Book 2 : 04

I sat up straight and shifted my gaze between Eric and Calla. They looked so beautiful together, and their physical attributes complemented each other. Calla's tight-hugging gown outlined her lovely upper body shape, but the modified A-Line design of her skirt flared below her hips, concealing her sexy butt. The advantage of Eric's meticulous attitude was that he always planned everything well, and it reflected even in the pale blue shade of Calla's gown, matching Eric's navy blue three-piece suit.

My eyes subconsciously fell on Calla's lower abdomen, and my heart ached at the thought that inside her womb could be Sean's child. She caught me looking at her belly, and she smiled.

"No bump yet," she smiled genuinely and wondered how she could stand unaffected before the two men who shared her life and before me as the rival. Because if anyone would ask me, I already felt like disappearing from their sight. Not because I was still hurting, but because the situation was indeed awkward.

Calla's eyes flickered as she looked at me, then back to Sean. I wondered if Eric knew about her pregnancy and her romantic encounter with Sean. And I also thought if he knew about her pregnancy. There were so many questions raging in my mind, and that included the weirdness of the situation of seeing Calla with Eric when he was already the president's other woman. I wouldn't presume anymore that Calla did not know about my role in Eric's life.

"Dr. Nelson, nice meeting you again." She held out her hand to shake it with me, so I stood up to accept it.

"Call her Dr. Grey," Sean Said as he also stood up beside me. I glanced at Eric to see how he would react, but to my surprise, he looked unaffected.

"Of course," she replied and stepped closer to Sean, kissing him on the cheek. "Congratulations to the newly-weds!"

I froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. I knew so well that Eric was a jealous man. Looking at him from the corners of my eyes, I saw him smirking while looking at them and glancing at them. Was that a matter of sportsmanship? I couldn't believe it, no matter how liberated they were.

"What's happening?" I asked Sean when finally, Eric and Calla left.

"I don't know, Red. I cut off my communication with Calla while we were in Hawaii."

"Philip did not report it to you?"

"Strangely, no. I also did not ask about her."

"You won't ask her?"

"I don't care."

"What about the baby?"

"She will come to me if she needs to," he answered with a guilty expression spreading across his face. I just nodded--it's something I had trained my mind to accept.

The program started, and to get rid of boredom from having to hear updates and plans for the hospital, I browsed the internet. Headlines about the Bronc X virus still ruled the news portals. What caught my attention next, was the latest news about the president.

President Ric Abella denied the accusations that the Bronc X virus came from his lapel. He claimed that this was a frame-up and that as of now, they are looking into the involvement of someone who supported the instigator for some reasons they couldn't disclose yet to the public. Some say that the participation of that particular prominent person could have been because of an old grudge seeking vengeance. Others also say it could be because they were fighting over some possessions.

As of reporting, the virus outbreak has already affected thousands of people and has spread abroad other countries. Several provinces of the country are already suffering from the malady, and the local government is already finalizing the plans for total lockdown throughout the province of Gaza.

My goodness! I couldn't imagine the restrictions of a lockdown if I were a non-medical professional! I sighed as I closed my phone, imagining the president's stress regarding this issue.

Gaza City is a highly-urbanized city and I couldn't imagine how forlorn it would become if 90 % of its operation were to be stopped. On the other hand, Sean and I would have a longer time in the house, planning for our marriage life, and maybe, babies!

Just as I placed my phone back to my purse, the lady of the ceremony, speaking in a loud and cheerful voice, caught my attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as one of the highlights of our celebration tonight, the primary shareholder of Thomas and Albert Grey Group of Hospital, would make us more proud of him tonight by showing us his charm on the dance floor."

She laughed softly and glued her eyes on me before she continued. "Tonight, he would also introduce us to the most beautiful woman who captured his heart. For a long time, many of us have wondered why he is always alone in every function. Some of us may have also wondered if he is ever capable of loving a woman more than his business. But tonight, he is going to prove us wrong."

The crowd erupted into a loud cheer again as they broke into another round of applause. I also clapped my hands and giggled. I couldn't imagine the chairman with his frail and shaking body, sweeping the dance floor with his much older wife.

"The chairman is going to dance?"

"Won't he break his bones?"

"Can he still walk after the dance?"

"Won't he have a heart attack?"

The loud murmurs of the crowd reached my ears. I got amused by how they voiced out my doubts about his ability to dance. I lifted my head to look at him. He was sitting down, not far from us. I saw him chuckling, and he looked back at me. I expected him to stand up while the cheering still went on, but he leaned instead on the backrest of his chair, lifting his leg over the other.

"What happened to the people?" I murmured to myself as my curiosity gripped me again. Earlier, it was the mystery of Eric and Calla, and now, it's the chairman's turn.

"May I dance with the beautiful woman who captures my heart?" Sean's voice grabbed my attention back to him. He was already standing and extending his right hand to me, and for a moment, I got lost as I stared into his handsome face.

My eyes widened in shock as I continued fixing my gaze at him. I knew that the TAG conglomerates bought a share in this institution, but never did I expect that it was Sean who bought the whole of Chairman Fabella's share as the primary shareholder for many years.

A roaring round of applause broke from the crowd again as Sean led me to the dance hall. A piece of familiar music then began, and I swayed with him in the middle and all the corners of the dance floor. No wonder why Sean always asked me to dance with him every time we spent dinner at many restaurants in Hawaii. He always chose the one with serenading so that we would end up with romantic dances across the ballroom. Now, I understood that he wanted to rehearse with me. This was indeed one of the surprises he told me ahead.

As soon as the music stopped, Sean tilted my head and kissed me hard on the lips. I felt I was floating in the ninth cloud when he released me. He then asked for a microphone and ran his eyes over the crowd before he spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our beloved guests, and friends," Sean started to speak, pausing for a moment to clear his throat, "Dr. Red and I are going to tie the knot a month from now. I am inviting everyone who is here tonight to be our witnesses on that big day."

An angry voice then shook the hall as he interrupted. "Liar!"