He stepped forward, his right palm rested on her cheek, caressed her.
"I know your past, and things that you can't remember. The day you came into our company wasn't our first meeting."
Dan felt that her mouth was getting dry, thousands of questions roamed into her head regarding each word that was leaving his lips.
"Why didn't you speak of it before?"
He gently pulled her into his arms, "it was a nice warm summer when I was fifteen, my father was forcing me to study overseas and I had no choice but to listen to him. Nevertheless, before I leave, my father's friend came along with his daughter.
You were only ten years old and as beautiful as now, however, you used to come before that summer but either meeting lasted only hours when you left with your father and we weren't that close to chat. Yet, that summer you stayed with us longer, for a week, and during that short time, you became a dear friend to me."
He paused and released her, cupping her face between his palms, peering into the eyes that he could give everything to watch, he trailed off, "and when I left, a news devastated me."
Her lips trembled and one question moved out, "what was it?"
"I don't think that you are ready for that part, as I see your emotions are fragile now." He bent forward and left a kiss on her forehead. Pulling back, he held her hand and led her to a wooden chest on his bookshelf.
Dan was already mesmerized and couldn't even beg him to tell her the truth, she just trusted the flow of his moves. He was right, she wasn't ready to hear much about her past. As it came across, it wasn't delightful.
Unlocking the chest he took out a drawing and a few pictures, handing them to her.
"You told me when I come back home, you are a grown girl so we can go on date! This is an imaginary drawing of you about when I graduated." He smiled, remembering the memory of that brave girl he had known once, she didn't fear letting him know that she liked the handsome boy of the Qin family.
Dan's eyes ran teary as soon as she saw the images, the girl in there was her, and inside another one were two other men, she paused to see if she could remember but not even a single spark of her memory returned.
"This one on the right side is my father, and the other man is your biological father."
Dan swallowed, what about her mother? Did not she like to go around with them?
"Where is my mother?"
"Your parents were about to divorce at that time, it is what I know but you didn't seem sad about it, I remember you told me that they had arguments."
Hu was carefully studying her moves, she was touched but he couldn't stretch this fact more than this. He had hidden this girl enough and it was the right time to talk to his father but before it, Dan must recall everything.
"Who was my father?" She drew a finger on her father's smiling face, he looked like such a cheerful man, he must have loved her so much that he didn't let go of her.
This part was hard to explain to her so he decided to let her know calmly.
"I will tell you, but before it, tell me can you remember your material art skills?"
She gazed at him with an embarrassing expression, he must have had watched the video that which cameras had recorded.
"I do, when I get angry, I remember them and my body reacts but as I exercise and workout less nowadays, I feel the lack of strength. But I can't remember who taught me."
"Your father, he was the one who trained you to protect yourself, you told me he began it when you were six years old." He couldn't believe what she told him once would one day turn out to be like this. It hurt his heart.
'How could I let you go, Dan? Why didn't I take you to myself? But, taking you to me meant sending an announcement to your enemies.'
"I can't remember much."
"From tomorrow, exercise with me, those light ones that are good for pregnant women, and I want you to go to university with Victor and once you were done, he will bring you back."
She blushed, he was being so nice to her but why should he send Victor with her? Didn't he trust her? She shrugged it off, why should he?
"Alright, will you tell me more about my parents?"
He nodded, "and you should promise one thing!"
After what he had done for her, how could she reject his wish?
"Anything!"
"I want you to be a real wife to me, don't think of divorce or something else, even if the father of your child came, I'm not going to let you go."
Again her heart throbbed fast for this man, and she remembered that Bella indicated her brother's possessiveness.
"Do you promise?"
"I do, but why do you keep a woman you don't love? Is it for my father? Or you think you ought?"
He peered into her eyes, he wasn't ready to tell her about his emotions and how his heart was about to explode when he was thinking of her. In all those years he passed, there was only one girl in his mind and heart, and the rest who came just passed by and couldn't even tickle his heart. They just wanted to seduce him for money or fame but this girl didn't even attempt.
"Both, I'm dedicated to my words, perhaps you remember one day. You were so young when we talked but I trusted you."
She nodded, it could convince her, at least now, she knew that he wasn't with her as for pity nor was it fun.
"Thank you for changing my mood," that was true, since he began to talk to her utterly she had forgotten about those who hurt her, even she could imagine him as a good father, like the illusion that came to her back then at noon. But about her parents, her heart for her parents had hardened during the time, and she couldn't show any emotional reaction.
"Good girl, change your clothes and sleep early, tomorrow we will go to talk to Mr. Yang, we must keep Bella here."
She smiled, having Bella with her was as if having her guardian angel in touch.
"They must have had seen the show in the mall and received a call from Mr. Chen."
"Don't worry about them, I've called my mother earlier before I reach you at the police station."
She laughed as she remembered how they fixed those rude ruthless girls.
Hu could discern how retribution pleased her, he bent down and kissed her head and while the girl began to hiccup, he left the room.
Dan bit her lower lip and quickly ran to the mirror, she didn't blush, did she? Did he discover it? Seeing the fallen eyeliner, she cursed, why would she let him see her like this?
"Useless eyeliner was supposed to be waterproof!"
Sighing there, she walked away and sat on the edge of the king-sized bed! Looking at her images with Hu and her father, his hand was over his shoulder while smiling cheerfully, but since she came here, rarely, she caught him up smiling!
Her heart was beating rapidly since he planted a kiss on her head, he was a part of her past, and she possibly loved him so much, with this, Qiang wasn't her first love as she assumed. It was Mr. Qin. She spread on the bed and buried her face in the pillow.