Summer’s heart slammed violently against her chest. The memories she had stubbornly kept buried deep inside her mind resurfaced. The past seemed to flash before her eyes in rapid succession.
Panic seized her.
She instantly turned, looked away, and lowered her head. Her hair fell forward, shielding her face. ’Why is he here?’ her mind screamed. ’Did he recognize me?’
"Ma’am, do you need help?" he asked, extending his hand toward her.
Summer’s hands shook, cold sweat beading on her forehead. "No, I can manage," she said hastily.
Without lifting her head, she rose to her feet and pulled Kate up by her arm. Wrapping her arm around Kate’s waist, she walked away. She could feel his lingering gaze on her back, but she didn’t dare look behind.
Gideon’s eyebrows creased as he fixed his gaze on the woman’s back. A strange tightness gripped his chest. He oddly found that woman’s figure familiar.
’Summer?’ The name echoed in his head.
He had been looking for her for all those years, and she had finally appeared in front of him.
"Summer." His legs began to move on their own. "Wait..."
"Mr. Woods." Matthew stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Where are you going? The meeting is about to start."
"I saw Summer," Gideon mumbled. "I have to go after her."
"What? Where?" Matthew frowned, following his gaze. "You mean that woman who just left?"
"Yes, it’s her. I need to stop her." Gideon broke free from his grip and strode away.
"Mr. Woods, wait..." Matthew called after him, rushing to catch up. "You must have mistaken. How could it be her?"
He was certain Summer was gone. If she were alive, they would have gotten a clue about her existence. But Gideon had refused to accept the truth. In his heart, he clung to the belief that Summer had somehow escaped the fire.
Matthew knew it was only his wishful thinking – an illusion born from guilt and longing.
"Wait a moment." He ran after him.
But Gideon didn’t stop, nor did he slow down. The moment he dashed out the exit, he saw her familiar figure slipping into a cab.
"Summer," he shouted, bolting toward her. Before he could reach her, the taxi sped off. Without slowing down, he ran straight onto the road.
A car approached him speedily, its horn blaring, jolting him out of his thoughts. He paused and turned his head, the glaring headlights almost blinding him. He raised his hand to block the light, his pulse rate skyrocketing.
Just as he thought the car would hit him, a strong grip yanked him back, pulling him away from the road.
"Be careful," Matthew shouted. "You could have died just now."
"Mr. Woods, please come to your senses," Matthew shook him by his arm. "You have said this so many times that you saw her. But it’s not really her. You are imagining things again."
Gideon stood still, his mind recalling the moments he had seen Summer in every corner of his house, at his office, her laughter echoing in his ears. But every time he approached her, she vanished like smoke.
’Was it just another illusion?’ he thought.
"Alright." Matthew sighed. "I’ll look into it. I’ll look around and see if she has been here, okay? Now, can we please go in? We are already late for the meeting."
Gideon rubbed his temples, forcing himself to focus. "Yes, let’s go."
He strode into the club, Matthew tailing behind him.
Inside the taxi...
"You have to come to the office tomorrow," mumbled Kate incoherently. "Don’t be late. The new CEO is coming..."
"Yes, I know," Summer said, securing the seatbelt around Kate.
"No, you don’t understand," Kate pressed. "You can’t be late. Okay?"
"I know, Kate. Just relax and close your eyes."
"I’m relaxed. It’s you who is anxious." Kate trailed off as her head lolled back against the seat.
Summer breathed a long sigh, looking at Kate. Even in this drunken state, Kate had sensed her uneasiness. The close encounter with Gideon still made her heart tremble. She had narrowly escaped being caught.
’I hope he didn’t recognize me,’ she prayed silently.
The betrayal from the past pressed heavily on her chest. She thought she had moved on from him. But seeing him again made her heart ache all over again.
The pain of being dragged and shoved into the water and the fear of life slowly seeping out of her body – all flashed back before her eyes. A short meeting with him was enough to stir up all the bitter memories she had fought so hard to keep buried. What would happen if he really found her?
’No, no, no...he won’t find me,’ she reassured herself. ’He won’t. He doesn’t know I’m still alive.’
He should have believed she was dead, shouldn’t he? He might have forgotten about her by now.
’Yes,’ she thought, trying to convince herself that Gideon no longer remembered her. ’He must be happy with Danica. Maybe they have kids. He won’t look for me. He won’t find me.’
Inhaling deeply, she turned outside, trying to steady herself. But her racing heartbeat betrayed her anxiety. A quiet question made her restless.
’What if he does come after me?’
~~~~~~~~~~
When Chloe came to the hospital the next morning, she found Summer sleeping on the chair by Hope’s bed, resting her head on her folded arm, and papers scattered across the floor.
Summer stirred lazily. "What time is it?" she mumbled drowsily.
"It’s almost nine," replied Chloe.
"Nine?" Summer shot up straight, wide awake in an instant.
After returning from the party, she had stayed up late finishing her design drafts, but she had no idea when she had fallen asleep. Panic rushed through her as she saw her phone’s screen.
There were three missed calls from Kate.
"Oh, shit," she cursed under her breath. "Kate is going to eat me alive."
She picked up the scattered papers quickly and stuffed them into a folder.
Chloe blinked at her, puzzled, her mouth agape.
"Did you bring my clothes?" Summer asked urgently.
Chloe pointed at her bag. "Everything is there."
"Thank you." Summer picked up the bag and darted toward the door.
"What?" Chloe watched her leave dazedly.
Half an hour later...
Summer stumbled into the office, slightly out of breath. She found Kate pacing up and down at the reception.
"Summer!" Kate exclaimed the moment she saw her. "Finally. I thought you wouldn’t come." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Listen up... The CEO is on the way. He’ll be here at any minute. Mr. Lee is livid out of nervousness. Be careful. Don’t make a mistake. Okay?"
Summer nodded in a daze. She had never seen Kate this tense before. Certainly, the new CEO’s arrival had put everyone on edge.
"The CEO is here," someone shouted.
Mr. Lee rushed out, followed by a group of immaculately dressed men and women. They stood by the entrance in a row, ready to welcome the CEO. Kate also joined them, standing by Mr. Lee.
Summer stayed behind, but her gaze was on the black Rolls-Royce that pulled up in front of the building. She was eager to catch a glimpse of the new boss.
The moment the car door opened, and a figure stepped out, her blood ran cold.
It was Matthew, Gideon’s assistant.
Dread washed over her. ’No, it can’t be.’