Chapter 26: Who Brought You Here?
This whole kidnapping ordeal had been strange, and the way it ended was even more strange. Kate didn't take much time to think about this because her brother was about to graduate high school and go to college.
She was excited to wait to see which college would admit him. For many years, she had taken care of her brother as a parent, and she felt the same anxiety as a parent would.
At the end of March, her brother Max called. He sounded depressed. "Kate, I was not admitted to the Ivy League universities I applied to." Before Kate could say something to comfort him, he announced excitedly, "I will come to see you."
"I am admitted by LACC. I am lucky."
Max added, "I am headed to LA now. I will get settled before school starts and also find a job to make some money."
Her brother was full of expectations. Kate was half delighted and half worried.
She hung up the phone and stayed silent for a long time. So many things happened in just half a year. And now she could not leave this city.
Hopefully, all her misfortunes were truly over with.
However, a face was still deeply impressive in her mind; an angular face with deep-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, tightly pressed lips, and a strong chin, with the faint smell of alcohol…
Kate shook her head and came back to her senses. She was standing in the wine aisle of the grocery store. She picked one bottle of wine randomly and smelled it, but it was not the smell she was looking for.
She could not help recalling the moment she spent in his arms. She was hurting like hell, but the man had pushed her arm back into her shoulder socket in the blink of an eye. It had been such a surreal experience.
It was unimaginable to her indeed. She had been huddled with a man who tried to drown her just months ago. But at that moment, his arms and chest formed a castle that was safe…
Kate shook her head again to stop these thoughts. Anything related to that guy was unlucky, painful, miserable, and disastrous.
And then Kate recalled another face: youthful, sunny, hopeful, and pleasant. She thought of his clear and bright voice. He reminded her of sunshine, the blue ocean, and everything nice.
After meeting Jimmy, he became one more reason for her to stay in this city.
However, the urgent affair was with her brother. She needed to solve the accommodation problems that her brother was facing immediately.
This problem was solved easily despite her expectations. John heard that Kate wanted to rent a new house, patted his chest, and said he would take care of it for her. The very next day, he drove a pickup to her house and moved all her belongings to a new place.
It was in a residential area that was quite nice. It was an apartment with two bedrooms. John said it had belonged to one of his relatives who had moved to another city and didn't care how much it was rented for, as long as the house was maintained in good status.
Kate was grateful. When she ran to the balcony, John and Sarah exchanged a look of tacit understanding. Winning a lottery was one in a million, but being a grateful person and getting repaid when you needed it was more than acceptable.
One week later, Kate saw Max at the railway station.
After dinner, John drove them to the seaside. It was the first time Max saw the sea. It was mysterious and attractive.
On the way back to the house, Max boasted, "It is so beautiful here. When I get rich, I will buy a house and bring our parents to live here." And then he said enviously, "If only I could buy a house by the sea!"
Indeed, they had walked on the beach just now and saw some elite mansions by the seaside, which looked like movie sets. Max marveled that the people who lived there must be very happy.
Kate thought differently. She only wished that she could bring her parents to stay here and do some sightseeing for a few days. She didn't dream of living in that kind of house. One should be realistic, she thought.
Life was not to be planned. It was full of possibilities, good ones, bad ones, and many more that couldn't be classified.
The project of the World Trade Center was personally managed by Tristan. He majored in architecture in college and understood the details of the project. It was an important project for his enterprise, and it was also his wish to build a time-tested landmark building for the city.
For this project, his top priority, Tristan put off other meetings and social engagements. He had discussions with the project managers till midnight. This evening he came back earlier.
As soon as he stepped into his apartment, he detected an unusual scent. He looked down and found a pair of black heels. He frowned and changed into slippers. He walked through the sitting room to his bedroom. When he opened the door, he knitted his brows tighter.
A half-naked body was lying on the bed. The sleek brown hair framed a very young face. She was wearing half clear black silk lingerie, and her creamy skin was looming.
An irresistible air of youth was spreading through the apartment. Seeing him approach, the girl paused a second and then got off the bed immediately and walked to him, still barefoot. She said respectfully, "Hi. You are back."
He replied expressionlessly, "Who brought you here?"
The girl seemed startled and stammered, "Ed, Ed took me here."
Just as Tristan had suspected, he called Ed and asked, "What the hell is this?"
Ed chuckled awkwardly on the other side of the line. "Boss, it is a gift from the team. She is definitely clean. Hope you like her."
He sneered, "Since when have you become a pimp?"
"You have been working too hard lately. We think it is good for your health."
Tristan bit his lips and hung up the phone. When he looked back, the girl was looking at him. Dark shining eyes with the corners lifted up a little, a palm-sized face, a pointy chin, she looked familiar to him. He paused and then walked to the couch, threw off his coat, and sat down.