Gain

Chapter Twenty Two

Isha sat rubbing the inside of her left eyebrow. Her husband was blubbering in front of her father. The old man sat more amused at his daughter's exasperation than his son-in-laws lacklustre excuses. Lee Tanabe continued fawning over his father-in-law. He needed to please the man. If not he would feel the wrath of his own father and that was the last thing he needed. Having two exceptionally intimidating old men breathing down his throat was stress he knew he could not live with.

The old man got up and poured himself some whiskey. He offered Lee some and he humbly accepted. He needed it anyway. The door to the study squeaked open as two giggling boys burst in to the room. They ran up to the old man and hounded him with their excitement. He listened happily to his grandsons and saw that his wife was right behind them. She gave her daughter a firm nod before kissing Lee's forehead. She took a sip of her husband's drink and complained it wasn't strong enough. He smiled at her lovingly and promised Lee would get a better brand for his household. Lee nodded furiously.

Isha rolled her eyes at her husband's lack of dignity. Her sons came to her and she hugged them tightly before they went to go show their father what their grandmother had gotten them. She eyed her mother and nearly mentioned her distaste for the older woman's attire. She thought it best to keep her mouth shut. No use in agitating the real dragon in the family. The boys laughed happily as their father teased their choice of gifts. She looked at them with care, regardless of everything their parents had forced them in to; she loved her husband with all her heart.

"Anyway honey, I was just informing Lee and Isha of their importance in the family business," he took a sip of the drink. His wife looked at the couple seriously.

"That's right, it's a family business. Has your father spoken to you, Lee?'' she asked.

"Yes mam, Isha and I had a video call with him. It was informative and pleasant to speak to him again," his lips thinned.

"That's good. You should really make an effort to go to Japan. I'm sure he would love to see his grandsons. No I'm sure he would," she continued.

"Yes, we plan on going there at the end of the year. But we need to sort some stuff out," said Lee. His father-in-law got up and told the boys to go fetch their bags. He was tired and wanted to return to the hotel. He handed his glass to his wife and she finished it for him. She said her goodbyes to them and left after the children. The old man hugged Lee tightly and whispered.

"I'm sorry we had to involve you in this. I've always been sorry," he patted Lee's shoulder and headed towards his daughter. She didn't allow him to hug her but she gave him a nod of acknowledgement. The resentment in her eyes broke his heart.

"You know what to do tomorrow," he left and Lee turned to his wife.

"Seems like the boys are enjoying their time with their grandparents," he looked at her hopefully.

"I want them back the day after tomorrow. I don't like leaving them alone with them. They might be putting ideas in to their heads," Isha slouched in to her seat and kicked off her shoes. Both her own and Lee's parents exhausted her and her husband's incessant need to please everyone instead of saying NO, nagged her further. Lee walked around and kneeled before her. He smiled at her softly and just like that he was forgiven. She nestled her fingers in to his hair and moved to kiss him.

Lisa held on to Jisoo's waist tightly, she had decided to not where a helmet. With Jisoo she felt completely safe and she knew that the older girl was a cautious driver. They leaned to the left as the motorbike whizzed them on to the top of the hill. It was a beautiful evening and the ride alone felt cinematic. But when Jisoo had laid out the blanket and Lisa passed the drinks, the glistening stars felt immaculate. They snuggled up closely and allowed themselves to breathe.