurance.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Donovan Luthers, from MiFuture Corporation," Donovan introduced himself.
"Donovan Luthers, the CEO of MiFuture?" Lucas asked, finally looking him in the eyes. "The new company that focuses on AI technology and recently produced a series of AI robots for surgeries?"
Milane observed Lucas's expression, sensing that he truly admired Donovan's accomplishments. It surprised her that Lucas could show genuine admiration for someone, as she had only seen him looking down at others.
"It's my honor to be known by Mr. Leedon," Donovan smiled warmly.
"MiFuture has plans to develop our AI technology to personalize drugs for cancer patients, improving efficiency in targeting cancerous cells. I hope to collaborate with Leedon Corporation on this project," Donovan added with enthusiasm.
Lucas's eyes sparkled with intrigue, as if he had been inspired by the idea. Milane noticed him tapping his fingers on his thigh—a habit he always had when struck by new ideas.
"Definitely, I have some ideas in that direction that I believe will fit perfectly with your AI technologies. We can discuss this further next time," Lucas replied, his mind already racing with possibilities.
"Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to working together with you and your company," Donovan said, his admiration for Lucas evident in his voice.
"By the way, I'm a very good friend of Milane's. I would be thrilled to work with her too," Donovan added, glancing at Milane with a warm smile.
Lucas turned to look at Milane, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Oh, really? I didn't know my secretary was so popular," he remarked.
"Mr. Luthers was just my senior at university," Milane quickly explained, hoping to downplay any notions of a closer relationship.
"I think it's a little more than that," Donovan added playfully, hinting at their past connection.
Milane felt her cheeks redden, and she avoided Donovan's gaze, taking a sip of champagne to divert her attention. "Mr. Luthers is quite humorous," she said dryly, attempting to steer the conversation away from their personal history.
"Well, Mr. Luthers, it's nice meeting you here, but I need to excuse myself to the washroom. Mr. Leedon, can I meet you later?" Milane felt the need to escape from this awkward encounter.
Lucas raised his eyebrows, surprised by Milane's unusual lack of professionalism or probably just thinking she had a bad tummy. Nevertheless, he sensed Milane's discomfort around Donovan, so he believed it wasn't the latter.
"Alright, I'll be around here," Lucas replied.
Milane thanked Lucas and hurriedly made her way to the washroom. Once inside a cubicle, she took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "What is Donovan trying to do? Is he purposely trying to make me uncomfortable? Does he still hold grudges from our past? Is he planning revenge against me by collaborating with Leedon?" she murmured to herself in bewilderment.
The idea of seeing Donovan every day if they collaborated was distressing. "Will he plot something against me out of revenge and try to get me fired?" she exclaimed in fear.
But then, a hopeful thought crossed her mind. "Wait, wait… if I get fired… do I still need to pay the employment bond breaking fee? Will I get a retrenchment package?" Her eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope at the possibility of avoiding the hefty bond payment.
Suddenly energized by her newfound optimism, she exited the cubicle and washed her hands. She looked into the mirror and smiled at herself. "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise," she thought, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.
With renewed resolve, Milane stepped out of the washroom, only to be taken aback by the unexpected sight of Donovan waiting for her outside. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to walk away, but Donovan was faster. He reached out and gently held her wrist, preventing her from escaping.
She turned back and stared at him, fury burning in her eyes. "What do you want? Let go of me!" she demanded, trying to free herself from his grasp.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you," Donovan said with pleading eyes. "I'll let you go, but can you promise me not to run? Don't run away and avoid me like last time," he murmured softly.
Milane hesitated for a moment, her anger beginning to wane. She could see the vulnerability in his eyes. Reluctantly, she nodded her head, willing to hear him out. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, her tone softer now.