Page 43 of Billionaire’s Promise

“No, I was stuck in Canada. Snowstorm. They canceled all the flights, so I missed it.”

Kai didn’t tell Lucy about Jenny’s husband, or our speculation of what her husband did to her. It really wasn’t our place to say anything. It was up to Jenny if she wanted to share the details with her friend.

“Have you been to New York before?” I tried to think of something else to say as Kai didn’t seem to be in the mood to say anything.

“Yes, I have many times. But only for work.”

“What do you do?” It felt rude not to ask after what she said.

“A bit of everything. I’m an artist but I model in my spare time.”

Okay. She just confessed that she was an actual model. What did I say about Kai’s women?

“Anything that I would have seen you in?”

“Nothing big really.” Phew. “I had a contract with a prestigious lifestyle magazine called Gao Shang.”

Okay. I knew about that magazine. It was so prestigious that you couldn’t just buy it. These magazines were gifted to the wealthy. It was their version of the Bible. Who was whom, what to wear, where to be – for the richest of the rich.

I was glad that our car journey didn’t take as long as it did to get to the airport. Dave had the airport staff – who had been following behind our car – deliver Lucy’s suitcases to Kai’s apartment.

“Thank you for coming to the airport with me. Come up for a cup of coffee. I owe you that much.” He said, though his attention kept drifting to the amazingly beautiful woman we’d picked up from the airport.

I felt my eyes narrow as he looked at her again, not even paying attention to whether I answered him or not. He owed me more than just a coffee.

Kai held my hands, and his eyes came back to me. This time, I could really feel how much he appreciated me being there. Even if, in the end, I was just another plaything to him.

11

June

Mission completed.

Kai wanted me to pick up Ting Ting, or Lucy, with him and now that it’s done, I should leave them alone.

It would spare me feeling like a third wheel at least. Or fourth wheel with Jenny there.

I stood by the entrance of the tower to Kai’s apartment, staring into the passing traffic looking for an available taxi. Perhaps I should just order an Uber. It would have been easier on a Sunday morning.

“Hey,” Kai said as he came out of the building, “what are you doing out here?”

I shrugged. Talking felt like hard work.

“You’re just going to leave me like that?” His voice sounded a little bitter. I couldn’t tell where he was going with this.

“You wanted my company to pick up Ting Ting. We’ve picked her up and she’s here now. What more can I do for you?” Now I sounded bitter.

“Oh–,” He blinked a few times, then as if he had a light bulb moment, “were we rude? I mean when we were talking to each other in Mandarin. I’m sorry, it was just so much easier talking to her in the way we speak in Shanghai.”

Yes and no.

Yes, that was a little rude, but I had gotten used to it as many of my patients were not from the United States. They would often discuss things with each other in other languages before telling me what they wanted in English.

No, that wasn’t really the reason I was feeling a little down. My head started to hurt.

“Please. I need you.” Kai gave me puppy dog eyes and I turned my face away from him. “I wouldn’t know what to do, you know, what if Lucy and Jenny don’t see eye to eye. You know, there’s no way I can predict how Jenny is going to react.”

His hand cupped my face softly. The warmth that radiated from him made my soul melt – I could never say no to him. And he knew that.