Chapter 297 - A Familiar Laugh

After Halia and Jackson finished their delicious dinner, they sat quietly listening to the waves lap against the shore. "Do you still remember the first meal we shared together?" Halia asked. "We were sitting underneath a willow tree beside Houhai Lake and you went to buy me lamb skewers. Now, we're sitting underneath a cabana in the Philippines and we just finished our honeymoon dinner. We've certainly shared a lot of experiences together."

"You're wrong," Jackson suddenly said.

Halia looked at Jackson in confusion. What was she wrong about?

"Our first meal wasn't at Houhai Lake. It was at the Italian restaurant..." he corrected.

Halia laughed when she remembered the Italian restaurant and how she had an anxiety attack because of the pine nuts.

"Hey, we weren't technically sharing a meal then. We just coincidentally sat at the same table," Halia replied.

Jackson patted his wife dotingly on the head. She was right, they had shared a lot together.

At that moment, some music could be heard coming from behind them. The couple turned around and saw some dancers walking their way. A group of beautiful women in traditional clothing lined up in front of them, accompanied by a small band. Their smiles were dazzling as they began to move to the music. Some of them were holding sticks and tapping them together to create a beat and Jackson and Halia began to clap along. It was lively and cheerful. Some of the women then held the sticks parallel to the floor and continued to tap them together while the others danced across them.

As Halia watched and cheered, one of the women waved at her and got her to join them. Halia laughed and joined in while Jackson watched lovingly from the side. Her smile was so bright and dazzling, he felt his heart melt. Even amongst all these beautiful women, he only had eyes for her. 

After the dance was over, Halia sat back down and smiled at her husband. "I am going to remember this day forever," she said.

Jackson held his wife's hands lovingly and said, "I hope every day that we spend together will be just as memorable."

He had made the right decision to marry this woman and quit his job at Interpol. He had never grown up with a proper family, but he finally felt like he belonged and he couldn't wait to start a family with her.

At that moment, Halia suddenly remembered something. With an apologetic glance, she reached into her handbag to look for her phone, "I just remembered, Natalie and Sean will be arriving tomorrow morning and we've hired a driver to take us around to some of the quieter spots around the island. The driver is supposed to confirm the pickup time and location with me. Let me check my phone to see if I have any messages."

Jackson smiled. He and his wife made a good team. He booked the flights and dinner, while she booked the hotel and transportation. Some women were very dependent and expected everything to be planned out for them. Worst of all, they complained when things didn't suit their taste. But, Halia was not like that. Even though they got married on a whim and their honeymoon was very last minute, they worked together to arrange everything and researched everything together.

Halia flipped her handbag upside down and only a wallet, a lipstick, and some candy fell out. With a frown, she said, "I think I left my phone in the hotel room."

Jackson laughed and grabbed her hand. With a seductive smile, he said, "Let's get back to the room then. I'm ready for dessert..."

Halia blushed slightly. Didn't he have enough in the afternoon?

But, as they hurried through the lobby to get back to their room, Halia suddenly heard a familiar laugh that sent chills down her spine. The laugh was loud and hollow as it echoed across the luxurious lobby, causing Halia to look around with curiosity. 

Who did this laugh belong to? Why did it sound so familiar?

But, before she managed to find the owner of the laugh, Jackson dragged her into an available elevator and the doors shut.

...

Over in Hong Kong, another couple was inside an elevator. 

"Do you live on your own?" Oliver asked as he leaned on Trisha's shoulder.

Without looking at the man, Trisha pulled out her keys and nodded her head.

"Where are you staying in Hong Kong? After your foot feels a little better, I'll drive you back," she said as she led him out of the elevator and over to a door.

Trisha's parents passed away and she had no siblings, so she was used to living on her own. Even her neighbors barely saw her have any guests. But, because of this, she had the habit of leaving things lying around.

As soon as Trisha helped Oliver into her apartment, she awkwardly cleared her throat and cleaned up some empty beer cans and wine bottles that were sitting on her coffee table.

"Take a seat on the sofa, I'll get you an ice pack," she said.

Oliver sat down and looked around. Trisha lived in a relatively modern apartment, close to government buildings, and she had a decent view of the city. Even though it was very small, an apartment like this was expensive in Hong Kong. How hard did Trisha work to afford a place like this? If only his mother understood that the world was very different outside of her little bubble. Trisha was smart, independent, successful, and he didn't want to change a thing about her. Why couldn't his mother accept her for who she was?

With a sigh, he leaned back against the sofa and watched as the woman threw all the beer cans and wine bottles into the bin. Why did she drink so much? Was she upset about something?

Was she...upset because of him?

Even though his heart broke, he secretly wanted it to be true. If she was still upset because of him, it meant she still had feelings for him. It meant, he still had hope. He had flown halfway around the world because of her. Had he done the right thing?

At that moment, Trisha approached and broke his train of thought, "You didn't answer me earlier. Where are you staying, I'll drive you back later."

Oliver looked into the woman's eyes and smiled. "I'm staying here," he said shamelessly.