What's Wrong, Secretary Rey? (Reylo AU)

by elleonrose

Summary:

Everyone swoons over the hot and successful Ben Solo, vice president of Solo Group of Companies. Except for his secretary.

Notes:

(The Star Wars version/adaptation of a popular Korean drama, "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", featuring Reylo. Will add my own twist on it)

Chapter 1: The Secretary

Man of the Hour

 

Driven, determined, and oozing with confidence, business tycoon Ben Solo is the ideal man you've never heard of

 

The young lady took a good look at the men's magazine cover and let out a sound through her pursed lips.

 

"Pfft."

 

She carefully scanned the said man's black and white photoshoot. This Ben Solo guy was garbed in a white button-down with the first three buttons opened up. It was only a half-body shot for the cover, yet it was enough to command attention of whoever gets to lay their eyes on it. His expression was serious, his gaze penetrating.

 

I can't believe this is what I see first thing in the morning.

 

She rolled her eyes and was about to scan the magazine when the barista called out her order.

 

"One tall cup of hot cappucino for Rey!"

 

The young lady returned the magazine on the rack and walked towards the counter to pick up her coffee order. She went out of the coffee shop, cup of coffee on her left hand, and shoulder bag slung on her right shoulder.

 

It's seven thirty, good thing he won't be there until nine am.

 

She always made sure to arrive earlier than her boss. This gave her the time to eat breakfast at the office pantry and to get a breather for an unpredictable crazy working day.

 

After all, she worked for none other than the guy on the magazine cover, as Executive Assistant.

---

"Girl, have you seen the magazine cover of Mr. Solo?!"

 

From her table where she ate, Rey could hear the excited shrilly voice of her female colleague. She continued to savor her sausage muffin and pretended to look indifferent, with her ears perked as she eavesdropped on their conversation.

 

"Oh my gosh, you finally have a copy, Jaina?!"

 

"Yeah, pre-ordered it!"

 

"Lemme see!"

 

"Careful, Mara! I haven't read it yet!"

 

Rey heard the rustling of pages, then Mara's voice reading a line.

 

"I am at the peak of my life, so far, love and marriage are the last things on my mind."

 

Shrieking sounds soon followed from the two girls.

 

"He's still single!" The girl named Jaina gushed. "We can still change his mind!"

 

"Oh my, I wish I can be his girlfriend!"

 

"In your dreams, Mara!"

 

"But wasn't he dating that actress?"

 

"Why don't you ask our fellow Girl Friday?"

 

Jaina looked towards Rey's direction. The latter looked at them both, and it was a sign for them to approach her.

 

"Hey Rey, is Sir Ben dating anyone?" Mara whispered excitedly.

 

Rey shrugged her shoulders sheepishly.

 

"Don't keep secrets from us, girl!" Jaina giggled.

 

"Honestly, I have no idea. And don't gush so loud, other people might hear us," Rey reprimaned them.

 

"Don't be a killjoy," Mara pouted.

 

"I may be working closely with him, but his personal life is none of my business," Rey casually remarked.

 

"But in your three years here, you did not develop any feelings for him?" Mara pulled up a chair beside Rey and sat next to her.

 

"Not even a crush," Rey sipped her coffee.

 

"Whoa, that's unbelievable!" Jaina exclaimed. "You're the one who goes with him to out-of-the-country business meetings and events, and not one time that your heart skipped a beat over the hot and confident Mr. Ben Solo?!"

 

"He's not my type. You all know how hot-headed and full of himself he can be."

 

"Maybe you're the one he likes!" Mara playfully nudged Rey and laughed.

 

"That will never happen." Rey finished her coffee and crumpled the now-empty sausage muffin wrap.

 

"Yeah, says the girl garbed in the most expensive dress suits and heels every day. Pretty sure you're the one here with the biggest allowance, it's a sign he probably likes you" Jaina said.

 

"It's part of my job to look good, if only you know, he picks even on my nail polish colors."

 

Rey stared at her beige-colored French tips.

 

"I wish I were in your shoes, Rey. You're the luckiest girl here working for the Vice-President of Solo Group," Mara quipped dreamily.

 

"I can recommend you in my post if the time comes," Rey smiled. "Gotta go, see you later for lunch."

 

"Thanks, Rey!"

 

Mara and Jaina remained at her table as they gushed over the magazine.

 

Rey proceeded to walk through the hallway. She went towards the lift and pressed the up button.

 

It opened immediately. Rey stepped inside and pressed number 20. No one was with her inside. After all, she and her boss were the only ones allowed to use this exclusive elevator unit, which goes straight up to Ben Solo's posh and exclusive headquarters.

 

As the door closed, Rey breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad to be away from her two noisy colleagues.

 

Almost every one she knew in this company gushed and swooned over her boss. It was always about Sir Ben being hot, smart, rich, tall, confident. Like he was some sort of celebrity.

 

But not me.

 

She knew how emo and whiny he can be if things don't go his way. How he picks on even the slightest thing, how much of a workaholic he is, to the point that she still had to report for work during weekends and even on her vacation leave.

 

Add to that, his insensitive and self-centered nature.

 

Yet Rey cannot deny that Ben Solo is one successful man.

 

Despite his shortcomings, he compensated her well. Her base pay covered all of her bills, plus that coveted clothing allowance. He would take her on out of the country trips and she would go home with gifts, such as food baskets, perfume, cosmetics, and another set of bags, clothes, and shoes from sponsors and business partners. She had so much, that some of these gifts were given to her room mate Rose and the other women in their flat.

 

I think I have enough savings, it should cover my living expenses once I turn in my resignation.

 

It was always on her mind. She had no plans of staying here forever, of being at his beck and call. Rey had other plans, she just stayed glued to this job for money's sake.

 

The elevator door opened. Rey stepped out to a sprawling minimalist lobby, with light blue walls and a white sofa.

 

"Good day, Miss Rey."

 

Rey tuned to the blonde man in a coat and tie leaning against the wall. He smiled smugly at her. Hux was the head of marketing, and also worked closely with Ben.

 

"Hello, Hux, you're pretty early today." Rey showed a small smile at him.

 

"Your boss is here already and cooping up inside his quarters," Hux whispered.

 

"You're kidding me!" Rey frowned.

 

"It's true. He's gonna meet us together with Madam Phasma for closing the deal in Seoul."

 

"Oh, another trip out of the country. By the way, how's his mood?"

 

"He just quietly strode along the hallway like some dark lord."

 

Hux laughed at his own remark.

 

"So he's not blowing up yet."

 

"Yeah. By the way, can I have lunch with you later, Rey?"

 

"Sorry, I'm eating with the girls, Jaina and Mara."

 

"What about dinner after work? My treat." Hux couldn't help looking like an excited teenage boy.

 

Rey knew Hux was trying to get into her good graces. He was nice, but she did not like the idea of a relationship at work.

 

"I'd rather be out early if I can. Some other time will do, thank you."

 

"Okay."

 

Rey left Hux without another glance.

 

The moment she entered the vice president's quarters, she came face to face with none other than Ben Solo.

Chapter 2: The Presentation

"Good day, Secretary Rey."

 

The young lady held her breath the moment she saw Ben Solo in front of her. For some reason, he never failed to make her feel nervous and uneasy around his presence. His demeanor was either calm but icily cold, or about to have an outburst.

 

"Good morning, Sir Ben." Rey managed to look composed while showing a tiny smile, despite the sudden increase in her heart rate.

 

"Have you studied the presentation you made together with Phasma?" Ben asked. "I might ask you later during the discussion."

 

"Yes, I know it by heart."

 

"Good, we'll just wait for her to arrive. Please prepare some tea and biscuits."

 

Ben Solo turned his back and sauntered towards his office.

 

Rey placed her handbag on her arm chair and headed straight to the private pantry, where biscuits and tea are ready for any meeting.

 

She grabbed a pitcher of water from the mini fridge and poured it inside a red kettle. Rey propped the kettle on top of the electric stove and as she waited for it to heat up, she reached for the cabinet and took a packet of biscuits.

 

Falcon Tea Biscuits

 

Of course, this brand belonged to none other than Ben's prominent family.

 

The Solo Group of Companies owned the largest department store in the UK, Falcon Department Store. It had its own grocery brand, together with the resident food line, ranging from biscuits, chocolates, tea, jams, preserves, sausages, and coffee.

 

Aside from that, Falcon also owned a cosmetics line, said to be founded by Ben Solo's grandmother, and named after her.

 

The business wasn't exclusive to the UK. Over the last 14 years, Falcon expanded and built smaller branches in New York, Los Angeles, and Dubai. It was building a name for itself as a luxury goods haven. And people flocked to it, helping it increase sales and gain loyal customers.

 

Ben Solo's pretty face is really good for business, Rey smirked to herself over the thought. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but he had that aura that made him a gorgeous man to others.

 

But she knew his true colors, and not once did she felt any attraction to him. Rey wondered how people gush and swoon over him, especially 99.9% of the females working in Solo Group.

 

The kettle finished boiling. Rey poured the steaming water inside a light blue teapot, and she seeped two teabags of Darjeeling tea. She carefully placed the teapot on a blue ceramic tray and covered it. Next to the kettle, she placed the platter of biscuits.

 

Rey walked slowly to the small meeting room adjacent to the boss' headquarters. The moment she entered, Ben Solo was already seated at the head of the long table.

 

Beside him was Hux, to his right. To his left sat Madam Phasma, a tall blonde woman who worked as the head of marketing for
the cosmetics and skin care line.

 

"Thanks for bringing in the refreshments, Secretary Rey," Ben regarded her.

 

Rey nodded as she placed the tray of tea and biscuits in the middle. She went out and returned shortly, carrying another tray with teacups, saucers, and a box of napkins.

 

"Alright, then, let's start the meeting," Ben commanded as he stood up. "Gwen, time to start your presentation. Show me your deck."

 

Ben was referring to Phasma, the brainchild of this idea.

 

Solo Group was planning to penetrate the Asian market by introducing the in-house cosmetics line in Seoul, South Korea. Ben listened intently while Hux looked on as he nibbled a biscuit.

 

"Padmé is known here in the UK as an old lady brand, meaning most of our consumers are women in their forties and up," Phasma stated as she stood beside the 48-inch flat TV screen. "This shows brand loyalty throughout the years, but we also need to reach out to the younger beauty market, not just here but in Asia, as this provides a promising oppurtunity."

 

On it, her presentation deck was flashed.

 

"Since we already launched the Padmé Velvet Creme here in London, our goal is to introduce our brand in the Asian market by launching it first in South Korea. This newest lip cream formulation is packaged to make it look appealing to the younger market, working women aged eigtheen to thirty, specifically. The last sales report stated it's already doing well in sales and being promoted by Youtube beauty vloggers."

 

Phasma smiled as she switched to the next deck, showing the said lip cream in 5 clear tubes with a metallic blue cover. It had various shades of red and pink.

 

"Why did you chose South Korea?" Ben asked, looking quizically as he leaned on his arm chair. "They are known for the local beauty brands, they have their own."

 

"Our soon-to-be partner, Hyundai Mall, carries global luxury brands, such as Dior, Chanel, Yves Sant Laurent, and Tom Ford, among others," Phasma explained. "South Korea is a great test market for launching a global brand in Asia. South Korean beauty consumers are well-educated when it comes to brands, also the most digitally savvy.
They shop online, check the product formulation before buying, read reviews, and if convinced, we can win them over."

 

"What's the marketing campaign for this?" Ben asked.

 

Phasma smiled and showed the next slide. It read, "Beautifully Blueming with Padmé." Next to it was a picture of the popular South Korean singer, IU.

 

"Hey wait, that's the spelling?" Hux pointed out the word Blueming.

 

"That's the title of her hit Kpop song," Phasma answered. "We already have news that IU agreed to be the face of this campaign, based on the partner agency from Seoul. Her commercial film will be launched as soon as we close the deal and Padmé is in full swing."

 

"May I listen to this song?"

 

Ben's serious tone made the whole room silent.

 

"Can you flash the music video on the screen?" Ben threw a serious glance at them.

 

Rey stood up from her corner and approached Phasma's laptop. She opened a browser and clicked the shortcut to Youtube. She searched the music video to the song, and then started playing "Blueming" by IU.

 

It was a pin-drop kind of silent, no one made a noise except for IU and her singing. Phasma and Rey stared at each other and then to Ben, whose eyes were glued to the screen watching the music video without any reaction. Thankfully, Rey activated the English captions for the translation.

 

Hux bopped his head to the tune of the music, and when it was over, he was the first one to speak up.

 

"I like her, she is a good choice for the face of the brand." A wide grin was plastered on his face.

 

"Whose idea was it to get this singer as an endorser?" Ben asked.

 

"Me."

 

Rey replied, her sights focused intently on her boss.

 

"What made you chose her to be the brand endorser?"

 

"Erm, she already made a handful of brand endorsements in her home country, and it was effective. Plus, she just finished her hit drama series and her Asian tour. She also fits our target market."

 

"Are you a K-pop fan?" Ben frowned at her.

 

"Not really, it was my room mate who suggested her while I was doing my research."

 

"And thankfully, the partner agency in Seoul happened to know the agency handling her. IU already tried the lip creme and gave her thumbs up." Phasma couldn't help but smile at the thought.

 

Ben silently thought and then gave his say.

 

"Okay, let's go with this one. Good job. Our flight is scheduled this Saturday. We will present this to the team of Hyundai Department Store in Gangnam. Let's hope it goes well. Thank you for this presentation."

 

Ben stood up and strode out the door. Hux followed and sang, "Blue, blueming!"

 

When Phasma and Rey were the only ones left, they both exhaled a deep sigh.

 

"I'm glad he did not have any vehement reactions," Phasma mumbled.

 

"You should have seen his face the entire time. It's like he wasn't thoroughly convinced of this plan," Rey stated.

 

Phasma gave Rey a hug and whispered, "Thank you, you're my life saver."

 

"No problem. Any time."

 

Rey broke away and smiled at Madam Phasma.

 

She felt more appreciated by this lady over her actual boss. This made her daily workload lighter, and she was thankful.

Notes:

Yes, there are K-pop references here lol.

Hyundai Department Store exists IRL, but used fictitiously here.

Any IU fans reading?

I know these kinds of pitch presentation, having worked in an ad agency.

Chapter 3: Rose

"Oh my, you're going to South Korea?!"

Rose looked thrilled as she sat on Rey's bed. She watched as Rey pulled out her trolley suitcase from the side and propped it open on her bed.

"Yes, it's because of work. We will be presenting to the team of Hyundai Department Store for the Padmé product launch."

Rey opened her closet door and pulled out a pile of clothes fit for fall season. She removed some of them from the hangers and folded each one neatly before placing it inside her suitcase.

"Who's your endorser?" Rose asked.

"It's IU."

Rose let out an excited shriek. "Oh my, please have a photo with her when you see her!" She fell down on the bed and hugged a small pillow.

"That is, if I can pull her aside," Rey smiled, amused at her friend's reaction. Rose may be Vietnamese in origin, but she loved everything Korean, from food to music.

"How many days will you stay there?" Rose asked.

"About five days. After the presentation, IU will have a press conference and contract signing for the brand," Rey answered as she busied herself with putting more clothes in her suitcase.

"So this means you'll be stuck with that annoying boss of yours." Rose looked up to Rey, her lip curling upward.

"Stop grinning at me like that!" Rey laughed, taking the pillow from Rose and pretending to hit her on the head with it.

"It's so weird that you don't feel anything for him. My God, he's Ben Solo! He's on the cover of GQ!" Rose cried out. "You've been with him a few times during those trips, and you don't even like him?!"

"Never in a million years," Rey replied smugly. She folded the last of her travel clothing and shut down her suitcase, zippering it on the sides and securing it with a combination number lock.

"Are you even a woman?!" Rose asked.

"I am very much a woman." Rey placed down her suitcase and dropped on her bed, lying next to Rose, whose face was in utmost disbelief. She turned to her side and said:

"If only you meet him every day, you'll see what a first class jerk he is."

"Your annoying face is so cute." Rose pinched Rey's nose bridge.

"It's the real deal. And I promised myself I won't fall for anyone at work. Professional boundaries."

"But the Hux guy you told me about is trying to date you. He's also a good catch, you don't even like him?" Rose asked.

"Nope, never at work." Rey raised her hand defiantly. "What about you and Finn?"

Rey referred to the guys in the next unit, Finn and his friend Poe. They were common friends, who they have meet-ups with during free weekends, hanging out at a pub called The Cantina.

"He's a cold fish. Dunno if he ever noticed me making the moves on him," Rose looked disappointed.

"Maybe I can refer you to my boss. He has not dated anyone for two years now," Rey smiled wickedly.

"Stop passing that hidden desire to me, Little Miss Hotshot Secretary!"

"There is no hidden desire!"

"My Jedi Mind Trick says you like him!"

"Let me Force choke you, Miss Rose Tico!"

Rey and Rose ended up having a pillow fight amidst their laughter and jokes.

Chapter 4: Shredded

Notes:

Yes, I have added that scene from The Last Jedi plus that line from SNL. Enjoy.

The Saturday 12 midnight flight from London to Seoul took 10 hours. They arrived at 7pm, Seoul time, and went straight to a four-star hotel in Gangnam. Hyundai Department Store was in Apgujeong within the area, which made it convenient for them.

"It's a free day tonight until tomorrow, for now, you can do whatever you want," Ben Solo told Hux and Madam Phasma. The four of them were eating dinner at the hotel restaurant, after they checked in their respective rooms.

"Let's try the street food in Myeongdong! Rey, come with us tonight!" Hux offered excitedly as he smiled at Rey beside him.

"For now, she'll be finalizing my schedule and call the Hyundai people to confirm for the Monday morning meeting," Ben curtly stated. "But tomorrow, she is free to do as she pleases."

Ben threw a serious glance at Rey. She understood what that glance meant: You only take orders from one person: me.

"Yes Mr. Solo, after this dinner, I shall contact Mr. Park from Hyundai. I will inform him of our Monday morning meeting for the presentation, located at their headquarters," Rey narrated. "After this, we will have the press conference with IU on Thursday, I will get in touch with her management, our partner agency, and Hyundai team."

"Thank you for always knowing what to do, Secretary Rey."

Ben nodded his head in acknowledgement. Rey did the same gesture and went back to finishing her lunch.

She still felt sleepy and groggy after that long-haul flight. Rey wanted to crash on her hotel bed and doze off until morning, but right now, there are important matters to be taken care of. Despite her dislike towards her boss, Ben Solo actually recognized her hard work. She was actually thankful for the few times he regarded her.

When they finished their dinner, Hux and Phasma went off to Myeongdong. Rey told them she'll be going there Sunday night.

"Food is on me! See you tomorrow, Rey!" Hux called out happily before he walked off with Phasma.

Rey was left alone in her hotel room aftewards. She spent the next moment calling the Hyundai team and taking notes about the schedule and event for Monday. Luckily, they were easy to talk to. She finished her task at 10pm and got ready for bed time by taking a warm shower.

She got dressed in a thick gray sweatshirt and black jogging pants. Rey was about to hit the bed when she realized something:

She forgot to send a private message to Ben about the Monday schedule.

Rey pondered if she should be sending him a private message, or just go straight to his hotel room. Usually, during trips like this, she would personally talk to Ben about schedules. The former would usually ask her to meet and have a short talk before retiring for the night.

I'll send him a Viber message about Monday schedule.

Rey did what she had in mind.

Ben Solo replied with, "Room 2104, meet me there."

Rey sprinted to her feet, her notebook in hand. Room 2104 was at the other end of the lobby. She instantly knocked at the door, and from the other end, she heard him say, "Open it".

The moment Rey step foot inside, Ben met her wearing nothing but black pants. His wide chest was exposed in its full glory, his wavy jet black hair dripping down his white shoulders.

"Oh," Rey mumbled. She tried to pull away her sights and wanted to run away right now. But her agenda stayed in mind.

"Do you have something? A cowl, or something you could put on?"

Rey avoided her gaze the entire time she asked him. She could feel her face heating up in embarassment.

"How was the call?"

Rey looked straight at her boss, trying to meet his eyes and not shifting her sights downwards. She could feel him staring hotly at her, not knowing if he was amused at her reaction, or if he did this on purpose just to catch her off-guard.

Rey already saw hundreds of shirtless men in her life, but not Ben Solo.

She remembered Hux telling stories about Ben.

"We went to the gym together and I showered with him. Have you heard, Ben Solo is shredded. Ben Solo has an eight-pack. I'd sell my soul just to have that hot ripped body. Ben Swolo, he is."

Rey stifled her giggle.

"What's wrong, Secretary Rey?"

Rey snapped out of her daze and answered.

"I have talked with the Hyundai group and the meeting is all set on Monday, 9:30am at their headquarters."

"Who are the attendees of the meeting?" Ben asked coolly.

"Mr. Park and the rest of the team."

"Noted, you may go now."

Ben dismissed her in a snap. Rey walked away and returned to her hotel room, her face redder than that best-selling Padmé red lip creme shade.

She threw herself on the bed and buried her face on her pillow, her hand hitting the other pillow.

Why did he have to do that?! It's not like I like him, but why?! Why am I affected?! I still won't like him and that fake shredded eight-pack!

Chapter 5: The Gift

"Hey Rey, what's up? You're so quiet since we came here to Myeongdong."

 

Hux walked beside Rey, who was in a daze the whole time they strolled a long lane of street food stalls on a Sunday night. He took a spoonful of roasted cheese lobster as he studied Rey's expression. On her hand she carried a stick of fried potato tornado.

 

"You're not feverish." Phasma touched Rey's forehead with the back of her hand. "Are you sure you're okay? That potato stick is the only thing you're eating. Let me buy you some cheesy lobster."

 

"I'm alright, really." Rey smiled as she bit into her fried potato.

 

The truth was, she can't get over seeing shirtless Ben Solo from last night. She had a hard time falling asleep trying to erase it in her mind.

 

"Did you happen to see Ben running around without a shirt on?" Hux asked.

 

Rey almost choked on her potato upon hearing this question.

 

"Here's water," Phasma opened a water bottle from her shoulder bag and handed it to Rey. The latter took a gulp of it.

 

"Looks like it's true," Hux couldn't help but snicker. "It won't affect you unless you have something brewing for him."

 

"No!" Rey exclaimed defensively. She walked ahead of Hux and Phasma and approached a stall selling roasted lobster.

 

"One lobster please," she requested to the lady vendor.

 

As she waited for her meal to be prepared, Hux stood beside her and said, "It won't affect you that much unless you already like him."

 

To which Rey tuned around and glared:

 

"I don't like him! I guess I'm just hungry."

 

She faked a smile and reached out for her order. After paying, she walked ahead while Hux and Phasma trailed behind her.

 

"That's how it starts," Hux grinned knowingly as he whispered to Phasma.

 

"Knowing Ben, he's never been on a date for two years. Maybe even more than that," Phasma giggled.

 

"Let's start the Rey-Ben fan club, I'm president, you're the vice president," Hux whispered. They both let out a good laugh.

 

"I heard that!" Rey turned around and shot another glare. Her face turned red, and it wasn't because of the chilly night air.

 

"Sorry, Madam Solo!" Hux raised a hand while Phasma laughed harder.

 

Rey rolled her eyes in annoyance. These two can be the worst teasing squad in the whole Solo Group.

 

---

The Monday morning meeting with the Hyundai Department Store team went well. The proposal was approved, and the next step was the presscon with singer IU, scheduled on Thursday. Everything was set according to plan.

 

Yet Rey was still busy with arranging the needs for her boss. Tuesday and Wednesday meant she was still busy with work.

 

"Rey, let's visit Everland!" Hux offered to her as they ate breakfast Wednesday morning.

 

"I can't, I'm too busy, you know how he is with directly following the schedules," Rey whispered.

 

"We'll sneak you out," Phasma winked at her.

 

Rey shook her head smilingly and continued with her meal.

 

"She's free to go with you."

 

Ben Solo arrived from the lobby, garbed in a white polo shirt and black pants. He sat beside Rey and said, "It's your free day today, you can go with them."

 

"Really?" A smile peeked from her lips.

 

"Just don't call her while we're out," Phasma ordered. "We'll be back around seven or eight."

 

"Noted." Ben smirked and stood up to get a meal from the breakfast buffet.

 

Rey spent the rest of her day enjoying the attractions at the Everland Theme Park. She felt like a kid again as she enjoyed the rides with Phasma and Hux.

 

By night time, she was back at the hotel. Rey entered her room and was surprised to find a white rectangular-shaped box on top of her bed.

 

There was an envelope on top. Rey took it and opened the envelope to see a card inside. It read:

 

In case you have nothing to wear for the press conference tomorrow, Secretary Rey. I want you to look your best.

 

It was signed, Ben Solo, Vice President, Solo Group of Companies

 

"Look at this guy, clothes are not a problem for me, I do have something to wear for tomorrow," she mouthed.

 

Curiously, Rey lifted the box cover, and found a silk pearl pink dress. She lifted it carefully, and was delighted at how it looked. It was a one-shouldered sleeveless dress with a balloon skirt. She laid it on the bed, and underneath it was a thin silver leather belt and white high-heeled pumps.

 

He got this for me? Rey wondered.

 

She suddenly felt ashamed that he would go out of his way to buy her a designer dress and shoes. But then, he was Ben Solo, owner of a multi-billion dollar business.

 

Other girls, if they were in her place, would feel happy if Ben Solo was their boss and he would gift them with pricey clothes and shoes.

 

He had done so much for her already, not just with this gift together with her hefty paycheck and clothing allowance.

 

Rey knew she worked so hard to get to where she is right now. But why did she felt like she still had to repay him better?

 

She hated this guilty feeling, especially now that she had her resignation plan all ready.

 

Despite his unpredictable attitude and annoying self-centered behavior, maybe I shouldn't hate him so much.

Notes:

The dress I have in mind was the assymetrical pink dress designed by Monique Lhuillier. This was the 2015 photoshoot of Ms. Daisy Ridley,
photographed by Miller Mobley for The Hollywood Reporter. It's one of my favorite dresses that Daisy wore.

Chapter 6: Sniffles

Notes:

Celebrity interaction

Rey looked elegant as she walked in the hotel lobby on a Thursday, at 7pm. She wore the silk pink dress that Ben Solo gifted her, and to be honest, she felt good wearing it.

 

"You're here," Ben greeted her the moment she stepped inside the conference hall. He stood by the entrance door, and Rey felt his eyes hover all over her. It wasn't a demeaning kind of look, but more like something between astonishment and admiration.

 

Rey didn't want to think that he was actually admiring her tonight. Countless of times, she attended events with him dressed in something formal, with her hair and face all made up. He should get used to it.

 

"Am I late?" Rey asked.

 

"No, let's sit down for dinner first. Hux and Phasma have chosen a table."

 

Rey walked behind Ben as he led her to a round table near the stage. Hux and Phasma both greeted them while having a meal.

 

"When is the guest coming?" Phasma was referring to IU, the singer and product endorser for Padmé Lip Creme.

 

"According to her manager, they will be here in 30 minutes," Rey replied, checking her mobile phone.

 

"Better eat fast," Hux reminded her.

 

A waiter pulling a tray stopped by them and served a plate of meal to Ben. When he approached Rey, she requested only for the salad plate, which he gave her.

 

"That's it?" Phasma asked, concerned.

 

"I ate an early dinner at 5pm," Rey took a bite of the salad greens. "Had something from the convenience store, seaweed wrap rice and tteokboki."

 

Rey checked her online messages. Rose sent one, saying:

 

"Please have a photo with IU omo!"

 

Rey laughed. She placed the phone in front of her, took a selfie, and sent it to Rose.

 

"You look so awesome! Wait, is that Ben Solo beside you?"

 

Rey noticed the side of the photo she sent, showing half of her boss' face, who was seated to her left.

 

"I'm always seated near him during events like this," Rey replied.

 

"We're just waiting for you guys to fall for each other," Rose said on the other line with matching heart eyes emoji.

 

"How about no?" Rey added 3 cry laugh emojis and hit the send button.

 

"Secretary Rey?"

 

She heard Ben to her left.

 

"Yes, how can I help?"

 

"I almost forgot, when you meet IU, please hand her a bouquet. The hotel staff said the person supposed to deliver her bouquet met a motorcycle accident."

 

Rey froze in her seat, and not only because of the poor delivery guy who had an accident.

 

"But Sir, is there anyone else from the hotel who---"

 

"I am counting on you for this task. Just buy a bouquet from the flower shop within the hotel, meet the endorser at the main entrance, hand it to her, and escort her here. Do you get my orders?"

 

Rey took a deep breath and replied, "Okay."

 

She took one last bite of her salad, drank a gulp of water, got her handbag, and went out of the hall.

 

"Where is the flower shop?" Rey asked the woman at the lobby.

 

"Go straight and to your left."

 

"Kamsahamnida," Rey thanked her in Korean and sauntered to the flower shop.

 

She could feel her nose itching like crazy the closer she got, and by the moment she was inside the flower shop, her nose and eyes were both watery, the itching worse.

 

"One bouquet please, the most special," Rey told her order to the cashier lady.

 

The lady went to the back. Rey checked her phone, and saw a message from IU's manager, saying they were coming in three minutes.

 

God, get me out of this place. Rey sniffed and covered her nose. She replied "Please wait for me at the entrance" to the said manager.

 

The cashier lady came back with her bouquet. Rey handed her a debit card from her hand bag slung across her shoulder. The lady swiped it and gave it to her. Rey snucked it in her handbag and she walked out of the flower shop, her eyes brimming with tears. She flung the bouquet away from her face, pointed towards her back, as she headed to the main entrance.

 

Damn, I forgot to tell him I have pollen allergies. Of the three years she worked for Ben, she was never asked to buy a bouquet, except for now.

 

A white limo stopped in front of the entrance. Rey wiped a tear steaking down her cheek and tried to look good.

 

A bespectacled Korean man met her and shook hands with her. Behind him, a young lady with blue wavy hair showed up. She was dressed in a sparkly blue dress and jeweled heels.

 

"Good evening, I'm IU," she said.

 

Rey smiled upon seeing IU in front of her. She quickly handed her the bouquet, and IU received it smilingly.

 

"I'm glad you're here with us," Rey said and sniffed.

 

IU took a good look at her and mouthed, "Are you okay?"

 

"Yes. Really, I'm okay. Let's go now."

 

Rey led IU and her team to the conference hall, and the moment they entered, people cheered and clapped their hands. IU's fan group went up and took photos. Rey had to close her eyes as camera lights flashed, with tears rolling down her eyes.

 

"The moment we're all waiting for, let's welcome IU!" the stage emcee said.

 

Rey watched IU go up the stage, with Ben and Phasma trailing behind her.

 

She sneaked out of the conference hall and headed to the hotel lobby, where she found a sofa to sit on. Rey took out some tissues from her handbag and blew her nose on them.

 

"Oh, there's an antihistamine tablet in here," she gasped. "Good thing I chose this handbag."

 

Rey went up to a nearby water dispenser and found a paper cup. She filed it with water and drank the antihistamine tablet, to allevite her pollen allergies.

 

After taking the medicine, she leaned back on the sofa and felt relieved. She closed her eyes for a while, feeling her fatigue kicking in.

 

"Secretary Rey?"

 

Rey jolted from her nap when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Ben Solo staring at her.

 

"Oh," she mumbled. Rey straightened up and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice I fell asleep." She looked at the wall clock, which read 11pm.

 

"Rey, do you want a photo with IU?"

 

Hux arrived and found Ben staring down at Rey.

 

"Is she still here?" Rey asked, looking around.

 

"She's in the conference room, we need a group photo with her," Hux said.

Rey stood up and followed Hux. They arrived at the room and were asked to join IU at the stage.

 

There was an official photographer who took their photos. After that, Hux handed his mobile phone and asked to take a photo using it.

 

After the countless shots, Rey was about to go down the stage when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She turned around and saw IU smiling at her.

 

"Hello, are you okay now?" IU sounded sweet and genuinely concerned.

 

"Yes, I'm allergic to flowers," Rey whispered. She spotted Ben among the crowd talking to some officials and added, "My boss, Mr. Solo, doesn't know."

 

"He will understand if you tell him," IU replied.

 

"Oh, by the way, may I have a photo with you? My friend Rose from London is a big fan." Rey couldn't help but smile.

 

"Of course," IU agreed.

 

Rey took out her phone and bended her knees a little so she could be at head level with the popular Korean pop singer. They both looked happy as Rey took 3 photo shots.

 

"Thank you, kamsahamnida," Rey told IU.

 

"You're welcome," IU smiled. "By the way, your name is?"

 

"Rey. Daisy Rey imnida. Executive Assistant to Ben Solo."

 

"You're a Daisy?!" IU laughed.

 

"And allergic to flowers, ironically," Rey laughed.

 

"Stay away from flowers," IU reminded her smilingly. She waved goodbye as she went with her manager.

 

The night ended well. Rey went back to her hotel room and before sleeping, she sent Rose her 3 photos together with IU.

 

Rose replied immediately and said:

 

"Ohmygod, Christmas just came early! Thank you Rey, you're the best!"

Notes:

IU is used here fictitiously. I checked their height differences. IU is 5'4 feet, Daisy Ridley is 5'7 feet.

Imnida means "I'm"
Kamsahamnida means "thank you"

Chapter 7: The Letter

Mr. Ben Solo
Vice President, Solo Group of Companies

 

Dear Mr. Solo,

 

I’m writing to give my formal notice that I’ll be leaving my role as Executive Assistant for the Vice President of Solo Group, effective, November 2.

 

I am going to take a gap year to enroll in theater acting, and at the same time, to go around Europe together with my mother, as I have promised her.

 

I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been provided working on our team for the past three years. It’s been a wonderful experience to work for such a great company and help in providing solutions and assistance to none other than the esteemed Vice President of this company.

 

Please let me know if I can be of any help during this transition. Thank you for all your guidance. I wish you all the best, and look forward to keeping in touch.

 

Sincerely,
Daisy Rey Kanata

 

A frown spread across Ben's forehead after reading his Executive Assistant's email.

 

A week had passed after they returned from South Korea. He remembered Rey looking happy after the event with IU. She seemed to be okay, but why is he reading this?

 

He sent a private message to Hux and asked him to come to his office.

 

"Hey Ben, what's up?"

 

Hux arrived quickly and sauntered towards his table.

 

"Look at this."

 

Ben stood up and gestured for Hux to read his laptop screen. Hux sat in front of it and read the letter.

 

"Sincerely, Daisy Rey Kanata," he mouthed.

 

"What do you think?" Ben asked.

 

"She's not happy anymore with putting up with you," Hux snickered.

 

Ben threw a piercing glance at him.

 

"Relax, I was just joking!"

 

Hux laughed and stood up from Ben's table. He sat on a nearby sofa and leaned on it with his arms folded. "Seriously, it's one of two things. Either she's fed up with this job or she may be good with this, but is looking for some growth."

 

"You call theater acting a job?" Ben asked, puzzled. He sat on an armchair beside Hux.

 

"It's not always about a job, but some fulfillment she may not have experienced here," Hux explained.

 

"But she is well paid. I am giving more than what she asked for," Ben argued.

 

"It's not always about the job or the money," Hux shook his head. "By the way, Rey can sing really well. I heard her sing before."

 

"I don't care about her singing voice, I just want to know why she probably wants to go," Ben rubbed his forehead.

 

"If not one of the two reasons, I guess I can say she is secretly in love with you." Hux smiled like a glowing neon billboard.

 

"That woman is an ice princess towards me," Ben scoffed. "Can't she see that she is with the amazing, brillant, and handsome Ben Solo?"

 

"There. That's why she is turned off. She can she right through you. Full of yourself you are." Hux let out a small laugh.

 

Ben looked darkly at the laughing Hux.

 

"All right, maybe you're the one in love with her," Hux smiled widely, like he knew a deep dark secret about Ben.

 

"Get out," Ben hissed under his breath. He stood up and pointed towards the door.

 

"There, look out for your temper!"

 

Hux gave one last wicked smiled and finally walked out.

 

Ben sank back against his plush armchair.

 

He tried to recall all the times he lashed out at his secretary, and one incident came to mind.

 

It was the first year Rey worked for him, and her first out of the country trip. They flew to New York for the inaguration of Falcon Department Store in the US. During that time, Rey was on board for four months and was still learning the ropes of her job.

 

He remembered her messing up on the event day: she had forgotten to call the New York marketing head, she woke up late, and ended up being a total train wreck for the rest of the day.

 

The event went well as planned. It was Ben who had to call up the important people related to the launch.

 

"Is your head in the clouds, Miss Kanata? Weren't you paying attention?" Ben scolded her that night after the event ended.

 

Rey looked down at the floor, biting her lip to stop herself from tearing up. She was garbed in a white A-line dress and black heels, with her hair pulled up in a bun. Ben gave her that wardrobe to make her look polished and mature, yet she still looked like a college girl lost in her first job.

 

"I'm sorry, I will do better next time," Rey sniffed.

 

"If you mess up again after this, there will be no next time. I don't give second chances, keep that in mind," Ben warned her.

 

Rey nodded her head and turned her back, about to go. But she faced him again and lashed out tearfully.

 

"Why do you always have to shout at me this way?!"

 

Ben was taken aback. He was about to speak but Rey continued.

 

"Ever since I got this job, I lost count of how many times you shouted at me, from the board room up to here. I am trying to do my job, I am still learning, and I want to do this right."

 

Rey sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye.

 

"I don't tolerate stupidity here. Wipe your tears away," Ben scolded her.

 

"You're a monster!" Rey exclaimed angrily and stormed off to her hotel room, banging the door shut.

 

Ben smiled to himself as he reminisced what happened afterwards.

 

Your bravado amazed me. Thank you for your brutal honesty.

 

He felt awkward after sending her that private message. The next morning, Ben woke up and got dressed. He walked out of his hotel room, and was met by a smiling Rey.

 

"I got you a neck tie."

 

The young girl showed him a navy blue tie with stripes, and started tying it around his neck. Ben felt uneasy when she stood close to his face.

 

He observed her expression. She looked like she did not get a good night's sleep, her eyes still puffy. But her lips showed no trace of lipstick, and it looked soft and tender.

 

Ben gulped hard, shoving that unwanted thought away from his mind.

 

"Did I got it right?" Rey asked, stepping backwards.

 

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Let's have breakfast now."

 

"Am I terminated?" Rey asked.

 

"No."

 

Rey nodded her head thankfully. "Thank you so much, I will do better next time!"

 

"Let's eat before we leave."

 

Since that day, he did not lashed out at her anymore. If ever he needed to vent out his frustrations, he just gave the cold shoulder treatment at everyone, or a snide remark here and there. Sometimes he'll just ignore her if he wanted to pour his work frustrations.

 

He saw Rey improving her performance after that New York incident. After 6 months of probationary period, he gave her an increase, together with an extra allowance for wardrobe.

 

"Oh my gosh Rey, is that a new hand bag? Your dress is Carolina Herrera!"

 

"Your pumps are Loboutin!"

 

Ben remembered walking past the pantry and stealing a glance at the other office girls admiring Rey's clothing.

 

He looked at her smiling face, with her hair falling in wavy curls past her shoulders. She now looked like a magazine model, far from that crying little girl in New York.

 

How do I let her know I still don't want her to go?

 

There was one reason in his mind, but he'd rather keep it to himself.

 

Ben went to his table and pressed the buzzer, a signal for Rey to enter.

 

In a snap, she sauntered in front of him.

 

"Hi Sir, do you need help with anything?" she asked.

 

Ben took a good look at her.

 

"May we discuss your resignation letter, Miss Kanata?"

Notes:

There's a back story to Rey and her surname.

 

Thank you for reading! Do follow me on Twitter @artemis_chick

 

I am tweeting chapter updates with some social media POV related to this story.

Chapter 8: Nagging Doubt

Notes:

Extra long update here.

Rey tried to look dignified as Ben Solo asked her this question.

 

"May we discuss your resignation letter, Miss Kanata?"

 

She thought of a decent response to his inquiry. Rey was about to respond when her boss spoke first.

 

"Please have a seat." Ben gestured to the white steel chair in front of his table.

 

Rey did as she was told. She took a deep breath and answered.

 

"Mr. Solo, I am thankful for giving me a chance despite my lack of experience in this position three years ago. We both know the reason why I was considered for this job. For this, I am forever grateful. But now, I believe it's time to move forward."

 

"What do you mean by moving forward?" Ben frowned.

 

"I want to pursue my dreams beyond this tower," Rey answered calmly. "My original plan was to take up theater acting."

 

"So you want to be a famous actress?" Ben rubbed his chin, as if he wouldn't take that as a serious answer.

 

"It's not about being famous," Rey sighed and continued.

 

"I grew up painfully shy, believe it or not. I found out I can carry a tune when I joined a Christmas play back when I was seven years old. Since then, I started joining plays and musicals, even the local ones in our hometown. I saved up money after high school by working odd jobs, but all of that went to my mother's hospital treatment, after she had an injury from slipping on our apartment front porch. I don't regret helping her out, even if it means applying for this job. I grew up a lot and learned so much over the three years I worked here."

 

Rey took a deep breath. This was the reason why she got this job, as a way to help her mother with the hospitalization and therapy. It was a freak accident that changed the course of their lives.

 

Ben mulled over her response. He was the one who helped her got this job three years ago.

---

His former executive assistant, a middle-aged woman, was about to retire after serving him for years. She was there when he started to take over the family business, and was previously the assistant to his father, the company president.

 

He understood his former secretary's situation. She was the one who helped him scan the candidates for the post. But none of them was fit for the job.

 

Until this waif of a girl entered his office. He was told she was a walk-in candidate.

 

"I am Daisy Rey Kanata, twenty two years old, and applying for the position as Executive Assistant."

 

"Daisy," Ben mumbled as he scanned her resume. It contained a number of unrelated jobs, from being a pet shop assistant, diner server, to working in two different pubs as a bartender. All within a span of 4 years.

 

"You may call me Rey instead," she suggested.

 

"You don't like being called Daisy?"

 

"I prefer my second name," she insisted.

 

"You did not enroll in a secretarial course?" he asked.

 

"Not at all. Not even one semester in college."

 

"What made you brave enough to apply for this position?" Ben asked.

 

He straightened up in his seat and eyed this girl intently. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, her face had a swipe of blush on and pink lipstick, and she was dressed in a white collared blouse, black skirt, and pumps. Her white handbag was on her lap, her hands folded together.

 

She was rather tall, but she still exuded the aura of a teenage girl trying for an adult job. Yet she looked at him with determined eyes.

 

"I may lack the qualifications you're looking for, but I can assure you that I am willing to learn and I will give my best, should I be considered for this position." She gave a tiny smile.

 

"Do you know what a company vice president does every day?" Ben looked seriously at her.

 

"Meetings, schedules with important people, making coffee," she replied.

 

"You also have to do some reasearch for business presentations, especially if my team has to do a client pitch. It's not just making coffee like in the movies."

 

"I can learn that."

 

Daisy Rey looked at him directly, asking him to take her seriously.

 

"She seems more than willing to go the extra mile," Mon, his retiring assistant, whispered.

 

Ben shook his head and said, "Miss Daisy Rey Kanata, to be honest with you, we are looking for someone with one to two years of work experience related to this field. More years of experience beyond that, the better. We regret to inform you that we are not considering you for this position. Thank you for your time."

 

Ben gestured with an open palm towards the door.

 

"But Mr. Solo, we all have to start somewhere." Disappointment drew across the face of Miss Daisy Rey.

 

Ben shook his head. The young lady bit her lip and turned her back, walking out quietly.

 

"You were harsh towards her," Mon quipped.

 

"I can't afford a secretary who looks like she's going to do a lot of training." Ben stood up and sipped a glass of water from his table.

 

"When you were new here, I also had to train you a lot, together with your father," Mon smiled at the thought.

 

Ben's face darkened at the mere mention of his father. But he can never have the heart to lash out at Mon, whom he now considers as a family friend.

 

"Excuse me for a while."

 

Ben went out of his quarters and to the hallway, where the roofdeck was located. He just wanted to breathe some fresh air for a while after being stuck in his room for a whole day, interviewing different types of applicants.

 

As he was about to go outside, he heard a crying voice of a lady.

 

"Rose, is mom okay? How much is the bill?"

 

Ben recognized it as Daisy Rey's voice.

 

"That's too much! How am I supposed to pay for it?! My savings are all gone, and I did not get the job I applied for! The hotshot guy who interviewed me was a jerk!"

 

Ben peeked out from the wall, and he saw her seated on the floor, holding her phone to her ear. Tears flowed freely down her face, an obvious picture of rejection and heartbreak.

 

Something hurt in him seeing this girl crying.

 

"I'll apply again tomorrow. I'll do anything just for mom to get better."

 

He saw her stood up and walk towards his direction. She wiped her tears and strode past him.

 

He finally gave in and called her out.

 

"Miss Daisy, can you come to my office?"

 

The girl turned around tearfully. She looked at Ben in disbelief.

 

"Yes, I'm serious. I'll help you pay your mother's hospital bills, in exchange of working for me."

 

"Is this true?" Daisy Rey asked, which made her cry harder.

 

Ben took out his handkerchief from his pocket. "Wipe your face, I am accepting you for the position."

 

"Oh my God, thank you!" She shrieked, jumping happily.

 

"Calm down, Secretary Daisy."

 

"Call me Rey instead!" she laughed.

 

"Alright, Secretary Rey."

 

Ben couldn't help but smile while this girl looked at him, her face a mix of joy and tears.

---

"Is that your final decision?" Ben asked.

 

"Yes, it's final."

 

Tense silence filled both of them, like waiting for the other to speak up.

 

"Do you have any recommendations for your replacement?"

 

"I'm recommeding Mara. She learns fast. That way, it won't be a hassle to you to find my replacement."

 

"Let's discuss this tomorrow. You're free to go, Miss Kanata."

 

Rey stood up and nodded her head at him. After she went out of his office, she returned to her table and let out a sigh.

 

One load off my chest.

 

She went home that night, feeling relieved that she was able to express her plan.

 

But why is there a nagging doubt within her?

 

Why did it feel like it wasn't the right decision?

 

They say that you will never be ready, so might as well do it.

 

Yet Rey now discovered that this nagging feeling grew within her the more she tried to get it out of her mind.

 

---

Why is she doing this? Was that it? Because she's going to go to theater school?

 

Ben Solo walked back and forth in his office. He already gave a go-signal for her resignation plans. But he still had that feeling of not wanting to let her go.

 

She's just another employee in this company, but why is this feeling brewing within him?

 

He remembered a chat with Hux one sleepless night.

 

How do you see Rey?

 

Of course, as my secretary. An employee.

 

Do you see her as a woman?

 

What do you mean?

 

Come on Ben, you know what this means, you player.

 

Hey, I haven't gone on a date for a long while now.

 

Three years is a long while for most men, Mr. Ben Solo. And I know it's not because Kira moved on from you so fast.

 

Ben slumped down on his armchair and thought of that convo.

 

Do you notice yourself? Since Rey got in here, you stopped dating.

 

Shut up Hux.

 

Did I just dropped a truth bomb?

 

The winky emoji pissed off Ben. He replied:

 

Good night.

 

Ben rubbed his forehead. The more he thought of this convo with Hux, he realized that he was right.

 

The bomb of realization exploded within him, and he realized he must find a way to stop her from going.

Chapter 9: Maz

"What? Am I hearing this right? You're resigning?!"

 

Rose almost dropped her utensils when Rey announced her big news. They were having dinner together in their shared flat.

 

"Yes, and it's final." Rey smiled assuredly as she took a spoonful of her mac and cheese dinner.

 

"But, you were doing so well in that job." Rose stared at her, as if she wasn't serious.

 

"I can't be stuck there forever. You know, growth goals."

 

"Are you really sure about this? I feel like you're doing this on a whim."

 

"I have it all planned out, Rose. The theater school and all. The rest of my life is not tied to Solo Group."

 

Rose looked sidewards and frowned. "I just feel like everything is happening in a rush."

 

"Rose, it's not just because of theater school. You know why," Rey insisted.

 

The door clicked open.

 

"Hello girls!"

 

A tall middle-aged woman with dusky skin and ponytailed blonde hair entered their flat. She wore a black leather jacket, white shirt, fitted jeans, and motorcycle boots. She propped down her duffel bag and approached Rey, who hugged her tightly.

 

"Mum! I missed you!" Rey couldn't contain her joy of seeing her again in this flat.

 

"Auntie Maz!" Rose approached them and joined their embrace.

 

"Rosie, have you been feeding your room mate?"

 

"She gobbles up all the food in the fridge," Rose chuckled.

 

"Sit down, have you eaten?" Rey gestured to the empty chair beside her own.

 

"I just ate with my fellow motorcycle ladies, thank you."

 

Maz Kanata may be Rey's adoptive mother, but she loved the girl despite their differences, from lineage to personalities.

 

"How was your Europe road trip?" Rey grabbed the empty dishes and brought it to the kitchen sink.

 

"It was a breeze, the fresh air and all," Maz grinned. "Too bad, you're not with me. You're just stuck inside that Solo Ivory Tower."

 

"That's why I'm going to resign." Rey turned around and smiled.

 

Maz looked at her, concerned.

 

"Are you serious?"

 

"Mum, you're like, the third person asking me that! Of course, I'm serious!"

 

"Your nose is wrinkling, Daisy Rey," Maz pointed out. "I can feel you."

 

Rey let out a laugh. "Guys, I'll treat you out after I resign, okay?"

 

"Pizza please!" Rose requested. She stood up and went beside Rey, whispering, "Let me take over the dishes."

 

Rey understood this as a chance to talk with Maz. She rinsed her hands and nodded her head.

 

"Thanks Rosie. By the way, better hurry up. Your nursing shift is at 10:00."

 

"No worries," Rose smiled and buzzed Rey on the cheek.

 

Rey asked Maz to come with her to her room. The moment they entered, they both sat at the edge of the bed. Rey leaned against her mum's shoulder.

 

"I missed you here. The other room felt so empty without you."

 

"You're a grown woman now. I'm actually proud of how you turned out." Maz placed an arm around Rey's shoulder and hugged her tightly.

 

"Mum, are you against my resignation?"

 

"Not really, but be sure if you want to do it."

 

"I have enough savings. And you have earnings too because you own this entire building and you're renting it out."

 

"Are the guys next door paying on time?" Maz asked.

 

"Yeah, Finn and Poe always pay on time to the grand old lady, Babu Frik." Rey referred to the accountant of Kanata Building, an old-time friend of Maz.

 

"I'm glad Rose is there for you."

 

"She's a good one."

 

Rey stood up and grabbed an old sketch pad from her desk. An old brown teddy bear was beside it. She took it too and sat back on the bed.

 

"You still have that drawing pad."

 

Rey flipped it open and showed Maz her old drawings.

 

"This is another reason why I want to resign from work."

 

The first page showed a simple crayon drawing of a girl.

 

Who am I?
I am no one. But I have a mum. I have a name. They say I'm Daisy Rey.

 

"That was the time during your therapy, after I legally adopted you," Maz smiled at the thought. "And that old teddy bear is still alive."

 

Rey gave Maz the sketch pad. The woman reminisced while Rey looked at the bear in her hands.

 

I don't remember anything

 

This was written in crayon on top of the next page. In the middle was a big red question mark.

 

I woke up in a hospital. I don't remember what happened. Someone said I don't have parents anymore. But I heard there was an old man watching over me. I don't know him.

 

The next page, there was a crude drawing of a boy, but with his back turned. He had a beanie on his head, and wore a white long-sleeved top, blue pants, and black sneakers.

 

I lost blood before waking up. The doctor said so. But someone gave me blood. The next day, someone visited me. They say it's the boy who gave me blood. He also gave me a teddy bear. I can't remember his face, just his back. I call him Prince Teddy.

 

"You're still going to look for this boy?" Maz asked. "Pretty sure he's probably an adult now."

 

"Yes, even though the hospital I was brought in was far away." Rey looked determinedly at Maz.

 

"But it's been a long time ago."

 

"I'll go to my old orphanage and ask about the guy who took me there. Then I'll fly to Paris and see what I can do. Find that hospital, ask about that old guy, and the Prince Teddy guy. Maybe they know who I really am."

 

"Rey, don't rush things. You will remember in time," Maz reminded her.

 

"It's still a black hole in my mind, Mum. I have no memories prior to waking up in that French hospital. I only remember the old guy, Prince Teddy, and the talks among those doctors. I can't speak during that time, up to when the old guy flew me here to the UK, I got in that orphanage, and I escaped. Then I fainted outside your doorstep and you took me in."

 

Maz held Rey's hand. "After I took you in, I asked you where you came from, and you just wrote the word Children's Hall. I went with you, and the headmistress thought I was returning you. But you held my arm tightly and shook your head. Then I said, okay, I'm taking in this child legally. Damn, you should have seen the look on that grumpy headmistress' face!" Maz laughed.

 

"I was beaten up there for not talking." Rey's expression darkened. "It's because I knew something bad happened to me, but I don't recall anything."

 

"I don't regret having you here by my side. If that is your decision, I'm more than willing to help you out."

 

Rey looked up to Maz and smiled. She hugged her again, grateful that she found family, though they may not be blood-related.

Chapter 10: Rey-signation Party

"Oh my gosh Rey, you're resigning?!"

 

Mara and Jaina rushed towards Rey, who was eating breakfast in the pantry. Rey smiled sheepishly and nodded.

 

"That's crazy!" Mara protested.

 

"But who's going to replace you?" Jaina asked, sitting in front of Rey.

 

"We have our sights set on Mara." Rey looked up at her. Mara was shocked upon hearing the news.

 

"Seriously?!"

 

"Come with me after this. We will start your orientation and turnover of duties," Rey requested.

 

Mara stared at Jaina, who got up to her feet. They started jumping together and squealing.

 

"You're going to hit it big, Mara!"

 

"Is this even real?!"

 

"I'm warning you, Mr. Solo can be a nightmare to work with," Rey laughed. She stood up and threw her coffee cup and muffin wrapper in the dustbin. She went back to the two excited girls and asked, "Mara, are you ready to take on my duties?"

 

"I am more than willing!" She answered. "Designer clothes, here I come!"

 

"Awww, you'll be leaving me at our department," Jaina muttered.

 

"By the way, I'll let you in on a little secret," Rey whispered to Jaina. "You might get promoted too as team leader of the sales team."

 

Jaina gasped and was about to squeal, but Rey warned her to stay silent.

 

Mara went with Rey after this. The day was spent with Rey doing proper turnover of her duties and responsibilities to Mara.

 

"When will I start?" Mara asked Rey, who was placing some of her belongings in a box.

 

"By second or third week of November, hopefully."

 

"You won't be spending the holidays here." Mara looked disappointed.

 

"I'll drop by just to see you guys," Rey assured her. "If you're confused, just ask me, okay?"

 

"Sure, Rey." Mara reached out to her and gave her a hug.

 

"How's the turnover?"

 

Ben Solo went out of his office and stood in front of Rey's desk.

 

"It's going well. Mara is dedicated to learning her new post."

 

"Good," he replied dryly and went back to his office.

 

"Is he really like that?" Mara whispered.

 

"He's actually bearable despite that attitude. Just don't make him so mad," Rey snickered. "Oh, it's six pm. You may leave now."

 

Mara stood up and picked her handbag. "See you tomorrow, Rey."

 

As Mara left, Rey shut down her laptop and was about to prepare her bag, when Ben buzzed her. She got on her feet and entered his office.

 

"Yes, Mr. Solo?" she asked.

 

Ben Solo just stared at her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was at a lost for words.

 

"Did I forgot anything?" Rey asked.

 

"None so far. You may leave," Ben replied.

 

"Your necktie is lopsided."

 

Rey went up to him and fixed his necktie. She did not notice Ben staring down at her, holding his breath, until she looked up at him, and their eyes met.

 

"Oh, I'm too close." Rey looked away and stepped back. "I'll go now."

 

She left as fast as she could, her cheeks heating up.

 

Rey have done this countless of times in the past, but it was only now she realized how close her face was to him, as if she was going to kiss him.

 

No, don't let your thoughts end up like this. Don't stray down that path.

 

Rey pushed the idea out of her mind. She rode the bus back home and received a message from Rose along the way.

 

Rey, are you free tomorrow, Friday night? Kaydel is back home! She's inviting us to drinks and karaoke at The Cantina!

 

Did she just came back from her road tour as opening act for Ed Sheeran? Oh my, I would love to!

 

See you! The whole gang will be there! Drinks are on Kay!

 

Rey paused. This means that Finn will be there too. She knew that things didn't worked between him and Rose.

 

I remember, is it okay with you, if Finn is also there?

 

No biggie. It's understood between us.

 

Don't get drunk. Imma watch you!

---

"Kay! Good to see you again!"

 

Rey met her friend with a bear hug the moment she entered The Cantina.

 

The place was a resto-bar with a karaoke stage at the second floor. It's been ages since Rey went there, no thanks to her job. She clocked out at exactly six pm this Friday just to go home and change, then head straight to the venue.

 

"Gosh Rey, I thought you vanished completely!" Kaydel laughed.

 

"Are we here to celebrate your victory party because you finished your road tour?" The two of them climbed up the stairs to the second floor. Finn's band was scheduled to play for tonight, and the karaoke stage was open for all.

 

"No, I heard you were resigning!" Kaydel pointed out. "It's your celebration party!"

 

"It's a long story," Rey shrugged.

 

"Hello ladies!"

 

The door opened with Finn wrapping them in a big hug.

 

"I thought you're dead!" Finn kidded Rey. "We live in the same building yet we never bumped into each other!"

 

"Don't say that, I'm this close to dying at that job for three years!" Rey playfully punched Finn in the ribs.

 

"I'm sure glad I asked all of you to come! I'm the only person who can summon our hotshot friend!" Kaydel joked.

 

Finn led them to a round table. There was a middle-aged man seated there, together with what looked like to be a woman related to him.

 

"Uncle Lando!" Rey greeted him with a hug. Lando Calrissian owned The Cantina together with Chewie, his business partner. The two considered Rey and her friends as family.

 

"You're alive, Rey!" Lando laughed.

 

"Why are people shocked to find out I'm here?" Rey pretended to look annoyed.

 

"We really thought that boss of yours locked you up for good," the young lady laughed. She had curly hair and wore a one-piece sapphire blue suit.

 

"Damn, Jannah!" Rey buzzed her on the cheek and sat down beside her. Jannah was Lando's daughter and worked as the resto bar manager.

 

"You guys talk there. I'll check on your Uncle Chewie and his cooking." Lando left and went out.

 

Kaydel sat beside Rey and grabbed a handful of nachos from the table. "Where's Rose?" she asked.

 

"She's coming anytime," Rey whispered.

 

Kaydel looked at Finn, who was seated at another table with Poe, their other friend. "She can face him?"

 

"She said so."

 

"Hi guys!"

 

Rose sauntered towards them happily and sat on Jannah's side. "Glad I was able to come, my days off are Friday and Saturday." She leaned against the plush seat.

 

Kaydel stood up and went to her, giving her a hug.

 

"Thanks Kay," Rose grinned. She looked around and said, "Looks like we're all dressed up, except for Rey."

 

Rey was garbed in a hoodie, track pants, slip-on rubber slippers, and her hair in a half-ponytail.

 

"Let me look laid back for a bit," she smiled.

 

The dinner started, followed by some drinking and Poe's band playing. Kaydel went up on stage and sang two songs. After the last number, she said through the mic:

 

"Thanks for coming, friends! Let's celebrate tonight, and not because I finished my road tour. My friend Rey is resigning and she might finally be able to get a boyfriend! It's her rey-signation party!"

 

The crowd cheered. Jannah asked Rey to stand up and come to the stage. Rey frowned and protested, but Jannah pushed her up.

 

"Meet my friend, Rey! She's free and single!" Kaydel shouted.

 

"Can I date you?" Poe asked, his electric guitar slung on his shoulder.

 

"Shut up!" Rey pretended to hit Poe on the head, which made him run back to his place on stage.

 

"Alright, I'm giving the stage to Rey, it's her for the third number." Kaydel handed her the mic.

 

"I'm not singing!" Rey looked flustered.

 

"Come on, I sang two times now," Kaydel grinned. "It's your turn, sweetheart! Poe, please play Shallow, sing with her!"

 

Kaydel went down the stage. Poe walked to her side and whispered, "Let me do a duet with you."

 

"Okay. I know the song."

 

The music started, and thankfully, Rey was able to sing the song properly.

 

We're far from the shallow now...

 

The song ended, the crowd cheering wildly for Rey and Poe.

 

Rey went back to her seat and let out a sigh. She turned her head towards Rose, who was chugging a bottle of beer.

 

"Only one bottle," Rey reminded her, her eyes flaring.

 

"It's my third, together with 3 shots of tequila." Rose grinned, her eyes watery and her cheeks flushed red.

 

"Jannah, what did you do to her?" Rey's eyes widened, looking at Jannah beside Rose.

 

"Sorry, I just went to the ladies' room, and went back here seeing her like that," she looked apologetic.

 

"Open stage for everyone!" Poe boomed through the mic. "Who wants to sing?"

 

Rose got to her feet and went up onstage, with Jannah trailing behind her. "I'll sing Crazy For You by Madonna," she told Poe.

 

Rey threw dagger looks at Finn, who was manning the drums.

 

"What?" Finn asked in confusion. Rey went up to him and whispered, "Talk to her when she sobers up. It's your fault!"

 

"Let's play!" Finn gestured to Poe.

 

The intro started. Rey went down on stage, pissed as she looked at a drunken Rose singing together with Jannah, who held her shoulder to keep her upright.

 

"I'm crazy for you, touch me once and you'll know it's true..." Rose belted out in tune, even if she was drunk.

 

They're all gonna get a good scolding tomorrow.

 

Rey decided to go out for a while, just to get a breather. The moment she stepped foot outside, guess who she just saw?

 

"Hi Secretary Rey."

 

Ben Solo leaned against the tree beside the building. He had a bottle of beer on his left hand and still in his office suit. He went up to Rey, his smile watery.

 

"Mr. Solo, what are you doing here?" Rey asked.
It seems like people are getting way too drunk tonight, and she hoped he wasn't as drunk and shameless like Rose.

 

"I went here with Hux for some drinks. I happen to go up and watched you sing. Damn, you can actually sing so well."

 

His smile lighted up his face when he said this.

 

"Um, thanks, I guess?" Rey studied his face. "How can you go home?"

 

"Hux will drive me home... No, you drive me home! It's an order!" Ben pointed at her.

 

"It's beyond working hours, why will I do that?" Rey protested.

 

She better leave before her drunk boss do something or what. But as she was about to walk away, Rey felt Ben's arm around her waist. His breath was on her ear, and he whispered:

 

"Be with me, Rey."

Notes:

Songs:

Shallow-Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
Crazy for You-Madonna

Chapter 11: Hangovers and Heartaches

Rey froze in her spot the moment she felt his arm around her. His breath was heavy on her ear, and she caught the whiff of mixed alcohol and beer.

 

"Be with me, Rey."

 

He may be drunk, yet Ben can still speak clearly, in his signature deep voice. Rey froze in her spot, not knowing whether she'll turn around and punch him, or try to get away from him.

 

"I don't want you to resign. You don't have to be my secretary, just be with me," he pleaded.

 

She felt his grip tighten. Rey got her senses and went for him by kicking his leg using the back of her foot. It hit his left shin, and Ben lost his hold on her.

 

Rey broke away fast and turned around to see Ben down on the ground, writhing in pain as he held his painful leg.

 

"That's what you get for holding me without permission," she warned him sternly.

 

"I'm sorry!" Ben slowly got to his feet, still holding his leg. He tried to straighten up and was about to speak when Rey continued.

 

"I don't care if you're my boss and the owner of a large company. Once a guy tries to hold me inapproriately, he can receive a good smacking from me. I studied kick boxing, by the way. Do you want to get a good punch?" Rey threw a disgusted look at Ben.

 

"Hey, what's happening?"

 

Hux came to the scene and saw Rey looking up at Ben, as if she was larger than him.

 

"That drunk friend of yours tried to harass me," Rey answered coldly. "Better take him home, Hux."

 

"What did he do to you?" Hux approached Rey, concerned.

 

"He grabed me by the waist and asked me to be with him," Rey scoffed. "Take him home now before I decide to punch him and break his nose."

 

"Alright then."

 

Hux helped Ben to his feet and held him by the shoulder. But as they were about to go, Rose came rushing outside from the Cantina door and hugged Hux tightly.

 

"Don't leave me Mr. Ginger! I'm not yet done with my story!" she wept.

 

Rey's eyes widened at what she saw. She let out her anger this time and lunged at Rose, who was holding on to Hux. It was a strange sight on the street: Hux was trying to hold a drunken Ben Solo while Rose held on to Hux. Beside Rose was Rey, angrily wringing her out from Hux.

 

"Stop that Rose! Let's go home!" Rey shouted.

 

"Just let me cry, Mr. Ginger!" Rose shouted.

 

"You're drunk, stop it!"

 

"Your friend just approached me at the back door and started crying and hugging me, then she told me about this guy she liked!" Hux looked mortified and tried to get Rose off him.

 

"What did you do to her, Armitage Hux?!" Rey cried out in frustration.

 

"I swear I did nothing! She just pounced at me and cried all over me!"

 

Hux gripped Ben on the shoulders and tried to remove Rose from him together with Rey, until Rose was pulled out of him. She almost hit the ground, if not for Rey, who held her by the shoulders.

 

"Go home now!" Rey hollered.

 

Hux nodded his head and walked off, assisting Ben in his steps.

 

"What happened?!"

 

Kaydel came running to them, with Jannah, Finn, and Poe trailing behind. They looked shocked seeing Rose wasted and leaning on Rey's shoulder, crying.

 

"You guys should have watched over her! You just let her drink! Look what happened!" Rey knew she could be heard all over the place, but she didn't care.

 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to," Jannah apologized, looking forlorn.

 

"We all know the guys couldn't do this because they were in the band on stage! Kaydel, after you went down the stage, where did you go?"

 

"I was in the loo with Jannah." Kaydel held her breath. Rey rarely got angry, but when she does, it was the equivalent of a raging volcano.

 

"So, you just let her get wasted!" Rey exclaimed. "You know how Rose is when she drinks, a few shots are enough to make her a mess! And she won't be able to remember things the next day!"

 

"We're sorry, Rey," Jannah looked down as if she was about to cry. Kaydel held her by the shoulders and soothed her.

 

"You guys can ride my car, I'll take you home," Poe volunteered.

 

Rey just nodded and approached him, towing Rose by her side. Poe assisted them and as they walked off, Rey threw dagger looks at Finn.

 

"She's still not over you, look at what you did!"

 

Finn couldn't say anything and just looked apologetically.

 

The three of them watched until Rey and company turned down a block to the parking lot. When they disappeared, Kaydel spoke up.

 

"Finn, say sorry to Rose."

 

"Why would I?" Finn looked flaggerbasted.

 

"You're the reason for her drinking. Dude, she liked you for the longest time and you just treated her like garbage!" Kaydel shot back. "We all know she's sensitive and emotional!"

 

"Enough!" Jannah shouted. "No one can talk properly in this state. This was supposed to be a fun night, but it ended up badly. Rose came here because she wants to see Kaydel, even if she knows you're also here. Let's call it a night. Wait for our heads to cool down, then we talk about it."

 

"Okay," Kaydel answered. "Tell Uncle Lando and Chewie I already went off."

 

"Sorry. See you again." Finn nodded his head.

 

Jannah watched as Kaydel and Finn went off opposite directions.

 

"Tonight's been crazy," she sighed.

---

Rey looked at the sleeping Rose on the sofa. She sat beside her on an armchair.

 

"What happened?" Maz got up from her sleep at 1am just to cook some soup for the girls.

 

"Rose had way too much drinking than her body could handle." Rey felt disappointed as she looked at Rose.

 

Just then, Rose stirred in the sofa and her eyes slowly opened. She sat up slowly, rubbed her head, and suddenly looked like as if she was about to gag. She jolted up and ran to the loo, where she slammed the door shut. Rey and Maz heard her wretching.

 

"She probably drank herself silly," Maz commented.

 

"A few shots can send her down on the floor," Rey added.

 

The bathroom door opened. Rose slowly walked to them and the first thing she said was:

 

"I'm sorry Rey."

 

Rose crouched down on the floor, her body rocking as she sobbed silently. Rey sat with her and held her in her arms while she cried.

 

"I told you not to drink," Rey reminded her soothingly.

 

"I can't help it. And he was there too," Rose sniffed.

 

"Did something happen with Finn? Sorry I didn't know."

 

"I tried to ask him out for coffee last week when I met him down the hallway, but it ended up with an argument. He told me not to come near him anymore, that he doesn't like me. How can I do that, when I'm friends with both of you?"

 

Rose wiped her tears and continued.

 

"I came with you guys tonight because of Kaydel. She knows what I'm going through, both of you, except I talked more to Kay about it. Now, looks like my friendship with them is done. I'm so sorry Rey, I even dragged you into this mess."

 

Rey handed her a tissue to blow her nose on.

 

"I was wrong too, but I can't help getting fired up at them. I really thought they just left you."

 

"No, Rey, I sneaked in drinking while Kay and Jannah went to the ladies' room, then you were busy singing onstage with Poe. I'm the one to blame. But thank you for standing up for me. I heard you getting mad."

 

"The only thing you guys can do is to talk it over." Maz came holding a tray with a bowl of soup for Rose. Rey sat her down on the sofa and Maz helped her eat.

 

"Let your heads cool down, then you can say your apologies or whatever," Maz added.

 

They let Rose eat until she cleaned up the bowl of soup. "I feel a little better," she smiled shyly.

 

"Kanata Hangover Soup always works!" Maz beamed proudly. "I'm glad I never have to cook this for Rey."

 

"I can drink, but not totally pass out," Rey bragged.

 

"Your former pub jobs taught you to drink like a sailor," Maz kidded her. "You hid it from me, eh?"

 

"I didn't!" Rey protested.

 

"I don't believe her," Maz turned to Rose. "That kid is so good at keeping secrets."

 

They both laughed at a flustered Rey.

 

"Oh my gosh, you wouldn't believe me?!"

 

"Your nose, Daisy Rey!" Maz pointed out to her wrinkling nose. Rey ended up laughing until she remembered something.

 

"Wait up... How did you meet Hux?" Rey asked Rose.

 

"You knew the guy I hugged?!" Rose looked surprised.

 

"He was from work!" Rey exclaimed. "Of all people, you bumped into him!"

 

"I happened to run into him at the Cantina's back door. He was just standing, I never took a good look at his face. I cried over him," Rose laughed. "I'm such an idiot!"

 

"I thought he harassed you."

 

"No, it was the opposite!"

 

Both girls ended up laughing together with Maz.

 

They talked some more until 3:30am. Rose just fell asleep on the sofa, while Maz sleepily walked to her bedroom.
Rey crashed down on her bed, drained and exhausted.

 

When she woke up the next day 6 hours later, Rey grabbed her phone and saw four messages.

 

From Finn:

Sorry for last night. I was an asshole to Rose. I'll apologize don't worry.

 

From A. Hux:

Rey, is your friend alright? I'm not mad at her, just to let you know. And I did not take advantage of her drunken state last night. Sorry also for what Ben did.

 

From Kaydel:

I'm sorry Rey, I just let Rose drink. I'll come over to your place and talk with you.

 

But the last one got her attention.

 

From Ben Solo:

About last night, I apologize for what I did. It's embarassing for both of us. I just don't want you to go yet. But if that is your final decision, there's nothing I can do. I'll respect you for it.

Chapter 12: Girl Talk

"Okay guys, it's girl talk time."

 

Rey led the discussion together with Rose, Kaydel, and Jannah. They were all seated in a circle at the living room of Rey's flat. Kaydel and Jannah dropped by as promised, bringing 2 pizza boxes with them.

 

"I'm sorry for what happened," Kaydel responded. "I still feel guilty about last night."

 

"No worries, I'm alright now." Rose hugged Kaydel tightly. They were both seated at the sofa, while Rey and Jannah chose the armchairs on opposite sides. The pizza boxes were sprawled open, placed on a center table.

 

"No more drinking sessions until Rose is okay." Jannah bit into her pizza and eyed everyone sternly.

 

"I'm alright, really," Rose chimed in. "But no. What Finn did to me hurt me so much, the rejection and all." She sniffed, while Kaydel held her and rubbed her shoulder.

 

"It's just a guy, you'll meet others, believe me," Kaydel assured her.

 

"Going after another guy is not the best way to cope with getting over your ex," Rey advised Rose.

 

"I guess I was just into the idea of being with Finn," Rose realized. "Okay, I won't try to be in a relationship for two years," she laughed.

 

"Love yourself, my dear Rosie. Meanwhile Rey is just chilling, and she's the one here who's never been in a relationship," Jannah looked at Rey, who smiled sheepishly at them.

 

"I don't want to force it to happen," Rey quipped.

 

"But there's your boss," Rose pointed out, which made Kaydel and Jannah gush excitedly.

 

"Oh no!" Rey cried out. "Don't mix work and personal life!"

 

"But did you ever liked him, even one bit?" Kaydel asked.

 

"Never!" Rey rolled her eyes in disgust.

 

"He's still single!" Kaydel gushed.

 

"I don't believe yah!" Jannah protested.

 

"It's true! I hate him so much! Not a deep hatred, I just don't like his attitude." Rey folded her arms, trying not to look affected with her friends' teasing stares.

 

"You'll eat your words one day," Kaydel warned her.

 

The girls laughed, until the doorbell rang outside. Rey got up from the sofa and when she opened the door, it was Finn.

 

"Hey dude, no guys allowed," she smirked.

 

"May I talk to Rose for a while?" Finn requested.

 

Rey looked over at the three girls. Rose turned to them and stood up.

 

"What is it?" She asked.

 

"Finn wants to talk to you," Rey answered.

 

"Hey mate, you're not allowed in here!" Jannah exclaimed.

 

"I won't come in, just a short while," Finn replied.

 

"It's okay," Rose answered, biting her lip. "I'm going to be fine, believe me. Just leave me alone for a while."

 

Rose looked tearfully at Finn.

 

"I'm such an asshole, forgive me."

 

Finn went over to Rose and locked her in a tight embrace. Rose cried on his shoulder, while Kaydel and Jannah clapped their hands for them.

 

"All is well now," Rey smiled.

 

Finn broke free from Rose and they both did a high-five. Then he turned to Rey and said, "Gotta go now. I'll be doing the groceries."

 

"Where's Poe?" Rey asked.

 

"Doing overtime work. He's busy with finishing a commercial film for their airline client."

 

"Damn, good thing you're not part of their team," Rey commented.

 

"Us web designers do things differently, even if Poe and I are in the same ad agency. By the way, see you soon!"

 

Finn smiled at them and waved goodbye. Rey closed the door and she returned to her arm chair.

 

"Finally! I feel much better!" Rose slumped down on the sofa and leaned against Kaydel.

 

"Glad that drama's over," Kaydel hugged Rose.

 

"You know, I really have a feeling that Finn has a thing with Poe," Jannah commented.

 

"The vibe is so strong," Kaydel agreed.

 

"Hey, don't make up stories about them," Rey warned.

 

"You'll never know, but nothing's impossible. Including you and your boss ending up together," Jannah winked at Rey.

 

"Why am I in this convo?" Rey protested.

 

"You're single, he's single, and boom! It's not impossible for you guys to fall for each other, since you meet every day. Theory of proximity, sweetheart," Jannah explained.

 

"Plus those trips abroad, those expensive clothes and shoes, and those gifts," Rose agreed. "Let's raid Rey's closet!"

 

"He is so in love with her!" Kaydel swooned.

 

"Girls, it's part of my job to look good!" Rey surely looked flustered.

 

"Pretty sure he'll go after her once she resigns after November 2!" Rose exclaimed.

 

"He'll never fall in love with me!" Rey threw a pillow at Rose.

 

"I bet he will date her once she steps out of Solo Group!" Kaydel hugged Rose, who was squirming in her seat.

 

"I'll be giving you my designer hand bags just to shut you up!" Rey laughed.

 

A phone beeped, which made the girls silent.

 

"It's mine." Rey stood up and went to her mobile phone, which was charging by the windowsill. She plugged it off the charger, and was surprised to see three text messages.

 

She opened it, and it all came from Ben Solo.

 

I am so sorry for last night.

 

How can I make it up to you, Miss Kanata? Can we meet so I can apologize personally?

 

Please Rey, I am so sorry

 

"Girl, you're so silent over there. Did your boss just texted you?" Jannah asked.

 

Kaydel approached Rey and looked over her shoulder.

 

"Stop eavesdropping!" Rey turned away but Kaydel already saw the messages.

 

"Please Rey, I am so sorry," Kaydel read it out loud. "Wait, did I just saw the name Ben Solo?"

 

Rose and Jannah approached the two and looked over Rey's shoulder.

 

"I knew it!" Rose excitedly squealed. "Are you guys doing something behind our backs?"

 

"Cut that out! It's not what you're thinking!" Rey pulled away the phone from them and said, "He hugged me last night, because he was drunk."

 

"He was there too at the Cantina?!" Jannah's eyes widened.

 

"Oh my, he hugged you?!" Kaydel looked scandalized. "Was it a break-up hug or a confession hug?"

 

"There is nothing going on between us!" Rey walked apart from the three and faced them. "He happened to be drunk when he saw me and gave me a back hug. Of course, I fought back and hit his shin. I won't allow myself to be touched like that!"

 

"Whoa girl, you're fierce," Jannah mouthed.

 

"But why did he hugged you in the first place?" Rose asked.

 

"He doesn't want me to resign. He even said, Be with me, Rey."

 

Rose, Kaydel, and Jannah all looked at each other and started screaming delightfully.

 

"Be with me, Rey," Jannah deepened her voice, which made Rose and Kaydel gush out loud.

 

"I told you, he's in love with you!" Kaydel shook Rey's shoulders, which irritated her.

 

"Cut that out, Kay!" Rey swatted her arm. "That will never happen."

 

"But he doesn't want you to go, it's a sign!" Kaydel fretted.

 

"He just likes me as a secretary," Rey spat in sarcasm. "I'm just a replaceable person in his company."

 

"You're so dense girl, those are signs!" Rose sat on the floor and pretended to throw a tantrum. "Why are you so dense, Rey?"

 

"Gimme that phone," Kaydel snatched it from Rey.

 

"Hey, bring that back!" Rey tried to get it from Kaydel, but she avoided Rey and was already typing on her phone.

 

"Good day Mr. Solo, sure, let's talk later. Around 5pm, meet you at Covent Garden," Kaydel said her reply. "With a heart emoji."

 

"Erase that heart thing!" Rey shouted.

 

"Too late, I already sent it," Kaydel looked back at Rey and winked.

 

Rey's eyes widened and she finally got her phone from Kaydel. She was shocked upon seeing that Kaydel typed out what she just said. With that incriminating heart emoji.

 

"Why does it have to end with a frickin' heart?!" Rey wanted to disappear right then and there.

 

"You guys better talk it out, like what we did with Finn," Rose advised.

 

"Go take a shower, sweetheart," Jannah started pushing Rey to the bathroom. "We take care of your clothes and make-up."

 

"I can dress myself, I don't need help!" Rey almost tripped when she got to the bathroom.

 

"We will help you snag him!" Kaydel assured her.

 

"You have to look foxy!" Rose chimed in.

 

"Shut up!" Rey closed the bathroom door on them.

 

Kaydel, Jannah, and Rose looked at each other and screamed excitedly.

Notes:

Something exciting will happen with the next update! 😉

Chapter 13: The Meet-Up

Notes:

Enjoy. ❤

Why do I have to wear this skater dress? It's short and the wind is chilly.

 

Rey fidgeted as she looked around the cafe for any sign of Ben Solo. She continued to walk, pulling her skirt down. Even if she was in dark tights inside her ankle boots to cover her bare legs and wore a coat over her emerald green dress, she felt uneasy.

 

It's not like I'm on an official first date with him. Those girls definitely turned me into a cat-eyed curly haired doll in heels.

 

Rey kept on saying that she did not need to dress up, but the girls insisted. Jannah did her hair and make-up, while Rose and Kaydel chose an outfit for her.

 

"You're a work of art," Jannah complimented her after doing her face.

 

"I can imagine Ben Solo's face once he sees you!" Rose swooned.

 

"He always sees me looking like this. Can I change into something else?" Rey pouted.

 

"No, we insist you go out like that!" Kaydel ordered. "It's a date!"

 

"It's not!" Rey negated. "He'll just say sorry to me and then I'm out of there."

 

"Go now!" Jannah shoved her out the door.

 

"I think you guys should go now," Rey laughed.

 

"We'll wait for updates here! Bye!" Rose smiled widely and closed the door behind Rey.

 

As she recalled the previous events this afternoon, she snapped out of her daze when she heard that voice behind her.

 

"Miss Kanata."

 

Rey turned around and ended up facing Ben. She was surprised to see him dressed in a gray hoodie, denim jeans, and black sneakers. It was a contrast to her over-the-top look.

 

"Oh, it's you, Sir. I guess I'm a little too early." She caught herself almost smiling, but stopped her lips from bursting into a full-blown toothpaste commercial grin.

 

"May we sit by the window?" Ben pointed to a table for two beside a glass window, where a lush garden with a fountain can be seen from outside.

 

Rey nodded and followed him. They sat facing each other. A waiter arrived and asked for their order. Ben told him to have a kettle of green tea with macarons and tea biscuits.

 

Tense silence filled the air until the waiter arrived with the tea and sweets. Rey waited for Ben until he said, "Pour yourself a cup of tea."

 

She reached out for the kettle and poured warm tea into a porcelain blue tea cup.

 

"About our meeting, please get straight to the point," Rey stated, looking straight at Ben as she sipped her tea.

 

"I..." he stammered, looking away.

 

Rey gazed at him. The articulate, confidently haughty, and authoritarian Ben Solo, stammering in front of her?

 

"I guess you're really guilty of what you did last night," Rey answered matter-of-factly. "You were still in the right frame of mind when you hugged me." She cringed at the thought.

 

"I'm sorry," Ben looked like a puppy being scolded, and he wasn't doing that face on purpose. "All I want to say is that please don't go yet."

 

"I am a replaceable person in your company. And I have a life outside of it," Rey emphasized.

 

"You think you are nothing, but not to me," Ben replied.

 

Rey was taken aback. The way he looked pleadingly at her, she could feel those dark eyes right through her soul. But she didn't want to give in to his pleas.

 

"What difference will it make if it's another secretary taking over me?" Rey asked.

 

Ben thought for a long while as she impatiently waited for his answer.

 

"There's no one else like you. Your dedication, patience, your ability to press on despite difficulties, I learned from you too. You stood by me at my worst, even if you saw me as a monster." Ben let out a laugh at that memory of Rey lashing out at him.

 

"I guess that's part of my job description even if you did not write it down on my contract," Rey mused.

 

"I'll give you until December this year. By January, I am finally letting you go," Ben ordered seriously. "Today your resignation letter is invalid."

 

He was so calm yet he sounded so darkly serious.

 

Rey breathed deeply, knowing she can never turn him down.

 

"I won't touch you ever again. Not even the tip of my finger," he swore.

 

"Good. I agree with your condition." Rey stared seriously at him. "May I go now?"

 

"Alright, you may go."

 

She stood up and headed for the exit. Rey had not yet walked farther when she heard his footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Ben catching up with her.

 

"Can I... Can I give you a resignation gift?"

 

"A gift?" Rey frowned.

 

"Is there something you always want to have? To do something you've never done before?" Ben asked, speaking faster than the usual.

 

"I already have designer things thanks to you," Rey smirked in sarcasm. "Plus those trips abroad in business class."

 

"I'm not talking about material things," Ben stated. "I can give that to you, only today."

 

Look at that poor pleading face. Maybe I should give him a chance.

 

Rey thought for a while and finally let out a tiny smile.

 

"There's a place I always wanted to visit here. Can you come with me?"

 

"Sure."

 

The smile on his face was priceless when he heard her answer.

---

"It's your first time to ride the London Eye?"

 

"No kidding. I lived here all my life yet I never had the chance to ride here."

 

Rey turned to Ben and smiled. The latter reserved a private pod for them at the London Eye ride, and everything was done in no time. The 30-minute ride package came with a wine drink and a box of chocolates.

 

"They thought you were dating me." Rey couldn't help but laugh as she took photos of the London skyline at dusk using her phone. She walked towards Ben and sat on the middle bench, inches apart from him.

 

"You seem to hate that idea. Imagine all the women lining up for me, yet I all turned them down." Ben smiled smugly as he poured wine in a glass goblet. He handed it to Rey, who took it.

 

"Why would you turn down those foxy women?" Rey sipped her red wine. She opened the chocolate box and bit into a truffle.

 

"They're all the same." Ben sipped his wine. "They are after me as a status symbol, of having an arm candy with them. Most dates with them don't really last beyond a year. The longest I had---"

 

"Was with Kira. Two years." Rey smilingly finished the sentence for him.

 

"Whoa, you know that really well!" Ben exclaimed, flustered.

 

"Everyone knows. Kira Larson is so popular in that medieval drama series and the tabloids talked about you two a lot!"

 

"Look at that wide smile, you gossip monger!" Ben pointed out. They both burst into laughter.

 

"I'm a fan of Kira, mind you," Rey revealed. "I had a fan account on Twitter when I used to watch The Rose Empire Chronicles with Rose, my friend. All before I entered Solo Group."

 

"Is this why you applied as my secretary?" Ben was appalled knowing this. "Let me see your fan account!"

 

"How about no?!" Rey laughed. "That's private!"

 

"I insist."

 

"It's not active anymore. My last tweet was about your break up and after that, I lost interest in her. Real life took over, like my mom's accident. Still, I really believed it's your fault."

 

"Whoa slow down, I'm still your boss!" Ben laughed heartily.

 

"I need closure after what happened," Rey demanded. "After seeing Kira run away at a party, crying, and you tried to follow her."

 

"There was no third party, like what the news said," Ben replied flatly.

 

Rey inched closer to him, her eyes widening. "But I thought there was someone else!"

 

"Believe me when I say no," Ben emphasized. "We had a private fight at that awards night after-party. Kira was making a big deal that I want to formally announce our relationship, despite dating for two years and everyone following our relationship. I wanted to settle down with her, but Kira chose her booming acting career. She thought I shouldn't make it official, even if we're together."

 

"I see," Rey nodded.

 

"You finally got your closure." Ben smirked. "Wait, why are we talking about her?!"

 

"And why did you said you're focusing on your career in that magazine interview? I never expected you're the type who wants to settle down as soon as possible!" Rey couldn't believe her new knowledge about her boss.

 

"It's a way for them to shut up about my private life," Ben answered. "I won't ask someone to settle with me unless she is also sure of that."

 

"Why don't you try to date again?" Rey asked.

 

Ben was speechless. He could only look longingly at her, a flash of pain passing through his face like a disappearing shooting star.

 

Rey felt his gaze only locked on her. She shifted in her seat, and as she was about to speak up, the ride was over.

 

"Let's go now." Rey grabbed the chocolate box, stood up, and exited the pod. Ben quietly walked beside her, the mood between them being morose.

 

"I'm sorry I urged you to talk about her," Rey noticed Ben being unusually quiet, a shift from his talkative demeanor a while ago.

 

"It's okay. I was able to let it out. Hux and Phasma knew that too. Of course, they sided with me," Ben grinned.

 

"I think I should go now," Rey told him.

 

"It's only close to eight. Do you want dinner?" Ben offered.

 

"You're gonna pay for it?" Rey pretended to look excited.

 

"Of course I will! Tell me what you want to eat!"

 

Rey took Ben to a nearby street food area, where they dined on grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream cones for dessert.

 

"I can't believe I'm eating out here, on this street." Ben pulled his hood over his head and bit on his ice cream cone.

 

"Told you, you will like it here! Too bad you did not come with us to Myeongdong last month. The place is overflowing with great food!" Rey beamed.

 

"Let's go back to Korea, just the two of us, for street food," Ben offered.

 

"Whoa, and another dating rumor will start!" Rey laughed.

 

"You can never say no to me offering you food, you little gobble monster!" Ben smiled widely.

 

"You're the one with money!" Rey laughed.

 

The night ended with Ben riding the bus with Rey going home. Not a word was spoken between them. Rey felt Ben feeling better, yet she still left a tiny gap between them on the bus seat.

 

Maybe he's not so bad as I thought he was.

 

She happened to look at him, their eyes meeting. Rey showed a tiny smile and instantly looked away outside the bus window.

 

They stepped down the bus. Ben offered to walk with her all the way to her apartment.

 

"You don't have to," Rey politely declined. "What about your car parked somewhere?"

 

"I rode the bus to Covent Garden. I can ride back again to my flat." Ben continued to walk beside her along the street.

 

"Thanks for the gesture," Rey smiled again at him. "Oh, here we are. It's my flat building."

 

They stood outside the 3-storey complex of Kanata Building. Rey looked up and pointed to her flat window. "That's where I live, by the way. With my mom, the owner, and my room mate, Rose."

 

"Ah, the girl who hugged Hux," Ben chuckled.

 

"So, good night. See you on Monday."

 

"Thank you for coming with me," Ben answered.

 

Rey inched away from Ben, who nodded and smiled at her. She turned on her heel and climbed up the five stairs leading to the entrance. She waved at Ben for the last time and opened the door, finally entering.

 

She realized she felt good after being with him. Her smile never left her face until she entered her unit. And she didn't seem to mind Rose, Kaydel, and Jannah teasing her about it.

 

"Oh my gosh, you're grinning! We just saw you with Ben Solo standing outside!" Rose cried out.

 

"He's hot!" Kaydel exclaimed. "We all approve of him!"

 

"We'll wait for your updates!" Jannah enveloped Rey in a hug. "Our friend is getting a boyfriend!"

 

"Go home!" Rey laughed.

 

For the first time, she acknowledged to herself that she liked being with this different version of Ben Solo that she knew tonight.

Chapter 14: The Bad Dream

November went well for Rey at Solo Group. She still continued to train Mara, and she felt this girl will be a good replacement for her.

 

Rey was also delighted to find out that Padmé Lip Creme was a hit in South Korea. Sales went up, and she felt good seeing Ben's mood lighten up. Oddly enough, they weren't talking to each other after their time at London Eye. It felt like a nice dream. Ben wasn't avoiding her, it's just that they don't really have much to talk about apart from work matters.

 

"That's just weird, Rose. It's like the time at London Eye never happened." Rey curled up on the sofa while talking to Rose, who was eating her dinner before her night shift at the hospital.

 

"Am I hearing this right? You're bothered about Ben Solo not talking to you?" Rose took a spoonful of her mac and cheese.

 

"Well, kind of," Rey nonchalantly replied. "He was so nice that day and all of a sudden, he stopped talking to me. Am I being played on?"

 

"Why don't you message him first?" Rose suggested.

 

"Come on, he's my boss!" Rey looked shocked.

 

"Come on, it's modern times, he's still a guy! What if he's waiting for you to make the move first? Wait, I thought you hate him!" Rose laughed.

 

"I don't know, it's just that I'm so bothered that he never spoke to me a lot after that night."

 

"You like him already," Rose grinned knowingly. She stood up and washed her dishes. Rey felt thankful her friend's back was turned on her, or else she would see her blushing.

 

When Rose left, Rey laid down on the sofa.

 

Do I like him already? I don't know. Maybe it's that version of him that I like. I'm not supposed to feel this way! He's my boss!

 

She closed her eyes, and sleep overpowered her soon enough.

 

---

Rey found herself running through a carnival. She could hear a faint melody playing in the background. To her left was a merry-go-round. It spun slowly but there were no people riding.

 

She turned to her right, and she was standing in front of a vineyard. Rey walked along the vast field of shrubbery, with luscious grapes all around her. She picked one and ate it. The sweet taste made her smile.

 

She then heard a female voice calling out to her. It was another name, but she knew it was her. She turned and ran towards that direction. She felt her body as light as a child.

 

She saw a woman with long blonde hair and dressed in light blue. The woman picked her up in her arms and hugged her tightly. Behind her a man with brown hair peeked and pinched her nose playfully.

 

Rey couldn't make out their faces but she knew these people loved her.

 

The dream shifted to her inside a speeding car. The blonde woman was beside her, holding her tightly while she remained strapped in her car seat. In the driver's seat, the man with brown hair was at the steering wheel. He pushed the pedal harder as he shouted something.

 

They're after us!

 

As they zoomed inside a dark tunnel, the car overtook at the other side and collided with an incoming vehicle. Rey heard herself screaming together with the woman. The car swiveled sideways, her vision turning dark.

 

Rey was awakened by her own screams. She opened her eyes in shock and realized she was just lying on her living room sofa.

 

"Rey?"

 

The light from the other bedroom turned on. Maz went out looking worried.

 

"I heard you scream in your sleep."

 

Maz instantly approached her and helped her get up. She enveloped Rey in a hug.

 

"It's that dream again." Her whole body shook, her breath panting.

 

"What dream?"

 

"The car crash. I was seven or eight the last time I dreamed of it."

 

Rey buried her face on Maz' shoulder.

 

"Why am I dreaming of it again? Does it have something to do with my past? I guess I have to know about my background now."

 

"Don't be in a hurry. You'll find the answers at the right time," Maz assured her.

 

"I really want to do this now. I will, once I resign from Solo. My boss just extended my stay and I couldn't turn him down."

 

Rey wrapped her arms around Maz and allowed herself to cry quietly. Maz stroked her hair to calm her down.

 

"May I sleep beside you?" She sobbed. "I don't want to dream of it again."

 

"My bed is big enough for the two of us. You used to sleep there," Maz smiled.

 

Rey got up and walked to Maz' main bedroom, with the later trailing behind her.

 

"I hope I won't dream of it again." Rey got on the bed, lying down.

 

"Do you want to go to therapy again, with your former doctor?" Maz suggested, turning off the light before lying beside her.

 

"No thanks, I want to figure this by myself."

 

Rey shut her eyes, hoping she would feel sleepy again. But trying to fall asleep was futile. She was only able to take a nap before finally getting up at six am to get ready for work.

 

She took a shower, dressed up, and bid Maz goodbye. Rey rode the bus and went down at her usual coffee shop, where she ordered pancakes and omelette together with a cup of black coffee.

 

She ate inside the shop and went to Solo Group headquarters. The rest of the morning went by in a whirl. Ben was out for a meeting with Hux, leaving her alone in the office. Once in a while, she would lean against her chair and close her eyes. The dream remained fresh in her mind, and she still felt shaken over this.

 

"Rey, have lunch with us!" Mara offered happily.

 

"No thanks, I'll stay here," Rey declined.

 

"Do you want us to buy you something?"

 

"It's okay, I'm not yet hungry."

 

Mara just smiled and left.

 

The truth was, Rey was starting to have a migraine attack, the first time she had in years. Her senses tingled and she felt pain shooting up on the right side of her head.

 

Was it because of that disturbing dream last night?

 

She stood up and made herself a cup of coffee at the pantry. Rey nibbled on some biscuits and finished her cup. Maybe it will make her migraine go away. But it only worsened.

 

Rey stood up and slowly walked back to her table. She wobbled, her vision doubling. She stopped herself and leaned against the wall.

 

By the time she took another step and reached her table, Ben was entering inside the premises.

 

"Miss Kanata, please contact the Falcon Marketing Group for a meeting."

 

His voice sounded so far away. Rey looked up at him. Ben looked double in front of her.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

Dizziness overpowered her. Rey lost consciousness and fell towards Ben.

 

"Rey!"

 

Her name was the last word she heard from him.

Chapter 15: Migraine Attack

"Rey!"

 

Ben was able to catch her the moment she fainted in front of him. He held her in his arms, tapping her cheek gently.

 

"What happened?"

 

Hux barged in and saw Ben holding Rey. "Did she fainted?" he asked Ben.

 

Ben scooped her gently and carried her to the sofa. "Armie, hold her legs up," he ordered.

 

Hux came to the rescue. Ben laid Rey on the sofa, her back flat, while Hux took off her shoes and elevated her legs with a pillow.

 

Ben sat on the sofa side and untucked her blouse from her pencil skirt. He fumbled behind her clothing, loosening her bra clasp. His hand went to the side of her skirt and slightly unzipped it, hoping to make some space for her to breathe loosely.

 

"Rey! Are you alright? Rey!"

 

Ben shouted loud enough to be heard. He continued to tap her cheeks and shoulders until she regained consciousness.

 

Her eyes slowly opened.
Rey stared listlessly at a worried Ben.

 

"Is she awake?" Hux asked from behind Ben.

 

"Please soak a handkerchief and come back here," Ben ordered Hux. The latter left and came back sooner with a damp handkerchief, which Ben placed on Rey's forehead.

 

"Can I get up?" Rey asked.

 

Ben quietly assisted her, making sure she was supported. The moment she sat up, Rey gagged, the handkerchief falling from her forehead. It made her cover her mouth and head straight to the nearby comfort room, where she retched all the food and drink she previously consummed.

 

Ben followed her and stood by the door. She continued to throw up, until he heard the toilet flush and running water from the faucet afterwards.

 

Rey came out of the comfort room, looking pale and weak. Ben immediately came to her side and held her shoulders.

 

"She should go home now," Hux advised, looking worried. "Did you eat lunch?"

 

"No," Rey answered.

 

"What happened?" Ben asked. "Why aren't you eating on time?"

 

"Migraine attack," she mumbled.

 

"I'm declaring that you go home now," Ben answered. "Don't come to work until Friday, you get some rest."

 

"But Sir..." Rey hesitated.

 

"I don't want you thinking that I am overworking you. If you like, I'll call my chaffeur to bring you home."

 

Ben walked with her all the way to the sofa, where he gently helped her sit. "I think I need you to have a check up first."

 

"I'm okay, Sir," Rey answered.

 

"You're not really well. Look at your drained face. You're not using the healthcard I gave you?" Ben sat beside her.

 

Rey looked at his irritated face and a smile showed up on her pale lips. "It's my first migraine in years. Please give me Ibruprofen instead, no need for a check-up."

 

"You need to eat first. I'll buy you food," Hux offered.

 

"You better do, Armie. She'll wait here," Ben agreed.

 

When Hux left, Ben stared at Rey, looking so drained.

 

"What triggered your migraine? Is it your time of the month?"

 

"No, I had it recently and it was okay," Rey looked up at the ceiling.

 

"Did you had too much coffee?"

 

"I guess," she snickered.

 

"My mother is like that too. She can drink three cups and have a migraine attack at the end of the day. I banned all coffee from her home," Ben chuckled.

 

"I'll make good friends with her," Rey smiled.

 

"You've met before, am I right?" Ben asked.

 

"Yeah, but only once. During the building inaguration. She seemed like a wonderful lady," Rey commented.

 

I like your secretary, Ben. Why don't you take her to dinner here?

 

She's not a girlfriend, mom.

 

Good Lord, I wish she was your girlfriend instead. That girl looked hardworking and sweet.

 

Ben smiled at the memory of this conversation with his mother.

 

"I haven't told you something," Rey broke the silence.

 

Ben turned to her and asked, "What is it?"

 

Rey hesitated until she took a deep breath.

 

"I don't remember my childhood. I mean, my actual childhood. My mother now, she's my adoptive parent. I was told I survived a car crash when I was a child. It happened in France. Got some head injury and had to be treated. Then I was flown in here to be placed in an orphanage."

 

Rey rubbed her forehead and continued. "I ran away from that orphanage and came to my adoptive mother's house. I asked her to adopt me, but during that time, I did not speak. I can only shake her arms and hug her. She agreed. She stormed that orphanage and demanded for all my papers."

 

Rey's face lighted up at the memory.

 

"You have amnesia?" Ben was dumbfounded at this newfound knowledge.

 

"Yes, just like in the drama series," Rey smiled. "Last night I dreamed about my accident, which is why I'm so upset. I still can't remember anything, except for dreams."

 

Hux arrived with some food.

 

"I got you some steamed brocolli with brown rice. Found out it's good for migraines. Plus your meds," Hux placed down the brown paper bag and took out a white box with wooden utensils, together with a packet of Ibruprofen.

 

"I'll get water first," Rey was about to stand up but Ben pulled her down. "You better eat while I grab you a glass of water."

 

Ben stood up and headed for the pantry. Hux handed Rey the box of food, and she started to eat slowly.

 

"Don't worry about the work here, there's Mara now," Hux assured her as he sat down on a nearby armchair. "I've never seen Ben looking so worried," he smiled slightly.

 

"He sure was," Rey took a spoonful of her meal and savored it.

 

Ben returned with a glass of water. "Hux, I'll take her to the hospital after this."

 

"Was it that bad?" Hux asked.

 

"She just told me she had a childhood head injury."

 

Hux looked astonished. He stared at Rey in disbelief.

 

"It's true, and the last time I got a check up, it was back in the day," Rey revealed.

 

"Maybe it's only affecting you now?" Hux frowned.

 

"Maybe. Now you guys know my life is straight out of a sappy drama series," Rey laughed.

 

"It's no laughing matter. I don't want you to live with even worse pain as you grow older," Ben answered darkly.

 

"That was a nice offer to take me to the hospital," Rey spat back.

 

Hux laughed and stood up. "I'll be leaving these dueling lovers!"

 

When Hux left, Rey gave Ben a disgusting look. "We're not even an item!" she smirked.

 

Ben looked downwards. He could only flash a shy smile, still concealing what he really felt for her.

Chapter 16: Madam Solo

That afternoon, Ben brought Rey to a hospital and asked for an MRI. It was not going to diagnose the migraine. Instead, it will help rule out other medical symptoms that might be causing it.

 

Rey obliged in getting an MRI. After the procedure, she changed back into her outfit and walked outside the lobby, where Ben waited for her.

 

"I'll get the results in a week," Rey sat beside him on a metal bench. "I can go here and the doctor will discuss this with me."

 

"That's good," Ben agreed. "By the way, I'm going to arrange a therapy session for you. That might help you remember your past. Just asking for your permission."

 

"It might trigger the nightmares," Rey looked at him in fear.

 

"In a way, it can help you come to terms with your forgotten past. If you like, I will even accompany you. I'll schedule it on a Saturday."

 

"That's too much," Rey shook her head.

 

"It's not too much if it's you."

 

Rey stared at Ben in astonishment. He showed a tiny smile at her, then looked away.

 

"I won't take no for an answer."

 

"It's a yes, then."

 

"By the way, I have to go back to the office. My chaffeur will bring you home," Ben told her.

 

They both went to the parking lot, where a black BMW waited. Ben was about to open the front seat door when the back seat window rolled down.

 

Inside it was a smiling middle-aged woman in eyeglasses. Her hair was pulled in a loose bun and she was wearing a navy blue dress.

 

"Hello son!" the woman greeted Ben.

 

"Mum! What are you doing here?" Ben looked surprised.

 

"I heard from Arthur that he was going here to fetch your lovely secretary, so I asked if I can come to meet her."

 

Madam Leia Skyler-Solo flashed a wide smile at Ben.

 

"I'll have her over for tea," she said, eyeing Rey smilingly.

 

"Nice to see you, Madam Solo," Rey greeted her.

 

Leia opened the door and said, "Hop in!"

 

"Mom, she just had a migraine attack and you want to take her out for tea?!" Ben looked like he was going to throw a fit.

 

"She'll be fine with me, don't worry."

 

Rey got in the car and sat next to Madam Solo. "I will be alright," she assured Ben.

 

"Go home straight and get some sleep after this!" Ben told her. "Mum don't tire her out!"

 

Rey closed the car door and it went off, leaving a grumpy-looking Ben.

 

---

"Did Ben just said you had a migraine attack this morning?"

 

"Yes, he also took me to the hospital. Just to have an MRI and check if there are any underlying conditions."

 

Rey sat beside Leia as they had tea in the terrace of the grand Solo residence. She was also offered some scones and pastries.

 

"You sound just like me. Don't worry, that's nothing serious," Leia answered casually as she sipped her tea.

 

"I had a childhood accident before." Rey proceeded to tell her everything she previously told Ben.

 

"Oh my, that was so sad!" Leia hugged Rey. "You will heal and find the answers. There's always hope. As for me, I never stopped hoping that Ben will reconcile with his father."

 

Leia paused and turned to Rey.

 

"Those two had a serious fight over the family business. Ben was a happy-go-lucky bloke in his teens, who cared for nothing else, except for going away and having trips. When he was twenty-one, the business was about to go bankrupt. Han entrusted it to him, because he didn't want to kill himself over finding solutions for that bastard business partner who ran away with all his money."

 

"What happened? I think it was wrong for him to let his son take responsibility," Rey commented.

 

"Han retired early, and Ben took over. Though my husband is still the acting president, it was Ben who did the rest. The boy was angry over what his father did, and I asked Han to reconsider. But no. He said it was his punishment for his son, to teach him responsibility."

 

"What a father," Rey muttered.

 

"But Ben took the whole thing in stride, thanks to his uncle, my twin brother. Ben went to live with him in Iceland for three months, and he helped him out."

 

"I understand why Ben acts that way towards his dad," Rey mused.

 

"Han was too authoritarian. Maybe because he grew up manning this, as a small grocery store in the Boroughs. That's where we met. We were rival businesses in front of each other. Our family also had a shop selling make-up. I remember Han telling me that no one would eat make-up. Then Hepburn the actress came to our shop to buy my mother's lipstick, and it was all over the news. Our shop sold-out."

 

Leia laughed.

 

"Your son is a hardworking person. I admire him for that," Rey mused.

 

"You are the same too. That's why I wanted you for him. But he doesn't want to marry yet," Leia winked at her.

 

"Oh no, I doubt he likes me that way." Rey felt her cheeks heat up.

 

"I can feel it. He was so worried about me taking you out for tea! I guess you have him by the heartstrings."

 

"It sounds so impossible," Rey couldn't believe she was hearing this from Ben Solo's mother.

 

"I won't wonder anymore if that's truly the case," Leia assured her.

 

After their tea, Leia toured Rey around the house. It was a sprawling three-storey mansion with a living room, two dining rooms, and a garden with a fountain. Rey told Leia she was allergic to flowers, and she only let the girl get a glimpse of the garden through the window.

 

On the second floor, there was a masters' bedroom, three other bedrooms, one of which belonged to Ben whenever he came home here, and a library.

 

Leia walked over to a table with a long-playing record. She picked up a 45 rpm disc container and showed it to Rey.

 

"Look, it's me on the cover," Leia smilingly said.

 

It was indeed a younger version of Madam Solo in her twenties. She looked youthful and stunning.

 

"Leia Organa," Rey mouthed. "You were a singer?!"

 

"Yeah, I used to sing at pubs together with my twin brother, Luke. I was discovered in the mid-seventies by a music producer, who asked me to sing his demo song. It was a hit! I have to do gigs left and right."

 

"But why aren't you singing anymore?" Rey asked.

 

"There's this younger singer who became way more popular than me. Soon, people accused me of copying her style, even if I was first."

 

Leia scoffed and continued.

 

"I quitted and became a business woman instead. Don't like the fame and stress. Besides, a lot of female singers sang the same way like Karen Driver. She just happened to be more popular. But it's sad, she died young due to mental health problems. I felt sorry for her, but in a way, I'm glad it wasn't me."

 

"Can I hear you sing?" Rey requested.

 

"Sure."

 

Leia took out the rpm 45 disc and placed it on the player. The music started, and Rey was treated to Leia's singing.

 

"Nothing you can say can take me away from my guy!" Rey and Leia sang happily.

 

"Your voice is good too. You should be the singer," Leia tapped Rey's shoulder.

 

"After hearing your story, I'd rather not," Rey kidded.

 

After the house tour, Leia treated Rey to dinner. Instead of going out, she asked Rey what she liked, and she replied with pizza.

 

"That's a good idea! No more dishes to wash!" Leia agreed happily.

 

The pizza arrived later on, which was one huge box. Leia placed it on the dining table and even asked Arthur the chaffeur to come eat with them.

 

"You sit with us! It's just you and me in this house, Arturito! We rarely have guests!" Leia urged him. The guy smiled and took a slice of pizza, savoring a bite out of it.

 

"Wait, is this a pizza party?"

 

Ben Solo walked in to find them all huddled up in one corner of the table.

 

"Son, I was just welcoming my future daughter-in-law to our family!" Leia exclaimed happily.

 

"Mum," Ben looked embarassed.

 

"Sit down beside Rey and eat!"

 

Ben did so, and as he took a slice of pizza, he asked Rey, "Is my Mum giving you a headache?"

 

"No, I'm giving her a heartache! She should choose you!" Leia replied, which made Rey and Arthur burst into laughter.

 

"I'll bring you home after this, Miss Kanata," Ben told her.

 

"One day she will go home here with you!" Leia joked.

 

"Mum, you're not even drunk at this point!" Ben joked. "Excuse my mom, she's so excited that a girl is here because of me," Ben whispered to Rey, who just laughed.

 

When they finished eating dinner, Ben told Leia he will be the one to drive Rey home.

 

"Take care of her. I hope to see you again, Rey."

 

Leia reached out to Rey and they hugged each other like long time friends.

 

Ben led Rey out of the house and into his car. She sat on the passenger seat, and it was a quiet one hour drive all the way to Rey's building.

 

When the car stopped in front of her residence, Ben told her:

 

"Go back to work on Monday next week. Get some rest, don't think about work too much. It's my first order."

 

"Wow, coming from you, Mr. Solo," Rey snickered.

 

"I'm serious. I don't want anything else to happen to you because you're sick. I don't like the idea of losing you."

 

Ben was taken aback at the last sentence, as if he couldn't believe what he just said.

 

Rey blinked, looking at him blankly.

 

"I don't want to lose you as my secretary," Ben pretended to laugh.

 

"You're such a liar, aren't you?" Rey smiled. "How long will you keep on lying to me? I don't want to lie to myself too."

 

Ben smiled slowly at Rey. He tilted his face sidewards and inched closer to her, finally sealing everything with a kiss.

 

Rey's eyes widened the moment his lips touched hers. But she soon gave in and learned how to kiss him back, closing her eyes and opening her mouth for him to claim her. She could feel his arms winding around her waist, and she pressed herself to him harder.

 

When it was over, Ben pulled away and he could only say:

 

"Be with me, Rey."

Chapter 17: Love Virus

Notes:

Chapter title is a nod to the theme song of "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", Love Virus.

Rey slowly opened her eyes from a restful sleep. Gentle sunlight streamed through a crack in her bedroom window, and she welcomed it wholeheartedly. Then it dawned on her. She slowly touched her lips and smiled silly to herself.

 

Everything changed for her since last night, since that kiss. She couldn't believe that she had already fallen for this man, her boss, out of all men. The name Ben Solo now evoked a whole new meaning for her.

 

How long was she denying it to herself? Only now she could admit that she had been harboring feelings for him since she could remember.

 

When she did his necktie for the first time, she knew he was staring at her lips, but tried not to give much weight onto it. Maybe he was so tall, maybe it was awkward for both of them. But she caught him looking away, with a streak of crimson spreading across his cheeks.

 

She secretly laughed to herself, along with other memories of him running through her mind. Sure, Ben Solo may irk her at times, but despite her annoyance, she caught herself off-guard thinking about him long after work hours.

 

At first, she thought of him together with Kira Larson, wondering what happened to their relationship, thinking if he was a jerk for leaving her. Later on, when it was finally confirmed that he was indeed single, Rey thought about the reasons why he never had another girlfriend after the Kira episode. Maybe he was just too busy and absorbed in his work. Maybe he might be on to something. Or maybe, he was gloriously vain and no woman was ever right for him.

 

She paid no attention to the clues right in front of her. From Hux and Phasma teasing her endlessly about Ben, to Rose and the girls gushing over the idea of her and Ben as lovers.

 

When he hugged her drunkenly and asked her to be with him, that's when she knew he wanted her not as a secretary. That frightened her. Because she knew deep down, it was the last puzzle piece to help confirm her unspoken wanderings.

 

If ever he had developed feelings for me, will this ever work out?

 

After they kissed last night, they both agreed that they will take these newfound feelings slowly. She stayed in his car a bit longer, intertwining her fingers within the warmth of his hand.

 

"How long have you kept this from me?" Rey asked.

 

"When I accepted your application as a secretary, I knew you must be something. Even if I scold you at times," Ben laughed, keeping Rey's hand clasped tightly.

 

"You were already in love with me for that long?!" Rey looked astonished.

 

"It was a crush at first, then it grew. I'm good at hiding it, am I?" He smiled boyishly at her, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. Rey shifted in her seat, feeling a tingle running down her spine.

 

"Look at this love monster," Rey laughed.

 

"You should have noticed that through your clothing allowance, plus letting you have an overtime." Ben smiled knowingly at her. "Sometimes I even have to cover up for your mistakes."

 

"But why did you face me in Korea with no shirt on?" Rey lifted an eyebrow to him, which made Ben laugh harder.

 

"I forgot to put on a shirt! It only dawned on me when I faced you. You should have seen yourself looking so flustered!"

 

"You did that on purpose!" Rey hit his ribs playfully, but Ben held her close and locked her in his arms. They stayed that way longer, with Rey leaning against his shoulder, savoring his warmth.
It felt so good, so right.

 

Rey hugged her pillow, her smile almost ripping her face. Out of all the guys she liked, she now realized why it never worked out with any of them.

 

Ben Solo owned her heart now, and despite her fears, she willingly gave it to him.

---

"Whoa, you're here. It's a miracle your boss allowed you to take a leave."

 

Rey looked up from her adlai chicken rice at the dining table. Rose just got up from her sleep after her night shift. She walked up to the ref sleepily, checking any available food inside.

 

"I had a migraine attack yesterday, and he let me have a health leave until Friday. I'll be back on Monday next week." Rey took a spoonful of her meal, musing if she would tell Rose about her secret.

 

"Get some rest, alright? Good thing Ben Solo had some heart this time." Rose just made oatmeal with strawberries. She sat beside Rey, still groggy from sleep, and started eating.

 

"Yeah, in fact, he just gave his heart to me."

 

Rose looked up at Rey the moment she heard her statement.

 

"Am I dreaming? Why are you sounding so cheesy all of a sudden?" Rose blinked at Rey repeatedly.

 

A smile crept across Rey's lips. "I... I don't know how to say this, but we kissed last night."

 

Rose almost dropped her spoon. Her eyes widened at what she just heard.

 

"We're in love." Rey nodded her head, trying not to burst into laughter at Rose and her shocked face.

 

"Can you repeat it again?" Rose shook in excitement.

 

"We kissed and we told each other our feelings," Rey answered casually.

 

Rose grew quiet, then let out an excited shriek heard throughout the room.

 

"Oh my gahd! You got your first kiss with Ben Solo, of all people! You have a boyfriend!"

 

Rose almost lifted up Rey as she hugged her in her seat. Rey had to stand up, and she didn't protested when Rose shrieked and hugged her at the same time.

 

"Rey is in love! Can you hear that, Kanata Building?! Rey has a boyfriend!"

 

"Calm down, Mum might hear you!" Rey slapped Rose' shoulder.

 

"She's not coming back from her trip until tonight, I'll let you tell her! Rey has a boyfriend!" Rose shouted.

 

There was a knock at the door. Rose let go of Rey and sprinted towards to open it.

 

"What's happening? Why are you screaming, Rosie?"

 

Poe Dameron from next door looked at her, confused. Behind him was Finn, staring quizzically at her.

 

"Come in guys." Rose calmed down, then she let them in and shut the door behind them. She went up to Rey and pushed her towards them.

 

"Friends, I would like to let you know that Rey has a love life now!" Rose declared excitedly.

 

Poe and Finn looked at the girls as they sat across the sofa.

 

"That's true. It's... It's Ben Solo," Rey confirmed.

 

"What?!" Poe looked taken aback.

 

"How? When, where, why?" Finn was just as surprised.

 

"They're in love, period," Rose answered matter-of-factly.

 

Poe looked at Rey and her smiling face. Soon enough, a smile broke across his lips. He went up to Rey and hugged her.

 

"Nice! I knew you have something going on with each other. If he breaks your heart, let me know. We will beat him up!"

 

"That's cool, mate!" Finn also hugged Rey together with Poe.

 

"You guys are so sentimental!" Rey pretended to roll her eyes, breaking away from the group hug. "But wait, you also did not report for work today?"

 

"About that, we had pest control at the agency, so no work for today," Poe explained.

 

"And we also have news for you. It's not just Rey who's now in a relationship," Finn chimed in. He took Poe's hand and lifted it in front of Rey and Rose.

 

"Oh my gosh!" Rose squealed happily. She hugged Poe and Finn, with Rey joining in.

 

"We all got the love virus, don't we?" Poe remarked.

 

"Your turn, Rosie!" Finn joked.

 

"That can wait. For now, I'm happy for Rey and both of you," Rose smiled.

---

Night came, and Rey received this message from Ben.

 

How was your rest day?

 

Rey smiled to her phone screen while in bed and replied:

 

So far, so good. I was able to sleep well.

 

Good. I hope you won't get those nightmares anymore.

 

Hopefully. But I'll never know when it will strike again.

 

Just think of me shirtless, you'll dream of me.

 

Rey laughed to herself and replied:

 

What the heck Ben!

 

I'll drop by tomorrow at your home. I want to meet your Mum.

 

Rey's eyes widened. She wasn't sure how to answer this one.

 

"You're still awake?"

 

Maz entered her room and saw Rey looking at her phone.

 

"Oh Mum, it's just work."

 

"Your boss is such a jerk. He's still texting you even if you're on leave."

 

Maz sat by the edge of the bed next to Rey.

 

"Mum, actually, he's just checking me if I'm alright."

 

"Whoa, I thought he was a jerk." Maz folded her arms.

 

Rey thought of telling Maz the truth.

 

"Mum, he wants to drop by here and meet you."

 

"And why?" Maz frowned.

 

Rey took a deep breath and answered.

 

"He's my boyfriend now."

 

She studied Maz' expression. Her frown slowly dissipated and was replaced by a bright smile.

 

"Good Lord, finally! My Daisy Rey has a boyfriend!" she exclaimed.

 

"Mum!" Rey snickered.

 

Maz enveloped her in a hug, saying, "If he's a good one, I'm all for it."

Chapter 18: Dinner with Ben

"Good evening, Rey."

 

"Ben, it's you. Come in."

 

Rey smiled warmly at the sight of Ben Solo standing by the doorway. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and took the cake box he had with him.

 

The moment he entered, Ben asked, "Is your mother here with you?"

 

"Yes, she just went out to buy some rotiserrie chicken for dinner." Rey gestured for him to sit at the nearby arm chair. She walked over to the kitchen and placed the cake box on a nearby counter. Then she started preparing the plates and utensils.

 

"We only have a small space, so make yourself comfortable," Rey explained as she placed drinking glasses on the table.

 

"I think it's comfy," Ben leaned smilingly against the faded arm chair. "You grew up here?"

 

"Yeah, the whole place looks pretty old, but it's still a home." Rey flashed a smile at him. Deep inside, she couldn't believe that Ben already wanted to meet her mum.

 

"Rey, are we having guests for tonight?"

 

Rose Tico went out of the bathroom dressed in an oversized green shirt and denim shorts, with her hair wrapped in a towel. She shifted her sights to Ben Solo in the living room and gasped.

 

"Gosh, Rey, is this your boyfriend?!" Rose couldn't contain her excitement.

 

"He is." Rey walked over to them and said, "Mr. Solo, this is Rose, my long-time roommate. Rose, this is Mr. Solo, my boss--"

 

"And her boyfriend." Ben stood up and shook hands with Rose, who was in awe.

 

"You're so tall," Rose muttered in admiration.

 

"They always notice that," Ben laughed. "How did you become roommates here?"

 

"I've been working here as a NICU nurse for five years now, got kicked out of my first flat, until Rey took me in," Rose narrated. "I'm originally from California and decided to try my luck here in London."

 

"Where's your family?" Ben asked.

 

"My mom is running a nail salon in our place, while my older sister, Paige, is married and has two kids. She's also living in the US, and works remotely as a web developer. We're originally from Hanoi, Vietnam."

 

"I see," Ben nodded. "Rey once told me about you, thank you for taking care of her."

 

"Your boyfriend approves of me!" Rose gushed to Rey.

 

"Go get dressed!" Rey laughed.

 

Rose went into their bedroom and later on, Maz already arrived. She had rotiserrie chicken, a bowl of salad, and dinner rolls. She took a look at Ben, who seemed frozen in his seat and intimidated at her stare. Maz went to the dining section, and Rey decided to bring Ben over.

 

"Mum, this is Ben," Rey led him to the dining table while Maz arranged the food.

 

Maz stopped from her task and gave Ben a quick hug. "Whoa, this one is tall!"

 

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Kanata," Ben buzzed her on the cheek.

 

"How many inches is he?" Maz asked Rey.

 

"Standing up or lying down?" Ben asked, a naughty smile lining his face.

 

"Ben!" Rey's eyes flared at him, but she burst out laughing.

 

"I like this dude. He sounds like you're off to a rocking good time with him!" Maz laughed, slapping the surface of the kitchen counter. "Don't tire my daughter, alright?!"

 

"I'll take it slow with her," Ben winked at Rey.

 

"I can't take your dirty minds!" Rey was certainly amused at her mum's banter with him.

 

"Oh yes, dinner is here!"

 

Rose appeared dressed in her blue scrub suit, and the four of them sat down to a hearty meal. The atmosphere was light and filled with laughter. Ben and Maz were certainly hitting it off well.

 

"I can't believe my Rey is a gold digger!" Maz poked Rey's side, who answered, "Ma! He was the one who fell for me first!"

 

"Is that true?" Maz raised an eyebrow at Ben, who was in the middle of chewing his meal. He finished it and answered, "I really liked her in secret. Now I have the courage to be with her, I'm only asking for your approval."

 

"I approve one thousand percent!" Maz replied happily.

 

"Same here, with all the cells in my body," Rose nodded.

 

"Go forth and multiply!" Maz exclaimed. "But marry her first."

 

"We will get there, hopefully," Ben threw a smile at Rey across the table. "We are still getting to know each other."

 

"Do I lock both of you in the wardrobe?" Maz asked, her eyes glowing wickedly as she looked at her daughter and Ben Solo.

 

"Mum, you better meet Madam Solo, she sounds like you!" Rey laughed.

 

"If she's here, this conversation will be twice as kinky. Oh mother!" Ben pretended to face palm, which made the ladies laugh.

 

After dinner, Rose bid them goodbye on her way to her night shift. Ben helped Maz in washing the dishes, while Rey cleaned up the table.

 

She pretended not to hear their conversation after her task, but she was actually eavesdropping. Rey went to the living room and pressed against the thin wall as she listened.

 

"Have I told you that she's adopted? Even I have no idea of her real family, but I took her in and loved her anyway," Maz uttered in a clear low voice.

 

"That's what a family is about," Ben agreed. "She told me she had an accident as a child and I brought her to have an MRI the other day. She was having a migraine attack."

 

"Rey had it worse when she was in her teens. The last time she went to the doctor, her head is alright, no brain damage, thankfully," Maz exhaled in relief.

 

"I hope she'll be fine," Ben worried. "But is she still looking for her real family?"

 

"Her biological parents are both gone, and she can't remember their names nor faces," Maz explained. "I have her papers from the orphanage, including her hospital records from France. The guy who took her in said that her name was Daisy Rey. Like, Rey is her surname there. I never found out her actual name too. My girl must be French in origin."

 

"I wonder if that accident was a frame-up," Ben mused. "Like in the movies."

 

"Must be purely out of reckless driving," Maz answered. "But really, it seems to me the guy who brought her to the hospital knew a great deal about Rey and her family. Like, he had to hide her from someone, to the point she was brought here in London. Anyway, I won't force her to remember it."

 

The conversation ended. Rey hurriedly sat on the sofa the moment she heard their footsteps approaching.

 

"You looked pretty full from the dinner," Maz smilingly remarked.

 

"Yeah, it was good! We'll finish the rest of the cake tomorrow. Thanks, Hotshot!"

 

Rey stood up and kissed Ben on the cheek. To which he said, "It should be somewhere else."

 

Rey pouted and answered, "Not in front of my mum!"

 

"Go get a room, kids!" Maz pretended to get angry, but she ended up laughing instead.

 

"Hey mum, I'll show Ben my bedroom," Rey told Maz.

 

"No hanky-panky in this household!"

 

The couple burst into laughter at Maz. Rey led Ben in her room and showed him around.

 

"I feel like a giant here," Ben smiled as he looked around. To his right was a single bed with light pink beddings, where Rey sat.

 

"It's my bed here. Over there, that bed belongs to Rose." She pointed to another bed at the left corner, covered in light green beddings. Rey's bed was a mess, with two smaller pillows on top, a magazine to the right, and a gray cardigan hanging on the edge. It was in contrast to Rose' neatly tucked-in comforter, fluffed-up head pillow, and a heart-shaped pillow on top.

 

"You better learn to fix your bed, it's making me queasy," Ben smirked.

 

"I will, Mr. Solo."

 

Ben walked to a table in the middle. There was a Macbook on top of it, with a bookshelf nailed above the table. A hand mirror was placed next to the Macbook, and on the rightmost corner, was a faded brown teddy bear.

 

Ben's eyes shifted to the teddy bear, his gaze was on it as if he was hypnotized. Rey noticed his silence.

 

"What's up?" She stood near Ben and said, "That's Prince Teddy, I owned him since I was like, five? Never let go of him from France, all the way to the orphanage and here."

 

Ben carefully picked up the stuffed bear and studied it in his hand. "How did you got this?"

 

"When I was in a coma at the hospital, I can hear people talking. I heard I needed blood transfusion, then next thing I know, I woke up after sleeping for how long," Rey narrated.

 

"After that?"

 

"I felt someone's presence near my bed. It was a young boy, and he was talking to me. He said he donated his blood to me, and he also gave me his teddy bear. I never found out who he was."

 

Ben was achingly silent as he stared at Rey.

 

"Can you picture out how he looked?"

 

"Not really. But he sounded way older than me. If I was five then, maybe he was like, thirteen to fifteen years old. I can't open my eyes yet after that."

 

Ben looked astonished and continued to ask. "What's your blood type?"

 

"I'm AB negative."

 

Ben dropped the teddy bear.

 

"I'm also AB negative. I... When I was fifteen, I donated blood to a little girl when I was in France."

 

Rey looked like as if someone splashed a bucket of cold water on her. She looked up at Ben, her eyes searching him.

 

"I used to have that bear. I gave it away to that little girl who wouldn't wake up. All these years, I thought of her. If she lived. It was serendipity I happened to be there, because my grandmother had her chemo treatment. Someone needed AB negative blood and I was the right person for it."

 

"Ben..."

 

A tear streaked down from her cheek. Rey bit her lip and she finally allowed herself to cry.

 

Ben wrapped her around his arms, letting her rest on his shoulders.

 

"It was you," he whispered.

 

"You're Prince Teddy," Rey wept.

 

They remained standing for a long time, no need for words as they comforted each other.

 

Their fates were connected, and they were meant to cross paths once again.

Chapter 19: His Memory

(February 1997)

 

A teenaged boy sat on one of the metal benches located in a hospital corridor. He had his eyes closed and was lost in the music playing from his Discman. The calming melody soothed his troubled mind, letting his thoughts drift away.

 

He was worried about his grandmother, who was undergoing chemo treatment for her advanced stage of Pancreatic Cancer. His own mother was still fighting for his grandmother's life, but he heard her tell his mother:

 

"I'm tired of fighting, Leia. Whatever happens, just let me slip away in peace. This will be the last treatment."

 

"Mum--"

 

"I'm not afraid of it anymore, if this means everlasting peace on the other side. Besides, I can't wait to see your father once again. Just promise me one thing, that you will take care of Ben. After this, no more hospital visits. I want to rest in our summer home in Alsace."

 

He heard this from outside Grandmum's hospital room. Distraught, he left and went down to another floor. It was a secluded corridor near the emergency room.

 

He didn't want her to go yet. Whenever something upset him, Grandmum Padme was the first person to know. From failing grades to disagreements with his parents, Grandmum was always ready to offer a listening ear, a warm hug, and a plate of cookies.

 

But he cannot stop her if this is what she wants. The time will come, sooner or later. Thinking of a life without her hurts him so much, what more with the present suffering she was undergoing.

 

Beyond the music from his earphones, he heard scurried footsteps echoing from the other end of the corridor. He stopped the music from his Discman and placed it inside the pocket of his gray hoodie.

 

Ben stood up and followed the sound. He heard a stretcher being rolled to the emergency room, and a man's gruff voice talking to a nurse. He understood their conversation in French.

 

"I passed her by on the road inside a crashed car. She's still alive but her parents are gone. Please help her," the man pleaded.

 

"Please step back, we will try to revive her," the female nurse requested.

 

Ben peeked from the wall, where a group of nurses were fussing over a tiny limp body. He heard the female nurse giving orders to her group, and from a distance, the man with the gruff voice stood tensely.

 

"She's stable," the head nurse declared. "She'll be in the ICU for monitoring. Patch up her wounds and wheel her in. Call the head doctor for her."

 

Ben silently watched as the nurse walked up to the middle-aged man outside the emergency room.

 

"Sir, she is stable, but needs monitoring and a blood transfusion. For now, we gave her O negative blood so she wouldn't go into shock. She is still up for testing," the nurse explained.

 

"I can wait here," he said.

 

"Were you related to the patient?" the nurse asked.

 

The man stalled and answered, "I happened to be passing by the Alma Tunnel, when I saw the wrecked car in the middle with my companion. She called emergency and we stayed there until the ambulance arrived. I was asked to come with her. My female companion went with the team who will take care of her parents' bodies. We will be in touch with each other to monitor their situation."

 

"Were you able to get her name, or her family's?"

 

"No, I have no idea who she is. But let me stay with her until she wakes up."

 

Ben pulled himself to walk away. The girl's situation was strange for him, especially the man who wanted to stay for her.

 

He happened to pass by the ICU, where a nurse just exited.

 

"Excuse me, is the little girl from the car crash inside?" he asked.

 

"Yes, it's so sad that she has no family now," the nurse remarked. "Roads are so slippery during the winter."

 

"Have you tested her for blood typing?"

 

The nurse looked at Ben, surprised at his interest towards this case.

 

"She's an AB negative. She still needs transfusion."

 

Ben's face lighted up and he replied:

 

"I'm AB negative. Can I donate blood for her?"

 

By night time, Ben was declared the perfect fit for this girl's blood donation. When the transfusion was already done, he rested for a while, and then went back to his Grandmum's hospital room.

 

He caught sight of his mother sleeping on the sofa. Her eyes looked heavy from the lack of sleep over the past nights watching over Grandmum. She did not even stir at the sound of his footsteps upon his arrival.

 

Ben sat on a chair next to the sleeping Grandmum Padme. He took her hand gently, the fine lines of aging digging through her skin. If only he could hold her hand and never let her go. He hoped it would not be tonight or tomorrow.

 

His father was nowhere to be found. It was insensitive for him to be working, while his mother-in-law was at the hospital. Not once did he visited to check up on her and his mother. Reason was, he was closing this business deal in the US. It was so easy for him to fly out straight to Paris, what were his excuses?

 

Ben thought of the times he used to adore his father, of their trips to different towns across Europe and flying in his private plane. Those were all gone now. The family business is booming, but all these changes made him long for his presence.

 

One day, he would be taking over this. But he made it clear he didn't want to do with anything about Solo Enterprises.

---

Ben stirred in his seat the next day. He had fallen asleep with his head resting on the edge of his Grandmum's bed. He felt fingers running through his wavy dark hair, and a soft laugh.

 

"Look at my boy. He's so handsome even while asleep."

 

Ben slowly lifted his head, and Padme's smiling face met him.

 

"Good morning, Beautiful Grandmum," he grinned.

 

"You fell asleep by my side," Padme giggled. "Oh, my breakfast is delivered. Would you like some of it?" She eyed the tray of food propped on top of a table near the sofa.

 

"I'd rather that you eat it first," Ben told her. "Mum went out, I guess."

 

"I heard her say she will buy breakfast for you two. You better wait for her. I'll have that fastfood meal."

 

"No fast food for you." Ben pretended to scold her by standing up and folding his hands, as if he was really angry.

 

"I'm dying anyway. Let me eat what I want!"

 

The two of them laughed. Leia soon arrived with two paper bags. She asked Ben to proceed eating, while she helped Grandmum Padme with her food.

 

After his meal, Ben thought of the little girl who had been given his blood. He might as well drop by the ICU.

 

As he was about to leave, he noticed the teddy bear on his Grandmum's bed side. The latter gave it to him as his birthday gift when he was five, and he brought it all the way here just to show it to her.

 

"I kept this all these years. It reminds me of you, Grandmum."

 

"It's better if you pass on the joy and give it to someone who needs it the most. If you do, you might end up marrying her."

 

Grandmum Padme winked at him, which made him blush.

 

"I don't have a girlfriend yet. Not on my mind."

 

"One day, there will only be one woman in your mind, and she will mean the world to you."

 

"I won't end up like Dad, I promise."

 

Ben arrived in the ICU with the bear in his arms. He asked about the little girl, and he was told she was already transferred to another room.

 

"May I see her?"

 

He was led to a room on the third floor. When Ben stepped inside, there was no one. The gruff man from yesterday was nowhere to be found.

 

He stared at the little girl sleeping on the hospital bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and an oxygen tube was attached to her. She looked so small and frail on that huge bed. There was a bruise on her cheek and her eyes were swollen.

 

Ben thought of her parents. What happened to them, and who were they? How will her life turn out, now that she has no family?

 

He heard once that you can talk to people in a coma and they can hear it.

 

Ben pulled a chair and sat beside her, propping the teddy bear by her side.

 

"Bonjour," he whispered.

 

He felt awkward speaking to this little girl, who had no idea who he was. But he was determined to continue.

 

"I saw you being wheeled in the emergency room yesterday. I heard you needed blood donation. You're AB negative, just like me."

 

He smiled at the thought.

 

"You look five or six years old. I'm fifteen, by the way. I'm studying in a dorm school in London, but I'm on leave so I can be with my grandmum here in Paris."

 

Ben stroked the bear and continued.

 

"I'm giving you my teddy bear. I hope you wake up soon. I hope you will end up with a family who loves you."

 

A streak of tear flowed down from his cheek. He did not have the heart to tell her that her parents were both gone.

 

For a week, Ben visited this little girl with no name. He just sat beside her and talked to her about mundane things. On the last night, he left three stems of white daisies by her bed side table.

 

"I'll return. Hope you will wake up soon."

 

Ben took hold of her hand and gently rubbed her fingers.

 

The next day, he went back to her room, surprised to find out she was gone.

 

"She was transferred to another hospital, upon request of the man who brought her here," the nurse told him.

 

"Is she awake?"

 

"She will wake up anytime. But she's finally stable. I guess that man will be her guardian now."

 

Ben nodded and walked through the hospital corridors in a daze. He got outside and walked through the garden, leaning against the wall and silently weeping.

 

He wept for her, she who had no family and an uncertain future.

 

He wept over regret that he did not let his mother know about this. If he did, they could have adopted her.

 

He wept because he knows he will never see her again. If given the chance, he will be the best big brother to her.

 

Who was that man? What if he planned to do something bad to her? He might want her dead too just like her parents.

 

Ben rarely prayed. But now he stormed the heavens and wished that she will live, that she will be loved.

 

---

He smiled at the sight of Rey sleeping on her bed, hugging the teddy bear he gave her. He remained for the rest of the night with her, talking about their past.

 

As Ben sat on the floor, he held her hand in his. He couldn't believe that she was also that little girl in the hospital many years ago.

 

He thought of praying about her when she left the hospital in Paris. And now his prayers were answered.

 

She returned to him, and he will never let her go again.

 

Grandmum was right.

 

Rey meant the world to him now, the only woman in his mind and heart.

Notes:

Even if they have a 10-year age gap, Rey (26) and Ben (36) in the story timeline are both consenting adults.

Chapter 20: Endrina

Cité de Rêve

Rey gasped upon seeing the colorful signage leading to the theme park. She caught the aroma of freshly popped corn and the sweet strawberry scent of cotton candy from the nearby vendors. It made her mouth water, and she hoped she could get some as a snack later.

 

Her eyes darted beyond the horizon. There was a roller coaster in the background, where the shrilly screams of the riders were as piercing as the heat of the early afternoon sun. A nursery rhyme played from the rotating merry-go-round, where some adults watched at their children riding on the pastel-colored horses. Some of the parents shouted tensely upon seeing their kids misbehave while the galloping horses rocked back and forth.

 

But there was one ride she wanted to board. It was the white ferris wheel, where one can almost touch the sky. The gondolas were as pristine like the whole gigantic wheel, with hoods painted in red and white stripes.

 

"Can I ride there, mama?"

 

She looked up to her mother, whose face was against the sunlight. The woman had red hair cascading down to her shoulders in curls, and she was garbed in a light blue cardigan and a floral skirt.

 

Rey realized she was five years old now. She also spoke French, and understood everything she said.

 

"Honey, Endrina wants to ride the ferris wheel first," the woman said, turning to her husband. Rey squinted against the sun to see her father, but his face was a blur.

 

And why was she called by another name?

 

Rey felt her small hand taken inside the warmth of this man, who was her father.

 

"Let's go, Endrina!"

 

Excitement surged through her chest despite the confusion. She ran alongside her dad, the skirt of her white eyelet dress billowing against the wind. Her footsteps tapped against the cobbled pavement, and before long, she suddenly found herself already inside the gondola of the ferris wheel, sandwiched between her parents.

 

The wheel spun gently, and she giggled. Seeing the rest of the horizon made her feel like she was on top of the world. She wished this ride would never end.

 

"Love you, mama and papa."

 

She felt herself leaning on her father's arm, while her mother bowed down and kissed her cheek.

 

"Je t'aime, Endrina."

 

---

Rey roused from her sleep. The dream was still fresh from her mind.

 

"Endrina," she whispered.

 

She got up slowly and felt something drop to the floor. Rey looked down and saw Prince Teddy staring back at her with a pair of beady eyes.

 

She totally forgot that Ben was here last night. She recalled their talks, and the last thing she remembered was hugging the teddy bear and Ben giving her a forehead kiss.

 

Rey slowly walked to the kitchen, where she saw Ben's back turned on her. He was frying something on the stove, and when she sniffed it, she realized he was cooking pancakes.

 

"You slept here?"

 

Rey went up to Ben. He already took off his coat, the arm sleeves of his white button-down folded up to his elbows.

 

"Good morning, Love."

 

Rey approached him first and hugged him from behind. "Don't kiss me yet. I haven't brushed my teeth, and Rose might see us." She smiled dreamily, feeling his hard back against her chest.

 

"Rose just arrived and dropped right on her bed. She did not even noticed me here," Ben chuckled.

 

"What about mum?"

 

"She was the one who let me sleep on the sofa. The lady got up very early and said she will be having breakfast with her friends from the motorcycle club."

 

"Mum's social life is very active," Rey quipped.

 

Ben turned to her and suddenly planted a kiss on her parted lips.

 

"Hey!" Rey felt her cheeks heating up. "Let me brush first."

 

"I was just practicing for us, future wife." Ben showed a smug smile.

 

"Don't startle me with another kiss, I have to know you're doing it!" Rey protested.

 

"Let me hug you." Ben was about to wrap her in his arms, when Rey dodged him. She ran to the loo before he could catch up with her.

 

Once inside, Rey leaned against the door, her heart going wild. It felt weird having her once-hated boss as her now boyfriend. But it was the good kind of weird, the kind that makes you feel giddy and hopeful for the days to come.

 

After she was done with her morning routine, she sad down beside Ben on the dining table.

 

She had to admit he had good culinary skills. There was a stack of pancakes, a platter of spinach omelette with cheese and some leftover strawberries, a plate of bread rolls, and a kettle of brewed coffee.

 

"In case you're wondering, I know how to cook up a feast." Ben placed two slices of pancakes and gave her the bowl of chopped strawberries. "Uncle Luke from Iceland taught me."

 

Rey placed strawberry slices on top of the pancake, and drizzled it with maple syrup. She cut up a slice and ate it.

 

"This is so fluffy!" She was delighted at how it tasted so full while feeling so soft against her tongue.

 

"I cancelled all meetings today just to let you have a taste of Solo's Breakfast Special," Ben beamed proudly.

 

Rey looked at him smilingly. "You're an amazing cook."

 

Ben smiled back and the two continued eating their breakfast in silence, sometimes with stolen glances and a smile from each other.

 

After eating, Rey volunteered to wash the dishes. "You better go if you have something important to do," she told Ben.

 

"I have this one day just for you."Ben leaned against the counter and grinned. "If you want to go somewhere, let me know. I'll bring you to my flat and wait for me while I take a shower."

 

"Can I take a shower with you there?" Rey smirked naughtily.

 

"Not for now, naughty little lady." Ben pinched her cheek.

 

"Ow!" Rey exclaimed, swatting his hand away. Ben laughted and said, "I'll go now, by noon, I will pick you up here."

 

He was about to walk when Rey called him.

 

"Can you help me figure out something?"

 

"What is it?"

 

"I need you to bring your laptop. Let's hang out at the public library."

 

---

After picking up Rey at her flat and having lunch at a Thai resto, the couple stopped at a nearby public library.

 

"Why have you chosen to say here?" Ben asked, sitting on a plush arm chair near Rey. There was a laptop turned in front of them.

 

"I had a dream last night. I was with my parents and we were in a theme park in France. I was referred to by another name, Endrina," Rey narrated.

 

"Endrina?" Ben frowned.

 

"I guess that was my name before," Rey shrugged. "Together with the parents I couldn't remember. Plus, we spoke French in my dream and I understood all of it."

 

"You don't really lose language skills even if you have amnesia," Ben told her. "But you still speak French?"

 

"I can still understand it, even if I haven't used it for so long, Monsieur Solo," she grinned.

 

"So what are we going to search for today?" Ben asked.

 

"Can you find if there was any car accident that happened in Paris back in 1997?" Rey asked.

 

"Aside from the Princess Diana one? That was in Paris, Alma Tunnel to be exact."

 

"I have a feeling it was the same tunnel in my dream. Oh, I have my old hospital records with me."

 

Rey took out a plastic envelope from her tote bag and placed it on the table. Ben typed fast and pressed the Enter bar.

 

"These are all showing the Princess Diana accident during August 1997," Ben rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I knew I donated blood to you on February 1997."

 

"Here are my records, if you like to see it."

 

Ben opened the envelope and silently flipped through the papers.

 

"Croix Bleue hospital, yeah, my grandmum was admitted there," Ben mouthed. "These records show you had a head injury and needed blood transfusion."

 

Ben pored over the papers while Rey sat in silence. She never really took a good look at it, until today.

 

"There's a waiver form here," Ben quipped. "It confirmed your name is Daisy Rey and proven to have no legal guardian, after losing both parents in a car crash. This was stated by the guy who found you, the one who brought you to the hospital."

 

"But why am I called Endrina in my dream?" Rey wondered.

 

Ben read further, then paused while seeing the name signed at the bottom of the paper.

 

"Will be transferred to St. Agnes Orphanage in London, England. Signed, Enric Pryde."

 

"Enric Pryde?" Rey asked. "Can you search him?"

 

"Hold on." Ben typed the name and scanned the search results.

 

"It's another name that sounded Enric Pryde. Erik Hyde," Ben read.

 

"Can I see it?" Rey leaned over Ben's laptop.

 

"It seems like he's listed for a bodyguard service."

 

Ben clicked the website and read this Erik Hyde's profile. It had no picture, but the description said he was an elite bodyguard who once served an Arabian oil sheik for twelve years. Now he's retired and there was nothing mentioned anymore.

 

"Can I see the previous search results?" Rey asked. "Let's be sure we did not get the wrong person."

 

Ben clicked the back button. He scanned the list of websites, but it all described the origin of the Pryde surname. No search result showed who Enric Pryde was.

 

"I have a hunch Erik Hyde and Enric Pryde are the same person. I'll contact the bodyguard services to know more about his wherabouts," Ben offered.

 

Rey took a deep breath. The puzzle pieces about her real identity and memory are all falling into place.

Chapter 21: Pryde

Come Saturday morning, Rey and Ben went on a morning trip to Devon. It was a 2-hour train ride from Paddington Station.

 

"Are you sure it's really him?" Rey asked, looking outside the window as the train zoomed past.

 

"I called the agency where Erik Hyde worked, and an old colleague gave me his number. I called him, and yes, he's confirmed to be Enric Pryde," Ben narrated.

 

"Why did he change his name?" Rey frowned, thinking of her mysterious lineage and connection to Pryde.

 

"He never told me. But when I mentioned Enric Pryde to him, there was a long pause and he replied that it was him." Ben's forehead showed a crease. "I asked him about his two names, and he also didn't responded. He just said that we have to meet, and I told him you will be with us."

 

"What did he say on the phone?"

 

"I said Daisy Rey will be with us. Imagine the silence at the other end," Ben snickered. "I said you have a lot of questions."

 

"He must have been surprised I'm still alive," Rey smirked.

 

"I feel like he's really hiding something big."

 

"He might be connected to me, after all. I'm starting to regret wanting to know who I am."

 

Ben placed his hand on top of Rey's hand. "Whatever happens, I'm here with you."

 

They arrived at Devon. Ben showed Rey the address to Pryde's residence. They rode a taxicab, where they were led to a rural area 4 miles away from Exeter.

 

"Here's my payment, plus a hefty tip." Ben handed a stack of bills to the cab driver. "Thank you."

 

The cabbie nodded in acknowledgment. Ben stepped out of the car and helped out Rey by taking her hand.

 

In front of them was a detatched period-style home, surrounded with lush shrubbery and trees. Rey couldn't help smiling at the sights, but she felt nervous as well at the thought of meeting the person who lived there.

 

"I got this," Rey stated, taking a deep breath.

 

"I'm with you," Ben held her hand tightly.

 

They approached the gate and pressed the doorbell. A middle-aged household help opened it for them.

 

"Is Erik Hyde around? Tell him I'm going to meet him. Name's Ben Solo."

 

"Please come inside."

 

The lady led them inside to a country-style parlor. A moose head hung above a brick fireplace. There were rows of bookshelves on each side, and a circular wooden table surrounded with four matching chairs were in front of the fireplace.

 

The two took off their coats first and the help hung both on a peg, where a bowler hat was perched on top.

 

"Please sit down, I'll call Mr. Hyde."

 

The household help left. Ben pulled a chair for Rey and he let her sit first before he sat beside her.

 

Rey was silent as she looked down at the tiny daisy prints on her black long-sleeved collared dress. She picked that dress on purpose, in the hopes of spiting that man who might have dark intentions towards her and her deceased parents.

 

"Good morning, Mr. Solo."

 

A deep voice lingered behind them. Ben was the first to stand up, and from behind, Rey heard him say:

 

"Good day. I'm Ben Solo. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Erik Hyde. Or Mr. Enric Pryde."

 

Rey froze at the tense silence that followed.

 

"Is she the girl?" Pryde asked.

 

"I guess she can answer you better," Ben responded coolly.

 

That was Rey's sign for her to introduce herself. Slowly, she stood up and turned around with a stern unsmiling expression.

 

A sour-faced man met her gaze. Faint lines surrounded the corners of his eyes, his mouth curling into a scowl the moment he laid eyes on her. His graying hair was slicked back, his heavy breathing obvious against the chest of his black turtle neck. His hands went inside the pockets of his dark slacks while scrutinizing Rey.

 

"I'm Daisy Rey. The girl from Croix Bleue Hospital back in February 1997. I used to go by the name Endrina, and maybe, you could help me figure out what happened to me."

 

"Daisy."

 

The name rolled off Pryde's thin mouth like it was a foul-smelling flower.

 

"I can sense you hated the fact that we discovered your wherabouts. Don't worry, this meeting will be short, and we will no longer bother you again after this," Rey declared seriously.

 

Pryde went around the round table and sat. He gestured Rey and Ben to sit, which the two did.

 

"You're smart, Mr. Solo. I have no intentions to be discovered, but no thanks to the Internet, you figured out I've been using a fake name all these years. Enric Pryde is no more, what you have in front of you is Erik Hyde." He tilted his head to the side, studying both Ben and Rey.

 

"Can I go straight to my question? Do you have any idea of what happened to my parents?" Rey cut through, folding her arms impatiently.

 

"You have your father's eyes. Sharp and cunning," Pryde remarked to her. "It's a shame he was a weakling to have chosen that woman."

 

"I need answers," Rey insisted.

 

"There's a high price to pay for that. Will you regret knowing everything afterwards?" Pryde questioned.

 

Rey challenged him by just a stare. Pryde nodded and started revealing what he knew.

 

"You are the only living relative of Sheev Palpatine, the Caïd, or Big Boss, of Le Premier Ordre, a top mob group in Paris since the 1940's. You have Le Milieu lineage."

 

Rey's eyes widened upon hearing this statement. Pryde continued his story.

 

"Palpatine only had one son, Valin. He worked as a Spécialiste, having trained under his father's right-hand man, the godfather or Parrain, Jean Snoke. This son's expertise goes with robbery, fraud, and kidnapping. Your family handled all the big-time robbery and fraud in Paris and the surrounding cities from the forties up to the mid-nineties. Sheev passed it on to his son. Ah, those were good times working with that lad."

 

Rey wanted to speak, but was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe what she just found out. Beside her, Ben held her hand to calm her down.

 

"How are you connected to them?" Rey asked.

 

"I became an Associé, thanks to your father, Valin. We have to kidnap this woman who just entered a convent as a noviciate. She also happened to be a daughter of a rival mob family, the La Résistance. Her name was Iella Cardel."

 

"So she was my mother?"

 

"You figured that out correctly." A smug smile lighted up Pryde's face. "Valin Palpatine was assigned to watch over Iella and---"

 

"Did he sexually abused her?!"

 

Rey stood up, banging the table. Her eyes flared at Pryde, whose expression remained unaffected.

 

"Rey, calm down," Ben whispered. He held her arm, and that made her slump back in her seat.

 

"Let me continue the story," Pryde spat out. "Your father watched over your mother while in captivity. His aim was to extract information from her regarding the moves of La Résistance, then a rising crime family. We were about to rob the house of a filthy rich politician, but The Resistance got there first and botched our operation. He wanted to know their secrets. But Iella knew nothing, not wanting to do anything with her family, which was why she ran away and entered a convent."

 

"So they were in love?" Rey asked.

 

"Yes, I witnessed their love." Pryde said the last word in disgust. "Valin trusted me with his secrets. I hid everything he told me from Snoke and Sheev. I also helped them escape to Bordeaux, and led them to a vinery where they can live in peace. They assumed false names after that."

 

"What did you tell your big bosses?" Rey felt her heart thumping. This can't be true, as if her life was from a movie. But it is.

 

"I told them that Valin will be the one to take care of Iella, that he had a plan to kill her by driving with her and jumping off the Seine. But in reality, I helped them escape, gave them a safehouse, a way of living, and false names. Iella was also pregnant with you during that time, and my loyalties stayed with Valin. After that plan happened, I resigned from Le Premier Ordre. Palpatine rewarded me handsomely with good pay, all the while thinking that his son and that woman are dead."

 

Pryde laughed at how guillible they were.

 

"At Bordeaux, I remained in contact with Valin. He went by the name Johannes Lander. Iella was Vivian Lander, and they had a daughter in 1992. Endrina Lander."

 

"Endrina," Rey mouthed. "I'm Endrina Lander."

 

"You're a Palpatine," Pryde told her right to her face. "Endrina Palpatine."

 

Rey looked appalled at the sound of it. "But what happened after that, how come I remember having a car accident?"

 

"I incognito visited the pub frequented by the Ordre's members just to get information and pass it on to Valin. I heard that Sheev discovered his son was still alive and was with your mother. The old man was planning to drive all the way to Bordeaux just to kill him with his own hands. Of course, he wanted me dead too."

 

Pryde cleared his throat.

 

"I got the date for Sheev's visit and passed it on to Valin. On the day itself, I helped them escape in a car, while me and a former female Associé, Bazine Netal, offered to led them away. But they already discovered us. I drove them all the way to Paris. While passing through the Alma Tunnel, we went ahead of them, but I wondered why they weren't trailing behind us. Bazine and I heard a gunshot and a car slamming against a wall. We drove back and found the wreackage, with Sheev's car leading away."

 

Rey was silent the entire time. She felt chest tightening.

 

"What happened after that?" She struggled to get the words out her mouth.

 

"The coast was clear. Bazine asked help from an ambulance. Your parents died on the spot while you were miraculously alive. Bazine took care of your parents' bodies, having them buried in an unmarked grave."

 

Rey was about to speak up, but Pryde raised a hand to stop her.

 

"I brought you to the hospital, took hold of your medical needs, and when you gained consciousness and improved, I flew here to the UK with you and dropped you off to an orphanage. I went into hiding, changed my name, and worked hard to remain undetected by Sheev and his cohorts. So that's it. By the way, I named you Daisy Rey because of your daisy-printed dress when I found you inside that wrecked car. Rey sounds nice as a surname, what do you think?"

 

Pryde flashed a smirk at her.

 

Everything was too much for her to handle. Rey felt the whole world spinning and she lost consciousness right there, with Ben holding her.

Notes:

Sources for the terminologies used:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.discoverwalks.com/blog/paris/le-milieu-in-paris-french-gang-history/amp/

 

French Mob terminology:

 

Le Milieu-general name for the French mob

Caïd : the “big boss.” The highest level of the French Mob.

Parrain : “Godfather”. The highest level under the Caïd.

Spécialiste : “specialist”. Someone who has a specific skill set.

Associé : “associate”, someone who is associated with the French Mob

 

I reversed the Snoke/Palpatine story here, on Rey's side.

 

Plus, Endrina Lander was from an old telenovela, a character from Emperatriz.

Chapter 22: Ben's Secret

Rey squinted against the sunlight from the open window. She found herself lying down on a sofa, and felt Ben's hand soothing her forehead.

 

"Rey? Are you okay?"

 

His voice was soft, the look of concern evident in his eyes. Rey tried to lift herself, and with his help, she sat up.

 

"What happened?"

 

"You fainted, and I thought it was another migraine attack. Did you eat breakfast?"

 

"I did." She recalled the conversation with Pryde earlier, and everything came crashing down on her.

 

"Why are we still here? Let's leave now, Ben," Rey pleaded.

 

"We will leave soon, as long as you're okay." Ben held her close to him.

 

Rey looked around, and found out she was brought to a living room. There was a flat screen television set in front, and right beside her was a coffee table with an architecture magazine and a succulent on top.

 

"Where is Pryde?" she asked.

 

"He left," Ben answered dryly.

 

"Did you talk after I fainted?"

 

"I told him not to bother you anymore after this, and we will be the same with him."

 

"Ben, I really want to go."

 

Rey slowly got to her feet, with Ben walking beside her. He led her back to the parlor, where it was now empty. Ben got their coats from the peg, and he helped Rey first to put on her coat before he wore his own.

 

Upon exiting the parlor, Pryde and his wry smile met them near the doorway.

 

"Aren't you going to stay for lunch?"

 

"No thank you," Ben declined. "We will eat somewhere else."

 

"I bid my farewell to Mr. Solo and his Mob heiress girlfriend."

 

Rey stared at Pryde, who flashed a wicked, knowing smile at her.

 

"This will be the last time I'll visit you, Monsieur Pryde."

 

Rey turned away and went out the door without another glance, with Ben following her.

 

The moment they were out on the road, Rey had never felt so relieved. The whole Pryde house felt suffocating, especially when she found out the truth about her lineage.

 

They rode a taxi all the way to the train station. Ben asked Rey if she wanted to eat, and she allowed him to treat her out. They found a fish and chips resto, and the whole time during the meal, Rey was in a daze and still trying to make out everything she knew by now. Ben tried to break the silence with a comment or casual jokes, but it did nothing to lift up her mood.

 

It was a silent trip back to Paddington Station in London. Rey fell asleep leaning on Ben's shoulder, and he awakened her when they arrived.

 

"Ben, can you stay with me longer?" Rey asked, walking alongside him.

 

"Where do you want to go?" Ben smiled, squeezing her hand in him.

 

"Let's visit the park near my home."

 

Moments later, they were in a nearby local park, sitting on a bench under a tree. Rey began to speak.

 

"I can't believe that. It still feels so surreal to me."

 

Rey threw a glance at Ben. "After finding out everything, will you still be with me? I'm the granddaughter of a French mob boss who's still at large for the crimes he committed."

 

"I will stay by your side." Ben kissed her forehead.

 

"I may not remember my parents, but I feel so sick knowing what happened to them. And Pryde rescuing me, maybe he will have me dead later on, so he can tell his boss. Oh wait, his boss doesn't know he's still alive."

 

Rey stifled a laugh. "But what if he does know, and is having somebody follow after him? Maybe he will have me next."

 

"Don't say that, love." Ben pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I will marry you and build a family together. You can pursue your theater dreams after this. Stop thinking of bad thoughts."

 

"I'm scared."

 

Rey leaned on Ben's shoulder. "I'm scared for us, but mostly for you. I'm sorry for putting you through this."

 

Ben touched her cheek, his smile boyish and loving.

 

"We will face this together. And I will protect you."

 

Rey smiled through her misty eyes. She looked up to Ben and kissed him softly.

 

---

I'm giving you this amount as an offer you cannot refuse. Keep silent, and don't bother Rey after this.

 

That woman is really her father's daughter. Shrewd. She was lucky to have fished out a millionaire boyfriend.

 

Rey is not the scheming woman you think she is. I'll make sure she will never be touched by her grandfather nor their family members.

 

How wise of you, Monsieur Solo. Well then, payment accepted.

 

That's only a small amount to me. Fulfill your part of the deal.

 

Ben leaned back against his arm chair, clasping his forehead. He thought of his conversation with Pryde after Rey fainted.

 

He knew things might come to worse, but to what extent, no idea. Money really does make the world go round, especially for vile men like Pryde. He could still be in contact with his former boss. It was the only way he knew to keep him hands off from Rey. And he chose to keep this a secret from her, knowing she will never agree to his idea.

 

Ben could only hope against hope that Pryde will fulfill their deal.

 

He sipped the remaining amount of tea left cold in his cup. At 1am, Ben was still awake. Thoughts about Rey won't put him to sleep, so he decided to go online and read anything he could find about La Premier Ordre and its head, Sheev Palpatine.

 

The search results were a wealth of information. Sheev Palpatine may be elusive, but he was the mastermind behind a lot of crimes from the forties up to the latest.

 

A major bank heist, kidnapping cases against perceived enemies of the Ordre, prostitution rings, drug smuggling. The La Premier Ordre members should be rotting in jail by now. Well, some of its members were arrested or committed suicide to evade arrest, but not the heads. Sheev Palpatine and Jean Snoke had the law wrapped around their fingers.

 

Hide and seek champions, Ben mused as he scanned an article dating back to 2010. It read, "Snoke, Palpatine, still at large".

 

"Last reports said they are not in Paris anymore, but somewhere within Europe," Ben muttered under his breath.

 

They could be in London. Hopefully not.

 

Something crossed Ben's mind and he paused.

 

Why was there no mention of Sheev having a son who used to work for him? Not once was there a Palpatine son mentioned.

 

Ben clicked back to the search results and went further for the older articles, until he came to an old forum site in French.

 

Tales from the Mob

Anyone here who has deep dark secrets from the underworld?

 

Ben scanned the responses to the main thread until something piqued his curiosity.

 

One of my relatives used to work for the head boss of the La Premier Ordre, as a head househelp. She never spoke about the Palpatine family. But one time, she told me the Old Palpatine had a son and he had that particular son murdered. Because he kidnapped and eloped with the daughter of the rival Mob. Pretty juicy info. And you know what, you won't read anything about the Palpatine son and his wife in articles about the L.P.O. Like, the old guy had his existence erased.

 

Whoa, that's crazy, said another respondent.

 

It is. There's even a rumor that Palpatine's son left a child and this person will take over L.P.O. No one knows if it's a son or daughter.

 

"I hope he never finds out about Rey," Ben whispered.

 

He closed the forum site tab, and was about to close the search tab when the news website notification popped.

 

"Former Associé of La Premier Ordre Shot Dead at Home."

 

Shit.

 

Ben read the article in a snap.

 

"DEVON: A 64-year old man was shot dead in his living room parlor. A neighbor heard a gun shot and upon peeking out the window, saw a departing Aston Martin car. He called the police and when they arrived at the scene of the crime, found the said man sprawled dead, in his hand a wad of cash.

 

The said man was found out to have worked previously for the French mob group, La Premier Ordre. For years, he was said to have hidden his identity. No one knows the reasons why he left."

 

Ben closed the browser and shut down his laptop. He stood up, shifting back and forth in his room, his thoughts a tangled mess.

 

We went there this afternoon. We could have gone with him, Rey could have been kidnapped.

 

Ben feared that Pryde's former boss was just nearby, and found out that Pryde lying to him.

 

What if Palpatine already knew about Rey's existence?

 

If something terrible happens to her, Ben could never forgive himself.

Chapter 23: Now They Know

"Good morning, Hux!"

 

"Rey! You're back!"

 

She flashed him her brightest smile as she walked past him to her table.

 

"You seemed so well-rested. Are you feeling okay now?" Hux stood near Rey while the latter propped down her handbag and turned on her laptop.

 

"Yes, certainly. Did I missed anything?" Rey asked.

 

"Not really. Mara did well and she's so ready to take over."

 

Ben Solo walked past them. Rey sensed he was trying so hard not to throw a glance at her.

 

"Good morning Mr. Solo," Rey tried to sound formal. At the back of her head, she was gushing at the fact that they were now in a relationship and they kissed more than three times.

 

"Check my schedule for today, Miss Kanata," Ben ordered, then disappeared in his quarters.

 

"Look at that long face," Hux commented as soon as Ben was out of earshot.

 

"You never get used to him," Rey snickered.

 

"All right, I'm back to work."

 

Hux left. As soon as she was alone, she decided to give Ben a visit.

 

With a huge smile on her face, she confidently strode to the adjacent office near her post. She silently pushed the door open and closed it behind her.

 

Ben had her back turned to him. He was peeking out the window and was in deep thought. Rey tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

 

"Hello, tall boyfriend boss," Rey tried to make her voice sound sexy.

 

"Oh!" Ben was startled. He turned around and his smile was priceless.

 

"Look at that smile on your face," Rey reached up and pinched his cheek.

 

"Hey, don't spoil my CC cream!" Ben protested.

 

"You're wearing make-up now?" Rey's eyes widened.

 

"I'm just trying out the men's make-up that our cosmetics line is currently developing," Ben explained. "Anyway, I have some somber news for you. Enric Pryde was murdered in his home in Devon."

 

At the sound of this, Rey's face darkened.

 

"Who did this?" She felt her knees turning into jelly.

 

"No one knew. The shooter is at large. They hypothesized that it's probably connected to his past as a Mob member."

 

"What if they're after me?" Rey walked towards Ben's desk, where she sat on an arm chair.

 

"I won't let that happen. You have me, okay?"

 

Ben walked behind Rey and placed his arms around her shoulders. He lowered his head and planted a forehead kiss on her. Rey closed her eyes, his presence calming her nerves.

 

"Ben, do you have the files with you for the presentation?"

 

Hux suddenly walked in on them. He stopped in his tracks, seeing Ben kissing Rey on the forehead with his arms around her.

 

Ben immediately stepped back and placed his arms behind him. Rey stood up, a flush of red blooming on her face.

 

A long silence followed with the three of them looking at each other.

 

"Do we have a first lady now?" A knowing smile slowly crept on Hux' face, the paleness turning into a shade of pink.

 

"We're just friends!" Rey and Ben blurted out in unison.

 

Hux let out a laugh. He went up to Ben and tapped his shoulder.

 

"Congratulations, Mate! I was just waiting for the ship to sail."

 

Hux then approached Rey and awkwardly shook hands with her. "I've always known you have some sort of feelings for Ben."

 

"Was I that obvious?!" Rey exclaimed in disbelief.

 

"You guys were trying so hard not to make it obvious!" Hux laughed. "Believe me, I was Ben's love consultant."

 

Ben walked to the table and shoved a folder to Hux.

 

"Get. Out." He pretended to sound serious but Ben burst out into laughter. Rey smiled, it was the first time she heard Ben laugh so heartily.

 

"Invite me to your wedding!" Hux called out.

 

"I will, if you'll keep your mouth shut!" Ben's face wrinkled into an embarassed smile as he tried to throw a small pillow at Hux running away.

 

The door shut closed. Ben let out a sigh of relief. "That jerk. Now he knows."

 

"I don't really mind now if the whole company will know," Rey mused.

 

"Oh no, I won't let that happen. I want to keep your dignity intact," Ben took her hand and held it.

 

"I'll be quiet about it, Sir."

 

"And don't worry so much anymore about Pryde. Go on with your work. You have until December as your last month."

 

"I will, Mr. Solo."

 

Rey smiled and inched her face closer to Ben, giving him a soft quick kiss. She walked away, smiling, her heart full with love.

 

---

"Surprise!"

 

Rey walked in her apartment that night, a shower of confetti welcoming her. The bright smiling faces of Rose, Kaydel, and Jannah met her.

 

"Whoa, what's the occasion?" Rey brushed off some pieces of shimmers on her shoulder and closed the door behind her.

 

"Cheers on having your first boyfriend ever!" Kaydel hugged her.

 

"I'm sorry, I accidentally blurted it out when I was chatting with them," Rose smiled sheepishly.

 

Rey's eyes widened at Rose, who just shrugged. "They insisted on coming over and bringing some pizza."

 

"We're just so happy for you," Kaydel grinned.

 

Despite her irritation, Rey forced a smile. "Oh well, you guys will find out anyway. Let's eat!"

 

The girls scrambled towards the dining table and started their pizza dinner.

 

"How's Ben?" Kaydel asked with wide eyes. "Is he a good kisser?"

 

"Did you snogged already?" Jannah asked.

 

"Guys," Rey glared at them.

 

"But Rose said he went here last week," Kaydel commented.

 

"Did you use some protection? Oh gosh, I can't wait to hear both of you snogging!" Jannah sounded excited at the thought of it.

 

"GUYS!"

 

Rey banged the table as she raised her voice. "Relax, we aren't getting there yet! Can you just not get too touchy about this?" The flurry of personal questions irked her.

 

"Sorry." Kaydel went silent and ate her pizza instead.

 

"Sorry for this," Jannah quipped.

 

"I should have let you break the news instead. I feel bad now," Rose looked away.

 

Silence followed. They continued eating until Rey spoke up.

 

"I know you guys are so thrilled for me. It's just that I felt irked at your questions. It's not really my personality to talk about this, unless I have a question that bothers me, then I will speak up about it."

 

"We know that," Rose agreed.

 

"If he breaks your heart, you can cry to us and we will hunt him down," Kaydel promised.

 

"If he cheats on you, we will cut up his manhood!" Jannah raised her fist in the air.

 

"That's crazy!" Rose laughed.

 

"I'll do that myself if he cheats," Rey giggled at the thought.

 

"But you should ride it first," Jannah winked at Rey.

 

"Wait, where have you been last Saturday?" Rose asked.

 

Rey paused and caught her breath. She remembered that fateful day, and started talking about what she and Ben discovered.

 

The room fell silent afterwards.

 

"You're a granddaughter of a mob boss?" Rose asked.

 

"And you're French in origin?" Kaydel eyed her seriously.

 

"Thank goodness Ben was with you there," Jannah sighed. "But about the man you visited, he knew your parents."

 

"Yeah. And I found out he was shot dead in his house. There's probably a spy of that Palpatine guy somewhere. So if I end up dead, you know why. Don't tell mum, please."

 

All the dark thoughts came rushing back to her, which she shrugged off with a wry smile.

 

"Don't say that," Rose hugged Rey. "He will not come for you here."

 

"But what if he's hiding here in London? He can be anywhere if he's still at large. Anyway, we have to protect our friend," Kaydel insisted.

 

"You're not even afraid of me because of my background?"

 

"Why? You'll always be our friend despite it all," Kaydel promised. Rey took her hand across the table and squeezed it out of gratitude.

 

"My dad knows a guy who works as a hitman. It's from his con man days. I can contact him and ask for your protection," Jannah suggested. "He has secret powerful connections too."

 

"You don't need to involve yourselves in this," Rey smiled sadly.

 

"We will still protect you," Jannah insisted. "Tomorrow, go to work and I'll accompany you."

 

"But have you recalled your accident?" Rose asked.

 

Rey could only shake her head.

 

"I won't force it anymore. Maybe it's best if I don't remember."

Chapter 24: Memory Trigger

Notes:

How is everyone doing amidst the COVID-19 situation? Please take care of yourself and others too. Help out if you can. And wash your hands.

Thank you so much for reading. Do let me know your thoughts. 💛

A week passed smoothly. Rey normally went on with her duties, and did not allow herself to feel affected by Ben's presence at work. They made a pact that they will only talk to each other after working hours, through messaging. They did not eat nor went out together. Ben allowed space for her to go on with her life and to keep her dignity intact, with the promise of a weekend date.

 

"Everything is so lovely."

 

Rey smiled to the sky as she walked hand in hand with Ben along Regent's Park. Yellow and orange leaves were scattered, the colors of fall giving warmth and life amidst the serene atmosphere.

 

"It's lovelier because I'm with you." Ben smiled at her and squeezed her hand. It was their unspoken gesture of affection.

 

"It's your birthday on Monday, November 19," Rey reminded. "Any fancy dinner with the higher-ups of the company?"

 

Last year, Solo Enterprises had a grand birthday dinner for Ben, and Rey was the one who helped manage the event.

 

"I'll have none of that this year," Ben answered. "I'm on birthday leave. I plan to be alone in my flat and sleep all day. But I have you with me, we can spend it now."

 

"Can I ship myself to you as a birthday gift in your flat?" A playful smirk painted Rey's face, her thoughts green.

 

"Young lady, you won't get it this early," Ben pressed Rey's nosebridge.

 

"Ow!" Rey winced, laughing.

 

"I'm still your boss. I don't want to think things about you during work."

 

"But admit it, did you ever daydream about me?" Rey held on to his shoulder. "Come on, I'm not as sexy as your ex, but have you ever---"

 

"No," Ben answered flatly. He stopped walking, seriously looking at Rey. Then he let out a laugh.

 

"Stop being so naughty!"

 

"I'll get implants!" Rey placed her hands on her hips.

 

"Don't make me go hard while you're still in the premises of Solo Group!" Ben reminded, catching his breath as he laughed.

 

"I'll be good, Sir," Rey hugged him smilingly.

 

"You better behave," Ben whispered to her ear. "After this, once you have my surname, we can be as naughty as we want."

 

Rey pulled away from Ben, with the latter winking at her.

 

They chose to end the day at a pizzeria. After the hearty pizza dinner, Ben accompanied Rey to her ride home in the Tube. They were able to sit beside each other throughout the journey, with Rey leaning her head on his shoulder.

 

"You can leave me here. I can ride a bus all the way to my flat."

 

Ben looked at her and said, "Let me ride the bus with you. I can go back to my own flat."

 

"You already miss me even if we'll see each other on Monday." Rey smiled. "All right, let's take the bus together."

 

They both went out of the station and found a bus to ride in. When it was over, it was the usual routine of Ben walking her home.

 

"So, see you on Monday?" Ben asked.

 

"Yes." Rey reached out and kissed him. As she felt Ben kissing her back, something stopped her in her tracks.

 

A loud thud came from nearby. It was the sound of a motorcycle crashing against a parked car on the sidewalk.

 

Rey broke away from Ben and saw the collision across the street. People flocked over the scene. A man helped the motorcycle rider on his feet while another checked the back side of the car. Luckily, he wasn't badly injured, except for a dent on his shiny Harley Davidson.

 

"He was lucky, it's only a scratch on his motor," Ben remarked. "Rey, I have to go now."

 

But his voice sounded distant to her. Rey was glued to her place, her eyes transfixed somewhere.

 

"Rey?" Ben asked, touching her shoulder.

 

In her mind, something else played.

 

She saw herself inside a speeding car. She felt a woman holding on to her as she remained strapped on a car seat. A man on the driver's seat pedaled harder, zooming against a stretching highway, with snowflakes falling on the front window.

 

Rey heard the woman screaming. Her heart raced and she can hear herself shouting for her mother. Beads of sweat drenched her back, her face in agony.

 

The car zoomed inside a dark tunnel. She felt it overtake, crashing into another car.

 

Her world spinned, the impact sending a rush of blood to her head and excruciating pain.

 

"Rey!"

 

Ben's worried shouts jolted her back to reality. She heard her own screaming voice and found herself crouched on the ground. Both her hands cupped the sides of her head.

 

"Rey! Listen to me! Can you hear me?"

 

She blinked and tried to focus on where she is now. The pain subsided with her deep breaths. She met Ben's eyes, his expression soft and concerned. He now held her as he too, was crouched on the ground with her.

 

Rey stared listlessly at him, trying to form words in her mouth.

 

"Ben... I... I remember. The car crash. My parents."

 

Tears flowed from her eyes. Ben caressed her cheek and he swooped her in his arms, carrying her like a bride all the way to her apartment. Rey buried her face on his shoulder, crying silently.

 

She heard the door open.

 

"Mr. Solo? What happened to Rey?"

 

It was Maz.

 

"Mrs. Kanata, I'll explain later. Please help me get her to the sofa."

 

The door shut close. Rey was gently propped on the sofa, her back leaning. She closed her eyes, her face soaked with tears.

 

"Why is my girl crying? Are you breaking up with her?"

 

"No, it's not that. We were out on a date and I was about to leave her. Then a motorcycle crashed against a car on the other side of the street. It triggered her memories."

 

Rey opened her eyes. She saw Maz staring indignantly at Ben.

 

"You know already. Don't force her to remember, it might do her more damage," Maz scolded.

 

"She asked me to help her find out her past background," Ben answered, looking ashamed.

 

"Why did you let her? She's already happy now, don't bring her any more trouble."

 

"Mum, I insisted that Ben help me out with this."

 

Rey straightened up on her seat. Maz sat beside her, with Ben on an armchair.

 

"Don't be mad at him. I was the one who asked for his help. Last week, I found out who I was. My real family. I'm the unknown granddaughter of a Mob boss from France."

 

Rey paused and looked at Maz. She nodded her head, urging her to continue.

 

"We went to the home of the associate connected with the Mob boss. He said he was the former right hand man of my biological father. He helped my father hide together with my mother, whom they kidnapped at first, with my dad falling in love with her."

 

Rey sighed and continued.

 

"That Mob associate kept it a secret from my grandfather, until he, the grandfather, found out we were still alive. He wanted us dead. What I remember a while ago, it was the car crash wherein we were said to be followed by the old man's hired assassins."

 

Maz looked like as if she was about to cry. She held Rey's hand and hugged her.

 

"I'm sorry. I just want to know who I was, who I really am." Rey cried openly.

 

"There's nothing I can do if you insist," Maz wept. "Whoever you are, you're still my daughter."

 

"I love you so much, Mum." Rey rubbed her mother's shoulder. "But I hope nothing bad happens to me. The guy we visited last weekend was shot after we dropped by in Devon."

 

"Is that true?" Maz asked Ben, glancing worriedly at him.

 

"Unfortunately, yes. That Mob group is still active, the heads at large. Don't worry, I will protect your daughter. After all, I was the one who donated blood to her in that Paris hospital years ago."

 

Maz was astonished at this revelation.

 

"My Prince Teddy used to belong to him," Rey answered smilingly. "The other day, I dreamed of Ben talking to me in that hospital. I can't see his face, but it was really his voice."

 

Maz smiled. "You two were really meant to be together! Can I hug both of you?"

 

Ben stood up and shyly walked towards Maz. He had to stoop lower so Maz could reach out and hug him, with Rey at her other arm.

 

"You have my blessing for your lives. I'm glad Daisy Rey found a reliable man."

 

"I'll be here always," Ben promised. He tapped Maz on the back and stood up.

 

"I have to go now." Ben nodded his head.

 

"You can visit here anytime," Maz assured him. "I'll even cook for you."

 

"Thank you, Mrs. Kanata." Ben buzzed her on the cheek.

 

"Bye."

 

Rey walked up to Ben and hugged him. "Thank you," she whispered.

 

Ben stroked her cheek. "Get some rest, okay?"

 

"I will."

 

Ben left, and the two women were left alone. Rey got ready for bed, and after dressing in her pajamas, she asked if she can sleep beside Maz, on the old queen-sized bed.

 

"Of course, hun."

 

As they lay beside each other, Rey spoke up.

 

"Where's Rose, by the way?"

 

"She's on her day-off date. I don't know if she plans to come home tonight," Maz nonchalantly answered.

 

"Who is she seeing?"

 

"She didn't say."

 

"That girl is not even telling me about it," Rey laughed.

 

"Let it come from her." Maz shifted sidewards.

 

"Mum?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"I'm actually named Endrina. That was my old name before the accident. I'm Endrina Lander. But Lander is a fake surname. My dad is surnamed Palpatine."

 

"Whatever your name was, you'll always be Daisy Rey Kanata to me."

 

"I'm even more scared after finding out the truth. But there's a relief somehow."

 

Maz reached out and wrapped Rey in a motherly embrace.

 

She sang Rey's favorite lullaby to her from her childhood days.

 

Rey drifted off to sleep amidst the calming voice of the only woman she considered her mother.

Chapter 25: Birthday Dinner

Notes:

Thanks to everyone still following this story and leaving kudos. 😊 I hope you are all safe and doing good.

"Here it is."

 

A brown envelope was shoved on a table. A wrinkled white hand took it, opened the flap, and carefully pulled out the white bond paper.

 

This man, concealed from view, read the print out. He seemed to be studying it, fingers tapping impatiently on the wooden table.

 

"Is she the one?"

 

"Yes."

 

"She looks like him."

 

"Undeniably like him."

 

"She made our job easier. She's very easy to find, this little vixen."

 

"What are your plans with her?"

 

"I just want to have a small talk. She's still family, after all. A nice reunion might convince her to side with me."

 

"A brillant idea."

 

"Arrange me a meeting with her."

 

"Noted."

 

The paper was laid out on the table. Under the yellow lighting, it had the photo of a young woman with wavy brown hair.

---

Oh no, it's his birthday today.

 

Rey stared into space while eating her lunch at her office table. She checked the time on her wrist watch. Thirty minutes left to go out and find Ben a small gift.

 

Mara, known for her overbreaks, was out for lunch with Jaina. Rey smiled knowingly at the thought.

 

She finished her chicken pita wrap and drank from her water bottle. Rey stood up, grabbed her wallet and ran straight to the elevator. The moment she made it out of the building, she gingerly walked in her heels to the only place she had in mind.

 

It was a small gift shop located in a hidden street corner. The whole place was homey and quaint, filled with cute odds and ends, from metal charms to furry animal plush toys.

 

Rey scanned the shelves. What would he like? she mused.

 

A huge teddy bear was out of the question. Keychains? Rey never saw him with keys. Paper products like notebooks and pads didn't fit as well.

 

Maybe she went to the wrong place. She can't find anything in here that would make a good birthday gift for Ben.

 

She should have observed his office more. Maybe I should just go naked and ship myself as a gift . She snickered at the thought.

 

As Rey looked around further, she noticed a corner shelf. She approached it, and smiled when her eyes landed on it. Stacks of colorful candy tins, packs of chocolates, and other kinds of sweets overflowed. She checked it, hoping she would find something he might like.

 

I should have asked about his favorite kind of chocolate or candy.

 

A round red tin caught her eye. Rey carefully picked it. The label etched on the tin cover said Caramel Squares.

 

This might do. I doubt Ben is a chocolate kind of person.

 

Rey smilingly picked it up and headed to the counter. Her order was punched and after paying for it, she went out of the store carrying a brown paper bag, her steps energetic.

 

She was able to return to her office on time, five minutes earlier. Rey thought of leaving the gift inside Ben's office, then she remembered he was on a birthday leave today.

 

My gift can wait. Or maybe I should send him a message about it?

 

Rey reached for her phone and to her surprise, she had a message from Ben.

 

After work hours, go down at the basement parking lot. Arthur will come pick you up and he will bring you to my flat.

 

Her smile was bright as she replied:

 

Sure, see you tonight.

 

---

"Happy birthday Ben."

 

Rey greeted him the moment he opened the door. She showed him the paper bag with the gift of sweets inside.

 

A smile slowly crept up his face. "You went through the trouble of finding me a gift?" He took the paper bag from her hand and placed it on the nearby sofa.

 

"I did," she answered. "Now, let me go in."

 

"We won't be eating dinner here."

 

"Why?" Rey frowned. "But you told Arthur to drop me here."

 

"Wait, come with me."

 

Ben stepped out of his flat and closed the door behind him. Dressed in a gray hoodie and joggers, he took Rey's hand and led her up a flight of staircase to the roofdeck.

 

Rey was astonished upon seeing fairy lights surrounding the entire place. In the middle of it were two soft bean bags to sit on. A small table was in front of the bean bags, laden with a box of pizza, a platter of chicken wings, a bowl of chips, and an icebox on the ground.

 

"We'll be eating dinner here," Ben smilingly declared. Rey had never seen him like this before. He was like a happy kid on a Christmas morning.

 

"Whoa, you're the one with the birthday, but you went through all these just for me?"

 

"I always wanted to do this on the roof top instead of a grand celebration. Ever since I became the Vice President of Solo Group, I never had any time to relax, or to be with people who matter to me."

 

Ben eyed Rey softly. His hand brushed her cheek. "You're the best gift I got this year. All the while, you were on my side, and I was not brave enough to tell you."

 

Rey inched her face to his and kissed him gently. Ben answered her, deepening the kiss. He pulled back when he realized he wanted to take it further than this. Despite their passion, he still honored her as his secretary. He won't let anything untimely happen to them until they tie the knot sooner or later.

 

"Why?" Rey threw a quizzical stare at him.

 

"I'm hungry," he reasoned out.

 

"You don't want me for your starter meal?" She smiled seductively at him.

 

"Naughty little girl!" Ben laughed. He sprinted towards the make shift dining area and said, "I'll finish all the pizza if you don't sit right now!"

 

"No way!"

 

Rey laughingly sat beside him and they started their dinner. The mood was light, the air chilly with the night sky twinkling above them. Even if she was still in her work attire, Rey kicked off her high heeled shoes and sat with her legs folded over the bean bag, her shirtdress hiking up a little.

 

"Mum is inviting you for Christmas dinner next month," Ben sipped his bottle of beer, with a pizza slice in his other hand.

 

"Is it meet the family time? Oh wait, I already met your mum, what about your dad?" Rey bit into her pizza.

 

Ben fell silent, looking away from Rey. His gaze shifted up towards the dark sky, as if in deep thought.

 

"Sorry, I asked," Rey shyly apologized. She knew about the issue between Ben and his father, based on Madam Solo's story.

 

"We're still not in good terms," Ben replied in a hollow voice. "I think Mum told you already."

 

"She did."

 

At the sound of it, Ben faced Rey and started to tell his side of the story.

 

"When I turned twenty-one, I was asked to take over the business. Dad had this business partner who scammed him and ran off with his money. As a young man fresh out of college, what do I know about running a business?"

 

"He did that?" Rey was stumped, now seeing the story from Ben's point of view.

 

"He thought I could handle it better. For me, he just wanted to wash his hands clean from the whole thing, his own doing. He trusted other people too much. He didn't want to be responsible for anything, that's why he gave me the daunting task of managing Solo Group. He was still manning some aspects of the company, but the rest was up to me."

 

"What happened when you started with Solo Group?" Rey inched closer to Ben and stayed silent, listening as Ben spilled all his unspoken heartaches and worries.

 

"Before that, I went on a three month vacation at my uncle's place in Iceland. The beautiful serene place helped me to think things over. I wasn't friends with that particular uncle at first, having only seen him a few times before, him being the hermit that he was. We never really discussed it, we just drank a few times and he told me to man up. If only I could be like him, peaceful and away from the world. Yet he insisted that I was meant to be out there. Then something hit me hard."

 

"What is it?" Rey urged him to continue.

 

"I wanted to prove myself to my father, that I can be better than him in everything. What was once a good relationship with him got tainted because of the business. Imagine being so close to each other, then you wake up and you don't see him anymore, saying he was busy with work. Then you find out he and mum separated already. I never asked the reasons why. If it was another woman in his life, or the pressures of running a company making him drop everything, including his own family. But there was no other woman in the picture. Maybe he was so sick of the life he created for us. I'm filthy rich because of him, but I only wanted my family back."

 

"Have you tried reaching out to him?"

 

Ben shook his head. "The last time I did, we had a big fall out in the middle of eating dinner. I accused him of being an irresponsible coward who asked his son to shoulder everything while he hid himself somewhere else. It ended with my dad walking out of the house. He never returned since then. He just abandoned us. Just like that. Then the divorce happened."

 

Ben bit his lip and buried his face in his hands. His shoulders shook, the strong facade now caving in and reflecting his brokenness.

 

Rey held him and allowed him to sob, without the need for any words. She always saw him as a strong and stubborn man, always successful, but never knew the burden he carried all these years.

 

She rubbed his shoulders gently, hoping her touch could mend him, make him stronger. She kissed his forehead and held him some more.

 

They remained that way for a long time.

 

"I wish I could say sorry to him. Take back all my hurtful words. Make him my father again. I hope he will be proud of me this time. I never made him proud, anyway."

 

"Time will heal pain."

 

"Rey?"

 

"Ben?"

 

"Thank you for staying by my side."

 

Rey kissed his forehead once more and allowed him to find rest in her arms.

Chapter 26: The Call

Notes:

CW: Abduction

"Rey, wake up."

 

She nudged at the feel of his palm gently moving her shoulder. Rey squinted at the sight of Ben looking over at her.

 

"Wait... Why am I in your bed?"

 

She remembered lying next to him on the bean bag when they were at the roof top, and now, she was actually inside his room.

 

"You fell asleep holding me, and I decided to bring you all the way here." A soft smile lined Ben's face. "You didn't nudge the whole time I carried you."

 

Rey got up slowly, with his help. "Oh, what time is it?"

 

"Nine-thirty. You're late now, Miss Kanata." Ben tried to sound serious but ended up giggling, which made him look more adorable to Rey.

 

"My breakfast is on you if you don't want me coming to work." Rey poked his ribs playfully.

 

"Because of you, I also did not report for work today. But that's okay, 'cause I'm the boss here. Salary deduction's on you."

 

"That's unfair!" Rey got up and wrestled with Ben. He tumbled down on the bed, with Rey on top of him. They looked at each other for a while. Rey gulped feeling his hard chest on her bosom. She tried not to think of whatever was running in her mind at the moment.

 

"I see that look. You're shocked at my hardness?" Ben winked knowingly.

 

Rey got up from him and threw a pillow on his face. Ben pushed it back, his smile priceless.

 

"Okay naughty girl, to the dining. I prepared breakfast for you."

 

Rey smirked at Ben, still embarassed over his joke. She went out of the room and found her way to the dining table.

 

Sunny-side up eggs, a platter of waffles, sausages, and a fruit bowl enticed her to come near the table. She soon let go of what happened earlier, and sat down smilingly.

 

"One day you will share the same name with me, and we will have more meals together."

 

Ben hugged her from behind and planted a kiss on her forehead. He did not seem to mind that it was still greasy from last night.

 

"I'm looking forward to it," Rey looked up at him, her heart wanting to burst with love. They were only weeks into their relationship, yet it felt like these moments were already equivalent to a shared lifetime together.

---

Rey went home after that breakfast, with Ben advising her not to report to work today. She arrived to an empty flat. Maz was out on another trip and won't be returning until the weekend. She took a peek in her room, expecting to see Rose, but was met with her friend's bed neatly made.

 

Is she staying over somewhere? Is Rose dating someone without telling me?

 

Rey pondered on sending Rose a text message, but she felt like it would be prying on her. So she postponed the idea.

 

She headed straight to the shower, took off her work clothes from last night, and savored the warm water drizzling over her body. As she scrubbed herself with body wash, she thought of the times when her mind wandered to doing it with Ben.

 

He's probably the only man I'll be doing it with for the rest of my life.

 

The idea made her giddy, her smile wider as her hands went downwards. Idly, her soapy fingers caressed that secret sweet spot between her thighs. She had tried pleasuring herself only once in her life and failed at it miserably. She recalled what she did way back, trying it again, and ended up frustrated once more.

 

Oh well, I'll let him do the job one day. I can learn, despite starting with it later in life.

 

She may be in a hurry for wanting to do the deed, yet was thankful for the respect he gave her.

 

Rey rinsed herself and ended her bath. She reached out for a fluffy towel, wrapping herself dry.

 

She headed straight for the bed room and dressed in her comfiest sweatshirt and yoga pants. After drying her hair, Rey fell back on her bed, her smile caused by thoughts of Ben and the days to come spending it with him.

 

She hoped this will really be for a lifetime.

 

Rey awakened later on from her nap. The clock read 4:15pm.

 

I slept that long? I even forgot to eat lunch. Might as well go down to the nearby cafe.

 

She quickly changed into a hoodie, black joggers, and white sneakers. Rey pocketed her phone inside her hoodie and with a small amount of cash. She ended up with tying her hair in a bun without bothering to put on make up.

 

She headed downstairs and across the street, where she turned right to a street corner, where a brick building stood. A sign was posted on the side, which read Coffee Owl. Rey spent the next hour eating her hero ham sandwich and drinking iced tea.

 

There was no one else in the venue, except for her and a middle-aged man seated on the corner. He was in a black trench coat and beret, his face partly obsucred from view.

 

Rey had noticed him only now. There was a cup of coffee and a biscuit in front of him. The man looked up to her direction and glanced her way as quickly as it happened.

 

Was he staring at me?

 

Rey pretended to scan her phone, but actually took a stolen shot of the said man.

 

She decided to leave the place. Looking at her phone as if she was texting someone, Rey hurried out of the cafe and down to a longer route, just to avoid that stranger. Her senses teased her imagination like crazy.

 

When she reached an unknown street with a dead end, Rey faced a wall. Wrong turn.

 

She was about to walk out when she bumped to a huge figure.

 

"Ow, sorry," she whispered.

 

Rey looked up. She recognized the sight of the black trench coat and that beret.

 

"Hello," the man whispered.

 

It sent chills down her spine. Rey couldn't understand why was she so afraid.

 

"Um, hello, what's the matter?" She tried to sound casual.

 

"Are you Daisy Rey Kanata?"

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

Why did he knew her name? Did her mum got on a tussle again with a rival biker just like before?

 

"You're the Palpatine granddaughter, aren't you?"

 

He lifted his head to where the sun peeked from the clouds. A knowing smile formed on his lips, with stubble accentuating the top of it.

 

"Why? Who... Who are you?" Rey stepped back and looked around, searching for a piece of wood or anything else to help defend herself, should the need arises. Unlucky me, she thought.

 

"Your grandfather is dying to see you," he sneered.

 

"Why would I come with you? I don't know you." Rey stared at him dead in the eye, now seeing him in full view.

 

She shoved this hulk of a man and walked past him. But before she could get away, she felt a beefy arm grab her waist.

 

Rey let out a scream, but was silenced with a damp cloth over her mouth and nose. Her senses were overpowered, her consciousness dwindling.

 

The last thing she saw was the blurry sight of the sky before her eyelids dropped heavily.

---

Ben was engrossed in his laptop inside his headquarters. He decided to drop by the office just to discuss the year-end reports with Hux, who left earlier.

 

Year to date report of the supermarket sales, mall sales from the global branches, social media analysis of the Solo Group brands from the marketing team, and the first quarterly report for Padmé Cosmetics in South Korea.

 

He had set the deadlines to second week of January. Hux will be the one to delegate the tasks to the teams.

 

He decided to continue with this tomorrow. It was already close to eight pm, and he wanted to go home and rest.

 

Ben shut down his laptop, threw the paper wrapping of his sandwich dinner, and cleaned up his desk. Grabbing his leather knapsack, he switched off the lights and locked his quarters once he exited.

 

He passed by Rey's table. A small smile formed on his lips at the thought of her sitting there, fully made up and professional looking.

 

She was the best trick fate played on him. Ben knew those cheesy CEO-assistant romances from movies, TV series, and books, but never expected it would happen in his life.

 

Indeed, truth is stranger than fiction.

 

He forced his footsteps to walk now and down the elevator. The moment he was there at the lobby, Hux was at the side, talking to a woman Ben immediately recognized.

 

"Hux? You're with Rose?"

 

The two faced him at the same time, surprised at how he came up to them.

 

"Hi Ben!" Rose greeted him cheerfully, dressed in her nurse's scrub suit.

 

"Oh, Ben." Hux scratched the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

 

"I heard Rey commented that Rose was not going home to their flat. Now I know why." Ben wickedly grinned at them.

 

"I was about to tell her!" Rose laughed. "Gosh, it was you who first found out." She looked up at Hux, blushing.

 

"How long have you been together?" Ben inquired.

 

"Two weeks ago? I just asked Rey about Rose after she hugged me drunkenly at the Cantina. I found her on Instagram, and things happened from there." Hux looked soft as he threw a smile at Rose, whose head reached the top of his shoulder, emphasizing her shortness.

 

"Nice, do we have a double wedding now?" Ben asked.

 

"Seems like it," Hux buzzed the side of Rose's forehead.

 

"Is Rey at home?" Ben turned to Rose.

 

"Armie and I had dinner and everything, yet she did not send me a message," Rose wondered. "She never missed a text every night."

 

"She slept over at my place last night, and the last thing she sent me was her having late lunch at a cafe," Ben stated.

 

"Oooh, the boss made her skip work today," Hux kidded.

 

"Maybe she's asleep at home," Rose quipped.

 

Ben heard a ring from his phone. He fished it out of his coat pocket and saw Rey's number flashed on the screen.

 

"It's her."

 

Ben stepped away and answered.

 

"Rey?"

 

"BEN, HELP ME!"

 

He had to pull away his phone from his ear. Ben looked at Hux and Rose, who also heard Rey's distressed screams.

 

"Rey! What happened?" Ben felt his chest tightening.

 

"Ben, I've been kidnapped! By Palpatine's right hand man!"

 

"Where are you?" Ben asked.

 

He heard someone snatching the phone from Rey.

 

"Are you Ben Solo?" It was a man's deep voice.

 

"Yes. Where did you take her?"

 

Ben fretted and rubbed his forehead, beads of sweat now running down the sides. He looked over at Hux and Rose, now glued to their spot and worry etched across their faces.

 

"My boss wants to see you too."

 

"The Caïd of Le Premire Ordre?"

 

"Yes, Mr. Solo. Just you. We're at an abandoned mansion across the Thames, London Ontario."

 

"Look here, how much do you want? I can give it to you in a flash."

 

"We don't need your money, Monsieur Solo. Just you and your girlfriend," the man hissed. "She's so lucky to have you."

 

Ben heard Rey sniffing in the background, her cries growing louder.

 

"I can't wait to see your reaction once she falls dead at my feet."

 

"Don't touch her, you bloody bastard!" Ben bellowed at the receiver.

 

"Just come before midnight, by yourself."

 

The other line went dead.

 

"Was Rey kidnapped?"

 

Hux approached Ben, with Rose holding on to him.

 

"What did they do to her?" Rose cried openly.

 

"Relax, we got this," Hux assured her.

 

"Why would they kidnap Rey, she's not even that rich!" Rose brushed away the tears in her eyes. "How do we tell this to Aunt Maz?"

 

"It's a long story, Rose. Something to do with her biological family." Ben took a deep breath.

 

"For now, I have to get to her before midnight. Hux, I'll drive over to that place. If anything happens to me afterwards, I am now assigning you as the next vice president. Rey has to survive this."

 

Hux took out his phone and scanned it. "I have a friend who works for a private army, they did a kidnap rescue before without the police intervening. I can ask for his help."

 

Ben had to think fast.

 

He looked at Hux and ordered:

 

"I have something in mind. Let's talk along the way."

Chapter 27: The Rescue

Notes:

TW: Kidnapping, guns, blood

"We're here."

 

From the driver's seat, Hux turned to Ben and Rose at the back.

 

Ben mustered up all his courage to finally let his thoughts out. "Alright, I'm the one going in while you two stay behind and wait for the help."

 

From afar, Ben saw the outline of an abandoned mansion across a pond. This place was at the edge of the Thames, secluded from the rest of the city. Indeed, it was a good hidey-hole for shady characters such as mob members in hiding.

 

"Ben, please take care. Bring Rey alive." Rose sniffed. She had been crying for a good hour since they left the Solo Group building.

 

"My friend is a reliable one. They will be in good hands, Rosie." Hux reached out to a tearful Rose and squeezed her hand.

 

"I'll go for the kill," Ben declared.

 

"Good luck, my friend."

 

Ben looked at Hux, who was just as uneasy like him. He secretly admitted to himself that a worriesome Hux was a sight to behold. I guess he is my friend, after all.

 

He felt Rose reaching out to him, and he met her with a hug.

 

"Please come back alive, both of you," Rose whimpered.

 

"We will."

 

Ben nodded at them. He pulled the handle bar and opened the car door, stepping out in the chilly night air. He pulled his coat closer to his body as he gently closed Hux' car door.

 

He took a deep breath and began treading cautiously across the grassy lot. Ben looked up and saw the moon illuminating his path. Shadows of trees surrounded him, like it was a foreboding of the evils he was about to face.

 

He recited whatever prayer he had in mind right now. He lost Rey before, back in that Paris hospital, and if he had to break heaven's gates or jump into the fiery pits of hell just to save her, he will. Even at the cost of his own life.

 

Please don't let them hurt her. I love her.

 

When Ben came to the edge of the pond, the abandoned mansion faced him from across the water, its former glory now reduced into a decaying structure. To his left side, he noticed a small wooden boat tied to a tree.

 

Time was running out. Ben rushed forward and hopped in the boat, untying it from the rough tree trunk. He felt himself slowly drifting farther from the tree. Ben looked down and searched for an oar. Luckily, there was one. He lifted it up and paddled swiftly, directing the boat towards the old mansion.

 

When he got there after a good minute, Ben lifted the oar and used it to pull the boat towards the land. The edge of the oar landed on the soft grassy soil. He stood on his feet and carried himself out of the boat. He picked up the rope and used it to tie the boat to a nearby tree trunk.

 

Ben strode towards the mansion. In front of him was a wooden door with a lion brass knocker. He smoothed the sides of his trousers, where a folded butterfly knife from Hux was hidden.

 

"Here Ben, take this."

 

"What's a butterfly knife doing in your car hood, Hux?"

 

"Gee, I've been looking for that for ages, and it was only here! My grandpa used to own that. Got it during WWII when he was stationed in the Philippines. Still in mint condition, I must say."

 

Hux placed the folded silver weapon in Ben's shaky hands. "What a stroke of luck it is. You can use this for self-defense."

 

"Better to have one weapon than none at all."

 

Ben laughed as he recalled his previous conversation. Good thing he knew a little about basic self-defense, thanks to idly watching those online videos.

 

He pushed the door open, where he stepped foot to thick darkness around him. It was suffocating, but fear was no option to consider right now.

 

Ben's eyes gradually adjusted to the place, thanks to moonlight steaming through a crack on the rooftop. He could make out pillars on the left and right sides. There was a staircase in the middle leading to rooms without any doors.

 

His heart ached at the thought of Rey being held here for hours. Did she ate before she was taken? How long before Aunt Maz will find out about all this, together with his own mother? What if they fail? How will the people in their lives handle all of these?

 

He braced himself and started walking up the staircase. It creaked whenever he stepped foot on it. Some parts had holes on it, and he avoided it with the help of the small amount of light coming in.

 

Ben reached the top and walked through the hallways. "Rey?" he asked aloud.

 

To his left he heard muffled cries. He immediately went in and saw Rey sitting on a wooden chair. Her mouth was gagged with cloth and her arms tied behind her back.

 

"Rey!"

 

Ben ran up to her, bending over as he hugged her. He pulled away the gag in her mouth, his fingers brushing her face soaked with tears.

 

"Did they hurt you?" Ben asked frantically.

 

"No, but they already pointed a gun to my head two times," she sniffed.

 

"We will get out alive, as I promised."

 

"How sweet. The two lovers have already met."

 

Ben froze. He turned around and saw an old man approaching them, carrying a flashlight which he used to point on their faces. Ben had to squint away, and when he did, he stood up in front of Rey, shielding her.

 

Ben got a clear look at this old man. Behind him was a middle-aged man wearing a beret.

 

"What do you want?" Ben asked.

 

"Nothing, Monsieur Solo," the old man sneered. "I was able to talk to my granddaughter and she agreed to our condition of giving away all your stocks in exchange for her freedom. Is that a good idea, Monsieur Solo?"

 

Ben realized this vile old man was none other than the hear of the French mob Le Premier Ordre, Sheev Palpatine.

 

"I never said yes to you!" Rey cried out.

 

"Oh, so you're changing your mind? You don't want to get out here alive?" Palpatine tried to sound sweet, which made Ben furious.

 

He felt for the butterfly knife in his pocket and was about to take it out when the beret man sauntered towards him. Ben was grabbed by the waist, but he quickly gave this man a swift elbow nudge on the ribs, making him lose his grip.

 

Finally he was able to take out the butterfly knife and flipped it open, pointing the edge towards his opponent.

 

"A brave one we have here," Beret Man whispered, sizing up Ben. He was about to grab the knife, but Ben flung it out of his reach.

 

"Ben!" Rey cried out.

 

He turned to look at her. Palpatine already held her by the shoulders and had a gun pointed to the back of her head.

 

"Don't touch her! I will give you everything in exchange for her freedom! Even if you have to kill me!" Ben hollered.

 

"No!" Rey shouted. "You're after me, aren't you?" She turned to Palpatine, her face contorting angrily despite her tears. "Just finish me off like what you did to my parents!"

 

"No, no," Palpatine whispered to her ear. "Let me have a little fun with you two."

 

Palpatine turned to the Beret Man, who snatched Ben's butterfly knife. "Snoke, ask these two lovebirds to kneel down."

 

Ben's heart sank. His mind was in a daze as Snoke shoved him to the ground. He tried to stand up, to fight for one last time, but was kicked on the side. Sharp pain jolted on his right ribs and he clutched it on instinct, curling down to the ground.

 

"Get up!" Snoke demanded.

 

Ben felt Snoke picking him up by the collar. He struggled on his knees, keeping his balance as he felt the cold hard floor through his pants. He saw Palpatine untying Rey and forcing her on her feet.

 

"I can't wait to kill off the last bad blood of the Palpatine family." Sheev smoothed her unkempt hair and yanked it. "You will be joining your parents soon."

 

"You should be the one who's dead!" Rey shouted.

 

"Kneel," Palpatine whispered through her ear as he kicked the back of her leg. Rey struggled to kneel straight and was now beside Ben on her knees, tearfully turning to him despite her pain. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I put us through this."

 

Ben shook his head. "Don't say sorry. I love you."

 

"I love you too, Ben," Rey choked on her tears.

 

"About face," Palpatine ordered. "Hands behind your back."

 

Ben and Rey faced him on their knees, their hands behind.

 

"I will offer you all I have, just let us out alive," Ben negotiated for the last time. "Or free her, even if you have to shoot me."

 

"It's boring if we follow your demands," Palpatine smirked. "Jean, point the gun behind their heads and stop after I finish my song."

 

Snoke went behind them, the gun barrel pointing towards Ben.

 

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..." Palpatine sang while Snoke alternately pointed the gun to Ben and Rey, choosing between them.

 

"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky..."

 

Ben closed his eyes. If he dies tonight, he was ready. He had experienced the best life has to offer, including finding the love of his life. He prayed for the last time that Rey will escape alive and that his mom can deal through with this untimely passing.

 

He regretted not being able to talk to his father and forgive him. Yet he knew the Higher Power will understand all of this.

 

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."

 

As Palpatine finished the song, Ben felt the gun pressed on the back of his head.

 

"So, he goes off first," Palpatine declared, smiling wickedly.

 

"No!" Rey screamed. "You kill him, you kill me too!"

 

"I love you Rey," Ben stared longingly at her and muttered through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes, anticipating the moment that Snoke will put the bullet in his head, when he heard another gunshot from the outside.

 

It was definitely not from Snoke's gun.

 

He heard Rey screaming in terror. Ben opened his eyes, and to his side, Snoke was lying face down, his head spurting out and bathed in his own pool of blood. He looked where it was coming from, and to his astonishment, he saw a team of men in military uniform rushing in.

 

He took this moment to grab Rey as he shoved her to the side, wrapping her safe in his arms. Meanwhile, Palpatine pointed his gun at the military men and was about to fire, but was shot first.

 

A flurry of bullets rained on him and Palpatine spewed out blood. He fell downwards on top of Snoke, and soon, it was over.

 

"All clear," an officer declared.

 

The group of rescuers stormed through the room. Two of them checked Snoke and Palpatine for any signs of life. "Both dead, twelve forty-two am."

 

"Good riddance. That Palpatine man is at large and he was hiding here all the while," another agreed.

 

"The hostages are safe!"

 

Another man approached Ben and Rey, and helped them exit of the house safely. When were finally out in the open air, they were asked, "Any injuries?"

 

"Just a side bruise on the rib, that bastard Snoke kicked me," Ben laughted in sarcasm.

 

"Alright, we will take you to the hospital and will ask you about the incident with the kidnappers."

 

They were escorted on a larger inflatable boat, bringing them back to the meeting place where Hux waited for them.

 

Ben helped out a crying Rey, and were met by Rose.

 

"Rey!"

 

Rose hugged Rey tearfully. Hux met Ben and did the same. When they broke out of the hug, Hux said:

 

"My friend was the one who were with you in that boat. From private army member, he joined the anti-kidnapping agency, the one helping out with the police."

 

"Thanks I owe my life to you guys." Ben let out a sigh of relief.

 

He turned to Rey and met her with a tight embrace.

 

She was still shaking and crying, obviously traumatized.

 

"You're safe now. No one can hurt you now," he whispered in her ear.

 

Rey looked up and kissed him tearfully.

 

"Thank you, Ben."

 

She hugged him again with Ben saying:

 

"All is well now. All is well."

Chapter 28: Aftermath

"She's stable now. Only needs the IV fluids because of dehydration."

 

"Thank you doctor, for taking care of her."

 

"She will be fine. Only needs rest and debriefing from the incident."

 

The female blonde doctor nodded at Ben and walked out of the room.

 

Ben sat on the longjohn couch and glimpsed at Rey sleeping. After their timely rescue from the hands of French mob boss Sheev Palpatine, she fainted and had to be taken to the hospital. Ben was the one who provided the police all the needed info regarding the kidnapping incident, and in the end, he requested to keep it confidential.

 

So it was reported instead in the news that Palpatine and his right-hand man was found in hiding and fought the police trying to arrest them, which resulted in their demise.

 

It's all over now.

 

Ben leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He was weary and was still in a daze over the events of the past 24 hours. He was sure glad that Rey wouldn't live in fear anymore because of her lineage.

 

He had taken a nap for quite some time when he heard the door creak open. Ben opened his eyes still heavy from sleep and saw Aunt Maz with Rose.

 

"Oh, hi." Ben sat up and rubbed his forehead.

 

"Go back to sleep," Maz ordered. She had a big paperbag of fast food with her, which she propped on a round dining table near the longjohn.

 

"I'm awake now." Ben managed to show a smile. He slowly got up and helped Maz take out the boxes of fast food from the paper bag.

 

"Got you something." Maz gave him a white box. "Let's have some brunch."

 

Rose pulled two extra plastic chairs, placing it around the table. Ben sat on a nearby chair while Rose and Maz were beside each other. It was a quiet moment for them as they ate their meal together.

 

"Aunt Maz," Ben started. "I'm sorry for what happened."

 

Maz frowned at him. "Why are you the one apologizing? It's not your fault, hon. I'm forever grateful to you for helping my daughter."

 

The lady only found out about the incident when she was already in the hospital. Rose told her about the details, and while it may have shocked her at first, she maintained her composure with a clear mind, trying to understand all that had happened.

 

"I accompanied Rey to Devon when she found about the guy connected to her mob boss grandfather. I shouldn't have encouraged her to look for her real family," Ben mused in regret.

 

"You don't have to blame yourself for Rey's kidnapping," Maz rebuked. "No one saw this coming. It may have been the guy in Devon revealing her real name and getting killed for hiding her. The important thing is, both of you are alive and well. No more bad guys to worry about."

 

Maz took Ben's hand smilingly.

 

"Thank you for saving Rey. She's like a sister to me." Rose smiled at Ben.

 

"I won't regret giving up my life for her." Ben smiled at the thought.

 

"Well, we're now waiting for you two to get married," Maz grinned.

 

"Rey and I had a deal that we'll be head bridesmaids at each other's weddings." Rose smiled, her face glowing at the idea.

 

"But I can't believe you're with Hux, of all men!" Ben kidded.

 

They all end up laughing, which awakened Rey.

 

"Ma... Mum?" She asked, her voice still groggy.

 

Maz stood up and went to her side. "You're awake!" Her voice was filled with joy as she took Rey's hand.

 

"What were you talking about?" Rey squinted at the table, at Ben and Rose smiling at her.

 

"Your upcoming wedding," Maz laughed.

 

"Not too soon!" Rey sounded squeaky, still fresh from her deep sleep.

 

"Your mum and Rose said yes," Ben called out to her. "I'm just waiting for your reponse."

 

"You're going to propose to me looking like this?" Rey was bewildered despite her stupor.

 

"Okay, I'll hire a photographer and wait for you to get up and get dressed!"

 

Ben was laughing once again with Maz and Rose. Things were slowly going back to normal.

 

---

Rey had to undergo therapy because of what happened to her. By December, she was feeling better somehow.

 

It's my last month at Solo Group. After all this, I'll be going to theater school and a new life together with Ben.

 

She waited for him to pick her up at home on a Saturday night. Ben invited her to dinner at Madam Solo's home. Of course, she prepared to look her best tonight, with her hair up in a bun, made-up face, and dressed in a turtle neck shirt, plaid skirt, and ankle boots.

 

"Is Ben already here?" Maz asked, sitting beside her on the sofa.

 

"Not yet."

 

"You look so beautiful. I can't believe my little girl is already a grown-up."

 

Maz reached out for Rey and hugged her.

 

"Thanks so much for being my mum," Rey whispered.

 

The doorbell rang. Maz stood up and opened it to a smiling Ben Solo.

 

"Hello Aunt Maz." Ben towered over her and wrapped her in a bear hug.

 

"Rey is waiting." Maz stepped aside and led him to Rey.

 

"Good evening. I'm ready." Rey smiled at Ben, the latter in awe of her.

 

Ben offered his arm and Rey took it. "We're going mum!" She was surely back to her normal cheerful self.

 

"Bring her home immediately," Maz reminded.

 

"I will." Ben chuckled.

 

The two of them left and rode all the way to the Solo residence. After arriving shortly, Ben paused in front of the door.

 

"Is there something wrong?" Rey had noticed him looking uneasy and way too quiet during the entire ride up to here.

 

"My dad is here too," Ben answered flatly. "Mum invited him as well. I don't know how to face him."

 

Rey squeezed his arm in assurance. "You can get through this. I'm here."

 

Ben shot a look at Rey, smiling at him.

 

"Let's go?" Rey asked.

 

"Alright."

 

Ben bravely walked through the front door and rang the doorbell, with Rey in tow.

Chapter 29: Dad

"Good evening, mum and dad."

 

Ben and Rey were led to the dining room. They found Madam Solo and an older man with graying hair staring up at them. There were untouched plates and utensils neatly arranged on the table. Obviously, they were waiting for them to arrive.

 

Rey stayed in her place while Ben approached Madam Solo, buzzing her on the cheek. Meanwhile, the man stood up and greeted Ben first, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

 

"Dad."

 

Ben greeted him in acknowledgment, and gave a light touch on his arm. He stared at Rey and walked up to her.

 

"By the way, this is Rey, my girlfriend."

 

"Pleased to meet you, Sir."

 

Rey was about to walk towards him when Mr. Solo went up first. He extended a hand and Rey shook it respectfully.

 

"I like her already," Mr. Solo smiled warmly at her. "I've heard a great deal about you through Leia."

 

"Thank you so much, Sir." Rey felt flustered, knowing that she got the approval from Ben's parents.

 

"Just call me Han." He certainly looked delighted as he regarded her.

 

"Sure, Han," Rey answered.

 

"Dear, bring her already to the table so we can eat," Leia called to them.

 

"Let's go."

 

Ben led Rey and sat her next to Leia. He went around Han, who was seated at the head of the dining table, and sat on his side. A househelp entered, pushing a trolley with a tray of food on top. She placed each tray on the table and opened the lid to each viand. When she left, only then the family started to eat.

 

Leia and Rey did the talking for the most part, with Ben nodding or answering a one-liner. Sometimes, Han would crack up a joke or a witty remark, and the ladies would laugh. All the while, Rey noticed Ben looking uneasy. She understood it was because of his father, whom he had not talked to for so long.

 

When the dinner was over, Han and Leia went outside the garden. Rey approached Ben, who was staring listlessly as his parents talked outside.

 

"Do you need some time with your dad?" Rey asked softly, clutching his arm.

 

"I guess."

 

"I'll distract your mum first so you can go outside."

 

Rey smiled and went out to the garden. Ben saw her approaching his mother and saying something to her. Leia responded with a laugh and the two ladies finally went inside the home.

 

"Rey is asking me to show her my old records." Leia sounded excited as she had Rey arm in arm with her.

 

"Let's go up now, Mum," Rey gushed. Ben laughed to himself. He could tell she was acting out her excitement.

 

"Mum?" Ben asked.

 

"I just allowed her to call me Mum," Leia shot back. "She's going to be a Solo soon."

 

"Your parents love me already!" Rey grinned. She winked at him and off they go upstairs.

 

When he was finally alone, Ben took a deep breath and went out to the garden. He found his father seated on a metal garden chair, where there was a table with a small cooler on top. Another chair was next to him.

 

Han looked up at the night sky, a bottle of beer in his hand. He seemed like he was in deep thought. He took a swig of his beer and gulped.

 

"That kid surely is a man now," Han whispered clearly to himself. "I did not even see him grow fully."

 

Ben was glued to his spot, unsure of how to approach his father. He was surprised that despite their distance, his father thought about him and regretted his decision to leave.

 

Han looked over his shoulder, placing down his beer bottle on the grass. The sight of Ben standing there finally broke the ice. "Come here, boy," he urged.

 

He mustered all his strength and walked with a heavy heart, sitting down on the empty garden chair. Ben secretly feared that they might end up fighting again, might be worse than the previous one they had years ago.

 

"Have some beer," Han offered, gesturing to the cooler on the table.

 

Ben lifted the lid and took out an icy green bottle of beer, the surface chilling the tips of his fingers. He used a can opener to unscrew the lid.

 

As he took a sip of the ice cold beer, Han remarked:

 

"Nothing like an icy beer to fill you up, even on a chilly night like this."

 

Ben regarded his father and showed a small smile. Both of them continued to drink their beers until Ben broke the silence.

 

"Business is doing great, by the way."

 

"That's nice to hear," Han replied dryly.

 

Ben brought up the cold lid to his lips to drink some more when Han asked, "But what about you? How are you doing?"

 

He almost dropped his beer when he felt the concern in his father's voice. Ben gripped the bottle strongly, as if his life depended on it. He was at a loss on what to say, how to describe all his pent-up feelings, now unraveling within him like the contents of Pandora's Box. He wanted to let all the hurt out. But this can also hurt his father as well.

 

He knew these were not the most pleasant of sentiments. He wanted to say so much, but unsure of how to begin, to find the right words for it.

 

"Dad..." he trailed off.

 

Ben took a good look at his father, expecting him to berate him, but instead, Han smiled.

 

That smile was a flash of regret, of words left unsaid.

 

"I know," Han gave a nod of his head.

 

Ben was about to answer, but Han continued.

 

"I know you hate me for leaving. You hate me for entrusting the business to you because I messed up. To be honest, I wanted to be out because I was ashamed of what my former business partner did. I left you and your mother hanging, asking for answers. At that time, I felt like a failure, even with my own family. I'm sorry. I should have been stronger for you, for my family."

 

Hearing the hurt in his voice pierced his heart.

 

"Dad, I was angry for what you did. But I made it up for you, because I want you to be proud of me. I want to prove myself that I can be as good as you, even better than you."

 

Ben looked away, struggling to fight back his tears. He drank his beer, hoping the taste can drown the lump forming in his throat. But it was too late; a tear already streaked down from the corner of his eye. He wiped it away fast and turned to Han.

 

"You did well, my son."

 

A wide smile wrinkled the face of Han Solo.

 

No words were needed as Ben stood up and approached his father, meeting him in a hug that finally healed the hurt between them.

Chapter 30: The Final Chapter

Notes:

This is the last chapter of the story. Thanks to everyone who read it and gave kudos. ❤ It's my first fic for reylo and I hope I did it well.

 

Much love,

AC

 

P.S. I really added a special appearance of one of my faves in theater.

(Two years later)

 

"And now, we welcome our breakthrough star, the female lead of Good Day musical, Rey Kanata!"

 

Thunderous applause filled the theater as Rey walked over to the front of the stage, bowing before the audience. Shiny confetti rained all over as the rest of the cast joined her, taking their final bow.

 

The velvet red curtains closed, with the audience still in standing ovation. Rey walked together with her fellow cast members to the dressing rooms.

 

"Congratulations, Rey!"

 

"You did so well tonight!"

 

"Nice one, Rey!"

 

She hugged and buzzed the cheeks of her cast members. Some fans approached her and she let them took photos with her, while still in her 1950s garb of curly hair and balloon skirt.

 

"Rey! I'm a fan!"

 

When she turned, Rey got the shock of her life. A young woman in a floral dress with long red hair was beaming at her.

 

"Oh my gosh! It's Christine Daaé!" Rey gushed.

 

Sierra Boggess instantly gave Rey a hug, all smiles and warmth between them.

 

"Did the Phantom allowed you to stay up late tonight?" Rey kidded.

 

"He's fast asleep underneath the sewer of the Garnier, so I sneaked out just to watch you," Sierra let out a soft laugh. "I'm a fan now!" she revealed delightfully.

 

"I can't believe it!" Rey felt her cheeks heating up, hearing this from a Broadway superstar. "My theater girl crush is telling me this!"

 

Sierra took out her phone and snapped a selfie with Rey. The latter did the same too.

 

"I have to leave now, my flight is tomorrow afternoon. Too bad, I can't go around London with you," Sierra mused.

 

"It's okay, you can invite me to your shows on Broadway," Rey smiled.

 

"That will be a great idea. Oh well, let's keep in touch!"

 

Sierra Boggess embraced Rey for the last time and then she bade her goodbye.

 

"Thanks for watching my show, Miss---"

 

"Sierra," she answered smilingly.

 

"Okay, Sierra, thank you!"

 

The two ladies laughed. When Sierra left, Rey entered her dressing room, still gushing at the fact that she got two hugs from her favorite Broadway star.

 

All the hardwork in theater school paid off. Who would have thought she will get an acting break sooner than expected?

 

It took her an hour before she can leave, no thanks to the interviews. When Rey was finally left alone she got in her own clothes and left the theater, still feeling the rush from her tenth performance.

 

The moment she got to the entrance, she found Ben Solo standing on the side. There was no one else in that area but him.

 

"Hey!"

 

Rey placed down her duffel bag as sneaked up to him. She was about to grab his waist, but Ben spun her around and gave her a kiss.

 

"How was the show?" Rey asked, blushing from that sudden kiss. She could get used to it, but it still gets her every time.

 

"You were spectacular, as always." Ben stroked her cheek as he held her in his arms.

 

"How was work?"

 

"Stressful as always. It's not easy having your own mum as your Executive Assistant," Ben chuckled. "But I try not to stress her too much. She works at home, we do it virtually."

 

"Invite her to the next performance, together with your dad."

 

"I will. And I have to be in it."

 

"Considering you've been watching me since last month," Rey snickered. "Now, put me down and bring me home."

 

"Wait, there's one thing I have not done yet for the two years we were together."

 

Ben paused and took out something from his pocket. He gently held Rey's left hand and slipped a tiny silver ring with a Swarovski crystal on her ring finger.

 

Rey looked up at Ben in astonishment.

 

"I waited for two years because I want you to fulfill your dreams. And now I think it's the right time."

 

Ben stepped back, taking her hand and asking her that most awaited question.

 

"Daisy Rey Kanata, will you marry me?"

 

Rey's eyes misted, hearing this from Ben. Her heart overflowed with love and she can only answer one word.

 

"Yes."

 

Ben laughed. He turned his eyes only to her, wrapping her arms around her waist and sealing everything with a kiss.

 

Rey kissed him back, deeper and with longing. She broke free afterwards and could only say:

 

"I'm all yours, Benjamin Solo."

 

In the glow of the empty theater entrance, two lovers were lost in each other's eyes, their love sealed with a lingering kiss.

 

Daisy Rey Kanata-Solo.

 

No matter who she was or where she came from, she will forever remain as the one true love of Benjamin Solo.

 

A wonderful life now waited beyond them, a life filled with love.

 

-THE END-