...I was about to leave, my eyes caught sight of the girl again—this time, she was walking briskly with a tray of drinks balanced expertly in her hands. She moved with a sense of urgency, trying to avoid any more mishaps. Her long brunette hair flowed down her back, and for a moment, I felt a pang of recognition. Could it really be her?
"Liam, get a grip," I muttered to myself. I was probably just overthinking things because of the morning's chaos. I couldn't let a mere waitress distract me, especially not when I had more pressing matters at hand.
I stood up, adjusting my tie, and made my way toward the exit. But just as I was about to leave, the girl walked past me, and the faintest whiff of her perfume hit me—a familiar scent that brought back memories I thought I had buried long ago. My heart skipped a beat.
No. It couldn't be.
But I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had another meeting to prepare for, and getting caught up in the past wouldn't help me now. I needed to focus. Shaking my head, I walked out of the hotel, trying to convince myself that it was just a coincidence.
Yet, as I drove back to the office, I couldn't help but wonder: Was it really her? Could Destiny Sky Walker, the girl I once knew, be working as a waitress in this hotel? The idea seemed absurd, but the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't shake the feeling that it was indeed her.
When I arrived at the office, I was greeted by my assistant, who handed me a stack of papers to review. I nodded in acknowledgment and headed to my office, trying to push the morning's events out of my mind.
But as I sat at my desk, my thoughts kept drifting back to the girl with the brunette hair. Destiny had been someone special to me once—someone I had cared for deeply. But our lives had taken different paths, and we had lost touch over the years. It was for the best, I had told myself. After all, my life had become far too complicated, and there was no room for anyone else.
Yet, here I was, unable to stop thinking about her. My heart was conflicted. Part of me wanted to find out if it was really her, while the other part wanted to leave the past where it belonged.
But I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn't be able to let it go. Not until I had answers.
I picked up the phone and called my assistant. "Janet, find out everything you can about the hotel I had the meeting at this morning. I want to know about their staff, especially the waitresses."
"Right away, Mr. Collins," she replied, not missing a beat.
As I hung up the phone, I leaned back in my chair, staring out the window. The rain had finally stopped, leaving the city wet and glistening in the morning light. It was a new day, a new beginning—or maybe, just maybe, a second chance.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and paperwork, but my mind kept returning to Destiny. If it was really her, why was she here? What had happened to her dreams of working in business? And why did I care so much?
I needed to focus. I was a successful businessman, someone who had built an empire from the ground up. There was no room for distractions, no matter how alluring they might be.
But as the hours ticked by, my resolve weakened. By the time the workday ended, I knew I had to find out the truth.
I left the office and drove back to the hotel. I wasn't sure what I was going to do—maybe just sit in the lobby and wait for her to show up, or perhaps ask the manager about her. But as I parked the car, I realized how ridiculous I was being. What was I expecting to happen?
But then I saw her again—Destiny—standing by the entrance, saying something to a coworker. My heart pounded in my chest. It really was her.
I got out of the car and approached her, my mind racing with a thousand questions. But when she turned to face me, the words caught in my throat. She looked different—older, more mature—but those eyes, those same eyes that had once captivated me, were still the same.
She looked at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Liam?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Destiny," I said, barely able to contain the emotions surging through me.
For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other, the weight of the years that had passed hanging heavily in the air.
Finally, she broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"
"I—" I started, but words failed me. What was I doing here? I wasn't even sure myself.
Destiny's expression softened, and she sighed. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Too long," I replied, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over me.
For a brief moment, it was as if nothing had changed—as if we were back in the past, before life had taken us down different paths. But reality quickly set in, and I remembered why I was here.
"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to interrupt your work. I just… I just needed to know if it was really you."
She smiled, but it was a sad smile. "It's me. But a lot has changed, Liam."
"I can see that," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But maybe some things haven't."
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine for a moment, before she shook her head. "I don't know, Liam. Maybe it's better if we leave the past where it is."
"Maybe," I conceded, though my heart was screaming otherwise.
We stood there in silence for a moment, the sounds of the city around us, but it felt like we were the only two people in the world. Finally, she broke the silence.
"I have to get back to work," she said, taking a step back.
"Of course," I said, nodding. "But… maybe we could catch up sometime? If you want."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."
And with that, she turned and walked back into the hotel, leaving me standing there, a whirlwind of emotions churning inside me.
As I watched her disappear into the building, I knew that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.