In the morning, Cherry got up early to get to work. Processing yesterday's orders to the manager and making herself busy with her own tasks, Cherry spent the whole day without anything unexpected happening.
She walked out the JS Building after work, as usual. Her phone, kept away in her bag began to ring suddenly when she was about to drive her car out of the parking lot.
Taking the phone out, Cherry saw that it was John, and she answered the phone.
"Hello, John, " said Cherry in a cold tone.
"Cherry, have you gotten off work now?" John asked with concern.
"Yes, I just got done with work now, " said Cherry.
"So are you free now? Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?" John offered.
Thinking about it for a while, Cherry thought that it would mean nothing to have a cup of tea with John since she had no affection for him now.
"Okay, where do you want me to come? I'll try to get there soon, " Cherry said decidedly.
"Come to the Ancient Path Tea House", replied John.
Cherry drove to the teahouse after hanging up. All that while, she wasn't aware that there was a man following her.
When Cherry got to the place, she found John occupying a seat in the corner, so she just walked up to him.
"You are here, " said John.
"Hmmm, " Cherry sat opposite to John.
"How are you doing these days? How is everything at work?" John asked with concern. He had not seen Cherry since the last time they had met at the cemetery. He had only spoken with her on the phone. Luckily, both of them were free today, so he could meet her here and ask her about her wellbeing.
"Well, fine", said Cherry simply. Seeing John's caring attitude, Cherry spoke to him as though he were a regular friend, "so, how are you doing these days? Are you keeping very busy?"
"Not really, it's just the same as before. Sometimes there are some things that need to be handled, while sometimes, I am free, " said John.
Cherry nodded, letting him know that she was listening to his words.
John continued, "Cherry, how could you join the JS Group?"
Cherry felt a bit surprised when she heard the question. Why couldn't she join the JS Group? She had employed her own abilities rather than nepotism to be one part of the JS Group, so why couldn't she get the position she had earned?
"Why do you ask that? Do you think I could not get into the JS Group?" asked Cheery, with a hint of anger in her voice.
"No", John explained immediately. He didn't mean that and he just wanted to clarify to her that her boss Selina was Derek's sister.
Cherry looked at John, still waiting for his further explanation.
"I just wanted to tell you that your..." John suddenly saw Jackson walking towards them, before he finished his words. His expressions totally changed.
Cherry saw John stopping short with his words, and that his face grew momentarily pale.
"Uncle, " Join could barely get the words out of his mouth. How could Jackson possibly know that they are here? Had he already got the message that Cherry had come back?
Hearing John say the word uncle made Cherry shudder as she knew his uncle was no other than Jackson. This would mean that Jackson was standing behind her right now!
Cherry followed John's gaze to stand up and turned to see the man behind her.
As soon as Cherry saw the angry face of Jackson, she realized that how furious Jackson was at that moment. And what's worse, there were two men following along behind him.
Jackson walked to place himself between Cherry and John, took a glare at John and turned to focus his complete attention to Cherry.
"Did you come here just to meet him?" What Jackson said resonated in Cherry's ears, word by word.
Cherry looked into Jackson's eyes, quiet and too frightened to speak.
John was afraid that Jackson would make things difficult for Cherry and he knew that Cherry did not want to see Jackson again. He interfered immediately, "No, uncle, it was me who called her to come just now."
When John finished his words, Jackson turned his glare towards John and shouted angrily, "John, do you think that your life as the state governor has become too easy for you?"
But John was no longer what he had been five years ago, and he had learned to fight back against Jackson now.
John said, "Uncle, I know it's you who has helped me to get the position of the state governor, but if you want to threaten me with taking that away, you should just do it now, because I'd rather abandon my position than be forced down by you."
"Really?" Jackson got more and more angry in his heart. This woman had occupied?a?certain?position in John's heart in all of these five years, considering that John was even ready to abandon his position of the state governor for her. 'Cherry, how many men have you seduced around?' he wondered.
"So, what do you want?" Jackson continued to ask as he found it amusing to play this game of questions and answers. Cherry hated to see him. She had not even wanted him to know that she had come back, but here she was intimately chatting with his nephew in a corner of a tea house. No one could know what was happening between them in such an appropriate place. How smart and considerate Cherry was!
John knew that Jackson was in a fit of anger. Being afraid that he might put Cherry in an awkward situation, he finally answered, "I only wish that you should not harass her."
Just as John finished his words, Jackson grabbed him by the collar. Looking at him closely, Jackson ferociously demanded, "What right do you have to protect her?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Ice and Fire