"Five years ago, I thought I lost you."
"What do you mean?" Veronica asked him softly. Assumptions flooded in her but she forcefully stopped it. She needs to hear him first before making her assumptions.
"You just disappeared. Like thin air. You and your family." Veronica heard his regretful tone. He continued,
"I know that what we shared is not deep enough for me to claim right away that I have fallen for you after that. But I also couldn't say that I felt nothing. In fact, I was in a rage the morning I woke up and you weren't there. So I asked Secretary Ryan to look for your information and found you in your dorm."
Veronica made an "Oh" sound.
"Please don't be mad with what I'm about to say. Trust me, that was before I realized that I want you in my life."
"Go on." Veronica urged him to continue.
She leaned her head on his chest. Of all the confession and heart to heart talk between them, she never imagined it to be with both of them, slowly dancing under the night sky with a soft tune from the violin as the background.
"I planned to make you my woman. Veronica, before I met you, women came and went in my life. I know it's not the kind of lifestyle that I could let you or our kids know. But I have to be honest with you right at this moment."
"Maybe we should sit first and talk?" Rawlf kissed her on the forehead.
"No, I feel this is much better." "Okay then, go on."
"I came personally to your dorm that year because I myself could feel that you are different. You could say I was trying to understand why I felt so different with you compared to the women I had in the past. However, instead of talking, we end up doing another thing," Rawlf paused and smirked at her playfully.
Veronica rolled her eyes at him although her face and ears are a bit flush.
"You were sleeping when my secretary called to remind me of my meeting. That's why I left you alone thinking that I could still talk to you later that night. I seriously regretted that. Regretting
that I should have stayed with you until you woke up so we could talk." Rawlf once again paused to kiss the top of her head.
"Later that night after my meeting, Secretary Ryan just told me about the issue against your father. I don't know what happened, I just feel the need to help your father, regardless if it's true or not, because all I think about is you. You know what's my second regret? It's leaving you alone without leaving any bodyguards around you to keep you safe. If I only did so , maybe you weren't put in danger. I was scared when I heard you were in an accident. But my influence then wasn't as strong as it is today. So it took me to personally talk to other influential figures then to save your father. I wasn't telling this to you so that you'll be thankful to me. I'm only"
"I know. I didn't know then. But for that I am still very grateful." Veronica tightened her arms around the man's waist. She couldn't distinguish the various emotions within yet but she is sure of one thing, her love for the man just grew deeper.
"I planned to visit you in the hospital the next day. But, there was no you when I arrived. I had the whole City I turned upside down thinking you were abducted. When I got news that there was a trace of you and your family being secretly transported to Country R, I also sent my most skillful men there. In fact, I even went there personally to talk to my connections but in the end, it bore fruitless. It's like you and your family vanished like smoke. That time I felt so helpless, and I realized that I haven't reached my limit yet. Losing you and not being able to find you or even discover just a trace of you made me feel so weak. I decided to grow my force and my company to another height. But trust me, there was never a day that I stopped looking for you."
Rawlf stopped and looked deeply at the face of the woman in his arms.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, he would wake up and the first thing he'll look for, is her beside him. He couldn't understand why he felt empty when he couldn't find her that year. And now he realized and understood.
He fell in love with this woman.
He's not sure since when, maybe when he asked him who John Rawls was five years ago, or maybe when he saw her dancing freely on her denim skirt that same night. He no longer cares.
As long as she is just beside him, with their kids. As long as she is in his life. As long as she exists with him. He no longer cares, as long as she's back to him.
"I never stopped looking for you, until one day, my secretary finally has something to report, and that's your sudden appearance after five years. I couldn't be any more excited."
Hearing this, Veronica raised her eyebrow towards him. "So I was already under surveillance the time I touched down back here?"
Rawlf didn't reply but the look in his eyes contained an affirmation.
"You have indeed become stronger. Do you know, my arrival here is secured by Country R. And yet, you were able to track it down. I will tell you about it next time… I …"
"Sure. Until you are willing to tell me. My confession doesn't require you to do the same."
Veronica leaned her head once in his chest as they continued to dance slowly. However, she wildly raised her head when she remembered an incident.
"Were you responsible for that food delivery when I stayed In Elitista Hotel?"
Veronica could recall that the first night of her arrival, one of the hotel staff delivered food she didn't even order. Since she just arrived after five years, she was on high alert then. Even to the extent of throwing that food away.
"Elitista is a subsidiary of Sy International." Rawlf didn't directly answer but Veronica could confirm it by the playfulness in his voice.
"Why? Did you enjoy the food?" "Oh, what a shame."
"What's what a shame?"
"Well, I had thrown that food away." Rawlf turned frozen.