It was almost past eight in the evening when Rey and Luana finally returned to the mansion.

Parting ways on the ground floor, Luana smiled before she climbed the stairs back to their room. Rey had already handed her the paper bag he had been holding during the trip in the big mall, as she would surely need what was inside.


"Go up first," Rey pleaded at the threshold of the stairs. "I have to meet Jovi in the study, and don't forget to clean yourself up before bed."

Rey didn't know why he was talking so much like this, but the man was really enjoying what was going on between him and Luana.

How they exchanged glances, how they smiled at each other. Let's not forget, how they felt each other's warmth from the grip that was getting tighter by the second. It was a kind of glue effect, which was sticky and intoxicating.


It felt good to see the young woman nodding and smiling brightly, especially since Luana seemed so interested in trying to play with her cell phone after this.

Still standing where he was, Rey watched with his hands hidden in his pants pockets until Luana actually appeared to enter the room.


After the silhouette of the woman's body disappeared, Rey simply grabbed the cellphone and pressed the speed dial to contact Jovi, the secretary of all time.

"To my room. Right now."

***

The two pairs of eyeballs locked, even though silence had fallen since a moment ago.

"You said you found her?" Rey tapped his fingers on the table, half leaning back into the chair wrapped in the finest leather.

Jovi nodded with a firm nod, though there was a look of doubt in the man's eyes.

"I've confirmed it," Jovi said quietly. "She's in Sydney, staying with her best friend. A woman about twenty-six years old, who works as an accountant in one of the private companies there."

It took a few seconds before Rey could respond to something he had been looking forward to for weeks.

The man's breathing rose and fell, as the fingers tapping on the table had now turned into a firm grip.

"Is she okay?" Rey's voice was low. His beady eyes were still fixed straight on Jovi, who was standing right in front of his desk.

"She seems fine," Jovi replied. "As observed, spending time having fun. Seen using a cell phone a few times, but it looks like she's not using her old cell phone number, sir."

Of course, the subject of the two men's conversation was Beatrice Collins, whose existence Jovi had been able to sniff out for quite some time.

After several days of surveillance, Jovi finally revealed where his lord's former fiancée was, through a single text message he sent to Rey's cell phone while the nobleman was enjoying crab dimsum with Luana earlier.

Rey could be heard taking a breath.

"Of course not," he murmured in a whisper. "She's too smart to be found. That's why it took you weeks to find her, isn't it?"

Jovi swallowed, but was not evasive. There was something on the tip of his tongue that he could not tell his master. The big decision, which involved the marriage between Rey and Luana, of course.

"Forgive me, Lord."

The noble had yet to make a sound, now that Jovi's voice had been heard again bouncing throughout the tanned study.

"Should I take her home, sir?" asked Jovi carefully. Raising his head to better take in the expression plastered on Rey's face, the man continued. "Or will you fly to Sydney to pick her up directly?"

Silence again took over, dominating the room as now all that could be heard was a heavy sigh.

Rey glared for a few seconds, seemingly bowing his head as he tried to think. Drowning in his own sea of ashes, the man was no longer sure of what he should do.

'Shouldn't you be happy about this news, Rey?' he whispered to himself.

'Haven't you been waiting for her return for so long?

'Haven't you been longing to hear what made her turn away?'

And many more questions rushed into the nobleman's mind, followed by the tightening grip of his hands.

At war with himself, Rey realized he was starting to look unsteady. His eyes flicked unintentionally to the ring on her ring finger, which somehow gave off a different vibe for him tonight.

The fact that the void was starting to fill up slowly bothered him, and now made him unable to think clearly. Between two women of different dispositions and behaviors, who would he keep?

In his silence Jovi also held a deep curiosity about how his master would make his decision. Of course Jovi knew that Luana's presence in the mansion was starting to have a good impact, although Beatrice was still the one who was supposed to be their mistress.

"Jovi." Rey's voice broke the silence.

"Yes, sir." Jovi was still displaying a ready posture, even though his legs were already starting to get numb from standing for so long.

The two men exchanged glances now.

"Go to Sydney," Rey commanded clearly. There was no hint of hesitation in the nobleman's order, indicated by the look in his eyes that looked at Jovi intently.

"Yes, sir," Jovi responded in understanding. Apparently the old love was still deeply ingrained, even though it had been separated by a betrayal. "I will bring Miss Beatrice immediately--"

"No," Rey interrupted quickly before Jovi even finished his sentence.

Which instantly made the young man widen his bead, not understanding what he had just heard. What did his boss mean?

Rey chose to get up from his chair this time, then waddled slowly to the window. Pulling back the curtains and opening the window to let in the night air, he spoke again.

"Go see the friend who's keeping Beatrice there," the noble explained. "Ask her to detain the woman, so that Beatrice Collins cannot return to this country until I ask her to come."

Jovi unceremoniously frowned, trying to understand the orders he had gotten that night.

"You want me to buy time?" The secretary tried to analyze the situation.

Rey briefly rubbed his chin, continuing with a stroke of his hair later.

"Right, hold her back," Rey continued. "I don't want her to show up until I can make further decisions about Luana."

For some reason Jovi simply tugged at the corners of his lips without Rey's knowledge, then hurriedly returned his facial expression to normal when Rey looked back at him.

"Yes, sir," he greeted positively.

"Do whatever it takes," Rey clarified, emphasizing the tone of voice this time. "Make sure she doesn't come before I ask her to, and do whatever it takes to keep her there."

Giving a nod with a quick movement, Jovi accepted the order with open arms. Because he had not only confirmed Beatrice's whereabouts, but had also obtained complete information about a woman named Monalisa.

Beatrice's closest friend, who owned the assets of the rather luxurious apartment the two women were living in in Kangaroo country.

"Leave as soon as possible," Rey ordered again. "And report all her movements to me, without missing a beat."

Again Jovi nodded, and he really had to be prepared for the task that had just come down from his superiors.

Raising the corners of his lips, Rey nodded confidently at his trusted assistant.

"Jovian."

"Yes, sir?"

Rey seemed to think for a moment, before opening his lips again and making a sound.

"You agree that there should not be two great mistresses in the same mansion, right?"

With a smile that he painted, Jovi nodded. "I'm on your side, sir. Until whenever."