Nicole's body has never reacted this way to anyone before, as if Wu Zhaoyi holds a strange control over her. Could it be the guilt she feels towards him? Or perhaps the intense feelings she had for him before, now resurfacing once again?
"I think... you misunderstood something… here." Her words were proof that she was already powerless in front of Wu Zhaoyi. After all these years and out of all these people, why did she have to lose her composure in front of him?
"Really?" Wu Zhaoyi asked in a mocking tone and raised one eyebrow, "Then I'll wait for your explanation later."
Nicole didn't agree but she didn't refuse either, she chose to remain silent and let the man say whatever he wanted. She just needed to hold on a little longer, two more people until she left here and they would never meet again, that was what she wanted.
"Then, what should I do next?"
Nicole tried to avoid Zhaoyi's gaze by lowering her head. "We… are flying to Macau."
The man's voice became softer and Nicole knew that he did it on purpose, "When?"
"Tomorrow."
There was a long pause from Zhaoyi as if the man was considering something, "No, we will fly to Macau today. I will arrange it."
The man pulled his body away and took out his phone from his jacket pocket then made a call with it. When the distance between them began to grow, Nicole finally felt like she could breathe again as if her lungs had returned to normal.
"We're going to the airport," Wu Zhaoyi said, hanging up the phone call and speaking to her in a tone that was more like a command. Feeling no need to wait for the Nicole's response, Wu Zhaoyi immediately opened the passenger door and moved his head to signal her to get in.
A hesitant expression appeared on her face, but at that moment Nicole realized that she had no choice. In the end, the only thing she could do was to follow Wu Zhaoyi's command. However, another thing she could also do was to sit a little further away, as if trying to create a distance in the middle for the two of them.
Nicole didn't realize that she had not only stepped through the door opened by Wu Zhaoyi's hand, but she had also returned to his heart. Even though Nicole tried to create distance between them, they will still be drawn to each other like magnets, until they found forgiveness in each other's arms.
***
During the journey, neither of them spoke to each other. Both in the car and on the plane, they were both busy with their phones and work to be done. On Wu Zhaoyi's private jet, they sat far apart from each other, purposely facing away from each other so as not to catch what the other was doing. They even ate their meals separately at different tables, with Nicole purposely avoiding the man.
However, Wu Zhaoyi was not completely alone because he was now accompanied by his personal assistant, a young man named Song. In fact, Nicole who sat not too far away, could faintly hear what they were talking about and working on, which was related to the Smart City project. It seemed that after the meeting with the two important people that morning and afternoon, Wu Zhaoyi had new perspectives about things he needed to improve in order to compete with Lai Ting.
Nicole also couldn't help but notice the similarities between Wu Zhaoyi and Ryan in terms of the way they worked. They both prioritize speed and accuracy, focusing on their strengths without getting caught in competing with others. It was clear that they both knew how to get things done efficiently and effectively.
As the sun was about to set, the plane landed at Macau International Airport. A red sports car was already there, waiting for them not far away. A person who looked like a bodyguard, who was standing next to the car approached Wu Zhaoyi and gave the car key to him.
"Let's do as we discussed." Wu Zhaoyi instructed Song, his assistant standing behind him, "Keep me updated on the results."
Song nodded his head and replied firmly, "I will, Director. Then, have a nice trip in Macau."
Wu Zhaoyi turned and walked towards the car, stopped beside the front passenger door. He opened the door facing upwards and glanced at Nicole, motioned for her to get in. After Nicole did as he asked, the door closed again and Wu Zhaoyi immediately took his position beside her, in the front driver's seat.
"Where are we going?" Nicole asked as Wu Zhaoyi started the car.
However, instead of answering her question, Wu Zhaoyi stared at her and moved his body closer to Nicole's side while raising one hand towards her. Realizing what the man was about to do, Nicole immediately interrupted and turned her body the other way. "I know.. I know.. I can put on my own seatbelt."
Nicole could hear Wu Zhaoyi's soft laughter beside her and saw the man then put on his seatbelt. "We're going shopping," He said to the woman next to him, "We're going to a party tonight."
Nicole's eyebrows raised, not understanding what Wu Zhaoyi meant. "Isn't the party held by Director Li tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow." Wu Zhaoyi confirmed, "But, we can meet him at Director Xiu's party tonight."
Nicole's eyes widened and she felt like her ears had misheard Zhaoyi's words. "You received an invitation from Director Xiu?"
Despite Martha's impressive hacking skills, she still struggled to find any information about Director Xiu. In fact, that was Nicole's biggest concern at the moment, which is why she saved him for last on her list. But when she heard that Zhaoyi had managed to secure an invitation from Director Xiu, her worries seemed to dissipate. Maybe she could use Zhaoyi as a way to finally meet Director Xiu, someone she had been eager to meet for quite some time.
"Getting an invitation is not a big deal to me, aside from whether we know each other or not." Zhaoyi replied casually.
Nicole tried to comprehend Wu Zhaoyi's word, "That means you plan on using the event tonight to capture Director Li's interest?"
Wu Zhaoyi smiled faintly and nodded his head once. "Because I have answered your question. Can we go now, Miss?"
From Nicole's expression, it seemed like she was considering something. "Can we go somewhere before that?"
This time it was Wu Zhaoyi's turn to look a little confused, "Where?"
***
The large and spacious villa located a little bit on the outskirts of Macau was brightly lit with all the lights on. The atmosphere in the place also seemed quite lively because there was a party going on, so many people had been coming and going inside since this afternoon.
When Nicole and Zhaoyi arrived, the sun had completely set and the sky above was pitch black. Wu Zhaoyi who was already neatly dressed in his black suit stopped the car in front of the entrance and gave the key to one of the staff who approached him.
When the passenger door next to Nicole opened, Wu Zhaoyi was already standing there and reaching out to help the woman wearing a golden yellow dress get out of the car. If one had to make a judgment, then the two of them looked like a perfect couple who could easily make anyone who saw them jealous.
After a while, they walked together towards the front door with distant gazes observing the building. When they were about to start climbing the stairs in front of the villa, Nicole's hand was already pulled and placed on Wu Zhaoyi's arm, as if they were just like any other normal couple.
"Hopefully your lucky charm will be useful here too. At least, until tonight." Wu Zhaoyi said slowly, but with an expression that was hard to read, then they looked at each other.
Finally, the question that had been on Nicole's mind since this afternoon at the shooting range was answered, that Wu Zhaoyi had been there since she finished talking about work with Martha. That meant, the man had heard the conversation about her personal affairs, which Nicole was sure would have caused anyone to misunderstand if they were in his position. However, Nicole unfortunately did not care whether Wu Zhaoyi misunderstood or not, because honestly it did not really matter to her.
"I hope so, Director Wu." Nicole replied briefly, "This time, show me how you do it."
A smug smile appeared on Wu Zhaoyi's face as he turned towards the entrance. Whether it was because he had managed to gain the support of two people at once in less than a day, or because the man had been enlightened. However, Nicole could feel an aura of great confidence from Wu Zhaoyi, as if he would not leave this place empty-handed.
As she turned her gaze towards the entrance, Nicole made a note herself that she would not return empty-handed either, whether it was for helping Wu Zhaoyi or for her own sake. Because, she would not waste her time on something that would not benefit her.
Nicole had circled the place several times, but still couldn't find the person she was looking for. The setting of the place is more like a small and exclusive casino than a party. The only game available is poker and the number of people playing is also limited. However, it is common knowledge that these players are not ordinary people because the bets they make are no longer about money.
Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be from upper-middle class families who wore expensive clothes. In actuality, they are almost on par with conglomerate who had a net worth of over a hundred billion dollars. This elevated them to some of the most powerful individuals in the business realm, not just in China but globally as well.
Before working with Ryan, she had never fully understood the meaning of the saying 'you can't guess how the rich think,' but after spending a couple of years with him, she finally grasped its meaning. You could never fully understand them because you had never been in their shoes from the start, not just financially, but also in terms of all the privileges that have been given to them since birth until now.
Another thing Nicole learned over the ten years is that the business world is like a never-ending maze with only two paths, either go back to where you started or become a ruthless monster, destroying everything in your way to reach the finish line. Looking at her current position, it's easy to guess which path Nicole chose. Sometimes, she regrets not being able to turn back time and choose a different path.
"I didn't find Director Xiu," Nicole said while holding a glass of white wine in her hand, as she and Zhaoyi met again in the middle of the room after they agreed to walk on different paths.
"Maybe, he came late?" Zhaoyi answered the woman in front of her.
Nicole shook her head, as if she had already understood the man's behavior. "He's not that kind of person, he either comes early or doesn't come at all."
Zhaoyi then raised his head and observed several balconies on the second floor that were covered with white curtains that matched the decoration of the place which was almost entirely white, even making his eyes a little sore when walking in the place when they also turned on the white lights. Luckily in the main room, they used warm colored lights which made it more comfortable to see the surroundings.
"Or maybe, he's in surveillance mode." Zhaoyi replied, still looking at the empty balcony, then took a sip of wine from the same glass as Nicole's in his hand.
"Whatever he's up to, we'll find out tomorrow."
Zhaoyi turned his gaze back to Nicole with a serious expression as if ready to face the battle ahead, "Then, that means we have to play with Director Li tonight."
Perhaps this was one of the different goals that Nicole and Zhaoyi had in mind that night. While he had two people to approach, both Director Li and Director Xiu. While for her, the attention was actually focused on Director Xiu who was known as a mysterious figure who rarely appeared in public, that also got the nickname a black tortoise.
There was a private area behind the villa, where Director Li played poker with other guests. To get there, the two of them had to walk through an outdoor area and pass a large fountain statue before reaching the entrance where two black-clad guards were stationed.
Zhaoyi took out an invitation from the pocket of his black suit and showed it to one of them for inspection. Nicole would not ask how the man got the invitation in such a short time, because she could guess that Zhaoyi would use all his connections to get into this party because his prey was here.
"Welcome, Director Wu." The bodyguard who checked the invitation greeted them, then bowed his head once and stepped aside to let them into the party. The room did not look too big, but the atmosphere seemed livelier and more crowded compared to the main area in front.
Along with that step, Nicole thought that she would watch a show starring Zhaoyi tonight. Unable to guess that the main character was actually herself and the prey she was waiting for was also in there.
***