Chapter Fourteen

Blaze really didn't like his visit to one of the currently disputed Lowells Group factories in Bulacan. This is indeed his job, but he hasn't even prepared the required documents, but Cameron has contacted him to negotiate with Sonny Kim's heirs. He took a deep breath and climbed out of his car.

He didn't see Cameron or anyone else who might have welcomed his arrival. He checked the watch on his wrist. It's almost nine o'clock. Then his phone vibrated, and he immediately checked the incoming messages.

From: Mr. Carter

Have you arrived? I'll be there in about ten minutes. If you don't see anyone, will you wait in the parking lot?

Blaze hissed in annoyance. Only this time, he had to wait for his client. Usually, he makes his clients wait because he is busy. But what confused him was why did he have to come earlier?

To: Mr. Carter

I just arrived. All right, I'll wait for you.

After all, once he waits, it's okay, right? He got back into his car to wait for the man. And while he was waiting, he checked around the big factory. It seems that the prospect of the land is very good. In fact, if it is not managed properly, the land may not produce anything at all. But the Lowells Group is indeed very good at seeing opportunities. Well, talking about Lowells Group, he was reminded of the person who helped him at the resort.

Siegfried Lowells

Hah, even if he hadn't met Cameron, maybe he would never remember that guy. Actually, he also did not expect to remember or meet the Lowells man again. Their first meeting did not go

well. And the second meeting was very embarrassing.

Blaze was now thinking about what their third meeting would be like if they were destined to meet again. He only hoped that today he would not meet the man. Although yesterday, Cameron had informed him that there would be another person from the L:owells Group who would attend the renegotiation.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Oh my God, be kind to me a little today," he muttered.

Then, not long ago, a luxury car parked right beside his car. He opened his eyes and looked at the person in the car. Well, there were obviously two people, and one of them was Cameron. He took a deep breath for the umpteenth time, and took his bag and climbed out again.

"Hello, Blaze, sorry to keep you waiting," Cameron exclaimed.

He just smiled as he closed the car door. But he waited for the second person to get out of the car. But it looks like this is indeed the day. Siegfried Lowells climbed out of the other side of the car. The man looked at him intently.

He slightly bowed politely to the man. Cameron turned his head and found his cousin didn't seem to really care about Blaze's whereabouts. Cameron hissed, annoyed with his cousin's attitude.

"Alright, we'd better get in."

*****

Siegfried busied himself with his tablet, checking the emails sent by his secretary. Even though he refuses to go to Bulacan, his cousin is the type of person who likes to force his will.

Even this time, Cameron threatened him to spread the joke about himself being gay in the media. It felt like he wanted to punch the man in the face.

He is too busy to even ignore Blaze's presence in the same room as him. Blaze himself was just busy reading some documents. Meanwhile, Cameron was meeting Sonny Kim's heirs at the factory's main door. The room was silent for almost ten minutes. Neither of them spoke. They even sat far away from each other.

Blaze took a deep breath and closed the document in his hand. He glanced at Siegfried. Well, seeing the man, he remembered the incident at the Siargao resort he wanted to forget. It sounded like a lie that he always said he was fine, but he didn't want to be in that sad situation for too long.

"Mr. Lowells..." he said quietly.

Siegfried, who could hear his voice clearly, suddenly raised his face and looked at the lawyer. Blaze took a deep breath and looked at the man closely. "Thank you. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet."

Siegfried raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for….?"

"That one time in Siargao. When you took me to the hospital," he said.

Siegfried took a breath. "Oh. But you don't need to thank me. At that time, I just…" the man was silent for a few seconds to think of the right words, "I just happened to pass by. Even if it wasn't me, someone else would definitely find you, Mr. Schift."

Blaze looked at Siegfried closely. It felt like every word that was uttered by the man was very difficult for him to digest. But there is one thing that he feels for Siegfried. The Lowells man was really very cold.

Then Cameron opened the door. "It's time," he said.

Blaze immediately got up and left the room with his bag and documents. Cameron frowned at the lawyer's annoyed attitude. He looked at his cousin, who was walking towards him. "Yeah, what did you do to make him look so upset?"

Siegfried shrugged his shoulders. "We only spoke briefly. Maybe he's being sensitive today. Don't talk about this, Cameron. I have to go back to the office for a meeting. So, finish it in an hour, okay."

*****

Jacel knocked on Kevin's door several times, but there was no answer from inside. She sighed and checked his watch. In half an hour, she should have met Mark, but she couldn't let Kevin not have lunch.

She knocked on the door again. "Kevin, I have to go now. Do you want to eat something? I'll order it. Kev?"

Still no reply or whatsoever. Since ten o'clock, Kevin did not leave the room again. Jacel bit her lip. Should she enter without his permission? But he said not to bother him, right?

She took a deep breath and touched the door handle. "Kevin, I'm going in, okay?"

Jacel slowly opened the door. The smell of oil paint immediately burst in. She opened the door wider. And her gaze fell on Kevin, who was sleeping on the bed. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Then Jacel walked over. She could see a box containing dozens of bottles of oil paint, pallets, and brushes. She smiled faintly. She had never seen painting equipment before or a person who painted directly. Jacel noticed a painting that was probably almost finished.

"Woah, he really is talented," she mumbled.

But in the lower corner of the canvas, she saw something that caught her attention. "KVN? I think I've seen this before too. "Ah, I see..."

Jacel remembered the painting from the school's annual festival. In fact, the painting with the initials KVN is Kevin's painting. But she even frowned. "Why the initials KVN?"

She then looked at Kevin, who was sleeping on his stomach. She could see the paint stains on Kevin's fingers and even on his face. Jacel slowly approached Kevin's bed. She then lowered herself to the side of the bed.

"Kevin…" she touched her brother's arm, "Kevin, I have to go and meet Mark. I didn't have time to make lunch. Do you want me to order some food? Kevin."

But Kevin didn't wake up at all. Jacel sighed softly. "Kevin, wake up!!" She screamed a little in Kevin's ear, hoping the young man would wake up.

Well, it did work a little. Kevin then opened his eyes and looked at her face, which was close to him. "Can you not nag me? I just went to bed at six in the morning and just finished my painting."

Jacel frowned. "But at breakfast, you don't seem to stay up late. It's almost lunch. But there isn't any food. Do you want me to order something?"

Kevin took a deep breath and slowly got up from his position. She noticed the young man and stood up. Kevin ruffled his black hair. "Just any noodles would do. But where do you want to go?"

"I am meeting Mark. I already told you at breakfast. Before going home, I will go to the supermarket to buy groceries. I'll leave the money on the kitchen table, okay," Jacel said. Hell, she sounded like a mother.

Kevin nodded and laid back down. Jacel sighed and left the boy's room. But she turned around when Kevin's hand grabbed her wrist. "What else? I'm almost late, Kev."

Kevin looked at her, who was standing by his bed. "You look..."

"What?"

Kevin let go of her hand. Then he pulled the pillow and covered part of his face. "Go."

*****

Siegfried massaged his forehead hard. He was outside the room where the renegotiations were taking place. But the voice of Sonny Kim screaming with anger can still be heard clearly.

He had been out of the room for about half an hour, and he had been in the factory for two hours, but the renegotiation was going very hard.

"Oh, I shouldn't have come here," he muttered.

Then one of the staff approached him with a worried face. He looked at the man. "What is it?"

"Sir, I think we should send the factory employees home."

He frowns. "Why? What happened?"

"A group of people came and blocked access to the factory. It seems that they are orders from Mr. Sonny Kim. And according to the procedure, we have to stop factory activities at a critical time like this. For the safety of employees."

He sighed. The problem becomes more complicated than he imagined. He massaged his forehead hard and looked at the staff. "Alright, do it according to the procedure. Ensure that all employees will leave safely. Use the emergency evacuation route to avoid another commotion. And if you see Manager Han, tell him to come see me."

The staff nodded in understanding and rushed to his orders. It seems that renegotiation is not the right way. They should have settled this case through the courts. Even though that right was against his grandfather's will. But this matter is already too complicated. And maybe hiring Jordan Reyes' law firm was the right decision.

Siegfried himself has checked the track record of the law firm, including Blaze Schift, the lawyer assigned to solve this case. The man is indeed quite reliable in his field, and he is lucky because Jordan Reyes appointed the man in this case. But then he even remembered his meetings with Blaze, which he thought were not memorable at all. He doesn't know, but he feels a little uncomfortable with all the events between them.

He was so busy with his own thoughts when he suddenly heard the sound of broken glass—or something. Hurryingly, he returned to the room, where he saw the coffee cup had been smashed on the floor. In addition, he saw blood spots.

"Hey! Siegfried, quickly call an ambulance!!"

*****