Expectations (III) + (IV)+ (V)

In the quiet solitude of the garden, Chang sat there sobbing until she began to hiccup. After having cried for so long and hard some of the weight in her heart released a little. As she dried her eyes, it felt like she could breathe and think more clearly.

Breathing onto her tingling fingers she tried to warm them up just enough to get some feeling back. Reaching up Chang pulled out the pins that held most of the weight of her hair up in the intricate up-do.

Even though it had taken hours for the lady to put up, within a couple minutes it was all undone. Shaking her head, she let her hair tumble down to help cover her bare back and keep her warm.

'I definitely can't go back in like this now, I'm sure my face is a sight to behold. Justin would probably have a few choice words to say about it. I should talk to Grand-père1 Jean-Jacques and see if I could have him visit, he's always wanted to see Europe.' Chang smiled a little thinking of her good friend.

'I'll have to kill time 'till later and sneak back in. I'll have to remember to apologize to Grand-père later too. I hope I didn't cause him any embarrassment or anything..'

Leaving her shoes and the pins where she sat, Chang dusted her long silver gown before she wandered further out her hands holding onto her opposite arms for warmth.

----

"Monsieur, this is a private manor, we should not be on this road, especially if you have not been invited. The Dumonts are an old family, they hold a lot of power, it is best not to anger such a household."

"Wouldn't be the first time, I have done something I should not have.." Under his breath Liang Jian Amal whispered as he looked out the window of the taxi as they made their way along the lonely road to Jean-Jacques Dumont's private manor.

"What was that monsieur?" The man looked into the rear view mirror at his rather haggard and difficult customer. He had hardly said anything and had looked like he was sleeping the majority of the drive, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Do not concern yourself with the matter, I will compensate you if there is any difficulties."

As they pulled up to a massive ornate gate à voice called out from a speaker box hidden inconspicuously on it.

"This is a private estate. Leave now."

"I am here for Chang Dumont, I am not leaving without seeing her."

"There is a private engagement happening, if you do not have an invitation, leave now. Only if you have been invited by Monsieur Dumont may you enter."

Hearing the man's words Liang Jian Amal gets out of the car after handing the driver a sizeable handful of bills.

"This should be fair compensation, you may leave now." The driver didn't wait to be told twice, and carefully turned around and headed away.

Liang Jian Amal turned and looked at the brightly lit gate.

"I didn't find out where she is for nothing. I am not leaving without seeing Chang." Scanning the fence he found a lower spot and ran to it and climbed up and over, landing heavily on the ground in a crouch.

Seeing the man boldly jump over the fence and enter the premises, security began to move.

----

In the ballroom Jean-Jacques Dumont pacified several of the guests until one of his security personnel came and whispered discreetly into his ear.

Hearing the man's words he straightened his spine and excused himself.

''Apprehend the man immediately and bring him to my study quietly. Be sure as to not disturb the guests, I will speak to him later. Two of you are to come with me, we must find my grand-fille before this man does."

----

As he made his way across the estate, several highly trained guards came out to stop him, calling out as they tried to grab him.

Liang Jian Amal could barely be bothered with them and didn't pull his hits as he wanted them out of his way to Chang.

After taking out a couple of the men, leaving them lying on the ground, one of the men radioed in to his head who was patrolling the party.

''Sir the intruder is fairly skilled and has taken out a few of our men and is making his way to the estate. May we have approval to use force?"

"Be discreet about it."

"Yes sir! Stop now, or we will use force!"

"I am here for my wife Chang Dumont, I will not leave without seeing her." Cornered by a few of the men Liang Jian Amal yelled back not wanting to mince words and waste his time. Pushing one of the men into his co-worker Liang Jian Amal made an opening and slipped away.

"You have been warned sir." The security force grouped up and spread out to corner their intruder.

After spreading out they managed to corner him, not wanting to prolong it a few of them threw themselves at him recklessly, stumbling him. As they staggered him another man came up from behind with a stun baton and ground it into his spine.

All of a sudden a hot, crackling, popping feeling traveled through his body from the base of his spine, instantly dropping him to the ground.

Stunned Liang Jian Amal sat there grinding his teeth wanting to rub his aching joints as the men ziptied his hands behind his back.

'Well damn that fucking hurt.' Even after it had been removed he could still feel the stinging tickle of the electricity in his fingertips and where it had touched him.

"Come with us now, if you resist, we will use this again."

"I won't, I am not here for trouble, I am only here to see my wife, Chang Dumont." Liang Jian Amal let the men pull him up without resistance and walked with them.

"We will let Monsieur Dumont know this and he will decide for himself, until then it would be best if you continued on being cooperative until the truth was decided." The man holding the stun baton spoke from behind him.

"Thank you."

----

Searching through the garden for his granddaughter, Jean-Jacques came upon Chang Dumont's shoes and the small pile of hair pins on the ground.

"You two spread out, the worst may already have happened, we must find her immediately before harm befalls my grand-fille." Worriedly holding onto the exquisite silver pumps he ordered the two men behind him.

They spread out checking the massive grounds, before one of the men came jogging back quickly.

"Sir, I just got notice from the others the unwanted guest has just been caught. Mademoiselle was not with him."

Hearing that Jean-Jacques Dumont breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Ah that is good, still we must find her."

After a few minutes more of searching Chang Dumont was located by the other guard. Heading to where she was, Jean-Jacques Dumont saw her standing in the middle of the skeletal lilac garden. Her gown shimmered under the low light from the sliver of moon and the stars barely illuminating her figure.

Her gaze was intensely focused on the crystal clear night sky over her head. She stared completely transfixed as if unaware of her lips that had become blue from the cold, and the reddening of her exposed skin.

"I wonder if he's looking at the same sky.." Shivering a little she whispered at the twinkling blanket of black velvet.

"Chang!"

Breaking her reverie, Jean-Jacques Dumont called out to her. Looking at her solitary figure, he was unable to stand the broken hollow appearance she wore.

Taking off his coat he strode up to her and wrapped her bare shoulders with the coat.

"It is trop froid! Come back inside with me." Putting an arm to her back he tried to guide her back to the manor. Chang pulled away from him, shaking her downcast head while gripping the front of the jacket.

"I can't, I'm sorry grand-père but I can't."

"You do not have to come back into the party my dear. I'm sorry this was too soon for you. I merely mean that we should get you inside and into a hot bath before you catch a chill."

Chang's eyes reddened and she nodded obediently and let him bring her back inside.

"I'm sorry.."

"You have nothing to apologize for, come now." Jean-Jacques Dumont took her two frozen hands between his and rubbed them to help warm them up.

"I'm sorry I dirtied the pretty dress you bought me too." Chang mumbled in a low voice, her head still hung low trying to hide her swollen red eyes.

"Do not worry, I'll buy you a hundred to replace it. Now come with me."

"Ok, but I don't want a hundred dresses."

Jean-Jacques chuckled at her response and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. With an arm behind her back, he brought her back inside through another doorway so that they would not encounter others.

After sending her up and away to her room, he sent a couple of maids to attend to her for anything she might want.

After attending to his granddaughter, Jean-Jacques Dumont returned to the party to the end, playing the good host to the friends, family, and business associates he had gathered to celebrate until its end.

Once he had seen the last person out he headed to his study where his intruder waited.

Sitting in a chair in his study, a ruffed up young Asian man waited. His cool and calm gaze fell upon the older man as he entered as if unconcerned by all the large men that stood around him and the severity of what he had done.

Jean-Jacques Dumont regarded the younger man curiously. The younger man looked to be Chinese but his darker skin tone and sharper features belied that he could be mixed race.He wore what was once a fine grey dress suit, but one of the sleeves had been torn in his scuffle, and had been hopelessly dirtied and worn in spots.

'Could he possibly be who I think he is?'

"Explain yourself, just who are you and why have you broken onto my premises in such a manner?"

"I apologize for the manner of my arrival. I am here for my wife.My name is Liang Jian Amal, I am Chang's husband.

'So it is who I thought.'

"Ah we meet at last, we have much to discuss young man." His lips pressed into a thin line, Jean-Jacques Dumont sat across from Liang Jian Amal. Deep blue eyes bored into the deep gold-flecked ones.