When Love Is Fated

Anson Wen walked into the club and stopped to view the scene. The crowd was lively as the DJ amped up the crowd to get more lively. Seeing his friends standing in the VIP section on the second floor, Anson made his way up. Sensing someone approaching him, Anson turned to see Sonya Cheng-Peng briskly walking up. The look in his eyes would've stopped the bravest man alive to turn and walk away. However, Sonya was forever relentless in her pursuit of Anson. Walking in front of Anson to prevent him from walking forward Sonya reached out to grab Anson's hand. "Anson is it true that you're leaving tomorrow?" Anson looked up to his friends to see Brian Yang shrink back from the glass. Anson switched his gaze to Sonya and replied, "Yes I will be leaving tomorrow. " He attempted to move around her but was again blocked. "Anson, why don't we go into a private booth together and talk." Sonya knew once he left there would be no future chances of her being with him. She had to sleep with him tonight in order for her to have a reason to make him see her again. Sonya had tried multiple times in the past four years since meeting Anson to get his attention.  Unfortunately,  he never showed any interest in her. "Do you ever get tired of throwing yourself at men who are not attracted to you? Why do you continue to try to be with me after I've tried to show you that I don't like you?" Sonya was used to his harsh words but in her heart, she knew he was really attracted to her. Men were always going out of their way to get her attention.  She was Sonya Chen-Peng the former campus beauty and the face of multiple magazine ads. How could it be possible for him to not be interested in her? "Anson, do you really want me to believe that you're not attracted to me? You are a man after all and ALL men who see me want to be with me or be like me. I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking. I also know that you secretly think I'm beautiful. " Sonya said this while looking at Anson for a reaction.  Anson took a step back and studied her. "Sonya no one can deny that you are indeed beautiful on the outside.  It's the inside that is hideous and unsightly.  The only feeling I have for you is utter disgust. Now if you will excuse me, I will be leaving. Do not follow me or forgive me if I'm rude." With that, Anson walked away. Sonya watched as Anson walked up the stairs and entered the private VIP room. She knew if she attempted to follow he would have her thrown out. She took out her phone and sent a text with an evil smile as she walked back to her friends. Inside the room, Anson fixed his eyes on his good friend Brian. Brian sensing a cold glance turned to see Anson walking towards him. Brian swallowed and started smiling, "Anson I see you're finally free from your admirer to join us."  Brian tried to make light of the situation as he knew Anson would be angry at him for telling Sonya he would be here tonight.  "You still have the courage to speak!!?" Anson knew his old friend found it funny that he hated Sonya. He enjoyed seeing her get the one man she wanted but didn't want her. Sonya used Brian to get close to Anson only to be humiliated.  Brian finally saw her for the opportunist she was and walked away from her. He used every opportunity he could to see her humiliated by Anson. Brian was used to women throwing themselves at Anson and all of them knew that he was not a man who liked one-night stands. Anson was diagnosed several years ago as being Haphephobic. He hated to be touched by strangers or without consent. His friends knew how to approach him to touch him without annoying him but Brian was always the one who aggravated him most as the only Doctor in the group. He knew that the only way to help Anson get over his fear of being touched was to make him uncomfortable but used to it. Anson looked at Brian and tried to continue his glare. However, looking at his goofy smile, Anson could only shake his head. "Where's Niko?" Anson asked as he looked around the room noticing that his best friend wasn't in the room. Anson and Niko met the first day he arrived in New York. The two neighbors realized they had a lot in common and quickly became friends. They started AnKo Enterprise in their second year of undergrad. In the last five years, they grew the company into a billionaire international company. Anson intentionally delayed bringing the company into C Country to avoid his family interference. His grandfather knew he started his own company but was not aware of the extent of the company's success. Anson was careful to not allow his family to know much about his business success. "Niko said he would be right back. He went to get you a special surprise." Brian answered with a smirk on his face. Anson immediately frowned guessing what Niko was up to. For years his friends had been trying to set him up with women and he always rejected them. It wasn't that he didn't like women, everything changed for him when he saw her. His body immediately reacted to her when he saw her but he couldn't get close enough to her to introduce himself. He only find out her name when he saw her interview in a fashion magazine last year. Since then he and Niko had tried to get in touch with her but she was always unavailable. Niko thought Kim Young was a close replacement and tried multiple times to set him up. He had a feeling that he was arranging for her to see him off. Anson grabbed his phone to call Niko when the door opened. Niko walked in with several beautiful women. The smile on his face told Anson that Niko was expecting him to choose one of these women to sleep with. Niko noticed the look on Anson's face and immediately reminded the girls of his instructions. Knowing Anson would be turned off if they tried rubbing up against him or touching him, he instructed the women to engage him in conversation to see which one he would like. The women looked at the tall handsome man and their mouths began to water. Just looking at him, they knew he had plenty of money and clout. One night with him and their future would be set. One by one, the women approached Anson with beautiful smiles and charm. They could feel the temperature in the room become cold as they approached but they did not feel deterred. Reaching him first, Laurie Yang, a runway model who always got the man was the most confident as she knew there was no way Anson would turn her down. "Hello, Mr. Wen. I heard you were leaving tomorrow to return home for an extended visit. Can I interest you in having a drink with me?" Laurie said this using her most charming smile while batting her eyes. Although she had long left China, she remembered her mother's teaching to act coquettishly. Anson took one look at her and knew she was trying to act innocent. He smiled and turned his head to the side and asked, "Aren't you the model Laurie Yang?" Laurie smiled widely knowing she had succeeded. "Yes. I see you've heard of me." "Of course I've heard of you. Mr. Sowell speaks very highly of you. I think he said he met you at his birthday party." Anson knew what was said about the "good time" she showed Mr. Sowell to advance her career. Mr. Sowell actually offered to arrange an introduction to Miss Yang for him in an effort to close a business deal. Hearing what Anson said, Laurie's smile froze on her already reddened face. "I'm not sure what you mean Mr. Wen." she replied with as much confidence as she could muster. Anson leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Maybe you haven't heard that you have become a bargaining chip for businessmen all over the city to help close deals. You should really be careful of the men you interact with." He leaned back and with a smile on his face, waited for the next woman to approach and try her luck. He was starting to like this game very much. Laurie Yang stood and turned to leave feeling utterly humiliated to know that this was how she was being discussed behind her back. What she did with Mr. Sowell was set up by her agent and it was a one-time thing. She had given him her first time and he in turn had betrayed her by discussing her as if she was a loose woman. She stormed from the room amidst Niko's objection to speak with her agent. Niko squinted his eyes as he turned to look at Anson who was sitting on the couch with an eerie-looking smile on his face. He knew that smile meant that Anson was up to something. He walked out of the room to make arrangements for part two of his plan. He had a feeling Anson would be like this so he was adamant that tonight, Anson would become a real man. Anson watched Niko leave the room with a perplexed look on his face and figured his friend was planning something else. The two friends knew each other so well that they could almost read the other's minds. Anson had a feeling that this night might not end well. Just as he was about to go find Niko and put an end to this charade, two equally beautiful women stepped to him before he could rise. "Mr. Wen, please tell me you're not about to leave. It's still early." The redhead beauty said as she proceeded to sit next to Anson. Anson turned and looked at her and realized he recognized both of them. He smiled as he replied, "I'm not leaving at all. Are the both of you here on business or pleasure?" Anson knew them from being draped over the arms of several business associates over the years. He knew they were employed by the top escort service in New York. They catered to elite clients all over the country. Their price started at two thousand dollars just to book them to come out. Niko went all out to ensure he would sleep with a woman tonight. Looking at the women in front of him, Anson was disgusted to know that these women lay with men for money. The very idea made him cringe to think that Niko thought he would be tempted to lay with either of these women. "Mr. Wen, we are merely business women just as you are a businessman." answered the brunette on his other side. He could tell she was insulted by his comment although she tried to keep her smile. "We are definitely both business-minded people. However, in my line of business, I prefer to use my brain to make money. I'm amused you think we are on the same level." The brunette had had enough and decided to try her luck with one of the other men in the room. She excused herself and walked away without turning to give Anson a second look. The red-headed beauty wanted one more shot and asked, "Mr. Wen, although my business is to give men pleasure, aren't you a man like any other man who loves to be with beautiful women." Anson raised his eyebrows at the braveness of the beauty sitting beside him and calmly smiled, "I am. However, I don't like used goods. I prefer everything that I have to be unused." With that comment, Anson stood and walked toward his friend William who had been focused on his phone since he walked into the room. Seeing she was dismissed without waiting for a reply, the redheaded beauty strode over to another man in the room to try her luck.  Downstairs, Sonya Chen-Peng waited for confirmation that her plan would be successful. She had already bribed the waitress to ensure the drink Anson received would contain the drug she gave her would be mixed in a glass of his favorite bourbon. She had already arranged to have someone have a suite ready and she would be there waiting on him when the time came. Sonya was not one to give up on something she wanted even if it was a man. When she first saw Anson at the Met, she knew she wanted to be with him. After several failed attempts to get his attention, she ran into his friend Brian who is a known player. She knew she could get to know him and use the relationship to get closer to Anson. What she didn't expect was that Anson would prove to be as difficult as ever. She could never get him to respond to her no matter how she tried. The idea that Anson rejected her angered her to the point that she thought she was losing her mind. How dare he say that she threw herself at men who didn't want her. There wasn't a man in New York she could not seduce until he came along. Since she is in an arranged marriage back home, she knew she could never go all the way with any of the men but she didn't object to the attention and gifts. Anson was the only man that had the nerve to ignore her. Tonight would be the last time he ever dared to ignore her. Her parents would not object to her being with Anson as this was a much better match than Lui Chow. The Wen family is a much more prominent family than the Chow family. Her parents would be elated if she could marry into the Wen family and would cancel the arrangement with the Chow family. With an evil smile on her face, Sonya checked her messages and received the confirmation she was waiting for. Leaning over the table, she informed her friends that it was time to put the plan in place. Each woman left to follow Sonya's directions to ensure nothing would go wrong tonight. Sonya hadn't felt this elated in a long time. "Tonight Anson Wen, you will become mine." She walked out of the private room of the club to the elevator that would take her to the prearranged suite to await her prize. Tonight would definitely be an interesting one.  Niko Lan walked out of the suite he prepared to make sure nothing went wrong. He arranged with his friend to ensure his gift for Anson would go just as he had planned. He just needed the women downstairs to distract Anson for at least an hour to give time for his special guest to arrive. The ringing phone broke into his thoughts. Looking at the screen of his phone, a beautiful smile broke out on Niko's face. "Tell me everything is in place." Dave Winston, his assistant of four years, replied, "Yes sir. I've spoken with the assistant and she has confirmed their attendance. Everything is going according to your plan sir." "Excellent, Dave. Make sure no one else books a suite on this floor." Niko instructed Dave before hanging up. As he left the room, Niko saw a housekeeper walking out of a suite next door and approached her. "Why are you cleaning on this floor?" The housekeeper was startled as she was informed that this floor was empty and a special female guest had booked the entire floor. "I was instructed to clean this room for an important guest tonight who booked the entire floor, Mr. Lan." Niko dialed the front desk to inquire about the reservation. "Guest services may I help you?" The front desk attendant answered in her brightest voice. "This is Niko Lan, tell me who booked the entire top floor." The receptionist's eyes bulged and she swallowed. The manager just told them not to divulge who the guest was who would occupy the arranged suite. "Mr. Lan, I don't have access to that information. If you would hold on, I will transfer you to the manager." The receptionist decided to allow the manager to explain this to Mr. Lan to prevent her from losing her job. Before he could object, Niko was placed on hold as the call was transferred to the manager. "Manger Zhou here, how may I help you?" Manager Zhou answered with little patience. "Manager Zhou, this is Niko Lan. Who is the guest who has reserved the entire 10th floor of suites?" Niko asked as he started to become impatient. Manager Zhou almost fell out of his chair upon hearing who was on the phone. He was paid an extravagant amount of money to keep this information private. "Well sir, the guest has requested to remain anonymous. As you know sir, we take pride in ensuring our guest's privacy." Manager Zhou responded while wiping the sweat from his brow. He had no idea Mr. Lan was here tonight. He would reprimand his staff for not informing him of this before now. As if reading his mind, Niko responded, "I came here tonight under disguise to enjoy a special night with my friends. I have already made up my mind to stay in my suite. Whoever the guest is, move them off my floor NOW! I do not need to repeat myself." Niko hung up the phone without waiting for a reply from the manager. He turned to the housekeeper and asked, "Is the guest in the suite now?" The housekeeper looked at Mr. Lan and replied, "No sir but I was told that she was on her way up and that I had to hurry to clean the room before she arrived. Niko dismissed the housekeeper and went back to his suite to see who this mystery guest was. Standing in the corner of the hall, Niko reached up and unscrewed the light above to limit vision at the end of the hall. Just as he was about to contact Dave to access the cameras for the floor, the private elevator dinged.  Not noticing the missing light and the man in the corner watching her, Sonya exited the elevator while giving instructions to her assistant. Sonya attempted to open the door but her card continued to decline. She checked the room number and again looked at the key card that the waitress handed her. "Complete the tasks and call me back. Something is wrong with this key card." Sonya hung up the phone and was about to contact the front desk when her phone rang showing Manager Zhou's call. Sonya answered the phone with an attitude, "Manager Zhou, do you take me for someone you can take advantage of?" "No, young Miss, the problem is the owner of this club is here and he is staying in his suite which is next to the one you reserved. He did not inform the staff that he was here. He has demanded that you be moved to another floor. I have taken the liberty of moving you to the floor below in the President suite instead." Manager Zhou figured she was such a big shot to spend the amount of money she had to book the entire floor which was more than five million dollars, moving to the President Suite should not be a problem for her. "If I wanted the President Suite, I would have booked it myself. I want this suite. Call your boss back and let him know that I will only stay in this suite. He must accommodate me or I will see to it that this club is closed down." Sonya hung up the phone and called her assistant. "Find out who the owner of this hotel and club belong to, NOW!". She hung up the phone and waited. Niko heard the conversation and knew what Sonya must have planned. He smiled as he moved quietly back into his suite unnoticed by Sonya. He contacted Dave, "Sonya Chen-Peng is the mystery guest who has reserved the suite next door. Make sure the security cameras are functional on this floor. Also, lower the lighting in the room and ensure it cannot be altered by anyone downstairs." "Yes sir, I'll get right on it," Dave answered and proceeded to make the necessary arrangements. He noticed that the cameras had already been turned off and reconnected them as well as changed the access code. He sent a text to Niko to let him know Sonya had already instructed the staff to change the security settings but he had already reset them and changed the access code. Niko contacted Manager Zhou, "Allow the key card access for Miss Chen-Peng. You are not to inform her that I know that she is here or you will be looking for another job tonight." Manager Zhou's eyes bulged and he started sweating profusely. Swallowing loud enough for Niko to hear through the phone, Manager Zhou responded, "Yes Mr. Lan. I will give her access now." Hanging up the phone, Niko moved back to the door and watched as Sonya's phone began to ring. "Well," she stated as she answered seeing Manager Zhou's number on her phone.  "Young Miss, I have turned your card back on. The owner has given permission for you to stay in this suite for the night." Manager Zhou responded in a hurry. Sonya tried the card in the door and it opened immediately. Satisfied, Sonya replied, "Good. Make sure my order is ready and delivered on time." Sonya hung up the phone and entered the suite.  Niko closed the door and with a smile on his face, made a phone call to put a new plan in place for Sonya. "You won't mess up my plans tonight my dear." Sending a text message to Brian, Niko put the phone down and went about the remainder of his plan for Anson. Hearing the ding of the private elevator, Niko walked towards Brian with a knowing smile. "What's going on? Why did you ask me to come up here in a hurry?" Brian asked as he walked into the room. "Sonya has arranged the suite next door for a "special night." She has instructed the staff to prepare a special meal to be sent to her room momentarily. You know who she plans to have a rendezvous with right?" Brian looked at Niko and realized that Sonya was plotting something against Anson. Brian nodded his head and smiled as an idea began to form in his head. "How about we give her what she wants? Lui Chow is downstairs in another suite." Wiggling his eyebrows, Niko understood exactly what Brian was suggesting. Lui Chow was also an extremely good-looking man and even had the same build and height as Anson. Making the switch would not be a hard thing to do. Brian had not felt this excited in a long time. He nodded his head and left to go put the plan in place.  Anson walked up to William who didn’t notice him and looked at his phone screen to see what had his attention. Noticing the text saying, “I’m sorry William. I have to listen to my parents.” Anson knew William was talking to his girlfriend of two years Debbie Mei. “Hey man, I thought you were here to help celebrate me. I feel neglected.” Turning his head slowly, William looked up at Anson with red swollen eyes. Anson frowned at his friend with concern, “What happened,” he asked William. William dropped his head and slowly began to explain, “Debbie is pregnant but her parents want her to abort the child. I asked to marry her but her father has denied my proposal.” They want to abort the child and take Debbie back home.” Anson knew who Debbie’s father is and nodded his head. Anson pulled out his phone and called his assistant. “Yes Mr. Wen, George Yu answered. He was accustomed to receiving calls at any time of the day or night. He was paid handsomely and did not mind being on call for his boss. “Find out where Mr. Mei of Mei Group is staying and set up an appointment for me,” Anson instructed George. “Yes, Mr. Wen.” George hung up and contacted Mr. Mei’s assistant to make the arrangements. Five minutes later, George sent Anson a text message with the time and place. Anson patted William on the shoulder and informed him that he would meet with Mr. Mei tomorrow to settle this for him. “What about your flight?” William sat up looking at Anson with surprise. “The plane is mine, I can leave when I’m ready,” Anson replied sitting next to William. William sighed with relief. Sitting back, he looked at Anson and asked, “What am I going to do without you being here with me?” He smiled at Anson knowing it would cause him to feel uncomfortable. Anson frowned and looked at William,” Niko will still be here. Don’t you think he will have your back?” “I was only kidding Anson, chill out man,” William responded laughing for the first time in two days. William allowed himself to relax and instructed the waitress to bring him and Anson a drink. Anson thought about why he walked over to William. “What do you know of the plans Niko has brewing?” He asked William. William smiled and shook his head. “He wouldn’t let me in on the plan because he knew I would tell you. He just instructed me to be here tonight.” Anson should have guessed this as they knew William hated when they plotted things on each other. He had already divulged plots Brian and Niko had planned several times when they tried to get him laid with a woman. “I would just be on my guard with them two tonight if I were you. They’re really predictable if you think about it.” Brian knocked on the door of the private suite where Lui Chow was partying with his friends. The door opened and the bodyguard informed Lui that Brian wanted to see him. Waving for him to let Brian enter, Lui Chow waved the two girls away from him. He motioned for Brian to sit down. "What can I do for you, Brian?" Lui Chow asked. He knew Brian had tried to date Sonya but was rejected. When he told Brian that Sonya was engaged to him, he saw the shocked expression on Brian's face and knew she hadn't told him of this. Lui Chow never lacked the company of a beautiful woman. He informed them that he would be getting married and warned them not to get any idea that their relationship could be anything more than what it was, purely physical. He would spoil them with extravagant gifts and trips but after a month or two, he would end it to keep things from becoming too messy. Brian leaned forward and whispered to Lui, "Sonya has reserved a suite on the tenth floor in order to trap Anson into sleeping with her." He leaned back and watched as the emotions rolled across Lui's face. He knew that Sonya dated men and enjoyed being adored by men, but he knew without a doubt that she was still a virgin. He always had someone watching her to be sure she never spent the night with a man. He looked at Brian, "You're telling me this? Why? What's in it for you?" Brian started laughing and then became serious. "As you know, Anson has no interest in Sonya. The only reason she continues to chase after him is that he rejected her. She feels that she is supposed to have everything she wants and her pride was hurt that he would not show her any attention. As you're the man she is supposed to marry, I don't want to see her ruin her life as even if her plan worked, Anson would demand an abortion and make her life miserable for trapping him." Lui Chow rubbed his chin while in deep thought. "I will go up and see her," he responded. "No, do not tell her it is you, Brian shook his head while explaining the plan to Lui Chow. Lui Chow realized that Brian was very calculating but smiled when he thought of the justice that awaits Sonya. In her suite, Sonya had just taken a luxurious bubble bath when the doorbell rang to indicate room service had arrived. Opening the door, she stepped back while instructing the staff how to place the food and drinks out. After completing their tasks, the staff exited the room closing the door behind them. Sonya checked the time and knew that it was almost time for the show to begin.  Downstairs, a beautiful and distinguished woman walked into the hotel/club. Walking to the front desk, she informed the staff that she was there for a meeting with Mr. Lan. The staff informed her that Mr. Lan would be with her shortly and asked her to wait at the bar for a drink. Annie Hu looked at the atmosphere of the patrons in the club. She never made time to enjoy a scene such as this. She decided to enjoy herself tonight before she returns home.