Demetrius called General Archedeus to fetch him at the hotel. Archie was shocked to see the time in his watch. Won"t he finish the party? It"s still early for him to come home? did something happen? Nevertheless, Archie shrugs off his thoughts as he drives to the OmegZ hotel. He found the old man sitting lifelessly at one of the benches outside the hotel."Rio?" Archie approaches him. Demetrius didn"t even bat an eyelid. He was lost in his own thoughts.
"Hey! Rio! What happened to you?" he tried to shook him. it is his very first time to see him helplessly.
"Archie, I saw her. It"s definitely her. She"s alive." He uttered brokenly. It was so soft that Archie needs to bend down to hear him.
"Who? Who did you see?" now he"s curious too.
"Cherry, Cherry Ann Lee. She"s alive."
"Rio, have you been drinking? What are you saying? She"s been dead for 15 years now!" He"s trying to get to him.
"No! I saw her. I can"t be wrong. And he is with that man!"
"Rio! Stop that!" Archie prevented him from speaking anymore. "Come on, let me get you home. you need to rest." Archie help him stood up as they went inside the car. If their men sees him like that they will probably mock him for being weak. He is known to be notorious. He should live with it or else they"ll take him for granted.
Rio never spoke any single word during the drive. He"s been looking outside the car bleakly. Archie traces his jawline at the looks of his friend. He never saw him like this except when that woman- whom he claims to be alive, died in a car accident. But he won"t be acting like if it"s not because of that woman! if it is true that the woman is alive, then Archie needs to know the truth.
Back at the Hotel, Ethan started to introduce Stacy among his business partners. He was surprise to know that these people knew her. Ethan never introduced her in public since she doesn"t want to be known. Furthermore, she was not a fan of any social gatherings.
"How did you know these people?" Ethan curiously asks.
"Uhm, I just met them once, I met some at the company." She tried to act normal.
"Hmm, I never knew you"d become socially active." He teased her.
"People changes." She grinned.
"No, people hardly change. Perhaps the whole person may be." It was his turn to smirk.
"Is he implying anything?" she thought instantly but she gave a fake smile.
"Hey it"s almost late, don"t you think it"s time to go home?" Aisha redirected their topic.
"Ah your right. I"ll just get the car."
"Okay. I"ll just get Lisa."
Aisha went to the table where she left the three earlier but the table was empty. Where could they be? She tried to look for Sophie but she found her talking sweetly at someone near the window. Well, she"s not with Lisa nor Caleb. She searches everywhere but to no avail so she dialed out Lisa"s number. It"s dead. She dialed Caleb"s number.
"Hey! Are you with Lisa?" Aisha asks.
"No, he"s with some other guy." His tone is a bit off.
"Caleb are you drunk?"
"No."
"Where are you?"
"Outside."
"Wait. I"m coming!"
Aisha went out to see Caleb. she found him lighting a cigarrete. He exhaled an amount of smoke.
"Caleb, what are you doing in here? And Are you drunk?" she smells him.
"Am I not allowed?" he said. Aisha look at him intently. The last time she saw Caleb got drunk was when he lost his mother.
"Have you seen Lisa?" she asks.
"I don"t know where she is. She might be busy flirting with his friend."
"Kian?"
"Ehm."
"How come he is here?"
"Why ask me? Why don"t you ask him instead?"
"Are you jealous?" Aisha grinned but Caleb scoffed.
"And why should I?" he said annoyingly.
"Because you love her!" Aisha chuckles, "Why don"t you just confess to her, you little brat!" she"s enjoying taunting him. after a while, Lisa came out.
"Hey! You"re here. I"ve been looking for you everywhere." Lisa told the two.
"Are you sure you"ve been looking or you were just busy flirting?" Caleb"s pitch hints an irritation.
"Excuse me? Are you talking to me? I was just talking to my friend! Weren"t you the one who"s busy flirting with those old women inside!" Lisa unconsciously yelled at him.
"Hey woman! that"s not flirting. It"s just a pure business talk! Unlike you who enjoys touching that ng guy!"
"I never touch him!"
"Yes you did! And you even allowed him to caress your body!"
"Weren"t you the one doing that? I saw you flirting with those old women out there!"
"So are you saying that you"ve been watching me all the time?" Caleb suddenly smirked.
"Yes! I-I mean NO!" Lisa blushed tremendously.
Aisha chuckles. She"s been listening to their argument the whole time. She didn"t intervene since she herself was enjoying.
"Haist. They"re too obvious!" Sophie taps Aisha"s shoulder. They didn"t notice her since they were yelling at each other. "I think I"ll go ahead. Let"s just leave them alone. Maybe they could sort these out themselves."
"Yeah, we should." Aisha giggled. After some seconds, she heard her phone rings.
"Ethan! Oh right. I"m coming!" she answered the call.
"Caleb, Lisa, we"ll go ahead. Caleb please make sure to drop her by." She caught their attention.
"I"ll rather go with you than be with this inhuman guy!" Lisa yelled.
"Why don"t you just go with your boyfriend?"
"He is not my BOYFRIEND!"
"Oh really?" Caleb was mocking her.
Then they started arguing again. Aisha and Sophie had it all. They can"t handle them anymore so they left them as it is.
"Would you like to ride with us instead?" Aisha offered Sophie when they spotted Ethan.
"No, I"m okay. I already ask someone to fetch me." She smiled casually.
"Okay. I"ll see you later then." They hug each other before they separated.
Aisha left her side as she strides to where Ethan parked the car.
"Is she not coming?" Ethan asks.
"She"s okay." she smiles.
"How about Lisa?"
"She"s with Caleb. He"ll drive her home."
Ethan started the engine when Aisha got in. Unknown to them, someone was watching them from a far until the car set off. When he can"t see them anymore, he stared at the lady standing alone. He took a picture of her.
"Hmmm, looks like we have some additional fish to fry then." He whispered to himself.
*** Demetrius got off the car silently. He never said a word during the drive. It"s good to have a friend like Archedeus who understood him. he went directly to his room. he took a gla.s.s then pour an amount of red wine as he walks towards the veranda. he was looking at the sky. Why can"t he see any stars above? Seems like they are joining him in his pain.
"Cherry Ann Lee." His first love who left him for some other guy. They were supposed to get married when he returns from his mission in Lebanon. But he received a letter from her that she married another guy. after three years in his mission, Archedeus came back to Oregon only to find out that Cherry Ann already have a family of her own. Since that time, he never bothered to see her again. But fifteen years ago, he heard about the death of the woman he loved. The husband was also killed during that car accident. Rio actually tried to search for the woman"s child but to no avail.
"Where could the child possibly be?" He mumbled. "What could be the child"s life now? Does the child knew that her mother is alive?" Rio thought. Will he try to find the child again? But Rio doesn"t know the child"s name. How could he start looking?