"Yes, I need you to do me a favor." He voiced with urgency. "Check your email later. I want you to search every detail about her. Her parents, her childhood…. Literally everything."

    "Yes sir. Who is it now?" The man on the other line replied.

    "The same person I told you to investigate before---- Jade."

    "Your wife?"

    "Yes."

    "Uhm, Mr. Hanes, I didn''t tell you about this before because you didn''t ask. But now that you''re asking me a favor, might as well tell you that I tried digging up information about her family background as well as her childhood life, however I literally found nothing. She doesn''t have any childhood records not until she was 12 and was taken into the orphanage."

    Marcus was in deep thought as soon as he heard the man. "Strange." He unknowingly muttered.

    "Yes sir, I also thought how weird it was. But it seems to me that someone had erased all her past records!" He replied.

    Jade''s forgotten memory about her past, her frequent nightmares before, her fear of blood, the fact that she grew up in an orphanage… Marcus felt as if there is a big mystery shrouding the woman''s identity. Then his mind recalled how his grandmother dotted on Jade even before while she was at the orphanage.

    Something isn''t right, he thought.

    "Then all the more, you have to find out everything about her. But don''t let anyone know about it especially my grandmother."

    "The chairwoman? Are you possibly suspecting your grandmother?"

    "It''s just a hunch but we don''t know…"

    "I understand. I''ll start digging into the orphanage files. I''ll let you know once I found something."

    "Thank you." He muttered before hanging up. Just after he finished, a smiling Jade entered his office. He turned to face her and force a smile.

    "It''s almost time for the art gallery symposium." She reported.

    "Okay."

    Jade was about to leave the room when Marcus called her name.

    "Is there anything else you ---"

    "Where are you going?" Marcus furrowed his brows.

    "Home? if you don''t have anything else for me to do?" She carefully and hesitantly replied.

    "Aren''t you my secretary?"

    "Yes, I am. But what -----" She paused when she suddenly understood what he was trying to say. "But I thought we already talk about this?" She complained.

    "Yes, we talk about you doing your identity search A F T E R your work. But then you still have some work to do." He smirked before grabbing the woman on the waist and went out the office. He is too strong that despites wriggling, she couldn''t get away from the man''s grasp.

    Almost everyone whom they passed by looked at them, some were looking enviously while others in delight.

    "Hey, get off your hands on me." She whispered. "Everyone''s looking at us!" She made a face.

    "Then let them be. I bet every employee already knows about us." He grinned after recalling a certain event where he heard some employees talking about them.

    "What?!" She yelped in surprise. They were already nearing the elevator when Sonny came running to press the elevator bu??on. He obviously rushed when he saw them coming out together. It was only then when he remembered that Marcus has to attend a gallery symposium in an hour that he hurried to catch up to them.

    "Ehemmm, why don''t you ask Sonny…" He glared at the middle aged man. "Who knows all the gossips going around the company." His tone tells Sonny that Marcus already know that he is responsible to some of the news going around--- news about the two of them.

    "Mr. Lee, is it true?" Jade innocently asked.

    "Miss Jade, Mr. Marcus, the elevator is ready. Please go ahead, I forgot some of my personal things in my office. I''ll catch up to you soon." Sonny bowed apologetically and quickly left the two.

    "Tsk! Look at this old man." Marcus hissed before gently pushing Jade inside the elevator.

    "Aren''t you going to release me? We are already at the lobby so there''s no way I would escape from you." Jade pouted while hiding her face from the employees who were watching them. Almost everyone was eyeing her like hungry wolves ready to eat their single prey!

    "Not until you stand straight." He mocked the blushing woman.

    "Do you want me to die? They were all looking at me evilly!" She yelped pitifully.

    Marcus laughed at her silly statement. However, her reddened face tells him that she was not acting up. She seemed distressed at the fact that all eyes were on them.

    They were nearing the reception area when Marcus halted and released the woman from his grasp. It surprised Jade that she immediately stared at the man''s gloomy face.

    "Are you that ashamed to be with me?" His accusing voice echoed in her ears.

    "Eh?!" She jerked up. "T-that''s not what I mean! I''m just----" She was hesitating that she looked on the floor.

    "What? You don''t want to let other people know about us?"

    "No… No… I … I''m okay with it. In fact, I''ve been waiting for the day you will announce our relationship publicly. It''s just that I am not used to be the center of everyone''s attention." She mumbled shyly.

    She didn''t know Marcus smiled at her revelation since she was looking dejectedly on the floor. However, she suddenly felt an electric bolt inside her when Marcus took her by the hand. He even intertwined his fingers on hers and pulled her a little closer to him.

    "Then I''ll introduce you now." He bends his head and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, smiled and pull her to match his steps. "From now on, you will be walking beside me and not behind me."

    The man was saying something but she couldn''t hear him at all! Her world froze the moment she felt the man''s warm lips on her cheek. Although it was just a quick kiss but she can still feel the man''s lips as if it was glued on her cheek since she can still feel the burning sensation in her skin.

    Jade feels as if she is in cloud nine! It was the first time that Marcus held her hand and kissed her publicly! Did he just declare his affection publicly?

    "Jade, are you alright?" The man shook the dazed woman. She only came to her senses when Marcus touched her forehead. "You''re not sick yet your face is screamingly red. Are you okay?"

    "E-eh? Y-yeah…" She faked a smile. She didn''t know that they were already in front of Marcus'' car.

    Marcus who caught the woman extremely blushing smiled within him. Then he opened the passenger seat and cued the woman to enter. Her innocence is so much pleasing in his eyes.

    "Where are we going? This is not the right way going to the symposium." Jade is a bit confused.

    "Did you memorize all the routes of my scheduled meetings and events?" Marcus is seemingly taunting the woman. "I know you like me but I hope you are not tailing me." He suddenly burst into laughter.

    "You and your arrogance!" She gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Now I''m wondering why I fell for such an arrogant guy like you. Tsk!"

    "Well, I''m rich and handsome." Marcus''s arrogance spiked up as he continues to taunt the woman.

    "Tsk! I just wish my child won''t inherit that from you." She mumbled softly.

    "What? Did you say something?"

    "Nothing." She smiled mischievously.

    Tsk! Marcus hissed before stopping the car in front of a fashion store. It was one of the known luxurious brand internationally. He then got off the car and run on the side to open the car door and motioned the stiffened woman to get off the car.

    "Aren''t you coming out?" Marcus furrowed his brows. Despites her hesitation, Jade came out and followed the man inside. They were greeted by the store managers along with the employees. After they entered, they closed the entrance door and placed the closed signage.

    Looks like Marcus is one of their regular VIP customer.

    "This way, Mr. Hanes." The beautiful manager was about to lead the way to the men''s clothing section but everyone halted when they heard him speak.

    "Could you show us the way to the women''s section?"

    The manager as well as the other employees raised their brows in confusion before their eyes landed on the woman wearing a typical office dress. Jade, on the other hand, widened her eyes in surprise.

    "Eh?" She could only say one word at that very moment.

    "I think I have the best dress for her." The she manager smiled widely after checking her from head to toe. She must admit that the woman Marcus brought with him possessed a natural and one of a kind beauty. She doesn''t have to wear heavy make-up to look beautiful. Just a little touch with an elegant dress will bring out the best of her looks. "This way, sir."

    The she manager along with the store employees led the way. It didn''t even take them a few minutes to reach a certain corner.

    "Please make sure to make her look human." He joked.

    "Is this really necessary?" The woman pouted but she didn''t hear any response from the man since the she manager and two of the employees came to get her and force her to enter another room.

    She stood marveling at the variety of gowns in front of her for minutes! Then her eyes caught a beautiful black dress hanged at the right side of the room. She was about to point it out when she suddenly heard a very familiar voice.

    "First time? Don''t make it so obvious. Your bringing disgrace to Marcus, do you know that." She turned around only to see a provocative smirk.

    "Rachelle!"