It had been years since he had come back.
Lying on the familiar and yet foreign queen-sized bed with only a pair of flannel pants on as the fluffy blanket covered him loosely, Edison's eyes wandered around the simple bedroom, tracing the outlines of each piece of furniture. While none could compare to the furniture in the Chen home in value, the simple furniture was dear to his heart.
Perhaps it was a result of the wonderful times that had taken place in this very house.
Located right off a remote beach, the moderately sized beach house was part of the inheritance from his maternal grandparents after they passed away. Unlike his parents, his grandparents were quite caring and easy-going. Summer vacations were his favorite. That was the time; his sister and him would be able to stay at the beach house for a few weeks with his grandparents and uncle. While his father attended to business and his mother went on her shopping sprees in Europe. Without their presence, he felt like a bird released from its cage. The feeling of suffocation stopped.
But the tradition came to a sad end with the death of his grandparents. Their lives had ended prematurely from a plane accident. A commercial aircraft had encountered minor troubles during take off. Several hundreds feet in the air, the plane fell into water. While there were many survivors, his grandparents were not part of them.
At the tender age of ten, it had been particularly emotional for him but his father had forbidden from shedding a tear.
"Men don't cry."
He had not cried since that day. Instead his sorrow had evolved into anger.
He hated his parents.
He hated God.
As for the beach house, occasionally his sister and him would come with his uncle and his latest girlfriend for a short weekend and enjoyed the scenery. But that had not occurred in a long time, not since he left for London to avoid the humiliation from his failed wedding. After he returned, Chen Corporation took over all his time.
Looking back, the memories in this house seem no different than the memories from another life.
Then last night, after they both had calmed down, all drenched and cold he took Gillian here for a hot shower and a change of clothing rather driving back to the city. The last thing he wanted right now was to return to the city, where the constant struggle for survival never seemed to end. Battle after battle in the corporate boardrooms had tired him out. After so many years, all he wanted was peace.
But peace was always out of his reach.
Matters of business.
The feud with his parents.
The loss of his sister.
Then there was his wife.
Keeping her at arms length, he had deliberately given her another room, the room that had once belonged to his sister. Somehow, it seemed most appropriate that she stay there rather than a guest room.
Yet, the empty space by his side was unbearable. Having shared the same bed for some long, he felt as if a piece of him was missing without her.
"The day you married me you made it my business!"
Since when did she care for his well-being?
Since when did their marriage become real?
His thoughts came to a sudden pause when he heard light footsteps outside his door. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep when the door creaked open.
*
Entering the dark bedroom belonging to her husband, Gillian's attention was immediately caught by the open window; furious droplets of rain were blown into the room. Her only attire being a loose nightshirt she found in her sister-in-law's draw, an involuntary shiver ran down her warm body. In a matter of seconds, she made her way over to the other side of her husband's bed and closed the window.
Thoughtfully, she paused over her husband's sleeping figure before pulling the blanket over his shoulders and kneeling down until her face was leveled to his. Careful of awaking him, she gently placed her hand on his forehead, checking for any signs of cold or fever from their earlier escapade outside in the rain. Satisfied that his temperature was normal, her fingers slowly traced down the to his cheek then his chin.
A tighten hand crutched her heart, seeing how his cheeks had sunken in.
Despite the exhaustion that overwhelmed her body, sleep eluded her. The handsome face of her husband appeared each time her eyes closed, mixed with worry and fear.
Petrified that he would fulfill his promise and join his sister in another world.
Her brows furrowed slightly but fearful that her presence would awake him, taking a last glance she slowly inched away until a firm strong hand tightened around hers.
"Don't go."
She swiftly turned back and met the pleading eyes of her husband.
"Don't go."
The softness in his voice was such she had never heard from him before.
Captivated by his vulnerable eyes, she succumbed when he gently pulled her toward him, onto the large bed. She watched as his head leaned closer and closer to her until their lips met. Slowly, she felt herself melting into his welcoming embrace. Within seconds their yearning transformed to hunger. Previous reservations and connotations were all forgotten in their moment of passion and desire.
With great eagerness, their hands ran over one another's sensitive skin. When they could no longer wait, they tugged and pulled until the restrictive articles of clothing were removed allowing their bared skin to touch, crushing their heated bodies together. Desire continued to grow as their lips locked, their tongues danced together.
The steamy kisses left her breathless and lightheaded. Unable to continue she pulled slightly away all the while not removing her gaze from his handsome features. But her suddenly pause was mistaken for hesitation, within seconds her husband's arms were pulling away. Eager to show him otherwise, she tightened her embrace and kissed him with passion she never imagined. Fortunately, after a small hesitation he succumbed to her affections.
As her desire grew to the point of aching, she pulled him toward her until he was on top, his hand gently stroking her hair as they kissed. An enticing moan released from their locked lips when their bodies finally joined together, relieving their lusty hunger.
But their relief was short-lived; the motions of their entwined bodies served to fuel their yearnings even more. Then when they could no longer resist the pleasure that had been building inwardly, tightening their hold, an utter cry of pleasure left their lips, followed by heavy breaths.
All the while her eyes could not tear from his.
It was then she realized he had captured her heart along time ago.
Only she had been too ignorant to see it.
*
The noise from the bulldozers, cranes and various other heavy machineries were all that could be heard at the construction site that was no more than a skeleton structure. Amongst a crowd of men, dressed mostly in suits was Kenny. The piercing sun made his eyes squint in discomfort as he and a group of his executives followed the foreman and the architect around the site.
Months had come and gone since he had taken over the project, all the steal beams were almost in place. The structure was almost complete but the project was far from over. It was merely the beginning but the continuous trials were already wearing him down.
It was quite fortunate that his brother-in-law had taken over all his other projects. But it was under the condition that he could work remotely from the beach house he occupied with Gillian unless there was a pressing issue. But at least a few times a day the two would have to communicate by phone.
The death of his sister had been quite a blow for his brother-in-law. But in a sardonic sense, it was a mixed blessing. The tragedy had brought his brother-in-law and his sister closer, meanwhile disintegrating the barrier that had once surrounded the younger man. As he imagined their carefree days along the beach, he wished for nothing more than to join them.
Unfortunately that was not an option.
As the eldest in his family, the survival of Chung Enterprises rested on his shoulders.
Having gathered his thoughts, Kenny turned to the two older men leading the tour while the other executives gathered around. "Are we going to meet the first inspection deadline next month?"
The foreman spoke first. "There should be no problem. As a matter of fact, we're a head of schedule," then added, "the guys have been working very hard."
He smiled and nodded understandingly, and then turned to the other man, who seem to be at a daze. "Mr. Lam?"
It seem the other's mind was still wandering elsewhere until the foreman nudged his shoulder. "Huh? Oh, uh, the schedule. Yes, we should be ahead of time."
Kenny nodded and tried to brush off the uneasiness from the architect's behavior. Frankie Lam had worked for Chung Enterprises for a number of years. He had designed some of their most large-scaled projects. But it was the first time in their years of collaboration that he has seen the other man behave so awkwardly. Normally a talkative and easy-going man, Frankie had been unusually quiet during the inspection.
Just when he was about to suggest that the group move to another part of the site, the ring coming from his jacket pocket caught his attention.
Cecilia Cheung.
He hesitated momentarily before answering. That day in his office when she had asked him to give her a chance, he had reluctantly agreed; a way of consoling her. But deep down he knew exactly where his heart was.
With Charlene.
Sometimes during his drive to different meeting locations, he would deliberately pass by her boutique, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. All he needed was to know she was well. A few times he saw her together with Nicholas.
Often he would tell himself to let go.
But yet.
He sighed inwardly then nodded to the men excusing himself. "Hi Cecilia."
"Hi Kenny," she returned his greeting in her usual raspy voice. "Where are you? Why is it so noisy?"
Instinctively, his eyes swept across the large site. "I'm inspecting the resort site. What's up?"
"Oh, I just wanted to tell you I made reservations at Blue Diner tonight. Can you pick me up at seven?"
"No problem. I'll see you at seven."
*
Around seven-thirty the elegant restaurant was already packed with patrons, of all had reserved ahead of time for this exclusive eatery. From the beautiful crystal chandeliers above to the rich burgundy carpeting below, every inch of the spacious dining area was tastefully decorated. And service was incomparable. It was no wonder that it was so popular among high-society.
"Timmy was asking about you today. He wants to know when you will bring him more marbles. I offered to buy him some but he only wants them from you," Charlene smiled from her plate of salad. A smile that was more and more rare as the days went by.
On the opposite side from her, Nicholas finished a sip of his wine and placed the glass back onto the table. The sides of his lips curved slightly upwards, looking more amused than happy. "Really?"
But she was too excited to notice. "The workers said he's gotten a lot more outgoing," her smile broadened at the thought of the young boy. "Instead of sitting on the side watching other children play, he actually goes up and ask to join them."
He continued on his salad. "That's wonderful," he commented in a nonchalant matter, but did not mention visiting the young boy.
In a matter of seconds, she felt her enthusiasm fade; her bright smile was beginning to falter. Like her, Nicholas had formed a close bond to the young boy. But it seemed with each passing day, the young boy's status was falling in his list of priorities.
The table soon lapped into uncomfortable silence. Charlene tried her best to concentrate on the salad before her, but the crunchy flavorful lettuce from before had suddenly become bland and tasteless. The smile that had graced her lips was gone.
"What is taking them so long with our main courses," Nicholas complained impatiently. "Where is the exceptional service that Blue Diner is famous for?"
She remained silent, not sure what to say.
It became more and more apparent that the man she had once known was gone.
The last few months was evidence enough. He had become increasingly easily irritated. The generosity and kindness he had once possessed was gone. As a matter of fact, she had once accidentally overheard him on the phone. It seem that Tse International was looking to acquire a large plot of land in the New Territories but several landowners had stubbornly refused to sell. Over the phone, Nicholas commanded his subordinate to use whatever force necessary to force these landowners to sell.
The words had made her heart drop. But she rationalized that it necessary for survival in the business world. And that he was not the only one. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to lie to herself, she knew the truth. In the two years they were married, never had Kenny resorted to such tactics. His success was won through competence and passion.
A sudden harsh ring brought her back to reality. It was then she noticed the cell phone in his hand. After a few seconds, he flipped close the small device and turned toward her. "Thursday night there's going to be a party at the country club. I want you to be my partner."
There was nothing she hated more than egoistic socialites. What more, she already had obligations. "I can't. I promised to volunteer at the orphanage that night."
"Cancel it."
The two simple words sounded more like a command than a request but she was wary of budging. "No, I can't. I already promised them. They're counting on me."
"I'll donate some money to them. They'll be fine."
His words angered her. "Money isn't everything."
"I'm not saying it is. But I want you to attend the party with me."
"I already have obligations."
"Cancel it."
"I told you I already have obligations. I refuse to continue this any long. I'm leaving," she cried, getting up from her seat, holding her purse. She had only taken a few steps when a strong grip pulled her back.
The commotion attracted the attention of many patrons.
She struggled helplessly but his grip did not loosen. "Let go of me."
Then another voice from behind boomed. "Let go of her."
Slowly, she turned around, not believing her ears.
Kenny.
He was just as she remembered.
Once again, he was coming to her rescue.
"I said let go of her." Her soon-to-be ex-husband came forward.
The expression on Nicholas's defined features changed from angry to furious. "Stay out of our business."
With the relief of seeing Kenny also came the embarrassment.
He had done so much for her, including letting her go.
But yet, she had proven her choice was wrong.
From a distance, a female pair of eyes watched her with tighten fists.
Her fight was only beginning.
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