2 updates in one day? Life is crazy I know

anyway, even though this is horribly late, enjoy!

Syaoran was sure that if this meeting went on any longer, he was going to explode. The PowerPoint on the screen was a bland black and white presentation with boring pie charts and bullet points; not to mention the old people around him, staring intently at the speaker, made him want to gag. Business meetings could be interesting, but tonight he wanted nothing more than to go home. He was sure that if his phone hadn't vibrated, he would have fell asleep.

From Sakura: I'm making stir-fry tonight. Don't be home too late.

Syaoran fought the urge to smile like an idiot as he looked at the message. It was one thing to look at business emails on your phone during a meeting, but a personal text would definitely have been frowned upon. However, the happiness that coursed through him after reading her text was unmistakable.

They didn't technically live together, but she had a key and spent almost every night in his apartment. It wasn't something they advertised, especially because his mom would kill him, but it was known among their close friends. He wasn't really sure how it had happened; it had gone from spending the night to leaving a toothbrush to giving her a key and then it had just happened (not that he didn't like his current living situation because he loved it). He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone else and texts like those were just a reminder of how lucky he was. She was the first person in a long time that he had been able to fully open himself up to. After his dad had died, Syaoran was no longer just Syaoran; he became Syaoran Li, the only son of Hide Li. In one moment, his identity had changed drastically. Sakura had undone that. Everyday he found himself waking up happier and happier. He had goals, ambitions and dreams again.

There was just one small problem: Sakura had no idea who his family really was.

It wasn't something that he thought would alter their relationship, but every time an opportunity arouse for him to tell her, he found himself chickening out. He was afraid as to what his confession would do to their relationship. He had vowed to be honest with her and while he hadn't technically lied, he also had avoided the truth. He didn't want to betray the unconditional trust she had put in him. She had been so open with him and the fact that he had kept such a huge part of his life a secret from her could ruin them.

However, as he sat in the world's longest and most unproductive board meeting, the heir to Li Industries found himself vowing to tell her the truth soon.

Sakura sighed as she looked through the homepage of Yahoo news. It was already past nine and Syaoran was still at work. She loved him, she really did, but he was such a workaholic. Still as she sat at the dining room table in his apartment wearing one of his shirts and drinking a mug of warm tea, she counted her blessings. Syaoran just loved his job a little too much.

However, she did need to write her paper on a current event that was due in a few days and Syaoran was a distraction when he was here. Refreshing the page, Sakura was met with a news headline that interested her.

"Li Industries names new CEO"

Clicking the link she was brought to the article. Her eyes widened as she stared at the screen in front of her in shock. Under the headline was a picture of a man with messy chestnut hair, warm amber eyes and a stern expression. She found herself denying that the picture was real because Syaoran was definitely not the new CEO of one of the fortune 500 companies. He lived in an inner city apartment and was dating her for peeps sake; there was no way he was a multi-millionaire. Frantically speed reading the article, she found the final piece of the puzzle.

"Syaoran Li, the son of Hide Li and the heir to Li Industries, has officially been named the international company's new CEO, effective immediately."

For a moment, Sakura felt as though time had stopped. Syaoran wasn't just the new CEO, but he was also the owner. She was dating an heir. She had been dating a multi-millionaire for almost a year and hadn't figured it out. Of course she knew something was up. Young men didn't just get the job Syaoran had. Jobs like that came with time and experience and she had known that, but an heir?! That was unheard of. She was dating someone who was practically royalty. She had never felt like a peasant but as she looked at the picture of him on the screen again, she felt like an idiot.

Acting on a whim, she went into the search bar and typed out his name. She groaned in irritation when she saw his Wikipedia page (how important did Syaoran have to be to have his own Wikipedia page? That was ridiculous!). Looking through his biography, the irritation grew as she realized that his family was Chinese royalty. His mother, who she had never actually seen a picture of before, was the epitome of elegance and his sisters clearly took after their mother. The clan owned a huge mansion in Hong Kong and his extended family ranged from being influential politicians to wealthy businessmen to scientific geniuses. She also found out that Syaoran was been named the "Hottest Teenage Millionaire" by a lot of Chinese Gossip Magazines when he was in high school.

The entire thing made her want to bang her head against the table. As she was about to click on another link, the sound of footsteps interrupted her. Quickly closing the open tabs, she frantically tried to figure out what she was supposed to say to him. She couldn't lie; not only was she a terrible liar but she also didn't want to pretend like nothing had changed. This whole world that Syaoran had kept from her not only made her feel like an idiot but also made her question their relationship. Had he not told her because he was protecting her or was he embarrassed that he was dating some girl that worked in a coffee shop and was still in college? The bottom line was that Syaoran had been lying to her and she was angry.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm home!" he hollered from the entryway. Sakura opened her mouth to reply but found her voice gone. She was frozen in fear and stunned into silence. When he walked into the kitchen and found her staring at her computer screen she resisted the urge to grab her keys and run back to her apartment. Looking up, she met his questioning gaze with fire in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, unnerved by the way she was looking at the computer. The way her eyes narrowed made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Nothing is wrong," she stated, feeling even more confused by the second. Looking up at him, she felt a pinch in her chest. He looked like he always had: big brown eyes and mussed hair. It was a strange sensation to feel like the man she thought she knew better than herself was actually a complete stranger. He looked the same, his voice sounded the same, but who really was he? He was the heir to a multi-million dollar inheritance, a member of one of the most prestigious bloodlines in Asia and the newly named CEO of Li Industries, a multi-billion dollar company.

The problem was that he also was a workaholic with a witty sense of humor and a warm smile. He loved chocolate more than anybody she had ever met and he drank way to much coffee. He liked to sleep on the right side of the bed and hated peanut butter. His favorite books were the "Harry Potter" series and he played baseball for 11 years. He loved winter because he loved wearing fuzzy sweaters and cuddling. He could make the best hot chocolate but couldn't cook regular food to save his life. That was the man she loved.

Sakura didn't know what to say.

"I- how was work?" she blurted out. He blinked at her sudden outburst and paused before answering.

"It was fine." He stated after a pause. She blinked.

"Have you checked the news?" She ventured.

"No, what about it?" he asked setting down his stuff and pulling out a chair across from her. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the first article she had read concerning him.

"Apparently Li Industries named a new CEO," she stated nonchalantly. Looking up from her computer she met his blank eyes with determination, "His name is Syaoran, Xiao Lang in Chinese, and he is also the heir to the company and a member of the prestigious Li Clan. How interesting." As she finished talking, Syaoran felt his entire body go cold. Her tone had been light, but he knew that she was just waiting for him to explain. He knew that his girlfriend was logical, but he also knew that she could be irrational when she was angry. However, the way she was looking at him, almost like she was daring him to try and talk his way out of this, unnerved him.

"I can explain." He stated calmly. He had spent his entire life learning how to resolve conflicts; this would be a walk in the park.

"Then explain." She ordered, sitting back in her chair and keeping their eyes locked.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone besides a select group in the company. It wasn't anything personal, but I was keeping a low profile." He tried to explain, to put his reasoning into words but he knew that his argument was going to end badly.

"You couldn't tell your girlfriend of over a year that you weren't just some employee, you were the heir to the company. You couldn't tell me that you were actually a millionaire or wait 'The Hottest Teenage Millionaire' by every gossip magazine in East Asia?" She wanted to believe that his intentions had been pure but she also knew that the lies were a little too much for her to handle. He had been so good at avoiding the truth; the thought of what else he could potentially lie about was a little scary.

"It wasn't just that, Sakura. I was trying to protect you, protect us." He reasoned.

"Protect me? I don't need someone to protect me. I'm an adult and I can take care of myself."

"No Sakura, you don't know what will happen tomorrow when the entire world has seen that picture of me. I've been under the radar for six years for a reason. Those gossip magazines, they like to bend the truth, to ruin anything that's good. I didn't want anyone to know who I was because I liked the life I was living." He reached over and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. She didn't pull away, but confusion was still written all over her face.

"You should have told me; you shouldn't have lied to me." She breathed. He saw her eyes turn glassy with tears and his heart hurt.

"I felt like I didn't have a choice…" he answered.

"That's the thing Syaoran," she explained, her voice cracking, "You did have a choice. You had a choice to tell me the truth, to let me into your real life, but instead you kept it all hidden away. You lied to me about who you really are… and… and I know that you love me and I-I just wish that was enough but it's not."

"Sakura…"

"People lie and cheat without regrets. It's the way the world works; it's how people become successful. Maybe they have good intentions, but good intentions don't justify any bad deed. My mom… she used to tell me that you could always figure out who a person really is not by their words, but by their actions. She knew that stuff, she really did. She was a model… and people were constantly trying to use her to gain something, so she knew that world of greed. She was constantly poked, prodded and used by everyone around her. She didn't want her children to ever deal with that… so I can't… just get over this."

"Sakura, please," Syaoran pleaded, his voice wavering, "I've never felt like this fro anyone before. I love you more than I thought was possible a few years ago. I'm sorry I hurt you like this. It wasn't my intention … I was trying to make sure you lived a happy life I was trying to help and I'm sorry…" She ducked her head as his words echoed through the apartment, trying, in vain, to hide her tears.

"I want to believe you, but- but I just…" she paused, sucking in a deep breath before meeting his eyes, "I need some time to myself."

For a moment, the room was quiet as they looked into each other's eyes. Time slowed down as she brushed away her tears, and pulled her hand away from his. He felt a lump form in his throat as she stood up and grabbed her things. He felt tears fall from his eyes as she made eye contact with him before closing the door.

He let himself cry when the silence in the apartment became too much.