Back in Azima…
Once again, a week had gone by, and finally, the majority of Jack's objectives had been completed. There were only remaining a few procedures that needed to be completed before he finally managed to completely control the five industries.
Additionally, the three horses that were at the Majestic and Swift Horse Racing Tracks had been brought over to Jack's Villa. Jack was completely helpless about the matter. But not the less, he did not object anything.
At the end of the day, even the horses that possessed intelligence of 8-year-old children would definitely get bored by spending all that time without anybody to play with.
But, ever since they had been brought over to the serenity residential area where Jack's villa was located, they had been excited. Not only had they been reunited with shadow and Bella, but also, from time to time, Celine would take them out to play.
Back at the Majestic and Swift Horse Racing Tracks, since they did not allow anybody to touch them, there was nobody who was riding on them, going out for several trips.
But now, with Celine, she would always take them out, and of course, she would always force Jack to accompany her. Anyway, Jack did not resist that as well considering that currently, during this week, he did not have that much work.
More than that, Jack had actually left the arrangements for Denali's birthday party to Celine. She had claimed that she was the best when it came to doing something like that, so, Jack did not refuse.
In fact, he felt somehow relieved, considering that, if he was supposed to make the arrangements personally, then, he would have simply ordered the entire hotel to prepare for the banquet.
But of course, just like before, during Celine's birthday, Jack went ahead and helped with the preparation of the delicacies. Since he was currently the best chef there was, then, he was supposed to prepare the meals.
Outside, it had already become dark, as night began descending. The cold Autumn winds blew, and for that reason, the people that were walking on the streets were all putting on slightly heavy clothes.
Outside the Glaze hotel, the hotel was as busy as always, considering that currently, it was the only hotel present in the entire country. Of course, there were several restaurants present, but, people always preferred coming to the Glaze Hotel.
It was not only in terms of the recipes that the Glaze hotel possessed exclusively, but also due to the fact that, the prices of the services and goods that they sold was actually way cheaper than the other restaurants.
Of course, by doing this, the Glaze hotel had forced some restaurants to close down. Nonetheless, that did not prevent the hotel's business from going on.
Currently, there was a small group of people that was present inside one of the private rooms present in the Glaze hotel. The lights were dim, and the discussions were also being held in low voices.
The room was quite big, and, amongst the crowd, Celine and Jack were together, talking to each other. Even though it was through that there was not much of a crowd present in here, but still, it was quite lively.
Knock! Knock!
The door of the private room was knocked twice, and after a while, it was opened and a silhouette of a person walked in.
Denali who had just walked in was surprised when she noticed that, inside here, it was quite dark. Additionally, she could hear the sound of low breathing, as if someone was holding their breaths making her wonder what was the reason this room was quite strange.
Previously, she had been busy with something else, when suddenly, she was invited over by Celine. She claimed that, there was something that they needed to discuss about.
But surprisingly, when she came over, this was the thing that she met. She looked around, trying to wonder who it was that was present inside here, because with her current senses, she could obviously detect that there was more than one person here.
At the same time, she became alert. If this was supposed to be an ambush, then, she was prepared to take action at any moment.
Taa!
Suddenly, the lights in the room lit up. As for how that happened, Denali had no idea because she did not notice anyone going closer to the light switch.
The moment that the darkness in the room was dispelled, Denali was surprised by what she saw.
Right in front of her eyes, covering the entire wall that she was looking directly at, there were words that were hanging there. <Happy 23rd birthday Denali!>
Denali had completely forgotten about her birthday. Even though she was reminded during the two birthdays that were being held, one for Jack and another for Celine, she had never ever thought about holding a birthday banquet.
She had been living in the shadow organization for many years. Even though she was allowed to meet with her family, it was a rare moment, only happening once in a while.
The last birthday that she could remember that she celebrated was when she was 8 years old. It was also during that time that she had been taken away by the Shadow organization.
And now, she was forced to remember those sweet memories that she had been sharing with her family. At that time, she was never as cold as she currently was. At that time, she was just a little girl, always cheerful and active.
But ever since she had been taken to the shadow organization, everything changed. She could no longer behave like a little girl, otherwise, she would be greatly punished. Moreover, at that time, there were no other children that she could play with.
Even though it was true that during her childhood, before she managed to become an adult, she was only trained in terms of knowledge, but still, the cold environment that was present in the shadow organization had already taken away her cheerfulness.
But, all of this changed the moment that she came into contact with her family. And, by the time that she came to work for Jack, and came to know Celine, the two of them had been getting a long well, and now, Denali had slowly started going back to her cheerful self of the past.
"Happy birthday to youuu~ Happy birthday to youuu~ Happy birthday, Happy birthday~ Happy birthday to youu~"
Just as Denali was lost in her memories, a birthday tune started playing, while at the same time, the small crowd that was within the private room began singing the birthday song alongside the melody.
With this, Denali was forced to remember of what had happened during her younger years. Unknowingly, she began shedding tears without even noticing it, for the first time ever since she turned 15.
She was not shedding the tears due to pain or sadness, but due to the excitement. At the same time, she felt relieved in her heart. She felt that, she no longer had to play the cold attitude anymore.
She was reminded that she had already gotten away from the shadow organization, and, she could go back to living the way that she previously used to. Even though she had become stronger, but, that was for the best.
Unlike in the shadow organization where she did not have any friend, here, her friends were right in front of her. They were no different from her family.
Smiling, Denali looked at the people in front of her. Without even her knowing it, her parents had been brought over together with her sibling, there was Jack, Celine, Wendy, Jonathan, Angy, Tracy, and finally Ayush.
The only reason as to why Tracy and Ayush were actually here was simply because, due to the previous interactions with them, Denali had gotten familiar with them, and in fact, she shared a good relationship with them.
"Come on birthday girl! Don't just stand there. Come over and blow the candles, make your wish, and cut the cake to commemorate your 23rd birthday." Celine shouted enthusiastically as she went over and placed her hand around Denali's neck, then, she escorted her towards the center of the room.
Denali's eyes widened with awe and excitement as she looked at the room prepared for her birthday celebration. The room was a wonderland of her favorite colors and themes, perfectly tailored to reflect her unique personality and interests.
Even though it mainly reflected at the personality that she had been presenting during the time that she was cold, but at least, she could see that the one that had prepared this room had actually added several themes that matched her personality during the time that she was together with her friends.
The walls were adorned with banners and posters featuring pictures and memories of her past birthdays, creating a delightful trip down memory lane. Although it was true that some of the photos were missing, but still, they played a good role in making sure that Denali was finally relieved.
She could guess that the source of the photos was from her parents that were present here. Her relationship with her parents and younger brother had never diminished, even though she was always away from them.
In fact, the relationship had improved drastically ever since she finally began working for Jack. Jack had initially insisted that she had to do everything to make sure that she took good care of her family.
With the large sums of money that she could use from Jack, she was able to build a good house for her family, purchase a car for them, and even sent her brother to a good school.
Looking at each decoration, they held sentimental value, evoking feelings of nostalgia and joy as she gazed upon them.
To her delight, the room was filled with an abundance of her favorite flowers, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. Lush floral arrangements were strategically placed around the space, showcasing vibrant blooms in Denali's beloved hues.
As Denali looked around, she noticed a personalized table set up just for her. A stunning centerpiece made of her favorite flowers took the spotlight, surrounded by carefully chosen trinkets and mementos that reflected her hobbies and passions.
Even though she was not engaging much into her hobbies due to the huge workload that she was dealing with, but still, being reminded of what she had been initially liking to do, prompted her to want to do it again after a long while.
Each detail had been thoughtfully selected to make her feel special and loved.
Nearby, a delectable dessert table caught Denali's eye. It was overflowing with an array of sweets, both homemade, all meticulously chosen to suit her taste preferences.
Even though it was a private room, somehow, Denali was surprised to find out that Jack had managed to prepare a dance floor. The dance floor was adorned with shimmering lights and a mirror ball, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Denali's eyes were drawn to a corner of the room where a photo booth awaited. It was filled with props and costumes perfectly chosen to reflect her personality and interests. From silly hats and masks to thematic backdrops, the photo booth invited everyone to capture fun and memorable moments together.
"What are you waiting for? Come over, we need to unveil the cake that has been personally made by our head chef, Jackson!" When Celine realized that Denali had been much focused on her surroundings, she tagged on her hand, and pull her towards one of the corners.
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