After meeting Juliette, Verena stood before the towering H&B Corporation building. Inside, the marble floors gleamed under chandeliers. She was still taking in the grandeur when raised voices drew her to the reception desk.
"I am soon-to-be Mrs. Heisenberg, and I demand to be led to Louis' office right now!"
A young woman was arguing with the receptionist.
"Ms. Ella, I'm sorry, but I cannot allow anyone to enter without an appointment. Please schedule one with Mr. Heisenberg or wait for the Vice President to become available."
"Excuse me," Verena interjected calmly, "I'm here to see Louis Heisenberg. Is there a problem?"
The receptionist was annoyed when she saw another had came to meet the same man. But nevertheless, she had to be professional and asked politely, "Do you have an appointment?"
Verena shook her head and said, "No, I don't have an appointment. I'm just here to meet him as a friend."
The receptionist sighed, anticipating another difficult encounter: "Then I'm afraid you'll have to wait for Young Master Heisenberg to come."
Verena nodded understandingly and walked towards the waiting area, taking a seat on the comfortable couch.
The receptionist was surprised by Verena's response. She had expected more resistance, especially after the confrontation with the girl. However, Verena's obedience and composure caught her off guard.
Glancing over at the girl who still stood in front of her, the receptionist couldn't help but remark, "You should learn something from her. She knows how to handle herself."
The girl, still fuming, looked over at Verena and walked towards her with fast footsteps. Verena noticed heels stopped in front of her and looked up to see the same annoyed girl.
Verena looked back at the receptionist, who shrugged her shoulders and guiltily smiled.
"May I help you, Ms. Ella?" Verena asked, trying to maintain her composure despite the girl's obvious frustration.
Ella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, before speaking.
"You said you were his friend. Why don't you call him and see if he came down to get you?"
Verena wasn't someone who could be played around easily. She used to be bullied, and that experience gave her confidence to stand up for herself. She knew she couldn't let Ella manipulate her emotions.
Verena firmly replied, "I'm not responsible for your fiancé's whereabouts. If you're so concerned, pick up your own phone and give him a call."
Ella's guilt-ridden smile disappeared, replaced by a hint of annoyance as she reached for her phone.
She called him, but he didn't accept it, and after two missed calls, Ella's frustration grew. She looked up at Verena, her eyes filled with desperation.
"I don't understand why he's avoiding my calls. We were supposed to meet," Ella said, her voice trembling with worry.
Verena couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Ella, but she knew better than to let herself be manipulated by her.
"Maybe he's just busy or ignoring you," Verena said calmly, refusing to let Ella's anxiety affect her own emotions.
"W… What do you mean? Don't think that he is not receiving my call. He will accept yours, ha!" Ella turned around, proud of her face.
Verena raised an eyebrow at Ella's defensive response.
"I never said I was going to call him," Verena replied coolly.
"Call him right now!" Ella ordered as if Verena were someone lowly beneath her.
"I'll call him when I feel like it, not when you tell me to," Verena retorted, a hint of swag in her voice.
Ella's face contorted with frustration as she realised Verena wasn't going to bend to her will.
"You!" Ella was very angry now. She couldn't stand the fact that Verena had the audacity to challenge her authority.
Ella clenched her fists, her face turning red with rage. "How dare you defy me!"
Verena thought for a moment and gave a nod, which confused Ella. She didn't know what Verena was planning, so she watched as she pulled out her phone.
Ella anger vanished like thin air and she smiled, wanted to see Verena's sullen and disappointed face.
However, as Verena started tapping away on her phone, a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face.
She still looked at the receptionist and smirked at her, indicating that she would watch the show happily.
Verena stood nervously, her heart pounding, as she dialled Louis' number. She also didn't know if he would receive her call because it was the first time Verena had called him, so her number would be unknown to him.
When he answered, she took a deep breath and confidently said, "Louis, it's Verena. I'm actually in your company right now. I thought I'd surprise you, so could you come down to the reception area?"
Louis was taken aback by the unexpected call and a little puzzled.
He stared at the wall, shocked, and said, "You're in my company? Uh, sure, I'll be right there." He didn't figure out how to feel about this call.
In a mix of excitement and confusion, Louis quickly ended the call and rushed to the reception area.
As he made his way through the office, his mind raced with questions.
Why did she want to surprise him at work? Had she already agreed to his request? Why didn't she come to his office?
"How did he answer your call but not mine?" Ella wondered aloud.
Verena smiled and said, "I guess it's just fate. I'm really glad he's coming down."
Ella chuckled, still finding it hard to believe. "Well, with Louis' reputation and ego, he would never come down." The girl snorted at Verena, saying she should keep dreaming etc.
While the receptionist thought that if Mr. Louis really came down, she would be good with Verena in the future giving a nod she also waited for him.
…
Louis stepped out of the elevator just as Verena stood by the receptionist desk.
The receptionist glanced at him and said, "Sir, you've got a guest."
Louis nodded, his gaze softening when he saw Verena. His attention caught both the receptionist and Ella by surprise.
"Verena, it's so good to see you here," he said warmly.
"I hope you weren't too busy," Verena replied with a smile.
"Of course not," Louis answered, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than usual. There was a quiet curiosity in his gaze, as though he was wondering why she'd come.
Ella was standing off to the side, smiled shyly, hoping Louis would acknowledge her.
But he continued to look at Verena, making Ella feel foolish standing there. Her heart sank, but she wasn't about to let it show.
Ella walked closer, her voice sweet as honey. "Louis, how are you? I've been calling you. I hope you weren't too busy." She smiled, repeating the same question Verena had asked.
He merely took a glance at her and look back at Verena who was now looking at Ella with amusement.
"I was busy," Louis didn't gave her a face. "If Miss Ella could give me some space, I'd like to take my guest from here."
Ella flinched, caught off guard by his words. "But Louis—"
"It's Mr. Heisenberg for you," he interrupted sharply, his tone growing colder. Ella froze at the sting of his words. "You may leave now."
Without another glance at her, Louis turned and started walking away, Verena following behind with a small smirk on her face.
Once inside his office, Louis didn't bother with pleasantries. He went straight to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a document. Without a word, he slid it across the table toward her.
Verena frowned, reaching for it. Her eyes widened as she read the bold title. Marriage Certificate.
"You… you made this? Without even asking me?" Her voice trembled with anger.
"I don't waste time asking for things I already decided on." Louis leaned back in his chair, face unreadable.
Her fingers tightened around the paper. Fury rushed through her, but so did helplessness. She wanted to scream, to tear it apart but she remembered her own decision.
She had already chosen him, no matter how reckless the path.
"You think you can just forge my consent?" she spat, her jaw tight.
"I already did," Louis said flatly. If not for his mother and grandpa insisting him to get marry soon he wouldn't be doing this.
He didn't want to force her in something she wasn't ready.
He didn't let her see through him as he watched her read the papers.
The bluntness of his words left her breathless. He wasn't even pretending to justify himself.
Verena exhaled slowly, forcing her rage back down. "Fine. I'll let this go. But don't think I'll forget it."
"I don't need you to forget. I only need you to stay." Louis finally met her gaze, his tone low and firm.
The silence that followed was sharp, filled with all the things she wanted to say but swallowed back.
She hated his arrogance.
She hated his control.
Yet somewhere deep down, she hated herself more, for still sitting there, holding the certificate, instead of walking away.