Fixing The Past Mistake

-Tokyo-

"Otosan, I'm not asking you to give me Dana's share of the company. All I want is to use it until Dana needs it."

"And all I wanted from you is to step up and tell Dana the truth, but it seems like I'll die first before it happens." he spat the words in front of her daughter.

"But Otosan!... I already have my own family, my husband won't allow it," she whined.

Akihito looked at her daughter and lamented on how she turned out to be this kind of adult. He is overcome with guilt with the thought that he and his first wife were the ones who raised her to be what she is. His regrets won't change things but he will make sure until his last breath that Dana will not be part of his past mistakes.

"Otosan," she tries calling her father in her sweet voice that she always uses when she wants something from him. But his father didn't throw her a glance and is fixated with the sparrow hopping on the window sill. Her husband is waiting for good news, she can't go home without one.

Akihito heard her daughter sing-song voice, and he was brought back to the times when she was a young kid, used to getting everything she wanted. Her mother wasn't helping with how she is always gone from home, he on the other hand is as guilty. But that time he justifies his action with the belief that he is doing it for the family.

He swallowed a bitter smile.

"Tell your husband he can't have my company even when I die," he said flatly watching the flurry of snow outside the hospital window.

"Otosan!!" she exclaimed in fury. "You can't do this to me," she said, shouting at her father.

Akihito ignored her daughter's anger, leaned on the pillow, and closed his eyes. He hears the door opened and he knows it's Josefa. She has been listening in the next room.

"Yukiko, I would suggest lowering your voice. It's not good for your father's health. He needed his rest." she calmly explained.

"You're not part of this family, you have no right to say anything to me!" she hissed at her in a nasty tone.

"You must have forgotten that I am your father's wife by law and by God. And most of all, I am the woman who raised Dana," she said in a dangerous tone.

Yukiko, seeing her expression, grabbed her purse and fled the room.

"Is she gone?" he asked his wife without opening his eyes. A soft kiss landed on his forehead as she pulled his blanket closer to his chest.

"Yes, darling. She is gone, until when we don't know."

"Call Dana."

---

Dana frowned at her reflection on the mirror, fumbling her phone in her hands, she kept on thinking if she should send a message to Grand or worst call him. She never felt so insecure her whole life, as much as insecurity she is feeling right now.

"OMG!! Did you notice the tall guy in black next to our table?" the girl in a tight mini-dress said, shrieking in excitement.

"Girl, I'm not blind, he looks so fine!" said the girl in a bob haircut.

"He even winks at me when our eyes meet!!"

"Shut up! He was looking at me!"

"Let's talk to him when we go back to our table!" they said in unison, hurriedly opening their purses to retouch their makeup.

Dana put her phone back in her handbag and took out her pressed powder and started pretending to dab her face with some powder when in truth she was listening to the two girls squealing over a tall handsome boy in black. She smirked inwardly thinking how Bobby winked at these girls.

She stopped eavesdropping on the girls when she saw they were almost finished with their makeup. She stepped out of the powder room quietly and hurriedly went back to their table to tease Bobby and to make sure the plan of these girls won't materialize.

"What is it?" Bobby asked the grinning Dana who looks like his cat Siopao that caught a canary.

"Oh, just that there were these two girls whom I met there," she said, pointing the bathroom direction with her lips, "clamoring over this handsome guy who winked at them," she said, teasing him with laughter in her voice.

Bobby laughed at her amusement, shook his head, and raised his hand to call the waiter.

"Let's not go, yet. Let's wait for the girls to come out of the bathroom. They were gonna talk to you." she said chuckling.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, and ruffled her hair.

"Stop!" she said laughing. When she looked up she saw the two girls staring at her with a murderous look in their eyes. She lowered her head and whispered to Bobby. "I think it's time for us to go."

Bobby played along, bent his head closer to her, and whispered too, "Should we?"

She stood up, and grabbed Bobby's hand, and pulled him out of the restaurant.

They were both laughing at the restaurant entrance when her phone rings. She took it out of her purse and saw that it's Nancy.

It's already late, why would she call her at this hour, she thought as she answered the call.

"Moshi moshi."

"Miss Dana, have you checked your emails? There's already a notification that you've got accepted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music," she said with much enthusiasm that the business tone she is known for is gone from her voice.

"Congratulations Miss!" she exclaimed in excitement.

Dana was shocked that she was rendered speechless when the news registered to her brain, she screamed, jumped, and threw her arms around Bobby's neck.

Bobby was caught surprised by what was happening, then Dana shouted in his ears the good news. Jubilant with the news, he grabbed Dana's waist and spun her around, laughing.

Watching the scene between Bobby and Dana is Ling Chee, who was busy snapping photos on burst mode.