"What?!" Ramon's frown deepened when he heard what Hailee just said in a light tone of voice.
Didn't he already say so clearly that Hailee shouldn't see Ian again? Then why was now Hailee actually challenging him by bringing Ian to this city? And… what did she just say? Picking her up after she was done hanging out with that 'best friend' of hers?
"I promised to meet Ian at the cafe near your office," Hailee innocently repeated her words from earlier. "When you leave home from work, can you pick me up first?" She asked.
At this point, Hailee was completely unaware of her husband's change in mood and was still acting as usual. As if nothing had happened.
"So, can you pick me up?" Hailee asked again when she noticed that Ramon didn't answer her question even after a considerable amount of pause. "The cafe is not too far from where you are."
"Hailee." Ramon's voice sounded firmer and now the twitch in his temples became even more noticeable.
"Yes?" Hailee answered in her sweet voice.
"Didn't I tell you not to see him again?" Ramon asked. His tone was very even, as if he didn't have any thoughts at the moment. Although the truth was quite the opposite.
"But, I didn't say that I agreed, did I?" Hailee replied. Her face was expressionless when she said that. So innocent, as if she didn't know what after- effect she was going to face if she continued her efforts to meet Ian. "Or if you can't pick me up, I can ask Ian to drive me home," Hailee suggested.
"What?" Ramon frowned again. This time he glanced at the screen of his cellphone, making sure that the line was fine.
"I can ask Ian to take me home." Hailee stared at her manicured fingernails with much enthusiasm, as if they needed more attention from her than her husband, who was on the verge of anger and resentment. "He will come on a motorbike," Hailee provided additional information.
If you were commuting by a car, it was certain that there would be some distance between the two, but it's entirely a different story if it was a motorcycle.
It was impossible for Hailee and Ian to sit apart when the two of them did ride Ian's motorcycle.
Once again, Ramon growled. The thought of that alone irritated him as he felt a strange feeling that left him all uncomfortable.
No. This was not jealousy.
Ramon denied any words that crossed his mind, where upon he wondered why he felt this way. And 'jealous' was not the right word. At least, that was what the Tordoffs' heir's concluded with his logic.
He would not admit this uncomfortable feeling as jealousy.
"Which cafe?" Finally, Ramon asked Hailee in the same tone of voice.
For a moment, Hailee was surprised that Ramon didn't prolong this matter anymore. Maybe after getting married, this man became a little more tolerant...
That's what Hailee thought as she gave the name and address of the cafe she and Ian would meet later. Hailee also didn't forget to thank Ramon in a very docile manner, as if this was something very precious to her because Ramon was already willing to pick her up.
However, Ramon didn't like Hailee's annoying tone, of course, therefore, without a word, Ramon immediately hung up the line, before Hailee could even finish her exaggerated praises once again.
"… You really are the most handsome husband…" Hailee didn't have a chance to convey her thoughts as a dial tone was heard from the other end of the line, indicating that Ramon had hung up on her.
Meanwhile, when she realized that Ramon had hung up on her, Hailee burst out laughing.
She shook her head and fell on top of her and Ramon's bed, which was very soft.
Hailee continued to imagine the expressions on Ramon's face when she said this and started laughing again. She should have made a video call, so that Ramon's precious reaction could be seen by her.
However, even with just the way his voice sounded, Hailee could imagine how the man would look when he heard her suggestion and this made her unable to stop laughing for a really long moment.
This teasing was pleasant enough to make Ramon a little upset, because this morning Giana had upset her and ruined her morning time.
Well, it wasn't Ramon's fault, but still ...
Sometimes women are difficult to understand, especially when a creature named an ex started to intrude their lives with their partners.
It could be that absurd ideas would cross their minds and Hailee executed the ideas in her head this way.
==============
Zia woke up next to the man she had been trying to avoid, but the truth was, she simply couldn't run away from him and what happened in the last few days had brought them both back to their original but starting point.
It's just that, this time Zia hoped things would get better. There was a bright spot, a clarity in their relationship.
Finally… after waiting for a long time, Zia and Aidan got the closure they needed and things would have been even better if Zia didn't know what had happened between Aidan and Aileen before this.
For some reason, this feeling was very disturbing and the fact that Aidan and Aileen had spent a night alone and had done the deed, made Zia feel uneasy.
At first, Zia thought she could forget about this, but it wasn't like that and the thought of how Aidan have made love to Aileen the same way they used to, made Zia's heart feel very heavy.
And this was what she was thinking when she woke up in the middle of the night after the umpteenth session with Aidan.
Even when that man was inside her, Zia felt annoyed that she wasn't fully in their intimate moment, because her mind was asking a myriad of questions that were hard to answer.
And here was Zia, pensive along with her worries and disturbing thoughts.
While next to her, Aidan was fast asleep as if he was a newborn baby with a smile on his lips.
Zia sighed heavily once again and she couldn't close her eyes for a long time, until the morning sun shone and illuminated the luxurious hotel room they were staying in.
And when a short message entered the inbox memory of her cell phone, Zia got up from her sleeping position and reached for her cell phone that was on the nightstand while seeing who had sent the message to her.
The message came from Hailee who invited her to meet this afternoon with Ian.
Yes, Zia knew Ian quite well because Ian was Hailee's close friend, but they haven't communicated in quite a while.
Ian in Zia's mind was a fighter in the arena, a place where people would bet on who would win the match, but also a pretty good and funny friend.
Maybe, it would be good for Zia to meet other people after she had spent the last few days with Aidan.
Meeting new people and being in a new setting might help her think more clearly and stop feeling restless in this way.
Therefore, after two minutes of considering this, Zia immediately sent a reply to Hailee and agreed to their meeting place, which was quite a distance from where Zia and Aidan were staying.
After that, she walked to the bathroom to clean herself from the remains and traces of the activities she and Aidan did last night.
It turned out that Zia desperately needed fresh air and when water fell on her tense body and washed her tired face, she felt much better now.
Her warm breath condensed on the glass and obscured her own reflection, so that she could not clearly see who she was.
Perhaps, indeed, what happened had made Zia forget what was even more important.
==============
"Sorry, did you wait a long time?" Ian greeted Zia as he got into the car, yawning wide without paying attention to the woman beside him. "Hailee suddenly called me to meet up." Once again, Ian yawned.
It seemed this man was sleep deprived and needed this precious time to catch up with his freshing up business.
Ian should have refused Hailee's invitation, but he agreed and here he was, sitting next to Zia, who was driving her little car to town A, where they would meet Hailee.
"Yes, she also called me all of sudden to meet up," Zia muttered as she turned her car onto the busy highway and began to focus on the road in front of her.
This morning she told Aidan that she was going to meet Hailee, but didn't say anything about Ian's arrival, because at that time Zia still hadn't thought about taking Ian with her.
The idea only came up as she drove passed the arena.
So instead of Ian having to ride his motorcycle in a sleepy mood, it didn't hurt for Zia to offer him a ride, right?
And the decision proved to be very correct, because as soon as Ian said his first sentence, his eyes immediately closed and his head sank into the back of the seat.
"You don't mind if I sleep, do you?" Ian asked, squinting to catch a glimpse of Zia, trying to fight the drowsiness he was trying to endure.
"Sure," Zia nodded, smiling slightly at Ian and returned to focus on the road. "Go to sleep, you look like a zombie."
Ian laughed when he heard that and began to find a comfortable position for him to sleep in. He lowered the back of his seat and folded his arms.
It didn't take long for Zia to finally hear a gentle snoring from the man next to her and it was this snoring sounds that accompanied Zia all the way to town A.
Well, Zia didn't mind and wasn't bothered at all.
==============
Hailee, escorted by her personal driver named Larry, a middle- aged man who always looked stiff, almost reached the cafe where she promised to meet Zia and Ian.
However, just as Larry stopped their car, Hailee saw a car that she was way too familiar with, even from afar.
Immediately, Hailee got down and approached the man who was casually leaning on his sports car.
"What are you doing here?" Hailee asked with a mixed expression of surprise and confusion after seeing Ramon there. Shouldn't he still be working at this hour? Then what was he doing here now?
Ramon raised his head, looked at his wife and with an innocent expression and in an innocent voice said, "To pick you up."
Ramon is crazy! Hailee didn't even met Ian and Zia yet!
"What?!" Ramon's frown deepened when he heard what Hailee just said in a light tone of voice.
Didn't he already say so clearly that Hailee shouldn't see Ian again? Then why was now Hailee actually challenging him by bringing Ian to this city? And… what did she just say? Picking her up after she was done hanging out with that 'best friend' of hers?
"I promised to meet Ian at the cafe near your office," Hailee innocently repeated her words from earlier. "When you leave home from work, can you pick me up first?" She asked.
At this point, Hailee was completely unaware of her husband's change in mood and was still acting as usual. As if nothing had happened.
"So, can you pick me up?" Hailee asked again when she noticed that Ramon didn't answer her question even after a considerable amount of pause. "The cafe is not too far from where you are."
"Hailee." Ramon's voice sounded firmer and now the twitch in his temples became even more noticeable.
"Yes?" Hailee answered in her sweet voice.
"Didn't I tell you not to see him again?" Ramon asked. His tone was very even, as if he didn't have any thoughts at the moment. Although the truth was quite the opposite.
"But, I didn't say that I agreed, did I?" Hailee replied. Her face was expressionless when she said that. So innocent, as if she didn't know what after- effect she was going to face if she continued her efforts to meet Ian. "Or if you can't pick me up, I can ask Ian to drive me home," Hailee suggested.
"What?" Ramon frowned again. This time he glanced at the screen of his cellphone, making sure that the line was fine.
"I can ask Ian to take me home." Hailee stared at her manicured fingernails with much enthusiasm, as if they needed more attention from her than her husband, who was on the verge of anger and resentment. "He will come on a motorbike," Hailee provided additional information.
If you were commuting by a car, it was certain that there would be some distance between the two, but it's entirely a different story if it was a motorcycle.
It was impossible for Hailee and Ian to sit apart when the two of them did ride Ian's motorcycle.
Once again, Ramon growled. The thought of that alone irritated him as he felt a strange feeling that left him all uncomfortable.
No. This was not jealousy.
Ramon denied any words that crossed his mind, where upon he wondered why he felt this way. And 'jealous' was not the right word. At least, that was what the Tordoffs' heir's concluded with his logic.
He would not admit this uncomfortable feeling as jealousy.
"Which cafe?" Finally, Ramon asked Hailee in the same tone of voice.
For a moment, Hailee was surprised that Ramon didn't prolong this matter anymore. Maybe after getting married, this man became a little more tolerant...
That's what Hailee thought as she gave the name and address of the cafe she and Ian would meet later. Hailee also didn't forget to thank Ramon in a very docile manner, as if this was something very precious to her because Ramon was already willing to pick her up.
However, Ramon didn't like Hailee's annoying tone, of course, therefore, without a word, Ramon immediately hung up the line, before Hailee could even finish her exaggerated praises once again.
"… You really are the most handsome husband…" Hailee didn't have a chance to convey her thoughts as a dial tone was heard from the other end of the line, indicating that Ramon had hung up on her.
Meanwhile, when she realized that Ramon had hung up on her, Hailee burst out laughing.
She shook her head and fell on top of her and Ramon's bed, which was very soft.
Hailee continued to imagine the expressions on Ramon's face when she said this and started laughing again. She should have made a video call, so that Ramon's precious reaction could be seen by her.
However, even with just the way his voice sounded, Hailee could imagine how the man would look when he heard her suggestion and this made her unable to stop laughing for a really long moment.
This teasing was pleasant enough to make Ramon a little upset, because this morning Giana had upset her and ruined her morning time.
Well, it wasn't Ramon's fault, but still ...
Sometimes women are difficult to understand, especially when a creature named an ex started to intrude their lives with their partners.
It could be that absurd ideas would cross their minds and Hailee executed the ideas in her head this way.
==============
Zia woke up next to the man she had been trying to avoid, but the truth was, she simply couldn't run away from him and what happened in the last few days had brought them both back to their original but starting point.
It's just that, this time Zia hoped things would get better. There was a bright spot, a clarity in their relationship.
Finally… after waiting for a long time, Zia and Aidan got the closure they needed and things would have been even better if Zia didn't know what had happened between Aidan and Aileen before this.
For some reason, this feeling was very disturbing and the fact that Aidan and Aileen had spent a night alone and had done the deed, made Zia feel uneasy.
At first, Zia thought she could forget about this, but it wasn't like that and the thought of how Aidan have made love to Aileen the same way they used to, made Zia's heart feel very heavy.
And this was what she was thinking when she woke up in the middle of the night after the umpteenth session with Aidan.
Even when that man was inside her, Zia felt annoyed that she wasn't fully in their intimate moment, because her mind was asking a myriad of questions that were hard to answer.
And here was Zia, pensive along with her worries and disturbing thoughts.
While next to her, Aidan was fast asleep as if he was a newborn baby with a smile on his lips.
Zia sighed heavily once again and she couldn't close her eyes for a long time, until the morning sun shone and illuminated the luxurious hotel room they were staying in.
And when a short message entered the inbox memory of her cell phone, Zia got up from her sleeping position and reached for her cell phone that was on the nightstand while seeing who had sent the message to her.
The message came from Hailee who invited her to meet this afternoon with Ian.
Yes, Zia knew Ian quite well because Ian was Hailee's close friend, but they haven't communicated in quite a while.
Ian in Zia's mind was a fighter in the arena, a place where people would bet on who would win the match, but also a pretty good and funny friend.
Maybe, it would be good for Zia to meet other people after she had spent the last few days with Aidan.
Meeting new people and being in a new setting might help her think more clearly and stop feeling restless in this way.
Therefore, after two minutes of considering this, Zia immediately sent a reply to Hailee and agreed to their meeting place, which was quite a distance from where Zia and Aidan were staying.
After that, she walked to the bathroom to clean herself from the remains and traces of the activities she and Aidan did last night.
It turned out that Zia desperately needed fresh air and when water fell on her tense body and washed her tired face, she felt much better now.
Her warm breath condensed on the glass and obscured her own reflection, so that she could not clearly see who she was.
Perhaps, indeed, what happened had made Zia forget what was even more important.
==============
"Sorry, did you wait a long time?" Ian greeted Zia as he got into the car, yawning wide without paying attention to the woman beside him. "Hailee suddenly called me to meet up." Once again, Ian yawned.
It seemed this man was sleep deprived and needed this precious time to catch up with his freshing up business.
Ian should have refused Hailee's invitation, but he agreed and here he was, sitting next to Zia, who was driving her little car to town A, where they would meet Hailee.
"Yes, she also called me all of sudden to meet up," Zia muttered as she turned her car onto the busy highway and began to focus on the road in front of her.
This morning she told Aidan that she was going to meet Hailee, but didn't say anything about Ian's arrival, because at that time Zia still hadn't thought about taking Ian with her.
The idea only came up as she drove passed the arena.
So instead of Ian having to ride his motorcycle in a sleepy mood, it didn't hurt for Zia to offer him a ride, right?
And the decision proved to be very correct, because as soon as Ian said his first sentence, his eyes immediately closed and his head sank into the back of the seat.
"You don't mind if I sleep, do you?" Ian asked, squinting to catch a glimpse of Zia, trying to fight the drowsiness he was trying to endure.
"Sure," Zia nodded, smiling slightly at Ian and returned to focus on the road. "Go to sleep, you look like a zombie."
Ian laughed when he heard that and began to find a comfortable position for him to sleep in. He lowered the back of his seat and folded his arms.
It didn't take long for Zia to finally hear a gentle snoring from the man next to her and it was this snoring sounds that accompanied Zia all the way to town A.
Well, Zia didn't mind and wasn't bothered at all.
==============
Hailee, escorted by her personal driver named Larry, a middle- aged man who always looked stiff, almost reached the cafe where she promised to meet Zia and Ian.
However, just as Larry stopped their car, Hailee saw a car that she was way too familiar with, even from afar.
Immediately, Hailee got down and approached the man who was casually leaning on his sports car.
"What are you doing here?" Hailee asked with a mixed expression of surprise and confusion after seeing Ramon there. Shouldn't he still be working at this hour? Then what was he doing here now?
Ramon raised his head, looked at his wife and with an innocent expression and in an innocent voice said, "To pick you up."
Ramon is crazy! Hailee didn't even met Ian and Zia yet!
