"Spill it, mom. I need all the help I can get." Claire did not have the time for her mother's theatrics. Her mother cleared her throat and then drank some water."I was thirsty, excuse me. I think it is time you went on a vacation.""A vacation?" She asked her mother. She was not expecting her mother to come up with this. How was a vacation supposed to fix the gap between her and Bruce."Yes, a vacation. You could go to a faraway country, sign up for couple's activities you two could do together and just enjoy a different country together. He would have no where to go if he is in a strange country.* Her mother smiled mischievously like she had just come up with a master plan. Claire looked at her mother for a while."What if he refuses to agree to this plan of yours? What then?" Claire was not convinced about her mother's plan. There were many loopholes in the plan. Each hole had a lot of what-ifs. She needed a sure solution. This was the best time to consult her friend's psychic, Cry
"Bruce, that was rude… I know you have little regard for me but at least show some respect for my mother at least." Claire frowned at him."You signed a contract with my daughter, remember?" Claire's mother said and Bruce began to laugh. "What is funny?" She asked, her rage was increasing by the minute. She could barely hold her temper when he began to behave like this."You want to know what is so funny? Well I will tell you what." He paused and stared at her mother who was still watching the ram unfold. He remembered that she knew nothing about their arrangement. But if she knew nothing about their arrangement, then how did she know about the contract. "Hold on. Hold on. How do you know about the contract?" Bruce pointed his index finger at her mother. Her mother opened her mouth to speak but no words came out."Ohh, you knew all this while and i was trying to act like I did not really loathe your daughter. Did you enjoy the show?" Bruce smirked."Oh please, shut up. You could not
"Hi, how can I help you?" The middle aged man stared at Claire as though she had just fallen from the sky. Claire's mouth felt as though it had lost its function to speak. "Uhm, hi. My name is Claire and I recently got married to your boss, Bruce." She ended the sentence with a tone of question. He was meant to recognize her as Bruce's bride. Did he not inform the entire staff about her or was the cellar outside the jurisdiction."You know Bruce, don't you?" She asked again, to be clear. He smiled a shy smile and stood to his feet."Of course, he is a good boss to me. What would the young master need?" He asked her like he did not look ready to burn through her body with his eyes. She wondered if he was mentally stable."The young master needs your best bottle of wine. It is that kind of night, do you get me?" She smiled at the man as though he knew what kind of night it was. He gave her a small smile in return and went into hidden corner in the cellar. She was left there wondering wh
Bruce sat with Claire and took the bottle of wine from her hand. He took a long swig and gave the bottle back to Claire. Claire whistled and drank from the bottle too."That did not seem so bad, did it?" Claire asked him but he did not reply her. He sank into the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long while. Claire wondered what was going through his mind. She knew if she wanted him to open up to her, then she had to say something."This Beijing trip is one of the best things to happen to me and my mother. You might not know this but she has had this fantasy of wanting to travel out for a long time. When I saw her in the hospital with all the wires connected to her system, she could barely open her eyes, I wondered how I could make her better. I prayed and wished she would get better, so that I could give her the life she had prayed everyday for. I know, you have reasons not to trust me but to be very honest, I am grateful for all of this. Even if my mother will not show it, she is t
Hugh Steele stared at the information the man before him had brought to him. He had hired a spy to follow up with Bruce's activities and he had discovered that Bruce had moved on. Bruce had taken another bride not too long after jilting his daughter. He could not take that manner of insult. He had wanted to know how he was faring at first… but hearing he had married his employee on a whim angered him and he wanted to avenge his daughter."Where are they now?" Steele asked the man who had refused to take off his black hat. It was hard to get someone able to spy on Bruce Ace so Hugh did not care about how the man wanted to appear before him as long as he did his work right. The man stroked his jaw and took the seat he was offered when he first came in."They paid for three buisness class tickets to Beijing. They leave in two days." Steele nodded. He dropped the rest of the files on the table and was about to leave Hugh Steele's office. "Well, that is good information. Do you know anyon
119"Do you always curse for no reason?" Bruce asked Claire. She sucked her teeth."Do you call people living in your house on the phone? What do you need me to do, sir? Pick up your car keys from the table right next to where you are sitted?" Claire asked with rich sarcasm."Your sense of imagination is excellent, to be honest. Come to the reading room and get your tickets." He said this and realized that he was anticipating the look on her face when he handed her the tickets."OMG. I am on my way." Claire sounded excited. She hurried out of he room and stood at the hall for a while when she realized that she had no idea where the reading room was."Hey hey." She called out to the maids around but they scurried away from her once she called. She began to think. Was this one of Bruce's plots? Frustrate her for the tickets. He was good at frustrating her she had to give it to him.If no one would show her where the reading room was, then she would find it out herself. She went through
"Maria, right?" He said as he stood up from his seat, offering a hand to her. She took it and although her hand was small, her grip was firm. She was a tough one, even if she appeared small."Yes. Maria." She stared at him as though she was trying to assess him too."It is a good thing you came now. I am going to leave for a trip tomorrow. Please, sit." He gestured at the chair opposite his. She took the seat and breathed deeply."You are acting nervous." He blurted. He almost wanted slap his face with his palm. She looked genuinely confused now."I mean you do not seem nervous but you seem like you should be nervous. You really do not have to be." He tried to assure her. She smiled and then she became really nervous. She scratched at her palms repeatedly and Bruce sighed. She had been told that Bruce was extremely wealthy but she had no idea he was intelligent. It had surprised when he caught her in her act. She was supposed to be the extremely nervous, timid girl but that was not h
Maria fixed her gaze to the floor. Now, he wanted to know what she needed saving from. She recollected herself and took a deep breath."Uhm, I did not mean to say that." She said. Bruce knew the truth when it was slightly revealed."What then did you mean about saving, Maria?" He asked the girl standing before him. Her eyes darted over the patterns on the floor. She was beginning to formulate a lie. Bruce could see it. He believed that the best told lies had half truths within it. He just needed to find out what were lies and truths. "I did not mean anything by it. My brother had accused me of going wayward ever since they found me at Tiny's smoking a joint. He wanted to straighten me out, save me from myself." Maria said this and lifted her gaze to meet Bruce's. She wanted him to see the faux confidence in her eyes. Half truths well worn with confidence could pass for whole truths.She had not lied about her brother finding her at Tiny's. But, it was not a surprise to him that she