Secret Blessing

Chapter 6: Paris

“Did she agree to meet?” Winter asked as she placed her luggage in the trunk of the car she had booked.

“Yes, she’ll meet us on Wednesday,” her secretary said.

“I don’t know if I’ll make it on Wednesday. If I can’t, can you take charge until I get back?”

“Yes, Miss. You can count on me.”

“Thanks,” Winter said. “I have to go. Bye.” She hangs up.

As she went inside the car, another call came in.

“Hello, Vic. I’m on my way.”

“Good. Summer’s a little way more excited about us leaving. She can’t wait,” Victoria said. “You think she’s pregnant already?” she whispered.

Winter laughed. “It’s possible.”

“Is it safe for us to fly? Is it better if we just stayed here?”

Winter shook her head. “No. She’ll have negative emotions if you tell her that you changed your mind about going. No stress, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I’ll be there,” Winter said.

“Okay, later, dude,” Victoria said.

It was a 15-minute drive to Victoria’s house. She helped them place their luggage and bags and made their way to the airline.

Meanwhile, Summer was clinging to Winter’s arm, so the latter gave her best friend a confused look.

Victoria shrugged. “She’s been into you since yesterday.”

Winter laughed. “If she’s pregnant, the baby might look like me instead of you.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Don’t push it.”

Summer pinched her sister’s cheek. “Why are you so cute?”

Winter widened her eyes and gave Victoria a look who was giving her a death glare. She smirked in return. “Oh, yeah, Sum?”

Summer nodded.

“Isn’t your wife cute, too?” Winter asked.

“She’s gorgeous, but I want cute right now,” Summer answered.

Winter glanced at her best friend again. “Is that so? So, your wife’s not cute?”

“She’s not.”

Winter bursts out laughing. “Ouch.”

Victoria motioned her fist at her as she pouted.

“Sum, she’s jealous,” Winter said.

Summer looked at her wife. “Hmm?” She let go of Winter’s arm and hugged her. “I’m joking, babe,” she said as she peppered her with kisses.

Victoria smiled and wrapped an arm around her.

Winter shook her head in amusement and looked out the window.

They arrived at the airline airport, carrying their bags and pulling their luggage. Some of the employees helped them in placing their belongings onto the private plane.

Victoria immediately went into one of the rooms with Summer after the plane took off.

Winter knocked. “Do you guys want something? I’m getting hungry.”

“Maybe a sandwich?” Victoria said.

“Mine, too,” Summer said.

“Okay. I’ll be back,” Winter said as she left.

Victoria turned to her wife. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“I think so,” Summer said. “If Demetria’s in a relationship or married, it’s for closure. If not, Winter may still have a chance.”

“Don’t you think Winter’s only hurting herself?”

“That’s up to her, babe. She’ll learn her lesson in whatever decision she makes,” Summer said. “Besides, you know your best friend. She does whatever she wants except when Demetria’s here. She has got to think things through with her.”

Victoria nodded. “We’ll be here anyway.”

“Yep,” Summer said. “I wonder how she’s doing.”

“Demetria?”

Summer nodded. “She may be the one who left Winter but I’m sure she was hurting, too.”

Victoria sighed. “I think it was a petty excuse that she got tired of their marriage.”

“But it was stupid of my sister to even fall for it,” Summer said as she shook her head.

Victoria laughed. “She knows, that’s why she’ll try to get her back.”

“Winter’s persistent. She’ll do anything and everything to do that.”

“We’ll wait and see.”

After a few minutes, Winter came back with a tray; three sandwiches and three glasses of orange juice.

“You said you were going to book a flight?” Victoria asked.

Winter shrugged. “I forgot that I’m a billionaire’s daughter,” she answered. “I didn’t use this after Tria and I had a divorce.”

“Did you buy this?”

Winter shook her head. “It was a gift from Dad for our wedding since we planned on traveling.”

“Why use it now?”

“It’s much faster.”

“That means you have a lot of memories here. Including…,” Victoria said.

“Love-making?” Winter asked.

Victoria nodded.

“Yeah. Right on this bed,” Winter answered.

Victoria and Summer abruptly stopped eating and looked at her.

Winter laughed. “I’m kidding. We did it in the other room. I’ll sleep there.”

The other two sighed. “Thank goodness,” Victoria said as she continued eating.

Winter smirked as she drank her orange juice.

*

Niall packed his clothes the night after he gave the address to Winter and booked his flight to Paris. Good thing he’s alone, he can leave that night. He boarded the plane for over 9 hours and landed in Dubai. He had to wait for 3 hours to board the plane again, so he decided to get something to eat as he dialed a number.

A groan greeted him. “Niall, what is it now?”

“I’m coming to see you,” Niall said.

“What?!” The voice exclaimed. “You can’t. I’m here for work, not for a vacation.”

As Niall ordered a coffee in a coffee shop, he said, “Why not? Don’t you miss your brother? It’s been five years and you’re not coming home. Mom misses you.”

“Look, it’s a long story,” the voice said.

Niall paid. “Oh, yeah. How’s the courtship going?” he asked. “Last month, we talked. You said you’re into some girl. Now, is that what we call work?”

The voice sighed. “Okay, you got me, but let me be clear. I met her because of my work and we’ve been getting to know each other since.”

“I’d like to meet her.”

The voice scoffed. “What do you want?”

“You didn’t answer me last night. How did you know Demetria Carlisle?”

“You’re a detective, Niall. Why can’t you just figure it out?”

“I’m not asking as a detective. I’m asking as your brother,” Niall said. Though he knew why, he still wanted to hear the answer from him.

“I can’t,” the voice said. “It’s work. Confidential.”

Niall smirked. “Now, you’ve got yourself checkmate.”

“You didn’t have to ask me at all, do you?”

Niall laughed. “I’ve got guts.”

The voice groaned again. “Look, I’m hanging up. I’ll just see you.”

Niall nodded. “Okay, bye.” The call dropped as he sipped his coffee. Now, he’s certain about the investigation that his brother is involved.

*

A message from the pilot woke Winter up. The plane’s about to land so they have to put on safety measures. She left the room and went to the seats with Victoria and Summer. She massaged her head as she felt a headache coming. She didn’t sleep the night before and she abruptly woke up a while ago.

Summer sat next to her. “Are you okay?” she asked her sister.

Winter nodded. “I’m fine. Just a headache,” she said.

“When we land, you should get some rest,” Summer said.

Winter shook her head. “No, I have to find Tria,” she insisted.

“No, you’ll be resting. She won’t be going anywhere,” Summer said, sternly.

Winter groaned as Victoria laughed at her. “What’s funny?”

Victoria shook her head. “She does the same to me and I wonder if I look just like you.”

Winter rolled her eyes.

As the plane landed, it was only around sunset in the country due to the time difference. They checked in to a nearby hotel, a suite with two rooms. Winter immediately went to her room and dived on the bed as she closed her eyes and continued her interrupted sleep from the plane. Maybe Tria can wait for a few hours.

She woke up the next morning. She abruptly sat up as she felt the sun's rays going through the curtains of her balcony. She got out of bed and opened her luggage to pick up some clothes. She decided to take a shower. After that, she left the room and went to the phone to call for hotel service and order some breakfast. She didn’t see the other two, so she guessed that they were still sleeping.

Luckily, the food came after a few minutes. She didn’t want to wait long so she started to eat. As she finished her orange juice, she left her plate and walked back to her room to get her phone and wallet.

*

Niall’s plane landed after more than seven hours. He feels jet-lagged but he’ll just rest at his brother’s apartment. He won’t mind anyway. He took a cab to get there and knocked on his door. There was no answer. He tried to peek at the window and saw no one.

He dialed his brother’s number. After a few rings, it was answered. “Niall, why?”

“I’m here in front of your apartment. Where are you?”

“Oh, you’re here already?”

Niall rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

“I’m on a date, Niall,” his brother said.

“Well, how do I get in? I haven’t had dinner yet,” Niall said.

His brother sighed. “Fine. Have dinner with us. I’ll text you where.”

Niall grinned. “Great!”

Once he received his text, he took a cab again to go to the restaurant. His luggage is completely a hassle. Good thing he didn’t bring any heavy things, just necessities. It was a five-minute drive, it’s near.

He went through the door and asked for his brother’s table. He left his luggage by the entrance as a waiter asked him to. Then, he walked towards his brother, who was sitting across from a woman he was probably having a date with.

His brother waved at him and smiled as he stood to hug him. Niall hugged him back. “Nice to see you, brother.”

“Hi, Drew,” Niall greeted him as he turned to look at the woman Andrew was having dinner with. He lends his hand for a handshake. “Hi, I’m Niall Anderson, Drew’s younger brother. You are?”

The woman shook his hand. “Demetria. Demetria Carlisle.”