30 Lost or Hiding? (1/2)

In the washroom, Bella looks at the blood red designer dress in her hand in shock.

'So beautiful,' was her first thought.

It was flared lace dress that would fall slightly above the knee. Around the neckline, red and gold sequins were embroidered into a swirl pattern giving the illusion of a necklace.

This is the kind of dress that she would only see and admire. Never would she dream of holding one, now her boss wanted her to wear one.

The people who wear things like this are bold and confident. They get a lot of stares and second glances. She, on the other hand, is always invisible and she likes it like that. Looking at the dress, she felt like a fraud.

” Miss, I think I'm fine the way I am.”

Su Lian looks at the standard office outfit Bella has on. It really isn't bad, but for a girl's night out, she needs to change.

”Put it on.”

”I-I okay.”

Bella resigns and takes the dress with her into one of the stalls. Su Lian is her boss, she probably doesn't want any embarrassment from her while they are out.

She comes back a few minutes later with her face slightly nervous.

Su Lian nods her head in approval. ”Stunning. It fits you perfectly.”

Bella turns to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She is completely shocked by the reflection that stared back at her.

'Clothes make the man.'

This famous quote couldn't be more true.

The dress highlighted her long legs and fit perfectly around her slender frame. She looked like a different person and she felt like one too.

Su Lian looked satisfied with the result but she felt that the neatly packed bun sitting on top of her head was out of place.

Taking a few steps forward, she takes out the hairpins holding it up and Bella's bun brunette hair cascades down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her luscious locks perfectly frame her face.

Getting the outcome she desires, a bright smile blooms on Su Lian's face.

”Perfect. Now we can leave.”

•••

After reading the report brought to him by his assistant, Han Yuan's expression turns extremely somber.

”You can't even find one woman! Tell me, what's the point of keeping you?”

He throws the papers back at the shivering assistant and slams his hand on the table in frustration.

”Th-this is all I was given.”

”For the past four years that I've asked you to look for her, you say she's not in the country. So tell me what damn country she's in.”

”I don't care what you do. Just find her for me.” He waves his hand and the assistant scurries off as if he had been given great amnesty.

While dashing out of the office, he can't help but curse his luck. He isn't the one in charge of information. He's just the messenger. As Han Yuan's assistant, his job is to report things to him and give feedback. Why was he the one receiving all the abuse and pressure?

Han Yuan is also cursing his luck and feeling depressed. In all his life, he had never felt so defeated. With his almost infinite resources, he can find anyone and anything. Even the darkest deeds of a country's president aren't a secret to him. Why then? Why couldn't he find one woman?

Unless she was hiding from him.

She wouldn't do that, would she?

Does she hate him that much?

At the door of Han Yuan's office, a woman wearing a black pantsuit flashes a triumphant smile when she sees the assistant running out. Her eyes sparkle and she takes a deep breath of relief.

She smiles in contentment before she frowns upon remembering something.