Chapter 11: A Journey to Shanghai

Chapter 11

A Journey to Shanghai

Ethan’s POV

“Call me if anything happens in Shanghai. I have friends there who are ready to help out”

“Okay”

“And also pack a few more sun screen. The weather will be a lot hotter these few days”

“Okay”

“And also, your stuffed unicorn. I don’t know why you always have to hold onto it while you sleep but take it with you so you have something to keep you company”

“Okay”

“And also…”

“Oh my! Ethan would you please calm down. I’m only going for a movie premier. Not to the end of the world.”

Lila yelled out as she blamed me for nagging too much. I could help it though. Either I or Rina always travelled with her. Never had she left alone. But now so couldn’t as the company needed me. Rina had a family emergency to tend to. Leaving only her alone in Shanghai.

“Why would you accept the role in the first place? What if something happened to you while you were there and I can’t get to you on time?”

“Ethan, acting is my dream and I am this close to getting everything I have ever dreamed of. Do you really want me to give it all up because you are scared I can’t travel alone?”

Her words made perfect sense. She had a life. She had her own dreams, her hopes.

I was letting my over protectiveness question everything.

“But I am rich enough to support you. In a few years, I should have enough to even support your husband and kids. I’m the first kid. It’s my job to cater to all your needs. Your only job is to sit, look pretty and spend my money. Why is that so hard for you to do?”

Women were tricky. Give them everything and they any to work. Don’t give them anything and they decide to be lazy and demanding.

I didn’t want a woman to stress me that much. Women were stressful. My sister and her god damn best friend Rina were living proof of it.

“Okay then. Let’s do it like this. I call you three times a day; morning, noon and night. I send you my location every single time I am on the move and I won’t go far away from the crowd. Is that okay with you?”

I could tell she was trying hard to please me. Seeing as she had already thought of everything and Abi couldn’t find no loopholes, I reluctantly agreed. Reluctantly not willingly.

“Fine. But if you don’t do all these things and fulfill your end of the bargain, I am boarding the next flight to Shanghai and I am dragging you back home. Is that clear?”

I watched her face twist in disbelief but I couldn’t care regardless.

“Are we clear? Yes or yes?”

“Ethan you are being unreasonable”

“If being unreasonable means keeping you safe. Then yes, unreasonable I shall be”

“Ethan look at me.”

She stood in front of me as she looked up. I refused to do same. She managed to make me sway in my decisions every single time I looked at her.

“No. Not going to work”

“Ethan come on. Don’t be so unreasonable”

I finally looked at her as I sagged my shoulders. She hugged me as she placed her head on my chest. When did my little lamb grow up?

“I know what you are afraid of. But I promise to come back safely. Nothing is going to happen”

She was right. I had a problem with saying goodbye. What if you say goodbye and it happens to be the last time I set my eyes on you?

I hugged her back as I placed my head on hers. She was so tiny. So fragile. It reminded me of the days we were still kids. The first time I saw her and our mother told me to look after her that she was my little sister.

I had always wanted a sibling then. And then not only did I get a sibling, I got a sister.

“Are you calm now? You are squishing me”

I hugged her a bit tighter before finally letting go. Taking in a good look at her.

“Now I am calm”

“But seriously, you act as if every trip I take is going to be my last. I will always come back okay. So chill”

“I can’t help it. Now are you done packing so I can take you to the airpot?”

“Nope. I still need help with a few of my shoes and books. After that I am done. And I still have about fours hours left before I start heading to the airport.”

Okay then. To your closet we go.”

We both went into her room as showed me the necessary things she needed. I helped her sort through her clothes. Single handedly preparing each one for each occasion.

I didn’t want her stressed when I wasn’t there. Moreover in a foreign land. While arranging, I picked up a particular jewelry box I was sure I hadn’t seen before. I raised it up as I watched her stiffen. I already knew who gave it to her.

I opened it to see a silver customized necklace with the words Princess engraved on them with a crown. It glittered. The diamonds on them were no doubt real.

Another key fact was the diamonds were a rare type. A pink diamond. Rumored to be almost extinct. And here my sister had a necklace with tiny speckles of the same diamond all over it.

“When did he give this to you? Did you meet him personally?”

“No, he gave it to his assistant who handed it to me. I didn’t meet him personally. Wait I did. But it was only to thank him”

This dude was truly pissing me off at this point.

“Listen. Once you are back from Shanghai, I want you to break whatever relationship between the both of you”

“Ethan come on!!”

“I am being serious right now. No one knows about you. He keeps you hidden like you are some kind of mistress. He showers you with gifts that are way too expensive. And all these without a title. I refuse to watch you get played by him. I know how this ends. The minute he finds a new person, you are going to become old story. Is that really how you want to live your life?”

I could see the fear in her eyes. She too had already thought of this, hasn’t she? I calmed down as I tried to talk some sense into her.

“Look. I get it. He’s good looking. And rich. And the type of guy every girl wants to be with. But no man keeps a lady he wants hidden. And I don’t want that life for you. I don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you could have had a everything good but didn’t because you decided to wait on a man”

She fought the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.

“But I don’t know how to cut him off” she mumbled and I knew instantly. She loved him. And this was going to be tricky.

“Then talk to him. That much you can do right?”

She nodded her head as I sat close to her and brought her in my embrace. Seem like I had to pay him a visit after all.