Ella occupied her usual seat in the dining room awkwardly and smiled to her mother.

"Where's your brother? I thought he's on his way?" She asked, brows raised and Ella bit her lower lip. She wasn't able to reach Joe again and according to Jeremy, he was dead drunk in his suite in the hotel. He was not even aware that their parents are back. And she can't tell her parents about it. Especially not Carlene. And she's wondering what the problem is. She thought THEY'RE okay now? Wasn't he proposing to Ariel soon?

"Mama, he's quite busy at this time. Maybe getting ready for some major changes." She can't even look at her in the eye. She focused her attention on the baguette in front of her.

"Major changes?" It was Joshua this time. "Is there anything that you're not telling us, Jia Hua?" He said in a no-nonsense tone that Ella dropped the table knife. Joshua don't really assert his fatherly tone often and it means business when he does.

"Papa. . .Err, I really think I shouldn't be the one telling you this but--"

"But what, Ella Cheng Jia Hua?" Carlene promted.

"Ge ge and Chun worked as bellmen--"

"Bellmen!" They chorused.

*Seriously, when are they gonna stop cutting me off?* She thought. "Will you let me explain?" She sighed and stopped in her tracks. How would she explain it to them?

"We are waiting, Jia Hua." Joshua, putting stress to the word 'waiting'.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, they thought that they can better understand the workers if they're one of them. I wasn't much of a help so they decided to try it themselves. Isn't that great? Ge ge's really serious about your bread and butter he's willing to dirty his hands for the sake of better management. I really think it's noble and you should be proud of him." She ended her speech with a smile. Her parents were looking at her in a weird way.

"He's been reponsible all his life and it's not a surprise that he takes his new position very seriously." Carlene chided and Ella swallowed. But she let it pass nonetheless. She really had some share of serious trouble in the past. She released the breath that she was holding when both of them picked their forks again and proceeded to eat.

"Butler Yi, would you replace the wine with the Margaux Aaron brought for us? Ah Lian brought it in our cellar." The butler bowed and nodded to one of the uniformed help.

"Aaron's here?" Carlene asked, surprised. "In this house?"

"He's in the hotel, Mama. I invited him here but he declined." She said.

"Is he here on business?" They met Aaron during their visits in Paris.

"He's trying to sell the property he inherited from his late grandmother." She wiped with the fine linen. "The lawyers wanted his presence before they sign."

"May God rest Madam Yan's soul." Carlene muttered. The matriarch of the Yan family, Isabelle Yan y Lu was Carlene's music teacher before she married Aaron's grandfather.

"Won't he let his family know that he's here?" Joshua looked surprised. Ella just shrugged. Her father didn't know what relationship Aaron has with his family. He didn't know that he's gay either. Carlene shoot her a knowing glance.

***********************************************************************

"A phone call for you, Young Master." Grandma Tiu, the one that manages the Wu mansion was handing him the wireless phone.

"Who is it?" He asked. If it's Hebe, one of girls that don't recognize rejection when they see one, then he would rather die than answer it.

"It's Young Lady Ella." She said. Now, what does that girl want? After she ruined his car! He nodded and took the call.

"Wei?" He greeted. Honestly, he didn't know how to approach Ella again after what happened. According to Jiro, one their close friends, Ella might have found it fresh.

[flashback]

"Buddy, you can't just barge into her life like that and take control. You and Ella just ceased being friends since what, nursery? Then one day you're gonna show up at her doorstep acting like her boyfriend? Are you nuts?" His bulging brown eyes almost made him laugh if he wasn't so upset about what happened that morning. He's still nursing bruised pride and driving a totaled Mclaren.

"Why don't you befriend her first?" Selina, Jiro's wife asked in a light tone. She placed the vongole in front of him and occupied the seat beside Jiro. He took refuge at the Wang household that evening when he cannot find Joe anywhere. "Ella's a little eccentric but she sure is a darling." Selina's a former model and has worked with Ella in the past. She's now a fulltime wife to Jiro and mother to their kids. He can't help but be envious with their luck. The two had been together for more than five years before they got married, weathering a long distance relationship and whatnot.

"How can I do that when she won't even talk to me?" He asked, depressed. He can't even stomach the vongole, one of his favorite pastas.

"Remember the time that you would pester her nonstop just to get her attention?" Jiro, assuming the role of their clique's Psychologist. "That's a little traumatic for a gradeschooler."

=Hello, Chun? Are you still there?= The voice on the other line sounded no less than exasperated.

He cleared his throat. He didn't even hear what she said because his mind was travelling elsewhere. "Yes, what can I do for you?" He asked in a formal tone.

=You're not listening?!= She said accusingly. =I was talking for the last two minutes!=

"Sorry. I am trying to work here." He said defensively.

Ella sighed loudly. =My brother's drunk in his suite. Can you pick him up and take him to your house? Mama and Papa are here now.=

"What?" They arrived unannounced! Joe's in big trouble! "Alright. I'll pick him up."

=And Chun.= He was about to hang up when she spoke again. "Sorry about yesterday. I acted childishly.= Her tone became unsure. =Let my insurance take care of it, okay?=

He had to smile at that. Her Royal Highness was apologizing? "Nevermind. You can repay me in some other way."

***********************************************************************

"H-have you found them?" He asked even before he could close the door. His voice trembled a little. Haruhito looked at his master thoughtfully. Years before, he could never imagine him with a sickness. Now, as severe gout takes the better part of him, his once imposing and intimidatiing aura was slowly withering.

He bowed a bit. "I did, Master."

"How are they?" He asked.

"They are okay. . .Ojou has stopped working and their situation's been quite better as Ojousan secured herself a job in St. Regis." He reported.

"As in Joshua Cheng?" He asked. He knew the guy. From he was once a struggling businessman to his becoming one of the best hoteliers there is. Haruhito nodded.

"Can you put him on the phone right quick?"