All Bets Are Off

Chapter 17

Dara closed her eyes as she felt the warm wind against her face, the roof of Donghae's car rolled down as they they trekked along the sidehill on their way to The Majestic, one of the most lavish private resorts the family owned, to celebrate Donghae's grandparents' wedding anniversary. Dara had woken up by an insistent ringing on her phone that morning and she cursed at Donghae for waking her up at 6. He had reasoned that they need to be early but Dara could tell from his voice that he did it just to irritate her given the way he was snorting right after he hung up the call.

What an ass.

He picked her up at close to 11 and she made him confirm that Siwon is okay with her skipping off work. He then called Siwon on the spot and passed the phone to her. Dara had no other choice but to talk to her CEO all the while piercing Donghae with a deathly glare. Yes, Donghae had already called him, Siwon had said sounding resigned. And he had permitted Dara to have her vacation leave for three days. Dara had ptorested that three days is too much but Donghae took the phone back and hang the phone up after telling Siwon they gotta go.

He is the most exasperating human Dara had ever enountered!

But as Dara felt the warmth of the sun touching her face and the wind blowing her hair as the car drove by, her stressed shoulders gradually begun to relax and she was glad she had agreed to go with this trip. Even if Donghae had coerced her into going. Darn. She's got another one to thank Donghae for. Will the list ever end?

She stole a glance at Donghae at the corner of her eye who was focused in his driving, his hair fluttering in the wind. How far will he go just to win the girl of his dreams? He had made it clear from the start that he was only doing the deal for Yoona so he could've just invited Yoona in celebrating his grandparent's anniversary. He could've just laid out reasons why she couln't go instead and it's not like she's gong to ruin that chance for him. Although she would be tempted to but after everything he had done for her family, she doesn't think she would be that ungrateful. Is he really going to stick with the deal like what they had agreed on? Is he really going to act broken hearted when she dumped him so Yoona would be there to rescue him from wallowing in misery?

The thought left a sour taste in her mouth. Well, she won't be there to witness that anyway. Once the deal is over, she'll just find another job or move somewhere else. Or just take a small job in Busan so she would be closer to her mom. One thing she is sure of is that once Donghae and Yoona started getting it on together, she doesn't want to be there to see it.

Donghae turned on the left and Dara could make out the front entrance with the word The Majestic in fancy letters. One of the security guard opened the gate and they drove through shrubbery paths. Dara could see a wide landscape of greenery csattered with clump of trees in all sizes. Marble benches are sporadically but stylishly positioned on the grass and Dara could make out a group of boys playing ball. One of them in a snapback stopped when they saw them passing by and he waved enthusiastically. Dara remembered him as Jackson. One of Donghae's cousins who seems to be always high on sugar. She awkwardly returned his wave. Donghae turned and parked his car near a white mini van. Dara could see a number of cars parked and she wondered how many guests does Donghae's grandmother have. She asked Donghae that as they stepped out, adjusting her knee length short.

"There are no guests," Donghae said putting his sunglasses up his head and putting his car keys on the pocket behind his walking shorts,

Dara looked at the cars parked and she asked Donghae incredulously, "And these are your relatives?"

"Yup," Donghae said. "I don't know if these are all of them but I think some of them couldn't make it." He took their bags from the trunk. "We're a big family."