I nodded. Nick had one hand in his pocket. “See you!”
“Bye, you guys!” I smiled.
Once inside the first-class cabin, the air stewardess brought a baby-sized bolster for Summer and had a child safety seat set up next to me.
Flying for the first time must have been very exciting for Summer as she did not sleep a wink in four hours.
Her endearing appearance ensured that some air stewardesses would come by and interact with her from time to time, all the way to K City. It was only when we disembarked that the little one fell asleep on my chest.
Outside the airport, I planned to hail a ride to take us directly to the hotel. This was when John’s call came in.
I switched off the phone and turned my attention toward looking for a cab instead.
As I waited, a black Bentley rolled to a halt in front of me. Then the window winded down.
John seemed to have thinned out since I last saw him several days ago. His facial features had become gaunter.
“It’s hard to catch a ride at the airport, and traffic is going to get crazy near peak hour. You should hop in!” he said.
I noticed a cab turn in not far behind, so I ignored the man and walked toward the hired car instead.
When I got in, I cited the destination. The driver was curious to see a child with me. “Are you here in K City to visit?”
I shook my head and softened my voice as Summer was sleeping soundly. “I’m here to settle some business.”
The driver smiled as he engaged the engine. “Is it work related?”
I nodded. “Yup!”
“My daughter’s about the same age as you are. It’s tough on young people like yourself, having to bring your kid around for work!” he lamented as he glanced up at the rear-view mirror.
What he observed put a frown between his eyes. “I don’t know what’s the deal with this Bentley behind us. It’s been on our tails since the airport. Do you know who’s in it?”
“Nope!”
Thankfully, we eluded the jam and made it to the hotel in forty minutes. When I alighted, I went straight inside.
John was still following. As I was checking in, the lady at the front desk occasionally stole glances at the handsome chap with a hand in his pocket standing behind me.
As I was carrying both the child and a bag, the woman asked, “Would you like for us to assist with your luggage, Miss?”
“It’s fine. I’ll bring her up!” John got in before me.
The lady was astounded. “Mr. Stanhope!”
John nodded. He picked up the bag that I had left on the floor and grabbed the key card directly from the woman before he made a beeline for the elevator.
I frowned, but did not voice my disapproval.
Inside the room, when he ascertained that I was unwilling to converse, he went on to survey the interior to ensure that it was secure. Once satisfied, he called for service.
As it was a long day, I was a little exhausted. The man did not seem like he was going to leave. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to rest!”
His dark eyes seemed to light up when I took the initiative to talk to him. “I’ve ordered some food. You should have some before you turn in. I promise that you won’t even notice that I’m here.”
Oh, forget it. I went inside the washroom to freshen up and got out Summer’s bottle and diapers.
I would feed her as soon as she was awake, and give her a change of diapers.
Room service arrived shortly. The food he laid out was mostly lighter on the taste buds and suited for my palate.
I looked at him. “It’s been delivered. Now go!”
He tried to say something but changed his mind when he saw that my daughter had roused. “She’s up, so it’ll be easier if I attend to her while you eat. I’ll leave as soon you’re done!”
I was indeed famished so I made no protest, and ate some of it before I had the food runner clear the table.
Summer kept crying, the cause of which I attributed to being in an unfamiliar environment. I proceeded to change her diapers.
I would not usually use the water from hotel rooms. After some consideration, I looked to John. “I will need some warm mineral water.”
He nodded and figured out what it was for, and left the room.
In his absence, I fed Summer. That got her to quiet down.
When John returned, he had someone ferried in a water dispenser and a barrel of mineral water, as well as a new basin.
“You could use that to bathe Summer later as her skin is sensitive…” He then looked at me attentively.
I nodded and poured some water to wipe down Summer’s face. Having slept enough and ate her fill, she looked to be in fine spirits.
John had my daughter in his arms when I dozed off on the couch.
It was night when I came to. I shot up when I saw that Summer was not beside me.
The blanket put over me slid off as my eyes darted around the room. Summer was nowhere in sight.
I managed to keep my wits and fished out my phone to call John.
Before the call went out, the door opened.
In came John with a baby cart. Summer was fast asleep inside.
He was surprised when he saw me covered in cold sweat. “I noted that you traveled light from K City so I got someone to get you some clothes and essentials. K City is much colder than J City, so it would be more convenient in case you need to launder!”
Upon seeing Summer, I sat back down. “Thank you. It’s getting late so you should get going!”
He appeared tentative. “I know that you are resentful of me, so it’s fine if you want to take it out on me. But you can’t possibly keep me away as I’m your brother. Both Summer and yourself need someone to care for you.”
My eyes narrowed. “Leave! I can take care of her myself!”
“Why are you so stubborn? What’s done is done. Have you thought about Summer’s future, pushing all of us away like this?”
Nothing was going to shake my resolve in this regard. “That’s right. We can’t change the past. All I want is to have some peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask?”
He was taken aback and responded with a shrug. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it then.”
My purpose for being in K City was firstly to fulfill my responsibility by wrapping up the AI development project that I had been overseeing for White Corporation.
The other being to bid Louis farewell. As it may be hard for me to travel with Summer, I expected to be staying put in R Province for a couple of years, at least.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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