~ Chapter 1 ~

Picture Frame

"Marc, would you please hurry up, you're wasting precious time here.." she shouted, sat on her desk.

It was a normal day at Mode, it wasn't as busy as before since the next issue was already done and dusted. Most employees were just typing away, researching for some new ideas for the next issue.

Marc came in her office, looking scared since she wasn't in one of her best moods, not that she was often in good moods. God, you would have to wait for some kind of miracle for that to happen. But with the news he's got for her, he knew exactly how she would react. He didn't want to say it, but he had to, it was his job, and Wilhelmina would probably kill him if he stayed frozen in front of her desk, hands in both of his blazer pockets.

"So you want to tell me something?" she asked, putting her pen down and sitting up right, awaiting for his answer.

"Well...I think that, Willie, you will need a drink for this, since it's getting hot in your office.. Phew." he said and fakely wiped off his forehead, showing he was hot. He looked back at Wilhelmina who was then stood up walking towards him with an intimidating look on her face.

Marc put his hands up and gave up.

"He didn't approve Willie. I'm sorry, don't kill me." he said with half-closed his eyes. Wilhelmina just rolled her eyes. How typical of him.

"Well, then I guess I need to have a little talk with Daniel.. Arrange a meeting Marc, I want it as soon as possible. You're dismissed."

--

Marc went out of the office and pulled a tissue out of his pocket and wiped off his sweating forehead, and also took out his inhaler and let some oxygen in. He walked to Betty's desk. She was sat on her desk, typing away as usual, and from what he could figure, researching for a new project idea.

"Betty! Willie wants an appointment with Daniel ASAP. Bye." he started walking off.

"What? Wait, Marc.." she said. Marc stopped and slowly faced her, looking uninterested on what she was about to say next.

"If it's about the vacation, Daniel already said no." she said.

"Snore." he said blankly.

"Marc!"

Marc approached her.

"You know Wilhelmina, maybe just not as good as I do, well...." he was about to carry on, when Betty coughed to interrupt him.

"Anyway Marc, the point please?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Just make an appointment. It's not like the vacation is for her good... Uh oh, I meant.." He slipped up, and he knew he did. He had to get out of the situation fast.

"What are you on?"

"Nah-uh, nah-uh. Willie's not hiding anything from anyone, I swear.. Nothing, gotta go.." he said turning the other way.

Betty lifted a brow, doubting what he was saying.

"Okay, Daniel's free at 8pm, sounds good?" she asked. Marc gave her a thumbs up and then left.

--

Marc entered Wilhelmina's office, and there he started sweating and panting.

"Marc, you might wanna think about your hygiene. What the hell happened to you? Is that Betty too hard for you now?" she looked at him. He could feel her eyes burning on his face. He swallowed a gulp.

"Of course not.. Willie, you have date at 8pm with Daniel." he winked and swayed a little, feeling uncomfortable. She pulled a disgusted face.

"That brat! I'm gonna kill him if he didn't let me take this vacation. I swear, I could kill him, and if I do, you can keep his head."

"Good God, I'm in!"

Marc sat down in front of her desk.

"I know you miss him, don't you?" Marc asked sweetly. Wilhelmina knew who he was referring to. Her eyes softened at the thought of her son, who she had not seen for more than 2 months now.

"I do." she spaced out for about five seconds, and when that was over, she went back to her normal self again. She sent Marc out of her office and pulled out something from her drawer. She took out a picture of her with an 8-year old boy sat on her lap. The boy had brown her just like her, but he didn't have that green-blue eyes she had, just pure blue, like the boys father. Her son didn't look too much like her, he only got her hair colour and a bit of a tan. A bit because she was already from a mixed race and her son's father was white.

She stared at the picture and exhaled deeply.

--

*Ding*

Betty saw Daniel coming out of the elevator, so she quickly went to him.

"Hi Daniel." she smiled.

They walked along to his office. She closed the door, and Daniel sat down, and smiled at her.

"What's new Betty?" he looked like he was in a good mood. His smile was as bright as the sunshine just outside the building. Betty looked relieved.

"In an hour, you have a meeting with Bray King from the GoG advertising, and then after that with Lisa Ho, for the new set of clothes they are offering Mode to try out. And at 8, you have an appointment with your lovely Co-Editor, Wilhelmina." she saw Daniel's smile faded, too bad he was really in good mood, just not until she said her name.

"What?" he said annoyed.

"I'm sorry Daniel, but she really is serious about this vacation thing." Betty pushed, and she began to move towards his desk, but stopped when she got a meter away from it, just in case he'd take his anger out to her, not that he had before.

"Is she in her office now?" asked Daniel, standing up from his desk.

Betty looked at her watch, 2PM. Time for one of Wilhelmina's relaxing afternoons, like what Marc calls it.

"I think she will be.. Why, why what are you thinking Daniel?" she asked when she saw him approaching the door for an exit.

"I need to sort this out with her now, Betty." Betty pulled her glasses up and nodded, then followed Daniel out.

When they got to Marc's desk, he stood up and blocked them from going in any further.

"Uh.. Betty and Daniel, what do you think you're doing?" he asked confused. Betty stepped forward.

"Daniel wants to talk to Wilhelmina now Marc."

Marc checked Willie's schedule, then looked back at them, shaking his head with disapproval while biting his lower lip.

"Sorry, she's not free."

"Stop pretending Marc. You know she's free, she's just sat there." she said as she looked through the glass bit. She was right, Wilhelmina was sat there, only with the back of her chair, turned to them.

Daniel saw it too, so he pushed passed Marc and entered her office, and locked the door, so that Marc won't get it.

--

He got in her office, ready to talk to her. But she had her back to him, sat on her chair.

"Wilhelmina, you wanted to talk." he said to get her attention. But sadly, it didn't work.

"Wilhelmina." he said again, but still didn't get a reply. He started walking towards her.

"Wilhelmina?" Daniel saw she was asleep, her head resting on the comfortable chair she was sat on. She had a picture frame in her hand, but it was turned the other way around, so he couldn't see what it was. Daniel thought of how peaceful she looked at that moment. It was like looking back at the Wilhelmina he used to know, well he thought he knew. He looked at her. She hasn't changed much, probably because of the botox, but hey.. She looked fresh and still had that very mysterious feel around her, you could never tell what she was thinking. He body was still as hot as he could remember it, maybe even hotter now. Her face was still as beautiful as ever, and her lips; soft and very tempting, so easy to fall for.

While looking at her, curiosity took over him, so he carefully took the picture frame in her hands. She moved a little, but she didn't wake up. Daniel turned the fram around was wide-eyed of what he saw.

--

"Your boss is the most annoying but the hottest man I've ever met. Wait, that's being too nice.."

"What do you think they're doing in there?" asked Betty curiously.

"Not what you're thinking for sure." he said, as they turned a corner, they were going to the canteen.

"Willie would never do such a thing especially with your baby boss, Daniel." he smirked.

Betty pushed him playfully with a disgusted face, "You are sick minded. Not that Marc! What does Wilhelmina do during this hour anyway?"

"Sleep." Marc said simply.

Betty looked up to him and lifted a brow.

"Wilhelmina Slater sleeps in her office every afternoon?" Marc nodded. "Yeah, for only about an hour, then she's working like a machine again. Sshh your mouth okay? You never heard this from me.. If she ask, tell her it's that fat and sweaty security person downstairs."

--

" What the?" Daniel said to himself as he looked the picture in front of him. Who was that kid sat on Wilhelmina's lap. In the picture, she looked so attached to the boy. Could it be a child of hers. Daniel sat on the sofa in Wilhelmina's office and was still staring at the picture.

He was too absorbed by his thoughts that he hadn't notice Wilhelmina now looking down at him. Anger and confusion in her eyes. He realized then he stood up, face to face with the woman he used to...love?