chapter 160: waiting

[House]

Joey (Bernice Liu) walked around, looking at the house that Ah Biu (Raymond Lam) had found for her. It was located in the outskirts of the city. She nods her head in satisfaction. "This place is great. How did you find it?"

"My family owns it."

"Wait. You live here?"

"Oh no. My family owns property all over Hong Kong. We're still looking to sell this one," Ah Biu clarifies.

"Wow. Your family must be well-off."

"We'd be better off if a certain someone were a part of it," Ah Biu winks.

"Ah Biu!"

"I kid," he laughs.

"Hey, can I use your phone?"

"Gee, great transition sentences you have, Joey." Ah Biu shakes his head as he hands her his cell phone. "You better not use up all of my minutes. I'm running low. I have too many girls calling me."

"You're such a playboy," Joey shakes her head as she accepts his phone.

"What can I say? The ladies love me!"

Joey moves over to the couch, where she sits down and begins writing a text message. It was going to be sent to Rose (Kenix Kwok). Ah Biu looks over her shoulder in curiosity. "What is it that you're doing?"

"I'm texting Rose."

"Ah, luring the lioness into the den I see."

Joey sends her message once it was complete and then turns to Ah Biu and says, "Well, everything's done now."

"That's great. I'm going to notify my colleagues about this, so don't you worry about being in any danger. We'll surround the place and stop Rose if she decides to do anything."

Joey gasps at Ah Biu's declaration. "No! You can't do that. That would ruin everything. Rose will notice and then she won't open up like I want her to. Please, Ah Biu, don't do anything. I appreciate all that you've done up until now, but please... that's enough. I can't let this plan fall through. It's my only chance."

Ah Biu frowns. "It's too dangerous otherwise... I don't want anything to happen to you!"

Joey smiles. "I know, but don't you worry. The heavens won't let anything happen to me. Please, trust me. Don't do that."

"Oh, all right," Ah Biu reluctantly agrees.

The tracks were all laid now. All Joey had to do now was wait until the train departed.

["Ka Yan" Company]

Rose was working on a sketch when her cell phone notifies her that she just received a new text message. She drops her pencil on the desk and reaches into her purse to fetch her cell phone. She wonders who it could be. "Perhaps it's Chris," she thinks to herself and smiles. She opens the text message and is stunned by its content.

"I know what you did. I'm bringing the secret Ah Hoi took to the grave back to life. I'm going to tell. Let's see if Chris will still marry you once he knows the truth. However, I'm not unreasonable. If the price is right, I'll keep my mouth shut. Meet me at 6:30 PM tonight at..." Rose reads off the screen of her cell phone. She slams it shut upon finishing, fuming with anger.

She gets up out of her chair and heads to the bathroom.

[Bathroom]

Rose splashes her face with cold water. "Damn that Joey," she mumbles under her breath as the water drips down off her face. "Damn it!"

"I should have taken care of her when I had the chance," she thinks to herself, remembering the night of Ah Hoi's (Michael Tong) murder. She stares at her reflection, furious. She takes more water and rubs her face, washing off all of her make-up. She felt stripped... and vulnerable. She did not like it one bit. She quickly dries her face with a paper towel and then reaches into her purse to pull out all of her make-up. As she carefully reapplies the make-up that served to keep her from being bare to the world, she remembers her conversation the other day with Carrie (Natalie Tong). Carrie had told her how Joey had been in Shanghai "investigating." It infuriated her.

Rose smiles at herself in the mirror when she was done. Her make-up was perfect once again. She looked flawless. Her imperfections and vulnerability to the world were sealed and it made her feel much better. Very slowly, she pulls out a gun that had never been used before out of her purse. She looks at it carefully, observing its every detail. She feels the trigger. Her hand holding the gun begins to shake. She quickly puts the other hand over it to stop the shaking. She closes her eyes and breathes in deeply before putting the gun back in her purse.

"I won't have this. No, no one will treat me like this! I won't stand for it. Joey will pay the ultimate price for daring to do this." She smirks as she zips up her purse. The sound of her high heels clicked loudly as she walked out of the bathroom.

[Ah Nin's Office]

Ah Nin (Frankie Lam) was perusing a new contract when he received a call from Joey. He found that he had difficulty concentrating ever since Joey "kidnapped" him and then brought him back to "Ka Yan."

"Hello?"

"Chris, it's Joey."

"I know."

"When work ends today, Auntie Chi is going to call you and tell you to drive her somewhere. You have to make sure everyone is aware of this."

"Ma Chi? What's she got to do with this?"

"I already talked with Auntie Chi just now. Rose will be suspicious if you go off on your own."

"But if Ma Chi is with me..."

"She won't be. The whole thing with you driving Auntie Chi somewhere is a lie. It's just an excuse so that you can get away from everyone without Rose being suspicious."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So anyways, meet me at..." Joey gave the address and directions to the house.

[Outside of Ah Nin's Office]

Five o'clock hit. Ah Nin's heart was pacing and his throat felt dry. He was closing the door to his office when somebody hit his head lightly. He turns around and jumps at the sight of Rose.

"Hi, honey!" she grins.

"You scared me!"

Rose looks at him suspiciously. "You've been acting strange all day. What's wrong?"

"N-n-nothing! You'd be scared too if someone tapped your head out of nowhere."

"I'm surprised."

"Surprised?"

"Yes. I didn't think my big, strong hero had it in him to be scared," she teases.

He laughs nervously and the two walk together towards the main interior of the company.

[Main Interior]

"Finally! The moment of the day everyone waits for is here!" Lau Gam (Louis Yuen) exclaims.

"Yep! We work to go home," Ah Yuet (Michael Tse) nods his head.

"I am so tired!" Ah Lo (Bondy Chiu) groans. "Ah Yuet, rub my shoulders!"

"You need a room for that. Wait until we're home!" Rose teases as she and Ah Nin emerge into the main interior.

The room grows silent and uncomfortable, making Ah Nin's ringtone especially loud when his phone rang a few seconds later. "Oh! I-It's Ma Chi," Ah Nin pretends to be surprised. "I wonder what she wants. I'll put her on speaker."

"Ah Nin?" Nim Chi (Nancy Sit) asks.

Everyone in the company greet her.

"Am I on speaker? This is so embarrassing! I hate being on speaker."

"As big brother, I mustn't be so selfish. This way, we all get to listen to your sweet voice," Ah Nin says.

Nim Chi laughs. "Listen, Ah Nin, I need you to help me go pick something up."

"What is it?"

"If I wasn't on speaker, I could tell you. It's a surprise... for your wedding."

"Oh, won't it spoil it for me then to take you? Why not let Ah Yuet take you?"

"No, it's a surprise for someone else." Nim Chi fakes a cough.

"Oh!" Ah Nin says. "Is it for...?"

"So I take it I can't come, huh?" Rose chimes in.

"Oh, hi, Rose!"

"Auntie Chi, are you planning to steal my man?!" Rose teases.

"Until your wedding day, Ah Nin is still my son first and foremost."

"Oh... all right. You can have him for tonight."

"Rose, you don't mind going home with Ah Yuet and them, right?" Ah Nin asks.

Rose shakes her head, "No, of course not. I can bond more with them, isn't that right?" She tried to copy Gam's signature phrase.

Ah Yuet and the others look at each other, horrified at the thought of spending a car ride home with Rose.

"Ma Chi, are you sure that Rose can't come along?" Ah Yuet asks.

"She certainly cannot come! It will ruin everything. So, Ah Nin, pick me up at..."

After finishing up his conversation with Nim Chi, Ah Nin turns towards Rose, "You okay about this?"

"Chris, don't act like I'm going to die without you. I'm patient. I'm willing to wait for a good 'surprise'." Rose smiles.