21 Chapter 01 - Prologue

~CARINA'S P.O.V.~

Four years later.

I looked at my wristwatch to check the time, it was already 5.30pm. I stretched my arms and started to arrange my table. After that, I gathered some documents together with my bag and went out of my office. My secretary already went home 30 minutes earlier and almost all the employees have gone home too. I went inside the elevator and pressed the parking button, my phone rang. I frowned when I saw who it was.

"Yes Mr May? Is there any development?" I asked the caller.

"I got an information about it but I didn't verify it yet. The former owner was a certain Bryan Carter but he already sold it to someone."

"Then do anything you can to gather more information. I want to get it back no matter what." I said with frustration before cutting off the calls.

...*...*...*...*...

I parked my car infront of the mansion I'hv been living for four years. Until now, I still can't believe how lucky I was to have all these and most of all, my family. I entered the house and a handsome man with gray hair greeted me.

"Hello darling! This is rare. You came home early." I smiled at him lovingly, kissed his cheek and hugged him. He stared at me curiously.

"Is there any problem Carina?" He asked me with a little worried expression. I shook my head and smiled tiredly.

"No dad. I am just tired. There was a lot of work at the office." I said and yawned. He laughed at me and hugged me again. Ever since we found each other, he was always there for me. He did everything he could to catch up for the years that he wasn't there for me.

"Don't over work yourself. That's not good for your health. I don't want you to get sick." He said seriously and I rolled my eyes. He was really a fusspot.

"Dad....." I was about to say something when I heard a little squeal up the stairs. I looked up and saw my little bundle of joy. She was standing there happily gazing at me with her nanny.

"Mommy!" I smiled at how excited she was. No matter how tired I felt, when I come home, the moment I saw her, all my tiredness disappeared. Her nanny guided her going down the stairs and when she reach the last step, she rushed excitedly towards me. I leaned down and she went into my waiting arms. I picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"How's your day sweetheart?" I asked her as she wrapped her small arms around my neck.

"Grandpa brought me a big doll house and he took me to the park."

"Really? What did you do at the park?"

"We ate ice-cream and then I played at the playground." I looked at my dad who was just watching us adoringly.

"Dad, it's Saturday tomorrow. I want us to go out together. What do you think?

"Really? Don't you have work? This is a first time." My dad said and I rolled my eyes at him. Then I heard my daughter giggled excitedly.

"Yeyeh! I'm going out with mommy tomorrow!" She said and kissed my cheek. I pinched her nose gently. She really makes my life happy.

"See? Your daughter is so happy. You don't spend much time with her and she was lonely too. Maybe you should take a vacation for a while and spend some times with her. Don't worry about the company, I can still handle it." My dad said. I looked at my daughter and realized my dad was right. Ever since I joined the company, the time I mostly spend with her was during the nights and Sunday.

"Okay dad. I will do that." I said in resignation. I also want to be a full time mother for my child. She is growing so fast that I don't want to miss everythings that's happening to her life. What will happen to her life as she grows up if Iam not there for her.

"Okay then, let's eat dinner. I'm sure Scarlet is starving."

After dinner, I helped my daughter brush her teeth and cleaned her up. I tucked her in bed and then read her, her favorite bedtime story. When she finally fell asleep, I dimmed out the light and went out from her room. We had adjoining rooms because I couldn't sleep without her close to me. I left the door slightly open so that if she cries, I could hear her right away.

After I took care of my hygiene and other night time regimen, I sat on my bed and took out some papers from my briefcase and read them. Even before I go to sleep, I always work. For the past years, this has been my life.

...*...*...*...*...

~REGAN'S P.O.V.~

I looked at the view outside the car and I must admits, it was beautiful. It has been years since I stepped foot in London. I didn't plan on coming here but there were a major problem in one of our warehouses here that needed my attention. I looked at the time in my wristwatch and it was quarter to six. The car stopped when the traffic light turned red. Then I noticed a red Lamborgini stopped next to my car.

A sight of an anburn haired girl caught my eyes. She looked achingly familiar. I couldn't see her face because she was looking at the other side. When the traffic light turned green, she looked ahead of her and that made me almost stopped breathing. I couldn't be wrong. I opened my window and tried to catch her attention.

"Carina!" I shouted and waved my hand but she had already drove off.

"Gary, follow that red Lamborgini now! Make it fast." I said almost shouting. I looked ahead of us and the car was almost out of our sight. I panicked.

"Gary drive faster!" I commanded him but the car we were following turned in a corner, quickly out of our sight as Gary stopped the car because of another red light. I punched my seat furiously. After four years of searching for her, I finally saw her but it was like destiny wasn't in my side as she also disappeared again as fast as I saw her.

...*...*...*...*...

I took my eyeglasses off and massaged the bridge of my nose for a while, then I heard my intercom buzzed.

"What is it Annie?" I asked my EA. We were at Bayleaf Corporation London office.

"Mr Brown is here." She informed me.

"Let him in." I simply said. I just hope he has good news this time. It's been a week since the incident and I contacted the detective I hired to search for her in England.

"So, is there any development?" I asked Mr Brown as he sat on the chair across me. He brought out some photos and documents from his attache case and handed them to me. I looked at him in confusion and took the pictures from him.

"The reason why our contact in the U.S. couldn't find her for these past four years, she changed her surname. She is also currently staying in London, England." I frowned of what he just said and looked at the pictures in my hands. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. The woman in the pictures looked so sophisticated and full of confidence. She was wearing a sunglasses in all the photos but I could tell whom she was as I have been looking for her for the past four years. Her curly hair was longer now, almost reaching round her waist and dyed in reddish brown color. I released the breath I was holding and stared at the investigator.

"What is she doing here in London? How long has she been staying here?"

"According to my source, she is staying with her father and her daughter. She has been living here for four years now." My heart stopped for a moment. The 'daughter' caught my attention.

"S-She got married?" I stuttered a little because of the sudden tension inside me. I closed my palm tightly, waiting for his answer. Wishing I was not yet late.

"I don't think so Mr Novell. Her father and her daughter are currently the only people she's living with. But there was a man she went out with twice a month. His picture is in the last photo." The tension in me calmed down as I heard that she wasn't married yet. 'But she has a daughter? With whom?'

I took the last photo and I cursed under my breath as I saw the man he was referring to 'Gian Arthur'.

I gritted my teeth as I stared at the picture. They looked so happy together. It was like they were in a restaurant. They were even staring at each other. I crumpled the photo to Mr Brown's surprise but he didn't say anything.

At last, I finally found her. These past four years has been living hell and the most difficult years of my life. The day she left me almost made me go insane. I asked every person who could tell me about her whereabout but none of them knew. I didn't give up and even hired detectives to find her for the past years, but they couldn't find her. Now I understand why. She was using another surname. I heaved a sigh. Now that I found her, I would do anythings to make things right between us. I won't allow anyone like that Gian Arthur to come between us.

After Mr Brown left, I read every details about her in the documents he gave me earlier. Happiness filled me and at the same time, I felt unsure of how to approach her and enter her life again. I have waited for so long, I would do anythings for her to forgive me.

Then I remembered about her daughter. It pained me thinking that she had a child with another man. 'But what if the child's mine?' I asked myself expectantly.

...*...*...*...*...

~CARINA'S P.O.V.~

"Ms Denois, there is a bouquet of flowers here delivered to you. Should I accept it or not?" My secretary, Kate informed me as she peeped in my office. My eyebrows scrunched of what she just said. 'Who's that from?'

"Okay Kate, send it here."

Then she brought me the beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was my favorite flowers, white roses. I inhaled them and its smelled heavenly. Then a red small envelope caught my attention. I picked it up and opened it. Even the envelope and the note smelled nice.

I opened the note and read it...

"To my long lost love. I hope you like the flowers I sent you. I know it's your favorite. I will be seeing you soon. Always waiting for you."

I frowned upon reading the note. 'Who's this from?' I asked myself curiously. This was my first time receiving flowers from an unknown sender. Ever since, I became the president of Denois International, there were a lot of men who's trying to get my attention but I didn't give them any attention or hope. I knew most of them were just after my name, that's why I didn't let myself get involved with any of them.

After what I have been through with men, I'hv enough. I couldn't bring myself to trust any man except for my father. There's another one too, Gian. He never betrayed and hurt me.

I put the bouquet of flowers on the corner of my desk and continued my work. My one month vacation would start tomorrow so I was making sure that everything would be in order before I leave. After I finished my works, I gathered my things and was about to leave when I noticed the flowers on my desk. I was planning to leave it to my secretary but for some reason I couldn'tI heaved a sigh and took it with me out of the office.

"Carina! Wait for me!" I heard someone and turned my head around to see my secretary, Kate. She is my secretary at work and a close friend after work. I rolled my eyes at the sight of her. She was running after me like a kid. She was even wearing a high heels.

"My god Kate! You look horrible." I said teasingly.

"Well this is your fault. You are going on a vacation and you left me a ton of works." She complained playfully and I smiled at her.

"I know you can do it." I said and she chuckled.

"Well of course. Anyway, we are going out tonight. You should join us. You're going away for a month so you must come with us tonight. You kept on declining our invitation so I guess now you don't have a reason to decline us again." She said.

"Tonight? My daughter can't sleep without me tucking her into bed." I rolled at her.

"C'mon Carina. After you tuck her to bed, you can join us." She insisted. Well, it's true. I never accepted their invitation to hang out and I felt bad everytime. Tomorrow will be the start of my vacation so I don't see anything wrong in accepting her invitation.

"Okay. I will come at 9.00pm." Her face brightened and happily hugged me.

"You're not playing with me, right? You're really coming?!" I chuckled at her. She's really like a kid sometimes, like Christine. I felt sad when I remembered my best friend. I shook my head and brush off the thoughts.

"Yes. I will be there. I'm guessing we're going to Tony's tonight?"

"Yes. You got it right my friend." She said and I laughed at her facial expression.