That afternoon, Raphael seemed very busy attending a luncheon with some of his clients. While having a warm conversation, discussing several projects that his company will work on in the next few months.
As a man who is already skilled in the business world, Raphael’s presence is calculated. He has handled many large projects or tenders successfully. That’s why it wasn’t difficult for the man to find clients to work with.
“Because it has undergone several field inspections, I think next month is the right time to inaugurate this mall construction project.”
One of the clients nodded in agreement. The man even submitted another proposal for Raphael to examine. “I think building a hotel or apartment on the top of the building is also a good choice. That’s why, in this document, I am attaching some ideas that Mr. Raphael might correct or consider.”
Raphael nodded and took the file handed to him. For a moment, he read. Understand the points written there, then after that draw a conclusion.
“Perfect. I think this is a brilliant idea. Don’t forget, we will build this mall with the concept of one stop shopping and living. Once it is finished and starts operating, I am optimistic that many Londoners or maybe from outside will visit there.”
“In that case, we record this idea so that it can be realized immediately,” said the client to Raphael.
Continuing to chat and exchange ideas, Raphael finally finished his meeting. As soon as he exited one of the hotel’s restaurants, he accidentally ran into a man he knew so well from the past.
“Nice to meet you here, Raphael Gamaliel Smith,” the man greeted in a slightly mocking tone. It was clear from the look on his face that he was happy with this meeting, in contrast to Raphael. The man looked openly annoyed. His expression clearly showed that he didn’t like it.
“So am I. Glad to see you’re still alive Alfonso Craigh Adelaide. If I’m being honest, I was hoping that after the accident in the past, you should have died and rotted in hell too.”
Alfonso giggled. Not the least bit disturbed or offended by the cynical remarks of the man in front of him. “Unfortunately God still loves me, Raphael. That’s why he let me live in order to hold back all your ambitions. You need to know, no matter how hard you try, you can never destroy me.”
Raphael smirked back. Ignoring the chatter that came out of the lips of the man who used to be his best friend and now turned into a rival for him.
“Yeaah… it’s not really me who will destroy you in the end.”
“Who is it, then?” asked Alfonso. “What do you mean Tristan? Andrew’s son?” guessed Alfonso with a laugh. “No matter how hard you try to brainwash Andrew’s son, I’m sure he’ll end up siding with me in the end,” he said confidently.
Hearing Alfonso’s words, Raphael immediately laughed.
“Dream as you please. You may have the upper hand now. But remember, I will never stand still. I will continue to block all your steps, Alfonso. Remember! All your steps.”
Raphael then walked away. He was leaving Alfonso, who was still laughing casually as if he didn’t care about the threats aimed at him.
***
Sophia noticed once again the makeup on her face. Not long after, he stirred. Long enough. Even his mind wandered. He was trying to decide whether to visit Bateaux for a romantic dinner on the river cruise with Edward. Or see the beautiful view of the city from a height on the Aqua Shard with Tristan.
More than that. Sophia’s choice tonight determines her life’s path forward. He could fall into a deep hole with the slightest mistake in making decisions. That’s why Sophia had been concentrating on considering which man she should choose and go to tonight. “Honey…”
The grown man’s baritone voice jolted Sophia’s consciousness, drifting somewhere. Slightly turned to the left, he found his father, who seemed to be standing in the doorway, smiling warmly.
“What are you dreaming about?” the man then asked. Then stepped in to approach the princess.
“I-I’m just confused, Pa,” she squeaked softly.
“Confused?” Alfonso’s eyebrows rose to one side. “What do you have to be confused about?” Then before long, the man wore an expression as if he remembered something. “Ah, Papa, I know. You must be confused about Edward or Tristan. Is that right?”
Sophia nodded weakly. Her face looked so sad. It couldn’t be helped between the two men, and each had meaning in her life. “I even thought about not choosing both, Pa.”
“Why? Is it because you’re afraid they’ll fight?”
Again Sophia nodded. “Don’t let my presence destroy their friendship.”
“Sophia …” called Alfonso. “There’s no need to feel bad until you sacrifice your own feelings. You deserve to be happy, son. Papa told you, Tristan and Edward are grown men. Papa is sure they will understand each other. After all, feelings of love come and grow naturally. It can’t be forced let alone made up.”
Sophia was silent for a moment. She was thinking about what his father had just explained to him. “That means, I still have to choose between the two of them?” he asked for an opinion.
“Of course,” Alfonso answered quickly. Reaching out his right hand, he gently patted the princess’s shoulder. It encourages so that you don’t get dizzy all the time. “Now go quickly. Those two must have been waiting for you.”
Sophia nodded, then gave a smile. She hugged her father’s body tightly for a moment, and then she said goodbye to leave. Once out of the house, Sophia was still thinking. Closing hier eyes, she tried to listen to her heart. Convince herrself to believe in her decision this time finally.
Bateaux is the place Sophia chose. She had made up her mind to meet Edward as soon as possible. Fortunately, the streets of London were not congested even though many young people were celebrating Valentine’s Day on the road that night.
At precisely eight o’clock in the evening, Sophia arrived. Getting out of the car, she took significant strides down the pier. With the help of the restaurant clerk, Sophia was finally able to find the cruise ship where Edward was.
“Sophia …” Edward immediately stood up and greeted when the woman he had been waiting for was in front of his eyes. “Please have a seat. You really are beautiful tonight.”
Edward wasn’t bragging. As long as they are friends, he saw Sophia’s appearance, which was so stunning just tonight. The man then reached out his hand, leading Sophia to take the seat he had reserved.
“Finally you came too. I was really frustrated waiting for you,” said Edward, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. Putting on a sweet smile to get rid of nervousness, the man poured wine into a glass and then handed it to Sophia. “Enjoy it. We have plenty of time for tonight.”
Sophia accepted the drink from Edward. Shake it first. Then took a sip of the wine and put it back on the table while speaking quietly.
“Ed… I—”
“Ssstss.” Pointing his index finger to his lips, Edward hissed quietly. “Let’s have dinner first. Then after that discuss my question yesterday.”
Sophia took a deep breath. Not wanting to disappoint Edward, she complied with the man to eat the dinner that had been ordered. While chatting lightly, the two enjoyed American Steak romantically like a couple in love. The Scottish-blooded man had ordered a musical accompaniment to accompany his second dinner to make it more intimate.
“So how was it? Did you think about my request the other day?” Edward asked after the two of them had finished their dinner.
Sophia lifted her face. For a moment, she was staring into Edward’s face, who was so handsome tonight-dressed in a black shirt with matching colored pants. His brown hair was deliberately styled in a spike style, making the man fresh and attractive to look at. “Sophia, can you hear me?” Finding Sophia suddenly daydreaming, of course, made Edward surprised. What was that woman thinking? “You’re all right, right?” he asked for sure. A little worried seeing Sophia’s awkward-looking behavior.
“I’m fine. Sorry if I’m a little out of focus. To be honest you look really handsome tonight,” she said softly, making Edward smile happily.
“About your request the other day…”
“Yes?” Edward nodded. Advancing his body a little, the man asked again. “Have you made your decision?”
Sophia took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Convince yourself that he is solid with his decision this time. To that, she nodded as he answered.
“Yes, I’ve thought it through. Thank you in advance. I’m honored that you asked me to be your lover and fiancé. Everyone in London knows who you are, Edward.”
Edward pulled the corners of his lips into a proud smile. Undeniably, his popularity as a rich and handsome man is very calculated in London.
No one does not recognize his figure. Because of this privilege, he can quickly get women from anywhere. “So… Did you accept my request to be your lover and fiancé?” Once again, Edward repeated his question the other day.
Grabbing Edward’s wrist that was free on the table, Sophia gripped it gently. Again, the woman smiled faintly and then answered very carefully. “I… I can’t accept your request, Ed.”
Edward gasped in surprise. He was confident that tonight Sophia would receive his love. He has done many things, big down to the smallest, to get the woman’s attention. But in fact, the expectations that he had always imagined so far did not match the reality that happened.
“I’m sure you must be joking, right?” Edward objected with a look of doubt on his face. He tried to deny what he had just heard.
“I’m serious,” Sophia answered quietly.
Edward stared. He looked deeply into Sophia’s face to find a loophole for the lies there. But he realized the woman was not boasting about what he had just said.
“Why, Sophia? Am I not the type of guy you want?”
The happy sparkle that had been etched on Edward’s face slowly faded. It was replaced with a sad expression on his face that was getting darker and darker. “No!” Sophia argued, shaking her head.
“Not for that,” she squeaked.
“Then what?” Edward insisted. Once again, sighing and lifting her shoulders, Sophia slowly answered.
“I’m in love with Tristan.”
Edward’s eyes were successful. He pulled the wrist that Sophia previously held. Shaking his head, the man replied with a bit of emotion.
“You like Tristan? But how come, Sophia? How–”
“I’m sorry, I.” Sophia immediately interrupted. “I really can’t lie to myself, Ed,” she said in a slightly raised voice.
Edward’s shoulders seemed to sag. He looked like someone who had no zest for life. Maybe he was still too shocked by what he had just heard-pouring all his sincere feelings on Sophia. But the woman likes her best friend. Is the world fair to him?
“Have you two been in a relationship behind my back?”
With a weak tone filled with doubt, Edward spoke again, breaking the silence. Sophia’s statement earlier had hurt him.
Edward is so sincere and hopes his love is reciprocated. But in reality, it is not so. Sophia harbored her heart for another man. Especially to Tristan, who he considered his brother.
“Before the day you confessed your love for me, Tristan had already confessed his feelings to me. But for God’s sake, we have never been in a relationship behind your back. I haven’t even answered his request yet.”
“Tristan confessed his love for you?” Edward shook his head in disbelief. “Why would you do this to me?” he muttered quietly.
“I’m sorry, Edward. Please, I’m sorry.”
“But still, Sophia. In the end, you chose Tristan over me, didn’t you?” Edward shook his head again in disbelief. Feeling played by friends as well as the woman he loves. Overcome with emotion, he then got up and prepared to leave. “Looks like I need some time alone. Thank you for your honest answer. I hope you’re happy with your choice, Sophia.” “Edward, wait!” Sophia got up, too, trying to hold Edward. But, the man didn’t care one bit.
The man’s shadow disappeared, and Sophia suddenly remembered something. Glancing at the clock on her wrist, it was already 9:30 pm. She almost forgot that Tristan was waiting for her to arrive somewhere else.
A little run, Sophia returned to the car. The driver rushed to take her to Aqua Sharp, which was in the middle of the city. But this time Sophia wasn’t so lucky, the traffic jam made her couldn’t help but arrive at the location at precisely 10 pm.
While walking quickly to the 30th floor, Sophia continued to say a prayer. In my heart. She was hoping that Tristan was still loyal and not to move an inch to wait for his arrival. Once at the restaurant, Sophia handed out the view.
She was trying to find Tristan’s whereabouts in every corner of the room until a waitress came and offered to help.
“If I may know, what is the guest’s name? Let us help you find it on the reservation list,” the waitress offered.
“Tristan,” Sophia answered. “Tristan Quartararo.”
The waitress immediately checked the guest list from the tablet she brought. Examine the names until you finally find what you are looking for. “Ah, here it is. Mr Tristan Quartararo. West Side VIP,” she said. “Let me deliver. The location ordered is at the end near the dividing glass,” she explained, pointing to the area in question.
Following the steps of the waitress, Sophia finally arrived at the table that Tristan had ordered. However, he couldn’t find the man there. Some of the waiters have even started to tidy up the table along with the drinks and food that the man might have ordered earlier.
“Excuse me, is this table reservation gone?” Sophia asked the waitress who was in charge of clearing the table. “This table orderer has gone home. Maybe 5 to 10 minutes ago,” she explained.
Without another word, Sophia turned around. Seconds later, without any hesitation, she ran towards the ground floor. She thought maybe Tristan was still in the building lobby or parking area.
To be sure, she wanted to find the man’s whereabouts immediately. Once in the lobby, Sophia combed every corner. Closed eyes, looked around, just in case Tristan was there. But alas, the man is still nowhere to be found. Then he ran back to the VIP parking area in front of the building.
She was walking here and there, hoping to see Tristan’s whereabouts. However, Sophia’s efforts did not yield the slightest result. While sitting on one sidewalk in the parking area, he couldn’t help but cry. The thought of Tristan’s words that might have left him thinking he had chosen Edward immediately flashed through. That means she will never be able to see that man again after this. So, should he now cry over his unfortunate fate?