Unknown

This is the story of a man and woman whose worlds would combine. Their paths have crossed before. Neither of them realising what destiny has in store.

His life is secretive and yet extremely important to others.
Her life is one of a celebrity, where glamour and fame have taken over.

Although shying away from the limelight he soon realizes that he cannot keep his secret for ever, neither does he wish to keep it from a woman who has taken control of his heart.

Will his truth push away the woman he has loved from their first meeting or will she sympathize with what he has had to hid most of his life?



Chapter 1 In the beginning 'perhaps'

She always awoke with the same elated feeling; her thoughts were as usual "I’ve done it".

At 24 Sarah had caught a break in life. As part of a Pop group she was doing what millions of young girls could only dream of.

Yes things were in there infancy as far as the group were concerned but surely the only way was up.

It wasn't lost on Sarah that her humble beginnings were a far cry from where she was now. But she wouldn't miss the fast food restaurants and other part time jobs she had left behind for the wonderful life she envisioned ahead of her.

From a small town in Manchester, England Sarah had grown up and become the wonderful beauty she was today. At 5”8’ slim and with wonderful blonde hair it was seemingly hard for her to hold down a relationship.

She had lived with her mother and brother, their dad having walked off along time ago. But her and her mum had become closer almost like sisters sometimes.

Although the little town of Ashton-under-Lyne was a far cry from the glitter of London, Sarah had always wanted to be famous. Of course so did a million others young people in the UK.

She had wanted fame and fame is what she would now get, even if it meant moving from the little town in Manchester to the heady lights of the England capital.

Having realised her dreams she now had to concentrate on being the best, she and the group had broken through that barrier into fame. It was now a matter of remaining and not sinking back into obscurity.


The group’s first release had gone better than anyone expected thanks to a writer who had an uncanny ability to propel new artists into stardom and at the same time keeping veterans at the top.

Today the girls would leave their spacious apartments which had been rented for them by the record label. They would have a much earned day of rest, shopping.

S Bae Inc using the name of Bay Music was currently responsible for 10 out of the current top 20 songs in the British singles chart, but very few people knew this and this was the way Shaun Bae liked things.

Shaun had a private life that very few knew about and as far as he was concerned a private life it would remain. Future events would, however, change all that.



Chapter 2 The business


Although the first single had gone extremely well, already Bae Inc. was putting together the next two singles for the group, as well as their first album of songs.

When a new group captures the hearts and minds of the public you have to work a fine line between enough exposure and too much that can annoy people and soon make them resent your existence.

The girls had captured the number one slot against tough competition and the critics attributed this to the song rather than the group.

An upbeat quick tempo song that was full of life showing the world who and what these girls were. The second song would contradict the first and would take a different course. An easy sounding ballad with a touch of seduction, and performed by the four beautiful girls who would be known as ‘Charm’.

Shaun had prepared thousands of songs over the years and his company was very much sought after by major labels and artists who knew the wealth the songs could provide for them. But Bay Music would only provide songs to artists who could deliver them in the way they had been intended.

The record company was only one of many companies which had been set up over the years and which were making money that others could only dream of. But this wasn’t money that would all be spent by Shaun. He was rich enough not to be greedy; instead he gave vast sums of money to children’s charities which had always been close to his heart. He also re-invested in new business and their employees. The employees were trusted and paid very well indeed for their contribution.

Truth be told Shaun didn’t actually need to work as all his companies were managed by the most trustworthy people that he himself had appointed personally, whether it was the record companies the hotels or the restaurants. Even the smaller enterprises were making a small fortune because Shaun’s closest friends ran them. He was a firm believer in families and friends and as things stood all he had were his friends. To him they were his family and he would fight to the death for them.


Chapter 3 1st Meeting

The girls had been happily shopping in London’s Oxford Street and were now on there way to the office to meet with the owners of the record label who had given them their break.

A yellow Porsche Carrera GT finished in ‘Fayence yellow’ pulled up to the kerb, and out stepped an Adonis. Well actually he was human and over six feet tall with a broad body and dressed in blue jeans and a long black leather jacket, under which he wore a white T-shirt. His jeans sported a large chrome buckle with a foreign inscripture upon it.

As he stepped from the car he glanced at the group of ladies and showed them his captivating smile and gave a distinct yet meagre nod of his head.

The girls stood mesmerized as he reached for the door. But he just stood there staring right back at them, it seemed like the world had stood still until he finally spoke.

“Please allow me” He said holding open the door to the lavish looking entrance before them. “After you”.

In shock they proceeded through the open door each casting a more seductive smile toward the gentleman before them. The last to pass was Charlene (Charlie) to all those who knew her.

“How did you know we were coming in here?” said Charlie puzzled.

“Maybe I did and maybe I just hoped” his smile enthralling, but nothing compared to the eyes he now revealed from behind a pair of designer sunglasses. The spectacular bright blue eyes held on each of them a few seconds before gracefully he turned. He stepped through a door though which Charlie could see a stairwell leading up.

Each of the girls stood mesmerized by the man who had briefly been before them. But Sarah felt a curious sensation like her body had become warmer. Then she thought that perhaps she had met him somewhere before.

The girls gave their names to the smart gentleman behind a reception desk who then gave them all a pass and directed them to an appropriate elevator. They had been informed that they would be greeted on the seventh floor.

They had not expected ‘man-mountain’ to be stood beside the elevator as they exited. Although they were greeted by a very friendly lady, the large man’s eyes followed them to their destination, which would be the boardroom.

Chapter 4 Lovely Coffee

As the girls entered the boardroom they were introduced to the record company executives who would give direction to their lives and music, the notable absentee was the man apparently responsible for writing their first hit and hopefully that of many to come.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room which was only broken when the door opened and ‘Mr. Smile’ entered, holding a tray of coffee.

Charlie was the first to break the awkward silence.

“Judging by your car and your suit you certainly get paid well as tea boy”.

The other girls began laughing uncontrollably but the executives stiffened and gave looks of astonishment.

The smile grew wider this time as he placed the tray of coffee on the table. Turning to address the four beautiful women in the room he extended his hand.

“Hello Charlene, actually I believe you prefer Charlie?”

Charlie took his strong hand in hers and timidly shook it all the while unable to take her eyes from his. Her brain was trying to work out how he knew her name.

Turning to the next girl he took her hand saying, “Natalie, I believe”. No response came, her attention was being held by those eyes. Thoughts about whether her dark hair looked at its best, was she wearing the right top to compliment her denim skirt?

Still smiling he turned to the third girl, a lovely brunette who sat shyly and held his hand as if it would break. “Hello Kirsty, nice to meet you”.

When he came to Sarah his gaze held a little longer, only a fraction of a second that no-one else would probably notice.
“Hello Sarah, how are you enjoying London?”
Sarah returned an equally alluring smile as he gazed into her wonderful green eyes.
“It’s not so bad just a little more crowded than I’m used to”.
“I agree, not as quiet as Manchester”.

“So you know who we are, how about introducing yourself?” Charlie was always one to speak her mind.

“Well ladies, I am Shaun Bae and I guess I’m a glorified Tea boy”

At this all the members of the room erupted in laughter, the tension held previously having since diminished.

The meeting lasted nearly two hours while they discussed the group’s future and what direction they should or could take. Salaries were discussed as well as expenses and the simpler running of the business they had each signed up to.

After dismissing the executives Shaun took time to get to know the members of ‘Charm’, informing them about the chaos that would now envelop their lives. He informed them that he and his staff would always be available to guide them and answer any queries they had.
It was at this point that the door opened and in walked the mountain that they had seen previously in the hall, accompanied by a much smaller man in a designer suit not dissimilar to Shaun’s.

“Ladies, these are two of my closest friends. Tank, Fingers, meet ‘Charm’.

It wasn’t hard to guess who was who; the mystery was working out why the smaller of the two was called ‘Fingers’?


Chapter 5 Living after death

It was June 18th 1981, and the official finding of the medical staff at Hachirobeii Private Hospital was ‘still born’.

An English family that was stationed in Hong Kong had been taking some time to tour Japan during their father’s monthly leave. All of them were happy as they toured local monuments and a monastery or three.

Suddenly the mother became concerned when she began losing a little blood and she felt what seemed like a contraction. Baby wasn’t due for another 4 weeks. By that time they would have returned to England.

They were directed to a much respected private hospital which was not very far away; during the journey she began feeling pain.

The baby was delivered following an emergency procedure which had to be carried out by two senior surgeons. Their involvement became necessary when an English man had brought his heavily pregnant wife to them.

Dr’s Akiro and Ryo understood the woman was concerned for the life of her unborn child following agonizing pain and some loss of blood. They were very well educated surgeons in both medicine and the English language.

The Doctors were not averse to the procedures necessary; neither would they be shocked by a still birth of a premature baby. No, the shock would be something completely different and something they would never have thought possible.

The husband and his son waited while the operation was carried out. All would be inconsolable when they heard the terrible news that they would not be taking a new son/brother back to the UK with them.

Under protocol the British Consulate was notified that an English family was in a Japanese hospital and that a member of the family was undergoing emergency treatment.

British Forces sent an ambulance to pick up the mother and her son, before making arrangements for their return home. The husband would return later when his military unit had made all the necessary arrangements.

It would be years before their little boy would trace his parents and they would be reunited with the son they never got chance to hold.


Chapter 6 What a mistake to make

Dr Akiro had known his colleague Dr Ryo all his life. They had grown up together gone to medical school together and now they jointly owned one of the most respected Hospitals Japan had ever known.

They had worked hard to become the best and win every award possible for service and duty, they even had large amounts of government funding due to their success.

They also had a very well know and respected friend called Hikaru, who had made a name for himself as the undefeated champion of martial arts in both Japan and globally.

Their greatest fan was a Superior Court Judge whose life they had saved with a quadruple heart bypass operation. He claimed to all who would listen that he felt as fit as a 20 year old and had the blood pressure and heart rate to prove it.

Osamu had introduced two very good and very wealthy friends to the doctors, these friends had made large investments into the medical industry and especially into the private hospitals owned by Akiro and Ryo. Those investments could now be in jeopardy if details were to get out.

All the friends were in the vast boardroom of the Hachirobeii Hospital and it seemed like a full scale war was erupting.

Osamu had jokingly called their group “The Bachelor Party” because none of them were currently married. Though today there was no joking. The issue of the day was concerning them all. It could cost them all financially, but it could result in two of them losing their medical licenses and facing prison.

“So let me get this straight” Osamu’s voice was strong and demanded to be heard “You signed a death certificate and sent it to the British Consul informing them that an English baby had been born dead?

No response.

“Now you’re telling us that the child is alive in a private room in this Hospital happily sleeping and being taken care of by the two of you, acting like surrogate mothers?”

Dr Ryo felt he had to explain. “When the baby was delivered there was no recorded heartbeat, none of the equipment registered life and so the call was made to declare death. He has a heartbeat that does not register on any medical equipment, it was only when he stirred that I realized he was not dead”

“You cannot blame us for the boy having a rare condition such as this. A condition that is as yet unheard of in the medical profession”. He seemed deflated, yet this event was little short of a medical miracle.

Osamu was quick to respond “So are you saying you want to publish this ‘event’ and make a name for yourselves?”

“No of course not, that would be telling the world how we screwed up in the first place” Dr Akiro screamed.

Hiroshi and Kiyoshi were twins who made up the group of six and who were the two richest men in Japan. Their primary businesses were in audio, video, communications and electronics, but they owned far more than most people realized.

It was Hiroshi who spoke in a very calm manner. “Just explain how this could happen”.

Dr Akiro was much calmer now. “After baby was pronounced dead it was placed in a blanket and put into a crib. Then a nurse came in and took the crib out, she hadn’t been told that the baby was in fact dead”

“Probably as well” Kiyoshi said softly “At least we don’t have to pay her to keep her mouth shut”.

“She was a temp and only here for the day, we gave some excuse to the agency that she was not suited to our way of working” Akiro was becoming more alert to the problem.

After about an hour more of heated debate conversation took place, calmness returned to the room and decisions were made. Hikaru would make the biggest decision in his life; he would take the young boy under his wing and be the closest to him for years to come.

All agreed with this decision. Osamu had no time and neither did the twins. Akiro and Ryo had to now distance themselves from the child to avoid any curious parties taking an interest in a white boy in the company of Oriental adults.

Hikaru had been alone for a long time in his country retreat, before becoming one of the Bachelor Party and as his home was several acres and a five bedroom mansion it seemed only natural that the child lived with him.

After all the others had busy lives and jobs Hikaru on the other hand was in semi retirement. He simply watched over the many Martial arts Dojo’s that he owned. It was unfortunately tournaments he was unable to compete in.

His retirement was forced following an attack upon him and his wife whilst they slept peacefully in their home. Hikaru’s knee was virtually crushed by repeated assault with a baseball bat. His wife was not so lucky; her life was taken when her face took the first heavy blow from the bat.

Hikaru knew that the attack was due to his success on the mat and that an arch rival had orchestrated the events resulting in his childhood sweetheart being taken from him. She had been everything to him and he believed his heart had been taken that night. Never would he have feelings for anyone again.

The attack broke him but Akiro and Ryo put him back together physically at least. It took nearly a year for him to walk again and years for his new friends to push him into opening up Dojo’s around Japan, followed then by more than a dozen new clubs and fitness studios before the start of the 80’s.

Chapter 7 What’s in a name?

‘The Boy’ was to be given a name, well they decided they had to call him something after all and ‘Boy’ wasn’t enough.

Osamu needed to procure papers for the birth of this child and show Legal documents in the event that someone came snooping round. So this six month old baby would need a name.

It actually took three days and still no name had been agreed. Each of these men were taking their role as parent seriously and wanted the final say, so it was more down to luck that the boy actually got a name.

Shinobeii was to find out later that he had received his name due to his unique medical condition (‘Shin’ meaning heart). The end to his name was derived from the last few letters of the name of the hospital where he was born, with an extra ‘i’ added for individuality.

Shinobeii would be educated by the six men who now considered themselves his fathers. Osamu had actually been a teacher before he embarked upon a career in the Legal profession. He would teach him Japanese and English, because his fathers did not want him to forget his biological roots.

Hikaru would teach him the martial arts and his movements would be swift and with the stealth of a wild cat in the hunt for its victims.
He would also learn business skills when he was older and medical practice, although he would always have a preference for the martial arts.

Shinobeii was a hard worker both physically and mentally. By the age of ten he was able understand the business operations that two of his fathers had built up.
In the martial arts world he also wanted to excel but his fathers would not allow it for fear that he would generate unwanted publicity and many question could not be answered.

The nearest Shinobeii got to fighting was in the city when he stepped up to defend a woman’s honour. He broke the arms of two men who had struck the lady, broke the legs of another who had kicked out at her and crushed the windpipe of the fourth man. His choice of words towards the woman had not been complimentary. It was a swift blow and the man never even saw it coming, none of them did and neither did they have a chance to strike back.

Shinobeii had been taught to be a gentleman and he took the woman concerned back to her hotel, escorted her to the door and left. She did give him her phone number which he had not in fact asked for. He would later send her expensive perfume and flowers but not pursue the matter further.

Often Hikaru wondered whether his son would become romantically involved but things would happen to change the lives of the six fathers and their son.

Chapter 8 Change of scenery when things go bad

It was a few months before Shinobeii was due to start senior school and things had been arranged so that he would have a false background to assuage and awkward questions he may face.
He was to be the son of a wealthy businessman associated with Hiroshi and Kiyoshi. He had come to Japan to live with his father and would attend a private school where other English children also went. The other children would be those of British Army officers and the like.

Unfortunately things did not go as planned Kiyoshi and Hiroshi were killed when their car crashed into a wall and burst into flames. The full circumstances were very vague and Osamu was convinced of a cover up within the police and government.

In fact Osamu would conduct his own discreet enquiry, one that would put Shinobeii’s life in danger.

The remaining fathers quickly arranged a false identity for an English father for Shinobeii and everyone was amazed that when the wills of the twins was read all the business and properties they had acquired in their lifetime would be left to Shaun Bae. It was a name discussed for if and when Shinobeii ever decided to seek out his real family and return to the UK.

Shinobeii was a billionaire before he was even eleven, though it meant nothing to him without two of the most influential and important people in his life.

The private investigation arranged by Osamu had reached its conclusion and it was not how Osamu had wanted it to end.
It turned out that a faction of the local Triads had taken away the lives of his two close friends, paid for by a major corporation that wanted the monopoly in the Japanese electric and audio industry.

They hadn’t counted on silent partners in the business, namely two very influential doctors. With the partners on the books the company could continue to flourish and that would not be a good thing for rivals.

The Triad faction found out about the investigation but had not realized the relationship between The Superior Court Judge and the two medical men. They had assumed, quite wrongly, that the Judge had been asked to investigate by these two doctors.

Sadly just twelve months after Shinobeii lost two of his fathers to an accident he would lose two more to a fire in the Hospital. Somehow the sprinkler system failed as they were apparently investigating a fault in an Operating room. The fault was later considered to be a leak in a gas canister which exploded killing both men instantly

No-one bothered to ask why two men would have been needed to attend to this matter or why they appeared to have had their hands bound at some point within the previous 24 hours. CCTV footage appeared to have been mislaid after the event and the identity of the man who had entered the room previously was unknown, at least for the time being.

Chapter 9 Escape


On hearing the news of the death of more close friends Osamu began to make provisions for the safety of Shinobeii and Hikaru.

Passports had been arranged for the two of them and Osamu destroyed any evidence of his relationship with them. He used offshore accounts to transfer all his money and that of his four lost friends. He had become the beneficiary to all the business and properties now. What he would do is leave a false paper trail of transfer of all business to Karl Bae, an English Executive within the company.

Karl Bae of course would be better known as Hikaru. He would be shown only as a silent partner on the records. No photographs of him would ever be made available for public viewing.

Their Journey would take them through Lisburn, Northern Ireland first and word would be spread that Shaun was the son of parents killed in a car bomb blast. The reports would show them as innocent civilians. Osamu and the twins had arranged for this years in advance indeed not knowing how vital such action would be for Shinobeii’s safety.

The two would travel to England and settle in a small town known as Stalybridge where they would be unknowns. They settled into a substantial farm with very high-tech and yet discreet security to keep out unwanted individuals. During the week they would initially live in Hotels in London and run their business. At weekends they would return to Stalybridge.
They would eventually buy more property around London and perhaps a few different homes when they felt more comfortable in their new surroundings.

Osamu would suffer a heart attack within a year, his being the only death for which there would be no trace of suspicion. Shinobeii had in fact organized an extremely private investigation just to make sure. He was only 13 years of age at the time, but already he was learning.

The company operations would be handled from Manchester and London although to the outside world they would appear to remain in Japan. The wonders of the internet were amazing even in there relative infancy.

Shaun as he was now called would attend the offices with his father and continue private education at home with a tutor. It was still thought dangerous for him to be educated anywhere else. The tutor was informed that his parents worked away in Japan and that a Japanese aide would be on hand at all times to offer help.

By the time Shaun was 16 he was fully involved in the business and moving into music as most other teenagers do; only he was doing it by way of signing artists and penning songs of his own.

At 18 he had a dozen top 50 songs behind him, or more specifically ‘Bay Music’ had these hits, the name simply being a play on words where his surname was concerned.

Hikaru had sold off his Japanese businesses; his name had ensured that he had got an excellent price for them. Not that he needed the money because Osamu had sold off the medical centres, hospitals and other private practices for them.
A bidding war had ensured a return of several hundred million pounds but with the private homes and personal properties and chattels of all those now passed away Hikaru and son had account records showing nearly two billion pounds in various accounts across the globe.


Chapter 10 the White House – here in the UK

Hikaru and Shaun had found the ideal sites for their new properties and possibly their main home.

Shaun had decided that they would benefit from having houses on the outskirts of London with a few carefully situated properties close to the centre.

The main home would be a grade two listed building in Chobham, Surrey. It had eleven bedrooms, all en-suite. It also had six reception rooms for entertaining or perhaps converting into gym and study rooms and 2 cottages, one either side of the main house, for guests.
There was a large indoor pool, as well as another outside and garages and large parking area.
It had cost a mere £10 million and was the second most expensive property bought within six months. The dearer one had cost £15 million and was north of London in Hampstead.

To Shaun and Hikaru these were investments and a way of moving around should anyone become suspicious of their backgrounds.

They bought land near Ascot, just because Hikaru wanted to go to the races now and again. On the land Shaun surprised his father by having a house built to resemble The White House in Washington USA. He and Hikaru had visited the area once and joked at how they could probably buy it for themselves to live in.

So Hikaru saw the funny side to this and was a constant visitor during the racing season, often placing bets on horses. Surprisingly though he never bet more than ten pounds on any one horse. He knew the value of money.

Indeed of the houses they had bought most were used by executives within their employment. The more senior staff would find themselves occupying large homes costing a million each. Shaun demanded the best from those in his employ and he was prepared to reward equally well.

Close friends were made over the years and by the time Shaun hit his early 20’s he had established a very close network of close friends whom he trusted to run his various businesses. He chose to keep his hand in with the music and invested his time and money within it.

He wasn’t averse to investing in rival companies after all if your rivals scooped you to something at least you also made money off their success.

He was however not a publicity seeker as such and never broadcast his wealth or success as others did.

He was a hard worker who spent a lot of time improving the music business. He had dated beautiful women over the years but never really let anyone get too close to him. He couldn’t.

His private life would not be understood by most and could be a danger to anyone who tried to delve deeper. He had learnt the hard way and lost loved ones in the process. No, he would have to eliminate the problem before he could even think about settling down.

But the fact was that this problem was bigger than anyone knew. The Triad faction that had torn his world apart would have to be taken care of without threat to the main organisation and that was going to be the tricky part. No one knew accurately how many Triads existed in the world and attacking anyone of their number would result in the rest of their organisation attacking you.

Chapter 11 Weeping beauty

Sarah had arranged to meet the girls at ‘The Loop’, a little wine bar on Dering Street in Mayfair. She had some time to kill so had decided to look at the shops on Old Bond street, specifically the Gucci shop.

She found that window shopping calmed her down and right now she needed to do just that, after another heated argument with her boyfriend James. They had been together since her new career had hit off. Now all she could remember was that it had been six weeks of pure hell.

She was unaware that he was actually watching her from a distance, convinced that she would be cheating on him.
“And when would I have the time?! She had screamed “If I’m not in the studio or at some photo shoot I’m stuck in here like a prisoner with you.”

She hadn’t even expected the punch that would send here sprawling across the room. It was a blow which caught her high on the head leaving an ugly bruise that she would now have to hide with a fringe in her beautiful blonde hair.

He had no shame or regrets about his actions as he screamed back at her. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, I stood by you while and helped you to get where you are now”.

It was the first time he had hit her in the face. He knew her looks were part of what appealed her to the public. He had always hit her in the abdomen or arm, where she could hide bruises with clothing. If the press got a picture of her he knew he would be thought to have caused it, even if it hadn’t been true.

In all of the last six weeks she had enjoyed herself more when she was in rehearsals or doing photo shoots. Shaun had made all the girls feel special and never criticised them, he was very professional in what he did and he brought only the best out of them all. She realised then that she really enjoyed herself when she wasn’t with James.

Sarah had stormed from the apartment in tears pulling on a Yankees baseball cap to cover her bruise. And now here she was outside Gucci Ltd.
She had felt as if someone had been watching her all this time and that someone was now stood very close. Fear gripped her as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She was petrified and frozen still, such was the fear she now felt.

“That would look good on you” A soft angelic and almost seductive voice spoke gently to her, but still she would not turn around. For what seemed like an eternity her voice and body failed her.

“Sarah, are you okay?” Again that softness, filled with genuine concern.

Still Sarah gazed forward into the store, although she wasn’t actually seeing anything, her eyes had glazed over with fresh tears.
The voice came once more “If it’s something I have said or done then I apologise. Look I’ll go and leave you alone.”

She heard the movement of his feet and managed to find her voice “No, please” At first she wasn’t sure if she had actually said the words out load, as low as her voice was.

He moved round her and instantly saw how upset she was. Tears were creeping down her cheeks and the trembling of her body caused him to reach out to her. All she could do was stare at Shaun’s deep blue eyes and sob.

He held her closer, resting his face beside hers. He felt the warm wet tears on her face and held her. Neither of them knew how long they had remained like this, her body moulded to his as if it were a natural event. Other shoppers passed and neither Sarah nor Shaun was aware of anyone else around them.

Once her trembling had stopped Sarah gently leaned back slightly, just to gaze again into those striking blue eyes.

“I’m sorry” she said “I don’t know what came over me” again her voice was soft and almost inaudible.

Shaun said nothing; he simply put an arm round her waist and guided her to car parked at the side of the road. He opened the passenger door of a large white Humvee and gently assisted her into the soft cream leather seat.

She could smell the polished upholstery and newness of the car. Her eyes took in the interior. Two TV screens built into the dash board and a third protruding on an arm. The car was tremendously spacious and had buttons and panels everywhere. The expense was obvious.

Neither of them said anything as they drove. Sarah didn’t care where he was taking her but neither that fact nor this matter actually concerned her. With him she felt safe. For a long time she had forgotten that feeling but now she remembered what it was like to trust someone. Not for the first time she felt that maybe they had met once before.

Chapter 12

As they drove Shaun concentrated on his driving and Sarah kept stealing glances at him. His eyes remained on the road, but his senses knew each and every time she turned to look at him.

The scenery was greener now as they drove and they soon arrived at a pair of large high wooden gates, which seemed to open on their own. Shaun didn’t even need to apply the brakes and the car passed smoothly between them even before they were fully open.

The site before her took Sarah’s breath away and in her bewildered state she was able to blurt out a few words. “I’m supposed to meet the girls back in town”.

Shaun looked at her compassionately “I can take you back if you want?”

But Sarah did not answer him; she merely gave him a tender smile.

Shaun parked the car between large columns under the front overhang and after walking round and opening her door he held out his arm and escorted up the few steps towards two large entrance doors of the house.

She gripped his strong arm with both of hers and leaned into him as the entered this grand home. She was listening to his soft voice telling her a little about the house, she felt like she was floating through each room. Then they arrived in a huge room, overlooking another room which itself housed a large swimming pool.

Shaun gave her a tour of the house explaining that they had bought it for a fraction of its current value. They had carefully restored the inside and the shell which was in danger of collapsing.

He showed her the lavish décor of each of the eleven bedrooms all with en suite facilities and how each one was different in some respect. It had been suggested to him that he could rent the building out as a Hotel, but he and his father had no intention of doing so.

Sarah then picked up on the reference to her father. “So you live here alone with your dad?”

“Kind of, he likes to spend the much of his time in at a house we have in Ascot. He loves the horses” Shaun was smiling.

He suggested they go back downstairs and Sarah followed, through the hall and towards the pool at the rear of the house. They passed through large glass doors into the rear garden, which was actually about three acres of perfect grass which surround the main house and separated it from a large lake.

About thirty feet from the house was an enclosure which looked like a small cemetery and inside the enclosure was an oriental looking man tending to the plots.

He looked about fifty and yet he moved swiftly enough for someone of thirty or less. Carefully he removed any weeds and dead flowers before lighting joss sticks and placing them around the edges of the enclosure.

Shaun explained “He’s lighting Aloeswood sticks made from Jinkoh and Kyara. It’s a way of respecting and remembering lost friends, dear and close friends” His voice drifted off then and Sarah wasn’t sure but thought she saw a tear in his eyes. He turned away looking at the house.

Sarah turned back to look again at the man tending the plots, but he was gone. She looked all around the vast grass area but saw no sign of him. He had somehow vanished. She caught up to Shaun as he was entering another door at the rear of the house.

This entrance led into a kitchen with marble counters and breakfast bars, brass taps and hand finished cabinets.

When Shaun turned to face Sarah the smile was back “Perhaps I should introduce you to my father”. As he said this the Oriental man was stood beside her.

“Sarah, this is my father Hikaru”.


Chapter 13 First kiss

Sarah had sent a text to the girls telling them she wasn’t going to make it for drinks and dinner. That was when she realised that she was hungry, so now she watched as Shaun and Hikaru prepared some food.

They had soaked some mushrooms and Shaun was taking what appeared to be fresh scallops from the fridge and slicing them.
Then he was mixing pork with some of the mushrooms and other ingredients while Hikaru was carefully filling what looked like small pastry with the mixture before placing them into a bamboo steamer lined with cabbage leaves.

They prepared other dishes in a similar fashion, slicing thin slivers of meat and gently frying them in a wok or placing them in steamers. This had become a favourite dish of Shaun and Hikaru after they had seen it made by an amazing chef by the name Yip Wing Wah, who called it ‘SCALLOP SIU MAI SPRING MOON’.
They made the tasks look so easy and yet the effects and tastes afterwards were exquisite.

Sarah set some places at the marble breakfast bar and prepared a salad from ingredients taken from the largest and fullest fridge she had ever seen.

They sat down and laughed and talked as they ate the delicious array of foods before them, all of them soon relaxed in each others company as Shaun explained loosely what had happened in the past. Hikaru sat quietly, almost as if he wasn’t there. He didn’t say much, but he noticed everything.

He noticed how his son and this woman seemed to relax in each others company and they had so much to talk about. He was beginning to hope that at last his son may soon be able to enjoy a normal life.

Afterwards Sarah and Shaun moved to the large living room and sat on the settee with coffee talking about anything and everything.

Sarah then asked the question that had been niggling her from their first meeting, “Shaun, why do I get the feeling we have met somewhere before?”

He gazed at her searching her eyes hoping for her recollection to surface, then he smiled “Ashton about a year ago, you and your mother were shopping when an unsociable gent tried to relieve you of your purse”.

The look of shock was incredible.

“You, I mean well you were the one” She was smiling a full true smile. “But you didn’t stay, yet you were injured” she left it there hoping he would explain more about that day.

He had come to her aid when a man with a knife had demanded her purse and money. This was before she had joined the band.

And as this thug had raised the knife another man charged into sending them both to the ground. Her saviour got up first and she saw the knife protruding from his shoulder. The attacker stood briefly before he was struck with a quick blow to the chest. He never got up again until the police arrived, at which point her saviour made a quick exit.
A pool of blood was all that the police were able to find of the mysterious stranger. But Sarah had seen his eyes, albeit briefly.

She was staring into those eyes more closely now, but he began to lower his head almost as if in shame. Tenderly she placed a hand under his chin and raised his head to look at her.

She leaned forward and gently placed her lips against his. He felt the warmth and softness of her lips and couldn’t ever remember feeling the way he did just then. Alarms went off in his head just before her tongue began to slip between his lips.

He gently pulled himself away. “I may not regret this tomorrow but I think you might, lets just call it a thank you kiss for now” It was tearing him up inside but he had never been one to cheat on someone and he didn’t want Sarah to do it either.

There was of course the added fear that if he were to get involved with this beautiful woman then he would be placing her life in great danger. He could not fully protect her at the moment but his plans would soon allow for love.

Sarah was embarrassed and confused. The kiss had been beyond words and she never wanted it to end, but it did. She didn’t know what to say, but his words were soft and she thought she understood. What he said next helped.

“Sarah, you are without doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever met and if circumstances were different I would not have stopped kissing you”. He paused briefly. “I think we both need to sort a few things out in our lives and see where we go from there, that’s of course assuming that is what you really want”.

Before she could reply he kissed her again a soft gentle kiss to leave her in no doubt that he really wanted her.

Her breath taken away, all she could do was smile. She understood.

The thought that hit her then was what she would do about James, her boyfriend who had followed her from Old Bond Street without her knowing.

Although he had not been able to get into the grounds of the house James was sat in his car with all kinds of angry thoughts going through his head.

Chapter 14 Never hurt a woman

Shaun took Sarah back to her apartment, with James following behind and thinking that this man in the car ahead had slept with his girl.

James had been clever enough to stay far behind so as to be undetectable. Except James he had been detected, not only by Shaun but by two of Shaun’s closest friends. Fingers and Tank were in a simple black cab following James’s Audi back towards London. They were doing a better job than the man they were following.

Back at Sarah’s apartment complex both Shaun and her sat in the car for a while and talked easily, no bitterness or regret at what they had shared. They both knew each others feelings for one another. It was what they would do about it that mattered.

It was more of a statement than a question and Sarah was left speechless by it.

“He gave you that bruise and that’s what upset you tonight” Shaun said quietly, not really wanting to believe it himself.

She answered in a very quiet voice “He can be a little possessive”.

James’s car crept into the underground car park and he went up to the apartment seemingly undetected.

Sarah had turned down Shaun’s request to walk her to her door, in case James was home. She went alone and had just walked in through the front door, not knowing what to expect. She had been gone over 5 hours.

As she turned to place her coat on a peg she saw James approaching her. She could tell he was angry. His hand shot out and the palm caught her full across her left cheek. She dropped like a stone, holding the stinging cheek which seemed to be burning her flesh.

He was on her in seconds grabbing her hair and slamming her head back into the floor screaming obscenities at her.

“You fucking whore, you’re a fucking slag” spittle came out of his mouth such was the intensity if his hatred for her.

He sat across her chest screaming at her for what seemed like hours, but what was actually about 10 minutes.

Her body was losing a battle it could not win, her head ached and her vision was slipping from her. Then he raised his fist, aiming it squarely between her eyes he used all his weight to bring it down. At first he was confused. His fist seemed to hold in mid air and no degree of his strength could bring it down.

Then he felt the wind being knocked out of him as a black boot crashed into the side of his body and sent him hurtling across the room.

Shaun had seen James enter the car park and waited a few seconds for Sarah to get into a lift. He had taken the second lift and had been met in the hallway by Charlie Natalie and Kirsty whose own apartments were on the same floor.

Charlie was screaming for Sarah to open the door when Shaun pulled her away. In one swift movement he shoulder charged the door and reach into the room to grab James’s hand before Sarah was struck. Then straightening himself Shaun kicked out and sent this evil excuse for a man hurtling across the room and into a wall.

He didn’t bother to check James who could be dead for all he cared. Instead he carefully checked Sarah over before deciding he could carry her out of the apartment.
Gently he lifted her into his arms cradling her head in the crook of his left arm. He carried her across to Charlie’s and placed her softly onto her friends’ large double bed.

Then he carefully examined her head and body ensuring she had no life threatening injury, before he returned to the other apartment. He stood over James’s heaving body knowing that this scum at his feet had at least two broken ribs. He made a quick call and turned back to the door.

Charlie stood before him angry eyes begging him to finish the job. When she realised that he wouldn’t she threw herself at the man who had hurt her best friend. Shaun held her back and carried her out of the doorway, just as two large men exited the lift.

Without a word the men entered Sarah’s apartment and carried out James, who was kicking and screaming in both pain and fear. He was taken from the complex and thrown into a waiting van which then sped away.

Eight minutes after James was taken a Doctor arrived to treat Sarah and suggest that she should be taken to hospital for a check up. Sarah of course refused to go.

Sarah had mild concussion and her friends stayed with her through the night. Shaun had arranged for her to be checked over again in the morning. She would stay with Charlie for a few days. Not that she would sleep much or that she would want to return to her own apartment.