93 Welcome

Michelle stood motionless at the door. She stared at the lady who greeted her.

Riley was done with his business and went to check on the visitor. He frowned when there was something amiss about Michelle.

"Charlene..." he called out when he saw who was at the door.

"Oh, hi Riles! I thought I got the wrong apartment...seems not." Charlene flashed a bright smile.

Michelle snapped out of her daze. "Uhm...uh, welcome." she managed to spit out while moving to give way.

Charlene looked into the interior of the unit. "Not much change eh, Riles?"

"Charlene, why are you here?" Riley furrowed his brows and crossed his arms on his chest.

It was pretty awkward to let your ex into your apartment when your current girlfriend had just moved in.

"Oh, take care of Scotch for awhile. Mikey is allergic to animal dander. I'll just drop by again to get him back." she replied casually, continuing to chew her gum.

While they were having a conversation, Michelle was sizing her possible rival. Even in casual winter clothes, Charlene's curves were highlighted really well. Her face was small, delicately framed by her dyed hair in layers. Her eyes were bright, brown irises framed with full lashes. She had a petite nose and her lips were plump and attractive even without lipstick.

Michelle's ego was crushed. This girl can attract men without even trying.

"Fine. Is that all?" Riley was getting impatient. He needs to get rid of his ex before Michelle could think of absurd things.

"Yep. Thanks, Riles!" Charlene suddenly gave him a peck on the cheek. Then she went away and out the door as if nothing happened.

The awkward situation of the couple was reinforced by the cuddling of dogs which had just reunited.

___________________

It took a whole hour for Midori to convince herself to get up and prepare for work. She was bothered as to why she felt like she has a jetlag when her travel was not several timezones away. Her fatigue, headache, and slight dizziness made her thought of skipping work. However, due to her diligent character, she would not miss work unless she is sick to the point of requiring hospital admission.

Then she remembered, her period still had not come! Could she really be pregnant? She needed to confirm it as soon as possible.

She sluggishly moved towards the bathroom to prepare. As the smell of disinfectants reached her nose, she felt nauseated. She bolted towards the toilet and was just in time to retch and vomit into the bowl.

'Sh*t! I might really be pregnant!' she cursed inwardly.

She decided to send Dan a message.

Dan was in the shower when his phone received a message. As soon as he read it, he called his assistant.

"CEO Zhou." Michelle Park answered after a single ring.

"Park, tell Captain Ji to get the plane ready in half an hour."

Michelle was taken aback by the sudden change in schedule. She frowned as she reorganized the schedule briefly in her mind. "Yes, CEO." she replied.

"From the airport, immediately report back to the company. Cancel everything within the next three days. Deal with the small matters." He had a stern, at the same time anxious, look on his face.

Michelle understood clearly. "Have a safe trip, Mr. Zhou." She heard him hung up. She took the hair drier and continued drying her hair.

Suddenly, a furry fellow went into the bedroom.

"Good morning, Butter!" she greeted in delight. Then she noticed that the dog's collar was black and not red. "Oh...sorry, Scotch. I thought you were...Butter!" The other dog ran to her, happily wagging its tail.

Riley came out of the bathroom in a towel wrapped around his waist, some water dripping from his blonde locks.

Michelle was gawking at him. She was awakened from her trance by Butter, as the dog licked her hand.

He chuckled. "Thanks, Girl." He patted Butter on the head.

She continued brushing her hair. "When will she take Scotch back?" It was not that she disliked the dog, Michelle was just a bit cautious around Riley's ex.

Riley looked at the dogs. Scotch was licking Butter's face and ear. "Was that CEO Zhou? What does he need early in the morning?"

"He's flying to City T." she nonchalantly replied as she put on her blouse.

He laughed. "Already? It's been what, three days?"

_____________________

A gentleman in a business suit had stepped out of a black BMW X5. As Dan descended from his plane, he bowed.

"CEO Zhou, welcome to City T." He had a subtle smile.

"Where is she?" His tone had some worry in it.

"Director Xiu had started to travel to I prefecture. She will be waiting for you at MS General Hospital."

Dan furrowed his brows. 'That careless woman! Why would she request my presence if she wanted to travel by herself?!'

Even with this thoughts, he remained indifferent and got into the card without a word.

When they reached the hospital, Midori's blood sample was already drawn and she was patiently waiting for the results.

Dan waved his hand to dismiss the people who came with him. He then approached his wife.

"What happened?" His face had concern written all over it.

Midori gave him a gentle smile. "I had vague symptoms, so I wanted to know for sure."

He sat beside her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

After some minutes, a female in white uniform called, "Mrs. Zhou...oh, Mr. Zhou?" She was a bit surprised by the good-looking guy beside the patient.

Dan eyed Midori when he heard the words 'Mrs. Zhou' as if it was incredible. When the nurse addressed him too, he nodded.

"Sawada-sensei will see you now." She smiled, nodding to both of them.

Dan gulped as he led his wife into the doctor's clinic.