Chapter 21

**Esmeralda's POV**

The week following the day I was discharged from the hospital  got stranger as the days went by. And by stranger, I mean the way Hunter treated me got sweeter progressively.

He even invited me to lunch with his friends before they all flew back to their respective homes. The lunch consisted of me partly feeling left out because they all seemed close and partly fangirling over Bloom Gates.

Every morning since then, he has had his driver pick me up for work. This morning, he was even in the car.

Unfortunately or fortunately, he hasn't made any more moves to touch me since then.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment with Mr. Stone" A female voice snaps me out of my train of thoughts.

I look up to see a beautiful young woman smiling sweetly at me.

"Your name please?" I ask opening up Hunter's schedule folder on my computer.

"Dr. Keller" She responds making me  scroll up and down trying to find her name.

"I'm sorry but your name isn't scheduled here. Kindly call ahead another time to make up another appointment. Mr. Stone is currently busy" I recite the mantra I use as a response to all unscheduled visitors but this time, I do it with a smile because she's smiling too..

"It's a personal appointment, can you please call him for me? He sent for me himself" She responds.

'Personal Appointment'

I struggle to keep my smile on as those two words bounce around in my head.

I compose myself immediately though because what Mr. Stone does in his spare time or who he does it with is none of my business.

Geez Esme, talk about jumping to conclusions. What if she is just his doctor?

Even if she's not, I have no right to feel jealous. Not that I'm jealous or anything.

"Sure" I reply dialling Hunter's office phone.

"Esmeralda" he says as he picks up and my stupid heart skip at hearing his voice again.

"Sir you have a Dr. Keller here to see you. She says you're expecting her" I say trying my best not to sound as flustered as I was feeling.

"Oh, yes. Please let her in" he says and I murmur an inaudible "okay Sir" before hanging up.

"You can go in" I say smiling up at the lady who grins back at me before proceeding.

Thirty minutes later when she had still not come out of Hunter's office, I felt like hitting my head on my desk. What is going on in there?

I straighten up when I hear the door open and start randomly tapping the keyboard to seem busy.

"Thank you for coming Dr Keller" Hunter says as he walks her to the elevator.

"It was a pleasure Mr. Stone" she replies with her signature smile plastered on her face.

How can someone be so pretty?

When the elevator door closes and he turns around to walk back, I immediately avert my gaze to the computer. He stops at my desk instead of walking past though.

"Esmeralda, have you ever gone camping?" He asks out of the blues and I blink confused.

Camping? I don't think so.

"No, Sir" I reply.

"Well then, pack your bags. The CEO of the Chinese company we're trying to buy shares from has invited us to a camping trip with his family. Honoring his invitation would help us butter him up and make him accept our deal faster. Think of it as a business trip but on camping grounds." He says watching me carefully for what? I don't know.

"Alright sir, when do we leave?" I ask.

"In two days"

***************

**Hunter's POV**

Watching Esmeralda step out from her apartment with her luggage, my mind flashes back to the events of the past few days.

'Don't try to force the process, I know you're feeling overwhelmed but you have to take this slow. I might not be an expert in this field but I do know you need to let her remember by herself and not force it' - Blake's advice after he called five days ago to tell me that Mr. Stone and Esmeralda's DNA are 99% a match.

He then referred me to a neurologist who was nice enough to come in to my office.

"Mr. Stone, this kind of amnesia is very rare. It's called a fugue state. Memory loss is typically a result of psychological stress or post-traumatic stress disorder. My advice to you would be to do things with this person that might remind them of their past life. If that doesn't work, then there's nothing you can do but wait and hope for the best" -Dr Keller's advice.

That is why I'm taking her camping. Okay, maybe I lied about the Chinese investor part but it was for a good cause. What better way is there to jog her memory than taking her back to where it all started.

I walk up to her and help her with her luggage making her cheeks tint a bit red.

By evening, we arrive there in a rented car. This is the exact same camping ground we used when we were in high school. I had already hired helps to set up the tent and prepare everything just as it was back then.

Some of the helps rush to us to help us take our bags after getting out of the car.

"Hunter are you sure we're in the right place? This looks like a resort" Esmeralda exclaims as she looks around. I like the fact that she calls me my name now without me having to remind her.

The last time we were here, the school had rented out the whole camping ground but this time there are other campers around.

This camp ground isn't really where to get real camping experience. It's more like a luxurious version of camping where you get everything done for you by hired help so you can just relax in the middle of nowhere.

"Yes, we're in the right place" I reply laughing. Wait till she sees the tents.

As predicted, her jaw drops when she lays her eyes on the tents.

"Oh my God!" She says grinning widely and speed-walking after the helps carrying our luggage leaving me behind.

When I finally make it to the tent, I almost bump into a frozen Esmeralda at the entrance.

"Why are there two beds in the same tent? And why are they placing your bag on one bed and mine on the other?" She asks in horror.

"Well, what does it look like? We're sharing the tent" I say trying my best not to smirk.

Game on.