Chapter 25: Two slaps, two deals

The next morning, Sienna got up feeling refreshed.

She raised her head to look past the pillow wall, only to find the bed empty.

It made her wonder if Callahan hadn’t come back last night, or if he returned and stayed in some other room.

Weirdly enough, she kept the pillow wall intact but they hadn’t shared a bed, except for the wedding night.

She did not remember whether they had shared a bed that night either. Because, they had played chess and she had a bit too much to drink.

Although she woke up in the bed the day after, she hadn’t seen him around.

"Hmm... He was cocky and persistent about staying in the same room. He couldn’t be avoiding me on purpose, right...?" Sienna wondered.

Coming to think of it, he was saying something when his grandfather and the rest of the people barged in.

’I should just text and ask him,’ Sienna grabbed her phone from the bedside table but before she could look for Callahan’s numbers, she saw 19 missed calls on her phone.

For a moment, her brain froze and she stared at it. But then, she checked the calendar and the date suddenly clicked, "No way... How could I forget!"

Sienna threw her phone on the bed and dashed straight to the bathroom.

20 minutes later.

"Young Madam, your breakfast will be served in a few minutes..."

"Thanks, Thomas but I am in a rush today. I will just grab something on the way to the airport if I get some time..." Sienna checked her bag for the keys and her phone before she rushed out of the villa.

...

In the Qing Mansion, the atmosphere was rather tense as Daniel Qing sat on the couch in the living room, going through the files his secretary had brought him.

After going through the second file, he swept it off to the floor, letting the paper fly loose, "How could you let this happen?!"

"President, I tried to contact you last night but you were held back by the interview. I couldn’t get in touch with you so the deal..." The secretary shut his mouth when Daniel glared at him.

"This was a deal with the royal family of a nation! How could you let it be cancelled? Even if I was busy, you could’ve stalled..."

"P-President, the news of the annual event is everywhere at the moment. They were skeptical..."

"Scram!" Daniel Qing roared and the secretary gathered the papers in a rush before leaving the mansion.

Standing on the staircase, Kira witnessed the entire scene. Once the secretary left, she descended the stairs and approached her father, "Daddy, I have never seen you being so riled up because of a deal. Was it that important?"

Seeing Kira, Daniel’s eyes softened, "Come here, take a seat."

Kira sat beside her father happily, "The scandal caused by sister has caused a mess so it’s normal for people to be cautious.

Maybe, I can find a way to get in touch with the royal family. It will take me a little time to understand their network but given the chance, I am sure I can find a way to secure the deal."

"I know. I have never doubted your capabilities," Daniel Qing looked at her proudly for a moment before he sighed, "But it’s not about the deal. The deal is not that important."

Kira looked puzzled, "Then, what is bothering you so much?"

"That night, I was upset with your sister’s actions and I almost hit her when that masked man showed up."

"I caught a glimpse of him before the lights went out. He was tall and well-proportioned. I thought sister has hired him as her bodyguard..."

"No," Daniel Qing shook his head, "He exuded the aura of a noble, his demeanour and bearing was just as commanding. He couldn’t have been a mere bodyguard."

Kira’s expressions dropped slightly, "Someone noble? What would my sister... have to do with such a person?"

"That man gave me a warning that there won’t be a third time. I didn’t understand what he was talking about at that time. But later, I realized that he appeared when I was about to slap your sister to educate her. And I had done it in a fit of anger the night before when she visited the mansion..."

Daniel Qing paused, "That night, a huge investor pulled out all the investments from one of our projects."

"But that could be because of the scandal. Sister threw a fit in anger that night and it’s all over the tabloids. The entire country is discussing our family affairs," Kira sighed.

Kira held her father’s hand as she continued in a gentle voice, "Daddy, the man who was with... sister couldn’t have been so capable of getting one of the investors of Qing Empire to retreat, right?"

"At first, I thought so too. Even though Seth suppressed those reporters and kept most of that news down, I thought somebody leaked it and it reached the investor’s ears," Daniel Qing’s face was solemn, "But now we have suffered another huge loss."

"For both the times, the other party gave no apologies or explanations. We are the Qings; people don’t turn their backs on us so blatantly without fearing our wrath," Daniel Qing’s face turned solemn, "It cannot be so much of a coincidence!"

Kira nodded, "Daddy, I understand. But I think you have been so stressed and you need some rest. If sister knew such a capable person, we’d know him too. You said that we are Qings and it’s true; there is nobody in Country Z, let alone Amethyst City who would openly provoke us like this."

Daniel Qing looked at his daughter, "You are all grown up and understanding now. The more I look at you, the more I feel like I made the right choice that night."

Kira smiled but then she lowered her eyes, "Daddy, shall we call and check on sister? I’m worried she would take things too harshly upon herself. After all..."

"Let her be. She brought it upon herself!" Daniel Qing scoffed before he got up and left.

Kira leaned back on the couch and put a grape in her mouth, her eyes twinkling.