"I have something to say. Don't be too mean to me. We weren't that bad three years ago." Chloe explained as they walked towards the restaurant in his hotel.

Hearing her bringing up the past doesn't sit right in Jade's ears. Immediately, he turned to her with a friend.
"What is it you want to say?"

"You want to talk here?" She asked as Jade looked around him.

They were halfway to the restaurant already, but he didn't want to keep Sapphire waiting, again. They just got together the night before.

"Let's go!" He rolled his eyes at Chloe as they went to the restaurant.

After a while, they got seated, Chloe started the discussion.

"Let's start over, Jade."

Hearing her say this wasn't funny but ridiculous. Jade just had to laugh. Something uncommon when they were together. He gazed at Chloe for a second.

"You don't have any feelings toward me, though. What nonsense!" He cursed beneath.

"You don't care about things like love either, anyway. And someone like me would definitely be of help to you, Jadee. As the heir of BB Company and Charles Chemicals. Let's just get married and go past this instead of ignoring each other like strangers." Chloe smiled with a little pride.

"You're right. I don't care about things like love. So, I don't necessarily need to choose Charles Chemicals and you. I can find tons of better alternatives, Chloe, I hate being forced." He pointed out, clearly.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything here, Jade's. I'm sure that the chairman would love to have me, though. Because he's truly aware of what's best for the company." She stared into his eyes, lustfully.

"Then why don't you propose to my grandpa instead and stop wasting my precious time?!" Jade gloated at her with irritation.

He cast a stealthy look at her as he excused himself from the table. Jade walked away without looking back or thinking twice. Everything on his mind right that instant was Sapphire. An elementary school teacher.

Pained to the bones, Chloe stared open-mouthed at his attitude. Although Jade is rude and arrogant, She wasn't expecting him to say those annoying words or treat her like garbage.

Moved to tears, she muttered to herself. "There's something more to this. And I'll find out."

***

Sapphire is seated in the garden outside the school. She checked her wristwatch over and over again as she watched some children scatting along the road.

"Why isn't he here again?" She wore a sad look and sighed.

Just then, she saw Jade. He walked to her as fast as possible, knowing he was already late.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late, aren't I?" He complained.

She looked vacantly at her wristwatch again.

"Yes. You're 20 minutes late." She got an eyeful of him and suddenly smiled.
"Come on, sit already." She pulled him closer as Jade sat right next to her on a long, wooden bench.

"Do you have a bit more free time, now?" Sapphire asked.

"No, I'm crazily busy, but I had to come here. I'm just making time even though I don't have any." Jade explained.

Hearing him say this sent her a memory. She remembered when she was sad and visited Zoey at her boutique. She said;
A man will make time for a woman no matter how busy he is. If he really likes her.

Remembering this, Sapphire silently blushed at the thought.

Jade turned to her almost immediately.

"What's funny? Why are you smiling?" He asked, curiously.

"Nothing exactly. I was just thinking about what we should do in this precious time you've spared."

"What do you want to do." He gave her a side look with a pretty smirk.

"I don't know exactly but whose turn is it to choose this time?"

"Me? No, it's you." They chorused at themselves, confusedly.

"I think it's my turn," Jade uttered.

"What? Why?" She pulled at his words. "Just because you came last time and all you did was to sleep, remember!"

"That's what I'm saying. That date didn't count. We didn't do anything."

"So who told you to fall asleep?" She scorned.

"Let's go to the hotel if there isn't anything specific you want to do." He suggested.

"What are we going to do there this time." Sapphire let out a soft sigh.

"There's an event marking the first day of summer. So I'm curious to see the guests' relations to it." He explained.

Sapphire looked down, the feeling of going to his business-related events just kills her gradually.

"Come on, Fire! Let's go. There's even a fruit buffer at the tower lounge so, it's honing to be fun!" He pressured with a cute smile, but Sapphire wasn't even looking. She wasn't interested.

"Why the long face?" He questioned.

"Nothing..." She murmured, picking on her fingers.

"Are you worried about something? You looked happy just now."

With this, Sapphire stared at him, intensely.
"Mr. Jade Alejandro. What do you consider to be the most important thing in the world?"

"What?" He quirked an eyebrow at her awkward question.

"Do you have anything that you consider really important? Something you can't do without?" She squinted her eyes at the question.

"Of course, I do," Jade confessed as Sapphire looked at him eagerly. "Money. Money is the most important thing to me." He stated clearly.

"Money. Really? Is that the most important thing to you? Why are you so obsessed with money when you're a third-generation heir? You're a billionaire's son, and you're stinky rich at that!"

"That's not my money. It's all Grandpa's."

"I don't want to be the third-generation heir. He admitted. I want to be wealthy all on my own. Make my own money and live a good life."

"Whatever. I shouldn't have asked." She mouthed at him.

Just then, Jade's eyes saw across the road. On the other side was a 7-year-old boy skating across the other side of the road. He mistakenly trembled and fell to his feet.

Jade ran to help the boy escape the car and he quickly dragged him to the other side of the road.

The driver was on call so, he didn't know.

"I'm sorry." He muttered as he drove away.

"Are you okay?" Jade asked the boy with so much concern.

***

At Zoey's Boutique

Zoey was arranging some clothes when someone opened the door.

"Oh, brother!" She welcomed Rome and brought a little package for her.

She collected it with so much joy as he scrolled through her new collection of clothes.

"Wow! These are beautiful!" He commented. "So, how's business?"

"Zoey. About the guy that Sapphire is seeing. Do you know who he is? I mean... He's Jade Alejandro from BB Company right?" He questioned with curiosity laced over his face.

Zoey nodded positively to his question.

"I said it! His face looked familiar!" Rome whooshed.

"What are you thinking, brother?" Zoey opened her fridge and brought out an orange drink for Rome.

"Why would Sapphire of all people get engaged with a guy like Jade? I mean... He's an arrogant bastard. All wealthy guys are."

"Yeah, you're right about that but what if Sapphire changes him? I feel she would bring out the best in Jade, perhaps, they're a good match."

A sly look appeared on his face when he heard Zoey's words. It's as if she's in support of their relationship, but he was just so concerned.

"Does her parents know?" He asked.

"Of course not! So better keep your mouth shut about this, okay? You don't have to tell Mum as well." Zoey warned.

"But I don't still get it! Where did they meet? How did they know each other? Why does she have to date that Jade guy of all people?"

"That's not any of our business, now is it?" Zoey stuttered. "Perhaps, Sapphire is an adult. She's old enough to choose whosoever she wants to date. And don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Okay, I've heard you. Whatever!" Rome glared at his sister, with a part of him burning inside.

Rome gulped the juice down his throat abruptly. Making its coldness fill him gradually and calm his nerves. All he wanted to do was to protect her. Now, with a guy like Jade by her side, he feels he can't.