Take My Breath Away

Ivan was nothing if not efficient. By lunchtime, Debbie got the phone call she was expecting. Irene was playing with Piggy in the bedroom.

"Hi, Ivan," Debbie said, as she plugged her earbuds into the phone. It was so much easier to talk hands free.

"Debbie, I've had my people looking into Carlos Huo. But they didn't find much," he said. Someone made Carlos' private life even more private, deliberately hiding him from public life.

Debbie walked out onto the balcony and sat into the hammock she loved. The view was gorgeous. "What did they find?"

"Three years ago, he had an accident. No one knew if he was dead or alive for quite some time. His father, James, used this as a power grab, and took control of ZL Group. He's now the CEO. After several months in a coma, Carlos woke up. He had been in a bad way before that, having several injuries including a broken leg. They set that, so it healed nominally well. But thanks to a brain injury, he also had amnesia. Doubtless some of his recovery involved physical therapy. He's now a general manager in the headquarters of ZL Group. His personal life we know even less about. All we know is he's set to get engaged to the daughter of the Li family. They've known each other since childhood."

'He lost all his memories? And he's going to get engaged to Miss Li? The hot woman standing next to him last night must have been Stephanie Li, ' Debbie thought.

'So she's the one James was talking about. Angry with me because Carlos wouldn't give her the time of day. James' dream has finally come true.'

Debbie clenched her fists. 'James Huo, you're a fucking liar!'

"Debbie... is Carlos...Piggy's father?" Ivan asked tentatively. Actually, he knew the answer before Debbie confirmed it. But he needed to hear it from her.

The man always kept up with the latest entertainment news. So when the scandals were being reported on, he knew that Debbie was Carlos' wife. Or, in this case, ex-wife.

She never mentioned Carlos or Piggy's father to Ivan and Irene. They didn't ask her about him, either. There was no point in opening old wounds.

"Yes," Debbie answered honestly.

Ivan paused for a long while and then said, "Running away won't fix the problem. Whatever you do, we're here for you."

"Not my plan. It's just that I never thought that Carlos' death was a lie." The fact that Carlos was still alive caught her off-guard.

"All right. If you need me, I'm a call away."

"Thanks, Ivan."

After hanging up, Debbie got out of the hammock, took her earbuds off, and was about to head back in. Not until then did she see Irene, who was leaning against the door frame and staring at her.

Debbie came over to her and put her hand on her shoulder. "Miss Wen, would you please do me a favor?"

Irene rolled her eyes and teased, "Seriously? Formalities now? What is it, Miss Nian? Just kidding. What is it? It sounds serious."

"Yeah. Could you ask your mom to take care of Piggy for a while?" she asked. She had to go back to Y City to find Carlos, but she couldn't take Piggy with her. James might kidnap her, and she didn't want her whole world crashing down on her again. Not only that, who knew what he might do to her if she fell into his clutches?

"You think she'd miss that chance?" Irene said cheerfully. Her mother liked Piggy a lot. She always wanted a grandchild, so she even forced Ivan to foster Piggy. Ivan was almost thirty, but he was still single.

Then Irene looked at Debbie with a playful smile. "Hey, I have a great idea. Marry my brother. He's single, and loves Piggy. He—"

Before she could finish, Debbie covered her mouth. "Enough of that. I just called your brother to ask him to investigate Piggy's...dad. I have to go back to Y City."

Irene's eyes widened. She asked with the utmost care, "Isn't he dead?" Once Debbie had been drunk and told her Piggy's father was dead.

Fury lived in Debbie's eyes. "He's still alive. His dad had me fooled, the old goat!"

Irene was rendered speechless.

Debbie wasted no time and dropped Piggy off at the Wen family's house. After saying goodbye to Irene's mother, she was off to the airport.

By the time she disembarked, it was 6 p.m. She wore a mask, a baseball cap and sunglasses so nobody would recognize her. She went completely incognito. She hailed a taxi and had the driver take her to the hotel she booked.

After taking her luggage inside, she looked longingly at the bed, but decided to go to the Mu family's house right away. She could sleep later.

Gail was the one who answered the door. Her mouth widened in shock. Debbie had been gone for three years! That was when Debbie heard Lucinda's voice, "Gail, who is it?"

Gail thought she must be daydreaming, so she closed the door and answered, "Nobody."

The doorbell rang again. Lucinda stared at a confused Gail and asked, "Who is it?"

"Mom, I think it's Debbie..."

When she heard the name, Lucinda jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. It had been too long. "Debbie?!"

"Mom, why are you so excited? When you tried your best to find her and even went to Z Country to do that, did she reach out? No. Instead she hid. If she didn't want to be found, she should stay lost," Gail complained.

Three years ago, Debbie left Y City, leaving only a note as explanation. They hadn't heard a peep out of her, but then got the news that Debbie was a popular singer in Z Country. Lucinda went there to look for her, but Debbie was nowhere to be found.

Lucinda cast a reproachful glance at Gail and opened the door. It really was Debbie!

"Aunt Lucinda..." Debbie called out with a guilty look. Lucinda looked noticeably older, a few more white hairs lined her jet-black locks.

Tears welled up in Lucinda's eyes at the sight of the woman she hadn't seen in three years. In a choked voice, she asked, "Why did you stay away from us? I thought you looked down on us after you got popular."

She pulled Debbie into the house.

Debbie's eyes were red as well. She hugged Lucinda and apologized. "I'm sorry."

Lucinda patted her back. "You should also apologize to Sasha and Jared."

"I know... It's on my list." There were people who cared for her, and she let them all down. Three years ago, she left Y City without saying goodbye. She had some making up to do.

Lucinda wiped her tears and took the gift bags Debbie had brought. After putting them in a corner, she told a housemaid, "Make a cup of tea and bring some fruits and snacks."

"Yes, Mrs. Mu." The maid left for the kitchen.

Gail cast a sideways glance at Debbie. Though Debbie was very different from how she used to be, Gail still hated her. "You know my mom always cries because of you?"

Debbie felt really guilty.

Lucinda patted Gail's hand and said, "Call your dad and ask him to come home early."

"Are you kidding? It's her fault the company is doing so badly. She's bad luck." Gail was telling the truth. Because of Debbie's scandals, many of Sebastian's business partners severed ties and canceled contracts. In just six months, he had to shut a few branches down.

Debbie's heart broke when she heard the news. "Aunt Lucinda, I'm really sorry..." She never thought her scandals would affect anyone else. She made a mental note, 'That's one more thing you owe me for, James.'

Lucinda shook her head as she grabbed Debbie's hands and comforted her, "Don't listen to Gail. Your uncle Sebastian would never blame you. Don't worry. We're just glad you're safe and sound. I'll call him myself."

Sebastian got off work early that day, and as a surprise, brought Jared and Kasie with him.

They hadn't seen each other for three years. Even Jared blubbered like a baby. He complained, "I would have come there looking for you if you hadn't told us not to. You are such a bitch! You don't care about anyone except yourself."