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The brothers lost sight of Sakura and frantically searched about them.
"She's gone!" Sebastian shouted.
"The exit!" Darcy yelled and raced toward it, followed by Sebastian.
Logan took out his cell phone as he was running. "Nicolas! She escaped!"
Tristan, Conrad, and Hayden weren't far behind him as they dashed down the stairs, chasing after the woman who had run away from them last spring.
In the main lobby and standing with his parents, James and Brenda Princeton, Nicolas swore under his breath. "She got away," he told them.
James frowned and Brenda nearly broke down.
"We'll find her," Nicolas reassured them. Then he rushed away toward backstage. As he was running, he took out his headpiece and yelled into the mic, "Listen, it's your CEO Nicolas Princeton here. There's a woman on the loose. Don't let her escape. I repeat! Don't let her escape. And don't hurt her!"
He came to a stop backstage, looked around frantically, noted the exit door was wide open, and raced toward it. He was about to reach it when he slammed into a woman and fell on top of her.
"Baka!"
"Shit!" Nicolas swore and rolled himself up. He found himself sitting on top of the most exotic beauty he'd ever seen. He swallowed and nudged his glasses up the bridge of his fine nose, his heart beating out of control.
Nicolas's heart never beat out of control.
Akira glared at him. "Baka! You baka! How could you slam yourself into me like that? Now you've ruined the gown!"
Nicolas didn't have time for this. He had to help his brother catch Sakura. She was more important, and so he simply said, "Sorry," to Akira, got up, and ran across to the exit door.
Akira got up and harrumphed loudly. "Baka man!" she muttered under her breath.
Nicolas dialed Sebastian's number and yelled, "Where is she?"
Sakura had no idea where she was in this enormous hotel. She was lost. She puffed as she stood in the middle of some sort of corridor, searching about her, wondering where she was.
"I don't know where she is!" she heard Sebastian shouting from a good distance away.
Sakura swore under her breath and dashed down the corridor.
"Wait! She's here on the second floor. West wing!" Sebastian shouted into the phone.
Sakura took the chance and glanced behind her. She nearly shrieked out when she saw both Sebastian and Darcy sprinting toward her. They're fast.
She sprinted, and the brothers were only a few steps behind her.
"Sakura! Stop!" Sebastian shouted.
"Sakura!" Darcy yelled. "Please don't run away!"
Sakura wanted to cry. I'm sorry! But I don't want you guys in my life just yet. Not yet.
The brothers' hands were reaching out to her, their fingers inches from grabbing the material of her long gown. Then just like that, she dashed around the corner, out the door, and down the stairs. The brothers lost their chance, and she was gone.
Sakura sprinted down the stairs as fast as she could and then out the door into the spring sunshine. She sighed and then raced into the thick crowd, hiding her slender form from the brothers' eyes.
The brothers rushed out and were lost. She was gone from their sight. Sebastian took out his cell phone and called Nicolas. "She's gone," he said, pain echoing in his voice.
Darcy gritted his teeth. He'd lost her yet again, and he felt his heart aching painfully.
Tristan, Logan, Hayden, and Conrad came rushing out of the hotel at that moment, heaving in exertion.
"Where did she go?" Hayden asked.
"Sakura," Conrad said softly.
On the corner of the street, Sakura turned her head and peeked at the brothers standing there amongst the crowd, looking as if they'd lost all hope.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
*
CHAPTER 9
Escaped
She was nuts! That, Sakura was very sure of. She was utterly and foolishly nuts. What made her think she'd get away from the Princeton brothers? What made her think they'd forget about her, especially after last spring, after what they'd been through?
She closed her eyes and felt tears burn within them.
What am I going to do now? she thought miserably. The brothers had found out she was here, living in New York. In fact, a mere stone's throw away from the hotel.
No. Don't think about that. It was the least of her worries. Now she had to figure out how she was going to get her handbag, which was still at the hotel. And of course, how the hell she was going to return this million-dollar gown and diamond necklace.
"You all right there, miss?"
Sakura flashed her eyes open at the inquiry. She managed to give the taxi driver a small smile.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks."
"Fashion show, is it?"
She nodded.
"Didn't have time to change, eh?" The driver chuckled.
"Yes, I was in such a rush," Sakura replied, noting they were driving through the familiar streets of Soho. A few moments later, they were outside the gallery.
"Can you wait here a moment?" she asked.
"Sure thing," the driver said.
"Thanks." Sakura rushed out into the street and through the door of Tanaka Gallery, her hands holding up her long skirt so she wouldn't trip over it.
"Holy shit!" Melissa greeted Sakura the moment she stepped into the threshold of the gallery.
"Is Ned in?" Sakura asked.
Melissa blinked. "How come you're dressed like that?"
Sakura didn't have the patience to answer Melissa, nor did she feel the need to explain what had just transpired.
"Is Ned in?" she asked again.
Melissa wanted to scream out, Bitch! to Sakura but managed to refrain herself from doing so.
"Upstairs," she said coldly.
Sakura didn't have time to register Melissa's cold glare. She hastily rushed up the stairs to the first floor where her loft was resided. She found Ned in the kitchen, making a cup of coffee. Toby was fast asleep on his basket on the other side of the room.
"Ned," Sakura called out.
Ned glanced up, and the moment he saw the look on her face, he knew something was up. The fact that she was wearing a designer gown and a million-dollar necklace didn't escape Ned's attention either.
He smiled gently and said, "They found you, eh?"
Sakura slowly nodded. "What am I going to do?"
"Not much," he said.
"That's not very helpful," Sakura retorted, crashing herself on a seat. Her body was still shaking from the encounter. She also felt a headache coming.
"Oh, damn, I forgot." She looked up to Ned. "The taxi driver is still waiting out front."
"You didn't have your bag with you?"
Sakura shook her head. "I was in such a rush. I didn't have time. Do you mind?"
Ned put his cup of coffee down and headed out the door even before Sakura could finish asking him.
Sakura decided to take the next few minutes to calm herself and gain her composure when she suddenly realized something. Oh, Mother of God! Her bag. What if the brothers went in search of her bag and found it? What if they dug through and found the whereabouts of her house and, more importantly, her new identity?
She rushed out of the chair and grabbed the phone. She dialed Jane's number and waited in dread.
After a few rings, it was picked up.
"Hello, Jane here."
