“Let’s get out of here. June is waiting downstairs.”

They got into the car and went back to Bruce’s hotel room. Jennifer kept thinking about Enzo’s message and wondered if she should tell Bruce about him or not.

I don’t think it’s necessary to tell him. He’s been so worried already; it’s going to break his heart, and we’re going to fight again. This guy was just a little whim, nothing more. Right, Jen? Just a little crush during vacation... nothing serious. My God, what a mess!

“Bruce, I’m really sorry if I made you freak out. I really didn’t mean to. All I wanted you to understand is that my opinion matters too. We’re a couple now. I’m not working for you anymore. We must make decisions together, don’t you think?”

Bruce sat down in the sofa and kicked off his shoes. “Yes, I had time to think on my own.”

“As I told you, I don’t understand why you want to work with Kenichi in Thailand. You guys already have an official and legit partnership. It’s none of my business, and I may not be qualified to tell you what to do, but honestly, it doesn’t make sense. Anybody would agree with me, seriously. It doesn’t matter if I’m your former secretary or your chief financial officer – it’s still an illegal and risky venture. Period. I shouldn’t try to convince you. It’s obvious!”

Jennifer looked at Bruce, but he was expressionless. “You keep saying it’s personal but what does that mean? How many times did I hear you say that good business should not be driven by emotions?”

Bruce cleared his throat and ignored her question. “I feel like you kind of blackmailed me...”

“What? Blackmailed you? What are you talking about?”

“You disappear for three days, you make me go crazy, and that’s how you get your answer. Smart.”

“It’s ridiculous, Bruce. I would never do that.”

“Should I remind you that YOU wanted to teach me a lesson when I was looking for a bride? You are the one who set me up, remember? Aren’t you trying to teach me something again?”

Jennifer sighed. “Oh no, Bruce, this is completely different. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to be away from YOU.”

“That hurts,” Bruce said.

Jennifer paused, shook her head, and crossed her arms. “I’m sorry to say that, but I didn’t ask you to come after me. I intended to come back when I was ready, and it had nothing to do with teaching you anything. It has nothing to do with you at all. It was just about me.”

Bruce raised his eyebrows. “Okay... I guess I deserved it this time...”

“I’m not naïve, Bruce – when it comes to business, there’s nothing I can teach you. I just wanted to give you my honest opinion as your life partner. The decisions you make affect both of us now, and you can’t expect me to be a passive spectator.”

He stood up and went to the bar. He kept silent for a while, apparently thinking. “Fine, you win.”

He poured himself a glass of whisky and continued. “When I was a kid, my dad used to be an accountant for a rich guy – Cliff Hansen – who owned a factory. The man made a fortune, but one day, he got caught by the IRS for undeclared revenue. For years, he had manipulated his results and was hiding huge amounts of profits.”

Bruce paused and looked through the window for several seconds. Jennifer invited him to continue. “Okay? Then what happened?”

“Do you remember when my ex-wife showed up with the kid? I told you I grew up without my father...” Bruce took a sip. “When Hansen was caught, he didn’t want to fall alone – he dragged my father with him. Mom told me that my dad lost everything, and he couldn’t handle it. He committed suicide – he hung himself – and left me alone with mom. We were broke. It’s been very tough for my mom.”

“Oh, baby, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry...”

“It’s been my motivation, my fire, and my drive. I’ve seen my mother working two, sometimes three jobs, to feed me. I could see how tired and worried she was, but she never complained. She never – not even once – showed me she was struggling. I never asked her for anything, but I’ve always had everything I needed. She never remarried and dedicated her life to raise me as a good person. It was a very stressful period. I’ll never forget.”

Bruce’s eyes were wet with tears, and he shook his head vigorously. “Anyway; Hansen got out of prison after five years. Somehow, he got back on his feet and opened a new business. I’ll admit the man is impressive – he rebuilt his entire fortune from there. A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon him at a fundraising event. He didn’t recognize me, but I knew who he was. The old man happens to be a gambling junkie now – he loves to bet and feel the adrenaline from making quick profits. That kind of person is also very sensitive to the appeal of investing and trading for easy money - especially in a country where he can avoid paying taxes on capital gains.”

It all made sense for Jennifer. “So you want to attract him as a client and...”

“Rip him off, yes. That’s my story. That’s why I’m here. Yes, it’s friggin’ personal, but I can’t let it go. I’ve achieved everything I wanted to achieve in my life but I’m not at peace. Since I’ve met him again, I have nightmares. The guy is haunting me. That night when I met him...”

Bruce was shaking and his fists were clenched. “God, I wanted to strangle him right away with my own hands. I wanted him to look me in the eyes. I wanted his face to turn purple just like my dad when he hung himself. I wanted him to suffer like I did when they showed me my father’s dead body at the morgue. Instead, I got drunk to death... and that’s how I crashed my Lamborghini – the one my insurance won’t cover.”

Oh yeah, I remember... Mike, the guy from the insurance, assured me Bruce was drunk, but he always denied it. I didn’t understand. Now I know why...

“You’re looking for vengeance, Bruce. Do you know that it clouds your judgment? Oops, sorry.”

Bip bip! Jennifer received another text message. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Please don’t ignore me like that. Tell me what’s going on. Enzo.”

Bruce frowned. “Again? What is it this time?”

Jennifer deleted the message right away. “No, nothing. This time it’s just advertising. I have no idea what they say. I can’t read it.”

Jennifer’s heart was beating like a drum. She didn’t want Bruce to keep asking questions and quickly resumed their conversation. “So what was I saying? Yes, it’s all about vengeance, and I don’t think it’s worth it. It won’t bring back your father. I really think you should try to let go and find peace in your mind. That’s the true answer to your problem.”

“I know, but that’s my plan. Listen, I don’t want to argue with you, Jen. Let’s stop talking about it. It brings back memories, and I don’t need that right now. The last three days have been hard enough for me, looking for you everywhere, and I... Oh, damn I have to call Kenichi to tell him you’re back! His men are still looking for you.”

“Tell him I’m extremely sorry, and I appreciate all his efforts. We should try to relax, Bruce. It’s been tough for both of us. We haven’t even spent a moment together since we came here.”

“You’re damn right. I have an idea, but I have to ask Kenichi for his help. I’m not sure if it’s possible...”

***

It was 8:00 PM, and the car parked in front of a large building, all covered with light brown wooden slats.

“Wow, Bruce, that’s beautiful. What is it?”

“I saw that place when I was looking for you. It’s called an Onsen – it means spring water in Japanese. Basically it’s a bathing facility but they also have all kinds of massages. We can’t stay in Thailand without having a massage, right? So we’ll start by having a very hot bath, and then we’ll get a great massage – sweet, isn’t it?”

“Oh my God, that’s awesome! It’s exactly what I need. The place doesn’t look very busy though. I don’t see any car parked outside. Are you sure it’s safe?”