Sosuke POV

I'm in my private jet with Esmeralda and her band friends. To my surprise, they are pretty mannered and respectful. I thought people in bands were rowdy, but this one was the opposite. The band consisted of four band members. There were three men and one woman. They are John, Elana, Xavier, and Zachery. I learned that they all loved history and mythology and made their band. They gave me a CD copy, and I must admit. They were perfect. Esmeralda stood by the seats of her friends as they were laughing and telling jokes. I could tell they all cared for Esmeralda, and she felt the same.

I also couldn't help but notice that John would glance at me occasionally. He seemed to be the more serious one in the group. Even though his look was a bit unreadable, I hypothesized that he had feelings for Esmeralda. It didn't bother me; he could feel what he wanted. John and his friends were here to do a job, and that was that. I then looked at Esmeralda. Her smiles, laugh, and appearance looked happy and warm.

The memories of me speaking of her father came to me. When I met her father, he was a small man compared to me, although a small percentage of men were six feet tall and above. His hands and face had small scars from work to provide for his daughter. I remembered how tired his eyes and body looked, but there was the determination to keep working to give his only child a better life. I almost shed a tear; since I could feel Esmeralda's father's love for his child.

..............................

Sosuke sat on the sofa while Esmeralda sat beside him, and her father sat on a chair since he insisted. For the first time in his adult life, Sosuke was nervous. Esmeralda's father, Anselmo, had his arms crossed and had a serious expression. Sosuke was warned that her father was an earnest man who experienced a lot of hardships and was not afraid to speak his mind or come across a fight.

The young man didn't like speaking with fathers since he broke the hearts of many women. "Hablas Espanol, muchaho?(You speak Spanish, boy?)"

"Si. (Yes)"

Esmeralda put her hand on his shoulder. "Let me try to speak to him first."

Anselmo looked at his daughter, and the young woman could tell he was unhappy. She told him about the job opportunity requiring her to travel far. Anselmo was a traditional man regarding young women and men; he didn't believe it was appropriate for young single women to travel with single men."

Esmeralda told her father about the pay, which could help them with their financial difficulties. Sosuke sat and listened. He understood Spanish and was amazed at how stubborn and ignorant Anselmo was. Even with all the prospects the job could bring, he refused to let his daughter go and work. Sosuke was getting impatient, but he didn't show it. "Senor Anselmo (Mr. Anselmo)."

Anselmo and Esmeralda stopped and eyed him.

"Entiendo que tienes tus creencias, pero ¿robarías a tu hija esa oportunidad? (I understand that you have your beliefs, but would you take away your daughter's opportunity?)."

Esmeralda let out a small gasp while Anselmo looked angry. "No le estoy robando oportunidades. Yo soy- (I'm not taking away her opportunity. I am-)."

" Estás tratando de decidir qué es lo mejor para ella. Cuando ya no estés en este mundo, ¿cómo se defenderá alguna vez si solo tenía que confiar en ti? (You're trying to decide what is good for her. When you're no longer in this world, how will she decide for herself when she always depended on you?)"

It was silent between all of them. Anselmo did not express emotion but glanced at his daughter, who eyed Sosuke. He noticed her look. The older man stood. "Haz lo que quieras, pero no quiero escuchar ninguna queja por las decisiones que has elegido (Do what you want, but I don't want to hear you complaining)." With that, Anselmo went to his room, leaving Sosuke and Esmeralda alone.

"Well, that went well," said Esmeralda as she sighed in relief.

"Indeed, you weren't joking that your father was quite stubborn. Now I know where you inherited your stubbornness from."

Esmeralda stung her tongue out playfully. Sosuke stood to take his leave, and Esmeralda got a hold of his right hand as he was heading out the door. He looked at her, and she did the same. "Tlazohcamati, Sosuke."

"What does that mean?"

She smiled. "It means 'thank you' in Nahuatl."

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Sosuke's thoughts were interrupted when Esmeralda went to sit before him. "Hey, Billy Goat. I see you sitting here by yourself. I wanted to keep you company."

"I was doing some paperwork."

"It seems those papers have more meaning than your actual life. It would help if you rested once in a while."

Sosuke chuckled. "When one is born to a well-known family, then one doesn't have time for rest."

She let out a sigh. "You say that, but should you let your family name control your life, your freedom? If you do, then you haven't lived at all."

They looked at one another for a while. Esmeralda looked out the window while Sosuke went to his paperwork. Deep down, Esmeralda's words had struck him. No one ever told him that, not even his Uncle Bradley, who raised him. His thoughts were interrupted when the pilot announced they would land.

...................................

Esmeralda and her friends were in Sosuke's Lincoln Navigator SUV. They arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in Hillsborough, California, San Mateo County. The group was in awe of the environment. It was green, and the city was immaculate. Also, the houses looked to be luxurious and extensive.

Esmeralda sat in the front seat next to Sosuke. "This place is amazing, Sosuke. You live here?"

"My family owns some houses here, but I like to return to Europe; it's my true home."

"What part of Europe are you from?" asked Xavier.

Sosuke chuckled. "I was born in Spain, my maternal family are Spaniards, but my paternal side is originally from Romania. I was cared for by one of my uncles and his wife, who moved to Germany, where I grew up. It's a bit complicated."

John eyed Sosuke. "You seem to have an interesting family. You said your uncle took care of you. Does that mean you don't have a good relationship with your actual parents?"

"Yo, John. Not cool, man," said Zachery.

Esmeralda turned slightly to look at John, sending him a warning glare. John merely looked out the window. Sosuke took a glance at his rear-view mirror, eyeing John. He sensed that he wouldn't get along, but business is business. "I apologize to him. He tends to be too blunt."

Sosuke shook his head. "It's no problem at all. We all have family issues, but it would depend on the person if they let that stop them from living." All were silent throughout the drive. About fifteen minutes later, Sosuke turned along a long hill that led to a big long house. "This is where you all will be staying. My family owns this hotel; everything will be covered during your stay."

All gasped in amazement. It looked like a mini palace with some Spanish designs. The building was a mustard-like yellow. There was a fountain in front. Sosuke parked his SUV, and everyone got out with luggage at hand. Souke led everyone to the house-like hotel, and the inside looked like a house, but there were leather sofas, long tables, flat-screen televisions, and a beautiful kitchen. Everyone put their luggage down and looked around.

Esmeralda stood next to Sosuke as they watched the others looking around. "I know I've thanked you too many times, Sosuke. However, thank you again. Not for me, but for my friends. They have worked so hard for their band, and I want them to have at least an opportunity to get recognition. Who knows, they might get an opportunity from a rich employer."

Sosuke looked away a bit as he felt his face turning a bit warm. "Tomorrow is the day of the party, and I must warn you about something."

"Yes?"

"Don't expect the people to be nice to you. Many will judge you and your friends because you are different."

Esmeralda let out a small smile. "I know, Sosuke. I warned my friends too. We all know we are different from your world and are prepared. We know true hardships, and that is what makes us strong."

Sosuke slowly looked at Esmeralda. "Well, you and everyone need to rest and plan your performance for tomorrow. You have my phone number; you can call or text me when you need something. There is also food in the fridge. I will pick you up tomorrow at 4 pm since I want you to meet my family."

"Sounds good. Get rest, Sosuke." With that, Sosuke left the house, leaving her and her friends in the place.

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Sosuke drove back to his home, which was twenty minutes away. He was happy that he was going back to his house and resting. When he got home, he felt his phone buzzing. It was from his FWB. She was texting him to see if he was home and if she could come over. Sosuke was too exhausted, and he did promise himself to break up with her. He had fun with her, but the more they stayed together, the more she wanted more from him than to be FWB.

He couldn't let that happen. Sosuke didn't want her to get the wrong idea about their relationship. It was a casual relationship, and he would never consider her for marriage. His family didn't like her either way. Sosuke did what women hated.

The young man texted her that their relationship was over.

Sosuke let out a long sigh as he prepared to get angry texts.

..............................

Esmeralda and her friends had just finished eating, and they all were in the living room talking about possible songs that would be played. "So, do you know what you will dance for tomorrow?" asked Elana.

"Yes, I have been practicing it for a while and want to make it to fruition. We shouldn't overthink things, which would make us more uncertain and mess up our performance. Sosuke did us a favor to do this, so we should do our best."

"You are quite protective of this Sosuke. You like him, don't you?" Elana teased.

A blush came across Esmeralda's cheeks. "N-No! Of course not! I'm just saying that he is nice and did us a nice favor by letting us show our talents! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Everyone laughed except John, who decided to look at his notes.

Then, everyone heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it. Strangely, Sosuke didn't say that we were going to have visitors. Maybe he forgot something." Esmeralda walked to the door, and the young woman stilled once the door was opened. Her eyes became a bit wider. "Y-You. Yhwach."

"Didn't Sosuke tell you that I also own this place? He is not the type who would say so. Forgive me; I just arrived for the festivities tomorrow. My sources informed me that we have clients in this hotel. I wanted to give everyone a proper welcome. May I come in? There is something I must speak about."

Esmeralda and Yhwach eyed one another. She looked at his icy light blue eyes. Her body felt a chill. She opened the door wider. "Come in. My friends and I were making plans.

Yhwach smiled and entered. Esmeralda wasn't sure if she had made the right decision.