Back in Love

Jacob narrowed his eyes at the woman who stepped onto the stage. She was like a different person, a far cry from the Louisa he always hated. Under all the make-up and the jewelry, Lola looked so much charming and alluring than Louisa that Jacob suspected he had made a mistake. Ever since Louisa left the Gu Family two years ago, he heard no news from her. It was as if she had disappeared from the face of the earth. He blinked, shaking his head. Maybe it wasn't her.

Maybe they weren't the same person at all.

With these thoughts in mind, Jacob glanced at Barry who was enchanted by the 'fairy' on the stage. "Boss, I want to sign her in," he announced, still in a daze. "Who?" Jacob raised his eyebrow.

"Lola! Didn't you see how she was at the airport this morning! She was amazing. Plus, she's smart and gorgeous. I'm sure she'd succeed. Our TV Station needs more young actresses like her for millennial to relate to. It will be a pity if we didn't get her on our team."

"Lola?" Jacob repeated the name, letting it roll on his tongue.

Her name was so similar to Louisa's name as well.

Jacob couldn't help but raise his head and stare at the woman again. She debuted two years ago... She was great at both singing and dancing, plus it didn't hurt the fact that she had a beautiful face and a great figure to match. Moreover, her fans absolutely adored her.

Those were the qualities he had never seen from Louisa.

Suddenly, he noticed something was off. The moment she step onto the stage, her face was drained of all color. Although she tried to keep herself cool, he noticed a subtle change in her eyes. He didn't know why he noticed it.

Gritting her teeth, Lola turned at the crowd only to stop when she saw a familiar man at the front row. Her eyes widened.

Jacob!

The tension in the room escalated. Soon, it felt as if they were the only ones in the room as they stared at each other.

Her pale face flushed red. She tried to move but it felt as if her body was frozen into place.

Her fingernails dug into her palm as she tried to get the words out of her throat.

For the first time in two years,

Lola was nervous as hell.

One glimpse of him at the airport was enough, but having him here to watch her, she felt as if she wanted to vomit. Lola took a deep breath, trying to keep her thoughts at bay. Without another word, she strutted across the catwalk, posing at the very end of the stage. The crowd cheered and clapped as the gorgeous woman flashed a smile on her way. She was as beautiful as she was graceful.

However, as soon as she got off the stage, she hurried into the lounge. Seeing the urgency flashing in her eyes, Lily quickly followed suit.

"Close the door!" Lola ordered. Lily immediately followed. She turned to see her boss attempting to remove her heels.

Lola winced, groaning once she removed one of her heels. At the sight, Lily widened her eyes. "What's going on?"

Lola poured out the shards of broken glass from her shoes, sneering. Her feet were battered and bloodied from the numerous cuts that she had gotten from walking the runway. "Obviously someone wants to humiliate me. Damn that guy to hell!"

Lily stared at Lola in bewilderment. It was only then when she realized how strong her boss was when walking out the stage. If it had been her, she wouldn't have been able to do that.

"Let's get you to the hospital," she said urgently, but Lola waved her off.

"It's no need. It's not a big deal, and besides, we have a banquet to attend later on."

"How can you attend at this state? I'll call Flora right now." Lola grabbed Lily's arm before she could make the call. "Look, if you don't want to help me, then leave. I could bind it up myself." Seeing that she couldn't persuade Lola, Lily decided to help her tend to her wounds with a sigh.

"Aren't you hurt? Why are you insisting on doing the show? We could easily delay it," Lily insisted. "Your health's more important than this."

Lola shrugged, wincing just a bit when Lily took out a small shard embedded in her foot. "It's just a wound. Besides, when I went abroad, I've faced far worse pain than this. What's the harm?" "What did you experience?" Lily's eyes widened in confusion.

Knowing that she had spoken too much, Lola's gaze darkened. Some of the memories she had with Jacob rushed back to her. She avoided her assistant's questioning gaze. "Nothing... I meant in the two months when I was just a trainee, I didn't get enough sleep. I practiced dancing every day till my ankles twist itself. Even if my voice became hoarse, I continued singing. Back then, it was a luxury to sleep for even two hours a day. In fact, I had always come up with a fever and a cold around once a week, but I had dealt with them. Plus in order to join the 101 Talent Show, I had to practice even more. In the end, I finally became a member of a group, and I guess that is what started my career. Everything's a piece of cake if you compared it to my past."

Lily frowned as she listened to her boss's past. She couldn't help but admire her more for it. If it had been her, she would've quit halfway through. No wonder Lola was popular now. She deserved it. "From all the pain that I've suffered, I've grown numb to it." Lola shook her head. "Whatever. Why am I telling you all of this? Just get my clothes ready for the next event and please don't tell Flora about this. The next events are also crucial to my return, so don't mess that up too."

"Okay. You got it, Miss Lola." Lily nodded firmly.

"You don't have to call me that. Lola's fine. Besides, I'm a year younger than you," she teased. The bright smile on her face only made Lily pity her more.

At the same time, there was someone standing outside of the door, looking straight through the small crack of the door frame. He could hear their entire conversation.

His hands clenched. Her voice was the same as Louisa's!

He knew he heard it right. In fact, he knew it was her the moment they made eye contact on that stage. Her eyes were shining with so much obscurity that he knew that she remembered him well enough. She was back as a superstar, but why would she return? What was her purpose?

Suddenly, Jacob dodged and hid himself in the corner when Lily walked out of the lounge alone. Without another thought, he strode into her dressing room.

"You brought the shoes that fast?" As soon as Lola looked up, she froze into place.

The man that had haunted her every nightmare was right in front of her. His dark eyebrows and slender figure were enough to lead every girl astray, but not her...not anymore. She stayed where she was.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back, Louisa?" He stalked over to her, his gaze darkening.

Lola quickly regained her composure. "I'm sorry. I'm not Louisa. Mr. Jacob, I'm afraid you've entered the wrong room."

He sneered. "If you don't know me, then how do you know my name?"

"You are the president of the Gu Consortium. Who doesn't know you?" With these words, Lola stood up with one foot. "If there's nothing else, please get out. I need to rest."

He smirked. "When have you become so cold, Louisa? Where's the girl who chased me all her life? Where's the girl who insisted to fuck me?"