Ella's POV
The plane I have boarded soars high through the dark skies the following morning. It took a hard argument before Zed conceded to let me travel alone. I was supposed to give in, but those recent photos of Yen and him kissing made me stand firm with my decision. It hurts like hell.
Perhaps, Mr. D is right to think that I am melancholic. That I choose to be with the person who can never be entirely mine. I may have his body, but there is, and there will always be Yen in the deep recesses of his mind. If I am going to marry him, I will have to accept that part of him. She will always be the lurking shadow that haunts us forever.
Later, a gentle tap on my shoulder has my eyes flutter open. A warm smile from a beautiful stewardess greets me. I realize I have slept off my painful thoughts away.
"We're already here in Narita International Airport, ma'am. I hate to wake you up, but you might have an important appointment. Your phone has been ringing for already 15 minutes."
I glance at my watch, and my eyes pop wide. Mr. Banzon is picking me up, but I'm still here inside the plane. Unfastening my seatbelt in haste, I smile at the stewardess and thank her.
"My pleasure, ma'am. Please enjoy your stay in this beautiful place."
I hurry to claim my luggage, then dash out of the airport and into the waiting area. But, before I go past the exit door, I already see Mr. Banzon waving at me.
"Good morning, Miss Sahara. Was there a problem in checking out?" He looks worried, and I chuckle.
"Not at all. Was asleep."
His brows raise for a second, then a soft laugh rumbles in his chest. "Pregnancy issues."
"Been dealing with pregnancy?" I look at him sideways, wondering if he's married or has got his woman pregnant.
"My wife sleeps like a pig. She can sleep off an entire night and day."
I laugh. There's nothing sweeter indeed than curling in bed as much as I want. My body is too heavy, that if not for the fact that I have to attend online company meetings and cook for Zed, I'd rather stay in bed the whole time.
Mr. Banzon takes my small suitcase from me and leads me to his car. A sleek, black car that screams money. I feel my eyes shining as I take a brief pause and admire its beauty. I have never even bought one that has half the price of this mighty and gorgeous road monster.
Perhaps, Mr. Banzon is doing well in this profession because a regular employee can never afford to buy a luxurious car like this. My professional fee for hiring him can attest to it. It is ten times the wage of what an ordinary employee gets. Or maybe, he comes from a wealthy family.
He opens the door to the passenger's side first before he walks to the trunk to put in my luggage. Only when he finally sits behind the steering wheel and maneuvers his car out of the parking space does he turn and talk to me.
"I wonder what changed Mr. Mori's mind that he finally sent the lawyer to contact me."
"Maybe, this child inside me."
There's no other reason. Even if James hasn't truly loved me as he said, he can't just turn his back on his child. And no matter how notorious he may be, there's still a soft spot inside him. And that's what he has shown me.
"Perhaps, but Mr. Mori may have many children. I have looked into his record, and it says he's been hooked with a lot of women."
I look away. I don't know why that statement makes me feel down. It seems like I'm one of those women he makes fun of with his money.
"There's only one."
"The only one recognized by his family."
I scoff. Mr. Banzon could be right. "I guess so."
Mr. Banzon is pleasant to be with. He knows how to choose topics that pique my interest. The almost two-hour travel towards the hotel near the Fuchu Prison seems like a few minutes only. I almost forget that this trip is expected to gnaw on my emotion.
"Miss Sahara, I'll meet you at the hotel's restaurant in thirty minutes. The lawyer is also on her way to talk to you, first." Mr. Banzon peers at the façade of the hotel before he unfastens his seatbelt and steps out of the car.
I also climb down and stand at the side, waiting for him as he pulls my luggage out. I take my suitcase from him, then saunter toward the hotel entrance. A hotel attendant greets me and leads me to the reception area.
In just a few minutes, I am already in my hotel room. I take a quick shower and change into a pair of black leggings and a cotton blouse that I drape over with a black leather jacket. A quick peek at the mirror in front of me lets me decide to dab a light blush-on. Adding a peach lip tint to my now pinkish cheeks, I am now good to go. And it's precisely thirty minutes after when I finally head down the lift that takes me to the hotel's restaurant.
"You're still so pretty despite your growing bump," says the lawyer as soon as I get myself to the table where she and Mr. Bamzon are seated.
She rises to her feet and extends her hand to me. She's the same lawyer who helped me in facilitating my first visit to James.
"Pleasant to see you, Atty." I smile, my right hand reaching out to hers while my other hand crawls to my lower abdomen.
Mr. Banzon immediately pulls out a chair and holds it out for me. He waits for me to sit down comfortably before he settles down across from me.
"So, Miss Sahara, Mr. James Mori has finally agreed to see you. But the consequence of this meeting with him for the second time is that his family will most likely know about you and the baby. As you may have known, I have to state why you are seeing him. That is because only family members are allowed to see him."
Now, I understand James. He wanted me out of the clutches of his family. He wanted me to be free, but I insisted on becoming a part of him. But what prompts him to change his mind?
Shortly after lunch, I am already sitting at the long table where I will be talking to James. My heart starts to hammer against my chest, and I don't know anymore if I could still tell him about my engagement to Zed.