Chương 9: Bad Dream
James went out of his car at Sea Breeze Bar restaurant of Disneyland Resort. He had an appointment with Jayden while he was in Hong Kong after a business meeting.
"Hi, Jay," James greeted Jayden. Jayden was having dinner with a teenage girl in the outdoor spot of the restaurant. Jayden smiled and invited James to join him.
"Ratu, let me introduce you. He is my friend, James," Jayden introduced James to the girl sitting next to him. Ratu sincerely took out James' hands to shake and introduced herself.
"Ratu Lin. I am Uncle Jay's niece," Ratu admitted adorably with her friendly smile. James raised an eyebrow and smiled as he shook her hand.
"James Harristian. You can call me James or Uncle James." Jayden frowned at the different names James mentioned to them.
"Harristian?" Jayden reconfirmed with a question.
"Yeah, that's my real name. Only a few people know. You're one of it." James replied. Jayden nodded and poured the alcohol into a small empty glass.
"I don't drink," Jayden said as he poured. James chuckled slightly and took it to rise.
"For our friendship!" James said, giving his toast to Jayden. Jayden nodded and lifted the glass of soda. Ratu also raised her juice glass because she was underage.
Throughout the dinner, they joked with each other. James also praised Ratu's beauty for a teenager on her age.
"You must be surrounded by boys, right?" James teased Ratu more. He could speak Indonesian as well as Ratu.
"Ah, Uncle James... who wants to date me!" Ratu replied while giggling a little.
"Don't you realize how beautiful you are? For a girl on your age, you are gorgeous. If it weren't because you were Jayden's niece or you were underage, I would've asked you out." James raised his eyebrows, teasing Ratu, who did stop giggling. Jayden shook his head in disbelief to hear James.
"What? did I do something wrong? I'm deadly serious!" Jayden scoffed a while and ignored James. Jayden then went back to chat with Ratu.
When Ratu briefly excused herself to the toilet, James smiled sweetly at Jayden.
"Is it real?" James curiously asked Jayden. Jayden was chewing, trying to digest what James meant.
"What do you mean?"
"Is it true that the girl is your niece?" Jayden nodded.
"Her mother is my older sister." It was James' turn to nod.
"But it seems like you don't relate by blood. I don't know. It's not like an Uncle's affection to me." Jayden was still chewing slowly while looking at James.
"What did you see, James?" James leaned closer and folded his arms on the table.
"I saw that you're in love with that teenage girl, aren't you? If people don't know that you're both families, they'll think you're a couple," James admitted honestly. Jayden was still silent, watching James. He finally sighed a moment later.
"Was my guess right?" James wondered, but this time his voice was lower as if something was troubling him. Jayden nodded slowly without speaking. He just took a drink and drank it with a sad face.
"Does anyone know?" James asked again.
"Nothing. Only you, James." James nodded and sighed.
"You know it's forbidden, right?" Jayden nodded.
"May I know since when?" Jayden smiled at James' question.
"If I said I liked her since she was born, people would say that I'm insane." James snorted and laughed.
"There's nothing logical about love. One can do even the craziest things." When he saw Ratu was walking towards them, Jayden whispered slightly.
"She knows nothing about my heart and doesn't need to know forever." James nodded with a smile.
"Okay, now I am ready to play rock, scissors, paper with you. This time I'll beat you," Ratu chirped while boasting to Jayden. Ratu even gave a round mark on her finger as an agreement.
James watched smilingly, watching Ratu and Jayden was playing rock, scissors, paper happily.
'Ah, I want to fall in love too!' –James muttered on his mind while still grinning at Jayden. Jayden was ridiculously acting in hurt whenever Ratu poked his nose or cheek as a punishment. While watching them and drinking, James's thoughts drifted to the blue-eyed ocean girl who was his savior, Delilah.
James tucked into one of his pockets and pulled out a black hairband that he stole from Delilah's room. He twirled the floral ornament then watched Jayden. Jayden's smile and laughter belonged to a man who was in love.
James thought he would feel it for some women, including Michele Luiz. He felt that laugh when he was with Michele, whom he had killed a month ago. But in fact, it was not the same as Jayden has now. Now he is attracted to a girl who helps him for a silly reason. It was because of her blue eyes.
'I can't fall anymore. All women are trash!' James rebuked in his heart. His smiling face looked at Jayden, and Ratu then turned cold.
"Do you need me to take you back to the hotel?" James offered Jayden and Ratu his help.
"No, I have my car. Are you going to stay?" Jayden asked James as they walked out of the restaurant.
"I don't think so. I have a meeting tomorrow morning at Superhart!"
"Ah, I do want to visit your factory!" Jayden said as he was taking James to his car. James laughed and nodded.
"Please do that, Jay. I have things to show you!" Jayden nodded and opened the car door for James.
"Evening, Earth!" Jayden greeted as Earth approached to open the car door. Earth gave a slight bow to the future leader of the Golden Dragon.
"Mr. Lin," Earth replied politely and smiled. He also half bowed to Ratu, who gave the same kind smile. Earth also got into the car and left not long after.
"Mr. Lin's assistant gave this invitation to you, Sir. It is an inauguration invitation," Earth reported by handing James a red envelope with a golden dragon symbol on it.
"He invites me?" Earth nodded.
"Mr. Lin wants to be friends with you. Only the closest circle to the Golden Dragon is invited, and you are the only one of foreign guest, Sir." James smiled and read the invitation.
"I feel the same thing too. I've never met anyone like Jayden. He's more human than I imagined," James murmured and making Earth chuckle.
"I thought the same thing, sir," said Earth as he was driving the car.
James immediately returned to Italy after meeting Jayden. He rested in his cabin of a private jet that took him on the 10-hour journey. James patted the pillow and lay down to rest when Earth slightly opened the door to tell him something.
"Sir, Mark Starley escaped," Earth coldly reported at the cabin door. James scoffed annoyingly and leaned his back against the side of the bed.
"I knew that bastard must run away—order one person to follow Delilah. I want to know what that girl is doing. And search for Mark as well as his son. If you get them, teach them a lesson!" James then tucked half his body in the blanket and lay down.
"Yes, Sir. Good night," Earth said and closed the cabin door.
James was lying on the bed looking at the white cabin ceiling with a reading light on the room. He tried to close his eyes and rest. James couldn't sleep well. For years, he has been haunted by the same nightmares of his painful past. He hates to sleep because of it. When he was exhausted and wanted to rest, James avoided deep sleep or would have that nightmare again. But tonight, on his way home, he had the same dream.
"I'm sorry. But you can't live with me now! Oscar doesn't want to take you as his son. So, I think you should stay here!" said a beautiful woman near a luxury car in front of an orphanage. James seemed shabby with a cut on the corner of his lip, as well as he was panting. He glanced at the small orphanage building and then turned back at the woman he called Mom.
"Mom, please don't leave me here. I promise I will behave!" Little James, who was six years old, pleaded and shed tears.
"It's not about that, James. Mama can't take you to my new house. So, you better stay here. I will see you sometime!" the woman then opened the car door and left, leaving James behind the car. He ran, trying to knock on the windshield so as not to be left in that strange place.
"Mom… Mommy, don't leave me! Mommy...!" James shouted as he fell on the cobbled streets for chasing the car.
"Mom… Mommy…!" James shouted desperately.
James gasped and sat sweating and out of breath on his bed alone. A jolt of turbulence occurred, and soon the plane calmed down again. His hands ruffled his hair, and his eyes filled with tears.
"You damn woman!" he cursed slowly.
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