Love in full bloom

Part -21

               Liya entered her brother's office, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, Gg!" She rarely visited her family's mansion, preferring to keep her distance from her father, whose presence made her skin crawl. Instead, she often met Demy at his office or her own apartment.

Demy, sensing her aversion to their family home, never pushed her to visit. He knew Liya's feelings towards their father were complicated, to say the least.

"Hey, Princess!" Demy said, opening his arms for a hug. "What brings you here today?"

Liya hugged him tightly, feeling a sense of comfort "I'm fine, Gg. Just wanted to ask, when are you heading to Shanghai?" She pulled back, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Demy's expression turned slightly guarded. "Why the sudden interest in my travel plans?"

Liya shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "My friend Mrg is having an event there, and I promised to attend. If you're going soon, I thought I could tag along."

Demy's eyes narrowed slightly, but his tone remained light. "Coincidence! I'm actually heading to Shanghai the day after tomorrow. You can come with me, no need to go separately."

Liya's face lit up. "Awesome, thanks Gg! I'll make sure to pack my bags."

As they chatted, Demy's assistant discreetly slipped out of the room, sensing the siblings' desire for privacy.  their aunt, watched from her own office across the hall, a warm smile on her face as she observed the tender moment between Liya and Demy.

************

Sean slumped over his desk, surrounded by files, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Xuan walked in, scooping up the papers, and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, boss, you've been staring at these files for hours. Find anything juicy?" Xuan asked, his tone light and teasing.

Sean rubbed his temples, looking frazzled. "Honestly, Xuan, I'm so lost. My mind's a mess."

Xuan dropped the files and pulled up a chair. "What's going on, buddy? You're not yourself lately."

Sean leaned back, eyes narrowing. "I overheard something weird at the award ceremony.  That Alex was whispering to someone at cl in the washroom ,  about keeping secrets and getting what he wanted. something like that , i can't hear clearly and bobo also called me that time  but i feel something fussy."

Xuan's expression turned serious. "That does sound shady. But what makes you think it's connected to Yiun?"  . Sean's jaw clenched. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling. And I won't let anyone hurt him again."

Xuan nodded, his voice firm. "We'll figure it out, Sean. Let's bring Alex in and get some answers. 

Sean: "Yeah, I need to confront him directly, but it has to be done secretly. The media and reporters are always lurking around like vultures. I don't want to get chewed out by my dad again."

Xuan: "Don't worry, boss. Give me just one day, and I'll take care of it."

Xuan nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Leave it to me, Sean. I'll arrange a discreet meeting with Alex. But, just to be clear, you want me to bring him in without him knowing it's about the suspicious conversation, right?"

Sean nodded, his eyes locked on Xuan's. "Exactly. I want to catch him off guard, see how he reacts. And make sure it's somewhere private, no prying eyes or ears."

Xuan chuckled. "I've got just the place. My cousin's old warehouse on the outskirts. It's been abandoned for years, perfect for a quiet chat."

Sean's expression turned serious. "Xuan, be careful. If Alex is involved in something shady, we don't know what he's capable of."