Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Click!
Asher turns off the alarm using his right hand. He sits up on the bed while rubbing his eyes, and after a few seconds, he removes the comforter from his laps before he goes to the bathroom.
After he washed his face, he went to do his morning exercise, sitting up and pushing up. While he was in his gym, exercising, his phone kept rang for quite long, and after a few minutes, the call was transferred to the voicemail log.
He focused on running on the treadmill when his father said through the phone, he already linked to the speaker mode whenever the call goes to the voicemail log.
"Hey, Ash, it's me, your dad. Tomorrow, we will be going to Imperial City. You should join us too. After all, it's uncle Lee's daughter's wedding day."
Upon hearing the news, he immediately stops running. He turns off the treadmill, takes his face towel, and wipe his sweats away from his neck while listening to the voicemail.
"Rachael can't join us tomorrow, and so I want you to come with us. We will be waiting at home; the flight will be at 3 pm. Don't be late! And, no more excuse, alright! I'll see you tomorrow, bye!" His father, Andy, said before he ended the call.
Asher went to the kitchen and took a mineral bottle from the fridge before unclasping the caps and drinking it in one gulp.
After finishing his morning exercise, he took a quick bath and get ready to go to his office after that.
*** .......
Walkthrough the King Corp tower lobby; all the workers greet him a good morning.
He's only turning 28 years old this year, and he now owned a shipping and airline business. He is one of the youngest billionaires in Arendell. Well, he is lucky to have a high reputation family as his father is one of the noble General. His mother is one of the great doctors in the world. At the same time, his grandfather is also a rich man back in Russia.
With his solid background, it'd be easier for him to own a huge company with a great business partner. Many investors want to join his company.
Once he enters his office, he sits at his leather chair and turns on the see-through screen on his desk before starting his work. He checks on the piles of files that he needs to verify and sign some of the documents before checks on the email he received and today's schedule.
He works until late at night before he finally returns home. When he was under the rain shower, he suddenly remembers the call from his father this morning. The word 'Lee's daughter' keeps coming to his mind. There's an unsettling feeling creep in his heart.
Brush off the thought from his mind, he finished up his bath and went to bed after that.
***.......
"Athena,"
A young girl turns to look at him. She didn't smile at all, and then she runs to the side of the shore, barefoot.
"Athena, wait! Come back here!" He runs to her and grabs her hand, making her stop and turn to look at him.
"Athena, listen... I want to tell you something. Something that I've been hiding from you. I..I.." he stammered a little, not knowing how to tell her his feeling.
"Go away, Asher! I hate you. Don't come near me again!" she yells and yanks her hand before running away from him.
"Athena! Wait!" he wants to chase after her, but he trips on the sand and bleeds his knee. And all he could remember is the pain, the pain that scarred his heart till today.
***.......
"Wait!" Asher wakes up from his dream and panting heavily. He runs his finger through his hair and shut his eyes back.
'What the heck! Why would I dream of her?' he cursed himself before he went to sleep again.
The next morning, he packs his clothes and suits into a suitcase before he went to his family's house.
He drives his limited-edition Audi car and arrives at his family house after 12 pm.
***.......
"Brother Ash!" Raisha, his little sister, ran to him and hugged him like she hasn't seen him for many years.
"Hey, pumpkin. How are you?" Asher caresses his little sister's hair.
Raisha nodded and tugged her hand to his arm. "Couldn't be better! Brother, did you brought me something from 'her'?" she whispers to him.
Lift up his eyebrow, he makes a questioning look at his little sister.
Raisha rolled her eyes after seeing Asher's reaction. "Well, you know…"
Asher curves his smiles. He then slips his hand into his pocket before taking out a hairband from his pocket and giving it to Raisha.
Her eye lit up a bit when seeing the cute hairband on his hand. She asks him again with an excited voice, "Is this 'hers'?"
Asher nods, and it makes Raisha jumped happily. "Aww! Thank you, brother Ash!"
"Hey, Ash... you finally here!" His father greets him and hugs him just after he went downstairs with his mother, Hazel.
Both of them still look younger than their actual ages. That makes Asher wonder why they both seem like they were not aging at all?
"Dad." he also returns the hug and smiles to his mother and father.
"Is there anything left, dear?" Andy turns to look at Hazel, and Hazel shakes her head. "What else? Everyone's here except for Rachie."
"If no, then let's go," Andy said as they go to the Limousine outside. His family had everything, from maid to the chauffeur. And it's all because of his father's hard work after he married his mother.
They got inside the limo and went to the private jet airstrip at his family plane hangar not far from the city.
***.......
Asher takes out his phone and dialed one number while the worker was still loading their luggage inside the compartment.
After his call picked up by that person, he smiles, "Hey, you, what are you doing?"
. . .
Somewhere in Imperial City.
Athena looked at her phone when it suddenly turns off. She smiles a bit before she picks it up. After hearing the voice from the end of the line, she replied while glancing at her wristwatch, "I'm doing what I usually do around this hour. What about you?"
. . .
"Hey, I need to go to Imperial City for a couple of days. When I return back, I promise I will treat you to a vacation at the coast. So I want you to do your best tonight. Got it?" Asher said again before his eyes met with his dad, standing not far from him.
His father signaling him to go onboard right now, and Asher replies to him with 'one minute, dad.'
"Uh- yeah. Hey, I need to go now... I'll call you again. Bye!" Asher then ended the call and went inside the jet.
***.......
While in the middle of the night, a high-tech equipment and software president had to wake up and made a call to his lover. He's known as Zayne, a 28 years old bachelor who is listed as one of the successful billionaires in Imperial City.
"Hey, princess. What are you doing right now?" his voice sounds a bit raspy as he just woke up and remembering that he needs to make a call to his sweetheart and check on her.
"I'm doing what I usually do around this hour. What about you?"
"Mm...I just woke up in the middle of the night when I suddenly remember that I have to check on you. I still had a little jetlag, though. Are you okay with me not being around you for a couple of days?" he asks worriedly.
The person at the end of the line chuckles to hear his words. "Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. When you're not around, then I might as well be staying indoors for a couple of days until you return."
Zayne smiled contently, even though he knew she can't see him right now. "Yeah, don't go outside. I don't want you to get chased by the bad guys outside there. I can't protect you when I was away. So, I'll be seeing you again and call you again from time to time so that you will not feel lonely."
"Yeah...Zayne, you should get some rest now, and good luck with your competition tomorrow."
"Thanks, princess."
***.......
"Hyejin! Hyejin! Hyejin!" a loud cheering from the outside of the hall makes her heart throbbing in a nervous state.
She clenches her finger and takes a deep breath. Her phone suddenly rings, and she picks it up after seeing the name of the caller.
"Hey you, what are you doing?"
She smiled when she heard his voice from the end of the line. "Hey~ I'm in the middle of practice right now. I'm so nervous. Um- where are you? Why it's sound like there is a loud air pressure around you?"
She heard a chuckling sound from the other line. "Hey, I need to go to Imperial City for a couple of days. When I return back, I promise I will treat you to a vacation at the coast. So I want you to do your best tonight. Got it?"
She nods and replies to him. "Okay. Hey, keep me updated, will ya?"
"Uh- yeah. Hey, I need to go now... I'll call you again, bye!"
Hyejin Kim, 26 six years old, international singer and actress, smile contently after Asher ended the call. She then looks at herself in the mirror confidently.
'I'll soon be the happiest woman in the world!'
After a few hours of flight, they finally arrive at the Imperial City around dusk.From the Lee airbase, they went straight to Lee's Mansion at the front of the mountain area. Lee mansion is located in one colossal mountain with complete facilities like a private airstrip jet, maid house, private lake, and lawn. They even have substantial other areas that are still have not been explored yet.His father used to be a private butler for President Lee and his wife before he married his mother. That is why his father so eager to go to uncle Lee's daughter's wedding ceremony.Uncle Lee's daughters and son are also his childhood friend ever since he was 5 years old until he's 17 years old, and they all are somewhat had a little bond by blood. Except for him. He's totally a stranger. His is an orphan baby that his mother, Hazel, took care of him since then.He was raised up by his grandfather Andrei until he was 5 years old, and after that, he was raised and trained by his adopted father's da
"Now, one side is settled, but another problem is..where do I find the groom?" Richard finally let out his worries. Sighing, he took out his phone."I'm gonna call Zayne asking him to return back to Imperial right now.""Wait, Richard, he can't make it. It took at least 15 hours to arrive, while we only have at least 8 hours before the ceremony start tomorrow." Hai Rin turns to his husband.Andy feels a bit sorry for his friend's condition. He then looks at Asher. The man seems composed as ever. He turns to look at his wife after that.Hazel is also looking at Asher. Feeling a bit uneasy with his father and mother keep looking at him, he sighed."Ahem, Uncle Lee, if you want, I can help you out. But I can't promise you to be Athena's forever husband."The three of them turn to look at him. Now all the eyes fixed on him."That's okay. It just for tomorrow's event. After you sign the marriage certificate, you both can decide what you guys are going to do later." Richard said, and Asher n
After the ceremony, Athena returns back to her room. Change her attire, she went to the bathroom afterward and took a bath.While Asher also went to his guest room, took out the divorce papers, and went to Athena's room. He knocks on the door, but there's no answer from the inside. Just when he wants to go to the living hall, one of the men guarding the floor opens the door for him. The one who opened the door for him is one of the butlers in this huge mansion.Seeing inside Athena's room, he was amazed that the place was stunning with the art collection hanging in her room. All the painting is painted by the painter who is so mysterious. Known by the name of the goddess, Nike.He is one of Nike's fan art. Rumor said that she is a disabled person who worked on the painting to earn a living. Some people said that she is actually a goddess looking girl. She doesn't like to be known to the public, so she went with the pseudonym.He scrunched his eyebrow a bit and looked at the art one by
He scrolls his mouse and finds Zayne's picture below the article. A young man who looks like a mixed-blood standing at the airport wearing casual clothes. His smile is quite refreshing to girls' eyes. Yes, he had a good looking face and figured too, just like him.Asher starts to dig more about him, his company, and his identity. He won a noble prize as the youngest billionaire when he was just 18 years old. He built his own company when he was only 16, start with the small business and the innovation he created that is now used worldwide.Zayne was stated as an aloof guy and didn't like to show up in public if it's not too important. Never had any scandal issue and very clean from the bribery records.He feels a bit challenging by seeing Zayne's achievement at such a young age; he scrolls down his mouse until it stops at one picture of him with a girl at the top of the building.Even though the girl only showing her back, he still could figure out who is she. The tag on the picture is
After she was calm a bit, Zayne releases her from his embrace, and he's rummaging his backpack after that."Umm, Athena. Here. I want you to look at this." he gives her a see-through tablet."What is this?""Inside is the file that I already compile. It's everything about him for the past 11 years since last you sees him. The information is in there. Do read it when you have time.""Huh? But why?" Athena tilts her head a bit.Zayne smiles and caresses her cheek softly."If you want to protect your marriages, start learning about your husband. He did the same to you. Since I always cover up your trace and identity, he never gets any info about you. Then, he did try to peek at mine. Luckily he's not that good with the hacking skill. So hmm. I do give him a little surprise, though." he grins.Athena was surprised when she heard that Asher try to find out her true identity. She then asks Zayne, "So did he find anything?""No. But that guy did find our picture at the tower watching the sunr
Imperial International Airport.Hyejin fans and many media teams have been waiting at the entrance since the morning for their arrival. Once they landed, Asher put on his silver sunglasses. At the same time, Hyejin also wears her pinkish sunglasses together with a faux fur beanie hat.Asher already hires a group bodyguard to protect them and help them make a path from getting ambushed by the fans. When they start to walk inside the airport, a vast commotion can be heard, and loud screaming and shouting of Hyejin's name also can be heard.Hyejin's smiling, friendly to her fans. She also gives a few signatures to her fans. Behind her is Asher and her manager, Eng Suk Chin. Both of them are already used to this kind of scenery.The picture of them starts to spread out through the entire nation like a fire. A lot of photos with a lot of angles make them have a lot of speculation too.Some of the fans are saying that Asher was there to support his girlfriend. While some fans are saying that
Inside Athena's house, she was watching the concert. When the camera starts to show Asher's face, and suddenly a bouquet of rose comes out from backstage, she closes her eyes. Her heart feels hurt just by seeing those moments.She leaned her head to the couch."Don't watch it if you can't take it." Zayne takes the remote control and turns it off.He then slumped beside her and passed her a glass of warm milk.She still froze at her seat without taking the glass from him."Do you want that flower really badly?" he asks and put down the glass on the table.Athena still didn't reply to Zayne's question."Okay..wait here, I call my gardener to pluck the rose from my garden. It's a high quality rose, you know.." he took out his phone from his pocket.When he wants to bring the phone to his ear, Athena immediately grab her hand and turns off his phone.Take the glass on the table, she drinks the milk that he prepared for her."Your rose is too precious to give it to me, Z."Grinning, he said
Asher eyes still gazing at Athena for some time before Hyejin hold his hand and led him to take a seat. He follows Hyejin to the bench."So, since we have eight people here, how about we split into two groups?" Yu Zhin suggestion makes all of them turn to look at each other.When Athena's eye met with Asher, she immediately lowered her gaze a little."Okay." Adrian and Zayne said while others nod in agreement."So, team up now."Yu Zhin, Yu Luan, Asher, and Hyejin in one group, while Adrian, Athena, Zayne, and Zenith, also in one group."So, the defeated group will pay for lunch today, agree?"All of them nod their head, agree with the term. "Okay. Let's start now."The first group is Yu Zhin's group. Starting with Yu Zhin. He was quite good at the shooting.Bang! Bang! Bang!"9,8,9" the system count and display it on the screen.Adrian's smirking a bit. "Heh..not bad."He takes his gun and put the earmuff to cover his ear.Bang! Bang! Bang!"9,9,8"Athena's clapping her hands, rejoici