Chapter 129 - Beautiful Memories (Seven)
Bryan brought Hailey to a seafood restaurant somewhere on the east coast, down south from Sydney.
The girls were too excited to get out of the car, but Bryan stopped her. "Wait. Let me open the door."
Bryan gets out of the car and opens the passenger seat. Hailey blushed and thanked him with a sweet smile on her lips.
"Thanks, Bryan!"
After saying it, Hailey wandered her eyes to the whole place. She loves it! Her dad rarely brought her to these places, but they had exclusive dine-in to an expensive restaurant or hotels.
But the place Bryan brought her is not bad. It looks delightful! There are so many cars to park outside, and the restaurant looks full of customers.
Bryan led her to the bridge, and they crossed it. She could smell the ocean, and she likes to breathe the sea breeze.
The restaurant has three floors, and Bryan brought her to the third floor. They were taking the wooden stairs when Bryan asked her a question.
"You like the place?"
"Hum! It was beautiful! How did you find this place?"
"Dad used to bring us here." He replied.
"Oh. I see." Sadness flashes her eyes upon remembering Bryan's father, who died in a plane crash.
Bryan saw that her mood changes. He reached for her hand and said, "Don't be sad. We are here to celebrate my birthday, not reminiscing memories of the past."
"Okay. Oh! So that's it! You wanted to celebrate your birthday here!" said Hailey, who didn't notice that she and Bryan were holding hands while taking the stairs.
Hailey seemed not to mind it; Bryan didn't let go of her hand.
"Yes, I want to celebrate my birthday with the people that are close to my heart."
They already arrived on the third floor. A woman called out to them and waved her hand to get their attention.
"Bryan, this way!" The middle-aged woman sat up from her chair and opened her arms to give Hailey a tight hug.
"Aunt Tina!"
"Hello, dear! I'm so happy that you could join us!" The older woman was happy to see this girl. Since Bryan is studying in the US, Hailey rarely visits their villa.
"I'm happy too, aunt Tina! I didn't know you are here as well."
"Well, I thought I couldn't celebrate my son's birthday as he plans to leave soon. I'm happy that Bryan reschedules his flight."
"It was really great, Aunt Tina! The boys will throw a barbecue party for Bryan, so we will go back after we had dinner."
"No problem!" She has no complaints as long as who Bryan spends with is Hailey. "Now, let us take a seat. I already ordered something. They will serve the food soon."
Bryan pulls a chair for Hailey; Tina was delighted to see this. She winks at his son, who he rolled his eyes at to show his mom a teaser.
Very soon, their food was served. Tina asks a series of questions to Hailey while they were eating.
Bryan is giving his mother a meaningful stare which she only ignored him. His mom is now asking crazy questions.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Tina, who could see at the corner of her eyes how her son widened his eyes.
"I don't have a boyfriend, Aunt Tina. I'm still a minor." She replied with honesty.
"Is your dad who prohibited you this?" That man! Is he too strict with his daughter?
"Not really, aunt Tina. It was I who didn't want a boyfriend."
The older woman was delighted by her answer, but she didn't want to be obvious. "Why do you say that?"
"Mom, can we just eat now?"
But Tina only glared at her son and ignored him. "Do you have a crush, Hailey?"
Hailey fell into thoughts. She tried to ponder, but she could not tell if who she likes when she likes everyone.
"I'm... well, I like Bryan and Trevor, and Geoffrey and..." Hailey paused when Bryan was coughing next to her. "Are you okay, Bryan?"
"Ah. Don't mind me. I only ate something spicy." His excuse and then emptied his glass of cola.
Tina, on the other hand, wanted to laugh out loud. She pitied her poor son and the other kids who had romantic feelings for this girl. She shook her head and hid her amusement.
No wonder how Bryan was too worried about Hailey. She is an innocent princess who had a pure heart.
"Okay. I understand that you like the boys as your brothers. Then, you promised me that you wouldn't entertain anyone who asks you to be his girlfriend."
"Oh! I just told Kian!" Said Hailey with a smile on her lips.
"Oh. Kian, huh?" Curled her forehead, Tina glanced at her son, who tried to hide the grin on his mouth. She suspected that her son did something with that guy.
Ignoring his mom's meaningful stares, Bryan leaned over at Hailey and asked the girl, "When did that happen?"
"I texted him," she whispered.
"You what? He has your number?"
Hailey nodded. She is looking at him with curiosity. In her mind, she wondered if that was wrong.
"Shouldn't I give my number?"
"No, you don't. Next time, don't give it to anyone, especially to a stranger or someone you just meet."
Hailey seems to ponder over it. Later, she nodded and smiled.
This girl has no idea of what is really going on, but she enjoys her food, and so she didn't pay much attention to their conversation.
"Bryan, you should look after this girl, or else someone will fool her and break her heart."
"Yes, mom. You don't need to tell me."
Hailey doesn't understand what the mother and son have been talking about. Her attention only focused on the prawn that was recently served on their table.
*
PRESENT TIME
The food was terrific. After a beautiful dinner, he drove back to the mansion with sunset scenery on their way.
It was one of the countless beautiful memories he's holding inside his heart.
But he messed up, and it looks like he'll be going to mess up his life further if true that Eva was pregnant.
Bryan turns off the shower; he grabs the bath towel on the rack and wipes his hair and entire body.
He put on a boxer and dropped his body on the bed. He noticed that his phone keeps vibrating. He checks on the caller, and when it was Eva, he ignores it and goes to bed instead.
It takes him an hour before it pulls him into a deep slumber. The whole time, he could only think of one person and even dream of her that night.
At least, in his dream. He is holding her close.
*
The following morning, Hailey occupied herself in reviewing all the piles of reports on her desk. It's been a few months since she has no time to look at them when emailed to her as she was busy with her studies and field activities.
After lunchtime, she had a brief talk with Vince as he has to meet the chairman soon.
Hailey runs to her dad's office and looks around.
"Princess, do you need something?" He was signing a few documents when his door opened, and Hailey rushed inside. "What's the matter?"
Hailey picked up a few frames and took them with her. "Dad, can I keep them in my office instead? Since you opened your office for President Shen, he shouldn't see my photos."
"Ah, right! I almost forgot that Princess. Okay. We set a schedule to talk now. How if? Do you mind if I introduced yourself to..."
"Some other time, dad!"
Jacob hangs his mouth in the air. His daughter disappeared from his office too fast.
"What's wrong with her? Why is my daughter acting strange lately?"
It confused him, but he was less concerned at the moment. Vincent Shen must be on his way, and so he closes the folders and sets them aside on his table.
Meanwhile, Hailey rushes back to her office. Just the moment she can step inside the door of her office, it is the same time that Vincent and Tim reached the Reception desk.
The glass door pushes open, and Vincent steps inside, walking toward the Chairman's Office.
As Hailey left a small gap in her door, she peeped out. She quickly but gently shut the door when Vince glanced at her office.
Vince almost caught her!
Hailey dropped her body on the couch, which she's still hugging the photo frames. She put them down on the coffee table and noticed her foot.
"That was close!" She sighed with relief. Gladly she was barefoot; she could run fast back to her office.
She almost forgets that her pictures are displayed in her dad's office. Gladly that she was here, otherwise, Vincent would see them!
While Vincent and her dad had a meeting, Hailey became busy when Kelly set an appointment for FaceTime with their business partners worldwide.
Hailey was reading the reports, and it shocked her to learn that their Asian investors wanted to put up a store in P Country.
"Is everyone certain about this?" Hailey asked their investors while her hands were typing speedily to message Kelly.
Kelly received Hailey's series of questions. Then she felt the need to explain.
"Ahem. I'm sorry, Hail if I didn't consult you about this matter. You have been busy in these passing months, and I have no chance to discuss with you when..." Kelly made a gesture that Hailey only understood. It was when they were in Palm Island, but they have less time to talk about business.
"So, that I was here in P Country. I did a little investigation, and Keith enlightened me with the status of the economy of this country. I think it is a good idea if we put up a store in Metro City and accept a personalized design by our clients." Kelly added. She then types a message and sends it to Hailey.
["You can supervise it anyway since you went to a university in Metro City, so I approve."]
Hailey helplessly nodded at Kelly as a response. She has no protest as it was a good deal.
Davies-Varghese Gem has been proposed a million US dollar investment by their Asian business partners. Why would she say no? It was a fortune.
Her only problem is, she had to brief their Asian investors to hide her identity if ever they saw her in P Country and heard some gossip about her relationship with Vincent Shen.
Not only that, Hilda Lopez Shen is a powerful woman in P Country and meets influential personnel in the neighboring nation.
Shen and Lopezes are known in many countries. The possibility that their new business partners already meet Hilda Shen in person.
And so, she needs to outsmart Vince's mom not to find out she owned DV Incorporated!
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