— Two Years Later, Since Dubai ✈ Paris —
The Grand GM Palace, In February

VERONICA

It wasn't long ago when she decided her fate. She was to be the bride of the most gorgeous man she'd ever set eyes on. Prepared to move to the Big Apple, she longed to wake up to the exquisite music coming from her man's studio. She would have been the perfect wife to TJ Smith, the most talented music producer, sprucing up his bachelor pad with bouquets of white peonies and fluffy white towels. Ultimately, she would carry his children in her womb and be the mother to a band of mixed children with blue-green eyes like hers; beautiful caramel skin and thick, dark curly hair like their father's. But just last night, her fiancé pleaded to make their relationship work again. And she said no.

No. I can't. I just can't. I'm sorry.

The pain, the tears. All poured on Valentine's day.

After almost three years of bliss, their bond was severed in the last year by a summer of sorrow and an autumn of mourning. And in its final closing was a winter of grief, making it the most painful decision. Retracing memories from the last few months to last night hurt like hell. Friends and family could not believe the split, the whys and the hows. It's complicated, she told them. Behind closed doors, she'd weep, concealing a heart-wrenching secret.

This evening, Veronica had to put on the fakest smile on the airline's promotion ball at The Grand GM Hotel in Marina Bay. Twenty-four managerial graduates had made it to the most grueling training in the last six months.

She made it. She was officially an inflight cabin crew manager, the highest winged position for a flight attendant. It was supposed to be her evening to shine, to taste a night of celebration after four years of hard work to get to where she was. But that lingering feeling in her gut refused to leave her. There wasn't a bone in her body that wanted to celebrate.

"Babe, you worked so hard for this. Let nothing stop you from celebrating your achievements," Drew Pierce, her best friend in Dubai, said over the phone.

She'd rather sulk in her apartment, but Drew was right. And even after she sent TJ back home to New York heartbroken, he still called her to congratulate her. He was supposed to be her date at the ball, but after the turn of events, it was too hard for both of them to pretend everything was ever going to be the same again.

"I have a gift for you. It's inside the drawer by your bedside," he'd said over the phone, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

He'd told her to open it after the call. After they said goodbye, she went to her bedroom and found a note and a black case inside the drawer. She pulled it out and slowly cracked open the box. Veronica gasped in tears. It revealed an exquisite pink-gold Jaeger-LeCoultre dual time watch, a piece she'd been saving up for years now. The timepiece was supposed to unite them, merging their worlds in one frame despite the opposing time zones.

Sadness befell her as he'd written the note before she broke up with him. It simply read, "We'll always be in sync, baby."

And then it hit her. TJ didn't tell her what his plans were before he ended the call. He didn't say, "I'm working late in the studio," or "Pops is in town, and we're having dinner," or "I'm landing in LA soon. I'll call you later."

He just said, "Hey, I have to go."

And for the first time, he didn't end it with, "I love you, baby."

Veronica burst into tears, realizing what she'd done. She felt like throwing up.

What have I done?

Dressed in an emerald green gown, Veronica felt her heart drop as she walked onstage to receive her certificate. Something was happening, but she couldn't decipher what it was. And then an image flashed in her mind. It was of TJ laying face up towards a ceiling, panting, beads of sweat on his forehead, his hazel brown eyes clouded and in regret.

At a hurried pace, she walked back to her seat as she clutched onto her certificate. Quietly easing into her seat, she took a deep breath, then took a sip of cold, sparkling water, hoping to wash down the bizarre emotions she was feeling.

A few moments later, a figure of a man sat beside her, his deep voice softly greeting her.

"Congratulations, Miss Ramos."

Veronica turned her head. Barely done with her drink, she almost choked upon seeing none other than Mr. Geoffrey R. Morgan. He looked even more handsome than ever in his expensive suit, shiny shoes, and exquisite scent. His trimmed beard showcased silver and dark hair. A discreet Patek Philippe peeked out of his cuff. It seemed as if he attempted to blend with the crowd, but had failed miserably. In reality, he looked more like a celebrity on the silver screen than just one of the executive guests at the ball.

"Thank you," she blushed, realizing he'd taken another person's seat, the one next to her.

Even if she tried, she couldn't disregard the powerful presence he possessed. Veronica felt all eyes looking towards their table.

"You don't recognize me," he said. Geoff Morgan squinted, his dimples deep enough to melt a steel heart.

Seriously? How could she forget the most embarrassing moment she'd ever had with a VIP passenger in First Class? She was aware it's been two years since the incident, but it took her one hell of a year to get herself out of anxiety after her repeated blunders on that flight with Geoffrey R. Morgan!

She could clearly recall how she dreaded going back to Dubai, afraid to receive a call from her manager, stating how she'd upset Mr. Geoffrey R. Morgan. How unprofessional she was, and how she tactlessly criticized his hotel interiors.

After a suspenseful week, she still didn't receive a memo. Then a week passed, not a call or email. It turned into a month, then two, until it was almost the end of the year when she could safely presume that the top executive had let her faux pas slide.

"You were my passenger on my first flight in First Class. Dubai to Paris, to be exact," she raised her chin high, letting him know she was no longer intimidated by his presence.

"Two years ago, to be more precise," he added. "I still owe you a guided tour at Al Wahah."

"Thanks for bringing that up," she laughed at how easily it slid into their conversation.

"The tension I caused was uncalled for. I sincerely apologize for that."

Wait. Was she hearing it right? The CEO of GM Corporation and the biggest stakeholder of Gulf Airline was apologizing to her? In what universe was she living in again?

"I kind of wished I'd never see you again," she blurted with all honesty and nervousness.

He laughed out loud, which gave her relief.

"I think I deserve that," he said. "I remember having had a rather uneventful evening alone in Paris after you turned down dinner."

"With the work that you do, I'm sure you prefer time off to yourself," she said.

"Perhaps. So, aside from the bleak hotel hallways, I hope your plans in Paris worked out."

"How many more blunders have we both said that we have to remind each other?" she said, blushing even more.

"Too many, I suppose. Maybe tonight's a good time to start all over," he proposed.

"For the record, I didn't mean to criticize your taste in art and tapestries. I'm sorry," she pointed out.

"But that's exactly what I wanted to hear—the truth. Rarely does anyone have the balls to tell me that to my face. Believe it or not, I took your advice and talked to my interior designers the following day. So, thank you."

"You're welcome. And yes, Paris turned out great. I didn't even notice the hallways that night."

She beamed the moment she uttered the city's name.

"Ah, the magic of Paris gave a spark in your eyes."

"I was, but a young, clueless flight attendant," she shrugged.

"And look at you now. You've earned a bigger set of wings. That's something to be proud of."

"I truly am. Thank you, Mr. Morgan."

"It's Geoff. We've also passed that stage, don't you think?"

"Well, Geoff. It's been a lovely surprise to see you at the ball tonight. I didn't know you had time for these functions."

"GA is a huge priority since the restructuring. This is my second time attending a promotion ball," he told her.

"So the first one was interesting enough for an encore?"

"You could say that. In the first one, I believe you were promoted as Senior Cabin Crew."

"Oh, I didn't know you were there," she wondered.

"You just walked past me," he exhaled nonchalantly, his palm making a path.

"Well, you should've said hi!"

"You had company. I didn't want to bother you."

She took another sip of her sparkling drink. She was with TJ that night. Many events happened that month. She got a promotion, celebrated her birthday, but the best part of it all was when he proposed to her.*

Veronica wasn't ready to dive into details about her now defunct relationship with her ex-fiancé.

She had to veer off the topic. "So, any new projects in Dubai?"

"We've done enough in the Gulf region, so we're moving to the next, in Africa. Although, we've conceptualized another desert hotel in Fujairah to help with tourism there. Have you visited Patagonia?"

"They've probably already melted before I could even see any of them," she said, surprised he still remembered how interested she was in reading about the South American region.

"Last time I checked, they disappeared," he said.

"Really?" she gasped.

"Your naivety entertains me," he smiled.

"It's that bad, huh?"

"You've gone through a lot, so I'll cut you some slack."

"You could tell?" she asked.

"Your eyes. They say a lot."

"I hate being so transparent," she sighed.

"It's supposed to be a trick statement, Veronica," he chuckled again.

"Why do I think I'm always going through a test with you?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Why would you think that? I don't bite."

"You sound like my taxation professor. Worse, the president of some huge corporation. Hold on, you are one!" she laughed.

"I hope it's a compliment."

"Hell no!" she burst into laughter.

He smiled, amused. Then he looked around and said, "It's getting stale in here. We should have a drink somewhere else."

She took a quick glance at his left ring finger. Talk of the town: He was dating the revenue director of Gulf Airline.

"Veronica, you're an extremely attractive woman. But I'm not interested in getting you in bed."

Her jaw dropped in amusement. She wasn't used to men being this vocal.

"Well. That's nice to know I'm not your type. The feeling is mutual. You aren't my type either," she grinned, finally feeling at ease.

"Good. So that puts us in a zone where we could enjoy a good drink like mature adults and not think one wants to get in the pants of the other."

"I agree with your perspective, Mr. President," she smiled.

"You are a tease, you know that?"

Veronica let out a giggle, knowing that he didn't like how she was addressing him too formally.

"So, shall we move? Because I can't focus, especially when men are staring," he stated as he tilted his head slightly to his right side.

Veronica noticed two men at the other table looking towards them.

"I don't blame them. You are a very attractive man, Mr. Morgan."

His chuckle seduced her. Then his eyes pierced into her intensely. "I'll tell you again. It's Geoff. And I'm pretty sure they're the first to race to take my seat the second I leave."

When Veronica double-checked around her, she touched her earlobe, realizing she was indeed being watched.

"We should move to the restaurant right across from here."

She nodded, unsurprised by how easily he convinced her.

Geoff Morgan stood up, pulled back her chair and walked her out of the ballroom.

A few steps away from the grand ballroom, they arrived at the entrance of a Japanese restaurant. The host warmly greeted them and led them to a private dining area. It was then that she recognized the place. The restaurant he was talking about was his own, which is the only Japanese Michelin star restaurant in the Middle East.

"My friends and I couldn't get a reservation here. They say it's fully booked till next year," she said as she settled on a cushioned seat.

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it in that way," she said, blushing.

"Give me a date and I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, but don't worry about it."

He exhaled. Although displeased by her response, he said, "Very well."

Geoff gave her the liberty of choosing a platter of sushi to go with the sake of his liking.

"So, what is your type?" he asked as soon as the server left.

She studied his well-trimmed bearded face, his salt and brown-peppery hair and green eyes. For a middle-aged man, he looked damn fine.

"Blonde hair, blue eyes. Someone who's older. Maximum five years my senior," she figured in a snap.

He let out a soft laugh, his irresistible dimples showing off again.

"I'm curious to know your type," she said demurely.

He looked at her. "Same. Blonde hair, blue eyes," he noted. "Preferably in her thirties, not younger."

They both laughed, obviously aware of the mutual attraction they both have for each other. But under no circumstance should they voice it out. Or hell would break loose.

The server came shortly with a gorgeous platter of sushi. The food was absolutely divine, satisfying all their senses.

"Any memorable dining experience in Paris?" he asked after a gastronomic treat.

"It's at a brasserie in Rue des Abbesses. They serve the best veal ragout."

"It was the company that made it memorable. Am I right?" he said.

"You can tell," she pursed her lips.

"We've passed that stage of pretending to like each other's tastes in art and tapestries, haven't we?"

She agreed with a chuckle.

"So, I'd like to know what makes Veronica Ramos' eyes spark up."

A pink tinge stamped her cheeks. "That night in Paris, I met my fiancé."

"There's that spark again," he confirmed.

But then her face dimmed as flashes of memory flooded back in. "But as they say, all good things must end."

He leaned back, eyes intent, lightly stroking his beard.

"We tried to fix it, but we broke up in December. And yesterday, he flew over to see me. He wanted us to give it another try. But I refused. Funny how things don't turn out the way we plan." Veronica paused, controlling her emotions, the effects of the sake up in her head now.

Then she went on. "It's just crazy how we invest so much time and energy in something we believe in. And to see it just crumble right before our very eyes. We used to share the same dream. But then, it faded in a blink of an eye."

"Something happened that triggered it," he presumed.

"Yeah."

"And that is?"

"Children."

"You're too young to be thinking about children."

"I'm turning twenty-seven soon."

"Women are having babies at fifty."

She shrugged. "Fifty! I'm sorry. I'd like to be sipping wine overlooking a vineyard, not changing diapers."

"Forty."

"It's not an auction," she laughed. "Forty is considered old."

"But when you're older, your decision to have children will be far more different from when you were in your twenties. And at that age, you could afford the best care and education for your children."

"What's the point of having children when you have to hire someone else to nurture them?"

"Point taken, yes. But if you have the means, why not?"

She held her tongue, lifted her cup and slowly drank her sake.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Go for it," he prodded.

She places the ceramic cup down, rotating it clockwise before asking. "Do you like children?"

He hesitated. "No."

That was a quick response.

"Then I am assuming you don't have children."

"Thankfully so. If I had my own, they'd resent me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I wouldn't have time for them."

"What does your girlfriend say about it?"

He looked slightly surprised that she knew he was dating someone.

"She doesn't have a say. It was my ex-wife who wanted to have children. The marriage and divorce happened within the same year after we graduated from college."

"Well, that was a long time ago," she realized.

"I get it. I'm older than you."

He looked slightly annoyed.

"Much older," she teased, quite pleased she vexed him.

He smiled knowingly, displaying his deep dimples once again. Then he took a sip, giving her a serious look.

It was hard to believe he didn't have a band on his ring finger. With his success and obvious charm, men like him were always tied down.

"Your girlfriend doesn't have a say," she echoed in a query.

"We have an understanding."

"And that is?"

"No children."

Bingo.

At least the man didn't lie about it. Not like some people she'd come across.

"We complement each other. I provide the lifestyle while she reciprocates it with pleasure. It's a good match."

"How old is she?"

"She's forty-one."

"And how long have you been together?"

"She was thirty-eight when we met."

"Say one day, motherhood knocks at her door," she thought.

"My girlfriend hasn't a bone of motherhood in her. I'd be concerned for her child if she becomes one. But of course, if she wants to answer the call later in life, she's free to do whatever she wants. She knows our understanding."

Her, her, her. She, she, she.

It only meant that once his girlfriend thinks about children, she'll be on her own. He wouldn't be in the picture.

"What did your ex-fiancé think about children?" Geoff bounced back the query.

"It's been TJ's dream to be a young father. He wants a house full of kids," she said.

"What about you?"

"I wanted him to be happy. I still do."

He took another sip, clearly keeping his thoughts to himself.

"I know you think I'm crazy for wanting to have children for someone else. People do crazy things when they're in love. He's a very generous and kind person. It was so easy to reciprocate his love. The idea of giving him children didn't seem like a task. It was more of a gift to him. I'm sure you've experienced something similar once before."

"No," he dismissed in haste.

Wow, this man knew exactly what he wanted.

"Well, I did. I was crazy about him," she said. "I still am."

"But you weren't crazy enough to give him another chance."

His conclusion hit her hard.

"It's complicated," she stammered.

The excuse was getting old, but she didn't want to expound on the matter because even she couldn't comprehend her own choices.

"I have this queasy feeling inside of me. I feel like I made the biggest mistake."

His eyes squinted as he shifted to her stomach.

"I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're thinking," she assured him as she reminded him by lifting her cup of sake. "We kept trying for months, but it didn't work. I wasn't meant to be a mother."

"You have many years ahead of you, Veronica. You will be one."

It was a statement, almost like a blessing she'd gotten from him. This man's words were gold, and everything that comes out of his mouth becomes reality.

As for Veronica, despite the sad ending with the love of her life, she realized the one gift TJ had given her: The dream of having children and building a family one day. And that night, she knew for sure that Geoffrey R Morgan, or any of the men she'd met other than TJ, wasn't anywhere near her dream.

They were the last ones left. And when the restaurant closed, they moved to the hotel's main bar area.

"I can't believe it's almost three in the morning. I have to go," she gasped.

"Did you drive yourself here?" he asked.

"No, I took a cab."

"It's not an appropriate time for a lady to be on the road this late. Plus, we drank quite a lot. Stay for a couple of hours to rest and sober up."

"Thanks for your concern, but my apartment's just twenty minutes away. What about you?"

"My residence is in the city center, but I have a meeting in a few hours, so I'll get ready here."

He checked his watch, then quickly called for his personal butler.

"Imran, would you kindly have an executive suite prepared for Miss Ramos?"

"Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she shook her head.

Geoff gave out another controlled exhale, making her feel guilty for turning him down yet again.

"It's the least I could do after taking so much of your time. Besides, you cannot decline my offer for the second time."

Then he further instructed, "And kindly arrange for a chauffeur to take Miss Ramos back to her residence whenever she's well-rested and ready."

"Very well, sir," his personal butler replied.

And that was it. Geoffrey R. Morgan's words were the law, and he gave her no choice to refute.

Before the sun broke out of the desert's morning sky, Veronica went up to her executive suite overlooking the Marina Bay with a female butler who introduced herself as Ana. The butler told her she could stay as long as she liked, even extending to days if she preferred. After the butler turned down her bed and prepared the room for slumber, Veronica passed out completely on the crisp sheets.

She woke up at two in the afternoon, switching on the light amidst the dark confines of the room. The phone abruptly rang. It was Ana, greeting her, clearly detecting through smart connect that she had woken up. Ana then activated the morning mode remotely, drawing the automated curtains as it revealed the view of the glistening bay, its harbor in the busiest hour. She informed her she will be on the way to serve lunch in the comforts of her suite.

Ana came shortly to wheel the lunch trolley, a generous spread of varying dishes she craved, and some tea infusion remedy for hangovers. Then the butler handed her an envelope. It was a written note from Geoff Morgan saying that he'd already left the country. He wished her a good day and thanked her for the company. She didn't have his personal phone number or email, so before she left the hotel, she wrote back to him. Ana made sure the letter would be delivered directly to him.

That evening, Veronica locked herself up in her apartment and cried the entire night, only thinking about her ex-fiancé, TJ Smith, and the regrets of single-handedly tearing up a page of a love story that begged for a second chance. Anguish over her choice hovered around her like a lost ghoul because she knew everything that's going to happen from hereon would be too late to salvage.

* End of Chapter 2 *

* * *

Author's Notes

Dear Friends,

I apologize for not being able to update in the past weeks. So for the month of October, I have made Chapter 2 longer than usual.

As much as I'd like to immerse myself in Veronica's world, I am in the process of completing many tasks in the real world. It's no excuse to hold off writing, but I will try my very best to post a new chapter regularly. I will be posting a chapter twice every month (mid and end of), starting mid November to the end of December 2022. When things begin to settle, I'd like to go back to updating every week.

I hope this finds you well. I am sending you all my best wishes for the last few months of this lovely year, 2022. See you again in mid November!

(20.10.22)