Aaron sat down in front of Sienna and offered her an apologetic smile. 

“Here, take this; it’s awesome,” Aaron stated and handed her a bottle of juice. 

“Thanks, my throat is a bit sore,” Sienna replied and gave him a small smile. Even though she hated Declan, Aaron was still a good guy and her friend. 

“From all the unnecessary screaming,” Declan mumbled under his breath, then said louder for everyone to hear, “We just waiting for Mr van Zyl then we will depart.” 

Aaron stared at the bottle in his hand and was surprised by Declan’s statement. He didn’t know Kian would be joining them on this trip. He hadn’t seen him since that night he walked away… well, he should have assumed Kian would join; this is his future branch in any case. Aaron still hadn’t spoken to Declan, but he wanted to, just something more important or an issue surfaced. 

Sienna rolled her eyes when Declan spoke and sunk into her chair. She looked out the window and stared at the empty field. South Africa had so much space, but back in Samjiyon, all she saw was crowded areas and buildings rights next to one another. She closed her eyes and thought back to a memory of her family. 

Her parents had saved some money and bought Hanuel a second-hand bicycle for his birthday. They walked over to a small abandoned park, and Sienna taught her brother how to ride. He excitedly yelled as he finally rode around by himself, and she couldn’t help but smile. She ran after him as he peddled around and laughed as adrenaline ran through her body. The sun was beautifully warm that day, and butterflies landed on flowers that grew in the park. The jungle gym and swings were broken since she was young, and the park itself was overgrown, but at that time, it was one of her favourite places. 

Now her favourite place was a bubble swing chair on their balcony that looked towards the sea and the city lights of Cape Town at night. She usually grabbed a textbook and went to study there when the weather was good. That spot made her feel comfortable and happy, but now it just reminded her that Declan owned everything in her life, including her favourite place. She frowned and opened her eyes again. Urgh, even this aeroplane was his and this cool drink that Aaron gave her.

“Uh, Kian, I’m glad you could make it,” Declan stated and stood up to shake his hand as the assistant walked in. 

“Yes, sorry to keep you waiting, sir,” Kian replied and shook the billionaire’s hand. Aaron looked his way, and Kian smiled at him. “Hello, Aaron. Miss Sienna.” He greeted and then sat down in front of Declan. 

“Right, we are ready to leave,” Declan said to the air hostess and then handed Kian a file. “These are the changes that the investor made last minute. He is trying to cheat us out of a few advantages, but I believe he implemented something useful. The investor’s partner, Mrs Campbell, wishes to expand FosterA into providing food security for countries in poverty. I think it is a good move, but she wants us to educate farmers from Australia and transfer them.” 

“I see. We preferably would have educated people from the targeted country to create employment. The statics from FosterA energy is rising as more 1st world countries are moving towards green energy. I guess that could help us create more branches in those countries.” 

“Indeed. We’ll see what our partners say at the meeting.” Declan nodded and looked over at the waitress that stared out the window. As they took off, he watched her hold onto the chair and wished he could hold her hand, but they were no longer lovers. He softly sighed and thought about his precious vase. That was all he had left from his parents, and now it was broken. He remembered how he always thought the vase was ugly when he was young until his mom explained what it meant. On his parent’s first date, they went to a pottery studio and made the vase together. His mom’s handprint was on one side, while his dad’s handprint was on the other side. When he held the vase, he felt like he held each of their hands. It made him feel like they were still alive, and he wasn’t alone anymore.

That feeling was long gone, and now all he felt was that empty hole inside of him. A pit he tried to fill with anger and hatred.

“Sienna, have you ever seen snow?” Aaron asked and showed her pictures of the place they were going to. Even though it was summer, Kosciuszko National Park was full of snow this year and situated high up in the mountains. The investors wanted to meet here and enjoy the snow before it melted, and the park went back to its green state. 

The pictures were of a beautiful white mountain hike, people skiing, snowboarding and even natural hot springs. It looked amazing, and Sienna would have been excited about the trip if Declan wasn’t here. She gave Aaron back his phone and shook her head. She had never left Samjiyon and had never seen snow or the ocean before the billionaire came into her life. At least she was experiencing more of the world and seeing amazing things. Her family and this baby was the only thing that kept her from tearing up the contract. 

“Would you like another drink, Mr Foster?” The air hostess asked and flirtatiously put her hand on Declan’s leg. She had long blonde hair and was extremely attractive, but Declan preferred his waitress’s appearance over any other woman. 

“Can you get my fiancé something to eat? She needs to take her medication.” Declan firmly stated and watched the air hostess frown. She nodded and walked off, which let Declan stare at Sienna again. He wondered what she was thinking about and watched as she placed her lips on a bottle to take a sip of the drink. He should hate her for ruining something that meant so much to him, but instead, he still found himself drawn to her. She looked different with her short hair. A bit more violent and more like a mature woman. Her stomach had the slightest bump, but she didn’t look pregnant yet. It wasn’t even a month into the pregnancy. 

The air hostess returned and gave Sienna a chicken salad with a croissant and a cup of tea. Declan handed Aaron Sienna’s medicine to give to her when she finished eating and watched the waitress slowly nibble on the food. At least she didn’t protest, and he went back to working on the business plan with Kian. 

***

“Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. There is a heavy snowstorm ahead that we will fly through; please be warned the flight will experience turbulence. Please remain in your seat and ensure you are strapped in. Thank you.” The captain said over the intercom. 

Declan stood up and walked over to Sienna. 

“Are you strapped in?” He asked and checked if her seat belt was secure. The billionaire didn’t want her to be hurt, but Sienna hated how close he was. 

“Leave me alone.” She shouted and pushed him away from her. Declan rolled his eyes and returned to his seat. 

“Mr Wohoon, make sure she is safe.” The billionaire instructed and put on his own seat belt. He looked out the window and watched as they flew into the storm. The aeroplane started shaking and rattled as hail hit. Sienna was afraid and prayed they didn’t crash. The atmosphere was eerie and cold inside the plane. Aaron noticed her skin stood up, and quickly took off his jacket to give to her. 

“Thanks,” Sienna stated and let her body warm-up. Aaron didn’t mind the cold and found the experience gave him an adrenaline rush. The plane tipped up, then all the electricity went out, and they went into free fall as they hit an air pocket. Both Sienna and the air hostess screamed, but luckily the plane went into high-pressure air again and regained altitude. Sienna felt her heart racing and gripped onto her cufflink to calm down. Not long after that, they started descending and landed safely near the hotel. 

“Sienna, come,” Declan remarked and gripped her arm as they stepped out into the storm. It was freezing, and he helped her walk through the snow towards the hotel entrance. They made their way inside, and the hotel staff quickly closed the doors behind them. Sienna was shivering from the cold, and Declan noticed her lips were purple.

“Get my fiancé a blanket! Now!” He thundered, and the hotel staff ran off to fetch one. He wrapped the blanket around Sienna and put her in a chair. He rubbed his hands together and made sure Sienna was okay before going to check-in. Aaron followed him while Kian stayed with the waitress. 

“Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation?” The receptionist asked.

“Foster.” He stated, and she quickly typed into her computer. 

“Sir, I don’t see a reservation.” 

“I need 4 separate rooms.” 

“Unfortunately, due to the storm, we only have 2 rooms available. One with two single beds and one with a double to share.” 

“What! Make a plan to get me 4 rooms!” Declan yelled, which made the receptionist jump.

“Sorry, sir. I can’t.” She softly replied. 

“I can share a bed with Sienna.” Aaron quickly offered. He would stay with Sienna and let Mr Foster and Kian have a room with 2 single beds. 

“No one sleeps next to my fiancé but me. You can Kian can take the single beds.” The billionaire remarked.

“Sir, Miss Sienna won’t like that she has to sleep next to you.” 

“I don’t expect you and Kian to share a bed. She will just have to suck it up.” Declan snapped. Aaron took a deep breath and realised now was the time to tell the billionaire the truth. 

“Sir, Kian and I are seeing one another. We have been for a while, and we will share a bed. Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I wasn’t sure how you would react to the news.” Aaron said and ran his hand through his silver hair. 

“Aaron, you are free to be with whoever you want. You shouldn’t be scared to let people know you are with a man.” Declan responded and squeezed the private investigators shoulder. “It makes sense why he was always at the house so late.” He smirked, which made Aaron laugh. “Right then, I’ll take those rooms.” He added and took the key cards from the receptionist. 

Aaron felt relieved that he told the billionaire, and like so much weight was taken off his shoulders. 

“There are only 2 rooms available. Kian, you will share a double bed with Aaron.” Declan stated, which made Kian look at him surprised. 

“I don’t want to share a room with you,” Sienna stated and glared at the billionaire. 

“Well, we have to share a room. But you choose. Do you want to share a bed with me as well or have your own?” 

“My own.” She frowned and realised she was stuck with the billionaire. They went their separate ways, and Sienna followed Declan to their room as he carried their suitcases. It was still snowing heavily, but it was a lot warmer inside the hotel. 

The room was small but cosy and had two single beds. Declan frowned and silently cursed the investors for not booking his reservation earlier; that was the last he let anyone else plan everything. They even chose the worst time to visit the resort and didn’t even check the predicted weather. Idiots. He should have let Kian deal with their arrangements and accommodation. 

“We’ll be dining with the investors later this evening. Wear something nice.” Declan stated and put down their suitcases. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey that was in their room and then walked off to leave Sienna alone.