Percy is too drunk to deal with the hacking of the system. He fell asleep on the couch of his office. Ashaya made sure that he's comfortable with a blanket on. He woke up in the morning and went directly to the bedroom. Ashaya is already taking care of Zayne and Rosie while he changes his clothes, brush his teeth. He called the maid from the telephone to wake up Laurence and Esme. He went downstairs and the Head Guard approached him and salute. 

"Sir, someone hacked our cameras to freeze earlier this morning." 

​​

"What?" Percy knew that something was wrong. "Where's Laurence?" he shouted at the maids. 

"He is not in his room, sir." 

"Esme is not in her room too." 

 His face flushed in anger and he pulled out his phone and called the Dragon Empire to track Laurence and Esme right away. His day is completely ruined with a headache. He never felt any headache like this. Maybe this is because of stress over his son and daughter. Although Esme isn't his blood and she's just adopted, he's still her parent and he's going to protect her. He can't let Laurence ruin her future. There are lots of things ahead of her. Theater, concerts, and others. 

"What's going on?" Ashaya asked. 

"Your son took Esme away." He said with gritted teeth. Ashaya exhaled as she pressed the spot between her brows. She didn't get enough sleep and now something happened again. 

"Tsk, see what happened?" Ashaya crossed her arms. 

"Don't tell me that it's my fault," Percy asked her coldly. 

"They aren't you the one who hurt Laurence at first?" She asked back. 

"Let's talk about this later." He said and turned back from her and called the Dragon Empire again. 

<><><><><> 

 At that moment, Laurence knew that they were searching for him. He knew that he couldn't escape his father. They will be worried but he wants to have time alone with Esme. He wanted to have all moments with her. At nine in the morning, Laurence set up breakfast by the sea and watched her enjoy the water. She's happy on the beach and she loves the sea so much. She ran toward him wearing the bikini that he bought for her. She sat beside him and hugged him. 

"Thank you." 

"You don't have to thank me." He kissed her wet cheeks that tasted seawater. "Eat your breakfast." He took the towel and wrapped it around her. 

 She nodded and picked the sandwich she made and bit on it. 

"Why aren't you eating?" 

"I'm not that hungry." He said. She shook her head and pointed the sandwich in front of his mouth. He bites on it or else Esme is going to scold him. 

"We have a big play and we are allowed to join the play and it will be played all over the building board of NY." 

"Well, what type of play?" 

"Classic, The Phantom of the Opera. The one that we always watched." 

"Take the role of Christine." He said. She shrugged. 

"I don't think so. The competition is really big." 

"Just audition for the role of Christine. I know that you can make it. Let's practice later, how about that?" 

"Okay," She grinned and took the other sandwich and gave it to him. He forced himself to eat it. His lip is badly bruised so it's hard for him to eat but since it's Esme, he needed to at least try. They enjoy the sea until eleven. Then, they make love in the bathroom. Laurence is super careful and even puts protection, so he won't impregnate her. He helped her with drying her hair. 

"If they find out where we are, what are you gonna do?" She suddenly asked. 

"Dad wanted to break us apart. He thought that I'll be a barrier to your goal. But even though we are far from each other," He hugged her from behind and kissed her shoulder. "We have to promise to be together again." 

"Will that happen?" She asked as she held his hand over her stomach. 

"Then, I have to wait for you to graduate, then I'll steal you away from dad and mom." He grinned. She became lonelier. 

"What if you'll find someone else?" She asked softly. 

"I won't. I promise to marry you, right?" 

 She nodded. 

"Then, I'll marry you." He kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, I already sealed it, didn't I?" 

 She turned to him and wrapped her arms around him. 

"Did you?" 

"When we make love in a resort. Remember?" He grinned. He meant sex. He sealed his promise with sex. She pressed her right ear to his chest where his heart is located. Laurence kissed her top head and hugged her. Esme closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat changing beats. This time, it sounds like it's telling her that Laurence loves her. She wanted to listen to it every day and every night. "What are you listening to?"

"To your heartbeat." She said and hummed some melody that she just made up. 

"Let's dress up so we could practice your voice." He said softly. 

 They dressed up and went to the music room. Laurence opened the balcony and windows and removed the covers from the musical instrument. He purchased the instruments two years ago just for her. He played on the keys first and she stood next to the piano in front of him. She cleared her throat and started vocalizing as Laurence played the keys. From the low key to higher keys. She had a beautiful soprano voice, perfect for theaters and classical music. After she's done warming up, Laurence checks the camera if it's recording then, he starts playing a song from The Phantom of the Opera in the song 'All I Ask of You'. He sang with her as a duet. 

 Her voice at that time was angelic. It mixed with an opera voice and an angelic one. They sang with emotion. Then they kept singing and singing. 

<><><><> 

 Percy is already outside the house that Laurence purchased without him knowing. From outside, he heard the piano playing. He knew well that Laurence was playing it while Esme was singing an opera song with Laurence. The blending is beautiful and he can feel from the lyrics that they sang that it came from their heart. 

"Say you love me every waking moment

Turn my head with talk of summertime.

Say you need me with you now and always

Promise me that all you say is true

That's all I ask of you…" 

 He turned to his wife and she sighed depressingly. 

"Let them have their time for two days?" She suggested. She turned to the beach. "Laurence knew that she loved the beach so much." 

"Their safety is what I am concerned about." 

"Are you going to break them apart?" Ashaya asked. "They love each other." 

"Then that love can last if both of them are patient." Percy is stubborn. The first day that they brought Esme into their family. He already promised himself and her that he will make her dream come true. "Now that his son did something that Percy is avoiding to happen, he has to break them apart." 

"I'll talk to Laurence." He said. 

"Yeah, you should. But if you lay a hand on him again, I will bring your clothes to the guest room. Do you understand?" She said threateningly. She went back to the car. Percy followed her, and he told the bodyguards to keep their eyes close to them. He gave a specific time to the bodyguards to bring them back home. 

 Once they reached home, his wife was still angry at him for what he did. He's wrong for hurting Laurence, but it's only because he's angry that he took advantage of Esme. But now, he is calm. He will just set a place for Laurence so they won't meet each other. He wanted each of them to focus on each other's goals before they plan for the wedding. He won't be against their love for each other, but Esme is too young to be tied up with Laurence. 

"Daddy!" Zayne shouted and ran toward him. He wrapped his arms around Percy's left leg. Percy smiled down at him and lifted him from the floor and kissed his cheek. "Where did you go?" He pouted. 

"Well, we just visit a place…" 

"Where's big bro?" He asked.

"Where big bo?" Rosie asked as she ran toward him. "Where's Esme?" 

 He didn't know what to tell the kids. They are close to Laurence and Esme so much. 

"Where big bo?" She asked again. Percy put Zayne down on the sofa, and he sat down and took the little princess into his lap. 

"They are practicing." He said. "Your sister Esme is going to sing on a big stage."

"Wow?" Her eyes widen, so dreamy and so adorable. 

"Yeah," he kissed her forehead. 

"We will watch her, right?" Zayne asked. 

"Yes, we will." 

"With Big bro?" He asked. Percy only nodded.