Gambling Hearts with the CEO

CHAPTER 3: Reuniting

At this point, I wasn’t sure anymore if what I was seeing was just pure hallucinations because of my hate towards him. It wasn’t the first time since the very moment I landed back in this country. I could just push the idea aside and think I was just being played. But the fact that there are too many similarities, it’s hard to just let things go.

Surely that jerk might have changed already by a lot. Based on his photos in some business magazines and in some articles about his family's company, he matured a lot compared to when we were still in college. His face became slimmer with a few facial beards growing over his chin, his skin became tanner than before, and his body became muscular just by a single look at his broader shoulder now. However, he still remained that attractive man who once made my friend fall for him. He also still has those cold pairs of eyes, as if he was judging one’s existence even through photos.

It’s actually funny how he managed to become such eye candy to many businessmen and businesswomen. My brother told me that Brandon is such a renowned bachelor in the country that businessmen wanted to do business with him so badly. Even my brother managed to do some business with that jerk. In addition to that, he is usually surrounded by women but he never budges and I don’t know why because I never asked.

The only thing that I am praying for right now is not to cross paths with him despite knowing how small this world really is. My family and his family live in the same field, and he is even in business with my brother already—more like a business partner if I may say. Added to that, we have a combined reunion for both of our departments. Our paths can easily collide at any moment, and that is what I wouldn’t want to happen now.

As I settled into my unit that I will be staying in for the next three months, I couldn’t help but enjoy the peace. Similar to my unit back abroad, the space is big and can actually fit three people. There are three rooms and a big space for a living room and kitchen with a dining room. There is also a fixed wet bar with wines all prepared for me. And the best part about it is that there is a clear view of the city below me since I lived just one floor away from the penthouse.

Everyone was all set for me, from the furniture, bed sheets, some stacked food and wine, as well as the shiny floors and glass walls. It is because I have asked my sister-in-law beforehand that I will be staying here for the next three months. Although I didn’t actually ask her to get everything done here in my unit, she did it all by herself to make sure that I wouldn’t need to worry about anything else. That is probably one of the perks of having such a sweet sister-in-law.

“Have you been settling well?” Shaun said over the video call as I cooked my dinner for today.

“It’s only been a day since I arrived and you wanna ask me that?” I mocked him, teasingly. A small chuckle escaped my lips upon hearing his scoff. “Everything was all prepared already when I arrived, so I don’t really need to do anything else anymore.”

When I looked at my iPad, I only managed to notice the beads of sweat on his forehead. His hair is wet and he doesn’t have a shirt on. Technically, it only means that he is working out. I almost forgot that he usually exercises early in the morning even though he had such a hectic schedule the other night.

“Did you just call me to ask me that?” I asked as I stirred the beans in the frying pan.

He let out a heavy breath and nodded. “And also to take a break from my workout. Damn, it's always tiring to keep my body in shape.” he complained.

Only a smirk formed my lips as I couldn’t agree more with him. Being a model really does come with many perks, but it does also come with several consequences. Not only do we have to be watched and our privacy being taken away by the paparazzi, like how celebrities suffer, we also have to deal with keeping our bodies in shape.

As a model, we do not only sell our face but also our body. We don’t only pose in front of the camera to show off any accessories we have on, but to also show off the clothes we put on. Since the very beginning, there has been a strict policy regarding our body weight and body shape. That is why we had to control everything.

My friends in the industry do keep their bodies in shape by staying vegan or working out endlessly whenever they have some time, but some do starve themselves just to stay fit. But in my case, I just let my body decide. I eat whatever I want in moderation, as long as I am active in my workouts. There is no such thing as control, because my stomach decides itself whenever I still want more or not. Maybe I’m just lucky because I haven’t gained so much weight despite having that kind of routine.

For my break, I decided that I would let myself out. I wouldn’t care about the public and just live like a normal person who goes anywhere without any fear of being spotted. Of course, I will still keep myself aware of my surroundings and try to stay away from any big trouble as much as possible. But still, I want this vacation to be worth it before I am given more work once I return to work.

“If you’re worried, you don’t have to. It’s not like I haven’t lived here before anyway. Besides, I am only fighting with my jetlag, then after that, I am back to being normal.” I said, assuring him.

“Well, you did live there. But it’s been long. Don’t you think it's better to just stay with your parents while you are there? It’s safer and that way you could also spend more time with them.” He suggested while wiping off the sweat on his forehead with a towel.

“If I stay in our house, then I won’t be able to lift a finger there because Mom will insist on me not to move around and just rest. I don’t want to act like a freaking statue or become a madame just because I am on break. Besides, I want to have my own space.” I explained, determined on my plan.

Shaun’s concern is indeed given because it is the same suggested my older brother has told me. But I told him that I didn’t want to stay at home because I am used to having my own personal space now. He knows well how Mom likes to still treat me like a princess, everything I need to be provided for me without any hassle. That is the least that I want.

Besides, I don’t want my parents to witness the times I would probably go back home all wasted. It is the last thing I want them to see, because I am certainly wild whenever I am wasted. That is the reason why I need to have someone with me whenever I drink so they can take me back home. Maybe that was the reason why the issue between Shaun and I started too, because he was always the responsible one for driving me back to my unit.

“You have a reunion party to attend, right? When is it again?” He curiously asked.

“Tomorrow night. Aisha will come here tomorrow morning so we can prepare together and go to the party afterwards.” I answered.

If I am being honest, I am indeed looking forward to this reunion party. The last time I saw my batchmates was when we graduated because, after that, I was already more busy with the career I first built here. The percentage of being able to meet them again became much less when I moved abroad to continue my career there. So, basically, the reunion will be the first time I will be seeing them again.

I do have a lot of questions in my head. How have they been? Who has changed a lot? Did they actually change a lot? How successful are they now? Since we are already at the right age, I want to know as well who are the ones married now and who are not. There are a lot of questions, but one thing for sure, I still don’t want to see that jerk.

The call stayed until I finished cooking my dinner. Shaun didn’t even finish his workout anymore and just went to make himself breakfast while I poured some wine into my glass. I decided to end the call when I started eating, because he needed to take a bath as well to prepare for work after eating. We are different since he wasn’t on break, so I can’t really bother him that much.

For the night, I didn’t really say that light anymore after eating. I just wash the few plates I used, then drink the remaining wine before taking a short bath to change into my night dress. Since Aisha will come early the next day, I just decided to dump my phone and sleep right away so I could get a proper rest before such a night.

“Hello?” I tiredly answered over the phone.

[“I knew you were still sleeping! Can you get the door please? I have been calling and pressing the doorbell many times now.”]

Aisha’s complaints echoed in my ears so I could groan before ending the call. She really knows how to bother on such a beautiful morning. I put on my robe and my slippers before walking out of the room while fixing my hair. She has seen me in my worse, so seeing my morning appearance wouldn’t bother her anymore.

“Why are you here so early?” I complained upon opening the front door.

She looks at me in disbelief, lips parted as a scoff escapes her lips. “It’s f*****g 11 in the morning, Alexandra Borres. It’s not early. You’re already late.” She scolded.

I rolled my eyes and just let her sarcasm be before opening the door wide for her to enter. She knows her way around the unit and she is like my sister too, so I left her in the living room afterwards to get ready. While she did something outside my room, I took a bath and dressed up casually for the day. I’m pretty sure we won’t head out anyway.

The moment I finished dressing up and walked out of my room, I smelled the delicious smell of pancakes that she cooks. Breakfast was already served on the table and she was just doing something on her iPad while she took small bites at her pancake. She really does take my home as hers.

“Did you bring your dress with you already?” I asked, occupying the seat opposite to her.

She glances at me shortly before returning her eyes to the iPad. “Of course! I already hung it in the guest room.” She simply said. “How about you? Already picked your outfit?”

“It’s already hung and waiting to be worn.” I answered.

Just like I thought, none of us even suggested heading out while we waited for the time for us to prepare. During the whole afternoon, we only remained in the living room while watching random movies, as if Aisha didn’t have company to take care of. It does feel a little weird because I wasn’t timing myself about anything at all just so I could keep up with my schedule. After working for more than a year straight, doing what seems to be normal seems unusual now.

When the clock hits five in the afternoon, we decided to start getting ready already for the party since it starts at seven. Aisha occupied the guest room while I prepared myself in my own room. After taking a bath, I styled my hair in a messy bun which took me a little while to accomplish. I also wore a little dark makeup to match my strapless jumpsuit and strappy heels. To complete the look, I put on a necklace to make my neck bare less, as well as a bracelet and a wristwatch.

I stand in front of the mirror as I retouch my red lipstick before looking at myself there clearly. The jumpsuit hugged my body well. Maybe I should be thankful for all those strict policies in our agency because I managed to have such a fit body.

“You are ready to go,” I whispered to myself before smiling through the mirror one last time.

As I walked out of the room, it was the same timing as Aisha came out all dressed and ready for the night. Compared to my pants look, she wore a deep v-neck dress and a pair of black heels with some gold accessories around her. Her hair is down with some beach waves and she has just the same amount of makeup as mine. Nonetheless, she does give off a different vibe than I do.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked her as she nodded with a smirk. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Before I could even step forward, she placed a hand right in front of me, stopping me from doing anything. “Oh no, woman. I will drive.” She said.

“But it’s my car, Ash.” I pointed out, giving her a look.

“And you haven’t been here for long. I’m pretty sure you barely remember the streets already, so let me drive.” She stole my car key from my hand before raising it up in the air, showing it to me with a cheeky smile. “Don’t worry, babe. I will take care of your baby. It’s not like I will bump it anywhere with us inside anyway.”

All I could do was scoff and just let her do whatever she wanted. Just like she wanted to, we left my residence with her driving my car. It’s funny because she managed to drive it first before the owner even got hold of the steering wheel.

While on our way, I couldn’t help but feel excited. Everyone from our department will be there, so I do have a lot of expectations. My excitement only rose higher when the venue was already in sight and Aisha managed to smoothly park in the private parking lot before we hopped off to head inside.

“They have finally arrived!”

As the announcement was made, everyone’s attention went to the main door where Aisha and I were standing. I gave them a smile in return as everyone greeted us with such a warm welcome. Each of them had just made the same remark. That I have become prettier and they know about my success. On top of that, they even congratulated me for being in the spotlight now without knowing the struggle behind it.

When we finally managed to escape from such a crowd made by our batchmate, we immediately walked towards the table where our friends were. Unlike the others who decided to approach us earlier, they looked rather chill because they knew we would be the one to come to them and they weren’t really wrong.

“I thought you decided not to show up anymore.” Catalina says, standing up to walk towards us. She gave us each a peck on the cheeks before she looked at me lastly. “Damn, you looked f*****g great like in the magazines, Alexa. Modeling really is your path, isn’t it?”

“If it isn’t more obvious, right? You look great too, Cat.” I softly said, raising my voice a little for her to hear.

Fabiola Catalina Sarmineto. Similar to Aisha, she has also been my friend since we were in 1st year college. The only thing that made her different from Aisha is that, during that time, she was more business with organizational activities, so she could only hang out with us sometimes. That is why I have grown closer to Aisha instead. However, all those busy days were worth it anyway, since she became the President of the Student Organization during our third year and graduated with a Leadership Award.

“Now I can totally say how blind your haters are, Alex. I mean look!” Esther uses her hands to gesture towards me from head to toe as she smiles in disbelief. “They are missing out on such a beautiful woman!”

A small giggle escapes my lips as she approaches me. “Don’t flatter me too much, Esther. It’s nice to see you again,” I said before pulling her for a warm hug.

Esther Guanting Zhang. Compared to the rest of our friends, she is probably the last one who was added to our group. We met her during the first semester of our 2nd year. She was actually an exchange student from Beijing. When she first arrived, she looked so lonely that I couldn’t help but approach her. That is why she became our friend. Right now, she is back in Beijing taking care of their family business alongside her brother, so she only visits here a few times, just like I do.

“You should have brought Shaun with you. Pretty sure everyone wouldn’t stop drooling over him.” Kai interrupted our sweet moment before handing me a glass of alcohol right away. “You won’t sit until you drink that.”

“Asshole,” I uttered with a smirk before gulping down my first drink for tonight.

Kai Hiroji is probably the most troublemaker friend that I had. I still remember way back in college when he used to attend class all drunk. On top of that, since he sucks eye candy for ladies, he sometimes attends our class with some hickeys on his neck. But what fascinates me is that, despite being such a troublemaker, he still managed to get high grades and graduated as a Cumlaude. We used to tease him that he probably pulled some strings, but it was just a pure joke.

“Even up until now, you are still such a troublemaker, Kai.” Dominic stepped in, pulling our friend behind before he could even pour another set of alcohol into the glass he handed me. Dominic gave me a smile before leaning forward for a peck on the cheeks. “It’s been so long, Alexa. I thought you wouldn’t show yourself to us anymore.”

“Well, I got so busy with work that I barely had time. If you are living abroad like Aisha, then I would probably meet you more.” I said, making him smile.

“I will pass on that for now. I can’t really leave this country anytime soon.” He confessed.

“More like you can’t leave your girlfriend in here.” Kai whispered, enough for us to hear.

As the rest of us could only chuckle as Kai teased Dominic more, I looked back and noticed one of us missing. “Where is Tyra? She didn’t come?” I confusedly asked.

Dominic nodded, giving an apologetic smile. “She suddenly had urgent business in Singapore, so she had to leave this afternoon. She said that she will make it up to us once she returns,” he explained.

If I were to pick one of the best men I have met, I would probably pick Dominic Francis. Setting aside that he is Tyra’s boyfriend now, he has always been such a sweet and protective guy to us way back then. Even though he is playful and a bit of a troublemaker like Kai, he is much more on the responsible side.

These people are the ones that saved me from college. Even though we didn’t really take the same course with only Aisha, Esther, Dominic and I taking Communication while the rest took Business Management, we somehow still managed to get along well. It’s because of them my college life wasn’t so bad after all.

“So how is life so far?” Catalina asked while giving Aisha and I a look.

Aisha looked up at her before taking a glass of alcohol on the table. “Don’t ask me. We see each other more often. Just ask her.” She said, trying to escape with such questions.

“Alexa’s life is basically all over the internet. If we were to point it out, there really is not much of a need to ask her anymore.” Catalina argued, making me just put on a small smile.

“But there is one thing I want to know though,” Esther suddenly butted in, giving me a meaningful look. “You and Shaun Tran… Are you not really a thing?”

Of course! They would ask me about Shaun as well.

“We’re not, okay? Shaun and I have been really close to one another since we entered the agency almost at the same time. Besides, we’re also friends,” I explained.

“But you don't seem like a friend to him though. Maybe he likes you?” Kai mischievously asked, making me throw at him the small pillow I found on our seat.

“Stop being ridiculous, Kai!” I said in between chuckles.

Minutes pass by so quickly with just a simple catch up between us. It was mostly about asking what we are doing and about our love lives. It turns out, with my busy schedule, I’m already unaware that Esther is already engaged to someone, while Catalina and Kai are also in a relationship already. We do have a group chat but I barely check it because of the little time I have.

With their lives all colorful now, I really am the only one left.

“No way,” Esther suddenly exclaimed, making all of us turn to her in confusion.

“What’s wrong, Es?” Aisha asked, but we were only given silence.

I observed Esther more and noticed that she was looking at something behind us. With curiosity hitting me, I followed the direction she was looking at… and I just regretted it. I shouldn’t have turned around.

“What is he doing here?”