Offer to the CEO

Tuesday

Anna, after Rosemary helped her get ready was ready to temporarily leave the hospital for Aaron's funeral.  She never thought that the joy of knowing that she and Hou Yi would have twins, now was replaced by the knowledge that today she was burying one of them.

When she had dealt with a couple of family law cases in Australia where her clients said burying a child was the hardest thing that they had ever done, she thought they were lying.  They were right.  Just the thought of Aaron, who she had carried and given birth to, who for whatever reason was taken from them the day after his birth lying there in a coffin ready for this service felt crushing.

Anna turned and looked to Hou Yi, and she observed that he had not noticed that she was looking for him.  In all their time together, she had never seen him look so broken.  Before she could say anything, he looked at her, and she could see the tears ready to spill over in his eyes.  As she said "Yi…" they spilled over, and he moved over to gather her into his arms.

After they simply sat there hugging each other for a few minutes, Hou Yi quietly said "I never thought that we would ever have to do this.  I know I am happy we have little Jang, but to be burying my namesake…"

"It feels so crushing.  I know." Anna paused, and said "After talking to Phillipa last night, she said the psychologist the hospital arranged was right.  We still have a son that needs us, and we need to be there for him.  Welling on his dead twin in the end will hurt him, and we cannot do that."

Having heard the conversation, Rosemary said "That is right.  I have a nephew who needs his parents.  In my time nursing I have seen in different places parents having to deal with the loss of a child.  It is never easy, but something every psychologist I have spoke to about it has said, remember the time you had together, and the fact that you had them in your life for the time you did.  That makes things easier to get through.  Plus I have the cutest photos of little Jang and little Yi, reaching out for each other in their cribs.  Now, we need to give little Yi his send off.  That he deserves."

Anna rested her head on Hou YI's chest and sobbed for another couple of minutes, and as he lifted her head up and they looked into each other's eyes, they knew that they were delaying the inevitable.   This they needed to do.  Hou Yi, helped Rosemary settle Anna into a wheelchair and they headed out from the suite downstairs surrounded by bodyguards to head to the funeral parlour where family and friends they had invited were gathered for the small service before their son would be cremated.

As they arrived, all Anna could see was the waiting media, and the flashing of cameras on the car windows.  As Hou Yi squeezed her hand, Anna turned and quietly said "We need to deal with them, otherwise they will not let us do this in peace."

Hou Yi, knew Anna was right, but the feelings of loss were still so raw.  He had since they found out Anna was expecting twins looking forward to not only their birth, but to bringing them home together.  That was a dream that could never happen now, and it hurt so much.  He leaned over and gave Anna a brief kiss, and squeezed her hand again, before responding "I know.  Normally the press does not bother me, but today I just wish they would disappear."

Rosemary sat there watching the two of them.  Yes, it hurt that she lost one of her nephews, and unlike them she had known that this was always a possibility, but it seemed to be hurting them deeply.  That, despite everything was something she would never know.

Before anyone could say anything, the bodyguards opened the doors, and Rosemary slipped out quietly and into the funeral parlour while the press focused on Anna and Hou Yi.  As he stepped out, Hou Yi turned and carefully helped Anna out of the vehicle, and as they moved away from it they bodyguards surrounded them, while the press were continually throwing questions at them.

About halfway from the car to the entry Anna paused and turned before saying in a sharp aggressive tone "Please leave us alone.  We know you all want a story, but we are here to farewell one of our twins who was taken from us too soon.  Would any of you with children want everyone trying to get a story from you if you were in our position."

Hou Yi, trying to hold back the tears added "You all might think that I am ruthless all the time, but never with my family.  Leave us alone.  Eventually Hou Enterprises will provide a press release about the situation to you, but we will not comment further."

As they turned to finish walking in, one journalist yelled out "CEO and Madam Hou, Young Madam Lu Yang Lin has made a statement that while this has nothing do to with her or the Lu Family, the result of your repeated actions against the Lu family and Lu Corporation mean that that this is what you deserve."

Hou Yi turned around.  His immediate thought was that b*tch, using this tragedy to place herself in the spotlight and harass Anna.  "I will say this once," responded Hou Yi in an aggressive manner "We did not deserve this, our deceased son did not deserve this, nor did his surviving twin…"

Anna, grateful that Yang Lin decided to be b*tchy and harass her interrupted and said, "Which one of you said that?" Suddenly the press turned and looked at one member, including the television cameras.  "Thank you for that information.  I hope you cooperate with the police when they come to speak to you about her breaching the order of protection I have."

With than Anna turned, and grabbed Hou Yi's hand, gently tugging him along with her.  As they entered the funeral parlour for the hardest time they could ever face as parents Hou Yi said "Why did you stop me?  She deserved what I was about to say."

"Yi, my love.  If she was in front of me and said that she would pay.  But you forget, I still have the orders of protection to prevent such harassing behaviour, and if she thought she could use the press to get at me, she is sadly mistaken.  I will always use the law, rather than stooping to her level, no matter how much I would love to do so."

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