Chapter 2

*

Just like what she ordered, the four men that Shin had met on her way out of the airport had brought her home – to the house that she brought three years ago because for some reason that she already chooses to forget because she have already moved on from it since it is already done. She has already accomplished her goal three years ago and there are no more remnants left so there is nothing that wouldn’t keep her from moving on.

The car entered the automatic gate and Sebastian immediately parked it in the free parking space of the lot where the house was built. Shin immediately got out of the car and the moment that she was able to set her eyes on her surroundings, she honestly cannot believe what she saw.

Well, if she is, to be honest with herself, she thought yesterday, before she boarded the plane that there is a huge possibility that her things are already gone – her favorite cars have already been sold to potential buyers and that the house she bought would also be gone already but right now her thoughts were proven wrong because her favorite cars are still parked on the place where she left them and the garden is still the same as well – it is obvious that someone is taking care of the garden in behalf of her because if there isn’t someone who is taking care of it then it wouldn’t maintain its beauty and the flowers will not bloom beautifully as they are right now.

“We made sure that everything is still well taken care of around this place even though you are away. Well, we know that you love your garden and of course your cars, and of course, no one would dare to touch those things and try to sell them” Kristian said and that made Shin turn her head towards her friends and then she saw them smiling at her – they are smiling wide as if they are proud of what they did and it is as if they have accomplished something big.

She cannot help but let out a sigh, not because she is not happy about what she found out just now but rather because she is indeed happy and grateful for the fact that her friends know her well, that they did take an effort in making sure that her favorite cars and the garden that she loves will still be the same just in case she returns in the country even if they do not know when she will actually return or if she still has a plan of returning.

But even if she is happy and grateful, she really cannot bring herself to smile and she knows the reason why but even if that is the case, she still knows how to show her gratitude for the things that her friends have done.

“Thank you for all your efforts, well, I guess I have to repay you soon huh? And don’t even try to reject it because whether you like it or not you deserve what I am about to give you” that is what she said and her four friends looked at each other and all three of them shrug their shoulders because even if they decline the offer of their friend – the billionaire, Shin Alexandra Ferrell there is nothing that they could do because the next day that they wake up their so-called rewards will already be waiting for them.

That has always been the case ever since they are still in high school – it is neither a good thing nor a bad thing but the thing is, they really never asked for a reward in the first place, to be able to serve Shin is already enough for them, it already makes them feel contented. That is really what they want.

“Anyways, let’s go inside already because I can feel like you have lots to tell me” That is what Shin said, and as if on cue, the attention of the four shifted to her and well, they already know that Shin would immediately notice that they have something to say – or rather they have updates on what has happened around the place while she is gone for about a year.

And there are a lot of things that she needs to know especially regarding that man and some other people.

*

Shin together with her four friends entered her house, and of course, she still has with her the key, there are three duplicates – one is with her friends, the other is with her family and the other one is with someone that she no longer wants to mention.

The moment that they entered the house, Shin already expected that just like what she witnessed outside she is sure that the whole house is also well taken care of and she is not wrong – everything is in order unlike when she left it, the furniture is different from the ones that she had a year ago however even if that is the case it is still according to her taste which is a good thing, the walls are also fixed as if there wasn’t a single crack on it in the past – in short, there are honestly a lot of changes in the place but even if that is the case it is pretty obvious that the whole place was fixed still according to her tastes and she appreciates it so much although it may not show in the expression she has on her face right now, she truly do appreciate the gesture of fixing her home and still considering what she exactly wants.

“You did well in fixing things around here – I appreciate it” that is what she said and automatically the four’s faces lit up because of what they heard. Well, honestly, they are worried that Shin wouldn’t like how they fixed the place and that she will get mad that something does not fit her taste or that they will get yelled at that they should have no longer fixed the place because everything does not even fit her taste.

But the good thing is that everything seems to fit Shin’s liking and they are relieved to hear that.

Well, last year the moment that Shin left, her home is quite a mess – there are a lot of broken things, the walls have cracks and even the furniture are destroyed. Honestly, if they didn’t take the initiative to fix things then more or less Shin’s home will still be the same and they have that feeling that she will not like it if she came home after a while if her home is still in the same state and surely, such an image will make her remember everything cruel that happened in the past and they do not want such a thing to happen.

Although they know for a fact that Shin hasn’t forgotten what happened a year ago but even if that is the case, they have made up their mind that they are going to be by her side whatever happens because that is their duty and responsibility as their friends.

“So, are we going to talk now or what?” that is what Shin said as she throws herself on the new sofa that her home has and she cannot help but to commend the quality of her new sofa.

“This is honestly quite a good quality sofa they bought. I can rely on them” that is what Shin said to herself well, she had never doubted in the first place the capabilities of her friends. She knows that they are going to do good in different things even if she didn’t order them to do them – in short, they have the initiative to do things and they are doing their best.

“Wait have you eaten already? We can first eat lunch, Travis had prepared something already beforehand” Jake said which instantly made Shin put her right hand under her chin, obviously thinking about what she is going to do next, or rather whether or not she will consider what Jake, her friend has said and after a short, while she decided that she would consider it.

“We can eat lunch as we talk, so Travis you can just bring the food here so that it will be a lot more comfortable to talk and catch up because it seems like you have a lot of things to say to me” that is what Shin said and Travis immediately nod his head and he went to the kitchen to get the food that he prepared – well, he always prepare food in advance because he always anticipates that Shin will come home and that she will once again look for the food he cooks and right now, he is more than happy that his anticipation had become a reality.

After getting the food from the kitchen, he immediately put it on the center table while Jake the other hand is handed the plates and utensils to Shin and their other friends. After they are already done setting up, that is the moment that they have already settled on their seats as well as they started getting their portion of the food.

“And so, tell me about it already, you know that I do not like wasting time” that is what Shin said just as everyone was already able to take their first bite. Well, she is the kind of person that does not want to stall for time that much, she wants everything to be concise and direct to the point because not only that it will save time but also it will prevent further confusion regarding the topic at hand.

However, aside from that, she also cannot help but commend the food that she is eating that is made by Travis. Travis had always been their cook ever since high school, he is the one who handles their meals, and up until now, Shin is happy that nothing has changed the thing is that it seems like Travis had improved once again his cooking skills and not to mention that the dishes that he prepares are heavenly.

If Travis didn’t take engineering as his course as per the instruction of his parents, surely he would be a chef by now – a professional chef that has already made a lot of dishes, and more or less he would have already had his restaurant. Now that Shin thinks about it, maybe the best gift that she could give to Travis is a restaurant that he can call his own where he can cook freely according to his availability and because it is a gift from her, there is no way as well that his parents would do something to stop him from doing what he likes the best to do. Well, in one way or another there is no way anymore that his parents will still interfere with what he wants to do with his life because he is already old enough to decide what is best for himself.

Shin is then about to take a bite when suddenly Sebastian spoke which made her stop eating and she looked directly at the four to determine whether or not they are telling the truth.

“The Black Scorpio clan has created quite a ruckus in the year that you are away Shin, not to mention that they also created an incident during a gang fight that almost a quarter of the gangsters who are watching every six months competition”

After that and also after Shin has already confirmed that they are not lying that is time she combed her hair using her fingertips.

“I have only been gone for a year and those bastards are already utilizing the fact that I am not around. Do they think that I will not be able to figure it out sooner or later?” Shin said and her left hand’s grip on the fork tightened – it is obvious that he is pretty much pissed off with what she heard and who knows what would happen next.

*to be continued*