Ariel walked slowly towards the employee lounge. She can't see Ella anywhere though she's sure they have the same shift. *The guest might be touring around again.* She thought. But she don't know what to say to Ella if ever she sees her. It's not as if everything would be the same as before. She entered the lounge and her eyes instinctively looked for a familiar figure. Joseph and Jason were not in their usual spot. She sighed.

She went to a vacant table and noticed a tableful of fellow chambermaids talking in hushed voices while looking at her direction. She hated feeling conscious but she can't help it.

"Now I know why she had to turn me down. Looking for a big fish, eh?" She heard Jiro say, one of her former suitors and a waiter in one of the hotel's restaurants. Now she's sure they are talking about her. The news about one of the guests giving her flowers has already spread like wild fire. She ate in silence and was too glad to see Ella entering the lounge too. In a second, she was sitting in front of her, looking at her intently.

"Hi." Ella smiled widely. She was trying to read Ariel but she was having a hard time. Joe resigned from his bellman duties today and Chun's resignation will be effective tomorrow. That's what Jeremy told her when they bumped onto each other at home.

"H-hello." She can't even return the smile. "I-I've been looking for you the whole day." She started. Now, how would she explain it to Ella?

"I'm quite busy." She said simply. She had to present her designs to Chanel heads through a video conference. Only her assitant Miel was left in Paris to oversee the production of primary designs that she submitted.

"I think that guest is killing you, huh?" Ariel joked awkwardly.
 

"Oh no. We've become friends, actually. Nice guy." She replied nonchalantly. "By the way, my brother has resigned. Effective today." She blurted out the news rather abruptly that Ariel coughed while drinking water from her bottle. The liquid spilled onto her uniform and her undergarments made its presence known through the sheer fabric.

"Ooops! Sorry!" Ella said frantically in English. "Come." She took her by the hand and dragged her to the exit before the guys could feast on her body. Ella didn't think twice and took Ariel to her private suite which Aaron occupies for now. "Here," She took another set of uniform from the closet and gave it to Ariel.

"Wait, why do you have your clothes here?" She asked, dumbfounded by Ella's familiarity around the luxurious room.
"For convenience. I can't really go out and accompany the guest wearing this uniform, right?" She smiled a bit. "Go and change." She pushed her to the grandiose bathroom.

"Ella. . ." She called when she emerged from the bathroom but she was nowhere to be found. She looked for her everywhere in the room but she can't find her. She was about to follow her out only to find the door locked outside. Her eyes widened in horror. "Ella! Ella!" She called but to no avail. How could she forget that all the rooms in St. Regis are soundproofed? She turned Joseph down, yes, but was that reason enough for Ella to lock her up in this room? *Tian na!* She banged the door and it opened after a few moments but it didn't reveal Ella.

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"Ariel." Joe gathered Ariel up from the carpeted floor. "I am sorry. I asked her to do this." He lied. Ella just came looking for him and dragged him to her suite. He found Ariel banging the door. He thought it was drastic to lock her up just to have some alone time with her.

She was trembling when when he flopped her on the nearest sofa and he was taken aback when she slapped him hard. He's sure her hand would make a mark onto his face. "How dare you do this to me!" She yelled. "What do you want from me?" She was crying hysterically.

"I am sorry. . .I just want to talk to you. That is all." He was about to sit beside her.

"Don't come near me!" She moved to the other end of the sofa. "I know I was harsh to you last night but did you really have to do this?" She asked in a pained voice.

"I don't really believe that you don't love me. Your actions says otherwise. Just admit it and I will set you free." He can't accept that she treats him like leper now. Ella's plans are bound to backfire. He sighed in frustration.

"Are you really that desperate that you're going to lock me up!?" She was incredulous now. "You're not at all the man that I wanted. I hate you!" She said harshly that the pain in his chest was too much to bear. It was far more intense that the pain in his face.

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She saw Joseph's face change in color and the torment on his face hurt her more. How he was able to make such an impact on her in such a short period of time was a complete mystery to her. She's in love with this man. But she have to drive him away. And this is the only way.

She wiped her tears in haste. "Okay. . ." She said in a stern voice. "Let us make a deal." She watched his brows furrowed in confusion before he nodded wordlessly. She sighed heavily. "I'll ask you to do one thing. If you'll be able to do it then I'm yours. I can marry you if you want. But if you're not then you will stay away from me forever." She said ruthlessly. She's sure as hell he won't be able to do it. She's more than confident that after this she can go back to her old life and focus on things that she have to do.

"What is it?" He asked flatly.

"Tomorrow, you have to buy me a five-karat diamond ring. If I don't have the ring on my finger before five pm then don't even bother seeing me." She said brutally.