Adira kept staring at the door, waiting impatiently for Jardine's entrance. When Bonnie called and informed her of her visitor, she quickly permitted her to let her in. And in no time, the door was opened with Jardine and Bonnie coming in. Bonnie bowed and left, leaving the two ladies in the room. For a moment, time seemed to freeze as the two ladies stared at each other, the silence demeaning. Adira remained reclined in her seat, her gaze cold and piercing, while Jardine clasped her hands around her bag as she stood like a client. Casting a quick glance around the office, she was impressed by its nature. It was no ordinary office, but the domain of one who demanded the best. And it puzzled her the more that Adira was the one in charge of it. How did she get so lucky? "Take a seat." Adira's icy voice came.Jardine couldn't bring herself to look her in the face. So, she lowered her gaze as she walked towards the desk and took a seat, feeling humiliated. If it wasn't for her grandfather's persistence, she wouldn't be there. "Jardine," Adira called calmly. Even her voice had changed a little, now evoking more power and confidence. "I can't believe this is you." Now, Jardine forced herself to look her in the face. She couldn't continue acting timid. "Yes, Adira." She flashed a smile. "It's really so good to see you. You look, um, beautiful." Adira chuckled. The moment felt so unreal. Jardine had seen a lot of pretty pictures of Adira on the internet, but finally meeting her in person, she could hardly believe it was the same Adira she had known nineteen months ago. She had gold jewelry on and looked so damn bossy and beautiful. She looked nothing like the lady she had talked down on in the past. "Thanks for the compliment," Adira replied. "I bet you thought you were prettier back then." Jardine's heart skipped a beat, and it got worse when Adira added: "Dear Jardine, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment." Jardine's brows furrowed in befuddlement. She felt a lump in her throat as she wondered what she meant. Adira smiled at the perplexity on her face. "Let's go straight to business, shall we? Why are you here?" She sighed, shifting her gaze and fingers to her system. Taking a hard gulp, Jardine brought out a file from her bag. "Um... Adira," she called. "Before we begin, can I just apologize for what happened in the past? I know I was really mean to you, but I want you to know that I'm deeply sorry and regret my actions. Now, I know better. And I promise to make it up to you if you let me." The whole time, Adira didn't even look up from her system. When she finally did, she had a small smile on her lips. "Let me have the file, Jardine," she extended her hand, and feebly, Jardine gave the files to her. She was a little concerned that Adira didn't say anything in regards to her apology. Was it accepted? Adira flipped through the pages, filling her heart with excitement. From the documents, Jardine was offering a proposal to get her family back on board. She closed up the file with a contemptuous smile and returned it to her. "I'm sorry, Jardine, but I'm not taking your family back," she stated bluntly and returned her gaze to the system. Jardine's heart palpitated as she looked at the file in front of her. Goodness, she had dreaded this moment. "But why?" She swallowed hard. "My family was a member of the board before they got kicked out for no reason. During their time, they had contributed greatly to the progress of the department. So, I think it'll be a great idea if they get taken back." Adira's face went cold and expressionless. It bothered Jardine that she had suddenly turned so mean. "Your family..." she muttered. "...were nothing good to me. Do I need to remind you of your sins? Give me one reason I should take them back, Jardine." Jardine blinked rapidly. "But I just apologized for that. Look, you can vent your anger on me. I mean, I was the one who offended you, right? Leave my family out of this." "You must be dumb to think I'd do that," Adira scoffed. "First, they offended me by birthing a woman like you who caused me pain. Secondly, they all mocked and humiliated me even after knowing what you did. You're just like them." Jardine dropped her gaze and gulped nervously. For a while, silence stretched between them. "Adira please," She looked up at her. "You have every reason to be mad, but just find a place in your heart to forgive me. Believe me, I've learned my lessons. For the past nineteen months, I went through hell. So please, let's just put this behind us and move on with our lives. Moreover, you're already married, right? You got married to such a powerful man like Nikolai. Isn't this a win-win situation?" Jardine's heart was throbbing in her chest. She couldn't believe she was the one pleading with Adira in that manner. How humiliating. Adira turned taciturn for a while. Her gaze was so cold, it got Jardine uncomfortable. "You really want me to forgive you?" She asked, and Jardine bobbed with a slight hesitation. "Then, go on your knees."