The photo shoot at Jack's house ended peacefully without any disputes due to Jack's desire to have the photographer's cameras. Even though the photographer had to let his memory be taken, they were still grateful that Jack didn't confiscate their precious equipments.
Jack himself seemed very happy because the photos of Anne's maternity wearing an ancient Greek goddess costume had been secured. With this, no other men would be able to see Anne's body.
While standing looking at the group of photographers, fashion stylists, and make-up artists who had just helped them leave, suddenly the phone in Jack's pocket vibrated.
Aaron Sean Connery:
'Come to Korea soon, we need you here, Dear Mr. Clarke.'
The message from Aaron had just been read by Jack. One eyebrow raised as he read the message.
Jackson Knight Clarke:
'I can't go anywhere, Anne is about to give birth. I can't leave her alone.'
One minute after Jack sent the reply message to Aaron, suddenly his cell phone rang. Aaron immediately called him.
"What's going on? Why can't you read the message I sent!" Jack snapped angrily when he received an incoming call from Aaron.
"Tsk! You are really annoying. I'm serious. We need the CEO of Muller Finance International who is funding this luxury hotel development project, Jack. Some investors who are starting to get interested want to meet you in person," said Aaron seriously.
Jack was silent and looked at Anne, who was talking to Luis.
"Jack, are you still there?"
"Yes, I am."
"So what do you want to do? When can you come?" Aaron asked again seriously.
"But Anne..."
"So when will Anne give birth?"
"There's still a few weeks to go," Jack replied casually without guilt.
"Jesus! Are you kidding me, Jack?! I thought Anne is going to give birth in two or three days, you're really amazing, Jack. I'm speechless right now," Aaron shouted in annoyance. Aaron thought the reason Jack refused coming to Korea was because Anne would give birth in the near future. Jack had really pissed him off at this point. "Listen to me, Jackson Knight Clarke. Right now all Asian eyes are on our project. This luxury hotel and residence project on this artificial island, there are millions of pairs of eyes staring right at us right now and you want to squander this opportunity? Are you serious?"
Jack was silent. He then walked away from where Anne and the others were.
"Nowadays, almost all mass media in Korea look up to Connery Corporation and Muller Finance International as two extraordinary companies that made this impossible project. If you don't show up at a time like this you will waste a golden opportunity, Jack. I know you are already rich , but come on, this is Muller Finance International, a company that your father build that he passed down to you, a company that you developed without the frills of the Clarke family. If you had succeeded in making Muller Finance International's name more famous, then I'm sure people would admire you more, and the more they will praise you and flatter you. They will surely be more and more respectful of Jackson Knight Clarke, who was able to turn the company left by his father into a bigger company without the Clarke name frills. Think about it, Jack," added Aaron seriously.
Jack was silent again because of Aaron's words, and this time he was silent for a long time, because what Aaron said was true. What he was betting on in Korea at this time was Muller Finance International, not Clarke Enterprise. Even though the two giant companies were his now, but still, Muller Finance International was a direct inheritance from his father who died under the name Calvin Muller.
"Jack..."
"I'll think about it again, I'll contact you as soon as possible," said Jack quickly interrupting Aaron's words.
"Okay, I'll be waiting to hear from you. Give Christian a kiss."
Jack smiled. "I'll give Christian your regards after this."
Aaron chuckled then hung up on Jack. Jack himself did not immediately rejoin his family. He was still standing where he was currently, and looked at Anne from a distance. Indeed, Anne was still due in a few weeks, but it was Jack who had vowed to always be by her side when she was pregnant with their second child at this time. Therefore, at this time Jack was in a dilemma. On the other hand, he had a great opportunity to make the name of Muller Finance International today as Aaron said. It was really a tough choice for Jack.
Anne was aware of Jack's anxiety as he stood alone. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Jack was upset. Although other people were not aware of Jack's condition, as a wife, Anne could feel what was happening to Jack right now. Anne slowly walked over to Jack who was sitting on the edge of the garden.
"Who called you?" Anne asked Jack quietly.
Anne's soft voice managed to make Jack wake up from his daydream. Luckily, Jack could still faintly hear what Anne had said earlier.
"Aaron called me," Jack answered quickly.
Anne smiled. She knew that when Aaron contacted Jack, it must have something to do with their big project. "Is there a problem in Korea?"
"No, everything is fine."
Anne returned a smile. Somehow, she became so good at detecting Jack's lies. "I've known you not only for a year or two, Jack. We did spend a lot of time when we were colleagues at Newcastle upon Tyne, do you think after all this time you could still lie to me?"
Jack's voice was caught in his throat, as he was ready to tell her another lie, but then immediately became speechless upon hearing Anne's words. Jack finally realized, he could not lie to Anne, the woman, his forever love.
Slowly, Jack took Anne's hand and brought it to his left chest where his heart was. "Aaron asked me to come to Korea. Right now, everyone in Asia is focused on our project. That's why my presence in Korea at this time is very important. Everyone wants to meet the CEO of Muller Finance International, the funding company that financed this big project. They want to meet me, Anne."
Anne's eyes lit up. "Well then go, the sooner you get there, the better, right?"
Jack looked closely at Anne's beautiful eyes. The beauty of the spectrum of those eyes made Jack want to go in and swim in them. "But I don't want to leave you, especially with you being so pregnant. I don't want to lose a precious moment like when you gave birth to Christian, Anne. I don't want to."
"But Jack, Aaron needs your presence right now. I'll be fine, I'm not alone anyway. There's Luis and the others beside me, even if I'm about to give birth, I can contact you directly. And by then you can immediately fly back with the private jet, but that's impossible because my due date is still a few weeks away, Jack. So you don't have to worry," said Anne quietly with a smile, trying to convince Jack to go to Korea.
Jack was silent. he was angry and annoyed with Anne. Jack thought that Anne would keep him in Geneva, but Jack's guess was wrong. His wife actually supported him to go.
"Okay, I'll go. But on one condition."
Anne narrowed her eyes. "Condition, what condition?"
"Give me a dozen children, so if I wasn't by your side this time when you gave birth to the princess, I would still have that moment when the other princesses were born."
"What?!"
To be continued
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