Chapter 34: Raymond's POV: Birthday preparation

Raymond Pov

As I walked through the construction site, there were a variety of sounds making me regret coming here. The sound of hammering and drilling ached my ears. I saw Arielle sitting on a bench at a far distance. She seemed lost in thought.

After giving her the cup of ice cream, she smiled.

The moment I mentioned Gale, Arielle became disoriented. I knew there was something more going on, but I didn't want to pry.

“He said your birthday is two days from now. Why didn't you tell me?”

She sighed. “I usually do not celebrate my birthday anymore.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but I heard her.

I sensed a deeper pain behind her words and gently inquired, "Why, though?"

“ Well, ever since my mom died, it hasn't been the same, and it's even worse now that my father is no more.”

Her eyes already welled up, and her voice creaked.

I felt guilty not being able to tell her that the man she thought was her father was not her biological father and she had another father somewhere else, I just couldn't.

I pulled her into a hug and patted her back. “I'm sorry about that.

I am by your side now, and I'll try to make you happy.”

She nodded. 

I know we are not a real couple, but at least I owed her.

At that moment, I felt a sense of responsibility to make her happy. And I knew I had to make her birthday special, no matter what.

After work on the site, we headed back to the hotel. It was already evening, and the sounds of the construction site still lingered in my ears. I was looking forward to a quiet night in. After freshening up, I pulled out my laptop to check my mail and respond to any urgent mail.

As I scrolled through my inbox, one email caught my attention. I had an urgent meeting with a client scheduled for the next day, and I was required to be there in person. My heart sank as I read the message. 

I had earlier told my assistant to handle everything over there and not bother me by calling me on this trip. But here in my mail there's something urgent I needed to attend to.

Thinking of leaving Arielle here made me sick to the heart. I didn't want to leave her here, even though she and her team were going to go back two days later. A day still made a difference, and that day was her birthday.

Then I had an idea. Why not ask her to come with me? It would be a great opportunity for us to spend more time together, and I could make her birthday special and memorable.

I decided to call her instead of going to her suite. I picked up my phone and dialled her number, hoping she would agree to come with me. The phone rang twice before she picked up.

"Hey," she said, her voice sounding hoarse.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm perfectly fine” she replied.

"Alright. I'll be leaving tomorrow for some urgent work," I said, trying to sound casual. "I don't know whether you'd like to go with me?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought she would say no. But then she spoke up.

"I'd like to," she said, "I'm already tired of staying here, and I'm not doing much."

I was shocked by her response. Did she just agree? This was the first time that she was agreeing to come with me in my private jet.

I thought that she'd say no, but I just wanted to try.

"We'll leave in the morning," I replied, trying to sound calm.

"I'll need to arrange my things now then," she said, and we ended the call.

After the call ended. I happily went to take a shower. Who would have thought her coming with me would make me this excited.

*****

As early as seven, we were set to leave. 

Arielle wore sunglasses and a cap, and I instantly knew why.

We got to the airport where my private jet was, and after about 40 minutes, we were back in New York.

Immediately we got to the mansion, Arielle excused herself and said that she was going somewhere. She hurriedly dressed up and went out. I wondered if this was the reason why she decided to come today.

She acted strangely during the ride here. 

I pulled my phone to call my bodyguard to remind him to keep his eyes on Arielle.

With that, I left the house for my meeting.

*****

At the company.

As I stepped from my private elevator, my assistant rushed to me. 

“Sir. Your dad was here earlier, and he wanted to see you urgently.”

My lips moved upward. “See me urgently?”

“Yes sir, and your number wasn't reachable, and you told me not to bother you, so I didn't call you.”

I frowned, “what does my dad want to talk to me about?”

I gave my assistant my suitcase and immediately called my dad.

He picked it up after a couple of minutes.

“Hello dad. I heard you were at the company.”

“Yes I was. Why didn't you send someone to oversee the work at the other branch.

Why did you have to go by yourself. You can't just leave the main branch for days when you didn't travel for an important business” 

My dad nagging filled my ears, and I could see that what he wanted to discuss with me was not urgent.

‘Dad, I'll talk to you later. I have a meeting now.”

Before he could say something else, I swiped on the red button and went into the conference room.

*

After the meeting, I headed back to my office to catch up on some work. 

As I sat in my office, I couldn't help but think of Arielle and how I wanted to make her birthday special. I had a meeting to attend to, but my mind kept wandering back to her, 

I pulled out my phone and dialled Ivana's number.

"Hey bro, what's up?" she cheerfully said.

"Not much, Ivana," I replied. "I need your help with something."

"What could that be?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Arielle's birthday is tomorrow, and I plan on surprising her," I said.

"Oh really? That's so thoughtful of you," Ivana said. "What do you need me for then?"

"To help me arrange it, of course," I replied. "You know I'm not exactly the best at planning surprises."

"I'm not in the country, Raymond, and I'm busy with work," Ivana reminded me.

"I know, but I was hoping you could help me out remotely," I said. "Plus, I know you owe me big time, and maybe all your sins could be forgiven if you just help me."

Ivana laughed. "Oh really? I thought you'd already forgiven me completely."

"You are a sly one, Raymond, " she teased.

I chuckled. "Please, just help me out,"

"Okay, fine," Ivana said. "But you owe me one, Raymond. What's the plan?"

"I was thinking of something simple yet meaningful," I said, thinking out loud. "Maybe a quiet dinner at a nice restaurant or a surprise breakfast in bed."

"It sounds lovely, Raymond," Ivana muttered.

"But I think we can do better than that. What's Arielle's style? What does she like?"

I thought for a moment before responding. "She's a simple girl, Ivana. She doesn't like fancy things or big crowds. She's more of a quiet, intimate setting kind of person."

"Okay, got it," Ivana said. "I have an idea. Let me make a few calls and see what I can arrange."

"Thanks, Ivana, I owe you one."

"You definitely do, bro," Ivana said, laughing. "I'll call you back soon with the details."

We hung up, and I couldn't help but wonder if Arielle would be excited about the surprise Ivana was planning. 

Just then, my assistant called me to let me know that my next meeting was ready. I stood up, straightened my tie, and headed out to meet with the clients.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, at work, I packed up my things and headed home. It was already late in the night.

When I got home, I noticed from the garage that Arielle's car wasn't there. She wasn't back yet? Where could she have gone?