At the pool,
She enters the pool. Gideon is sitting with a bottle of wine and two glass besides him.
She is shocked to see this Gideon.
He is waiting for her.
"We got interrupted at lunch today so I was thinking of making this dinner a thing."
This boy will be the death of her.
GIDEON'S POV
Something is wrong with me. Cara in a designer gown with a dipping neckline, albeit a tad too revealing for my liking, hugging her curves in the right places didn't turn me on.
Cara in a black hoodie? Hell f*cking yes.
...
"You got is wine....?"
"Yeah it was lying around the wine cellar. Got is a couple of wine glasses too -"
But Cara didn't listen him and starts drinking from the wine bottle.
"Right. Wine glasses! I'm sorry, I just -" then it clicks her. Where are her manners?
Gideon is shocked to see her drinking like that. And then he laughs and says,"Pass the bottle."
"How about we make this a game? For every question I ask, you get to ask me one too." he asks.
" You have a strange obsession with these question games, What are we, in high school?"
" No. But that's one question, so it's my turn." he winks, showing his signature smirk.
" Let's start with something simple - why are you always standing around the pools if you're afraid of water?"
She deep breaths. " The fear gets my adrenaline pumping which helps me to think better."
" Yeah, this just proves my theory that you're a little psycho. Your turn."
" Why does it matter to you that I tell you about the incident?" she asks.
" You're my girlfriend. I want to know everything about you. So - so what happened that day?"
" I don't remember much from that day. The doctors say that it's because of the PTSD - Post. Traumatic. Stress. Disorder. All I remember was flailing around helplessly, sinking deep into the ocean, before I blacked out completely. I - I have flashbacks of the incidents at time, but that's it. And I've been afraid of water since then."
" You don't remember what happened before you drowned? How you feel into the water....anything?"
" Uh - uh, you only get one question. Besides, it's my turn to ask." " How many girls have you dated?" she asks.
" Okay, new rule - we remove a piece of clothing every time we need a pass."
" A stripping game? you're the definition of a total jacka** from high school."
He jumps into the pool and splashes water at Cara. And then he laughs and teases.
"F***, did I take things too far? I'm so sorry, Cara. Are you alright? I'll go get you a towel -"
But then she also splashes water at Gideon.
" My turn -" " Ian said you refused to talk to anyone after the incident...what happened then?
She thinks to pass the question and strip his hoodie but Gideon makes a new rule," Strip and get into the water."
"Why do you get to make all the rules?" she says angrily.
" My pool, my game, my wine, my rules." he winks at her.
"I may not remember what happened at the beach, buy when I woke up, I just felt... tired." she takes and drinks wine.
" Some part of me knew whatever happened that day changed me. But for the life of me, I can't remember what. There was just this unexplainable sadness, like a heavy weight was constantly pressing down my chest. But I don't know how, what, why...." " Ian was the only friend who felt real at that time. He was the only link I had to the incident. Working with him to figure out what happened was the only distraction I had." " My parents brushed it off. They insists it's because I was somehow reminded of my past or something like that."
" Your past..." he asks.
" I'm adpoted."
" My parents dumped me at the orphanage when I was an infant. I didn't having the easiest of times but I grew up there. When they chose me, I swore to myself that I'd repay their kindness one day. That I owe it to them to earn the last name, Black. That I would do anything they ask of me. I know they put everything into Black's so I took it upon myself to manage the company when my father couldn't. For them. I just put as much work into Black's as my Dad. It's sort of my baby too. But agreeing to the engagement to save the company was my bottom line. I didn't realise I was that disposable. I did not have a great childhood, but I wouldn't even have a shot at it if it weren't for them. By ultimately trading my lifetime of happiness away for them, I think I have done more than enough. I can't even bring myself to talk to them now. I never believed in love anyway. It just wasn't in the card I've been dealt with in life. My birth parents didn't love me obviously. While Jiuen and Black thought they did..... I don't think that's love." " It's empty." she points at the wine bottle.
CARA'S POV
It's for the first time I opened myself to someone. I felt vulnerable, almost naked even. But in the weeks that led up to this, Gideon has proven time and time again, that if I could only choose one person to tell? It should be him. I wanted him to know.
GIDEON'S POV
I like to think that I always have the right words to say - the right excuses to get out of something, the perfect terms to make a deal, the sweet nothings to tease and hook. But for the life of me, I found nothing. I always knew there was something sad about her; the way she's guarded, how she's almost always in deep thoughts, the sorrow in her smiles. But this..... this.
.....
"Cara."
"Don't.
CARA'S POV
" Just as easily as the words slipped out the first time, my anxiety slammed and I clammed up. I didn't want to listen to his reply. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. What would he think of me now? Quick say something else!
....
"Hey!" "How many questions were that?!" "You cheated." She changes the subject.
Gideon laughs at her after she says it and get out of the pool.
She deep breaths and puts her legs into the water and relaxes for the first time, with legs in the water.
"Ask away. " he says.
"How did we go from pretending we're in love, to you actually falling head over heels for me? "
" W - Whoa whoa whoa, head over heels? You're giving yourself too much credit there. "
" What do you see in me? Why are you so nice to me? Hell, I called you a manwh*re and I kicked you in the nuts! "
" That's three questions, Black. " he says.
" Nobody should be this perfect. "
"Then I guess you haven't met the right person. Until now." he smirks.
She think she found his answer.
At night, In Gideon's bedroom.
GIDEON'S POV
Hey Cara? I cannot phantom how much courage it took for you to beat your heart and soul to me tonight. I wish I could have done the same. Trust me, if I could, I would.
But I can't.
I want to be the hero in your story so badly. I want to help you piece your lost memory together, to tell you that I was the one who pulled you to safety that day.
But I made a promise to protect someone else. And I can only hope with all my heart, that you'll understand why I have to do this someday.
...
Cara comes closer to him and sleeps in his chest peacefully.
"I'll make you this promise though - I don't know if I can show you all the love you deserve, Cara. But I'm going to try." he says and then he also gets to sleep.
At Gideon's office,
Clemonte's Entertainment.
"I can't believe they just pulled out of the agreement like that. The contract t was already signed , our Network was to have exclusive broadcasting rights of their show." says Smith.
" Of course, they would. I just did a little snopping around - Great Hit Entertainment poached them away from us for their new network channel. They even offered to pay the termination damage." says Trent.
" Who the f*ck is Great Hit Entertainment?" asks Gideon.
" An upcoming in the industry. Get this - They are backed by TK group. " says Trent.
" TK? They were my father's biggest competitors when he was in this seat, but he edged them out of the industry years ago. Looks like this is their way of making a comeback statement. We've already invested millions into the promotions, they are not going to cancel on us like that. I want all hands on deck from the legal department. They're not going to get away like that we easily. I don't care if we have to sue them into the grounds. Either we get the broadcasting rights or we make them pull plug on the show indefinitely. Nobody gets to play us like that."
" On it." says Trent.
" What? What is it?" he asks Smith as he is shocked.
" Remember how you had me find out more about the lyricist, Sana Takahashi? You're not going to like what I found."
At agency,
" See what I mean? The melody and backup harmony is perfect, we might have a shot at the billboards. But the lyrics...." says Trinity.
" Count on me. I have a plan." says Cara.
...
At home,
" I don't understand why I have to dress up for the wedding? The invitation clearly states that shirts are optional!" says Gideon.
" So you'd rather I turn up in a bra...?" Gideon is shocked to hear Cara say like that.
" I'd rather we spend the day here, with you in a bra."
At the wedding,
" I can't believe what I'm seeing right now." as Cara sees Austin without a shirt at his wedding.
"Welcome to the world of rich - no matter how absurd you are, every goes with it because money talks. "
Somewhere around the corner,
" So that's GIDEON'S new playthings? " asks Adrianna.
" I wouldn't call her a plaything. They are engaged." says Violet.
" Right. So his parent's plaything then?" both laughs.
" I hear she doesn't make much public appearance with Gideon, what's she doing at the wedding?" says Violet.
" Well then, let's welcome her to our world, shall we?" says Adrianna.