Beside the wooden table and chairs placed next to the glass door, Rosalind sat absentmindedly looking out at the cold street, where snowflakes were constantly falling. Her slender hands gently hugged the hot cup of tea as if wanting to somehow ease the tension and nervousness in her heart.
At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, Daniel walked over from the opposite side. His dark blue suit and matching long coat made him stand out against the white snow.
“Have you been here long?” Daniel asked as he pulled up a chair to sit across from her.
The day Lyle confirmed their relationship to the press, Daniel was very happy for her. He thought there would be nothing between her and him for him and her to face each other anymore, but last night she suddenly took the initiative to want to meet him, making him feel a bit uneasy.
“I just arrived. What would you like to drink?” She replied.
“I'll drink chamomile tea like you. Did you drive here yourself?”
“No, I took a taxi.” Rosalind replied softly and took the teapot to pour tea into Daniel's cup.
He curled his mouth slightly as if he were smiling and also as if he wasn't. This was the first time she had been genuinely kind to him in all the years they had known each other.
“What do you want to ask me?”
“Daniel, what is your relationship with the girl I accidentally stabbed that winter?”
The cup of hot tea just touched the corner of his lips and suddenly stopped. It turned out that she had arranged to meet him today because of what happened that day.
Time had passed so long, she had never asked anything before, why was she suddenly so curious now?
“She's my lover's younger sister.”
“She was just injured, right? Can you tell me where she lives? I want to meet her and apologize.”
Seeing Rosalind's urgent expression, Daniel didn't know whether to tell her the truth or not. He was afraid that it would haunt her and make her condition worse.
Looking at his worried eyes, Rosalind earnestly pleaded.
“Please tell me, I've been dreaming about her for the past few days, please.”
Daniel's lips pressed tightly together. Every time he had to think about Alma, the pain and regret welled up, making him extremely uncomfortable, feeling like he had taken her life. Looking at the attitude of the person in front of him, he believed that she had already guessed the answer.
Trying to hold back his emotions, he slowly told Rosalind everything. He said that after she drove away, he quickly took Alma to the hospital but it was too late.
He also told her that he and Lyle had prevented Donna from reporting to the police, causing the poor girl to give up both her beloved job and her love and leave in resentment.
Rosalind covered her face and sobbed. Even though she had a bad feeling, when she came here, she still held out hope that the girl was still alive and she would find her to ask for forgiveness, but now it was too late.
These hands of hers were stained with blood and took away an innocent life forever, and also caused Daniel to lose the person he loved, causing Lyle to do something against his conscience.
“I'm sorry, Daniel, I'm sorry...”
Daniel quickly wiped away the tears that were about to fall from the corner of his eyes and took out a tissue to give to Rosalind. At this moment, he couldn't say anything to comfort the person in front of him. Both girls and even himself are so pitiful.
“Daniel, aren't you trying to hold on to Donna?”
“If she doesn't want to see me, what else can I do? Trying to cling to her will only make her hate me more.”
Although Daniel was talking about Donna, Rosalind felt like he was talking about her in the past. She had not been able to respond to his true feelings, and now she had caused him to lose his budding love.
The feeling of guilt made her not dare to look straight at him anymore, just bowed her head.
Glancing at the watch on his hand, seeing that it was almost time for the appointment, he stood up to say goodbye and quickly returned to the headquarters. Rosalind lingered in the cafe for a while to regain her composure.
In a moment she had to go to Lyle's house to cook with Mina and Wynn. She didn't want them to find out that something was wrong with her.
Daniel had just entered the office when Donna and the male photographer were already in the main lobby of the LE bank headquarters. The female receptionist quickly guided them to the president's room.
Donna tried to reassure herself not to worry too much. This is because the earth is round and that's why it happened, not because she was unlucky.
After knocking on the door twice, the receptionist bowed slightly to say goodbye to the two of them and then went back downstairs.
Taking a deep breath, Donna calmed down and gently pushed the door open.
The luxurious and classy space in the neoclassical style of the room made Donna freeze for a few seconds. The interior was made entirely of natural wood, carved with great sophistication.
On the high-class leather chair behind the desk, the man she had admired so much was staring at her. Seeing that look, Donna quickly bowed her head.
“Hello, President, I'm Donna, a reporter from the editorial office.”
“Please sit down.”
His words interrupted Donna's seemingly redundant introduction. She nodded slightly, walked to the sofa, and sat down. She comforted herself that she was following the order of work, there was nothing to be ashamed of.
Following Daniel's initial request, the male photographer quickly took pictures for him before Donna conducted the interview. As a famous actor and representative for countless brands, Daniel was familiar with posing in front of the camera.
In less than a few minutes, the photographer had finished taking the photos. Donna was in charge of the remaining work, so he quickly returned to the editorial office to continue his work.
Daniel walked over and sat across from Donna. If he hadn't tried to suppress his emotions, he probably would have rushed over and hugged her. The person he loved was right in front of him but out of reach, making him so heartbroken.
“How are you?”
His question broke the quiet atmosphere and caused Donna to raise her head to look up and face him.
“Chairman, can I... start the interview now?”
“Okay, let's start. You can record if you want.” He said as he poured tea into a cup and pushed it towards her.
Donna turned on the tape recorder and started asking the questions she had prepared in advance, mostly revolving around issues of management, operations, development orientation, and the transformation roadmap of LE Bank.
After each of his answers, she marked it with a pen to know which question she had asked.
In every interview, near the end, there will be side questions related to the character's personal life, this time was no exception. Even if Donna didn't want to ask, she still had to ask.
“Do you regret when you gave up your acting career to become the heir to LE Bank?”
“Nothing in life lasts forever. As an actor, I gave my all and was well-received by the audience. Now that I am the executive of LE Bank, I have been trying to fulfill my role. I think that no matter what position or job, as long as you do it well, bring high results, and help those around you, there is nothing to regret.”
“As an executive of one of the largest banks in the country, it is difficult to avoid facing a lot of pressure. So how do you relieve work pressure?” Donna continued to ask.
“I often secretly run to my lover's workplace at the end of every day and watch her finish her shift. Just seeing her at peace will make the pressure in my heart disappear.”
Donna's hand stopped on the page. She looked up at Daniel. The eyes of the bank president and the female reporter were filled with tears, but they tried not to let them fall.
“Last question. Can you share about your upcoming plans?” Donna tried to hold back her emotions to quickly end the interview.
“I will still try to devote myself to LE Bank and if the person I love can give me another chance, I will consider building a small family for myself, I... am not young anymore.”
“Thank you very much for this conversation. Goodbye.”
After saying that, Donna quickly packed up her things and hurriedly left. When her figure disappeared behind the door, Daniel leaned his head back against the sofa. His eyelids were tightly closed, letting the tears of sadness fall.
The end of unrequited love made him sad, but this bilateral love made him many times more sad. Two hearts that were beating together now had to be separated, making him feel like a sharp knife was stabbing him.
If love is broken, how can he hope to mend it? No matter how hard he tries, it will be meaningless, the distance between the two shores can only be filled by her. He can only accept his fate in the painful dream of separation.