Chaebol: Prince (COMPLETED - 2nd EDITING)

Chapter 13: Reflection (AMBW)

She was lost in thoughts which made her uncomfortable and hurt to revisit. Her mind sought to run away from the memories which constantly haunted her. She needed to shield herself from what wasn't helpful to the progress she made over time. As she marveled at the scene, Kiah was unaware of the presence of someone else as she lost herself in thoughts of the past.

"I've never seen anything more beautiful." The familiar voice softly confirmed what she was struggling to focus on. Dang, it. She thought to herself. Her hands flew up to her face to wipe away the tears trailing down her face. It never crossed her mind that someone else would join her as she watched the sunset. Of all the people who could join her at that moment, why did it have to be him? Just, when she thought she would be able to avoid him, there he was.

Kiah closed her eyes long enough to wish him away. She was in no mood to spend her precious alone time with anyone else. To no avail, she turned to address the interloper hoping it was just an illusion. Unfortunately, her prayer didn't work.

"Jon, what are you doing here?" She asked with a little less enthusiasm then one would expect.

"This is where I'm staying until my meetings conclude next week. I was out walking around when I looked up and saw someone who reminded me of you. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was you?" He smiled as he shared his reaction to finding her standing there. Kiah glanced up at his tall frame. She wondered why he kept popping up. It was kind of unsettling. There was no reason he was everywhere all the time.

"Oh, okay. This is where I'm scheduled to speak." She spoke with ease. Kiah reflected over how it was possible that this good-looking man... who happened to like her... who she was too afraid to like... who was sexy as hell... who... oh, forget it... how was he here? The thoughts rushed in a jumbled mess through her mind.

"It appears that we are both free at the moment. Join me for a meal." He was determined to spend time with her, and she didn't have a leg to stand on. There were no excuses.

"Ok." Kiah conceded as she walked past him on her way back to the building. He didn't seem to be a bad person, so she didn't see anything wrong with sharing a meal.

She was still a little worn out from the trip and didn't have the strength to strategize an exit. Jon and Kiah strolled back to the restaurant in the resort. Grumbling came from her stomach and caught Jon's attention. He behaved like a gentleman and chuckled to himself as he opened the door for her.

The American styled bistro smelled amazing and the food delivered to waiting customers looked very promising. Kiah forgot about the world as steak and potatoes, burgers and fries, and even pasta and cheesy garlic bread danced through her mind.

Kiah planned to enjoy herself. She wasn't on a real date and she wasn't planning to connect with Jon in any way other than that of a friend. Everyone knew it was a bad idea to eat garlic, strong herbs or strong veggies while spending time with a guy. She definitely kept that in mind. Honestly, there would be no shenanigans. PERIOD!

She tried to be one step ahead of the mystery hunk. In case he thought he caught her off guard, Kiah had a defense built into every situation to protect herself from his pretty face and ridiculously dangerous body.

They were seated for about 30 minutes when their food was delivered. Jon selected an amazing wine to pair with their meal. After a few glasses, the food was served. Kiah felt her cares evaporate as she tasted her food. She didn't take into consideration that she hadn't eaten anything all day. Soon she was at ease as they relaxed and found themselves enjoying the ambiance.

Once again, the same laughter they indulged in earlier in the day, was experienced as they enjoyed their meal and shared funny topics. Jon made it easy for her to have a conversation with him. He laughed at himself easily which made his mellow sense of humor appealing. His charm was unmatched. Even when he didn't seem to try, he was able to disarm her suspicions. He wasn't as serious or stuck up as she imagined he would be. She fully understood why he asked her not to judge a book by its cover.

The couple was involved in a comedic conversation when they were interrupted.

"Kiah?" At first, she thought she was hearing things. Maybe she had a little more wine than she realized? She looked at her glass and of course, it was empty. She enjoyed the wine but had no idea how much of it she consumed. Not one to drink, it didn't take much of any alcoholic beverage to illicit behaviors out of her which were completely unlike the person she was every day.

The unforgettable voice rang in her ears again. Kiah faced Jon and was hesitant to turn for fear that acknowledging the voice would summon the person she had no desire to see. Nothing in her mind or her heart prepared her to meet up with her past. What in the hell was he doing here? Her mind fought to make sense of what was happening.

Kiah turned around to find that it was indeed the person who once shattered her heart. Of course, it was Joon-Woo Seong.

*****

The mind is a funny thing. It can create or dismiss anything. Feelings of inadequacy or despair help Kiah's mind to turn off everything going on around her in order to retreat to a place of safety. With enough practice, a person can ignore dang near anything or anyone. Kiah wanted to blink and open her eyes to find that she was just sleep deprived and needed a little more rest.

Even though she woke-up feeling light as a feather and well-rested, she desperately worked to convince herself that her mind was somehow playing tricks on her. Because life has a terrible sense of humor, she knew what she heard was real. For some time, she stared the at the man as if he were a ghost. She willed him to go away with her mind, but it didn't work.

Finally, as she began to accept the fact that a spirit wasn't in her presence, the truth sank into her mind as it informed her that this was the person, she had no desire to see or hold a conversation with.

*****