"...stock price dropped by at least one point nine percent margin after the news about the alleged romantic relationship between the Kim Group of Companies CEO Jennie Kim and Thailand's Crown Princess Pranpriya--,"

"Funny how they seem to show so much interest about all these and yet the market says otherwise," Jennie commented, her voice tainted with sarcasm.

"It's not everyday that we get to wake up to a dating news between a company heiress who has been keeping herself away from the public eyes all these years and a royal who has apparently been running away from her birth right, Lady Kim. You two really are creating a certain dynamic unlike any others. The public is torn between loving it and incarcerate you both for it. Im other words, they're jealous," their family lawyer said and muted the volume of the LED screen.

"No, keep that on. I want to listen," Jennie said.

The woman with a short dark hair and wearing a thick, round-rimmed spectacles shrugged and pressed the remote button again and the voice of the anchorman filled once again inside the private jet.

"Both parties have yet to release a statement about this shocking revelation and now the public, and probably the whole world, is on the edge as we all wait for the development of this story--,"

Jennie snorted. "They really should be using other photos by now if they want the public to be 'on the edge'," she said in a strained voice while her eyes were still fixed on the TV screen, where the photo of Lisa and her inside the Impala was shown. "It's been two days and they're still feasting over the same photos and running the same headlines. It's starting to become boring, if they ask me."

"And yet, you can't turn that off so we can at least fly in peace," Mrs Kim commented nonchalantly as she busied herself with The Herald.

They were flying inside the Cessna Citation Longitude, the family-owned private jet. With them were Mrs. Kim's personal assistant, the family lawyer, a unit of security aides and Felicity, the stylist from Gustav's clothing store, which Mrs Kim insisted that her service was essential to the trip.

"I just want to know if they've already found something," Jennie replied defensively.

"Clearly, they haven't or they'd be talking about it already. Besides, it's good news, really, because it only means that the Kim Security Group is doing its job blocking everything about you," Mrs. Kim said from the seat next to the aisle, recalling on the back of her mind how she issued grave warning to everyone on the KSG to clean up the mess or she'd have to fire all of them. "Anyway, that really shouldn't be your concern by now. You heard the news. Our stocks are down --,"

"And Lisa," Jennie interjected, ignoring her mom's comment about the stocks.

"What about her?" Mrs. Kim asked, blinking as she lowered her spectacles just right at the bridge of her nose and threw Jennie a confused look.

"They haven't found her yet, too," Jennie huffed. "She really did an impressive job maintaining a low profile all these years. It's just incredible how nobody have found out yet about her place in Hongdae --  I mean, it's just there and her name's outside her building for everyone to see -- and yet they're still clueless. It's actually funny," Jennie said as the corners of her mouth curved slowly while staring at Lisa's face on the screen. She missed that face. It had been two days and yet there was still no words from Lisa. It was frustrating her, but she chose not to talk about it with anyone. Not even with Jisoo who called her before the flight to wish her good luck and to inform her that she was to meet Chaeyoung later "to discuss things related to the situation."

"Right. Well then, everyone is doing a great job ensuring that you, two, are safe and secured. For the meantime, of course, because he's correct," Mrs Kim flicked her head towards the man on the TV screen, "we are on the edge."

"I can hear the repulse in your voice, Mom," Jennie chided as she changed her position -- from sitting sluggishly to finally raising her both feet up on the personalized upholstery. She brought her knees close her chest and propped her chin above it -- a position that earned her reproachful look from her mother.

Mrs Kim sighed and removed her glasses. She still wasn't too keen to discuss openly about Jennie's relationship with the Thai princess because she hadn't yet embraced fully the idea of her daughter being romantically involved with another woman. But...

"It's not that I don't like her, okay? Who wouldn't like her? I honestly believe she's an incredibly amazing person," Mrs Kim said.

"You've met her once, Feli. What can you say about her?" Jennie interrupted and addressed the stylist, who once dressed Lisa for the Orange's Valentine's Party last February. It felt like long ago, Jennie thought.

"She's very modest and quite charming, Miss Kim. And very pretty, too. Like I said before, she could be a model. But she doesn't want that, of course," Feli replied.

"No. She said she doesn't want to be in the limelight and I get it now. She wanted to protect her privacy. It's the bargain she promised her father in exchange for whatever it's worth," Jennie said and realized how much she knew Lisa despite how they'd never really talked deeply about it. The thought somehow warmed her heart but did not alleviate her from the agony of not hearing anything from Lisa since the last time they were together. Somehow, it only made her feel worse.

"Look, it's not about her character or who she is. It's the fact that she's a woman," Mrs. Kim continued but treading carefully with her words. "Which, of course, is nobody's fault and I'm trying not to sound like a homophobic mother here because I am not -- believe it or not -- but you have to give me enough time to process all these, Ruby Jane. It's not everyday that I get to wake up to a dating news involving my own daughter with a woman -- a royal, no less. I mean, I have known all along, of course; you had implied so. But it's quite different when it's thrown carelessly out there for the world to see. This isn't paradise. People will talk and they will judge. The society is ruthless and not so forgiving and as a mother, I'm just worried."

Mrs. Kim wasn't too conventional as a person. She had been exposed to the complexities and the diversity of the world -- having traveled and seen the different corners of the globe through her eyes. But she was a mother and like every mothers who only want what's best for their children, she had always hoped that one day, someday, Ruby Jane would find someone befitting her status and would start a family of her own while maintaining and even surpassing the legacy of her father.

The news about Jennie and Lisa -- or Princess Pranpriya -- was shocking to Mrs Kim, owing mainly to the revelation of who Lisa was. The Thai princess, Mrs Kim would have to agree, had done a great job with hiding behind the pseudonym 'Lisa' and had kept a low profile that nobody ever questioned her identity by playing the role convincingly. It was astonishing for Mrs Kim to comprehend how her people from the KSG failed to discover it when they did a thorough profiling on Lisa when she asked them to. Nor had the KSG found out who was behind the dating article and the leaked photos. It was disappointing and Mrs Kim was apoplectic. Good thing there was Jisoo and her efforts to solve the mystery for all of them, saving her father and his company from Mrs Kim's wrath.

Mr. Tuan, Yi Eun's father and the company vice president was behind the desperate attack on Jennie, according to Jisoo's report. He had sent his men to follow Jennie around that particular night, hoping that he could find something that would help him depose Jennie from her position in the company and in the conglomerate after learning that Jennie squashed the idea of marrying his son, Yi Eun, and his wife's nephew, Jongin, who Mrs Kim asked once to appeal to Jennie. Mr. Tuan took offense that Jennie Ruby Jane Kim profusely declined two of the finest men in his family.

It was highly disappointing for Mrs Kim because she had always thought highly of the Tuans and Mr Tuan, himself, was a man of intellect and integrity. But admittedly, though, thought Mrs. Kim bitterly after realizing the mistake that she had committed, it was mainly her fault. She had planted the idea on Mr. Tuan's head that his son, Yi Eun, was a perfect candidate for Jennie and that they would make such a powerful pair. That their family's union would mean a stronger hold in the company. The Tuans apparently held on obsessively to the idea that it obviously messed up their heads in the process. Which was why she couldn't put the blame on Jennie or on the Thai princess, at all. They were young and they were obviously in love. Of course, they would go out and do things that young and in love people do. No, the blame was on her and it should be her duty to clean up the mess that she had initially created. But not before she and Jennie would meet His Majesty. The King had clearly implied on his letter that decisions were to be made on and after the meeting. Whether it was for the good of both Jennie and the Thai princess, and as well as the conglomerate, the Kingdom and their respective families, Mrs Kim had high hopes. But she was nonetheless skittish.

"I'm nervous," Jennie muttered to herself right when the jet hit a slight turbulence and was shaking a little.

Mrs Kim caught the slight shiver on her daughter's voice because she instantly abandoned the paper she had picked up once again and said, "You've always been afraid of heights," obliviously but not unkindly.

"It's not about that, Mom," Jennie replied and returned her gaze once again on the screen where, this time, the silhouette kissing photo of Lisa and her was displayed once again for the nth time (the lawyer beside her made a slight fidgety movement that didn't go unnoticed) as the newsman was now blabbing about a possible 'stronger and more personal, deeper alliance between South Korea and the kingdom of Thailand now that two of the most important women from the two countries have found each other in a strange but nevertheless spectacular way' but countered his own statement afterwards by raising a speculation of a staged romance between her and Lisa for whatever reasons he vowed he would find out.

Idiot, Jennie conluded with disgust on her mind after she listened and rolled her eyes numerously at the man's words.

"Of course," said Mrs Kim, nodding. "Of course, yes. I know what you mean and so am I. My nerves are actually literally shaking right now. Can you believe that? Your father would've known exactly what to do on situations like these and he would've taken this as an opportunity to forge a relationship that would benefit the company, no doubt. He was a wise man."

"I'm seriously feeling sick right now," Jennie said truthfully after a momentary silence. And she probably did look sick because one of the crew quickly grabbed a glass of water from the pantry and offered it to her.

"Please, I need something stronger," Jennie said, refusing the water.

"Make it two," Mrs Kim butted in and the lawyer said, "Three," and soon they were served with glasses filled with a Romanèe-Conti.

The thought of meeting Lisa's father, the King, himself, was twisting and knotting Jennie's insides. She wasn't feeling normal eversince they left the hangar in Gimpo. She was feeling sick but she was sure it had nothing to do with her basiphobia. She hadn't heard from Lisa yet since the last time they were together and that was two days ago -- which actually felt like a lightyear already -- and she was wondering if the Thai princess was still stuck inside her apartment or was lost inside her lab downstairs in Hongdae or had already flown to Thailand according to plan. And although it was a relief on her part that the media or anyone hadn't yet discovered Lisa's place, Jennie thought it would have been a lot better if she had heard from Lisa before heading to Thailand. She wanted the assurance that going there and meeting the King was the best thing to do before she would address the issue in front of the board.

Jennie had never been to Thailand. She'd figured before, years ago while planning her escape inside her bedroom, that if she'd have to leave in order to stay away from the microscopic eyes of literally everyone around her, she'd have to chose somewhere very far if she wanted to get away from Seoul. Hence, she chose Auckland in New Zealand first and then New York. Which did her great because she had grown so much as a person while being in those cities, even though she didn't fully find there what she had been looking for -- a home. The feeling of comfort and belongness, the security but with a sense of freedom with no one to tell her what to do and how she would live her every day. She huffed inside her head at the thought that she had been to places far and new only to have found a home accidentally, not in a place, but in a person. Lisa felt like home. Her warmth, her glow, her laughter and smile and those soft round orbs that would melt her every time. And she missed those entirely for the past two days that Jennie couldn't help herself but released a painful sigh after she took a sip from her glass.

"You should catch some sleep," Mrs. Kim suggested after checking the gold watch on her wrist, mistaking Jennie's sigh as an exasperation from the forthcoming event. "We still have at least a couple of hours before we land."

"I'm not sleepy," Jennie replied and asked, "How do we reach the place, by the way? I mean, the place where we would get to meet Lisa's father exactly? I've read that the royal family has many residences all over Thailand."

"It says here, Lady Kim," Mrs Kim's assistant instantly pulled a parchment, the seal had already been torn, "that we will be welcomed by a party 'designed by His Majesty,' himself, who will then take us to Pahr -- no, Pathum Thani; that's a province outside the palace complex, ma'am." She was reading the content of letter from His Majesty through his office, the gold royal emblem on the header was an intimidating sight.

"Right. But does anyone else feel like we're about to be flayed once when we get there or it's just me? God, I'm so nervous!" Jennie groaned desperately, indicating the crew to refill her glass. "Please tell me exactly again why nobody ever thought of declining the proposition, Mom?" she finally let it out what had been consuming her eversince she was informed about the invitation.

"What did you want me to say? 'Thank you. But no, thanks, Your Majesty. I hardly think meeting you is necessary.'?" Mrs Kim looked scandalized. "Besides, as anxious as I am right now, I still believe that this is a good idea. At least before you will address the issue in front of the board, that is. Those men will surely cut you open," Mrs Kim said.

It was quarter past three in the afternoon. The sun was slowly descending on the west but was still glowing hot against the thick silvery clouds. Jennie spent the time watching the serenity outside through the small window beside her and wondered what Lisa was doing at the moment until her mind drifted to the fading red marks on her skin courtesy of the Thai princess' plump mouth, beneath the striped sweater she was wearing. It was incredible how fast things had unfolded after that night at Irene's party, she thought. Losing and finding herself again in some new dimensions that Lisa took her and finding out the truth unwillingly the morning after was like a movie playing on repeat on her mind for the last couple of days. Jennie didn't see any of it coming. Especially the part about Lisa being a princess. Because aside from all the amazing things that Lisa does and those stunning eyes and exciting lips and those hands that did wonders to her body, there was never an inch about Lisa that could've gave away about her secret. The universe, indeed, had a funny way of sneaking up on anyone.

"I just wish Lisa would be there," Jennie whispered but enough for everyone to hear the despair in her voice.

....

Outside the walls of Her Royal Highness' residence in Phayathai Road was a brewing scenario of some sort. The royal guards were forming a circle and closing in around the cream-colored Lexus near the gates of the palace, led by the lady captain. Captain Pakpao could be seen standing between the high iron gates and the vehicle, where inside, behind the steering wheel, was Her Royal Highness Pranpriya who looked set and stubborn. And crouching on the window outside the Lexus was the butler, Lek, who was imploring Her Highness to 'do what is right and necessary.'

"I don't need a convoy tailing me around, Lek. It will only attract attentions and I don't want that. I'm sure His Majesty doesn't want that, either," Pranpriya reasoned for the fifth time, this time less calmer than her previous attempts.

"I understand, Your Highness. But His Majesty will surely disagree with your decision to drive alone, either. At least bring the lady captain with you, please," Lek implored.

"So that His Majesty can keep his watch on me? No, thank you. I prefer to be alone," Pranpriya said stubbornly, loud enough for the lady captain to hear.

"I understand your predicament, Your Highness. But I will not step aside until you will concede. I cannot allow you to wander outside the gates all by yourself. We cannot risk anymore your security and privacy this time. Please allow us to do our job," Captain Pakpao implored.

"You told me last night I'm not a prisoner," Pranpriya said, addressing the lady captain. She decided to take a different approach to the argument which had been lasting for the past half an hour or so already and had been wearing her patience thinner and thinner by the minute.

"Yes, I did, Your Highness. And no, you're not, indeed," said the lady captain.

"So, why don't you step aside and tell your men to open the gates so I can finally go out, Captain? We've wasted enough time already."

"His Majesty's order is to not let you out of our sight, Your Highness. We are under his command," Captain Pakpao replied, maintaining her stance.

"Please, Your Highness. Just bring the lady captain with you," Lek implored and persuading once again.

Pranpriya heaved a frustrated breath. She knew this would happen. Returning to the country after she had capriciously spent her freedom for years to her heart's content outside the walls of the kingdom would, of course, bear consequences. There really had to be some balance in the universe, she thought bitterly to herself.

Pranpriya stepped outside of the car but didn't switch the engine off. If she had to beg, then she would. But she was hoping that she won't reach to that point. It was embarrassing enough that she was surrounded by the royal army at the moment as though she was a criminal.

"Look, with all due respect, Captain Pakpao... I know you're just doing your job and I assure you you're doing it very efficiently. I can tell because you are enjoying His Majesty's trust and confidence. But just this once, I'd like to ask you to let me off your watch."

Captain Pakpao's expression softened by only just a little but maintained her stance. Her eyes, however, betrayed her as they flicked and met Lek's. The butler must have implored the lady captain without words because soon enough, Captain Pakpao breathed out heavily as if it was costing her painfully and stepped away, a bit