Abigail waited patiently for her turn. She had also skipped lunch because she expected her name to be called at any moment.
The majority of the candidates' interviews were completed. Other than herself, there were only two men left.
The blonde came forward and announced, "The eligible candidate for the PA's post has been selected. You may leave now. Thank you for coming."
The two men grumbled and walked away, muttering bad words.
Abigail also rose from the chair, her face turning pale in disappointment. She didn't even get to see him, let alone speak to him. She had planned to ask the blonde if she could meet Jasper but didn't say anything in the end.
Just as she turned to leave, she heard her say, "Wait a minute, please…"
Abigail paused and looked back at her.
"Miss Abigail, right?" The blonde smiled warmly at her.
Abigail wanted to correct her and say, 'Mrs. Abigail Sherman.' She had clearly mentioned it while filling in the form. In the end, she didn't say anything because she didn't think it was necessary. After all, she wasn't going to get a job here.
She, however, smiled back at her and said, "Yes."
"Mr. Wilkinson wants to talk to you. Please come with me."
Abigail was ecstatic.
Jasper was aware of her presence. Perhaps he had seen her name on the list of candidates for the interview.
She became a little nervous too as she took steps toward his cabin.
The blonde opened the door slightly and peered into the room.
"Mr. Wilkinson… Should I send her in?" she asked politely.
"Yes…" A deep voice could be heard from the inside.
The woman opened the door widely and motioned for her to go in.
Abigail thanked her and walked in, clasping the bag's strap. Her gaze was drawn to the man behind the massive coffee-brown work table.
This man's personality had not changed much from the one she remembered. He was still cold and serious. However, his eyes sparkled as if he were excited.
When Jasper saw her enter, he stopped rotating the pen on his fingers. He had no idea she had been waiting outside his cabin since the morning until he saw her name on the list a few minutes ago. If he had checked all of the candidates' names beforehand, he would have canceled the interview and attended her.
He couldn't stop his heart from beating so fast.
'Two years…' he murmured in his mind.
Ever since she had gotten married, he had stopped checking on her. When he saw her standing right in front of him, he couldn't believe his eyes.
She was here for the interview. But he wanted to believe that she had come to meet him.
'Did she have me in mind? Did she ever remember me?' Jasper wanted to know.
"Hello," she said, pulling a smile over her lips.
Jasper blinked, coming back to reality. He was still sitting in his seat, and she was standing by the door.
'What an impolite man I am,' he muttered to himself as he stood up.
"Hello…" He walked over to her. "Please have a seat."
He drew the chair out for her.
"Thanks." Abigail sat down.
Jasper looked down at her, holding the back of the chair. His fingers were only a few inches away from her shoulders. He wanted to stroke her arms and ask if she was all right. He had not forgotten how she used to suffer because of her heart problem.
How could he stand by and watch her suffer?
He was the one who arranged her surgery through the NGO back then. He had only wanted to see her and had considered marrying her. Sadly, she was not meant to be his.
He thought he would never show his face to her. When she came to him on her own, his mind started racing wildly. All his suppressed desires flared up.
He wished he could express his feelings for her. Unfortunately, she didn't love him.
Abigail bent her neck to look up at him.
Jasper withdrew his hand and walked back to his chair. "I didn't expect to see you here," he said solemnly, hiding his delight and excitement.
"I came for a job," she said.
"To be my PA!"
Abigail lowered her chin, embarrassed under his inquisitive stare. "No… I don't have the qualifications or experience to be your personal assistant."
Jasper's limpid gray eyes flickered. He was desperate to let her know how important she was to him.
'Just say it. I can do anything for you.'
He was anxiously waiting to hear what she had to say.
"I'm looking for work. I would be grateful if you could give me a job in your office. I worked in a consultancy firm for a year." She hurriedly showed him her certificates.
Jasper didn't have to check her documents. He went through them only to show her that he would not be favoring her. He recalled how she had declined his offer to work here.
It was the same reason he had never disclosed to her that he had financed her heart transplant surgery.
He closed the folder and gave it back to her. "Look, uh… we don't have any openings right now, but... you can join the company as a trainee. Our company is primarily concerned with the satisfaction of our clients. We help our clients with accounting, onsite assistance, day-to-day administrative support, and so on. We also provide professional translators and temporary workers for them."
When he saw her face turning pale, he realized his words were scaring her.
"We trained our employees. So, don't worry. You will learn everything. Once the training is completed, you will become a permanent employee. Are you willing to join?"
He crossed his fingers under the table.
Abigail didn't reply immediately. She took her time to consider his words.
Jasper was anxious as he assumed she was going to say no.
"Take your time to think. You don't have to answer right now. I'm going out to eat. Please join me."
His heart was pounding. He had no idea how he mustered the courage to invite her to lunch. Perhaps he didn't want to say goodbye to her so soon.
"Um... actually..." Abigail was about to decline the lunch invitation.
"I believe you haven't had lunch yet," he said, cutting her short. "We will talk about the company so you can get a better idea. It will help you decide what to do."
Abigail couldn't say no to him. After all, she needed a job.
"Okay," she said.