All the Wrong Places

Chapter 32

Jin attended an exclusive exhibit at a hotel near Julianne’s office. One particular painting caught his eye. The background was an abstract of different colors of blue, purple, black, yellow and red. The center was a face of a man. He had a devilish look on his face. His brown hair fell over his red eyes. He had fangs and though he looked evil, he also looked quite handsome. As Jin stared at it longer, he could make out the wings behind the man in the painting, making him look like fallen angel. Jin must admit, the artist had some skill.

“Do you like it?” he heard a female voice ask behind him.

He turned around and saw a woman with dark brown hair. She was wearing a pair of black pants, cream lace shirt and a black long jacket. He had seen her chatting around with the other viewers before.

“Could you tell?” he asked back.

“Well, by the way you were staring at it for a long time, you either like it or hate it. I’d like to know whether your feedback is positive or negative. Particularly on this one.”

Jin looked over at her. When she looked up, he saw that her eyes were different colors. One eye was colored amber and the other one blue. Both were framed with thick lashes. She had deep dimples on both cheeks which appeared even though she was just talking. She also had a dimpled chin.

“Hmmm... I heard about heterochromia before, but I haven’t seen one in person until now,” he couldn’t help remarking.

“Oh. Yeah. I used to wear contacts to cover them. Until… somebody told me I shouldn’t be ashamed of them.”

“Whoever that was, he or she was right. You shouldn’t,” Jin turned back to the painting. “So, who’s your inspiration in this painting?”

“How’d you know I was the painter?”

He shrugged. “You seemed eager to know what everyone thought about the paintings here. And this one seemed to be more personal to you.”

She stared at the painting thoughtfully. Jin was trained to read people’s expressions. He could tell the guy she used as inspiration for this was very special to her.

“It is,” she whispered.

“It’s mesmerizing. Your fallen angel is good-looking.”

She smiled up at him. “Don’t say that. He’s already got a big ego!”

Suddenly, a figure stood behind her. He had light brown hair and piercing green eyes. Except for the green eyes, Jin could totally see his resemblance with the guy on the painting.

He put an arm around the woman’s shoulder and pulled her to him, sort of in a possessive manner and Jin couldn’t help smiling to himself. He could almost see his possessive self in the guy.

“Kyle!” she beamed.

The guy leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’m sorry, I’m late, love.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I was just talking to…” she turned to Jin.

Jin extended his hand to the guy. “Jin Starck.”

The guy stared back at him and recognition crossed his face. He shook Jin’s hand and said, “Rafe Mckenzie.”

Jin immediately recognized the name. Rafe McKenzie belonged to the family that owned McKenzie Group. Like Jin was the prize of Starck Corp., Rafe McKenzie was the gem of McKenzie Group.

“I’m Jasmine Wright, by the way,” the woman beside him said.

Jin gave her a slight nod. “Nice to you meet you, Miss Wright. As a painter, myself, I can say that you have great talent.”

“Thank you.”

“Umm, could you give us a moment, love?” Rafe told her.

“Sure,” Jasmine turned to Jin. “Thank you for coming, Mister Starck.” Then she turned back to Rafe. “I’ll see you later, Kyle.”

Kyle? Private nicknames?

Jin noticed that the woman addressed Rafe McKenzie with a different name.

Rafe leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He looked quite smitten with her, and Jin wondered if he sported the same lovesick look whenever he looked at Julianne.

Rafe was still looking at Jasmine even when she left and approached the other visitors. Then finally, he turned to him.

Jin held his hands up in the air. “Don’t worry, man. Not interested in your girl. I’m engaged.”

Rafe raised a brow. “I thought you weren’t going to propose to Vanessa Bernard.”

Jin smirked. “You heard about that, huh?”

“Everybody heard about it,” Rafe said. “In fact, Arthur Bernard already formalized his complaint against you and called on a vote last night to revoke your membership in the circle.”

It’s official then. We’re out!

Damn! But I’m still happy, nothing could dampen my spirit!

“I’m not marrying Vanessa. I’m marrying the woman of my dreams,” Jin said.

“Well, I suppose as a revenge, Arthur got all the other seven members of the group to concur with him.”

“And of course your father voted for it too,” Jin said dryly. “It’s an unspoken rule to concur with the majority.”

“Oh, is it?” Rafe asked, feigning an innocent look on his face. “I guess nobody told me.”

“Ask your father.”

“That’s too bad because my Dad is no longer the CEO of McKenzie Group. I am.”

Jin was a little surprised. Rafe was not the first-born son of the McKenzie family. “And Rick McKenzie was okay with that?”

“My big brother doesn’t want the job. He’s an ops guy. He remains the COO.”

“Good to know,” Jin remarked.

“Arthur Bernard needed our vote to kick you out, you know.”

“I know.”

They both looked at the painting in front of him for a moment.

“How do you think she wanted to portray you in this painting? Devil or angel?” Jin asked.

“Both,” Rafe replied with a smile. It was obvious on his face he had so much affection for Jasmine. “What about you, Jin Starck? What do you think I am?”

Jin stared at the painting thoughtfully. “A businessman.”

“I suppose,” Rafe said thoughtfully. “And a devious businessman would jump at any opportunity to get his competition out of the game. But I have a feeling it wouldn’t make any difference to you anyway. You are, after all, the Jin Starck, who started managing half of your hotel properties at the age of seventeen. In the circle of Round Ten, there were only two prodigies.”

Jin smirked. “So, I heard. And they’re both standing here right now.” He turned to Rafe. “So, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying Arthur Bernard failed in his campaign to kick you out,” Rafe replied. “True, my father or my brother would have concurred with the rest. Unfortunately for Bernard, I’m the one who casts the vote for McKenzie Group now. And I voted no.”

Jin’s eyes widened at the other man.

Is he out of his mind?

“Why did you do that? We’ve been neck to neck even before either of us were born. This was your chance to get me off your back.”

“I suppose. But where’s the fun when you don’t have a bit of competition going on? And besides, I admire you for sticking up for your woman. I can’t say I’m not in a similar position. I know what it felt like to be forced to a fate that your heart could not accept.”

“You should have taken me out when you had the chance,” Jin said. But he smiled at Rafe, as tons of load had been lifted off his chest.

“I heard you were great, Jin Starck,” Rafe said. “And I’m always up for a good challenge. How could I prove myself if I got ahead of this game by taking my competition out just because he didn’t choose to marry some bratty heiress?”

Jin didn’t say anything. Rafe McKenzie was gaining his respect—fast. And respect was not something he gave easily.

“I would rather lose to the great Jin Starck than become number one without going up against him at all.”

“What can I say?” Jin turned to Rafe and extended his hand to him. “Thank you. See you out there on the battlefield.”

“Make this chance count, okay?” Rafe said, shaking his hand. Then he gave Jin a slight salute and turned to leave.

“Hey, McKenzie!” Jin called. Rafe turned back to look at him. “Someday, you will make a mistake and don’t forget, I’m always breathing down your neck. So, watch your back, okay?”

Rafe nodded. “Always. And I expect an invitation to your wedding.”

“You and Jasmine are there already.”

Jin turned back to the painting in front of him. He pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Gatwick,” he said to his assistant. “I’d like you to make a generous offer for a painting on Jasmine Wright’s exhibit here in Chicago. Plus, call her agent and find out if we can commission her artworks for the boutique hotel we’re building in Rome.”

Jin usually paints for all their hotels. But he’s building at least three hotels this year alone. And with Julianne and Jared finally in his life, and his wedding being just around the corner, he had a feeling he wouldn’t have enough time to paint for all of the hotels that Starck Corp. would be opening in the next six months. He could use some help. And a promising artist like Jasmine Wright could also use some boost. It’s also his very subtle way of thanking Rafe McKenzie for the favor he did for Starck Corp.

Jin turned around towards the exit, whistling as he walked towards Adams Industries building.

***

That afternoon, Jin walked with Julianne towards the gazebo in the Adams Mansion.

“Are you ready?” he asked Julianne.

She looked up at him. “Are you?”

He caressed his jaw with his fingers. “Yeah, I think I can take a few more punches. As long as you take care of me tonight.” He winked at her naughtily.

She laughed. “I don’t think Justin will beat you up in front of Adrienne.”

“Even if he does, I don’t care. Right now, I’m the King of the World! I have everything I ever wanted.”

They reached the gazebo where Justin and Adrienne were, drinking wine. Justin had his arms around his wife, and he was whispering something in her ear that made Adrienne laugh and blush to the roots of her hair.

Jin cleared his throat so they would notice them standing in front of them.

“Oh my God! Jin! Ian!” Adrienne exclaimed in surprise.

Jin saw tears in Adrienne’s eyes as she pulled away from her husband and walked over to them. He saw Justin’s face harden at the sight of him.

“You two have so much explaining to do!” Adrienne said, in a slightly raised voice. Jin’s lip slightly curved upward. He knew his sister well. Although she was trying her best to sound angry, he knew that she was ecstatic about this new development in their lives. She loved Jared like he was related to her by blood. Now, she knew that he really was.

“I’m sorry, Yen. I couldn’t tell you. I was scared that this would cause havoc in our families,” Julianne said tearfully.

“But how did this happen?” Adrienne asked. She turned to Jin. “You! You knocked her up and left her!”

“Whoa! Chill, sis!” Jin said. “You know, I looked for her all over the world! I searched for her. I couldn’t find her.”

“That was her?” Justin asked, raising a skeptical brow. “The woman you searched for, for years?”

Jin nodded. “All I had was a sketch of her face.”

Justin raised a brow at him. “You had her name. I’m sure anyone could have connected her to me.”

“I… I gave him a fake name,” Julianne murmured.

“You what?” Adrienne asked in disbelief. “But surely, you would have heard that I’m related to the Starcks.”

“I… didn’t tell her my real name,” Jin said.

There was silence for a few moments. Then Justin said, “So you two were looking for a good time. Had a fling. Fake named each other. Boom! Nine months later, Jared was born.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Jin said. “I loved her, you know that.”

“You loved her but you didn’t think she was worthy to know that you’re the Jin Starck?” There was accusation in Justin’s voice.

“No, Justin!” Julianne said. “I never gave him a chance. We barely had two weeks together in Paris. I gave him a fake name because… that was my agreement with Gian and Patrick so I could go on that vacation alone! I didn’t know I would fall in love during one of my travels. And of all the wrong places I could have been… I ended up in that novelty shop in Paris and met… the man of my dreams.”

She took a deep breath, composed herself and continued, “But you know I was already promised to another man. Well, not just any man. A man with a powerful family—who had the ability to call a hit on anybody who stood in their way. I got scared. After spending one night with Jin, I fled. I was scared that if I stayed, my father or Patrick would come for me, bring me home no matter the cost. I thought Jin was just a struggling artist. He was a wonderful man, with bigger dreams. I couldn’t destroy his life.”

“And when you found out you were pregnant, why didn’t you look for him?” Justin asked.

“I tried. But I didn’t even have the right name.”

“You could have come to me,” Justin scolded her.

“You kept telling me you would murder whoever knocked me up in Paris. Why would I ask for your help to find him?”

“She’s right,” Adrienne quipped. She smiled apologetically at her husband. “I kept telling you not to scare her off.”

“Well, I always thought that guy just had a good time with you.” Justin turned to Jin. “If I didn’t see how heartbroken you were then, and how obsessed you were with finding this woman, I wouldn’t believe you were sincere with your intentions now.”

“Come on, bro,” Jin said, holding his hands up. “I’m ready. You can punch the hell out of me. Just do it and get it over with.”

Justin approached him. Jin held his breath as he looked at Justin eye to eye.

“Honey…” Adrienne murmured behind them.

Justin stared at Jin soberly. “Do you love her?”

“I would die for her. I would kill for her. You know that.”

“You’ll make an honest woman out of her?”

Jin grinned. “Just take a look at her finger and you’ll know.”

He heard a gasp from Adrienne. “Oh my God! This is… beyond gorgeous! Is this custom made?”

“Yup,” Jin replied.

“But why didn’t you use your grandmother’s ring?”

“Julianne will get it eventually. I just wanted to propose to her with a ring that was made especially for her. Not some hand-me-down.”

“When did you propose?” Justin asked.

“Last night,” Jin replied.

“Mom is going to kill you! You know she loves to be in on these things,” Adrienne said.

Jin wrinkled his nose. “I’m not a fan of public proposals. I think that a proposal should be an intimate, solemn moment between a man and a woman.”

Justin nodded. “I’m not going to beat the hell out of you now. But I will… if you hurt her.”

Jin held his hand up in the air. “You’re very much welcome to cripple me if I do that.”

Justin held his hand out to him. “Agreed? From one gentleman to another?”

Jin shook Justin’s hand and nodded. “Agreed. From one brother to another.”

“Good. Now, go. It’s time for Jared to meet his father.”

Adrienne went up to her brother and gave him a hug. “Tell me all about it later. I’d love to see Jared’s reaction when you tell him. But you should make that moment private.”

Jin nodded. “Thank you, sis.”

Then he took Julianne’s hand and led her up the steps. They stopped in front of Jared’s room.

“Ready?” Julianne asked.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment since that night I found you again,” Jin replied.

Jared shrieked when he saw both of them enter the room. His nanny gave them an update and then she left.

“What shall we do, Mommy? Uncle Jin?”

Jin stared over at Julianne, his eyes urging her to start. Julianne took a deep breath and then pulled her son so he could sit on her lap.

“Sweetheart, remember how I told you before that someday, I would introduce you to your father? Your real father?”

“Yeah. But maybe he doesn’t want me,” Jared murmured sadly.

“Of course, he wants you. He just… didn’t know about you before. He didn’t know that Mommy got pregnant with you. We… lost communication for a while. He had been looking for us, but he couldn’t find Mommy because… Mommy used a different name when we met.”

Jared drew his brows together in confusion. “Why did you use a different name?”

Julianne sighed. “Because Mommy was young then. And I was afraid that bad guys would get me when I was alone in Paris. I gave Daddy a different name. So, when Mommy left Paris, your Daddy was not able to follow us.”

“You forgot to tell him your real name before you left?”

Jin couldn’t help smiling at that.

“Yes. Something like that,” Julianne replied.

“Does he want me now?” Jared asked.

Julianne nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. He wants you very much.”

“Where is he?” Jared asked excitedly.

Julianne’s tears ran down her cheeks. She smiled but she couldn’t speak anymore.

Jin took a deep breath and said, “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

Jared turned to him. “Uncle Jin?”

Jin nodded. “Yes. Except that you’re not going to call me Uncle Jin anymore. You’re going to call me Daddy.”

Jared stared at him in awe. “You’re really my… Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’m really your father. Your mother and I were separated before you were born. I didn’t know she had you until I saw her again.”

“I’m going to have a Mommy and Daddy now? Like Jeffie?”

Jin smiled. “Yes, sweetheart. Mommy and I are getting married soon. And we’ll be living together from now on.”

Jared cried and then he threw himself in Jin’s arms. “People… people say I look like you, Daddy.”

Jin hugged his son tightly. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment that he’d been recognized by his own son for the first time. “Yes, sweetheart. You do. You look a lot like me. And you know why you can paint very well? You got that from me too.”

“You cannot eat peanut butter too, Daddy?” Jared asked. Jin blinked back at Julianne, raising a brow at her.

She wiped the tears on her cheeks. “He’s more like you and a lot less like me, right?” She giggled.

Jin kissed Jared’s forehead. “Yes, sweetheart. Peanut butter will make my face swell. I will look like an ogre if I eat it.”

Jared laughed. “Like me! Mommy said that will happen to me if I eat nuts.”

Jin couldn’t help the tears in his eyes as he hugged Jared. He looked over at Julianne. She was sobbing non-stop as she watched them. He reached out and pulled her to him. He hugged both of them together.

“I love you both very much,” he said to them. “You have made me the happiest man on the planet.”

When Julianne looked up at him, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. Then he kissed the top of Jared’s head again. “Come. Let’s go home.”