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“I start negotiations with Hong Kong. I plan to put an end to this war from the perspective of entertaining a healthy business relationship. I have contacts in Hong Kong, but the person I'm going to be talking to is your grandfather.”
“Ah gung?”
“Yes, between him and me, we can build something solid, and once that is established, I want you to move in with me. I have inherited from my father’s estate.”
Her eyes shine for a moment, and a soft smile covers her lips. “You want me to live with you?”
“Of course I do. I don’t want to have ever not you by my side again. If I had my way, we would move in there tonight, but because of your heritage, it will cause a stir. I’ll not take a single risk with you, not like that. I came too close to losing you once. There is no chance I'm going to do it again. So, I'll do this. Business and money, that is the language I'll push for this. My family cannot deny the benefits of a relationship with Hong Kong. And I know, underneath it all, it would be incredible to end this century-long war.”
“Whatever the future brings, Antonio, I just want to be with you.”
I pull her closer against me and kiss her, letting my hands slip lower to tease her all over again.
45
Seraphina
Iwalk through thestreets of New York toward the coffee shop where I'm meeting my father for lunch, and I think about the day I arrived here.
I felt so out of place, lost in the wonderful noise, color, and chaos of this city.
Now, just a short time later, I feel at home here.
I step into the coffee shop with a smile on my face, and I spot my father, who stands and waves as I walk in.
I go over to him and hug him, a gesture which he returns this time, feeling more comfortable with the intimacy of it compared to the last time I hugged him.
I sit down, and he sits opposite me.
“You look lovely today and are thrilled. I'm so glad that everything worked out and everyone is safe, Seraphina.”
“Thank you again, Dad, for letting me stay with you for those few days. I appreciate it, and so does Antonio. He told me you did the right thing by not letting me go back to the hotel.”
My father nods with a smile on his face.
“How are things between you and Antonio, sweetheart?”
I grin. “Dad, I have never been in love before, but I am. I'm in love with him, and it feels wonderful.”
“You look just like your mother when you get that look in your eyes.” He laughs.
“What was she like? I wish I could have known her, everything about her. Tell me about her.”
My father leans back in his chair as the waitress arrives to take our orders. I ask for a coffee and cheeseburger, and my father tells her he will have the same.
When she has left, he leans forward again, resting his elbows on the table.
“Your mother.” He sighs. “She was the most magnificent and beautiful person I have ever met, even to this day. I still love her so much. I don’t think it will ever go away. It hasn’t even faded. She is still my entire world.” He stares out of the window for a moment, lost in the memory of her.
“You still miss her?”
"Every day, every moment of every day, she was there, you know? She was this incredible force of strength, and her love for life was boundless. She adored cooking, exploring, she just had this immense love for everything."
“She loved you.”
“I have never felt love like that. I'm so grateful that I experienced it and so bitter that it was taken away from me. I try to tell myself that she had the choice, that she chose the outcome - and she did. She knew what I had to do and why I had to do it. But. But I still can’t stop blaming myself. If only I had never brought her here.”
The waitress arrives with our coffees, and my father stops speaking for a while.
