Re:life with Karmic Gacha (Modern Family)-Chapter 345: Hawaii (Part 1)

-Timeskip-

[General POV]

May 23, 2010. 4 Seasons Hotel, Hawaii.

The entire extended family gathered at the hotel in Hawaii for a vacation and Jay's birthday. Gloria had paid for everything—using Jay's money.

After arriving that morning, they lounged by the pool in the afternoon.

"I want the biggest cheeseburger you've got. Instead of salad, I want fries. And skip the fruit; give me chili fries," Jay ordered the Hawaiian staff member while reclining on a sun chair.

"Haley, sweetie, put the phone down and put on some sunscreen, please?" Claire said, handing Haley a bottle as she sunbathed in a bikini. She sat in the middle, with Jay on her left and her daughter on her right.

Haley groaned and dropped the sunscreen to the side, continuing her conversation with her new friend, Sydney.

"We have to keep an eye on these kids, or they're going to burn," Claire complained to her husband. Phil sat in front of her, sharing the same chair but not lying down, his eyes fixed on Claire's sunglasses.

"Totally," Phil muttered, his attention captivated by Gloria, who was emerging from the pool like a scene from a magazine.

Claire continued, "They put on just a little sunscreen this morning and think they're covered for the day—Are you watching Gloria in my sunglasses?"

"Is she moving in slow motion, or is my brain doing that?"

Even after Gloria walked away, Phil's gaze remained on her reflection in the sunglasses.

"Phil, this is important," Claire said, her tone sharp.

"Go ahead. I'm glistening." His mind was still on Gloria's sun-kissed skin.

"Hey, everybody! We're on our way to see the world's largest banyan tree. Does anyone want to join?" Cam announced, pushing Lily in a stroller.

"Now, why in the world would anyone want to leave paradise to take a hot bus ride to see a tree?" Jay teased, looking at Mitch and Cam as if they were out of their minds.

"I don't know. If it's a really cool-looking tree, I might consider it," Mitch replied.

Suddenly, a voice interjected. Everyone turned to see Edward strolling toward Jay, sipping a drink from a coconut.

"Happy Birthday, Jay," Edward said before anyone could react.

The family smiled widely, welcoming his presence in an instant. Luke and Manny rushed from the pool, bright-eyed at the sight of him, while Alex stood speechless, wondering why he was there.

[Alex's Commentary]

"I'd seen Dad secretly calling Edward over the past few days. I couldn't quite figure out their plans, but I was sure it was something ridiculous if Dad was involved."

[Commentary Ends]

Phil walked over to Edward, eyes darting nervously. "Hey, Edward! What a coincidence to see you here!"

"Hey, Phil," Edward replied curtly. Phil turned to the family, saying, "Well, I have an exciting new real estate opportunity I want to discuss with Edward. Claire, we'll be back in 20 minutes."

Gloria, Jay, and Claire exchanged glances of dissatisfaction. "Don't do that! Let him relax! It must be exhausting being in the news all the time," Gloria protested.

"Wait, Edward, have you grown taller?" Cam asked, scrutinizing him.

Edward's face fell. "Yeah. I grew almost two more inches."

"Why are you sad about that?" Mitchell asked in confusion.

"If I get too tall, I can't accept roles for certain types of characters. If my co-star is too short, it becomes a problem," Edward explained.

In the past five months, Edward had grown to nearly 1.9 m (6'2"), now taller than his own father.

As Phil dragged Edward away, he whispered, "We're not caught, right?"

"You're acting really suspicious, Phil. With that excuse, if they thought I was here coincidentally before, now they'll think we set this up," Edward replied.

Alex narrowed her eyes, mumbling, "What are they planning?"

Haley had been excited but looked forlorn after Edward left. "He didn't even talk to me."

At the hotel bar, Phil met with Ted and Frankie. Ted smiled and pulled out a small ring box. "I already picked up the ring. The suit and the wedding dress are ready. We even hired a seamstress for fittings, just in case."

Phil and Claire were supposed to have their honeymoon in Hawaii but missed their wedding due to Claire's pregnancy with Haley.

Edward had nudged Phil toward a vow renewal ceremony here, inviting Ted to be his best man.

Frankie sighed as everyone grew excited. "I know you wanted to make a thoughtful gesture, but keeping a bride away from her own wedding... I don't think that's the right move."

Edward was stunned. "Great catch, Frankie. So I guess you'll be responsible for telling her about this."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"I agree with Edward," the other men chimed in, pushing the responsibility onto Frankie, leaving her speechless.

"A wedding? Whose?" Claire asked, a smile spreading across her face at the prospect of seeing her friend in Hawaii.

"...Yours," Frankie hesitated before replying. Claire's eyes widened in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Is my ear tingling? What's this about a wedding I hear?" Cam interjected, purposefully stalling from joining the tree tour, while Mitchell looked on, equally curious.

Frankie explained everything to Claire, and soon Gloria, Jay, and the rest were in on it.

"So, is that why he came here despite his busy schedule?" Alex finally pieced it together, nodding in satisfaction. Haley, Claire, and Alex rushed to see the dress inside the Presidential VIP suite.

"This room is way better than ours!" Haley exclaimed in delight as they entered. It featured three bedrooms, an eight-seater dining table, a brunch area on the balcony, a mesmerizing ocean view, a ten-seater couch, a luxurious tub, and even a sauna.

"Ted and Frankie aren't sharing a room with him. So who is he sharing with?" Claire wondered aloud, slightly nosy.

Just then, a girl with pink hair and turquoise eyes skipped out of one of the rooms, humming happily. The three ladies were stunned.

"Hello! You guys are the Dunphys, right? I've heard so much about you! I'm Zero-Two!" She smiled brightly, inching her face closer to Haley, disregarding personal space. "And this is just fake, not a real horn." She removed her headband, revealing a tiny red horn.

Haley stammered, "Are—are you his girlfriend?"

With Zero-Two's perfect features and body proportions, it was a logical assumption. Haley initially thought she was an Asian model.

"Huh? No, I'm his bodyguard," Zero-Two replied cheerfully. Just then, another girl entered the room. Unlike Zero-Two, she had a more introverted demeanor, but both of them had similar military semblance outfits.

"Mikasa, are you done cleaning up the... 'trash' around?" Zero-Two asked, censoring herself in front of the children. Her expression grew cold at the mention of trash.

Mikasa Ackerman wiped a blood splatter from her cheek and replied casually, "Yeah, I'm done. I'll be taking a bath now."

A few weeks ago, Edward had announced two new projects: an AI helper app and the establishment of a scientific lab promising cures for incurable diseases.

He also revealed a breakthrough treatment for diabetes, which made him a target for insulin pharmaceutical companies that lobbied against him to block its availability in the U.S.

However, with the President on Edward's side, their lobbying efforts failed, leading to harassment and assassination attempts.

It was the first time Edward had opened his companies to the public—the AI company, funded by grants from Microsoft, which owned 15% of the company, while Edward retained 51%. The remaining shares were allocated for stocks.

While the potential was immense, especially being the first to market with a mature AI solution, the company had to navigate regulatory hurdles with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This process would take time, often several months or even years, before it could officially sell shares to the public.

Before it could be official, Edward is in a lot of danger.

Mikasa got out of the bathroom while only wearing a towel, which made Haley's entire mind freeze as she saw the perfect muscles on her body.

[Haley's Commentary]

"Is she a Russian soldier? Or a model too? Why are both of them so enchantingly beautiful!? I know I swore not to be jealous...BUT COME ON!"

[Commentary Ends]

Gloria, Mitch, Cam and Lily joined in as they watched Claire fitting into the wedding dress. After they were done, Zero-two suddenly gave Claire a pamphlet.

"My master would like me to remind you that it's customary to be pampered before your wedding. He has already prepared a massage and spa treatment for all of you. You should all go and enjoy yourself."

Gloria immediately snatched the pamphlet from Zero-Two as Claire was hesitating.

"Free massage and spa!? Let's go!" Gloria said excitedly.

While everyone was enjoying themselves, Edward sat at the balcony table, with a tablet in his hand. Suddenly, he moved his head backward in an instantaneous manner.

A bullet flew past his face and landed on the hotel wall. Zero-two and Mikasa immediately protected him afterward.

"Sir, are you okay?!" Mikasa asked anxiously.

Edward fixed his posture, unfazed by the assassination attempt and said, "Yeah. I'm alright."

"Detecting the sniper's position. Got it. 3.422 kilometers away."

Hearing the numbers from Zero-Two, Edward got a bit intrigued. "That's some nice skill. They targeted my head too. Find them, and bring them to me."

"Got it sir." Zero-Two said before she jumped from the 15th floor of the hotel. She entered camouflage mode and flew towards the sniper at high speed.

...

Before dinner, Edward wanted to shower and change his clothes when someone knocked on his room door. He opened it and to no surprise, saw Haley there, slightly tipsy. He invited her inside and closed the door.

"Hey, you said we're going to hook up if we meet again, right?" She said seductively, pushing her body at Edward and gave him a puppy-dog eye.

"Not while you're drunk. Also, you should've never gone to get a drink with strangers alone, definitely not while you're in a strange place. That's just bad things waiting to happen."

Haley lowered her head, nuzzling her face into Edward's chest, hugging him without saying anything.

In actuality, she only drank a sip of the alcohol. What she wanted was to meet him, and needed an excuse for that. Anything can be blamed on the alcohol, but the distance she felt with Edward made her chest tightened.

He didn't see her once for the last 6 months, even though he was in California, shooting for his movie.

"You Jerk..." Haley cried, not releasing her arm around him.

"Yes. I am a jerk." Edward said while comforting her.

"After being a jerk, you suddenly did a nice thing for my family. If I hate you now, then I'm the jerk."

"Yes. It was all a part of my diabolical plan."

"You gave me a gift on Valentine's Day, but you didn't even call. You never even asked if I have gotten my licence yet."

"I..."

Edward realized that his actions had confused her.

"I just... I don't know how to face you yet." He hugged her slightly and whispered, "I don't know if I can see your face and still have the heart to leave the next day."

They didn't talk after that and just embraced each other for a while. Alex suddenly came to the room, realized that the door was unlocked, and saw the scene.

In her mind, Edward's new song that he sang at his Australia concert resurfaced.

[Someone you loved – Lewis Capaldi]

"♫♪ I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me ♫♪"

Edward's velvety voice paired with his melancholic facial expression turned the entire noisy crowd silent.

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♫♪ This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy♫♪

♫♪ I need somebody to heal. Somebody to know. Somebody to have. Somebody to hold ♫♪

♫♪ It's easy to say. But it's never the same. I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain ♫♪

Haley and Edward separate when they see Alex and have a strained smile on their faces as they look at each other.

♫♪ Now the day bleeds. Into nightfall. And you're not here. To get me through it all♫♪ '

♫♪ I let my guard down. And then you pulled the rug ♫♪

♫♪ I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved ♫♪

Alex has multiple questions she wanted to ask Edward tonight.

Why did chaos follow in every country he visited?

What's the science behind the diabetes treatment, and how does it work?

Alex was concerned about him. Although Edward answered in the groupchat, he always dismissed the 'unimportant' question.

♫♪ I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to ♫♪

♫♪ This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you ♫♪

♫♪ Now, I need somebody to know. Somebody to heal. Somebody to have. Just to know how it feels ♫♪

But, Alex didn't care about the questions she had. All she cared about was the two people in front of her who kept hurting each other.

♫♪ It's easy to say but it's never the same. I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape ♫♪

Most of Edward's friends realized it. He became colder as time passed on, burdened by a great pressure. Every negotiation needed to be perfect. Every decision carried the fate of the 20,000 people working for him.

♫♪ Now the day bleeds. Into nightfall. And you're not here. To get me through it all ♫♪

Edward was also known as a 'Kingmaker' in Hollywood from the way he completely changed Hudgens' career trajectory which was in a freefall to become one of the most popular singers and actors worldwide.

♫♪ I let my guard down. And then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved ♫♪

A lot of people were throwing themselves at him. From popular celebrities– even married ones, aspiring actresses, models, fame seekers. But, he ignored everyone with malicious intentions. He did entertain his lusts, but only if they wanted the same thing.

♫♪ And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes. I fall into your arms.... I'll be safe in your sound 'til I come back around ♫♪

Edward looked into Haley's eyes and said playfully as he turned his head, "Alex. Your sister is drunk. If you report it to your mother, she'll get into big trouble."

Alex was astonished by his sudden change and said, "Mom already knew she drinks. They drank together after you guys broke up."

♫♪ For now the day bleeds. Into nightfall. And you're not here. To get me through it all. I let my guard down. And then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved ♫♪

The situation was reversed, and Edward was completely stunned afterward. "Claire lets Haley drink? That's... new..."

♫♪ But now the day bleeds. Into nightfall. And you're not here. To get me through it all♫♪

Haley smiled, however her eyes were glossy. She playfully said, voice shaking slightly, "We drank a lot you know. It was the first time I ever thought Mom was cool."

♫♪ I let my guard down. And then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved♫♪

Edward snickered and said, "Damn. I didn't think of her capable of something like that. Was it a one time thing, or will she let you drink again at the wedding tomorrow?"

♫♪ I let my guard down. And then you pulled the rug. I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved ♫♪

"Don't beat around the bush and say what you guys want to say to each other!" Alex rebuked the duo.

Although Haley and Edward were startled by Alex's words, both of them just smiled and playfully dismissed it.

"What are you talking about Alex? Are you crazy?" Haley scolded her.

Edward's phone suddenly rang and he went to pick it up in a hurry, "Sorry. This is about the FIFA World Cup. I need to answer it."

"O–Oh, we'll leave you alone then." Haley stammered, grabbed Alex's hand and left the room despite Alex's protests.

Edward's gaze turned cold after they left. "Did you find them?" He asked.

Zero-two replied, "It took some time. But yeah."

...

Inside an abandoned warehouse, Agent John Casey stood inside the dim lit room, his right hand placed on a woman's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

Britney, who disappeared from the public eye 6 months ago, held Casey's hand as she waited anxiously to meet her benefactor.

Edward appeared from the shadow, startling both of them.

'I didn't even hear the door open,' Casey thought to himself.

"Mission accomplished. Her brain activity has returned to normal. The lithium inside her body was purged, but the side effects will always be there." Casey reported to Edward.

Edward didn't care about the report as he already knew everything from monitoring Britney's health himself. The two lived together for 6 months inside an isolated mansion located in Italy, near a small village where no one knew who they were.

Britney didn't even want to come back after getting her peace there. But as she wanted to get her revenge, she finally decided to return.

Edward handed Britney a thick stack of documents and said, "This evidence will help you with the lawsuit against your asset manager and fight against your conservatorship. My help ends here, from now on, you'll have to do everything yourself. Are you ready for it?"