Rey chuckled with a device attached to his right ear.

The man looked straight at the scene ahead, seeing how several fleets from their country's largest airlines were moving slowly to enter or leave the parking lot.


The man's legs were crossed, with a medium, light gray suitcase resting just to his right. The business class lounge was deserted, as Rey was taking the first flight of the morning.

The iron fleet would take him from Frankfurt to Dresden, followed by a road trip to the Lueic family home in Leipzig.

"I told you I was coming," Rey said with annoyance, which was clearly audible in his tone of voice.


The man's eyeballs were moving perfectly, with one hand resting on his thigh.

"I don't accept guests," he said again. "And I can explain what happened. Your arrival will only interfere with my work, and the news I heard last night better not be a hoax!"


Rey unconsciously raised the tone of his voice, tapping his foot against the light brown carpeted floor.

There was a chuckle from his mother on the other end of the line, who answered in a very soft voice.

"Your father really wants to meet that woman," said Patricia Lueic--the nobleman's biological mother.

"He was furious when he heard you were visiting Heidelberg instead of returning to your hometown to pay your respects to the extended family. What kind of child would do such a ridiculous act, Rey?!"

Rey took a two-second pause, to massage his temples that were still sore. The effects of the alcohol he had consumed last night still lingered, coupled with what had happened between him and Luana.

His hasty departure from the island probably left a question mark and anger in Luana's mind.

It was just that Rey had no choice, after he found an emergency call coming from his parents' house. The man knew he would not be able to avoid it, because that was the tradition that had been carried out in their extended family for generations.

It's just that Rey didn't expect his mother to call even on the second day of the wedding, successfully informed that he and his fake wife were in Heidelberg right now.

"I know," Rey replied still lazily. "If you tell me to come, then I will, Mom. But I can't bring Luana along, because there are some things she has to do here."

Patricia Lueic was used to getting what she wanted. Her desire to bring a daughter-in-law into the family was no exception, as the middle-aged woman had secretly organized a grand party to celebrate her son's wedding.

"Don't come if you didn't bring her!" Patricia said sternly. "It's not you I want to welcome into this house, but the woman who is now the new Mrs. Lueic."

Rey took a deep breath, letting it out with frustration gathering at the top of his lungs.

A glimpse of what happened last night between him and Luana, just came and made his body tense up perfectly.

How could he bring Luana before his extended family, when he had no idea how to deal with her.

Luana's anger last night was well-deserved for Rey, who was just as sorry for all the actions he had taken out of consciousness.

"My boarding is almost here," the man said. "Look Mom, I came because you said Dad's condition was weakening. I'm not there to introduce my wife, so I'll be back as soon as I make sure you're okay."

Patricia carved a faint smile in its place, understanding the stubbornness her son must have inherited from her.

"That's fine if you insist," said Patricia. "Let's see what happens later."

Without waiting for a response from her son, Patricia Lueic had already pressed the red button on the phone screen in a hurry.

Disconnecting the phone, Patricia smiled at her husband who was turning the pages of the morning newspaper.

"How was it?" asked Ryan Goette Lueic -- Rey's father, who now raised his head to look at his beloved wife.

Patricia stepped up to her husband's position at the dining table, clapping her hands with a smile.

"They're coming, darling," she said happily. "You don't have to worry, because the big Lueic family party is about to really start."

***

A wave from Jack Miller escorted Luana before she boarded the ship.

"Give my regards to your husband, Luana," the man said with two hands clasped around his waist. "Tell him I'm sorry about what happened in Leipzig. I wish I could see Uncle Ryan as soon as possible, but well, I'm afraid I can't."

Luana could only give a smile, as she had no idea what Jack was talking about now. The look Jovi shot her indicated that she shouldn't ask further questions.

"Thank you, Jack," she replied, already looking better than last night.

Luana had no choice but to go back to her room, change her clothes and sleep until the sun rose. She didn't even know where Rey was until Jovi said that Rey had returned to Heidelberg first.

"Thank you for all your help Mr. Jack," this time it was Jovi who expressed his gratitude.

Jack nodded, inviting Luana and Jovi to board their boat.

A few twelve minutes later, the yacht was off to sea. Carrying two passengers on board, to return to the port in Heidelberg.

Luana sat in the main cabin of the luxury vessel, right where she had sat when she left yesterday.

Jovi's arrival made Luana look up, stopping the man in his tracks with a question.

"So, your master ran away?" she asked in a sarcastic tone, and anyone who heard her would have been able to deduce that the sentence was filled with hate.

Jovi turned his head, stopping his steps right at the threshold of the sofa opposite Luana's position.

Last night's events must still be fresh in both of their minds, but somehow it made them talk to each other more freely.

"Master did not run away, ma'am," the man argued.

Thinking this conversation might take a while, Jovi seated himself in one of the chairs.

Luana sneered. Just thinking about Rey gave her a headache, and the man's disappearance from the island really implied that the nobleman was an asshole.

"I know it's your duty to defend your master at all costs," Luana said. "But if only you knew how bad his behavior was, you might think twice about staying by his side."

Jovi let the silence settle in for a few seconds. The gaze Luana shot him seemed a little different, for Jovi no longer caught any hesitation or indecision in the woman's radiance.

Since the events of the early morning, Luana had decided that she would make it a point not to be provoked by Rey's every behavior. In fact, she planned to contact Madame Collins the moment she returned to Munich.

"Something happened," Jovi said, breaking the silence. "Master didn't tell me why, because he wanted me here to make sure you were okay."

If Luana's gaze had been on the sea, this time she turned to Jovi with a slow movement.

"It turns out Mr. Rey received a call from Leipzig last night," Jovi said again. "It was a call from Mrs. Patricia Lueic, your mother-in-law. And the news that came over the phone was not good, about Mr. Lueic's suddenly failing health. Mr. Rey decided to fly to Leipzig this morning."

Luana's eyes widened as Jovi said this.

'So he didn't try to avoid me?' she asked herself. 'So he left because he heard the news about his father, not because of what happened last night?'

Her memory darted back to the day of their wedding, when she had only caught a glimpse of the great Mr. and Mrs. Lueic seated on the left side of the auditorium.

Right after the vows were said, Rey simply grabbed her hand and brought her straight to the mansion. Not introducing her to the family at all, Rey probably already knew that it would only end in vain.

Because again, Luana was just a substitute.

"So, are we going back to Heidelberg? Or maybe going straight back to Munich?"

Jovi tugged at the corners of his lips to form a smile.

"At first you thought she could keep you in Heidelberg," Jovi replied. "But you couldn't even get into his own house, because Madame Patricia said she really wanted to see you."

Luana's brow furrowed, for she still did not understand where Jovi was going with this.

"I don't understand," she said. "Why would she want to see me?"

"Because you are the new Mrs. Lueic," Jovi replied without hesitation. "Mr. Rey's visit to Leipzig this morning turned out to be useless, because I just received another order."

Luana blinked twice, tilting her head as she tried to piece together the common thread of everything she was hearing right now.

"Wait," the girl said under her breath. Her eyeballs rolled, as if in disbelief at what she was now thinking. "What do you mean, we're going to Leipzig?!"

Jovi's smile grew wider, followed by a single, unhesitating nod.

"That's right, ma'am. We're going to Leipzig, right after this ship lands in Heidelberg," the man said. "Mare has all your stuffs ready, and Mr. Rey will be waiting for you in Dresden as well."