Chapter 40

PRUDENCE didn’t know how to dance to Julian’s tune anymore. It seemed that his changes for the past few days weren’t for good. Now, they seemed to be back to square one.
He left the country a couple of days ago and flew to the US for an important and urgent business trip. He should be back home by now, so she decided to call him. However, if his phone wasn’t out of reach, he wouldn’t answer her call or text messages. She even sent him emails disguised as urgent business proposals, but there was no response. It was pissing her off, but sadly she couldn’t do anything about it. The only thing left to do to suffice her anger was to draw his photos horns and fans.
Childish, yes. But it was somehow helpful.
“Ma’am, you have a guest.”
She immediately raised her head when her secretary informed her that.
“Is it Julian?” she asked as she rose from her seat. Prudence even checked her reflection in the mirror to check if she was looking fine.
“I’m afraid it’s not Sir Julian.”
“Then who—”
“Hi, Prudence,” said the woman who came inside her office.
Her lips trembled upon seeing who her guest was.
“M-mom.” She took a deep breath and sauntered toward her. “W-what are you doing here?”
The last time they saw each other was five years ago when her mother asked for money for her Trip to Japan. After arriving there, Prudence received a call from her. Her mother told her that she had fallen in love with a Japanese native, and they were getting married. She just let her do what she wanted in life, for she didn’t have any filial attachment to her. Who would have such feelings anyway when she left her in an orphanage so that she didn’t have to take care of her?
“You want money again?” she asked frankly.
“No. I’m not here for your money, dear.” Her mother smiled at her as though she was a loving mother.
What a hypocrite.
“What do you want then? I thought you only wanted to see me whenever you needed money.” She smirked.
“I need a place to stay… for good.”
“Why? You have a husband in Japan—”
“We are divorced!” her mother snapped. “Can you stop asking questions and—”
“How dare you,” Prudence said through gritted teeth.
“How dare you talk back to your mother like that!”
Her mother was about to slap her, but she held her by the wrist.
“You may have given birth to me, but you never treated me as your child…. Now, don’t you dare lay your dirty hands on me, or you will see what I can do,” Prudence warned her mother. “Macy, come here.”
Her secretary went inside her office immediately.
“Y-yes, Ma’am?” Macy glanced in her mother’s direction. “What can I do for you?’
“Find her a place where she can stay comfortably,” she ordered before returning to her seat to resume work.
“Should I book her into a hotel or—”
“Find her a house.”
“Oh.”

CYNTHIA Whitewood burst into tears upon seeing Chase standing in the foyer.
“My son! Chase is alive!”
She rushed to him, crying out loud, and immediately pulled him for a tight hug.
“Oh, Chase… you didn’t know the hell I’ve been through when I thought you were dead….”
He hugged his mother back.
“Everything is going to be fine now that I’m back,” Chase told her.
“Please… please don’t disappear again. I don’t know what I will do if you are to disappear like that again,” his mother cried.
“Hm… I won’t be going anywhere.”
“Chase.”
He moved away from his mother upon hearing his father’s voice. He greeted him with a quick bow and followed him to the study.
His father immediately poured whisky into glasses and tossed it with him. That was how Francis Whitewood would typically anyone, even his family, or may it be someone who came back from the dead. No drama, no fancy conversation, just a toss.
“I feel so relieved now that you are back, son.” His father took a quick sip. “Julian did a very good job, but no one could handle it better than you do.”
“Perhaps because Julian isn’t trained to do the job since he was a kid. But I can see great potential in him,” he countered.
“I know. I know. Julian is my son, so he has the guts to do what we have been doing. However, he doesn’t really please the elders.” His father let out a long sigh. “And that is what stresses me out. Well, now that you are here, there is no need to be stressed about it anymore.”
Chase heaved a sigh. He knew his father’s character all along, but he was a little disappointed that he was not even asking about what he had been through. Now it felt like he didn’t have any attachment to him at all.
“Papa, I have something to—”
“We must inform the elders that you are back. Perhaps we should host a banquet, or let’s announce it in the grandest way possible. How about we announce your wedding?”
“I thought Julian’s engaged with prudence now?” His brows furrowed.
His father gestured in her direction.
“But you are here now.”
“W-what?”
“You are Prudence’s original fiancé—”
“Papa… this whole engagement thing isn’t a football match.”
“Yes, I know that because this engagement is purely business! That is why you have to—”
“If you see that as business, then I’m not seeing it that way!” he snapped.
It was the first time he raised his voice in front of his father.
“Chase…” his father said authoritatively. “It seems that we have some straightening out to do here.”
If only Francis Whitewood would give Chase a chance to talk, he would tell him about the things he had realized while he was away from home. But his father wouldn’t listen.
“Perhaps you are just exhausted.” His father gestured at the door. “Have some rest, son. We will talk again once you are sober.”

HER mouth dropped open when she saw what was in front of the car at that moment—a person. But what made it more shocking for her was that he was naked. He was covering his front with his hands and looking around frantically.
Sybil took a deep breath and lowered the windshield a little.
“H-hey, stranger… need help?”
The place was a bit secluded. Only a few people lived there, for it was too far from the town proper. And she could say it had been very peaceful there for the past year. It was the first time she had encountered someone like him.
“Y-yes…” he said breathily and fell on his knees.
She noticed his voice was trembling as well.
“Oh, God…”
She immediately got off the car and ran to the trunk to get the blanket. It was a blessing in disguise she bought one.
Sybil rushed to the naked stranger and wrapped the blanket around him.
“Thank—”
He couldn’t finish what he was saying when he suddenly passed out.
“Oh, shit!”
She tried shaking him to wake him up, but he wouldn’t open his eyes. He was too big and heavy for her to carry alone in the car. Sybil needed help. But they were in the middle of nowhere. The closest cabin was Sonja’s, and that was a five-minute drive from there. She brought the car with her; it would take even longer for Sonja to get to them if she walked. But she couldn’t leave him behind. What if his life was in danger?
Sybil woke up with a jolt. She dreamed about Ace again and that night when they first met. That scene kept on repeating in her dream every night since he disappeared. Oh, God… it seemed that she was missing him a lot. Damn Ace for giving her so much to remember. How could she ever forget about him now?
“This isn’t right.”
She left the bed and took Ace’s portrait out of the cabin. Sybil tore it apart, hoping it would appease her anger. But it didn’t help at all, so she just crouched in front of the pieces and cried.