Chapter 14: The Heiresses
Jake was soaking in his own sweat when he got back to his condo. He's expecting that his father would be there but instead, Ethan and Hoon were there.
Hoon looks like he's been running a long kilometer while Ethan can't think of what to do after he heard from him that he left Riley at the ER and when he got back, the nurse told him that Riley's boyfriend took care of her.
"Thank God, you're here." Hoon felt relieved.
"I can't contact my father. I'm sorry." He apologised. "I already went back to the mansion to talk to mom but she wasn't there. Ms. Anderson said that she went to Las Vegas with…" he glanced at Ethan. "your father."
He saw Ethan and Hoon pull their hair backwards.
"How about Jay? Have you reached him yet?" he asked them.
Ethan shook his head in frustration. "No not yet. Maybe his phone went out of battery or he forgot to bring his phone, that's why we can't reach him."
"So what are we gonna do, smarty pants?" Hoon pointed out to him.
"Find her, of course." Ethan was the one who answered Hoon on behalf of him. "Come hell or high water, we will never stop looking for her." he said in a very serious tone.
All of them left Jake's condo and rode in their own luxury cars then they convoy. They decided to call the secretary of the Hybe Company to pull off some strings and where all of their fathers work. The four of them are the heiresses after all.
Truth to be told, all of their fathers were friends and work at the same company and it is actually a coincidence that they love the same woman which is their mother, Lacey. But Lacey's heart is only attached to one of their dads and that's Hee Jeong Lee. Ethan's father.
When Lacey's still in college, she met Hee Jeong Lee. A pure korean who's a transfer student to their school. She felt so hard for this man and it happened to be that he likes her too. So when they became a couple, she met James, Jaime and Sang-Hoon. Hee Jeong's friends.
Lacey and Hee Jeong last for four years and when they graduated from college, Hee Jeong decided to break up with her. He said he's going back to Korea but her parents didn't want her to leave so she chose to stay and break up with him. But little did he know, she was two weeks pregnant that day when he left her.
A year passed by and welcome to the world Ethan Lee. And when he was an elementary student, Lacey cried all day and went to bars all night, the fact that still couldn't move on to him and couldn't accept that her son had no father. That's why Ethan experienced bullying at his school. She felt so bad for her son.
That's when Jaime approached her and romanced her. He said he's willing to be his father. Of course she can't help her son not having a father so she said yes to him. Then a year later, Jay was born. Exactly the time when Jaime left her like Hee Jeong and he also didn't know that they had a son. His reason was he's just using her for the sake of their company because she's wealthy and all.
It's like a deja vu when Hee Jeong left her with his son. Then another year later, she fell for James. And it happened again. Jake was born and he left her too without knowing that they had a child. She tried once again when Sang-Hoon courted her. And it failed again. But this time, she's the one who broke up with him because he started to lose interest and no time for her.
She admitted it. She's hopeless when it comes to love. That's why she doesn't want to tell the four that she had sons with them. Her sons were the only thing she had. She's one hundred percent sure that if their father knows about them, they will take her sons away from her. She can't lose them or take them away from her. Over her dead body.
Lacey promised to herself not to fall for any man anymore. Her heart is already too weak. She might lose her life if that happens again. But for her sons, she will do everything she can on her own. Like a good mother.
She's a single mother to her four sons but not until Hee Jeong came back to her seven years ago. He pleaded and asked for forgiveness for leaving her. Her heart is too soft not to forgive him so she accepted him. She still loves him after all.
And when Hee Jeong found out that they had a son named Ethan and the others were from her friends, he was fuming mad and went to his friends to tell them that she has sons with them. She did everything she could but she couldn't stop him.
Just like what's happening now, their family is in chaos. But she couldn't stop their fathers from seeing her sons. They're still their fathers. Their own flesh and blood. So they have the right to introduce themselves to them. But that doesn't mean that she will accept them. Excluding Hee Jeong. She's doing this for Jay, Jake and Hoon who deserve to know their biological fathers.
ETHAN WAS the one who's on the phone with secretary Yumi Kim. She's half Korean and half Japanese who's studying college and it's impressive that she manages to be a secretary in a high company at that age while still studying. They have known each other since high school in Stanford. They're a bit close to each other.
"Hello, boss?"
Ethan shook his head because Yumi just called him again 'boss' when he always said not to. He hates words that put him in a high position.
"Yumi, didn't I tell you not to call me boss?" He sighed. "Anyway, please prepare the database of all the companies here in the country. Me and my brothers have something important to do."
It took seconds before Yumi spoke on the other line. "Boss-- I mean, Ethan, what are you planning to do, huh? Mr. Jaime Park highly ordered us not to open any database without their permission--"
"I don't care. Just prepare them pronto."
"Tsk. Don't be so hard-headed, Ethan. I swear, I'll tell your brothers that you had a crush on the woman you saw that night at the Masquerade Ball if you don't listen to me." She laughed evilly. Teasing him.
He bit her lip. "Please, Yumi. Just this once. I'm asking you not as your boss but as a friend."
He heard Yumi whisper on the other line. "Friend my ass." Then she shouted. "Okay fine! But if I get caught, I will burn your condo down, Ethan! And that's a promise!" She ended the call.
Ethan slightly laughed. She's still the same as before.
WHEN THEY arrived at the Hybe Building, the three of them went to the private room where CEOs and secretaries are the only ones allowed. But they're the heiresses so they're allowed too.
Jake wore his glasses and started to do his techy skills while the two had nothing to do but to wait.
They plan to hack the database of every company here in Seattle including the hospitals, hotels and bars only to find Riley.
Minutes later, Jake frustratedly sighed and shook his head. It's a sign that he didn't find her.
"What do we do now?" Hoon asked worriedly. "This is the only chance we could find her."
"Nope. There is one."
Jake and Hoon looked at Ethan who's massaging his chin like he's thinking something deeply.
"There's still one way we could find her." Ethan pinpoint.
"How?" Jake and Hoon both asked.
"Jay."
~amph1trite~