The Defiance novel

---- Why is he here?! The hutt... The pain... My own heart breaking... Everything I've tried so hard to forget, and when I thought I was finally succeeding, was coming back to me. My heart that was long erased the feeling for him started beating fast inside of me and I was afraid it might come out of my chest. It hurts! It was like a bullet killing me in an instant. Before I knew it, they were in front of me. 'HE' was right in front of me. The man who left me years ago without any word.

The man I needed the most when I had nothing left but was nowhere to be found. "Mr. Esguerra...", Mr. Montero started smiling, "this is-", before he could even utter my name, the heartless man said my name. "Alice...", he said it so easily like he still had the right. He said it the way he used to say it before and I had to grind my teeth for that. ---- How dare him!!! Eyes flew to my whole being wondering how a man of his power could come to know my name. "You know her?", someone asked.

I did not bother to know who because I was staring at those familiar yet unfamiliar set of chocolate eyes I loved. I remembered how they looked at me with softness but now, they were hard and cold and it hurt. "Yes", even his voice, hard and cold. "That's great! She's going to be your assistant from now on and I tell you, she is the best I know when it comes to her work.

Some of my friends and foes alike wanted to steal her away from me so I needed to warn you to keep her safe", the joke made his eyes even darker by the second and I saw his face fell emotionless. And somehow I wondered what happened to him. What happened to the boy that was sweet and caring? "So Alice? I guess you also know this man?" I wanted to say no but then I thought denying him would only make me look bitter at things and I had to show that he didn't affect me anymore.

I smiled and turned to Mr. Montero . Taking a deep breathe, I struggled to pronounce his name. The name I called many times but the owner never ---- showed up, never came. His name. "Mr. Seth Esguerra ... Welcome , sir", I almost gave myself a reward for saying it calmly and naturally like he didn't make me want to run away from here. Like my knees were not shaking. Like my hands were not itching to slap him. I reached out to shake his hand and his eyes did not waver off of me.

They became wild with emotions I could not fathom what though he remained emotionless nonetheless. He grasped my hand in a firm grip and his familiar warmth enveloped me. He stepped a little closer that I could smell his cologne. He squeezed my small hand still looking at me in the eyes. Without another word, he turned and went inside his new office followed by the other four men and I knew Thad to do the same. What have I gotten myself into? Seth...

He, showing up so suddenly and worse, the new boss, surely changed things now. ---- Taking another deep sigh, I made my way to the door wishing this was just another nightmare. Should I quit?