Chapter 5

FABIEN was waiting for Tim to answer the phone, and I could almost imagine how impatient he must have been. It kept ringing, and it was already his second attempt. He had a short temper when it came to waiting, but Tim was an exception. His right-hand man was always busy, doing almost everything for him. I was sure that if he ordered Tim to do something ridiculous, he would still obey without question.

“Boss,” Tim answered on the other line, slightly out of breath as if he had rushed to grab the ringing phone.

“Sorry. I was talking to the cops about the incident. Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Find something about Cataleya’s brother. Patrolman Mark Vincent Cruzada.”

“Yes, boss, but why are you interested all of a sudden?”

“She told me stories I wasn’t sure were true.”

“Okay.”

“And I want to make sure he wasn’t the one detained in the garrison.”

“Okay, boss. If he was, what should we do? He must have been put there for a reason.”

“Don’t touch him.”

“Yes, boss.”

He ended the call and stared at the wall.

My hand was still trembling as I held my phone. I wanted to call my father, but I couldn’t even dial. I was so overwhelmed. Maybe my hand cramped from what Fabien made me do earlier, because until now, my right hand still wouldn’t stop shaking.

Shakily, I lifted it and stared at my palm. Just a while ago, I had been holding Fabien’s hard manhood. It didn’t last long, but maybe because it was my first time doing something like that, my hand felt strange, almost like it had a mind of its own.

“Hello, my child,” my father, Romeo, answered warmly, his voice full of happiness.

“Dad…” I replied with a small smile. “How are you?”

“I’m doing fine. I already let go of the caregiver you hired because I can manage on my own.”

“Did they protest?”

“No. But where did you even get the money to pay for that? It’s a waste. You could’ve used it for your tuition next term.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dad. I can save again. I won’t be able to come home yet. I’ll be here with my employer for two weeks. What about my brother? Is he still not back?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with that son of mine, disappearing at a time like this. You’re the youngest and a girl, yet you’re the one handling everything.”

I blinked and glanced toward the doorway of the small hut. Fabien was standing there, but I couldn’t bring myself to end the call. I just gestured for him to sit down because his wound might bleed again, especially after soaking in the tub earlier.

“Don’t worry, Dad. My brother will probably come home. I’ll just make him pay for everything he owes us. Don’t move around too much there. Do you still have money?”

“Don’t worry about me. As long as I have my medicines, I’m fine. I’m sorry.”

“Come on, Dad. It’s nothing. I should go before my employer scolds me. I’ll be home in two weeks, okay?”

“Alright. Do your best there. If they scold you, don’t talk back.”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll just poison them if they scold me.”

“What?”

Giggling, I ended the call and tucked my phone into the drawer.

“Why are you here again?” I asked, smiling at Fabien, who was still standing there.

“Your father?” he asked.

“Yes. My brother still hasn’t come home, so he’s getting angry again. I just calmed him down. Why are you here? Are you going to make me do that again?”

I raised my hand slightly and pretended it was shaking more than it actually was.

“It’s still cramped,” I said, but he only smirked and pushed my hand down.

“You’re full of nonsense,” he replied, making me laugh. “I didn’t expect I’d end up with a woman like you. If you were just another woman… come, let’s have brunch.”

“Let’s go. Maybe my hand will stop cramping if I eat.”

We went outside, and I noticed his wheelchair wasn’t there.

“You walked all the way here? Didn’t you say you needed rest, that’s why you didn’t go with your father?”

I saw his brows draw together in annoyance.

“He’s always like that,” he said shortly. “How about your father? Is he demanding?”

“With my brother, yes, because he was the one they pushed to finish school so he could help us. But with me, not really. Everything I do, I do willingly. We’re not rich like you, so there’s not much pressure on me. You, though… you look like the heir to your father’s kingdom… but you don’t seem to want it.”

He didn’t answer.

“Well, I can inherit it if you don’t want it,” I teased, grinning up at him. He just placed his hand on top of my head and lightly shook it.

“That’s unfair. You’re making me look even shorter.”

We went to the lawn where food had already been prepared on a wooden table.

“Weren’t you aware that you’d be sold to men who needed entertainment, Cataleya?” Fabien asked as he placed food on his plate.

“I thought it was only online. I didn’t want anything in person. That’s what Vicky told me. But then I ended up with people I didn’t even know, and suddenly they made us undress to check if we were virgins. Then they chose me because they said I was pretty. My father doesn’t know any of this. My brother would hit me if he found out. Good thing you treat me well.”

“You saved my life,” he said simply, making me smile a little.

So he really felt indebted to me. That was why I was getting this kind of treatment.

“Well, you should be nice. If not for me, that handsome face of yours would’ve been ashes by now!” I joked before starting to eat.

“This is good!” I said as I took a big bite. “Is this pork?”

“I don’t eat pork. That’s beef. Don’t you like it?”

“I do. I’m not picky with food, only with men.”

I ate heartily, the opposite of Fabien, who barely touched his food.

“If you need help finishing that, just tell me. You look too lazy to eat,” I teased, making him shake his head.

“We have a lot in the kitchen. You can go there anytime and get whatever you want. By the way, did my father thank you for what you did last night?”

I pouted and shook my head. “It’s fine. It was nothing. Any news about those men?”

“Two escaped. Two are dead. They will probably come after you too.”

The rice I had just eaten got stuck in my throat. I coughed immediately, drank water, and looked at him.

“Me?” I pointed at myself. “Why me? I didn’t see anything. I just drove away, that’s all.”

“You saved me. I fainted. If you weren’t there, I would be dead.”

“Oh my God…” I sighed and thought for a moment. “If that’s my fate after helping you, then so be it. I’ll report them to my brother when he comes home. I’ll ask for police protection. You, though…” I frowned, scratching my head, “why were you alone that night? You’re incredibly rich. Those might have been kidnappers!”

Fabien licked his lips and bit his lower lip, shaking his head. I noticed how tightly he was gripping his utensils.

“They will never have me alive. I swear to hell.”

I swallowed, forcing a smile. That sounded deep, like there was something behind it. Then again, I didn’t know anything about Fabien’s life. With his wealth, it made sense that those men wanted him—but why shoot him right away?

After we ate, Fabien went to his office. I walked around outside, observing the front of the mansion. I was sure it was worth billions. I wished we could at least fix our own house now that Mark was a policeman. But my brother didn’t like loans. He already had debts from the expenses he needed just to enter the police force. If not for a classmate’s father who helped him through a colonel, he wouldn’t have made it—and he might have been assigned far away. The problem was, he wasn’t even assigned far… he was just gone now.

Life really is strange.

I stepped back and examined the mansion more closely. It was a simple box-type design, black and white, but the walls were made of black granite, and the surroundings were covered in white tiles. It felt like just one pillar of this mansion was already equal to an entire house for people like me. How could someone like Fabien trust a poor person like me? Who would even dare deceive him? The whole place was surrounded by guards in black uniforms, all armed.

I stepped back again but lost my balance after stepping on something hard. Someone caught me by the waist, and I thought it was one of the guards—but it wasn’t.

“Ah…” I said awkwardly, pulling away.

He was handsome.

“You okay?” he asked with a smile, his breath smelling fresh.

“Y-Yes…”

“So my cousin has a guest,” he said, smiling, making me give an uncertain smile in return.

Cousin. He must be the son of that strict man who seemed to like hurting people.

“Ah, h-he’s in his office,” I said.

I didn’t know why I suddenly felt uneasy around him. Maybe because of his father, who had a habit of hurting people just for being overly protective of Fabien.