Fall Under Your Spell

"Good morning, passengers. Welcome to the flight. The plane is taking off. Please fasten your seat belt. Don't wander around in the cabin..."

As the pilot droned on about the normal etiquette of being on the air, the plane lifted farther and farther from the ground.

Teresa Gu frowned as she felt the uneasiness drifting over to her. She clutched her stomach, feeling a sense of weightlessness as the plane finally took off.

She was hungry when she was waiting for the plane, so she had to grab something to eat at the airport. Yet, she didn't expect that the food would be so unsanitary. As soon as she stepped into the plane, her stomach started to ache as beads of sweat trailed down her forehead.

After two minutes of the plane taking off, Teresa Gu just couldn't hold it in any longer. She unfastened her seat belt and got up.

Just before she could get out, a stewardess stopped her. "Excuse me, ma'am. The plane has just taken off, and we have not reached the stratosphere yet. Please go back to your seat."

With one hand gripping her stomach, Teresa Gu said hoarsely, "I have a stomach ache. Please, I need to go to the toilet."

As the stewardess looked her up and down, she couldn't help but admit to herself that the woman really wasn't in any good shape at all.

Teresa Gu wore a v-shaped vest with holes in her jeans. Her hair was as disheveled as ever and her face was pale and sweaty from the stomach ache. She looked like a witch ready to take a kid for her next meal.

The stewardess wrinkled her nose, which went unnoticed by Teresa Gu.

"Please be careful then. If you get hurt, Miss, the airline would not be responsible for such damages,"

she snapped, turning away.

Teresa Gu had absolutely no time to make amends with the stewardess as she rushed into the toilet to solve her aching stomach. After a few minutes of groaning, it felt as if she had come back to life again.

As she stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her clothes, Teresa Gu stepped out of the toilet comfortably. However, as she was about to take a few steps, the plane jolted to the side. By instinct, she stumbled over and grabbed the person nearby.

"Ah!" someone yelled.

Once she fixed her footing, she turned sideways to see that an airline stewardess had been caught by her.

However, when her eyes trailed at the glass held in the stewardess's hand, Teresa froze. The glass was empty now, leading a trace of bright yellow at the bottom. That would mean...

As she followed the stewardess's gaze, she found something even more terrible.

There was a man standing next to the stewardess.

He was really tall, about six feet. He had a suit on, and his angular face was out in display. He looked as if he'd just popped out from a painting, like a model ready to strut the runway.

However, right now, the prince she thought he was, was covered in bright yellow from head to toe.

The stewardess quickly came to her senses, bowing her head. "Sir, I completely apologize. She bumped into me, so I lost my balance and I..."

She threw an accusatory glance at Teresa.

Realizing that it was her fault here, Teresa quickly apologized, "Sir, I'm so sorry. The plane just jolted and I lost balance. How about I wipe it for you?"

The man raised an eyebrow, no expression tainting his face. He was like a statue, the ones that you would pay to garner an action from them.

The man didn't lose his temper or anything, but that just made Teresa all the more nervous of what was to come.

"I really am sorry,"

Teresa apologized again, taking a pack of tissues from her pocket and wiping the mango juice from the man's clothes.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have only made the situation worse. The tissues only seemed to have stained the fabric even more just as she was wiping it.

As she did this, Teresa found herself even more loss for words.

She could tell that the man's mood was growing sourer by the minute.

Besides, no matter how good-tempered he was, he wouldn't be in a good mood after being caught up in a situation like this!

And to make matters worse, her stomach, which had just calmed down, started to act up once more.

She went bright red, as her hands gripped on the fabric of her shirt.

Teresa held her breath, a sinking feeling going down her abdomen. The longer she tried to hold it in, the more uncomfortable it was starting to get.

"I really am sorry, but I have to go to the toilet," she uttered out before racing back into the bathroom.

Teresa dealt with her problem once again.

As she walked out the toilet once again, her body froze when she found out who was waiting for her.

It was the man!

Teresa held her breath, keeping her legs from shaking incessantly.

"Hi..." she stuttered out. "Listen, I didn't mean to..." She was already on the verge of crying as her voice shook. "I'll–I'll buy you a new shirt. Please don't follow me."

His eyes underneath the wide rimmed glasses flickered as a gentle smile threaded across his lips.

"I wasn't going to hold you accountable, you know." There was a certain gentleness in his voice.

"I just need to use the toilet."

'What?

So does that mean I'm free to go?'

Her shoulders sagged in relief as she hurriedly stepped aside for him to go in. "If that's the case, please enjoy," she said. "Use it anyway you like."

As long as they were on good terms, he could snort cocaine in the cabin, and she couldn't care less.

The man glanced at her. There was an unreadable emotion that passed in his gaze, but she couldn't really tell what it was.

Unable to tell, Teresa decided to return to her seat.

More than twenty minutes later, her stomach started to act up again. Teresa found that she had no choice but to return to the toilet.

As she was taking care of herself, she found herself glancing at the garbage can beside her. There she spotted a long sleeved shirt in the trash can. It was coated in mango juice, so she was certain it was from the man who she spilled on.

Her eyes narrowed, getting a good look on the brand.

It was Armani! A part of their limited edition!

Teresa's jaw dropped. It must've been so expensive. How could someone throw it away like that?

Thinking back to the way the man acted, it was obvious that he might have come from a very rich background. It'd be reasonable for him to throw away this shirt so easily.

Apart from the looks of it, money didn't seem hard to come by for him.

Teresa looked away. 'It's not right to dwell on this anyway.' She got out of the toilet and sat back on her seat.

A few minutes had passed, and a stewardess came over with a glass of warm water and a pill in her hand.

"Miss, this is the medicine for diarrhea. A gentleman in the first class asked me to bring it here."

'Who?

A gentleman in the first class?'

She furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't know anyone in the plane, except...

'Is he the man I just met?'

Teresa took the pill, smiling silently. 'The man really was thoughtful. He even noticed my diarrhea.'

After taking the pill, her stomach had calmed down once the medicine kicked in.

She took her neck pillow out of her bag and leaned on it comfortably. She slept comfortably after that, probably one of the pill's aftereffects.

She had a dream that hour, a dream that she never had.

There were ghosts surrounding her with bright ugly faces, looking as if they were about to eat her alive. They had talons for fingernails and fangs for teeth, and they neared, about to tear her to pieces.

It was so terrible that their screams echoed in her eardrums.

Jerome Gu's body popped out of thin air. His body was peppered with scars and cuts, white shirt stained with blood. He looked like a zombie that just popped out of film.

He looked at her, holding back his tears as his voice cracked. "Abby, just go..."

She couldn't leave, couldn't bring it in herself to. This was her home. She just couldn't.

Her heart clenched at the sight of Jerome Gu, covered in cuts and bruises.

But even if she wanted to, she couldn't bring it in herself to help him.

Jerome Gu had accepted the family punishment. He did everything to shied her from their family's cruelty. All he ever wanted was for her to live the ordinary life she deserved.

How could she do this? After everything that he'd done for her?

"Brother, no!" Teresa screamed, jolting herself awake. This time, she was back in the airplane, a thousand feet above her home.

The man sitting next to her made an annoyed sound, giving her a look.

'It was just a dream, just a dream.' She calmed herself.

It was one she didn't have since three years.

"I'm sorry." Teresa turned to the man beside her, flushing in embarrassment. "It was...I just had a bad dream."

The man merely nodded, turning back to the window.

Just at that moment, the pilot had finally announced that they were about to land.

That dream...

Perhaps it was because she was finally returning back to her home land that her dream finally returned.

There were just memories that were hard to forget, no matter how desperately she tried to hide them.

Once the plane landed, Teresa came out of the passageway. No more was the silence that she appreciated in the plane. Instead, it was replaced by chatter and noise from different types of people. There were some holding up their signs as they waited for the passengers to come for them, while others were waving their hands to greet their friends and families.

She walked alone, dragging her luggage. Many drivers of unlicensed taxis waved her way, but she ignored them.

It had been five years, and she was finally here...

This time, it was to participate in a jewelry making competition.

When she was abroad all these years, she majored in jewelry design. She had become very talented in this field and was at par with many outstanding foreign designers.

She came back to take part in behalf of her university.

As long as she got a place, she'd be able to graduate easily and get a job almost immediately in one of the university's partner companies.

Teresa was determined to win this.

As she was waiting for a taxi at the airport gate, Teresa turned her head at a group of men coming out of the airport gates.

The man protected by the group was wearing a white shirt with a grey vest and white suit pants. His tall figure and gentle were hard to miss, even when he mingled with the crowd. This must also be due to the suited men that surrounded him, all holding their own radio.

'He must be famous,' she thought. 'With that many bodyguards with him, he must be an important man.'

The man, seeming as if he had seen her, started to walk her way.

She furrowed her eyebrows.

Although she was not the one to obsess over looks, she couldn't help but appreciate the man's angular jaw line. It wasn't her fault. She was still a girl. It was normal to appreciate good looks as they came by.

He was just too hot for her to ignore.

Thinking back to what happened on the plane, Teresa winced at embarrassment.

"You..." They started to say, only to pause as the awkwardness hung between them.

"You can say it first," he said.

Teresa rubbed her hands. "Actually, I don't really have much to say. I just thought that it's a coincidence to see you here again. Thank you also for the pill." She extended her hand.

He shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Enrique Shen."

'A polite man, this one,' she thought.

"Teresa Gu," she introduced herself easily.

'Gu?'

Something flashed in Enrique Shen's eyes, but it was too fast for any of them to notice.

But even then, he shrugged. There were plenty of families with 'Gu' as their last names. She couldn't be part of the family that he thought she was, right?

Their hands clasped for a second before they retreated.

"I'll leave you then." She nodded. "See you around."

However, as she was already walking away, Enrique Shen stopped her.

His eyes were gentle under the glasses. "I see that you don't have a car." He motioned at the empty road. "It's not easy to call for a taxi at the airport now. How about I give you a ride?"

"No, thank you. That's nice of you, but really, I'm good."

They just met by chance, and he'd already done so much for her. She couldn't just step in his car!

However, Enrique Shen only waved his hand in dismissal. "It's really no problem. We're going in the same direction anyway. Besides, it's hot out. You might get a sunstroke."

Seeing as he wasn't going to take no for an answer, Teresa conceded.

Sure enough, as she went inside, she found herself appreciating the cool air conditioning of the car.

It was summer now, and the temperature outside was close to forty degrees. If she were ice cream, she would've melted minutes ago.

Enrique Shen's car was a limo.

There were different types of beverages and fruits in the refrigerator. He offered one to her.

She took it, filling the cold liquid slip down her throat.

"Thank you." She bowed her head shyly.

At this time, Enrique Shen just finished peeling an apple and handed it to Teresa. "Would you like some fruit?"

Teresa took the apple over at once and said thank you again.

"I saw your shirt in the trash bin," she stated. "You got rid of it because of me. How about I gave you another one? Or pay you for that? I'll feel guilty if I don't."

Although she spoke elegantly, she couldn't help but ache at the possible price of that shirt.

It must've cost thousands of dollars, and she still didn't have a job yet!

Enrique's lips twitched up into a gentle smile.

"You don't have to compensate me." He shrugged. "But if you really want it, there is something you can do for me."

"Well, what is it?" Teresa urged, furrowing her eyebrows.

She didn't get him. She'd just offered to pay for his extremely expensive shirt, and he just outright refused her.

Was money really nothing for him?

Enrique tilted his head and thought for a moment. After a few seconds, he finally responded, "How about this? You can promise me one thing. As long as you fulfill it, you won't have to pay for the shirt. How about that?"

Although he looked extremely harmless, she still needed to be alert.

Her eyes narrowed. "Promise you what?"

Enrique only smiled. "I haven't thought about it yet. I'll tell you when I got it, all right?"

"But..."

"Miss Gu, you shouldn't worry about it. It's only just to put your mind at ease."

He waved his hand dismissively. Teresa blinked, trying to see the expression on his face. Seeing as he meant nothing about it, she nodded. "It's a deal then."

The car finally arrived at the hotel Teresa booked.

After saying her farewell to Enrique, Teresa went upstairs with the room card she'd gotten from the front desk.

As she entered the elevator, a thought suddenly occurred to her. She returned to her hometown for the jewelry design competition and she'd leave a few days later. Maybe they'd never have the chance to meet again, seeing as they didn't have each other's number.

As for the deal...

Teresa shrugged it off. It was not as if he'd travel across the world to find her.

It seemed she was smart enough to agree with him on that at least.

She snorted.

Once she arrived in her room, she took a shower and lay on her bed.

She didn't sleep well that night. Fortunately, she was still young, not really feeling the effects of jet lag as it must've for older aged people.

Once she was finished with her breakfast, one of the assistants took her into another private hall for the competition.

This design competition had attracted many brilliant minds all around the world. Even though it was still early, the hall was already packed.

With such a big event come with hundreds of media coverage, she could see the press crowding over the place as they were being held down by the security personnel.

Following the assistant, they entered a more exclusive passage. Her heart was already beating quickly at the thought of the huge crowds surrounding them.

They finally reached the backstage.

The assistant immediately went to work, helping her set up her PowerPoint and the jewelry samples for the organizers. The presenters first began their opening remarks. With that, a chill went down her spine. The competition was about to begin.

There were loads of people in the lounge, all of them looking as nervous as she was.

Teresa scanned the vicinity only to see that there weren't many local competitors. Instead, many people from the West were here to participate.

From the looks of it, everyone was putting their best foot forward.

Teresa was sixteenth in line, which was good. It was not the first, and not the last – a good number.

If she showed up too early, judges wouldn't remember her. If she was too far back, they'd be too tired to even notice her.

As she waited nervously in line, time was as quick as the waterfall.

Before she knew it, the announcer was already calling out her name.

Teresa took a deep breath and walked out from the backstage. The staff hurriedly set out the jewelry samples she had designed to make sure that they were being emphasized in the big screen.

She stood on stage and turned on her PPT. Without another word, she began her presentation as smoothly as possible.

The hall was dimly lit, so everyone's eyes were directed on her.

At first, she had been nervous to step on stage, but after a few seconds of staring at the people, she found herself immersed at the design and introduction of her product.

Her design was actually quite simple, with no great skills tied to it. She only used hearts to twin around each other in an intricate and elegant way.

She added a special material in her jewels. They could change into the color and shape to match the wearer's heartbeat, body temperature, and more.

It was a bold move for someone who was just starting out.

However, she had definitely impressed the judges.

As her presentation was coming to an end, she took another round of glances at the crowd only to spot a familiar face.

It was Enrique!

She gasped.

'Why is he here?

Is he...

Is he an investor?'

It felt as if her whole world had stopped right then and there. She suddenly found it difficult to breath as her heart raced to what seemed like another marathon of nervousness.

In fact, she was so stressed that she didn't even bother to listen to what the judges had to say.

It was not until when she returned to the backstage had she realized what transpired.

She had already prepared compliments for the judges in advance. But, now it was too late to speak them out!

'Will I be eliminated because of this?' She trembled at the thought.

Teresa didn't even bother to listen to the events that had transpired after her.

Today was just a show, and the results wouldn't be announced anyway.

She had no intention of watching anymore. All she wanted was to get back to the hotel and take a warm bath.

Besides, she'd done everything she could do.

As to the result, she might as well accept what she deserved.

After returning to the hotel, Teresa found herself back on her bed. When she opened her eyes, darkness had finally rose and the lamps along the roads were blazing out.

She had slept till night! Teresa scowled, feeling her stomach grumble at the lack of food. She stumbled out of her hotel room and grabbed her coat, walking outside.

The warmth that wrapped around her during daylight was gone. Instead, the harsh winds of the dark waved over at her.

Teresa slowly walked, enjoying the views beyond her.

She didn't walk too far to see a stall right ahead. She walked over and asked for two orders before eating them there.

Teresa had never really tried any street food before, due to her family's protection. All the dishes and clothes she had were from the absolute best, so she'd never taken things like these from the streets before.

However, that was the past.

She used to be a princess back then, absolutely loved by everyone.

"Tony, stop the car!" Enrique straightened his back, peering into the window.

Tony suddenly pulled up. "Boss, what's wrong?"

Looking through the car window, a meaningful light flickered through Enrique's eyes when he saw Teresa who was eating foods at the roadside stand not far away from them.