16
Their Kingdom Panorama
Opening his eyes wide he glanced around the car before finally pushing Victoria off of him. Letting out a cry he covered his lips with his hand and quickly drove off half watching from the corner of his eye as the impact threw Victoria forward in her seat then back into the seat.
The next morning he arrived early at So Rae’s house and drove to work. When they passed through the hall toward her office Donghae first glanced at the desk to find it empty. He wasn’t surprised to see that Victoria hadn’t yet come in, but he also couldn’t help but feel a little worried.
What if she had a really bad hangover?
/\_____/\
They knocked continuously on the old door but no one came to open it for them. Looking inside the windows for any life they also found that no one seemed to be in.
The young middle aged man turned around to nod at his partner who quickly took out his phone.
“President, it looks like she went out. No one’s home.”
/\_____/\
Jumping off the bus at the last stop Victoria had to stop to press a hand up to her shoulder. Why was it hurting so much? Letting out a moan she walked into the investment building wearing her old pair of jeans and collared shirt.
When she first reached the 5th floor, Donghae’s awkward reaction made her feel even more strange. He had quickly turned away to look elsewhere as she took her seat that morning by the computer.
“What’s gotten into him?” she wondered scratching the back of her head.
/\_____/\
“Sir, the meeting starts in 5. We should go.”
President Bang sat on the couch in his resting corner restless. He had been so close to finding her. The flustered feelings within him made it impossible to concentrate on anything else. With a heavy sigh he got up.
“Where’s So Rae? She needs to be present as well,” President Bang said.
“She’s in her office.”
“Then what’s taking her so long!” he shouted.
“Sorry, sir.”
Walking out of the door he headed toward the elevator.
“Head down to So Rae’s office.” President Bang ordered.
/\_____/\
Victoria looked up when she heard footsteps. Two men in dark suits were headed toward them. The one following behind looked younger and the hair on his head was still black, very different from the older one walking in front of him. He was old, the one in the front, and his hair was thinning out. She could tell that he was having issues with hair loss.
From their stance she could tell that they held powerful authority in the business. The man behind glanced her way and Victoria quickly tossed her eyes away.
“Aren’t you going to greet the President?” he questioned.
“Ah!” Victoria stood up and bowed. “Good morning!”
She could feel Donghae watching curiously from behind, but neither a word came from him nor the older man at the front. When she slowly raised her head up she found an absurd expression the President’s eyes. His mouth slowly gaped open and trembled a bit before he shakily reached a hand out toward her.
“Uh…” Victoria found herself taking a step back and wondered if her dress code had offended him. “I’m sorry…I was in a rush this morning and couldn’t find anything nice…”
“You…you…” his eyes welled up and cries started to come from him as he clutched onto her hand.
She stood there shocked with the scenario and looked around at the only people present in the room: Donghae and the man who was following behind. When she found the younger man at the back staring at her she waved her hand around frantically.
“I didn’t do anything! I didn’t do anything! Really!” she tried to save herself.
“President,” the younger man said.
“My daughter…my daughter…” he sobbed half bent over.
Victoria’s eyes grew wide as she stared down at him. The run buzzed in silence and really nothing was said. Even their breathing seemed to have come to a complete stop. There was nothing Victoria could think of to describe that moment, which should have been wonderful for her.
The door opened and So Rae stepped out. She paused immediately and stared at them confused.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
After a few more minutes the President finally gathered himself and turned toward the younger man, “Cancel the board meeting. I want to talk with her in private.”
So Rae’s face turned into a frown and Victoria felt her eyes shift back and forth between the President and the hallway.
“Yes, sir,” the man nodded then extended an arm out turning to Victoria, “this way.”
What just happened?
Victoria’s mind spun into a web of confusion and she glanced over at Donghae as if to ask for help. Unable to do anything he just stared back. She couldn’t read his expression and turned away when the man called her name again.
“This way.” he said.
Victoria turned to look at him. None of it felt right. None of it felt real. She couldn’t tell if she was hung over or not.
Daughter? Did that man who was the company’s President call her daughter? Was So Rae’s father…her father?
It wasn’t real. Victoria had to keep telling herself that. This wasn’t how she’d wanted her reunion to be. Unless…he’d gotten it all wrong and had mistaken her…
Why would So Rae’s father be searching for his daughter when his daughter was right there taking the same business route he was?
It was nothing but confusing.
She found herself sitting across from President Bang with the circular table in between them stacked full of food. The utensils on the right had been untouched and the glass of water in front of her was still at the same level as when the waiter had poured it just 15 minutes ago. President Bang seemed to be making him comfortable though he hadn’t touched his food either.
“Your name is Victoria Song, right?” he asked and every word he said was so slow as if he wanted to be accurate with everything.
Victoria nodded.
How was she supposed to react in such a situation? The Chinese medley playing in the background made her feel even more lost. Did she belong in this Chinese music playing restaurant with this person who called her ‘daughter’ or did she belong no where at all?
“How old are you?”
“25.”
He nodded his head with a fatherly smile and Victoria half wanted to accept him as her father right away, however she knew it wasn’t quite right.
“Do you…live with your mother?” he seemed so cautious asking that she wondered if he really was her father.
Victoria took a closer look into his face. The wrinkles that had formed around his eyes were deep and had come from a life full of stress and work. They weren’t the kind of wrinkles that came from too much smiling nor laughing. The shape of his nose was strong rigid and straight…kind of like hers and the hidden sadness in his eyes reflected the ones she often hid herself.
She swallowed. Was it really…
“All I can remember is growing up with my grandmother,” Victoria replied honestly.
He nodded, “Your mother…must have gone through a lot.”
She eyed him, “Where is she? You must know.”
His eyes suddenly made him look so much older than how he should have looked, “She’s not here anymore.”
Victoria looked down at her empty plate unsure of how to react. How should she react toward the mother she’d never seen? Was it right to cry or not cry?
“Then how do you know…” she looked back up.
“That ring around your neck….is what I gave your mother 25 years ago and the detectives showed me your picture yesterday,” he explained as if he’d been waiting for her to doubt him, “you really are my daughter. I’m sorry for making you wait so long till I found you again. It’s time to come home.”
/\_____/\
Donghae watched as Victoria silently followed President Bang down the hallway. What had just happened? He couldn’t believe it at first, but he turned to look at So Rae whose face was suddenly full of fuming anger.
With teeth held tight and biting onto her bottom lip her eyes soared throughout the room. Without a word she opened the door to her office and disappeared inside with the door closing loudly.
Why did she seem upset? But on the other hand…where had they taken Victoria?
/\_____/\
After lunch Victoria found herself sitting inside another expensive car. The first after the one she’d been kidnapped into, but this time the destination was somewhere completely different. Along the rich red brick walls built sturdy and strong to protect the rich residents inside Victoria noticed gates of various sizes every now and them. How big were the houses inside?
Though the road was small they were, at least, in better condition than the ones she lived by. She spotted brand new cars parked alongside the road and a few of the rich walking in and out of their homes or cars. The expensive suits and dress they were decked in made Victoria fall into awe. How rich was this certain neighborhood?
“We’re almost there,” her father told her from beside her.
With a small smile she continued to observe the scenery outside. Only the brick walls were in sight.
The car finally stopped by a large solid black gate with bolts decorated along the top. The driver hurried out and opened the passenger door for them just as Victoria reached for the door knob.
“It’s ok, the next time let him do it,” her father said from behind.
Victoria was led toward a small black door at the side and followed the driver through. After a few steps inside she spun around feeling her heart rush wildly. For a second she actually forgot where she was.
To her left was a large parking lot full of various cars and to her right a flashy stone staircase leading to the house. Green grass strung all over and even grew in between the stone steps making them look more fancy than usual. Alongside the stairs were more grass, some flowers neatly packed together, and a large oak tree that stood over the entire home.
“Lets go up,” her father suggested.
She watched him climb the steps and robotically followed him numbly. It was too amazing. She’d never been inside or near such a place before and to suddenly hear someone tell her “It’s time to come home” to this kind of home…was too much.
They weren’t going to lie to her then kick her out, were they?
She gulped.
At the top Victoria paused to stare at the two story house built of half wood, half stone, and partial glass. A large window sat at the forefront with a great view of the enormous living room inside. She could even see a stone fireplace from where she stood and a painted portrait of a garden of flowers hung above it.
The roof of the home was shaded in dark brown and she noticed that the roof was accessible. A little balcony was present from the room at the top. Her eyes skimmed the whole house to the stone corners then toward the large wooden door in the center.
The green yard surrounding it had been splendidly tended to and was clean of overflowing weeds. Another large tree shielded the right corner of the home before her father turned around to look at her.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “You’ll be living with us from here on.”
It was…just a dream, right?
Inside the home she was greeted with an open staircase at the back and a fat hall which, if you went straight, led into the wide kitchen.
“Your room…I’ve kept it for you all this time,” he said, “do you want to see it?”
She looked at him and again without her response he led her up the stairs and down the generous white hallway. Down the hallway she spotted another large window of the large field at the back of the house.
President Bang led her down the largest hallway and stopped at the second door. Its pure wooden door gleamed at her before it opened. She was met with the light glimmering through the boxed window and saw that even the white drapes had been pulled aside to allow light in. Her eyes glided over the oval carpet in the center of the room before she saw the large fluffy bed awaiting her with stuffed animals sitting atop it.
A circular oak desk leaned against the far wall bright and clean. Not even a speckle of dust was seen from where she currently stood at the doorway. The white walls, the clean floor, and the various plain paintings that hung on the wall sent to her a vibe of homeliness.
They’d…really kept this room for her all the time? Had they really prepared all this for her?
Victoria didn’t know how to react. Half of her wanted to jump into her so-called father’s arms and weep away, but her other half was held strong by her pride. In the end she just stood there quietly.
How was she to react?
“What do you want from me?” Victoria asked.
Her father looked confused with that silly smile on his face.
“What am I supposed to do?” Victoria wanted to know. “Is this a joke? If this is then this is the worst kind of joke anyone’s tossed at me.”
Her father stared at her, “Just live here.”
“I still have a home, I still have things that belong to me. I can’t possibly stay here,” Victoria shook her head, “I can’t believe the President either…”
After a long moment he gently took her hand, “You are my daughter, by just looking at you I know you are. Come live with me for the mother who passed so sadly, stay with me here. I’ll give you everything you want. I owe it to you.”
***Is it awkward? The scenes between Vic and her father? She isn't used to such luxury and to suddenly be told that she has a father is stranger to her, but it is the truth.
***I have a lot more coming up!!
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