Changes

Camellia Hotel, Wednesday night.

Phoenix walked out from the bathroom patting her face with her fingers gently. She was just finished with her night time routine.

She walked to the sofa and sat down while looking out the window.

It had been more than a month since Phoenix came to City M. A change of place had brought a change in herself, she admitted

Remembering friends that she made during this short period of time, she smiled to herself. From a chance encounter with Mia, she befriended Tiana, Ethan, and Ashton.

Ashton Qin.

It was not hard for her to find out about the Emperor of Qindom Empire, the young master of the Qin family, the charismatic Mr Qin that people look up to. He did not just have a drop-dead gorgeous face and a tall and well built body, but he had his own achievement and success that backed up his position at the top of the business world.

The man was mistrustful of her when they first met, and she didn't blame him, but understood where the suspicions were coming from. However, since the weekend that they went camping, the man had changed his whole demeanor towards her.

Was it because of what occurred during the storm?

She was reminded of the event during that time, the warmth of Ashton's body, the way he looked into her eyes like he wanted to unravel all her secrets, and his strong arms that were holding her waist in place. Then her mind switched into the memory of her last weekend. How lovely it was spending time with him. She used to do things on her own, but for a change it was really nice to be in his company.

Her heart inside her chest was thumping loudly, and she suddenly felt her face creep with a sudden hotness.

What happened to me?

She didn't understand one bit of what was happening to her.

'Sis, I really need you right now. Help me.'

In a situation like this, she would always turn to her sister for an answer. Her sister had promised her that she would always be there for her whenever Phoenix needed her.

Her sister was the one who pulled her out of the darkness of her past and breathed life into her frozen heart.

She still had trauma from her past, 16 years of trauma couldn't be easily vanished just like that even though 9 years had passed. It took time for her to slowly come out from her shell.

'I should go back to Country B to visit Sis. I missed her, I missed them.'

She breathed in a mouthful of air, and patted her chest rhythmically to pacify her havoc heart.

She picked up her phone and made a call to Sky.

"Hello Sky."

"I miss you!" Instead of Sky, a girl's voice was heard from the other side.

"Sienna?" She wasn't expecting Sienna would pick the call, but it wasn't surprising for her.

"Yes. It's me," the girl said.

"I miss you too," Phoenix said.

"Won't you come back to visit us?" Sienna asked with a sad tone obvious in her voice.

"You know what? I was just thinking about that," Phoenix fixed her voice trying to sound joyful.

"Really?" The girl becomes ecstatic hearing that.

"Yes. I'll go and book a ticket after this."

"Promise?" Sienna asked.

"Yes. I promise."

"Okay. We will wait for you," there was a clear delight from Sienna's voice.

"Is there anything you want me to bring from City M?"

"No. It's okay. I'll buy what I want when I go there."

"Okay. Where is Sky?" Phoenix asked.

"He is trying to complete his 500 pieces of puzzle. He can't find the last two pieces."

"Owh. He must be frustrated right now." Phoenix knew Sky character, Sky wouldn't leave anything incomplete, and he would be restless till he finished what he was working on.

"Yes. He is. He had been ignoring me since this morning. I got mad, so I hid the last two pieces of his puzzle," Sienna said, whispering the last sentence.

"Sienna," Phoenix called her name sternly.

"What? Served him right. I'll give the pieces to him once he apologizes to me." Phoenix could imagine Sienna's pouty face on the other line.

"Sienna. You know he won't be able to sleep if he doesn't complete the puzzle. It's already night time."

"Fine. I'll give it to him after I hang up the phone." There was a clear unhappiness from her tone, but she couldn't refute Phoenix as she was the one at fault.

"Good. Do it now. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. Good night," Sienna relented.

"Good night, Sienna." Phoenix's voice was gentle. She didn't mean to make Sienna upset, but she had to make Sienna know that what she did was wrong.

Phoenix ended the call and slumped on the sofa. As promised, she went to the airline application on her phone and booked a flight ticket to Country B.

As much as she would like to book the flight on friday night after her working hours and fly to Country B as early as she could, she couldn't. She had promised to attend the mini party to celebrate Ethan and Tiana's engagement.

To be included in the celebration for an important event of their life, made her feel that she was someone valued. She mattered, and her life mattered.

What a warm feeling.

Her mind was wandering off towards that certain man again who made her heart drumming in an unusual rhythm.

She shook her head hoping to get rid of it, but the thought of Ashton was like a ghost who hunted her mind.

*Ding

[Are you asleep]

Phoenix breath caught in her throat making her choke on her saliva, resulting in a series of coughing.

'Is he really a ghost?!'

She didn't even dare to open the text messaging app, so that Ashton won't see that she had read his text.

She threw her phone away, hoping that the thought of Ashton would go away.

'Out of sight, out of mind.'

That was what she was hoping for.

*Ding

[I just want to let you know, the renovation team had completed their work. They need you to come and check and make sure everything is according to what you have requested.]

She had taken a peek at her phone when the second text came in, and she had read some of what Ashton had written.

Since it was about the renovation of her house, she picked up the phone, opened the text messaging app and read the complete text.

'Oh no. Now I have to reply to his text, or I might appear rude. He did help me a lot.'

[Thank you Mr Qin. I'll go check on the house after work tomorrow.]

*Ring

*Ring

The phone in her hand suddenly riang startling her who was not expecting the call.

She looked at the caller's name and hesitated to pick up the call. She walked from the sofa and lay on the bed.

She couldn't pretend that she was asleep now. She had just replied to his text.

"Hello."

"I'm glad you picked up my call," there were traced of happiness in Ashton's voice.

"Is there something else you need to inform me about?" Phoenix asked.

"I want to tell you that I'll be picking you up tomorrow. So, you don't need to worry about how you would get to The Grandeur."

"I don't want to trouble you, Mr Qin."

"It's no trouble. My office is in the city centre too, besides we are going to the same place."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Isn't it better for me to pick you up? The public transport will be filled and you will have a hard time finding a taxi. Besides, with less cars on the road, it will save the environment." Ashton tries to convince Phoenix. 'No way will I pass this chance.' He thought.

"Well.. in that case, okay. I'll thank you in advance."

"How about you cook for me again?"

"….."

"It's okay if you don't want to." Ashton said in a downcasted tone.

"No. It's okay. I'll cook."

Ashton and Mia were truly brother and sister. They knew how to hooked Phoenix into their submission, or was it in their Qin's blood?

"How was your day today?" Ashton suddenly changed the topic after successfully making Phoenix agree to cook for him.

"It was fine." Phoenix was puzzled with the question, but he still answered Ashton.

"Do you like working there?"

"Yes. I do like working in Intan Jewellery."

"Do you like jewelleries?" Ashton tried to fishing some information about Phoenix. Well, he would use every opportunity to get to know Phoenix better.

"Honestly, I don't know." Phoenix never thought about it.

"Why are you working with jewelleries then?"

"Intan Jewellery had a good internship program and I was offered a permanent position after my internship ended. I won't say that I don't have any interest in jewellery. My interest was more of a curiosity."

"Curiosity?"

"Yes. My sister had a necklace that she treasure so much. So I was curious about the necklace."

"Did you find out why she treasures the necklace?"

"No. I don't probe on it."

'Ahh.. that sounds just like you.' He could grasp her personality now.

"So, you have a sister?" Ashton asked.

"How about you Mr Qin?" Phoenix dodged the question about her sister and asked Ashton.

"What about me?" Ashton was perplexed by the sudden change of question.

"How was your day?"

As soon as he heard that question from Phoenix, he forgot about his unanswered question and grinned widely.

"You want to know about my day?"

"Sure. Do tell."

"Well…. It started with the usual morning meeting…"

Phoenix listened to Ashton go on and on about his day. She didn't realize it before, but his deep voice was really soothing for her and her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier and soon she fell asleep.

Ashton heard a soft, even breathing from the other side of the line, and he knew that Phoenix must have fallen asleep while listening to him talking.

'Since when did I become talkative? Did she get bored listening to me?'

Phoenix wasn't the only one who was changing. Ashton too has changed since meeting Phoenix. He wasn't like this before at all!

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their mind, cannot change anything.- George Bernard Shaw

"Good night, Phoenix." Ashton whispered, before he hung up.