Chapter 4

Zafirah was finally allowed to move back to Paris and claim residence in the hotel itself. Her mother had promised to visit every other weekend after much discussion. Which was the best-case scenario given her present predicament. At this point, Zafirah would’ve agreed to just about anything to regain her freedom.

Upon reaching the hotel, she was disappointed to find out that Theodore-the-job-stealer had taken over her favourite penthouse suite as well. First her job and now her suite, this guy was really not making a good impression on her. Due to this, she had to make do with living in the royal suite next door. She detested having to stay so close to a man she barely knew and was beginning to dislike more and more.

Her whole existence seemed to have ceased over the last year and a half. It was then that she remembered what her father had told her. He'd informed her that nobody knew the real reason behind her disappearance or where she had gone. It was better to keep such news on the down low in the business world as the competition is literally waiting outside the door to bring the business down.

The family had wanted to keep her illness under the wraps and had told everyone that Zafirah had taken a much-needed sabbatical from work had gone away for a while. She had been flown into New York and admitted in the hospital under a different name just so that the media didn’t get a whiff of it.

To the world, she was an heiress who decided to take a vacation in the middle of work because she wasn’t feeling up to it. The excuse didn't make her look good. It made her out to be irresponsible and a coward, neither of which she was. But it was the best way to deal with the situation without bringing much shame to the family.

If the word were to spread that Zafirah Rodriguez, heiress of the Rodriguez empire was in a coma because she had overdosed on pills, the business and her family name would have to bear the brunt of her misdeeds and that is something she wasn’t ready to let happen.

She prayed to God that Mr Theodore Winthrop was easy to work with and had not already written her off as a spoiled heiress without hearing her side of the story. With him being her father’s friend’s son, she had expected some empathy and understanding from him. For now, she had neither the time nor the means to prove her stand.

Her father had insisted that under no condition was she to ever tell anyone the real reason behind her disappearance as it would make people lose faith in the 'Rodriguez' name. She had to bear with the judgemental glares and words people said to her without refuting.

She had promised to keep mum about it for his sake. Her father had also told her that 'Theo' was a good business man and an excellent CEO whose first and foremost priority was the business. He had assured her that 'Theo' would be courteous and professional as a colleague. And that he expected the same out of her. Zafirah felt her heart burn with jealousy.

She detested how much her father seemed to favour this new-comer but soon the realization dawned upon her that she was the new-comer now. Things had changed a lot over the last couple of years while she was gone and she had to live with its outcome now. It was her punishment of sorts to deal with the repercussions of her actions and rightfully so.

The coma had given her a new outlook on life, a more positive one. She had always been the responsible one so, it was not a new thing for her to take responsibility for what she had done. She was optimistic about her renewed life and would take one day at a time. She'd woken up uncharacteristically early that day, cherishing the way the sun's rays caressed her face at dawn.

She thought that she had missed out on so much in life, even before the coma. She had been too engrossed in her work to wait and smell the roses along the way. She had forgotten how it felt to get wet in the rain or the adrenaline rush a roller coaster ride gave.

But all fun kept aside, she had truly missed working, being significant and taking her own decisions. It was the only thing she had known and it came naturally to her. It felt like coming home. Or so she had hoped for it would be.

To her utter disappointment, even work was not the same. For starters, most of the employees were new and failed to recognize her. Her suite was gone and her position was taken over. It was then she felt as if Zafirah Rodriguez had ceased to exist for the world.

She donned her favourite navy blue Dolce and Gabbana blazer and skirt along with a crisp white shirt, she finished her look off with a pair of black heels. She had tied her hair in a sleek, professional looking updo and put-on light makeup. She looked fierce, just the look she was going for. Pleased with her appearance, she left the hotel.

Zafirah was taught to believe that one's dressing sense should never be dulled by one’s feelings or emotions. She believed that a good outfit could brighten anyone’s mood. She liked to wear her brands as she had worked hard to afford them. Even though it might make her seem to be uptight and snooty, she wouldn't change her style for the world.

Stepping into the office building, she was hit with a strong sense nostalgia even though the only familiar thing that welcomed her were the four walls of the building. Everything else had changed. The decor, the people, the atmosphere, everything. It all felt foreign to her. Like it was her life from another lifetime.

Dazed, she went through the motions of getting into her own office. It irked her that she now had to knock and seek permission to enter her own office but for her father's sake, she did so. She quietly entered as a strong authoritative voice commanded her to do so.