6

"It's not good," Belle, sitting on the bed beside me, shook her head as she stared at her phone, a pen between her left fingers, and a paper in front of us with our cafe's revenue calculations. In front of us was a laptop lit up, showing our website, which was empty of visitors.

I sighed, my head throbbing as I leaned against the headboard. "Yeah, I think we're going bankrupt."

My sister disagreed. "Don't be such a pessimist." She said. "We have some things to fix and add." She tilted her head, thinking hard. "We can look for trending coffee flavors and modify them."

' Joy, 'The café we built together was still busy, but not like the last or two week after another trend-setting café opened up a few blocks from our kafe. Plus, they seem to have come up with some interesting menus because it's only been two weeks since they've almost won over my loyal customers.

I don't blame them. Maybe it's just because we're not up to date with current coffee trends. This wasn't a one-off, and normally, two or three days wouldn't bother me, but it had been almost three weeks, and revenue had dropped drastically because of the new cafe. This makes a clear statement that the cafe is so outstanding that it puts us behind.

"But before that we have to do experiments, promotions and more." I sighed. "I'm sure Jane and Elle are more than capable of doing it but we're already running out of funds for the new menu experiment from a few months ago. Plus, we can't buy time to do it because their payday is in five days, and now I have to dip into my own savings to make up the shortfall."

Belle glared. "Shit... that bad?"

I nodded weakly. "Jesse Field's little bit left a big effect."

I grimaced. He was a friend of Owen's, and the guy was interested in being one of the people who funded my cafe when Owen offered. He'd been my business partner for a year, and we'd both been fair with the split.

However, Jesse suddenly stopped doing so six months ago, so I was the one who had to scramble to fund everything with the money I'd saved and invested since I was nineteen. At first, things were going well, and I thought I could handle it alone without any financial help from anyone else. I only had the financial advisors of Belle, who had just graduated from Accounting, and Owen, an expert in any business field.

That's it, and I realize now that I set up this cafe recklessly.

Before I built everything, I refused help from my parents because I was already confident in my abilities. Satisfied that I could do it and make it. Yes, I could, but that was just the beginning. I had yet to prepare myself for more complicated and bizarre problems.

"Plus we have to pay the installments to the bank." I sighed, regretting listening to Jesse take out a business loan from the bank. I never thought that there would be ups and downs; there would always be ups and downs and the need for an emergency fund. "I'm not sure I can live tomorrow." I stared at the ceiling, on the verge of tears.

"Don't say that," Belle snapped in a small tone. "We have to tell Dad."

I shook my head. "I don't think so," I replied. "I overheard Mom and Dad's conversation after dinner. They lost a big investor."

Her eyes widened, surprised.

And for a few moments, only a cruel horror-struck.

Belle let out a rough breath, her mouth still gaping in disbelief and her eyes blank. I knew she was shocked. So shocked and disbelieving. I was like that, too, and still am.

"For God's sake, why do problems attack us so relentlessly?" she sighed, her voice very weak and full of sadness.

I shook my head, swallowing roughly. "I don't know. It's..." I didn't know what it was. Some kind of fate? Or was there a business enemy who didn't like us? I don't know, but I don't want to assume the worst. "It's God's will."

"But this..." Belle paused.

I looked at her. "Don't let them know."

She nodded. "Of course, I won't talk about it." She said. "We have to find something. A way out. Won't Killian help?" she asked.

"He has a lot of expenses. His father has cancer." I replied.

"I'm so sad for him," Belle breathed and let it out quietly. "Maybe we can ask for another loan,"

I shook my head. "Digging a hole is very inefficient, Belle. You know that."

"But there's no other way..do I have to sell my shoes?"

"No. No." I shook my head hard. "This is my problem which you have nothing to do with."

"But I'm your financial advisor."

"Shocker."

"There's no other way but to sell it."

"I told you no."

"I did buy it with my own money, and Ace already said that he'll replace it when he grows up," she said jokingly. "Believe me, that's the only way out. Do you want granpa to know this?"

I shook my head. That last one really was the forbidden path. Grandpa had never seen me as his granddaughter after my divorce. He regarded me as a tool for his business transactions, and my divorce made the cooperation between our family and the Sanchez family void. That's why I refused to come until Regina's weeding. 

I couldn't help the emotion in my chest when my grandfather looked at me and Ace like we were parasites in his life. I also couldn't help myself if my grandfather let out an expletive when I unknowingly came to borrow money. It was a dangerous path that I certainly wouldn't take at any time. He could have taken it as an opportunity like he did back then. Getting me close to the President's son or some other rich person's son.

And selling Belle's expensive shoes? No, I won't. That's forbidden money. I can't take other people's money to cover my own problems. There were different ways, I was sure there were way out.. and, I don't know, maybe all I was doing was waiting for a miracle?

"I think I need alcohol or sleeping pills to make me pass out." I said.

"Me too,"

**

After tidying up Ace's room, I came out of the room and headed for the kitchen to prepare Ace's lunch. Belle had picked him up from pre-kindergarten, and now they were going for a walk and playing at the mall. Maybe they'll be back a little later, so I won't be bothered with Ace while I'm busy in the kitchen because he always did that.

"Hey, Dad."

My dad was sitting on a stool in the kitchen with a tablet in his hand showing the stock charts. He turned to me briefly and smiled softly. "Hey. You gonna make lunch for Ace?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but they still seem to be playing at the mall, so I can still take my time. Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure." He replied.

I started preparing his coffee while occasionally glancing at him, who seemed focused on his tablet. I wanted to ask about what I had heard yesterday after dinner, and there was no intention behind it. I'm just worried about him because what he's facing now is not easy.

I'm almost stressed out with my own problems that are smaller than what my father is facing. I was able to sleep peacefully last night because of the sleeping pills I took, but I can't imagine if my father could even sleep with pills and stop thinking about everything or not.

"Is there a problem at the office, Dad?" I asked as I placed the coffee on the table before him.

"Hm?" he put down his tablet, looking at me with a furrowed brow.

"That time Mommy told me that you came back early from Rome because of something at the office."

"Nothing. Just a normal problem. You don't have to worry." He replied with another smile and then took a sip of his coffee.

I raised my eyebrows. "Is it really like that? Because I know when you're lying."

He shook his head and pondered briefly as I prepared Ace's food. "One of our big investors pulled all his shares." He said. He looked at me with a haggard and haggard expression, something he rarely hid. Daddy was always open about everything, so we could all guess his expression when he lied or hid something. "Well, so I have to find a way. Seek the kindness of others to help fix our problems."

"Until when?" I asked softly. My heart sank when I saw his lost face.

"One month."

I glared. "That's very little time. If you can't find help, then the investors will leave, Dad. Your company will go bankrupt."

"True, but right now I'm trying to do everything I can."

I sighed, looking at him impatiently.

"Don't worry, I can take care of it." My father smiled reassuringly. "Don't think too much about all this."

I pondered, looking at him, who was refocusing on his tablet. "I can sell my cafe building to cover the losses." The words spontaneously came out of a momentary, wild thought.

He looked at me in surprise. "No, Bella. You can't sell it."

I didn't answer anything. The building was paid off, and the price was high. If I sold it, then it could cover the loss of my father's company, pay off some of my debts, and give my employees their final severance pay. That's easy. But the consequence was... I wouldn't have a cafe anymore.

"Stop that," Dad said firmly.

"But, Dad-"

"If you keep talking about it, I don't want to talk to you anymore." He cut me off. He shook his head. "I'll take care of it, sweetheart. I promise. Whatever it is, it won't starve us. I'm sure it won't take long. Trust me." My father looked at me with a look of complete confidence. Unwavering and so trusting.

But what if this was out of his hands? If it's worse than the usual problems that come along?

I chose to give in and nod at his words rather than having to argue anymore. It coincided with the cheerful singing of Belle and Ace, who had just walked into the kitchen.

"Hi, baby." I approached Ace, who ran up to me, I squatted down to kiss his cheek, and he immediately took small steps toward his grandfather. My dad sat him on his lap.

"So happy, huh?" my dad asked Ace.

"I'm very happy, Nonno," he said as he looked at my father.

"Oh yeah? What did you give my Ace to make him this happy?" Dad asked Belle.

"You didn't give him anything weird, did you?" I looked at Belle suspiciously.

Belle drained her water and shook her head. "I didn't give him anything forbidden. We were just playing on the playground."

"I'm playing with Papa!" exclaimed Ace happily. His innocent smile and his words made me flinch.

"What?" I asked, surprised. The blood receding from my face, I looked at Belle pale.

"Belle?" my father looked at Belle, full of question marks.

"No big deal. There was a man about Dad's age-he was alone and looked sad staring at the children's playground. Ace approached him when he accidentally threw a ball at the man's face, and Ace invited him to play together. That man told me that he missed his children and his wife whom he had left behind because he cheated on her. Now, he's lost track of his family, and now he fell into the puddle of regret," Belle answered at length while eating the cookies in the jar. "He wanted to hear Ace call him Papa, so Ace did."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course. Why would I lie." Belle replied casually.

Ace nodded. "Papa will buy me lots of legos, Momma.." Ace said.

"You can't just let Ace hang out with strangers, Belle." Dad said quietly.

"He's a good guy, Dad. Chill." Belle replied.

"You can't know a person's character in one meeting, Belle." Dad added.

I looked at Ace, who was staring at us in confusion. "What did I say? Didn't you hear Momma about not getting close to people we don't know?" I asked Ace gently.

"But he's Papa, Momma!"

"He's not."

"Yes, Momma. Papa is also going to buy me a big car. Papa says he has a lot at home and he's going to give me five," Ace held up his five fingers.

"Why don't you ask for a plane, kiddo?" my father chided.

"Papa's afraid of planes."

My blood flow seemed to stop, but I neutralized it quickly. Of course, there was no way. Of all the people in Massachusets... there's no way it's him. It was just a stupid coincidence.

I looked at Belle, who was chuckling softly and relaxed. If she had met that man, she would have said something to me because Belle loves me so much that she defended me from him when our divorce happened.

"But I'm going to ask him to buy me a shoe company so that I can pay off the debt to Auntie," Ace said, which provoked laughter from all of us.

I just shook my head. He must be rambling, I snorted. "Yes, yes, yes, your papa must be very rich. Well, now you should eat lunch, and take a nap."

***