Chapter 5
"Find her." Charles stood up and grabbed the suit jacket hanging over the back of his chair. "Book me the earliest flight to Harbor City."
Mr. Shaw froze. "Mr. Renner, the charity gala is the day after tomorrow..."
"Cancel it."
Mr. Shaw opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words the second he met Charles's eyes.
He had worked for Charles for three years, and this was the first time he had ever seen him cancel business over a personal matter.
The next morning, Harbor City.
Laura woke up to the sunlight on her face.
The sunlight here was bold and direct, spilling through the curtains and scattering across the floor like broken gold.
She stretched and picked up her phone to take a look.
Susan had sent over a dozen messages last night. The last one said: [I shipped that box of yours. FedEx International, so it should get there in about three or four days. Oh, and guess who I saw? Charles Renner's assistant was hanging around downstairs at your old apartment yesterday like he was looking for something. Did you block him?]
Laura replied with one word. [Yep.]
Susan replied instantly. [Girl, you are seriously iconic.]
Laura smiled, got out of bed, washed up, changed into something light, and headed out.
She had a lot to do that day: open a local bank account, look at long-term rentals, and buy some daily necessities.
She was going to rebuild her life little by little, her way, with her money, according to her tastes.
Morning in Dragon District was lively. Steam rose from breakfast stalls, and every place had a line.
Laura stopped in front of a stall selling pork rib soup and ordered their signature bowl with a side of rice.
The rich peppery broth and tender ribs tasted so good it nearly made her want to swallow her tongue.
She ate until she felt satisfied and thought the Laura from the original story had lived an exhausting life, always afraid of a few carbs.
After breakfast, she strolled down Bridge Street, passing a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple facing each other across the road.
Laura stood outside the Buddhist temple for a while, then stepped inside to pay her respects.
Not to ask for anything. Just to say thank you for a second chance.
As soon as she stepped back out, her phone buzzed.
It was a link from Susan, with a note attached. [Top trending topic. See for yourself.]
Laura tapped it open. It was a post from an entertainment account on Twitter, titled: [Renner Corporation CEO Charles Renner Suddenly Cancels Charity Gala and Secretly Flies to Harbor City. Is He Chasing Love?]
The post included a few blurry airport photos. You could make out Charles Renner and Mr. Shaw at the boarding gate.
The comments were already blowing up, with people guessing about Charlotte, mocking Laura, and assuming somebody was chasing clout.
Laura finished reading the post without the slightest change in expression.
She closed the link and sent Susan a message. [Saw it.]
Susan replied: [You're not nervous?]
Laura: [Why would I be? If he chases me to Harbor City, I can fly somewhere else. The world's huge. No matter how rich he is, he can't buy the whole planet, can he?]
Susan sent a string of exclamation marks, followed by: [Girl, I bow to you.]
Laura put away her phone and kept walking.
The sun was warm, the breeze was light, and every day in this city felt brand new.
What she didn't know was that Charles Renner's flight would be landing at Harbor City International Airport in two hours.
For the first time in his life, the man who always had everything under control had crossed more than 2,500 miles for a woman.
And what he didn't know was that the woman he was looking for was thinking not about him, but about whether the balcony on the apartment she was seeing that afternoon would be big enough.
This apartment at East Shore was much bigger than the short-term rental in Dragon District. Two bedrooms, one living room, and a small balcony with a view of the sea.
Laura stood on the balcony with one hand resting on the railing and took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze.
This was it.
She signed a one-year lease with the landlord and paid six months up front.
The landlord was a woman in her sixties who smiled kindly and asked if Laura had come to Harbor City to study.
Laura said no. She had come here to start over.
The old woman simply patted her hand and said youth itself was capital. If one wanted a fresh start, one could have it anytime.
After getting the keys from the landlord, Laura's phone buzzed again.
This time it wasn't Susan. It was a local Harbor City number.
She answered, and a doctor's voice came through. "Hello, is this Ms. Laura Evans? I'm from Harbor City General Hospital. Your physical exam report is out, and there are a few results I need to discuss with you in person."
Laura paused, startled.
She had gone for a full physical after arriving in Harbor City, but she hadn't expected the results so soon.
"All right. I'll come by tomorrow."
After hanging up, she felt a vague unease stir in her chest.