1 CHAPTER ONE (1) Patient

It has been five whole hours, five straight hours. Ye Zedong counted with his fingers as he shook his head. He had sat, stood, waiting patiently for the arrival of his boss's parents. Still there were no where in sight.

He really wanted to cry or wail in anger and question the lord. Did he perhaps bring the sin of his other life into this life and it chose today of all days to be paid?

What if they had missed their plane and took another? Or what if they had even missed everything by misplacing their boarding pass?

No, they are not that gullible. If they were, they won't be able to have a child as intelligent as our boss.

Ye Zedong wasn't one to be patient. He had been here since four in the afternoon and now so many thoughts occupied his already stressed mind.

He watched people enter and leave. If he had kept count of every plane that already departed and arrived in his time here, they were more than fifteen and there was still no Mr and Mrs Chen.

He looked up at the big round clock showing Beijing time zone, it was fifteen pass nine.

The noisy airport lobby was now calm, with only the passengers that would depart by ten pm. Many had come and left with their loved ones, he was still here though. He reminded himself.

He was stuck in-between crying and laughing at his own misfortune. He took off his glass and wiped it with the inner of his suit then put them back on.

Zedong watched a couple trying to get their baby to stop crying and sighed. "Everyone with their problem."

*~~*

The Chen Empire also known as The Chen Corporation,

Chen Rose Lan walked out of the bakery sweaty alongside Xu Dandan her female secretary.

"Boss, I must say this cake is really tasty." Xu Dandan chewed on the piece of cake she had taken from the shelf. "Here, have a bite." She pushed it to Rose who in turn pushed it back to her.

According to Xu Dandan, she was experimenting it by tasting any new product.

"You know nothing else than food." Rose said.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Xu Dandan frowned.

"Whatever you wish to call it. Oh, lest I forget, have you called Ye Zedong?"

"He's still at the airport, waiting for your parents." Xu Dandan reported.

"Call him and tell him to return. Perhaps my parents couldn't make it to the airport on time and doesn't want to call me. To avoid scolding."

Immediately Xu Dandan placed a call over to the young man waiting patiently at the airport, but it was the voice from the network center that greeted her. Letting her know his phone was switched off.

"He had said something about his phone running out of battery..." Xu Dandan pouted sadly.

"Try reaching the guard that accompanied him,"

"I don't have his number..." Xu Dandan trailed off awaiting her boss's reaction.

Now, Rose and Dandan had gone through the elevator and were now at the last floor, which was devoid of any human being. And almost at Rose's office. Rose turned to give Dandan a disappointing look.

Xu Dandan made sure to avoid those black iris and open the door for Rose to go in. Xu Dandan then followed her in. "What do we..."

Suddenly the glass office door was pushed open and a panting Ye Zedong rushed in. "I have failed."

Speaking of the devil. Xu Dandan said in her mind.

Rose went to sit down, she shut her eyes, her back was aching. She had been in the bakery all day, monitoring the activities.

It was almost the end of the year when they made big sales through their food company. She needed to be sure all the ingredients used in manufacturing their foods was hundred percent original. No chemicals, no preservatives, no old and rotten items too.

Rose smiled to herself as she thought back to how much profit they made every year end. It excited her and made her eager to work harder so the current year would be greater than the previous.

"Boss Rose,"

Rose heard that but she wasn't ready to leave her dream world.

"Boss Rose?" This time Xu Dandan called out more loudly.

Rose frowned and sat up, "What?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you but Zedong didn't really come back with your parents."

"It's alright." Rose said and waved the two off.

"Boss Rose, it's late." Xu Dandan reminded her. "Let's leave."

If it was day time that she waved them off and they delayed a second more, they would be sent to the one of the site in the outskirts of the city to monitor the activities. Rose hated being disturbed.

Rose made a long ooh sound, looking down at her expensive leather wrist watch. "Twenty past ten, really?" She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised.

Who wouldn't be? Locked up in a very large bakery with work going on here and there, you won't even realize the time slipping out.

Rose picked up her phone and croc-skin bag then headed for the door.

Zedong was quick and pushed the door open for her. The three took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

As soon as Rose entered her 2020 Aston Martin Vintage, one out of her many cars and also the cheapest, just two hundred thousand dollars because it was custom made, her phone started ringing. Without checking to see who the caller was, she picked up.

"Hello," yes, she knew who the caller was. This was her every night routine.

"Oh, Rose dearest. I offer you a red rose just like your name signifying love from my heart."

Rose rolled her eyes and shook head.

"My love, what do you say? Do you accept?"

"No." Her answer straight and sharp. She heard him groan.

So many people will find it weird, that she didn't like him. Yes, she only saw him as a friend.