Shock and anger

Nicole looked around the office that's now hers. It was small compared to Steven’s office, but she liked it. There is a bathroom inside and a sofa on the side that is just the right length for guests.

"If there's something you want to change in your office, just say so." Steven said to the woman. He couldn't take his eyes off her while she was looking elsewhere.

Nicole faced Steven with a wide smile on her seductive lips. "I like it!"

Steven quickly averted his gaze from the woman's face. The words she said felt different to him. It seemed to echo in his mind as he recalled a memory of that night at the hotel.

"Uhm, I like it, please continue…" a woman pleaded in Steven's memory.

"Are you sick?" Nicole asked the young man worriedly when she noticed that his expression suddenly changed.

He couldn't avoid her from touching his forehead. Steven felt the surroundings suddenly heat up because of a memory coming back to his mind.

Danica clenched her fists when she saw from the open door what the woman was doing to her boyfriend. Steven has his back to her and the woman is covered by his large body, so she can't see the woman's face. But she knew she was trying to seduce the young man and she would not allow that to happen. It was the first time she had seen Steven entertain a woman and let her get close to him just like that.

"Honey?" she called, and tried to control the anger she felt. She did not want to lower herself just because of jealousy.

Nicole's hand stopped in the air when she heard a voice she knew very well. Even after the years that had past, she never forgot that. She looked at the young man, as if asking a question and she pretended not to know that he was in a relationship.

Steven's jaws clenched, but he remained calm. The heat had subsided and was replaced by anxiety. Not because he was worried about Danica being jealous of the attention he was devoting to his business partner. But because the woman might put some distance between them when she found out that he will soon be married. Without a word, he turned to Danica and frowned at her.

Danica restrained herself from being nervous when she saw the young man's face. It was in his face that he didn't like her sudden appearance or disturbance. She insisted to herself that she had a right, especially and that there was a woman who wanted to flirt with him. She raised her head and approached Steven. She showed him that she was not happy with the scene she saw.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she said sarcastically. "I just want to meet my dear fiance's new business partner." She emphasized every word.

Steven didn’t want to embarrass her, so he could only introduce her to Nicole.

Nicole smirked as Danica said those things. But the formality was immediately returned to her face when Steven looked at her. She gave an understanding smile.

Danica didn't take her eyes off the front until Steven's body distanced from the woman's body. She gritted her teeth when the woman's clothes were first exposed to her eyes. She dressed the same way, but suddenly that kind of clothing became obscene to her taste. Gradually, her gaze rose to the woman's face.

"Hi!" Nicole smiled sparingly at Danica.

Danica's raised eyebrows suddenly dropped. She knit her brows when she saw the woman's face. She looked at her carefully and tried to calm her heart that suddenly beat fast.

"It can't be!" Danica whispered to herself and her eyes widened when it was clear who the woman looked like. She was like someone on the verge of getting bitten by a snake.

Steven understood why his girlfriend reacted in such a way when she saw his companion's face.

When Danica recovered from the shock, the anger showed on her face. It is impossible that Nicole is still alive and maybe she just looks like her.

"Who are you?" Danica asked doubtfully.

"She's not who you think she is. Her name is Miss Nicole Twartz." Steven answered Danica's question.

Danica's lips parted and she looked at the woman in disbelief. "They even have the same name?" She asked herself sarcastically. She looked at the woman sharply and still did not lose her suspicion.

"Seems like I have a lot of similarities with the woman they mistook me for." Nicole pretended to be amused and shook her head.

Rochelle who stayed outside the office was also amazed to see the woman's face clearly. Even though she had only been with her boss' friend for a short time, she still remembers her.

Steven cleared his throat and gave Danica a meaningful look. He indicated to her that he did not want to talk about the woman's look-alike.

Danica closed her eyes tightly to calm herself. She immediately smiled and held out her hand to the woman.

"Sorry if I was rude, my name is Danica, soon to be Mrs. Scout."

Nicole accepted Danica's handshake, her mouth closed. If they were in a different situation, she might have twisted her hand.

Steven saw that Nicole was disappointed with what she heard. She also had sadness on her face and he didn't want to give that meaning.

"Nice to meet you, I'm sorry if I didn't know that Steven was taken. I grew up in Canada and only came home at my father's request."

Danica wanted to sneer and tell her not to call her boyfriend by name. Even her voice resembled that of her deceased friend.

"Ms. Twartz, excuse us for a while." Steven said to the woman and glanced at Danica. Even if he didn't say it, Danica already knew what he wanted to happen.

Danica was inwardly fuming again when Steven turned around and didn't even wait for her. When she looked at the woman, she felt her irritation increase. The smile on her lips was mocking.

"Steven didn't seem to like what you did to disturb us." Nicole commented, smiling.

"Why did you say that? How well do you know him to act like that in front of me?" Danica asked, although she was smiling, her eyes were looking at her sharply.

Nicole shrugged and leaned half her body slightly on the table. Both her hands are placed on either side and her legs are crossed. She just wanted to expose her charm before Danica's eyes, so that she would feel more insecurities. She looked at her with her head held high.

Danica threw an insulting look at the woman in front of her. She shouldn't lose herself because Steven might get mad at her.

"Well, as a woman, it's such an insult to be left by your boyfriend in this situation." Nicole kept her smile.

"Mind your own business and stay away from him if you don't want to borrow a monkey's face!"

Nicole touched her own chest and acted scared. "Hey, easy, you're scary. You look like you're going to kill me."

Danica quickly averted her eyes from the woman and felt nervous when she mentioned her murderous ability. Even though Nicole didn't die at her hands, she still suddenly felt nervous that someone else might know about it.

"Danica!"

The two looked at Steven who was standing not far from Nicole's office. His voice was full of authority.

Without a word, Danica turned her back on the woman and hurried to follow Steven. But in her mind, they are not done yet. They would settle accounts and she would make sure she would not stay in the company for a long time, so as to take her away from Steven.

"Close the door." Steven's voice commanded Danica coldly as she entered.

Danica knew that the young man was angry, but she didn't want to keep quiet this time. Her future in his family is at stake now.

"What do you need?" Steven asked nonchalantly.

"Do I really need anything before I can get close to you?" She asked the young man with an upset feeling. They are about to get married, but his treatment of her is still like she was an employee or an obligation to treat her well out of gratitude for his sister.

Steven sighed and suddenly felt tired. Tired of understanding Danica's feelings so he wouldn't hurt her.

"Apart from wanting to meet your new partner, I wanted to remind you of our appointment this morning." She calmly explained to the young man.

"My meeting today is more important, so let's postpone it."

"But you know…" She would have objected, but the young man cut it off.

"You can leave now." Steven instructed Danica to go away.

Danica couldn't do anything but walk out of Steven's office. She gritted her teeth and walked away with big steps. She went to her office and called Rita.

"Why do you sound sad?" Rita asked when she answered her friend's call.

"Bestie, can you come here to my office now?"

Even without seeing Danica's face, Rita knew she was in tears. Without hesitation, she went to their company to find out why she was sad.

When Rita arrived at Danica's office, she found her with her head on the table. She immediately approached her and hugged her.

"Bestie, there's a woman who wants to steal your brother from me!" Danica complained to Rita in tears.

"Shh, don't cry. Tell me who that flirt is and I'll teach her a lesson!" Rita sounded angry.

"I'm scared, Bestie. That woman seems to have a big impact on your brother. He was able to treat that woman better than me." Danica continued complaining about her resentments.

Rita's eyes narrowed with anger when she heard her friend's whole story. If Daniela's mother really looked like the woman, her friend must have been really anxious. They knew that one of the reasons for Steven's loss of sexual appetite was the dead Nicole.

"What am I going to do now? Because of that woman, your brother and I might not get married."

"I can't allow that!" Rita quickly contradicted what her friend thought. "I'll risk my life just to not let my brother go to another woman!"

Danica secretly smiled at her friend's visible reaction. She knew she still had high hopes of being Steven’s full-fledged wife. Maybe that woman was really just a look-alike of the dead Nicole. But she should not be complacent. She needs help from Rita to immediately cut their business tie. That way the two will never meet again.

One of Danica's worries was that the woman might be able to seduce Steven. She didn't want him to have a second family just for the sake of their desired son.

Danica didn't go with Rita because she knew that she would go to the woman who looked like Nicole.

Nicole was not surprised when Steven's sister burst into her office. There was anger on her face and she knew that Danica had complained to her. She was suddenly sad when she remembered their past. On the other hand, she rejoiced knowing that she valued their friendship up to this age. She was sure that if she was in Danica's position, Rita would surely be the same for her.