Daniel opened the door wide for Caroline to enter the office.
Caroline entered the room and saw the desk plate on the top of the table it says...Daniel Lopez, CEO of LGC.
"Please...have a seat, Caroline," he smiled pleasantly at her.
"Thank you." Caroline sat on the comfy sofa.
"Do you want tea, coffee, or juice?" he asked.
It seems impolite if she will refuse his offer. "Just juice...any kind of juice...but I preferred lemon fresh juice," she said.
Daniel smiled. "Okay, I will tell my secretary to get juice from the canteen," he said. "Please, feel at home, Caroline..."
He went to his desk and resumed reading an important doc.u.ment sent by the finance department.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Caroline picking up a newspaper from the center table and began flipping on the pages looking for something to read.
He found himself staring longer at her profile and not doing his thing, which he should do at the moment. He feels incredibly alive and feeling happy seeing her inside his office.
This is a rare occurrence and at the same time surreal to him.
Caroline suddenly looked at him, her brows furrowed after she caught him staring at her. "Aren't you finishing something—?"
Daniel smiled. "Yeah... I can't help myself but stare at you...you're simply beautiful to ignore..." he muses and grinned.
Caroline rolled her eyes and continue flipping on the pages. "Work faster so that we can go now!" she scolded him.
"Yes, wife!" he chuckled.
Caroline's eyes widened. "Don't call me wife!" she chastised him.
"Yes, love..." he's laughing now. He finds her sour face funny and amusing. For the love of God, he loves teasing her.
Caroline bit her lip. She knows that he was just teasing her and laughing at her expense. She will ignore him until he is done with his work.
Daniel stood up and abandoned his work, it's hard to concentrate on his work when Caroline is inside his realm. He would like to do nothing but stare at her face and continue teasing her.
He walked towards Caroline and sat on the sofa facing her.
Their eyes locked for a few seconds.
His intense gaze boring into hers.
Caroline had to blink twice, then stare at him, she finally able to have a good look at his face. Daniel has a strong resemblance to Greg. 'Of course, because they are brothers,' she thought to herself.
"You like what you see?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her face.
"You and Greg look the same," she commented.
"So...if you happen to fall in love with my brother, is there a big chance you will fall for me too?" he asked in utter seriousness.
Caroline was taken aback by his question. She was about to ignore his question but he waited for an answer. "I already have a boyfriend so there is no way I will fall for you," she answered his question.
"Ouch!" Alex sighed and touched his chest. "Thanks for being blunt. I do appreciate your honesty," he said.
Caroline looked at him squarely in the eyes. "Are you teasing me or are you hitting on me?"
"Both," he said and chuckled aloud, then he grows silent. He remembered so well what happened in that room during the orgy. If he was desperate enough, he could have taken her inside that room, took a video of the deed in his phone, and sent it to her boyfriend, then BOOM!
Their relationship will be over and gone with the wind.
And after his brother passed away, he would pursue Caroline all for himself.
But then...he isn't so desperate and not completely evil to take advantage of a sleeping woman. With two men already after her, it would be a complicated mess if he will join the circus. He kept staring at her for as long as he could.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Caroline asked, bewildered by his weird behavior.
"Nothing...so let's get started. Throw me any question and I will answer them one by one," Daniel said wanting to venture into the safer ground.
Caroline let go of his weird behavior. "Okay, first, I want to ask why you and Greg become blood brothers? Although he doesn't talk much about his long lost siblings, I remember so well the name of the girl was Danica and the boy Alex," she said for starters..." and your name is Daniel Lopez, right? There's a big difference with the name..." she voiced out her confusion.
Daniel's eyes were filled with torment. Going back to the unpleasant part of his past is painful for him but for Caroline he has to do it, just this once, though. He cleared his throat. "Yes indeed, because our parents went their separate way when we're still young, during that time I'm ten years old and my sister 9 then Lucas 5. My good for nothing biological father is an alcoholic and a gambler who took our brother Lucas with him and went to distant places and we never heard from him again. Then my sister Danica and I was raised by my mother and she brought us here in Manila. Due to extreme poverty, we live in the slum area and one day my mother died due to illness. Our kind neighbors buried her, then they take pity of our sad flight and brought us to the orphanage in the next city. We live in the orphanage and was adopted separately by two rich businessmen. I now become Daniel Lopez..." he gave her a lengthy explanation.
"And where is your sister?" she asked.
"My sister Danica is now living abroad," Daniel lied.
"I see...so how Greg become Lucas?" she pressed on.
"I gave him a new name because he is a wanted man, the housemaids don't know about his past. I hired a private investigator to locate my brother all over the country, when I finally found him, he is already a wanted man because of his past association with illegal drugs. He's been in hiding for a long time and I only got hold of him last two years ago, yet he keeps avoiding me until his illness gets worse so he was staying with me now in my house. He doesn't want to surrender to the police, he'd rather want to die being a free man than spend the remaining days of his life locked up in jail," Daniel explained again.
"Ah okay...so...why he was ill? What is this terminal illness you're talking about?" she asked curiously.
"You have to ask him, he will explain his illness to you in person," he answered.
"Was his illness contagious?" Caroline asked worriedly.
"No. You don't have to worry, his illness is not contagious," replied Daniel.
"So...your real name is Alex...Alexxx..." she said.
Daniel was grinning...he loves the way she calls his name so... intimate. "You call my name as if you were having an orgasm..." he smirked, rolling his tongue inside his mouth.
Caroline's face darkened instantly. "You!...you're a...pervert!" she throws the newspaper at his face.
Daniel chuckled aloud and catches the newspaper before it hit his face. "Calm down, sweetheart," he said endearingly.
"I'm leaving!" she shouted angrily at him.
Daniel's face turns serious. "I'm sorry, Caroline. Sit down, I will stop teasing you now."
That was also the moment Nora, the secretary, entered the office holding a glass of lemonade. "I'm sorry, Sir, Ma'am, the canteen has fallen out of stock of lemon juice so we have to buy outside," she explained.
"Just leave it in the table, Nora," Alex ordered.
Nora put the glass of lemonade in the center table and left the room.
Caroline just stared at the lemonade juice no plan to drink the juice, she was pouting.
Daniel smirked.
"Drink it please...my secretary has to go outside of the building just to find your juice, think of her effort. I will get in the bathroom, then after you finished your juice we will leave," he said and left the sofa.
Caroline drank the juice while her eyes were following Daniel's retreating figure.
She emptied the glass in one go and put it back in the center table.
A few minutes later, Daniel exited the bathroom and put on his black coat on his back and walked towards Caroline.
"Are you ready? You will ride with me in my car," he said.
"But... I brought my car with me," she protested.
"No problem, after you see my brother I will bring you back here so that you can get your car. If we travel in one car it will be more convenient for the two of us," he insisted.
"Whatever!" she rolled her eyes wanting to leave the building and be done with it.
She stood up and walked first to the door followed by Daniel, he was smirking while staring at her back. "Don't stare at my back!" she reprimanded him.
Daniel chuckled. "How did you know?"
"I can feel your stare drilling a hole to my—" she didn't finish her words.
"Drilling to your heart?" he finished for her, chuckling.
"No. Drilling on my back," she corrected him.
Daniel shrugged his shoulder but continue laughing softly.
They were enveloped with silence when they entered the elevator. The silence persisted when they reached the parking lot until they boarded the car. Caroline adjusted the seat belt and she had a hard time doing it.
"Do you need help with that—?" he asked.
"Nah. I got it," she finally said.
Daniel started the engine of his car and drives smoothly out of the parking area.
"Are you excited to see my brother?" he asked wanting to start a conversation with her because the silence is suffocating them.
"I honestly dunno...I will know if I see him," she answered.
Daniel fixed his eyes on the road.
A minute later.
They stopped on the stoplight.
He glanced at her.
She looked at him.
They locked eyes.
"Shall I call you Alex or Daniel?" she suddenly asked.
"Alex, please call me Alex, that's my real name," he answered.
"Okay, as you wish...Alex..." she murmured.
"Yes?" he asked, staring intently at her face, wanting to tease her again.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Eyes on the road, please!"
"Ah, yes Ma'am! Thanks for reminding me," he chuckled.
The rest of the ride was surprisingly comfortable for both of them as long they both keep their mouth shut.