Sham Marriage

*Guo Corporation*

"Please sir! Forgive me just this once! My wife was in labor, and I couldn't meet up with the deadline-" A sleep deprived man in his middle thirties pleaded in tears, as two intimidating security men held onto his arms, pushing him away from the slender looking man in a dark blue suit.

"So what?" The young man arched his brows in anger, "Do I look like I give a shit about your wife? You had one job to do, and you failed. Hence, I have no reason to keep scum like you around." The young man heartlessly said to him.

His harsh words shattered what hope the salary earner had left, he took a quick look at the rest of his colleges who stood around, ignoring his plight. Deep down he knew that no one would dare say a word against the uptight second son of the Guo family, Guo Kai.

The business prodigy who stuck his feet into the business world when he was sixteen. Defeated, he gave up and allowed the security to escort him out of the building.

As soon as he left, Guo Kai sent a sharp glare at the spectators, giving them a final warning to focus on their jobs, instead of gossip. The employees swiftly picked up on his hint and cleared the floor in seconds, avoiding the wrath of the capital's most straight laced man.

Guo Kai turned to leave, only for his secretary to rush out of the elevator, holding a tablet to his chest.

"Secretary Hao, what is it?"

"Sir, Mr Huang has just extended an invitation for a dinner at his house tonight-"

Guo Kai waved his hand, "Decline, and tell Mr Huang I have an urgent meeting ."

"But Sir, word has just reached me, that young miss Huang has just landed in the country.

"What?" The indifferent look on his face vanished. He reached for the tablet, and sure enough, there was a picture taken of Jia Qi, arriving at the Huang estate.

"Cancel them." He ordered.

"Sir?"

"Cancel all my meetings. And tell Mr Huang that I'll be there for that dinner tonight." He spat out, then marched towards the elevator with his hands in his pockets and a hard to read expression on his face.

Jia Qi took a look outside her room, before locking the door behind her, then proceeded to gaze out the window and even inside the closet to make sure no one was listening in. Thanks to the maids frequently taking care of the place, her room was in perfect condition for her to move into. Although she did notice a few knick knacks were missing from where she left them five years ago.

"Big sister, how come you came back so early? We weren't expecting you back for another month." Xiao Mei said, sitting by the edge of the bed.

Jia Qi reached into her dresser and pulled out an untouched first aid kit. "I couldn't stay away and let that old geezer play match maker for too long. If I had waited another week, he might've sent me my own wedding invite along with the flight tickets."

Her complaints were to an extent well rounded. Huang Jin, was no snail when it came to taking decisions, his assertiveness was the sole reason why he was able to conquer the crocodiles all snapping at the top spot in the family business.

"That's right, uncle has been entertaining a lot of rich bachelors over the past three months." Xiao Mei pointed out in-between winces.

"Ugh!" She groaned, while cleaning Xiao Mei's wounded face. "I don't want a marriage, at least not before I take over the business. Why does father not understand that? Pueh! After making me study business management abroad, he slaps me in the face with a sham marriage!" The young miss rolled her eyes, unswayed by the idea.

But Xiao Mei on the other hand wore a cheerful expression. "But, getting married is important too. Big sis, you're lucky that your father is taking such extra measure to find you a groom." Her countenance fell slightly, and her smile turned lopsided, "Not everyone's father care that much." She unconsciously admitted under her breath.

Jia Qi nervously scratched the back of her neck. She had forgotten that Xiao Mei's father was still on the run and nowhere to be found. The little girl had always been sensitive about the matter and it was Jia Qi who comforted her the most.

Back then, before his business went under, he'd pay them visits with his wife and Xiao Mei as often as they could. Considering how weak Xiao Mei was, she barely went outside or made friends. Except for her 'big sister'

Changing the topic she suggested, "How about once I've spoken to father about calling off the marriage, both of us take a trip to them mountains. You want to see aunt Shan, right?"

Xiao Mei clutched her fingers into tight fists, a nervous line of sweat ran across her forehead. Did she want to see the woman she ran off without a second thought? Jia Qi was afraid she had hit yet another nerve.

Thankfully, her phone rang, relieving the tension in the room.

She immediately rushed to the bed and picked it up. Without looking at who it was, she placed the phone to her ear and proceeded to ask who it was in English. Xiao Mei watched with stunned eyes as Jia Qi carried on the conversation in perfect English, like she were a foreigner.

The caller happened to be one of her classmates from the states who was hopelessly in love with her and wanted to follow her back to court her. Unfortunately for him, as soon as the call ended, she blocked his number without giving it a second thought.

"Is that my brother in law?" Xiao Mei teased, but the repulsiveness on Jia Qi's face made her think otherwise.

"Humph!" She harrumphed, "Those men abroad couldn't handle me."

"Big sis, don't tell me that you wasted five years without even having one relationship?!" Xiao Mei asked in astonishment.

Jia Qi parted her lips as though to affirm that assertion, only for the hazy image of a man to pop up suddenly in her head. He was shirtless, and covered in sweat, his gaze was relentless, and so was the stamina. Jia Qi's cheeks flushed beet red at the reminiscence.

She noticed Xiao Mei staring and quickly dry coughed. "Of course! I was there to get a degree, not a di..." Before she could finish that sentence, a knock on the door stole both their attention.

It was a maid who had come to relay the message that her father had just arrived, and with important guests over for dinner. Somehow, the news had already reached her father's ear that she was in the country and he took ample opportunity to plan out a meetup.

Jia Qi ordinarily would've jumped out the window and escape over the fence. However, her will to escape vanished when she heard just who it was that was having dinner with them.

"Kai Gege is downstairs?!"

The entirety of city F's airport was still placed a strict lockdown, only now, police cars were parked all around the building, with about three helicopters hovering over the place.

Any spectator was asked to leave the premises, but not without being carefully frisked and patted down.

Assistant Lee marched out to see if the young master had been found, but was only met with disappointment, to see even more officers.

"Do you think this is a joke?! Is this all your resources could do?!" He barked at them frantically.

"We are on the case, no part of the city will be left untouched. Whoever kidnapped young master..."

Assistant Lee cut him off. "He hasn't been kidnapped yet, but if you slack off, and anything happens, your lives are all finished."

The officer furrowed his brows. The man they suspended all activities to find wasn't even a hostage? He alongside his colleagues were of the impression that a bigwig politician's son had been abducted from the airport.

But if he wasn't taken, did that mean that the entire country was at it's wit's end looking for a man who had run away from home?

The thought itself started to give the officer a headache. He had only seen the picture of this man, but had no idea who he was. No records were inputted in the system, he was like a ghost.

But yet, all his superiors were shaking in their boots to make certain he was found before the ultimatum ran out.

Just who the hell was this man?