Burning Passion

CHAPTER 201: HER NEW ENVIRONMENT 

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Hello, dearests! Before we proceed, just small forewords.

I'm still not feeling well today, so this chapter wasn't properly editing. In the coming days, I will make a few changes or possibly add a few scenes once I feel better. Don't worry! More chaps once I'm well! (Hugs!)

---Thank you!

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Oliver Shang House 

The moment Nina stepped inside of Korin's bedroom, she couldn't stop crying. 

"What's wrong, sister Nina?" Korin grew worried about what was happening to her. She let her cry and waited until Nina settled down.

Later, Nina begins sharing with Korin about the conversation she had with her parents. 

"Do you mean they get angry at you after they learned of your application in the US?" 

Nina nodded. "They plan on sending me to Cambridge University instead. So they were against me enrolling in where Harry and Steven attend their college." 

Nina cried once again, and this time, Korin joins her. 

"Korin, I don't want to disappoint my parents, so I agreed." 

Korin may be younger than Nina, but she witnesses how Nina looks forward to the day it will grant her application. Now that she has the result and good news, her parents are against it. She knows everything about Nina's plans because she is the one who helped Nina to mail her applications and responses.

"Sister Nina, I'm going to miss you," said Korin after they both stop crying.

"I'm going to miss you too, Korin. I will send a letter! Don't forget to reply, okay?"

"I will, sister Nina!" 

"I will be too lonely."

Tears began plummeting their eyes again. Between their cries, Korin asked, "Are we not going to see each other for a longer time?" 

"I don't know, Korin. Maybe I will come home during the summer. Or maybe I will take up advanced classes."

"Okay. Don't worry, sister Nina! I will send a lot of letters!" 

"Let's do that!"

In the next two days, Nina packs up her luggage. Dona only encouraged her daughter to bring important things as they will go shopping in London and buy everything Nina needed. It was the first time her daughter would be away from them, and it worries Dona she won't be with Nina's side to handle her needs. That is why Dona hired someone to accompany her daughter and reminded her to make sure that Nina had all she needed.

"Nina?" Dona entered the bedroom, a girl older than Nina followed inside. "I want you to meet Jessica Lim. She is the daughter of our trusted company manager." 

"Good morning, Young Miss." Jessica bowed politely.

"Good morning, Jessica..." It confuses Nina, but she keeps the question to herself.

"Nina, Jessica is a fresh graduate from college, but she will accompany you to England." 

"Mama, I thought, I will live in a dormitory?" 

"Yes. But your father found an apartment close to your school. Your Aunt Annie already checked out the place. She said it was a wonderful house." 

"Okay, mama." she pushes a smile to hide her sadness. 

Nina wanted to raise a protest, but she remained silent and did not question her parent's decision. 

~~~~~

Nina watched the wall clock making a gradual rotation on its orbit. It's almost midnight. Still, she couldn't sleep. Tomorrow is the day of their flight. Nina sat up from her bed to watch the full moon in the sky. She wondered if Harry now arrives in New York. It's almost three weeks since he sailed out back to the US. She wants to write a letter to Harry. She would like to thank him for the beautiful gift. 

Nina picks up the diary and opens it. She poured out her sadness into the form of words. And before she closed the diary, she wrote the last phrase. 

"I missed you, Harry…"

~~~~~

"Nina, don't forget to write a letter for me!" said Mely. She and Jerome and Steven went to send off the Li family. Dona and Nelson will stay for two weeks or more to help Nina taking care of her entrance exam and enrollment. They would be there as supportive parents. Something Nina couldn't ask for more but followed what makes them happy. 

She was supposed to be happy and excited. It was her first trip out of the country. However, Nina couldn't force herself to be glad. It isn't what she looks forward to, but traveling to America and seeing Harry once again. 

~~~~~

London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom

Nina watched the plane land safely onto the runway. She heaves a long sigh and mumbled to herself. 'So this is it. There's no turning back, Nina.' From then on, it will be her home for the next four years. 

Following the crowd to the exit, Nelson is looking for his cousin.

"Nelson!" 

A couple, waving a placard in the waiting area outside.

"Nina, there's your aunt Annie!" Nelson put his arms around his wife and daughter's shoulder, guiding them toward the EXIT DOOR.

Annie Li, along with her husband George Grant, is waving at them. 

Annie is Nelson's cousin, married to a British soldier. Her family cast her out when she marries a foreign man over the man her parents prefer for her. Since then, Annie never went back to China, but remains living in England. She and Dona occasionally exchange letters. Annie said to the letters; she had no regrets marrying George. She was happy and content with a simple but peaceful life she had with her husband and two children. 

"Hi! Welcome to London!" Annie greeted them with her accent. "Oh, my! Is this Nina? What a beautiful lady!" 

"Hello, Aunt Annie." Politely, Nina greeted Annie. 

"Hello, darling! Don't worry, you would love England!" Annie proudly told Nina. She noticed the sadness in her eyes. It was the same expression she has on her first day here in London. "Well, who's she?" Annie noticed another girl standing next to Nelson's assistant.

"Annie, meet Jessica Lim. She will be Nina's attendant." Dona introduces the two women. "I couldn't be at peace, so I asked Manager Lim to lend me her daughter." 

"I see. Then Nina wouldn't be lonely. That's great! Well then, let's go!" 

Annie brought them to the apartment she arranged for Nina to live here in England. The three-story building is perfect for a big family. Nelson just wanted to make sure that her daughter would live in comfort even she is away from them.

"Is it only me and Jessica to live here, mama?" 

"Ah, no. Your father asked me to hire a couple to take care of cleaning the house and prepare your meals, Nina." Dona replied to her daughter. "Your aunt Annie will check you out regularly." 

'They will keep an eye on me.' Nina murmured to her head. She had no way to run away one day.

Well, she would be, one day...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Present Time 

Nina and Harry visit the Li-Shang building in this fierce weather. They could see how strong the winds were outside. Nina embraces herself from the cold. The sweater she is wearing is not enough to warm herself. She has to get the documents quickly and go back to Harry's penthouse to stay warm. 

Nina placed the key card and password on her door. She is patiently waiting, rubbing her shoulders when she feels the jacket landed on her shoulder. 

"Harry?" it surprised her. She never foresaw that Harry showed her such a gesture. "It was cold."

"I'm fine. There, your office door is open now." 

"Oh, right!"

Nina stepped inside her office, Harry followed behind. She quickly gathers the documents she wants to review and sign. Nina sat on her chair, she was turning her drawers upside down. She was looking for a certain folder, but she couldn't remember where she placed it. 

"What's the matter?" asked Harry after he noticed that Nina kept checking out her drawers. 

"I'm looking at the reports Theo sent to me through Rubin. I can't remember where I kept it. I will check on my vault." 

Nina opens a bigger drawer door under her table. It was where the vault was placed in. She opened the vault and began to check the folders one by one. Nina unconsciously takes out her things from the vault. She didn't notice her jewelry box fell, and her jewelry scattered on the floor. 

"Oh, my god!" 

Nina picks up her earrings and rings that are scattered on the floor. She always keeps a few of her jewelry in her office in case she has to attend important events, and she doesn't like to go home. All she had to do is book a hotel and visit the hotel Salon before she changed her dress. 

Harry helps Nina to pick them up when he spotted a familiar bracelet. 

"Oh, I—" Nina was about to pick up the bracelet, but Harry picked it up already and handed it to her. "Thank you." 

Nina blushed. Suddenly, memories flooded inside her head. It was the bracelet Harry gave to her when she celebrated her 18th birthday. She kept it in her office. So then, it would not tempt her to open the diary when it's only filled with sorrows and all her loneliness written on almost every page of that diary. Could only count on her fingers the happy moments she wrote on it, and one of that is when she gave birth to Jeremy.

"Nina?" 

"Huh? Oh, did you say something?" 

"Your hand is bleeding. Did your finger get cut by a broken mirror?" 

"Oh. I think so." Nina scanned her fourth finger. Probably she did not notice she had a cut because she was in a panic when her jewelry scattered on the floor.

"You are not careful with your fingers." Harry grabbed her hand and looked at it closely. 

Nina felt a bolt of electricity transmitting to her entire body. Her eyes widened while staring at Harry. Somehow, his hand is warm. 

"Let's go back to the penthouse to clean it." 

Nina remained speechless but nodded at Harry. Blushed, she replied. "Okay." 

Unconsciously, Nina followed Harry back to the penthouse. She sat on the sofa like a little kid. Harry came back from his bathroom.

In his hand is a box of first aid kit. It surprised her that Harry has all these medical tools. Or maybe Harry is just prepared since he was often alone in this penthouse.. Until now, Harry remains mysterious to her.