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Chapter 10 Find me in your heart Alessia Cora s point of view I blinked in front of Zoe for a long time as she reluctantly handed over her own cellphone, saying that Asher was on the other line. ????It s been a few hours since the man left to find my cellphone somewhere. I don t know how and where he found the taxi, but I couldn t stop him from doing that ????It was my fault, after all. If it weren t for the fact that I m going to be busy with what I m doing, I wish I wasn t in the situation right now and I don t have to thank the man. I kept reminding myself that I would do everything to avoid any interaction with Asher, but it seemed like I was still working my way up. More reluctantly, I reached for the cellphone, held it close to my ear, and watched Zoe return to her desk. ????"Hello–" ????The man answered quickly as if I had never been given another chance to speak. "I ll meet you at H&H. I ll bring your phone. . . and you need to bring–" ????"Bring what?" ????The line immediately fell silent before I almost resented what he said next. "Your smile." ????My whole face turned red when I reached the place where I was still simmering with anger. I don t know that just a little bit of a man makes me feel like a volcano will suddenly erupt. ????As soon as someone opened up to me to enter, he guided me to the rooftop of the hotel, which I visited even more. ????Do I look like I m here to have fun or hang out? What does that man think of himself? Now that he has shown up again, can he easily flirt with me? ????"Be strong," I whispered to myself, unable to get the man out of my mind. ????My jaw dropped when I reached the top of that building. Balloons and flowers were scattered. There were also red things that could almost turn my stomach upside down. At the very end of that rooftop, I saw Asher, who looked like he had been waiting for a while and had a big smile as if that was the best thing he had done in his whole life. ????In short, he was happy about it, and I am not. If he expected me to cry with joy and run in front of him to hug him tightly, that would be stupid. ????He needs to think again if he expects me to accept and put all the explanations and persuasions in my head. I quickly folded my hands. Instead of counting the hundreds of little lights there, I could do nothing but remember the scene I came across five years ago. ????The scene of infidelity. I quickly pulled away from whatever was sticking to my body as I walked towards the man. ????This isn t romance. This is not your children s story of waiting for the handsome prince and beautiful princess to be together happily forever. This is the reality, with my life as horrible as all the films I ve watched. ????"Alessia –" ????I didn t let him finish it right away. I held out my hand here, just in case I could safely pick up the cellphone and leave this place silently. I also don t want to consume any of my remaining energy. It s tiring too. It is also exhausting to repeatedly confront and quarrel with someone who shouldn t even take my time. ????Gone are the pain. There was nothing left for me but anger and hatred for the man. ????"Where s my cell phone?" I raised my voice more, a way for me to keep the tears from coming out of my eyes. ????"Alessia, your phone s safe and sound. Can you give me a minute? I really need to tell you something–" ????"Where s my cellphone?" I repeated in a harder tone. ???? The moon is staring at us as if it were also sad, waiting for the outcome of our lives with Asher. There were also a few stars that seemed to remind me to be braver for myself. ????"Alessia, I wanted to respect your decision. I know you don t want to know the reason but believe me–" ????"What is it this time?" I yelled. I knew in my heart that I shouldn t have to keep my mouth shut, especially since we meet more often at work, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. ????Seeing this guy is just too much for me. ????"What kind of lie are you going to tell now, huh? What? That you didn t really cheat on me? That you have your reason? That . . . that you really love me? I don t need any of that as I don t need you!" I screamed, holding back my tears. I also saw my cellphone peek of his hand on his back, so I quickly picked it up. "Asher, we re done for a long time," I said that to convince the man, but it was as if I just said it in the mirror. "If you think, this, this has no ending or no next episode we both had it before, I have no plans to add more. I don t have to explain, and I don t have to convince you over and over again. We re both done. There s no next chapter." ????I bravely twisted my legs and started walking away. My hands are still trembling. ????No regrets, Alessia. .this is always the right thing to do. ????"I love you. . ." he said, softly. "I still love you, Alessia." ????"I didn t fool you–" ????"Save it. Save your explanation. Save your love for somebody else," I replied. The man did not stop there. I only counted a few seconds when he suddenly pulled my arms away, causing me to turn back to him. ????"I won t ask for permission this time. I ll take my chances. I ll do everything I can to win you back," Asher said bluntly, full of self-confidence even though his eyes were already red. ????I boldly met the man s gaze and then removed the hands that were still clinging to my arm. ????"Everything? No. There is only one thing you have to do. Leave me alone," I said coldly before finally making my way out of that place. ????I am not that brave woman. In fact, it s as if I m a fool to run away from what s real. A few years have passed, but I m still running away from Asher explanations because I m afraid I won t be able to accept whatever it is either. ????People have their dumb ways, and this is mine. ????I couldn t sit and listen because I might have made a mistake myself. There were a few more sighs I made all day. Even Zoe was no longer happy with what she was doing, but I still couldn t stop. ????For Pete s sake, Alessia! It has been three days after that scene on the rooftop of H&H, but I still can t forget every detail, even those smallest and insignificant ones. ????This had always been my disadvantage. ????When it comes to Asher, I always seem to be confused and defeated. "Mind telling me what happened?" Zoe repeated the question again. She has been waiting for a few days, but no matter how much I try to open my mouth to tell the story, I can only imagine the chaos in my brain. ????This is what drives me crazy. ????"So, what s your plan?" I immediately raised an eyebrow at her question. "What s your plan? Do I look like I have something to do with that man s madness?" I picked up some bond paper from the photocopying machine on the side then went back to my own desk. "I don t know what to do with that man." Zoe didn t stop being curious, and I wasn t that surprised. Instead, I just laughed at my friend. "Did you see Ashley and him together again?" I was about to answer this when Tom stepped in front of us, "Babe, where are you after work?" I continued to burst out laughing at Tom and Zoe s teasing. Tom isn t discreet about what he feels to my friend. In fact, he was so vulgar that he could shout wherever about what he felt. "Bitch, stop," Zoe suggested to the man. We turned around at once when we heard the familiar voice at the office door. Zoe looked at my side because she was used to the daily arrival of things from Asher. Just like the previous days, I rushed to the front of the delivery man and signed the received form. "Sir, what s that?" Even the delivery man knows what to do. I don t want to touch that, so it also doesn t try to insist on giving it to me either. "It s a bag, Ma am." "You can have that, please, for your daughter," I said and quickly turned around so I could walk away when the man spoke again. "I should take it to you as what Mr. Felix said, Ma am." My eyes widened, and I immediately turned to Zoe, who started laughing. "You met him? I thought it was your company who is taking care of it?" "He found out, Ma am. . . That you are giving it my daughter," explained the poor delivery man who was still touched by the man s madness. I just sighed violently. "I will take care of that man. Sir, you can have that. When you leave, I will talk to him immediately." The man just frowned at me, "He also gave my daughter the same thing, Ma am. I m sorry." I did nothing and irritably returned to my own table carrying that poor bag while killing that Asher Felix in my mind. I picked up my cellphone, searched the bag, and then called the man in a fit of rage. I can t stand it any longer, especially knowing that Asher won t stop being this insane. "I was about to call you. . ." Just the first words, but my eyes almost flew somewhere. "How is it? Did you like it-" "Where are you?" I suddenly laughed. Even from a distance, I could see Zoe was also stunned at what she was doing. "As far as I know, it has become clear that I have threatened you in the past." This man is getting into my nerves! He and she are also the ones who will be the cause of the severing of all the nerves in my body. I just can t let him live like that. "I also clearly told you that I ll take all the chances. That I will not stop—" "Bullshit!" This time, even Tom and Lyn, who were all so far away from the table, were staring at me. "The cheater. . . he s the one who looks so thick-faced that I would almost think he was an angel and didn t do anything wrong? Where do you get that high-end confidence, huh?" "Alessia—" "Where are you?" I said in a calmer voice. I m just thankful that Engineer Dionysus left because otherwise, he would be really upset. It wasn t just who was on the other line — it was 'our boss. "I m at my office—" "Let s meet at the coffee shop just below your building," I said bluntly. I no longer waited for him and quickly dropped the call. I purposely waited for the work to end. Something I couldn t tell the man because I wanted his eyes to turn white waiting on the place. After a few minutes of talking to Zoe, I made my way there. The friend did not agree with what I was doing, and I understood it. I ll see you soon, Ashey. I ll just slap him the bag he gave me to make it look bold. I am as full of that man as I am of my own heart. Why do I have to wait for the time when the parcels will arrive from that man? Why does my heart have to flutter every time I sign that received form? Stupid heart. I have no patience with the man, and my heart has to agree with that as well, but that will probably be my greatest enemy. Why does it have to be so difficult? I just wished for a new start. ????Several times I asked my mother if she would guide me more now from above. ????I was holding on tightly to the bag that was still boxed when I crossed the road into the coffee shop that was there when I saw Asher inside. But I quickly stopped. ????He was there. . . but this time, he came with Ashley. ????I tried to be brave and step my feet closer, but it seemed to magnetize me on the way. ????I suddenly forgot how to walk, how to breathe. I momentarily forgot what my place was in this situation. I repeatedly forgot that I had to stop everything, the hope, and anticipation for the man. ????