The Unfilial Daughter - Chapter 15

Despite the seriousness of the matters at hand, his mind was hopelessly preoccupied with thoughts of his wife, random memories of their times together appeared before his eyes like scenes from a movie. From the moment they met in New York to their married life in Hong Kong.

The most memorable being the day he proposed to her. It was just two days after they met. It was undoubtedly irrational on his part but there they were standing on the top level of the Empire State Building, admiring all the beautiful sight the city had to offer but none could compare to the demure beauty beside him.

An air of innocence, of vulnerability, surrounded her.

She was so child-like in many ways.

With all his being, he just wanted to protect her, to offer her the happiness that she deserved, to bring a smile to her lovely face.

That night he did the unthinkable, absolutely spontaneous and impulsive, he got down on one knee and proposed, and surprisingly, she accepted. Then in a matter of hours, they had taken a flight and were standing in a chapel in Las Vegas, pronounced as husband and wife.

Two years.

It had been two wonderful years. Even if he had to set her free one-day, he knew there would be no regrets on his part.

"Kenny," he felt a nudge on his side and turned to meet his younger sister, concern clearly written on her beautiful face. "Daddy just asked what you thought of the situation."

Diagonally across from him, his father sat along side his brother-in-law looking rather disappointed and had good reason to be, after all someone was leaking news of the company's disastrous financial situation to the public, causing their stock price to fall. If the prices didn't rise soon, it would cause another crisis that the company could not afford to deal with at the present time.

"I think perhaps we should call for a news conference," he suggested.

"I second that. Our latest development project is doing very well. We can use that to reaffirm the confidence of our stockholders," his brother-in-law continued.

His eyes wandered to the large window on the side.

The sky was entirely dark.

A storm was brewing.

*

Dark threatening clouds covered the sky when she stepped out of the orphanage doors. It was only a matter of time before a huge downpour.

With a heavy heart, she walked toward the direction of her car. Despite the temporary refugee at the orphanage, it was time to return home. To return to the lady-like facade that was expected from a woman of her social standing.

At times, she really craved for the freedom that she had enjoyed in New York, where no one knew who she was and cared what she did. She could behave, as she liked without having to worry that her behavior would reflect poorly upon her husband and his family.

Droplets of rain fell onto her perfectly styled hair as she continued down the block. Fumbling to open her umbrella, she accidentally dropped her purse. Just as she was about to reach for the purse, a strong masculine hand already delivered it before her; a smile was about to touch her lips when her eyes rested on the face of the good Samaritan.

Nicholas.

The unexpected encounter made her heart stammer. Standing in front of her was the very man that she had once loved deeply and waited for unconditionally. But all that was in the past now she reminded herself.

"Thank you," she said as she began to walk away.

"Why didn't you come?" His voice was so full of emotion, so full of yearning.

Motionlessly, she stood with her back facing him as she replayed his question in her mind. Somehow, it seemed almost ironic for him to be the one asking that question.

Was he not the one that left her waiting in the cold?

"I didn't find any reason to," she stated plainly and began to walk away once again.

It was too late for them.

Two sudden grips on her shoulders forced her body to turn, dropping her umbrella. Once again, she found herself face to face with him, both being drenched by the rain. "Can you give me another chance?"

"At one time I would have given up anything for you," her eyes rested on his, "but not anymore. I stopped waiting a long time ago."

To wait for someone that didn't love you was the same as to wait for a person that would never come.

"What if I tell you that I did go to the seaport but you had already left," he paused momentarily, "For the longest time, I didn't believe in love. Even when I met you, it was just another game for me. But somehow you managed to creep into my heart."

The knowledge brought tears that mixed with the rain as they slid down her face.

Why was fate so cruel?

Why did he have to tell her?

"It's too late," she began to sob.

Shaking his head, he pulled her closer. "No, it's not. We can start over."

Against her better judgment, she allowed his soft lips to find hers. Her mind clouded with memories of the passion they once shared. Breathlessly, they stood in the rain, enjoying their moment of abandonment.

A moment that she would soon live to regret.

*

"Okay then. Gillian, I want you to make the preparations for the news conference. Kenny and Edison will take turns answering the reporter's questions," his father delegated their duties, concluding the meeting.

"Since it's so late already, let's just order lunch and eat here," his sister suggested, receiving silent confirmations as everyone was already too exhausted to care one way or another.

A sense of relief washed over him as he noticed his sister had become less withdraw lately and began returning to her normal self, the willful girl that he had always loved.

His brother-in-law seemed different as well.

Edison had become less arrogant and more mellow.

There had been times when nothing would have pleased him more than to have his hands around the other's neck, for the pain that had been inflicted on his baby sister, but his anger had temporarily subsided knowing that his sister had not been mistreated after their marriage.

All differences aside, he had to admit his brother-in-law was quite a brilliant businessman as well as a risk taker. And somewhere, deep inside he knew the man had a soft spot for his sister.

When lunch arrived, the four ate in relative silence. When the secretary walked in with a tray of fresh-brewed coffee, a sudden loud roar of thunder came from the window, causing her to jump, shattering all the porcelain cups on to the marble floor.

Staring at the scattered debris, an awful feeling grew in the pit of his stomach.