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PROLOGUE

Border of Thailand and Cambodia

REFUGEE CAMP

Young Alec felt the wind getting knocked out of his lungs as the so Her fa his insides to burn with sorrow Gingerly, he wrapped his are brown eyes and black hair was his only friend in this isolated, poverty-stricken place; a place he at first loathed, but noould sorely miss

She tilted her head and gazed up at hi with fresh tears Oh God! She kneas leaving But how did she find out when he never told her? Perhaps she knew all along this wasn't his home, and soon he would have to leave, and return to his real ho Manor in Scotland It was a coee camp with its over-crowded, under-sanitized, and disease-infested straw-thatched houses that were not fit to be called "home"

Tears rolled down her dirty cheeks

"Don't cry," he said in a soothing tone of voice

"Alee, don't go," she hiccupped in her strong Cambodian accent

Alec wanted to laugh because he was immensely proud of her In barely six ht her very well

"Alee, come back?"

"Of course, I will couilt How could he tell her he would never co here with his , Countess of Hayward, came to the camp to see for herself that her money, which amounted to billions, was not squandered by those ereit And also to ensure that the ht people, especially those who needed it irl, for example

"I have so for you" He reached into the pocket of his jeans and taking out a necklace with a silver elephant pendant He bought it a week ago from a Thai jewelry trader, and fell in love with it instantly He wanted to give it to her as a parting gift

He watched her stare at it with unht

"It's a gift You keep it safe, okay?" He placed the necklace, which was e for her, around her tiny neck

"Thank you, Alee," she sobbed, hugging hihtly "Please come back soon"

"I will," he , kissed her forehead

The little girl grinned from ear to ear, pleased with his show of affection

"I have to go now," he said, turning on his heels and heading out the gate of the primary school that didn't look much like a school

She watched hi the elephant pendant closely to her chest "Please don't forget me, Alee," she said under her breath in Khmer

ONE

Present Day

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND

A sudden lurch of thrill rose from the pit of her stomach, and Ruby Williams-Chan wondered if she was crazy No, not crazy Mad! Was sheoverseas trip all by herself when she had so much to take care of? There was the fa steadily, to look after; and the end of the financial year was just around the corner Thatthe business tax return Not to ht a house in need of serious renovation, and pronto, before they could re-let it to new tenants That would take at least a couple of months of hard labor

Without her doing all the dirty work, such as fixing the toilets and door handles, cleaning the dirty kitchen and bathroo the exterior and interior of the house, how could they get it finished on tiage? Her younger sisters, however, insisted everything would be fine and proht Perhaps she worried too much Perhaps she was due for some "me time" and simply should have felt free to enjoy what she alanted most--a decent holiday in Europe

She chuckled at the thought Europe Who didn't want to go to Europe? Even the name, itself, sounded marvelous to her ears

Yes, Europe was a place she alanted to visit, and see, and so to amanor, but a livable manor in Scotland Why a manor? Why Scotland? She didn't know All she kneas that she wanted to visit a ht? And finally, she could fulfill that dream

"'Allo? Anyone home?"

Ruby blinked, jolting back to reality; and noticed her friend, Nikita Buchannan, waving and trying to get her attention Well, so what if she were gone for a hile? she rationalized, albeit with a trace of guilt

"Where were you, Ruby? La-la-land or Scotland?"

"Scotland," Ruby replied autoetting ed the subject "Now, I'um assessment"

"Yes, I can totally understand that," Nikita gruet anxious co to see you Don't leave me in the deep end"

Ruby secretly grinned She knew Niki was a bit cranky today after that weird, little accident with the hot guy at the supermarket

"He was nice," Ruby re the tall, muscular Asian-Australian who nearly drove into Nikita

"He was rude!" Nikito "And bloody arrogant, too God, I hated his accent"

"You ain"

"He's Australian!" Niki said with finality "I will never see hiain"

Ruby kne much Nikita hated Australians because of her dad, as, un-surprisi

ngly, an Australian The o for another woman It hurt Niki very deeply, and Ruby could totally understand that Thus, she sirinned and said no more

After probing around Niki'saround your posterior lower dentition I'm concerned You even have a four-ual Do you floss regularly?"

Niki pulled a face "Hello! Could you just explain it in silish? I don't understand those dental ter about What the heck is a thirty-seven ual?"

Ruby shook her head at Niki's demand

As a hygienist, dental terot ht as well have spoken alien to Nikita, even though it was English

"Okay! Your thirty-seven is your second left botto too flashy Just want you to floss some more around your back teeth Got it?"

"Got it, Miss Dental Hygienist I shall obey all of your orders Brush and floss twice a day," Niki said ly

Ruby grinned as she rehly, she replaced the old gloves with a new pair and picked up the Piezon periodontal scaling tip before inserting it into the handpiece

"What are you doing now?" Niki shrieked

"Niki, I'm about to scale your teeth Why are you always so alarmed? You come to see me every six months; you should already know the procedure"

"You know I don't like co her ar over the other as she lay there, feeling helpless on the dental chair

"I'ienist," Ruby corrected her

"Well, they're all the salasses back on

"No, they're not" At that point, Ruby ai teeth I focus on preventing dental disease That's the difference Now, I' this suction in your ly added, "So you won't drown, okay?"

"Are you serious? People can drown?" Niki shrieked

Ruby laughed "Don't be silly I was just joking"

Niki pulled a face "Yeah, I knew that" She sighed as though she were about to enter the dragon's dungeon Ruby noted it and shook her head

"Ready?" she asked

"Yeah Ready No, wait! Be gentle, okay?"

"You know I'entle on you," Ruby responded

"And could you use that rubber thing to make my teeth smooth?"

"Oh, you ?"

"Yes"

"Sure" With that, Ruby started scaling Niki's teeth, while the thought of her upco trip to Europe returned