CHAPTER 7

The door opens and Tao enters the quiet space. He puffs out a breath “.” he curses, closing the door and walks in; he walks passed the living room and in the kitchen where he sees the still passed out figure lying on the floor.

“Yah” he kicks the figure lightly on the side and he gets a groan. Tao ran a hand through his hair “Yah, get up”

Groan. He frowns and walks to the fridge, taking out a jug of cold water and pours it over the sleeping guy. Kai scampers, he sits up and takes a deep breath, his head hitting the cabinet of the island counter “Ugh, what the ?!” he curses, soaked in the liquid and looks up to glare at Tao “The hell, Tao?”

Tao frowns at him and sets down the empty jug on top of the counter before walking passed him “Get up, Kai. We need to talk” Kai wiped off his face, a headache beginning to build up on the back of his head as he hauls himself off the floor and follows Tao into the living room. The two sat down, opposite each other: Tao on the single seat sofa and Kai on the other one across the glass center table.

“You have a problem, Kai” Tao starts. Kai snorts a sarcastic laugh to the side “Look, Tao, I'm perfectly fine. I just had a few drinks last night, that's all” he explains as briefly as he could. He brings up a hand to his head to massage it with his thumb and forefinger.

Tao clicks his tongue “It's Hana... right?”

Silence.

Kai looks away, he lets out a breath and stands up “It's not her. If you'll excuse me, I'll go get ready for work” he begins to his soaked shirt, making his way to his bedroom. Tao stands up “If Kris were to break up with her... what would you do?”

Kai stops before the door of his bedroom. He swallows hard. What would I do? Closing his eyes for awhile, he speaks “Nothing”

Tao fixes his tie and looks at Kai, he was basically piercing the man's back with his stare alone “Are you sure? Because from the way I see it, you're pulling something now”

“What are you trying to say?” Kai turns around with an insulted look on his face.

Tao merely tilts his head to the side “I'm not and I'm not one to take sides, Kai... but Hana and Kris are together and you getting drunk and calling her whenever you are, pouring out your feelings to her, is not okay”

“Tch. You're basically taking sides, Tao”

“You promised Kris, try to keep it atleast” and with that, Tao makes his way to the door and makes his exit. Kai stood there for what seemed like the longest time; he looks down on the ground.

An image of a smiling female by the name of Kim Hana flashes through his mind whenever he closes his eyes. He's had trouble sleeping lately which is why he got himself indulged in alcohol to help him because atleast in his dreams, he could do as he please. He could touch her, he could see her smile for him, he could hug her... atleast in his dreams.

But everyday, he had to wake up and face the reality. The reality being that the only place he could see Hana was the work place and the only thing they had between them was a boss and employee relationship and nothing more.

Hana.

The sun peaks through the window as six o'clock hits the clock; work doesn't start for two more hours.

Yawn. I open my eyes and look around the room; it was cold so early in the morning. Just as I was about to move, a pair of arms wrapped their way around my waist and I felt myself being pulled back until my back hit something warm. A light chuckle escapes my lips and I wriggle, turning around to face the culprit

“Morning” he grumbled, eyes still closed.

Kris was not an angel, he looked like a devil. A dangerously handsome devil that could lure in so many girls with a flicker of his eyes but me being in his arms right now have never felt so secure and safe. “Morning to you too” I give him a quick peck on the lips.

Wow, brave move Hana. Shut up subconscious.

A smile curves onto his flawless face and have I ever told you how lucky I am? Perhaps not. What did I do to deserve this kind of guy in my life? “You're staring at me, Ms. Kim” he opens one eye and I smile at him.

“You look prettier than me” I tell him. He opens both his eyes and gives me a playful smirk “Do I?” I nod my head and he chuckles “Life's unfair, Hana”

Sigh. I saw that coming. Upon hearing my sigh, he pulls me closer and pressed a kiss onto my forehead “Mine” he says.

And only then did it occur to me how frequent he's been saying it. Him claiming me as his sounded so sweet yet it scared me at the same time because it felt like there was still a side to him that I don't know and as curious as I am to see what that side of his was, I don't want to find out.

Kris looks at me dead in the eye and questions “You're mine and I'm yours... right?” Kris... I don't know what to do or say; should I be scared or should I be glad? Which one is it, I don't know.

I nod my head and put on a smile and he returns the gesture before giving me a quick peck on the lips. All of my worried thoughts just disappeared afterwards. His kisses were like morphine... in a very good way. I wriggle out of his grasp and sit up in bed “Come on, let's get breakfast” I said, hauling the covers off and jumped off the soft mattress.

“Aren't you coming to Wu Enterprise?” she asks as they stood in the parking lot. Kris presses a button and a black car beeps; he turns to her “Later, I have somewhere else to go” “I see...” Hana opens the door of the driver's seat to her own car and gives him a smile “I'll see you later, then?”

Kris nods and pecks a kiss on her cheek before walking off to his own car. He watches Hana drive off before getting in; he strapped himself in the driver's seat before fishing out his phone and pressed the start button of the black Bentley “It's me... I'm on my way”

And he drives off.

Kris.

A lot of things are running through my mind right now but my company was not one of them at the moment. A miracle, I know. Well, the thing is... if there's ever something I have discovered, it's this: there are two things that can make any man –like me- go frantic.

One: when someone s up with me. Two: when someone tries to up with my girlfriend or business. And the second is one of the reasons why my is back in Seoul.

“Hello?” I answer the call “Let's talk” and it's the first thing I hear from Tao.

I put down my pen and the door opens, my newly hired PA came in and places my cup of coffee on my desk. I give her a quick glance and dismiss her with a gesture of my hand. The door closes “About what?”

He gives me a sigh “Gege, you know I'm not one to be a tattletale, right?” Just what are you trying to get at? I pick up the cup and take a quick sip “Spit it out, Tao”

“You told me to look out for Hana, right?” my brows knit together. He's obviously stalling and I just want to know what's going on because hearing her name means that she's involved. “Tao...” I warn him with my tone.

“Gege, Kai's been having bad drinking habits lately” I put down my cup and raise a brow, leaning back on my chair “How does this relate to you looking out for Hana and why should I be concerned? The guy can do whatever he wants”

“He drinks because of her”

I still don't see why I should be concerned though. Kai has his way of getting over a woman and so if this is it, I can't really do anything about it.

“And whenever he drinks, he keeps rambling on about her and just last night, Chen told me he called Hana... drunk”

The drinking habit, I give no about but calling Hana is another thing.

“Tao, keep an eye on her and set the guy straight. I'll call you tomorrow”

I ended the call and called in for the PA. Meifen scampered through the door with a pen and a clipboard in hand “Get me a plane ticket to Seoul for a flight this afternoon and cancel all further meetings for today, push them to Monday, next week”

She blinks her eyes at me for a moment and I frown at her. “Well?”

“Y-yes, Mr. Wu” and I send her off again.

I park up the car and get out, looking up the tall building before entering its premises.

“Hana”

She whips her head to the side before turning around and smiles upon seeing Kyungsoo. “Good morning, sir” she gives a polite bow of the head. “How was Bali?” she asks as he approaches her and they wait for the elevator together.

Sigh. “Tiring trip” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck “Ah, really? I thought Bali was an ideal place for relaxation?” “Yeah but there's work I have to do there and the company branch there was a little off so I had to adjust”

Hana gives a light chuckle at Kyungsoo's sudden sulky expression. Seems like he really needs a vacation. The elevator doors open and they both step inside the compartment. “But you did get the deal from there, right?” she asks and Kyungsoo nods.

“Oh, by the way... Kris is in town” she chimes. Kyungsoo raises a brow, turning to her “He is?”

“He arrived yesterday, he hasn't told you?”

Kyungsoo falls quiet for a moment; it's not that it was a bad thing for Kris to be in town but it does feel suspicious as to why he was. A visit to Hana alone seems like it but isn't it too early for that? He was expecting to take a few months more.

“I think it was to keep you surprised, Hana” he smiles and the elevator doors open for his stop. She bids him goodbye.

China

The tacking of heels rang throughout the nearly empty quiet halls of the hospital as the sister of the former chairman made her way to his room.

She stops at the specific door and gets inside; the first person she saw was Stephanie.

She doesn't know whether she should feel sorry for the child or be upset. Stephanie was just like Chun after all; a child from outside of the family proper. Chun's father and Stephanie's mother were both not married to the Wu siblings so they technically do not have right to use the last name.

But on the other end of the rope, Stephanie was entitled to more rights compared to Chun. She's on training to be head of one of the company branches while her son works for his wife's family... like a slave. She frowns at the thought. It's unfair.

She glances at her brother, sitting up in bed, reading over documents and only then does she notice the presence of two people in suits.

“What's going on?” she questions. The bed-ridden old man looks up and smiles upon seeing her “Ah, Meimei (sister), you're here...”

She raises a brow at the two men in suit who gave her a bow “Why are your lawyers here?”

Mr. Wu closes the folders and hands them back to one of the two men, who then made their leave with Stephanie escorting them out of the room leaving the siblings to talk. “Dàgē what did you call them for?” she asks again and her older brother responds with a sigh “I took care of my last will”

“Are you crazy?” she frowns “You are not dying!”

“Meimei, let's face facts here... I am not well; at any time of any day, I can be taken”

“Don't say such nonsense!”

He lets out another breath “I want everything to be settled; my children are all grown, Yi Fan runs things now and I'm sure that he will look after Stephanie. Also, he has Hana to look after him”

She frowns at the sound of the girl's name. It was not the fact that Hana was not Chinese that she disliked her so much but it was because she was a stranger. They had no knowledge as to who she really was, her background and such and for all she knows, she could just be after the family's wealth.

“I don't know what you see in that girl, she's a stranger” she spat coldly.

“Kim Hana is a clean woman; I had her checked so stop fretting over the girl”

She lets out a frustrated sigh before taking her seat on the chair beside his bed “I don't know what's with you dàgē (big brother)...” she shook her head, propping up her elbow and rubs her temples with her thumb and forefinger. “Why you're doing such things”

“Meimei, I rely on you to watch over them when I'm gone... that's all I ask”

She closes her eyes for a brief moment, her chest seemed to have tightened and oxygen was hard to take in. who wouldn't have their heart broken if their one and only family was on the verge of the line between life and death. Her brother was very dear to her, afterall he was the one who had stood up for her all these years.

When she got pregnant with Chun and was to be disowned, her brother had insisted that she stays. Same when she was once again carrying Yookyung. It was her brother that gave her a position at Wu Prime when their father had taken out her name on his last will and she was to own not a single thing or penny.

It was her brother that housed them, it was him who gave right to her children to use the last name, it was him that made her keep the good life.

And when he goes, Kris could take everything.

Everything.