Alden heard the knock on the door. But because he was busy talking to his investigator, he could not immediately respond. Since that time when he saw Ashley at the mall and suddenly disappeared... He was restless and even hired a private investigator to find Ashley, whom he's speaking with at the moment.

Alden knew that Ashley was working in j.a.pan as an a.s.sistant.  His fault was he never asked which company Ashley was working for. So, in the end, he even had to hire a PI only to find his first love.

Alden's forehead creased when he heard someone knocking on the door. "Who is it?!" He shouted back at the person outside the door. "It better be good or your dead for disturbing me, whoever you are!" He mumbles to himself as he waited for the person on the outside the door to reply. 

"Sir, this is the Maitre D '. I have something important to tell you!" Excitement could be heard from his voice.

'Hmm, I wonder what is this important thing he has to tell me?' Alden irritably thought to himself.

He's upset because they were getting interrupted.  He's currently having a conversation with the Private Investigator about Ashley.  Nothing is more important than finding Ashley, now that they met each other again... He will not let her go like before.

"Alright! I'll talk to you later, if you receive new pieces of information, tell me right away." Alden told the Private Investigator then hung up so he could attend to the Maitre D'.

"Come in!" Alden shouted back to the Maitre d '.

The Maitre d 'is so happy that their boss has given him his time. He quickly opened the door and went straight towards the desk where Alden was seated, looking at him with a scowl on his face.

"Sir, may I ask for a few minutes of your time? I have a special guest that arrived, and I would like to introduce you." The Maitre d informs him while restlessness was showing with great excitement.

Alden looked at him for a moment while contemplating if he would agree to his request.  After a couple of second debating, he responded. "All right! Do I see them Now? I need to change first, give me some time." He then looked at what he was wearing what seems to be a GQ style.

'Oh' my G.o.d! Does he still need to change only to meet with the special guest? Seriously! His look alone is good enough, and he still needs to dress up only to comply with the guest?'  The Maitre  D' thought before replying.

"That's fine, sir! After all, our guest also said to wait until they finish eating before I introduce you to them."   I expedited the preparation of their food, so' the kitchen staff should be serving it soon.

"That's good then, this way it will give me ample time. I'll go up to my room first to change. Call me when they are ready."  He then gathered all his things and prepared to go up to the room above the restaurant where he's currently staying until he's done with his audit.

The Maitre D' happily bid him goodbye and returned to his place in front of the restaurant.  He has a warm smile as he greeted the customers that's coming in.

Meanwhile, Ashley needed to wash her hands and use the ladies' room.  She excused herself and made her way towards the ladies' room.  Unknown to her that she would ran-into Alden Sanches.

At the same time, Alden just stepped out of the office and was on the way up.  Is so happens that it's in the same directions as to where the ladies' room.  Thus, the two met in the hallway...

"Ashley! Oh, my G.o.d! How are you?" Greeted Alden, while he couldn't decide where and how he would smile.  He was so delighted that he saw her again.  The one person that was causing him to lose sleep for the last couple of days.  He suddenly remembers that his clothes were wrinkled, and he tried his best to straighten it up.

Ashley, who was surprised by the sudden incident of running into each other.  She was stunned and unable to immediately returned his greeting.  The first thing that came into her mind was Tanaga, in which she had left in the private room of the restaurant.

 's.h.i.+t! What am I going to do? What if Tanaga sees us? I hope he doesn't need to use the restroom, or I'll be in deep s.h.i.+t for sure. I better make this quick, or else!' She nervously thought.

"Alden Sanches! h.e.l.lo again! Hahaha, what a small world?"  She replied with the sweetest smile she could conjure, trying her best not to show on her face how nervous she's feeling at the moment. 

Suddenly Ashley thought, 'wait for a minute! Why am I scared? So what if they met each other, is not like our marriage was for real.  If it happens, I could always introduce him as my boss.'  Her face lighted up, and all the traces of fear had just begun to slip on her face.

"Are you here with your boss ... or?" He hopes that Ashley's answer would be with her boss. He doesn't want to hear her say the or' for it will break his heart to million pieces.

When Ashley smiles so beautifully before answering while her eyes were s.h.i.+ning brightly... It revived Alden's morale, thinking there still hope.

"Of course! My boss is with me. Who else do you think it would be? Yes,' my boss was kind enough to bring me here to have lunch so I could taste the specialty of this restaurant.  He wanted me to be able to eat delicious food while I'm in j.a.pan."  She bitterly laughed, and it sounded forced.

 * Thud-thud-thud! * 'Said Alden's throbbing heart. "I'm glad that you're with your boss, for a moment, it scares me that you're with a suitor or something.  He couldn't stand still as he was speaking and trying to figure out how he's going to get her number without being so obvious.

Finally, he found the courage and asked.  "Ashley, can I get your number? For as long as I am here, we can at least go out. For old time's sake? " Explained Adlen while his eyes looked sadden for his afraid that she wouldn't give it to him.

"Ouch!  What can I do... I lost my old cellphone when I arrived in j.a.pan. Then the company issued a new one, but I didn't memorize the numbers yet. Then in my haste, I left the phone in my purse at the office. So, my cellphone is not available today. What should we do? "Ashley replied with embarra.s.sment because she felt stupid.

" Hahaha! That's Ok! How about this, wait just a minute!" He hurried back to the office to get a pen and took out a business card.  He then wrote his cellphone number on the card before quickly returning for fear of losing Ashley again.

Ashley needed to use the restroom badly and took the opportunity to go while Alden left to get something ... She decided to go to the bathroom and quickly make her release.  That's why when Aldin retuned where he left Ashley, she was nowhere in sight, for she went inside the ladies' room.

"WTF !!!! That was stupid of me to leave. I knew this is going to happen!" He hurriedly went around the restaurant looking for Ashley.  He even pa.s.sed the THJ Group's private room, but Tanaga was the only one there.  Not wanting to waste any more time, he continued to look for Ashley. 

Meanwhile, Ashley finished utilizing the ladies,' and she went back to where Aldin had left her a while back.  She stood and waited, but Aldin was long gone, looking for her all over the restaurant.

After a while, when Aldin hasn't come... She has no choice but to go ahead and head back to the Private room where Tanaga was waiting for her to begin eating.

Both walked in opposite directions; therefore, they missed each other once again...