Chapter 28: Cut Ties
Riley was still unconscious when they arrived at the mansion. Jake asks the director of their photoshoot if they could ride in their van with them.
Jay didn't answer his calls. He knew that Jay uses his Tesla on their way home. But he wasn't fully sure if their stuff was with him. Good thing he asked his co-worker on the photoshoot to check their room if their luggage was still there.
His co-worker says yes. And immediately insists on bringing their luggages before they fetch them at the hospital.
Jake shook his head on the thought that Jay left them with his car. He even didn't know what was the reason why he didn't answer his calls or texts.
Is he ignoring me?
The last thing he thought was that they're good and okay once Jay left the room last night. So what change?
ETHAN WENT downstairs in a flash when he saw Jake and Riley stepped out from the van when they arrived at the mansion. Jake was carrying Riley so he immediately felt worried.
"What happened?" He asked.
Hoon, who's in the living room, turned off the TV when he heard them and saw Riley unconscious.
"Why are you carrying her in your arms like that?" He asks curiosity.
Before Jake could even answer their questions, he deposited Riley first inside her room. Ethan and Hoon followed him.
"It's a long story." Jake said while staring at Riley. He glanced at the two when he remembered something. "Where's Jay hyung?"
Ethan and Hoon looked at each other and said. "I thought he's with you."
Jake stilled.
So he's not coming back yet.
His jaw tightened. "Watch over Riley. I'm gonna track him and find where he was." He ordered and left the room.
But before he could leave the room, Hoon stopped him by his words.
"We have a problem."
Jake silently cursed inside his mind. He needs to find Jay and he's worried about Riley and now, there's another problem?
He brushed his palm over his face. "What is it?"
"Mom told us that our dads want to move to California and they're planning to take us there. The Hybe branch here in the U.S. might go bankrupt if we won't handle it together. So they said that they might as well migrate to California with us. The Hybe branch there was doing well as they spoke. But of course mom doesn't like that idea especially when my dad broke up with her last month." Ethan was the one who answered him.
"She had nothing if we left her. She only has us beside her." Hoon said.
Jake felt his heart torn into pieces. Not for himself but for their mother. She's so unfortunate when it comes to love.
That's why they saluted their mother for not abandoning them even if they're half flesh and blood of the men she'd dated many years ago and hurted her.
"We'll plan this tomorrow." Jake was surely informed. "And no. We're not going to leave mom."
Ethan and Hoon puffed air in frustration after Jake left the room.
AFTER TWELVE hours, Riley finally woke up and remembers everything that happened at the beach then in the hospital.
And then she remembered Charlotte.
Oh god, I left her!
With that thought, she immediately grabbed her phone and called her friend. But it's out of coverage because of the poor signal. So she ran outside her room to get some signal.
She kept on calling her while her shoulder was leaning on the mansion's door.
"Come on, Lotte. Pick up."
Maybe Lotte was angry with her for leaving her, that's why she won't answer her calls.
Overthinking rushed through her and it stopped when a Tesla parked in front of her. She knew that it was Jake's Tesla but Jay just stepped out of the driver's seat while playing with the keys with his fingers and his other hand was inside his pocket.
He was whistling while he's walking. She expected that he'd greet her good morning or tell her where he went but none of that happened. He just passed through her like she's a ghost or wasn't there standing on his way.
Did he just ignored me?
But why am I so demanding? I must've forgotten that he didn't care about me when he started to have amnesia.
"Hey! Where the hell have you been?"
She heard Ethan's voice so she turned around to see them.
She can't see Jay's facial expression because his back was on her. But she knew he's grinning.
"Well, I just dropped my girlfriend at her house this morning. We enjoyed talking together the whole night."
Her jaw just dropped and her eyes widened.
G-Girlfriend?!
Since when did he have a girlfriend?!
"Don't you know that Jake has been tracking you all night because he's f*cking worried?! But he couldn't find you because you turned off your phone." She saw how Ethan changed his mood. From calm to vicious. "And now you're telling me that you've spent your night with your girlfriend? And since when did you have a girlfriend, huh?"
"Since last night." Jay answered. "And her name is Charlotte Mitchell. Cute name isn't it?"
She froze on her feet when she heard her best friend's name. She couldn't accept the fact that her best friend became his girlfriend in just one night and one day of knowing each other.
A tear fell down from her eyes. She wiped it away and looked at her feet. She bite her lips to hold her sobs.
There are hundreds, thousands, millions of women in this country and this world but why my best friend?
She looks at Jay even though he can't see her.
Why her, Jay? Why are you doing this to me? Is this my punishment for hurting you three years ago? Is this my karma?
She can't hold her sobs anymore so she stepped out of the mansion and ran outside while sobbing until her feet couldn't take it. She found herself at her grandma's small apartment.
"Pumpkin? Why are you-"
Before her grandma could even ask, she hugged her tightly and cried her heart on her shoulder.
"M-Momma… m-my heart is a-aching… I c-can't breathe p-properly, M-Momma… w-what should I d-do?"
Her grandma let her cry while she caressed her back.
"Hush, my pumpkin. I don't want to see you cry. It hurts me too." She cutted the hug and cupped her face. "Now tell Momma what happened. Is this about a guy, that's why you're hurting like this?"
She continues to sob. "H-How did you k-know, Momma?"
Her Momma shook her head and smiled softly. "I can see it through your eyes, darling. I know you. You're the type of girl who doesn't cry easily. Even if you fell from your bike and you had severe wounds, you didn't cry. You only cry if you love someone dearly to you or something you love to do that hurts you. You must've thought that I didn't notice your actions even if we're away from each other, aren't you?" She caressed her cheeks to wipe her tears. "So tell me, pumpkin. What did that guy do to you to make you cry like this, huh?"
Her grandma motioned her to sit first and that's what she did. She started to tell her all the details about her and her Master Jay.
HOON WAS pissed all day. Now that they already made a plan, he had to stop doing and teaching figure skating.
He was also pissed on Jay. He was always missing in action and now, he came home and told everyone that he's with his girlfriend.
That guy… he even had the nerves to flirt in this situation!
Their plan is to cut ties with their fathers. And Ethan, being the eldest son of Madame Lacey, agreed to that plan. Jake said he'd always wanted to cut ties with their fathers but they'll make it in a good way.
Now that their fathers are now in Florida. Handling their business branch there. Ethan will tell his father to inform him and their fathers to come home so they could settle the case at the court.
They don't want to handle their company except for Ethan who is only forced by his father. Ethan said he just wanted to be a musician and a singer in a band. That is his passion and love to do. He just obeyed his father, that's why he agreed to handle their company.
"Hyung! Did your father reply?" Hoon asked when he crossed paths with Ethan.
Ethan grinned. "Yes. I've emailed him earlier and said that we have important things to tell them. Good thing he replied fast. He said he will come home next week. But of course I didn't tell him that we're planning to cut ties with them. They might ditch us." He put his arms on his shoulders. "While we, we will settle things at the court as early as possible."
Hoon bumped his fist on Ethan's. They did fist bumps and laughed together.
~amph1trite~