Ceon sincerely spoke, "I'm not trying to impress you. I just want us to spend time together, know each other well. At least give it a month of time. If your opinion doesn't change, I will respect your decision."

He went towards the door seeing her silently looking at him. Before exiting, he again spoke, "I'm not asking you to date me this period of time. We can be friends or I can work as your assistant. Give it a thought."

​​

Then he left her office to Noah's office. Luna, Noah's secretary, was already informed about Ceon so she didn't prevent Ceon from entering office after the knock.

Ceon saw Zoe sitting on Noah's lap and curiously looking at the file he was holding.

"A N - an. E N T E R P R I S E - ent, enter, enter…" Then she pouted, craning her neck back to see Noah.

Noah who waved at Ceon to enter inside responded to the little tot, "Enterprise. Zoe, you don't have to learn such big words so soon."

Zoe shook her head and saw Ceon. She smiled at him like a well-bred lady and looked at the desk, "Uncle Noa, why don't you have a pink color file? They all are black. I want to read the pink file, it will have easy words."

Norah and Noah chuckled hearing her.

Ceon shook his head resignedly. "Kitten, how long are you going to sit with your new uncle? Don't you want to go home?"

Zoe pointed to Noah as she responded, "Uncle Noa said that I can stay as long as I want, and did you meet aunty? I saw her picture, she is pretty as an angel."

Ceon curiously asked, "I thought your mother is your angel."

Zoe remembered it and started thinking about it, causing the adults to smile. "Mommy is an old angel, aunty is a new angel."

Hearing her adorable voice, three chuckled again.

Ceon tried to change her decision, "Let's go home. I'll tell your mommy that you called her old."

Zoe puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

Norah pointed her cheeks and remarked, "She does like Aria."

Noah poked Zoe's cheeks while she responded, "Good uncle doesn't tittle-tattle. If you do so then you will become ugly fugly."

Ceon: "..."

Noah and Norah burst into laughter looking at uncle and niece.

unwillingly, soon Zoe left Wood International with her uncle saying she will visit them soon.

In her office, Zara scrolled Ceon's job application. He was post-graduate in business management. His scores were pretty good and his job experience even as an intern was better than being her assistant.

Since the Fourie knew about Ceon she knew he wouldn't have any motives against Wood International but she couldn't make her mind to allow him around her.

She had taken a great effort to stop her parents from arranging a marriage or blind dates. Even though they never forced her, she knew they were worried about her. She wasn't sure if she was afraid of relationships or men or afraid of falling in love.

Staying alone, handling everything on her own she was used to her life with her family. When Noah pushed her to handle the whole company, she was kind of frightened thinking about a whole lot of attention she would get so she stayed behind the scenes.

Now thinking somebody is interested in her, wants her and the amount of attention he would give her, she was scared what if she again gets cheated on.

With complex thoughts, she completed her work and went home without disturbing Noah and Norah.

...

Noah saw his sister distracted during dinner so he went to her room after finishing some of his work. Seeing her sitting in the balcony pressing her forehead, he took a cushion and went to her.

Placing it at the foot of the chair, "Sis, sit down."

"What happened?"

He held her arms and helped her sit. He sat on the same chair leaning her back on the chair. Zara was about to ask, Noah gently started pressing her head.

"How sweet!"

Noah was used to the word sweet, cute to him but still, "Sis, can you not copy the drama queens?"

Zara chuckled and closed her eyes leaning her head on his knee. She had a faint smile forgetting her complex mood she had a few seconds back.

"Sis, why are you stressed out?"

Zara calmly responded without opening her eyes, "You know it. Don't you?"

Noah hummed trying to read her expression which was actually serene. "What are you thinking?"

She spoke about what was happening in her head, "Promptly saying, I'm still not ready to have a man in my life. I feel like I might ruin my peaceful life."

"Are you planning to stay single?"

Zara smiled hearing him, "Don't worry, if you throw me out in my old age, Eva and Aria will look after me."

Noah didn't like her joke, "Sis!"

She took a deep breath before speaking, "I really moved on from that man but I am not able to remove that fear. You know I have tried my best whenever Mom cried but it's just stronger in me."

She opened her eyes checking her left-hand wrist where a thin faint line was visible upon closer look. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

Noah knew about her fear. That time there was nobody who actually liked Zara for who she was. Those arranged men were interested in the relationship due to family status but Ceon was a different case.

"Sis, you have closed yourself. You aren't letting anybody break the ice you have built around you. You struggled a lot internally battling yourself, why don't you try externally too?"

Zara turned around to face him, "Means?"

"Means why don't you make new friends, go out and enjoy. I'm not asking you to date Ceon. At least you can be a friend. You can see if you could get along with him. You..."

Zara cut in, "I don't want to give him false hope."

Noah shook his head, "You can firmly draw the line. I don't think he will cross it."

Noah helped Zara to sit on the chair as he continued, "Until you don't interact with anybody, you will not know yourself too. Don't do for him or others, do for yourself. Give yourself a chance."