Chapter 47

Mr. McDonell had his eyes on Angel and Eric the moment they came into view. He had been sitting alongside his visitors at the big round table reserved for them tonight. He couldn't keep himself from smiling when he noticed how beautiful Angel looked in her red velvet dress. She suddenly reminded him of her mother at the time of their high school prom.

He stood up from his seat and turned to address the other four visitors seated.

"They are finally here," he said.

Angel couldn't help but blush as they approached the big round table. Mr. McDonell smiled at her as he stood up to address the four visitors at the table. One of the visitors looked younger than the other three, and his eyes looked straight at her with a certain intensity. Angel swallowed, telling herself to be aware of him.

Eric leaned a little closer to her as they slowed down a bit. He whispered, "You should be careful with that young man over there. I don't trust him."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Angel whispered.

Eric couldn't help but smile as he understood what she meant. This reminded him of what Leo had told him earlier, back up in the room, concerning Angel's interest. He had nothing to worry about after all. However, he had to keep an eye out.

Leo, who walked a few feet behind them with his mother and Oliver, also noticed Mr. Cho's son lay his eyes hungrily on Angel. He felt the sudden urge to walk over to him and gouge his eyes out. Wait a minute. He's supposed to be feeling that way for Carly. Why is he feeling that way for Angel?

Marco Cho, Mr. Cho's son, noticed the beautiful woman walking alongside Eric way before Mr. McDonell even noticed them. Her glorious appearance in the restaurant brought a smile to his face. She was like a queen who just graced everyone with her presence. A number of men from other tables also had their eyes on her, captured by her beauty.

His eyes flew towards Leo and the young boy walking beside him. The woman on his other side, he guessed, was his mother. Another young woman behind Leo, who was pushing an older woman in a wheelchair and also walking beside a stunning middle-aged woman dressed in black, also caught his attention with her lovely blue aqua dress. Her face captivated him, and he thought she looked like a princess you only get to read about in fairy tales.

Eric and Angel reached the table first. Angel put up a bright smile for the visitors as the rest of the family reached the table. Mr. McDonell took charge of introducing the family and the Barclay sisters to their visitors. Mr. Cho, in a black suit and straight posture for a man in his seventies, gave them a respectful bow as per their culture, alongside his son and his other two colleagues. He had a calm look on his face, yet it carried a certain sternness that, if he were provoked or annoyed, he wouldn't hesitate to show it. His sharp eyes resembled those of a deep and intellectual person.

He introduced himself and the people with him. To his right was Mr. Chang, who worked as CEO of his company. He wore horn-rimmed glasses, and just like his boss, he wore a serious face on his thin face. Next to him stood Mr. Cho's lawyer, a chubby man with a buzz haircut. To his right stood Marco, his son. There was no denying his charming looks, as he looked like an Asian celebrity you only see in the movies. He had jet-black, short, curly hair that made a side fringe on the right side of his forehead. He had sharp brown eyes, similar to his father's. A charming smile appeared on his lips as his father introduced him. Marco looked at every member of the McDonell family, yet the two Barclay sisters grabbed most of his attention.

They settled themselves down at the round table. Mrs. McDonell sat next to her husband. Diana sat next to Bertha, with her mother right next to her. Next to Amanda sat Oliver. After Oliver was Leo, who sat next to Carly. Next to Carly was Angel, and next to her was Eric, who couldn't help but keep his eyes on Marco every now and then.

The talk around the table didn't seem as serious as anyone would've first imagined. Mr. Cho spoke with a calm yet joyful voice. Amanda also chirped in the conversation, and as much as the two seemed different in terms of attitude, they apparently thought alike. They were talking about living conditions and how to go about life in these modern times. It was a pleasant discussion, and almost everyone at the table had said a word or two before their appetizers arrived.

Amanda cracked a funny joke about her experience when she was young and in college, which sent everyone laughing. Most of the McDonell family members, including the Barclay sisters, had heard the story before, but they couldn't help but laugh anyway. Even Mrs. McDonell was in a good mood.

"Oh, you're very funny, Amanda," said Mr. Cho, who wiped away a tear from his eye. "You have quite a jovial mother, Fred," he said, turning to Mr. McDonell.

"She always knows how to brighten up the place with her jokes," said Mr. McDonell.

As much as Mrs. McDonell wanted to make a comment, she stopped herself, knowing fully well that it would be inappropriate in front of their visitors. If it were any other evening, she would've done or said whatever came to mind.

As the discussion went around the table, three waiters came by to serve them their starters. While this was happening, Carly couldn't help but look across the table from where Marco sat alongside his father, who currently held the floor, as he also shared with them an event from his past. At first, she thought she was only imagining things when she felt like someone was looking at her from across the table, but she wasn't wrong. She found Marco's sharp eyes looking at her for a brief moment before he turned to look at his father beside him with a smile. Carly got goosebumps. There was something rather off about him that she didn't like. She doesn't know why she thought that way. Could it only be a hunch?

Leo felt Carly beside him grow tense. As much as they were seated next to each other with a breath of space between them, he couldn't help but sense something off with her body language. He briefly turned to look at her and noticed that she had been looking at Marco before turning to look elsewhere. Leo looked over at Marco, who had his attention on his father. The feeling he had had before of Marco came back to him.

They were having cream mushroom soup as their starter. As they started to have their meal, Diana and Amanda couldn't help but compliment how tasty the soup was. Marco compared the soup to his mother's cooking, saying that the soup was almost as good as the lentil soup she made back home.

"Oh, yes," Mr. Cho commented. "If you were ever to come to China, I should invite you over to my house and try out her soup. It's the best."

"Angel makes very tasty mushroom soup," said Carly. "Our mum always made it; sometimes I used to pretend to have a cold when I was younger just for me to have a taste. Angel makes it as well as she did."

Angel felt everyone's eyes on her, and she felt her cheeks heat up all of a sudden. She didn't expect to be the center of attention over soup.

"Fred has told me about you two sisters," said Mr. Cho. "Losing a parent is never easy. I lost both my parents when I was only a teenager, so I can imagine how painful it must have been for you."

"Yes, we miss her every day," Angel said after clearing her throat.

"You should make us some mushroom soup one of these days," said Amanda, beaming at Angel. She couldn't get over how beautiful Angel looked the entire time.

"You should invite us over too," Marco said. "I would love to have a taste."

Angel looked up at Marco. The two sat directly opposite each other, and that made Angel uneasy from the start. She thought if she avoided looking at him the entire night, she wouldn't have to worry about anything. It seems there was no way of avoiding his eyes after he spoke. Marco looked at her straight in the eye, and as much as he had a certain level of calmness, his gaze was piercing. Angel felt a sense of unease about him that caused her hair to stand on end. He looked at her in a deep and mystic way. Angel was one who would've loved to explore what was hidden behind such eyes, but the hunch she had earlier stopped her, telling herself that she might not like what she would find.

"I'll make sure to send you an invite," Angel said.

"Before dinner is over, we should exchange phone numbers," Marco said with a wide grin.

Leo and Eric couldn't believe this as they glared at him. Marco wasn't hesitant to ask for Angel's number out in the open. Carly couldn't believe it either. She looked at Angel, who had given out a brief look of surprise, before giving Marco a kind smile to hide it. Carly didn't know what to think of their exchange as she stared at Marco. She couldn't help but feel Marco might be interested in Angel. Then what was with the look he had given her earlier? She was so confused.

Amanda raised an eyebrow. Well, that was fast, she thought to herself. If this wasn't a formal dinner, Amanda wasn't going to hesitate to make a comment. It would've sounded like a joke to the visitors, but to the rest who know her very well, they would know she wasn't joking at all.

"Sure," Angel answered. It would look rude in front of Mr. Cho and his other associates if she refused. Mr. McDonell couldn't help but feel relieved, but he didn't show it.

"That would be nice, dear," said Mr. Cho, smiling kindly at Angel. "Let's continue to enjoy our meal before it gets cold."

Angel couldn't have asked for a better ending to this discussion. Afterwards came the main meal. Courtesy of their guests, Mr. McDonell had ordered a Chinese delicacy, which pleased Mr. Cho. There was Kung Pao Chicken, Chow Mein (stirred fried noodles), fried rice, and Char Siu (Cantonese roast pork). Angel, Carly, and Eric commented on how tasty the food was. Mr. Cho soon started to explain how the foods on the table are very popular in most homes in China. Diana couldn't help but ask about other special Chinese delicacies, and Mr. Cho was happy to answer her. The CEO, Mr. Chang, also joined in the conversation. The way he spoke of different foods, you wouldn't think he was much of a foodie with that stern face of his.

As they continued to have their main meal, at the entrance of the restaurant, Kim appeared in a stunning white strapless dinner dress that reached her knees and matching white heels. Trina stood next to her in a green velvet dress and black high-heeled shoes. At the entrance stood the receptionist, a smart man in a black suit. Kim asked the man if the place was full tonight, and he replied that it wasn't. Kim couldn't help but feel relieved. A famous restaurant like this is sometimes fully reserved on a Friday night.

"How lucky are we not to find many reservations tonight?" Kim asked as she turned to look at Trina.

"Very lucky," said Trina. Her eyes darted around the restaurant, looking for any familiar faces of the McDonell family. "Let's hope we will be lucky if Leo or Eric don't see us."

"Yeah, I know," said Kim. Just the thought of being caught put her on edge.

A waiter soon came up to them, telling them that there was a free table and that he would direct them where to go. Kim then realized that she should've first looked around to see where Leo could be. She had seen Trina look around earlier, and it looked like she didn't see them. They weren't fully inside the restaurant, so they were limited to what they could see.

As the waiter led them inside the restaurant, Kim couldn't help but turn her head here and there. They were led to the corner of the restaurant, where a small table was meant for two. As soon as they settled down, the waiter left them after they ordered a glass of wine. Kim looked at Trina.

"Have you seen where Leo is?" she asked.

"No, I haven't," Trina replied. She adjusted herself on the chair to search around the place. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Of course we are," said Kim, feeling offended. "Mrs. McDonell told me where they would be."

"Well, for some reason, I can't see them," said Trina. This time she was straining her neck to look above people's heads.

"They have got to be here somewhere."

Kim had her back facing the wall, and when she looked to her left, she noticed a big round table at the other end of the room. There were four Chinese men facing her direction, but it only took a second to recognize Oliver's head, seated with his back facing her. Sitting on either side of him were a woman, whom she knew was Diana, and Leo.

"Trina, Trina," Kim called to her friend, her eyes never leaving the table. "I've found them."

Trina followed Kim's eyes. The good thing about where they sat was that most of the McDonells were facing their visitors, their backs facing Kim and Trina. A few tables lay in between them, so if any of them at the table were to look in their direction, the women could easily look away like they hadn't noticed.

"Oh, yes, I see them," said Trina. "Wow, we're really lucky, huh?"

"Yeah," said Kim, with a smile on her face. She picked up the menu on the table and slowly turned to look at it. "Things are really going in our favor."

Trina, who kept looking at the table, said, "Well, Mrs. McDonell looks stunning. I can't see Eric's mum, but the black dress she is wearing probably looks amazing. And who is the woman wearing that aqua blue dress sitting next to Leo?"

Kim had been so focused on Leo at first that she didn't notice the woman seated next to him. She felt like she was about to lose it when she realized that it might be one of the Barclay sisters.

"It's one of the Barclay sisters," said Kim.

"I wish I could get a good look at her in that dress," said Trina, her eyes still fixed on the round table. "She must look really pretty."

"Really?" Kim raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

"You've seen how those sisters look," said Trina as she tried to defend herself. "They are really beautiful. You can't deny that."

Kim felt like dropping the menu on the table and taking off. However, she was couldn't. As much as Trina was right, an uneasiness swirled in her heart. Nevertheless, she brushed the feeling aside, calling herself a nutjob for thinking that way.

"Let's order," said Kim, trying to sound like she wasn't affected.

At the round table, everyone had finished their main meal, and as they waited for their dessert, Carly excused herself and stood up from the table. She felt eyes on her, and she found Marco staring. She looked away and made her way to the ladies' room, grateful that she didn't have to deal with Marco for a while.

With Carly gone, there was now an open space between Leo and Angel. Leo turned to look at Carly's empty chair, but his eyes averted to Angel, who was having a talk with Eric on her other side. As though she knew Leo was looking at her, she turned to look at him. Leo quickly looked away as he tried to listen to Mr. Cho as he got almost everyone enticed with a story. Angel briefly looked at Leo before ignoring him and turning her attention to the other side of the table. Marco, who noticed that brief moment, couldn't help but raise the corner of his lip into a dastardly smile.

Kim had her eyes on the table until she saw the woman in the blue dress stand up from the table. She realized that it was the younger Barclay sister, Carly. Moreover, Trina, from the very beginning, was right when she said that she looked beautiful. The makeup on her face amplified her beauty, which almost made Kim jealous. In addition, how could someone as pretty as her be sitting next to Leo? She thought to herself.

"Wow," said Trina as she watched Carly walk away from the table. "She looks pretty. That's the younger sister, right?"

"Yep," Kim answered with a lump in her throat.

"I bet the lady in red is her older sister."

Kim hadn't noticed Angel before Trina mentioned her. She turned to look at the woman in red, and even with her back facing her, Kim could tell that she was really Angel. She looked at the red velvet dress that hugged her body, and Kim could tell that Angel obviously looked stunning in it. The next thing she knows, Leo is turning her head to look at her. Angel turned her head to look at him seconds later, and he quickly looked away. She and Trina found themselves looking at each other.

"Did Leo just blush?" Kim asked.

"It's probably just the lighting," said Trina as she swirled her fork in the spaghetti she had ordered. She didn't want to delve much into what she saw.

"Yeah, yeah, you're probably right," said Kim as she turned back to her food and ate. She told herself that she might be overthinking things. There's nothing to worry about there; she convinced herself.

"Goodness," said Trina, as her eyes flew back to the table. "Is Eric talking to her? He looks to be leaning in closer to her.

That didn't bother Kim that much as she briefly turned to look at Eric and Angel, who were having their own mini-discussion.

She couldn't see Angel's face clearly, but just having the side view told Kim that Angel looked just as beautiful as her sister. For a moment, she almost envied her.

It took a lot of willpower for Kim to finally look away and focus on her food. She wondered if the woman Leo was in love with was just as beautiful as Angel or way more.

In the ladies' room, Carly had just walked out of the toilet stall after using it and gone by the sinks to wash her hands. She looked at herself in the mirror after taking in a few breaths, telling herself that she could handle Marco for another hour. She had a white glittery purse that she had carried with her, and she felt the phone start to vibrate.

She already guessed who might have texted her, and when she took her phone out of her purse, she found a message from Leo. She wondered what he might have texted her. When she saw the text, it sent her smiling. It read:

"Let's runaway together."

Carly tried to suppress her smile as she thought of how to answer him. Thinking about it more clearly, she wondered if it would even be possible with the whole family around. She texted him back, asking how they were going to pull it off.

He texted back immediately, telling her that he had a plan and that she just had to follow his lead. She wondered what she had in mind and agreed, telling him that she trusted him.

She put her phone away and prepared herself to make her way out of the ladies' room. Just as she was about to hold the door knob, the door flew open, and Angel quickly walked in, closing the door behind her. Carly looked at her sister and realized she was breathing heavily, as if she had just run a marathon.

"Angel, are you okay?" Carly asked.

"Yeah," said Angel, trying to catch her breath. She placed a hand on her chest. "I couldn't wait to get away from Marco's eyes."

"The man knows no bounds," said Carly as she rolled her eyes. "He was also looking at me weird."

"If his father wasn't around, I was going to give him a piece of my mind," said Angel as she walked to the sinks. "And he even had the nerve to ask for my number out in the open."

Carly could tell her sister was upset, but the expression on her face even made her all the more beautiful. No doubt, Marco fell for her looks, and that annoyed Carly a little.

"Don't take it to heart," said Carly. She came to stand beside Angel. "I'm not the least bit worried since you can handle him."

"Well, that's just it." Angel turned to look at Carly. "What if I can't? Now that we'll be working together, he'll surely raise hell for me."

Carly wished she could comfort her, but she didn't know what else to say. Angel was obviously not used to so many people looking at her like they wanted her. For Carly, it didn't bother her so much since she's used to it. As much as Marco looked at her that way, there's something about him that puts Carly off. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but she wouldn't want to spend time with him, that's for sure.

"Dessert will be served soon," said Angel. "We better be going back."

Carly agreed. "Sure. I hope his stare won't bother me when we get back out there."

"You should also be careful with him. That's if he ever does try to approach you."

Carly wanted to tell her sister that her warming was futile, so she kept her mouth shut.

The two sisters walked out of the ladies' room together and headed back to the table. Kim noticed them, and this time, she could see the two sisters clearly. Trina, who sat opposite, looked up and saw her best friend's expression had changed all of a sudden. She turned to see what Kim was looking at, and that's when she also saw the Barclay sisters. Her jaw dropped slightly. She realized that she and Kim weren't the only ones looking at the sisters in awe. They almost caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant, including the waiters and waitresses who happened to be serving their clients. Even women who had come with their husbands or boyfriends couldn't help but look at the two sisters with envy. Kim hoped that she didn't have that kind of face right now, but it was a little too late for that.

Her eyes fell on Angel, as the stunning red velvet dress looked gorgeous on her. Her face wasn't covered in much makeup, yet she looked so beautiful. She looked like an important celebrity. If there were paparazzi around, no doubt they would've loved to take photos of her. Carly, on the other hand, looked surreal, almost looking completely different from her sister, but, without a doubt, beautiful. She looked like a mystical being that came straight out of a novel.

Kim turned towards the round table and noticed that almost everyone looked at the sisters with awe. Her eyes fell upon Leo, and she noticed the way he looked at them. There was something different about him in her eyes. She had definitely not seen that look on his face before. Not even when the two of them were together.

She turned to look at the two sisters. Could any of the two sisters have captured his attention? If so, which one? Could one of them be the person he is in love with?

Kim quickly shook her head. That can't be possible, can it? If that were the case, the family would've known, and Mrs. McDonell wouldn't hesitate to tell her.

"I'm obviously overthinking things," she said aloud. That statement made Trina turn to look at her.

"Overthinking what?" Trina asked.

Kim shook her head. "Nothing," she replied. "You were right. They do look beautiful."

Just before Kim could look away, a pair of eyes soon fell on her, and she tried to look away in horror, but she stood still, as if she were face-to-face with her worst fears. Trina noticed the scared look on her face, and she knew that it wasn't good. Someone has spotted them. Who? Trina also turned to see who Kim was looking at, and she was left dumbfounded.

Angel had no idea how she saw Kim seated from across the room. As soon as she and Carly reached the table, she found herself looking in Kim's direction, and there she was. Kim looked scared, and Trina had turned to look at Angel, with the same look. They didn't seem surprised to see Angel; rather, they were scared, like little children who have been caught doing something wrong.

Carly sat down next to Leo, and she didn't notice Angel turn her head. She gave Leo a smile as she sat, and he returned the greeting with a smile too.

Angel looked away and took her seat. She didn't know what to make of what she saw. Should she tell Eric? He might tell Leo afterwards, and Leo will go and confront his mother. Did Mrs. McDonell actually tell Kim where they could be? Obviously, she did, but was it necessary for them to be here? Did Mrs. McDonell tell them to come? Angel replayed the conversation she had over the phone, and she didn't hear any of that.

"Hey, are you okay?" Eric asked, bringing her back to Earth.

"Yeah, I'm good," Angel replied.

She took a brief glance at the other end of the table, where Mrs. McDonell sat listening attentively as Mr. McDonell spoke. Angel concluded that she might have no idea of Kim being here, for she would've been throwing glances across the room. What if she had when Angel hadn't known before? The waiters soon came to their table to serve them their chocolate mousse for dessert. When a waiter came in between Eric and Angel to serve them, Angel took the opportunity to look across the room. She saw Trina and Kim where she had seen them, and the two looked to be in a heated conversation. It's obviously about them being discovered, Angel thought. She turned back to look at her dessert after the waiter left. It's no coincidence that they were here, Angel thought to herself. To avoid problems, it would be better not to say anything.

Marco, who sat across the table, had been watching Angel from the time she sat down. He noticed how uneasy she looked, and turning her head to look behind her. He wondered who could've made her this way. After he was served his dessert, he lokked at it and couldn't help but ask himself why he cared.

"We should go right now," said Trina.

"No. We aren't going anywhere," said Kim.

"Are you kidding me? You saw Angel look over here at us. How sure are you that she isn't going to tell Eric or Leo?"

"She won't. If she does, we'll just tell them that we happened to be here by coincidence."

"Really? You know fully well that they will not believe you."

"Leo won't do anything with people around."

"No, he won't. But once we leave here, you can guarantee that he will go straight for our throats."

Kim looked over at the round table at Angel, who was eating her dessert. She looked over at Leo. If Angel is smart, she won't tell him anything, Kim thought to herself.

"Let's order dessert," said Kim.

"You're going to get us killed," said Trina, lowering her head and shaking it.

Kim ignored her friend's whimpering and raised her hand to attract a waiter who was nearby. She wasn't going to leave this place without knowing who Leo's lover was.

***

Miranda propped herself on the large, king-sized bed, diving backwards and bouncing slightly on the perfectly foamed mattress, covered in white sheets. She was in the presidential suite, and the open balcony let in the cool night air along with the sound of car engines outside. She sat up and found Mr. Walters seated on the white plush couches and watching a baseball game on the plasma screen TV hanging on the wall in the living room. They had already been served with dinner and drinks, and feeling hungry, Miranda stood up from the bed and went over to the tray that was in the living room area next to Mr. Walters. He had already served himself a glass of champagne.

Miranda took a plate and looked at the food on the tray. She's going to have a good meal tonight.

"Don't eat too much, Miranda," Mr. Walters warned with his eyes fixed on the TV.

Miranda already served herself a chicken drumstick and salad. "What? You think our client is going to reject me after stuffing myself with so much food?"

"One thing I should tell you is that you aren't going to be entertaining anyone tonight."

"Huh?" Miranda looked at Walters with her plate in her left hand and the other hand on her hip. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just wait and see. Maybe after everything is done, he might consider having you."

"You really should be telling me from the very beginning what I'm being called for," said Miranda, rolling her eyes at him. "Where is this person we're supposed to be waiting on anyway?"

"He'll be here soon. He has some business to take care of first."

After filling her plate with more food, Miranda went over to sit on the other couch next to the one Mr. Walter's sat on. So many things started to run through her mind after she was told that she wasn't here for her usual service. She had a feeling it might be a complicated business matter. Mr. Walters has always been involved in such, but he rarely involved his call girls. Miranda couldn't help but wonder why he needed her help. Moreover, she prayed that it wasn't anything shady.