I called Chris to consult him about the repurcussion of announcing our relationship.
"For now, I don't think the paparazzi will take it easy. Until they can prove something out of this, they will keep digging, so I am suggesting that we will give them something to talk about at the present, rather than for them to be digging the past. Before we can be ready as to what they can expose about the past, we have to keep them buzzing about what's going on right now." Chris Kang is on point. He summarize the problem at hand.
The news between me and him will always be bad on my end. I am seen as a Cinderella, poor girl attracting a chaebol heir. A foreigner, divorcee, single mother who seemed to have bewitched the CEO of Namesis and the heir of Namshin.
"So , should we just go on hiding our realtionship? Why do we even bother with clearing it out for the public to know?" I'm really frustrated.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Miss, but the person you want tohave a relationship with is a public figure, whether you like it or not, the public will invest their time on him."
The public figure that is the center of the conversation right now is just listening to our argument with a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"Are you enjoying this?" Somehow, I felt annoyed.
He just shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips like as if this situation doesn't concern him at all.
"If you are seriously ready to announce your relationship then the best way is to settle with a character or a persona for you that the public could easily accept" he continues his argument.
"I got the point. So, in order for you to do your job, we'll tell the truth about us dating. And in order to take away their prejudice about her dating me for money, you'll probably come out with a scenario that he is worth more than being a PhD fellow, and the best way to that is for her to confess that she is Ara Charlotte, the best-selling author?" he finally butt in to the conversation.
But Chris is now clearly stunned. "Are you the Ara Charlotte of The Girl Who Owes Herself?"
Well. there's no hiding it now, could it?
"He doesn't know. So, which anonymity are you trying to protect?" Jae-woo looked at me with curiosity.
"I liked the scenario of Mr. Nam. Although, I am surprise. You, being the author will be easier to explain rather than the one I am thinking about. It's amazing how you kept denying your relationship, but he knows a lot about you that it's hard to believe you're just casually dating." Chris seems to be convinced with outing me now as Ara Charlotte.
"Good. But don't you have the best solution earlier? I thought your firm have been working with her company for 5 years, that only means you have been working with her from the beginning…why would you not know about her being Ara Charlotte?" Jae-woo is fishing out. I thought he would forget about it.
"Chris, I think you already have a grasped of what you will be doing, if you have anything else to discuss just contact Lisa and brief her about what we talked about, I would be expecting for update. I will not be here next week, so I will also give you my assistant's number if anything comes up…" He stood up.
"Of course. Just a side note…I'm a fan. I heard about the follow up book is already done?"
"The first copies will be printed Monday; I'll give you one when I come back. Thank you for today." I assured him.
"My pleasure."
When he closed the door behind him. I know I will meet his eyes full of inquisitiveness. I am not sure how much I have to tell him. Or if I needed to tell him everything else. I needed to know where we are with our relationship before fully divulging everything.
"I have pack my stuff, i have a flight this evening..." was this not a lame excuse? Why am I avoiding this topic?
"Don't you want to talk about that?" he's referring to whatever it is that Chris might have divulged.
"How far are you willing to go with me, Jae-woo?" I think I caught his attention now.
"As far as it goes…" he nonchalantly confessed.
"I don't like vague statements, I'm afraid." I confess. He sat beside me and for a while we are just sitting beside each other our back by the headrest of his bed.
"I have not been so forward with you about everything that happened to me for the past three years. We have a lot of catching up to do. I wish I could just say, it doesn't matter since what matters most is right now. But I know whatever is going on right now, the past will catch up to us eventually," he started. I looked at him. I'm ready to have this talk.
"The feeling of longing for you and hoping to be with you is too hard to bear. I tried to move on from that night. I have tried to look for you in other women. I know it's pathetic and unfair. But the more I spend time with them, the more I miss you." He finally looked at me.
"For a long time, I forgot what it feels like to be this excited, to be this comfortable, to be this sure of how I feel. I know the odds we are facing for this relationship to succeed. But I'd rather be facing them with you than rejecting this feeling altogether because of the fear of a challenging future ahead."
"How far am I willing to go with you, you asked? I'm hoping for a future with you and Marcus and everything else that comes with loving you…" I am shocked. Did I just hear what I thought it is?
"Yes. I love you Ara Rivera. I am sure of that now. I don't want to ever let you go, I can live with you here, in Copenhagen or wherever else you'll be, I'll be with you." Is he really for real? He is looking at me intently now, my reaction still astounded, I can barely close my mouth in disbelief.