April brought Sena to the hospital for a check, knowing that it was only slightly swollen and needing a few days' rests they drove back home after getting the medicine. April prepared a warm footbath and plasters to soothe her bruising. While on the bed, she sent a message to Nicholas that she was back home safe, and asked how her kitten was doing but before she could receive the reply her eyes involuntarily shut tight. Sena slept nicely on her warm fluffy bed and had a very familiar dream. 

Stella Mine is a diamond mine under Nexus Global in K Province of Country R. By mid-December a few days before Christmas an accident happened, dragging almost a hundred workers in a mudslide that later became infamous as the Stella December Tragedy. Although the head was fired for negligence the incident was destined to blow up big causing the mine to close down.  

The cold reminder in her dream made Sena wake up gasping for air. The things blurred in her memory came vividly once again. The cries of family members when the bodies of their relatives were recovered from the tunnels… 

Sena rubbed her face with her shaking hands and told herself silently that she will not let the same thing happen. She can do better this time! 

“Calm down… it’s not too late yet.”

Before going to shoot the cosmetic ad, Sena called for a meeting with the executives suspending all mining activities for the time being. Naturally, there were loud voices of opposition from its shareholders for the abrupt halt in operation as it will result in a large loss of profit but Sena would not budge and explained that they needed to conduct routinary checks in all the tunnels. Her proposal wasn’t made out of whim, she came ready presenting all the data she needed and convinced more than half of the board. Thus Stella was temporarily shut for a thorough inspection. 

The truth is, they didn’t have to halt production immediately but a typhoon is about to hit the small country R and K Province in particular where Stella is located will experience heavy damage. Although she thwarted the mining accident forcefully, she is not entirely sure if it will not recur in some other way. Just like the incident with Aera, she made sure not to collide with her one way or the other but she was still targeted. If this accident is left uncontrolled there will be no room for her to cry then. 

Another thing aside from the accident is the controversies that followed… 

Sena clambered down from her bed and went to the balcony for some cold air. She belatedly remembered that she sent a message to Nikki a while ago and hadn't seen his reply.  

Nicholas at that moment was sitting on a recliner facing the bayside from his balcony, there was a cold beer can on hand and a plate of honey garlic ribs on the coffee table. A purr was suddenly heard from somewhere. He turned to look below where the fat kitten sat chewing on a piece of rib it stole from his plate.

“You’re one brave fella.” He chuckled, reaching down to scratch its neck. “I don’t think you’re allowed to eat heavy flavoured food. I’ll get scolded if you end up unwell later.” 

The white furball looked at him as if he did something awful. He swore he could see resentment in those wet eyes. 

Dumpling twitched his tiny ears: Hooman, don’t think because the bone is tasty I won’t complain about you to my mama. Humph! 

He didn’t know how the kitten made it to his working table when he was in the shower but the moment he went out, the tiny fella was already rolling happily on top, scattering the pens, markers and everything on his desk. 

Dumpling who was oblivious to the crime continued to gnaw on the tasty rib: After this, can you give me back those papers? My claws like them. 

Nicholas, who foresaw the disaster, took the blueprint for the Metro Hub, keeping it away from the kitten’s paw. Sena rescued the tiny fella from another province. Good for him he had such a nice name. Dumpling. The temper is quite likeable too. He thought smilingly. 

Nicholas recalled one of the two dogs his mother was keeping and frowned as if reminded of something foul. A Chinese crested dog named Duchess and it was such a nasty little pain in the ass. Its small size couldn’t even pass for a decent mutt but it had an ear-splitting bark and rat-like face that rubbed him wrong. It was hella ugly and evil it would lock its jaws on his pants whenever he comes home. 

The phone vibrated on the side making Dumpling jump. Nicholas had to put a hand to gently pat it down. “It’s your mama.” 

His voice grew ten times softer. 

Sena: I’m back in my place. Are you home at the moment or still in the office? Remember to take a break and don’t overwork yourself. 

It made him smile. Nicholas sent in a long reply but got no message in the end, he figured she must have fallen asleep. “Heartless girl.” 

Nicholas looked at his new wallpaper with a small amused smile. He didn’t know what had gotten into him that made him agree to shoot a campaign ad with her. When she told him she was going to work with a male model, he became a lot uncomfortable. He had been paying attention to her enough to know that this would be the first time she is working with a male partner. He knew he should keep an open mind when it comes to her career but he couldn’t help feeling ill at ease. 

The dear girl was too precious and adorable. She would be holding hands with whoever chap it was and intimate close contact would be inevitable according to the script. The wolf will be tempted and thinking that he might take advantage of her sent the volcano inside his chest to erupt. After a whole day of agonizing over Sena’s faceless partner, a call came in the end, inviting him to do the ad because the intended model got himself injured.

So, without a second thought, Mr President dropped an online meeting to drive up to where his girlfriend was and the two of them ended up starring in a mascara ad. Never once in his life did he ever think he would get involved in a sideline that has something to do with what women use to brush their eyelashes. 

Nicholas stretched his limbs forward to relax and was about to ponder deeper on the hilarity of the circumstances when his doorbell rang. Dumpling raised his head, pawed the bone and resumed gnawing with his little teeth. The giant man stood up, walked to the door and opened it. A while later, a familiar scent came. 

Sena came looking absolutely loveable and silly in a combination of dark purple silk pyjamas and fish slippers when she came to disturb him. 

“Well, hello there neighbour.” He greeted her after a long pause. 

Lord, what is she wearing? It was hard trying to peel his eyes off those funny slippers and force them back to her face. 

Sena held on to the hem of her clothes.

The sound of his voice made her calm heart flip for some reason. A thudding chest was the last thing she wanted when facing a man who is so adept at reading her emotions. But the quality of his voice was almost her undoing. Low, almost lazy, calm. Soothing. Gentle. 

Reassuring. 

Sena was suddenly ashamed to admit to herself that she sneaked over because she was feeling restless after that dream. And that Nikki’s voice has this dark irresistible lure that strangely puts her mind at ease. 

“Do you plan to stand there all night, sweetheart?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure.”

The soft uncertainty in her voice made the electric current rush from Nicholas’s toes up to his spine. 

“Afraid to fall down the rabbit hole?” He asked, taking a step forward. 

She did not back away and just continued to look at him with those big trustful eyes. Nicholas extended his hand to pull her in. “Come inside, I have something you like.” 

She thought he was referring to Dumpling, which she heartbreakingly left for a whole day. It wasn’t until he pulled her to the soft couch, put a fluffy pillow on her back and glistening pork ribs on her hand that she understood. 

“Tell me why you look unhappy today.” Nicholas coaxed taking her head on his shoulder. “Was work tough?”

 “I had a bad dream.”

Sena heard him chuckle then. “Okay, let’s hear more about it.” 

He adjusted her body to a more comfortable position by putting her legs on his lap and letting her recline on the armrest.  

 

Early morning the next day, the girls on the other side packed up for the journey. Breakfast was steaming on the table when someone rang the doorbell.  

“I’ll get it.” Sena jumped up trotting to the door. “Good morning!” 

“Yes, good morning,” Apple replied with a suspicious stare. “You look energetic so early. Are you expecting someone else?”

April was in the right angle enough to see Sena’s disappointed pout. Apple wasn’t. Nor could the executive secretary see the person coming up from behind. In a space of a breath, Sena went from wearing a mourning face to someone about to receive her year-end bonus. 

Inwardly, April wondered why her boss’s friends said she couldn’t act. This is clearly a positive sign of skills! 

“No wonder,” Apple said sourly when he found there was an extra soul behind him. 

The man was holding a squirming white kitten then let it jump off and ran towards Sena’s feet.  

“Hi,” Nicholas greeted. “Dumpling was making trouble as soon as he woke up, I think he misses you.” 

Apple raised an eyebrow. “You two ain’t fooling these eyes.” 

Moments later, the living room hosted four people and a cat. April took a file folder and handed it to Apple for checking. In it is the schedule she received and organized for Sena as well as the compiled works she urgently needed to attend to. 

“You’re getting more and more used to this,” Apple said with a rare hint of praise. Next, he turned to Sena, “Remember to take precautions when you arrive in Country R. I will follow shortly after I tie up the loose ends with Fleur and finish your other order. Why did you suddenly think of going personally, huh?” 

“I’m going to conduct a surprise visit and a precautionary check myself.” She said honestly. Scooping up Dumpling who is about to rip her dinosaur Daisy to shreds. 

“With just this?” Apple looked at her meagre belongings by the door with a growing dark face.  

“We’re going incognito. I don’t want to make a huge fuss.” 

“Oh no, I don’t think so.” The backpack is giving him anxiety. 

What things could fit in there?!

Sena looked at him trying not to laugh, “Don’t be so dramatic. What do I need large luggage for?” Besides, with the storm coming, what she needed was practical clothing and something easy to carry. “I promise I will take extra care when dealing with personnel.” 

“What if it escalates unfavourably?” He asked emphatically. 

“I have a way to convince them if we ever run into trouble.” 

She learned that the halt in operations caused a rally among mine workers. She asked Apple not to intervene with her plan until she judges it is the right time to do so.

Apple narrowed his eyes, “Fine. But you also will not act rashly and endanger yourself without analyzing the situation thoroughly.” 

“Deal.” 

“Country R of all places.” Apple kneaded his forehead to relive some of his aches. 

Later that afternoon, Nicholas volunteered himself to send her and April to the airport where the jet was parked. Although using smaller airports is most common for private jets, the location is a bit far from Pearl Marina district where they live. He accompanied them to the VIP lounge until the last minute check was done on the plane. Their pilot was fussy over the plane details wanting everything to be working smoothly, at this rate, it will take a few more minutes to get themselves airborne. Not that Nicholas objected, better to have a meticulous pilot than not being able to land safely at all. 

“Nikki, is there a way to track a lost package?” Sena asked casually. 

“Yes. Do you need something traced?” 

“Uhm, sort of. A friend of mine lost the package he sent out—” she said with a little uncertainty. “A-Anyway, he said that he hasn’t received an update from the website and he wanted to know where it went. He’s very worried about it.” 

“Your… friend?” He asked sceptically. 

She blinked. “Y-Yeah.” 

Nicholas studied the woman who chose to stir her cup of coffee repeatedly rather than looking him square in the eye. Instead, she peeked at him like a thief with arms extended mechanically moving in an awkward motion. For some reason, he found her attempt to look nonchalant hilarious. 

“I know a person who can help.”

Her eyes lit up, “Really, that’s great!” 

He smiled, faintly observing her reaction. “He can trace everything as long as it passed through scanners and was documented in the system,” he was sure she knows him too but he won’t tell her that until later when she fess up her reason. “My friend can even tell you whether it was still sitting in a warehouse or being delivered.”

She looked relieved when he said that. “What kind of skill is that?”

“The guy is good with his hands and he understands how to run the system when needed,” Nicholas said innocently. 

She began to hesitate, “Is it legal?”

“Tracking a lost package is not going to be a big problem. It’s not going to send anyone to jail.” 

She nodded slowly. 

“When do you want his help by the way?” 

Sena bit her lip, “As soon as I confirmed the waybill number.” 

An eyebrow rose to his forehead. Oh, the dear girl is up to something very interesting again. How did she know that only by getting the waybill number on the package would Michael be able to trace the location of the missing item?  

Sena belatedly realized that she made a slip of tongue. She squeezed her eyes tight and waited for Nicholas to taunt her. Damn guy, she just knew he would catch her tail for lying! But she had no choice, how would she explain that the lost package was not her ‘friends’ but a smuggled item by the traitor in the mine? 

She had the waybill number memorized, thanks to her amazing memory but she wasn’t entirely sure if it hadn't changed on her rebirth. She does not want to risk this chance because that package held an important legacy of Stella. She wanted those back! 

“Don’t worry, we will find it.” Nicholas did not ask further, taking the initiative to switch the subject. “K Province is a good place, I’ve been there a couple of times and stayed in one of their cabin rentals in the woods. A friend still keeps my place, perhaps you can try and drop by once you're done and try it out.” 

“Nikki…” 

Nicholas saw she was having an internal struggle after the lame lie but he assured her through actions that he did not mind. Tucking the tendrils of hair falling on her cheeks., he murmured, “If you encounter problems abroad, you can call that person, he will come to help you, no questions asked.”

This made her feel warm and cherished. She can see he was very reluctant to let her go but since she insisted she had to do it, he let her. He also doesn’t insist on prying on her secret despite his brimming curiosity. She decided that she should be more honest with him soon. He deserves it. 

“And of course, if you get yourself in much bigger trouble there is me.” He offered shamelessly. “I have your back, sweetheart.” 

Her eyes stung involuntarily. Sena had to suck back her tears to avoid looking like an aggrieved kid, “I, I’ll give you a call as soon as we arrive.”  

“I will be waiting for it.” He pressed her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and lightly kissed her lips. 

“We can chat at night if you’re not busy.” 

He nodded then tweaked her nose next. “I was never busy, just don’t fall asleep on me too soon.”

Sena stuck her tongue out guiltily. 

April was having coffee while waiting for the love birds to finish burning her eyes. Seeing them so sticky sweet point blank made her weep inwardly. 

Ahh~ the bitter taste of having no romantic prospect at all. I’m not crying! 

Soon, the flight attendant came to inform them that the plane was ready to go. Nicholas did not stay after they left, he was about to reach the exit when someone bumped into him. 

“My God, can’t you leave me alone? I said—” the girl was shouting so loudly it attracted attention but when she saw the tall man in front of her, her eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-You are—” 

“We are not familiar.” Nicholas’ face darkened when he saw the growing crowd. His eyes swept the stranger coldly before turning on his heel wordlessly. 

The girl was left there standing embarrassingly.   

 

Darkness was gathering when the plane took off from the runway heading to Country R. It was April’s first time travelling in a private jet, the last time they went to Milan and hopped to Paris she and Sena used business class in a passenger plane but the experience was a mile different when it comes to comfort and convenience. 

She was fascinated by the shrinking view of the cityscape at dusk in the porthole. The plane climbed higher leaving behind Capital City International Airport. Although drenched in darkness, she could faintly make out the outline of prominent landmarks near their home. Six hours later they arrived at their destination. 

April looked over her still energetic boss, Country H is 2hrs ahead of country R. It's only nine in the evening here where the night owls are starting to come out. From a small private airport in K Province, they needed to drive for more than an hour to reach the place they were going to stay at. The weather was still fine until they reached their hotel rooms. 

“The sky was still clear an hour ago,” April whispered looking at the drizzle hitting the glass pane of her window. To make their travel as smooth as possible, she checked everything about their destination from roadmaps, rental vehicles, emergency places like hospitals and police stations, and even the local weather. She was sure that it was expected to be sunny in the following days. 

Maybe the rain will not last for long. Fortunately, it let up after thirty minutes, making her relieved. 

For the next two days, the sky was clear and there was no sign of rain. They meet up with Stella’s new engineer and head of operations to inspect the periphery of the mine. 

“The arrest of the former head of operations shocked everyone here,” the new head, Engr. Malek said when Sena walked along with him on site. “A lot of problems had been reigning over Stella when his term started a couple of years ago and it was indeed true that he does not follow the standard mining protocols. Worse, the deduction for monthly benefits of the workers has gone up but they couldn’t even use it to loan for emergencies.” 

Sena listened carefully, all of these had been addressed and included in her report. The revision will be implemented as production restarts. April followed closely behind. When they arrived at the office, Sena asked for the former head’s things. 

“They were put in the storeroom, we didn’t touch them as you instructed Miss.” Engr Malek asked for staff to bring in the box with the former head’s clutter and put them on top of the table.

Sena casually went through it, there were papers, a mug, an expensive pen, a rosary beads, books, a perfume bottle, an organizer, a cell phone etc. As she got deeper into the pile, she found a lonely blue Post It sticking in a book. 

Gotcha! 

She compared the number to the one she memorized and found that it has indeed changed. This is the new waybill number of the package that bastard sent. When they took a short break for tea, she went to call Nicholas who was out for a luncheon meeting for a movie investment Sena suggested.  

Director Lee saw that the golden Buddha was beginning to grow impatient so he called for the introduction of actors and actresses. A line of elegantly dressed male and female stars entered the private dining hall to be introduced to their private investor. One of the actresses, Aera Shin recognized the man sitting on the farthest seat and her knees weakened.

Didn’t she just see him at the airport the other day? 

Nicholas merely nodded his head and did not even bother to look at them. The director thought he had some interest in one of their people, that is why he came forward to privately sponsor their new movie. But looking at his posture, it doesn’t seem to be the case. 

“A fund of eighty million dollars will be handed over by my secretary tomorrow,” Nicholas said, fixing his coat. 

Both the producer and director were frozen solid after hearing that they effortlessly gained funding without going into bloody negotiations.  

“President Aiguille, we can’t thank you enough for this!” 

Oh my God, the current president of Aiguille Conglomerate steps in to sponsor their movie. If the world knew… 

Cold air suddenly rose out of nowhere, “This investment is not mine alone but my partner is not available at the moment. Perhaps when everything is ready we will be able to visit and watch the filming process. In return for our help,” he trailed, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair he then added in a warning tone. “You know how important privacy is to us. In return, I hope we can trust you to keep our involvement in silence.”   

Everyone, of course, understood what he meant. They cannot offend this person because he holds half of their budget. 

The meeting was about to conclude when Nicholas’ cellphone rang, cutting the farewells short. He walked out of the room, followed by Jacob much to everyone's relief. The heavy pressure coming off him was unnerving. Such a man bearing a promising name and background is not easy to deal with. 

“Hey sweetheart, you’re quite early. Miss me so soon?” He teased the person over the line until he heard her groan in embarrassment. 

“I have it.” 

“Have what? Our baby?” He chuckled, enjoying her growing frustration as she walked around the corridor. 

Jacob, who was walking beside him, shot his boss with a shocked face. Boss, you move so fast! 

“Sweetheart, it’s about a year late, so I think we should make a new one. What do you think?”

Jacob once again received another piece of information. His boss indeed moved so fast, unfortunately, he was left in the cold for long.  

Sena’s unhappy “Nicholas!” broke out from the phone. 

Nicholas quickly stopped pushing her. “Alright, alright don’t get mad. Give it here.” 

She recited the new waybill number she obtained and muttered, “Shameless flirt,” somewhere along the lines. 

“I’ll relay this to him,” Nicholas said. “Where do you stay at the moment? Is it safe there?” 

“We’re in the Palms Hotel, it’s small but clean and the service is good,” Sena said smilingly. “It’s about lunch right now right? Did you eat on time?”

“I just had one. It was so so.”

It was her turn to laugh at him. “Picky eater. How did you grow so big like that?” 

“So I can satisfy my future wife.” he cheekily replied, summoning a hot flush on her face. 

“Pervert!” 

The line went dead. Nicholas laughed knowing that he had won this round. He still had a slight smile on his face when he walked out of the hotel. 

In a small corner, Aera Shin came out and followed the man with a longing gaze. 

Nicholas Aiguille. Didn’t they say he doesn’t have a girlfriend? So who was he talking to with such a tender look in his eyes? 

Back in K Province.

The protesters temporarily put down their placards and signboards after getting an assurance from the company that they are not going to be replaced. They will be given their holiday bonuses as compensation for the delay. Everyone was cheering, others even burst into tears thinking they would be spending the end of the year with empty pockets. From the executives down to the low-level employee, everyone felt relief. It was explained that the mine was only temporarily closed and will resume operation once the inspection finished and all aspects, such as safety and integrity of the tunnels, equipment of the workers, machinery etc were green-lit. 

April was secretly amazed at how Sena handled an outbreak of a riot efficiently. So when she said she had a way to deal with the problem, she was talking about compensation. She kept her expression in check as she saw the string of numbers rolling on the projector. If the flaws were not exposed earlier, according to her boss’s estimation, bankruptcy will only be the least of their problems. They will face multiple lawsuits and compensations for families losing their livelihood and shoulder most of the cost for reclamation because Stella does not only affect people themselves but the environment as well. 

Compared to the current cost of halting mining activities, the overall result of negligence was unimaginable. Nexus Global will not be stingy with compensations now that they have proven that what Sena reported earlier almost became a possibility. The meeting ended on a positive note. Stella will reopen on January 2nd just after New Year. 

Thunder flashed overhead making everyone in the meeting room lookup. 

“The forecast said it was only a low pressure…” Engr. Malek said and checked his phone. A few moments later he turned pale and shot a surprised eye at the girl in a yellow windbreaker standing impassively by the window. Ms Erde came wearing this while the sun was high up, did she anticipate something?

Sena: Oh yes, and it’s more than that. 

“Miss, a storm might be coming. You and Miss April might need to evacuate back to the city just to be safe.”

“It’s alright Engr,” Sena said looking at the accumulating clumps of grey clouds above. 

The entire meeting room was silent. Suddenly, a cell phone rang.

Sena smiled apologetically and walked towards the terrace to answer the call. Apple’s voice came fighting with the roaring of an engine. 

“My dear missy, the things you asked for are ready and on standby. The governor of K Province just called me to extend his gratitude. Though he was a little unsure why there is such a large movement from Nexus Global all of a sudden nevertheless, he diligently sent his subordinates to fulfil the task and he is very thankful for the aid.” 

“How about the site near Stella? Has everything been set up?” She looked at the distant pit walls of the mine beyond the growing haze from rainfall. 

“Yes, half an hour later the local government will put this in the news right after the storm warning.” Apple paused, hesitating this time. “How did you know there would be a supertyphoon?” 

He wasn’t suspicious, just merely curious. She knew the danger before everyone else and coincidentally, the mine also stopped operating at this critical period. Perhaps Paula left her with some valuable connections he didn’t know of. Yeah, maybe that’s it. 

“A hunch, the world’s climate is beginning to be unpredictable.” She said casually hoping he bought the lame excuse.  

“Alright, if that is how you want to put it. Make sure to keep safe until I arrive, alright?”

“Roger that, and Apple,”

“Yes, kid?” 

“Thank you so much for your trust.” She said softly. 

There was a muffled sound from the other line before she heard him say in a shaky voice. “Anytime, kiddo.” 

In the meeting room, the engineer was pacing back and forth like an agitated puppy. The rain is alternating between moderate to heavy, if this continues, the only road leading to the city might get flooded. Special Assistant Apple and Ms Erde’s grandfathers will no doubt kill him if something happens to her here!