Love Began with the First Meeting

"Your Highness," said Ken, addressing the pale and visibly tired Aaron. "The doctor notified me that Ximena would be discharged from the hospital any day now."

Hearing this, Aaron froze for a moment. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and continued signing the document that was in front of him. As if hearing nothing, he said, "Inform all senior executives, department director or above, that the meeting will be held in half an hour..." "Your Highness..." Worry was visible in Ken's otherwise solemn face. "May... I request you reschedule the afternoon meeting for tomorrow?"

"Why?" Aaron cooed, shooting a sharp look at Ken.

The intensity of Aaron's stare made Ken's lips twitch. Never in his life has he done this to Aaron, and he felt like he was in line to be executed for a crime he didn't even commit. With a deep breath, he tried his best to lighten the situation. "Your Highness, you have been beset with high fever for several days now. Don't you think you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?" His plan seemed to work as Aaron's stare softened. Knowing that he had successfully diffused the situation, he smiled. He has nothing to be afraid of now. Continuing, he said, "If you don't want to go to the hospital, Your Highness, I could call a doctor for you, and have you checked here in the villa." Leng's Corporations are so big that a day or two without His Highness wouldn't cause it to go bankrupt, right?' Ken thought to himself. But he was starting to get annoyed at how nonchalant Aaron was about Ximena and her condition. The more Ken talked, the angrier Aaron became. Even worse was that Ken seemed to have completely forgotten who was opposite him. "Well, I really do suggest you go to the hospital," Ken said in a hushed voice. "You haven't gone to see Ximena these past few days, and Ximena hasn't asked about you, either. Is this what you two really want?"

"Ken..." Aaron's voice was low, cold, and dangerous.

"Yes?" Ken said, stunned. Suddenly, he became aware of what he just said and he secretly scolded himself for being too upfront. "Well," he started, his voice shaking. "Your Highness..." The atmosphere in the room was becoming tenser by the second. "You're getting bolder..." Aaron said, his voice now threatening.

"I... Er... No, Your Highness... I..." Ken stuttered and hesitated for a long time, but no matter how he tried, he didn't know how to explain what he did. But in the end, instead of thinking of ways to salvage the situation, he gave up and admitted to himself that he was someone who acts rather recklessly. "Well, Your Highness, am I wrong? Why are you here when you couldn't get over Ximena? Why are you here, pretending to be... indifferent..." By the end of his speech, Ken suddenly felt week, and his voice was no louder than a mosquito buzzing in someone's ear.

"Who said I was going to let it go?" Aaron rolled his eyes and looked at Ken. With his voice husky and cold, he addressed the man in front of him. "I don't want to see a doctor because I don't think it's necessary. I wouldn't go to the hospital because I am afraid that I would not be able to resist going to Ximena's hospital room. She's so weak, and I don't want to give her any kind of virus."

After saying that, he went back to signing the papers and without even looking at Ken, ordered, "Ready the meeting, now."

"Yes!" Ken answered, just happy to be out of the danger zone. When he turned around to go out though, he whispered to himself, "If you are so afraid of infecting her with some kind of virus, why not go to see a doctor, get medicated, and get well so that you can see Ximena? And you obviously secretly go there every night..."

Aaron heard each and every word Ken said, and he couldn't help but be sad. He looked up and saw Ken close the door. He was the only person left in the huge office.

His plump lips curled into a bitter smile, self-hatred and anger visible in his beautiful face. Seeing Ximena was the only thing he wanted to do at this very moment, but he was afraid of any confrontation. And just as everyone else, he could be elusive, evasive. Sighing, he dialed a telephone number and waited for the other line to answer. When the call got connected, he told the person on the other line, "Go tell Ken to reschedule the meeting for tomorrow morning."

"Yes, President!" the man on the other line respectfully answered.

Without saying anything else, Aaron hung up the phone and signed the last few documents in front of him. After finishing that, he got up, took his jacket, and strode out of the room.

As soon as he went out, he saw Ken waiting outside the door. A smile was plastered across his face, something that hadn't happened for a long time. Squinting, he addressed Ken, "Go to the tube-shaped apartment and deal with the issue there. Tell the people in the manor to get ready. Ximena will be there tomorrow after she's discharged from hospital."

"What about the villa?" Ken asked.

"Don't take the books to the villa yet," Aaron answered, looking into the distance. "She's gonna need more rest." The thought made Aaron sigh deeply. After the pause, he looked at Ken, his stare heavy. "Put away all the books in the manor for now. Have them put back the next month. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Ken answered. His face twitched--he had been pretending to be serious for so long now. A few moments later, Aaron started towards the elevator.

While Aaron was driving to the hospital, a certain problem had been gnawing at his consciousness the whole way through. What he was planning was to give Ximena the freedom to choose what she wanted to do. But then, when he realized that she could go with a decision he was not okay with, he wouldn't let her have her way.

The whole thing was so ridiculous that he started laughing at himself until he parked his car in the parking lot of the hospital. After walking inside, the first thing he did was to inquire about Ximena's situation. After that, he went and had himself checked and got the necessary medicine.

After taking his medications, Aaron intended about to leave but his feet would not let him. He sighed and surrendered to his inner desires. He got into the elevator again and headed straight to the VIP ward. As he looked at the changing number on the lift's screen, he couldn't help but feel ridiculous. What he was doing was something so out of character for him, and it made him chuckle.

Ding!

The elevator arrived at Ximena's floor. Taking a deep breath, Aaron lifted his eyes. The door swung open, clattering. He was ready to finally see Ximena.

Ximena was waiting for the elevator. For some reason, she couldn't help but fidget. When she heard the elevator's ding, she looked up, and when its doors open, she immediately froze in her place.

There, inside the elevator, was Aaron. For a moment, Ximena forgot how to breathe. When the elevator doors started to close, Aaron quickly pressed the open button, his gaze on Ximena. Cold and indifferent, he asked the girl in front of him, "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"