CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4. Home Away From Home

Finally, after what felt like fifty years of looking for Ansel in that law complex whatsoever, I could already see my family's—well, technically my dad's—residential house.

Ansel had been explaining things during the drive, talking about the property, the staff, and some things I honestly wasn't paying attention to. I just nodded whenever he looked at me, pretending I understood every word he said. After all the walking, waiting, and searching we did earlier, I wasn't exactly in the mood for a conversation.

As we continued driving, I found myself staring outside the window. Tall trees lined both sides of the road, standing neatly as if they were part of some grand parade welcoming us home. The breeze occasionally slipped through the slightly opened window, brushing against my face and carrying the scent of fresh grass and soil. I never expected a place like this to exist. Everything looked so green, peaceful, and annoyingly refreshing.

For a second, I almost forgot I was mad.

Almost.

The large gate slowly opened as we approached. Two guards immediately recognized Ansel and nodded at him before allowing us inside. After a few more seconds of driving, Ansel parked the Mercedes in a spacious lot and quickly stepped out of the vehicle.

“Narito na—ay, we're here already, ma'am,” he corrected himself with a smile.

I nodded and opened the car door.

The moment I stepped outside, I looked at the house before me.

Huge.

That was the only word my brain could process.

The house stood proudly in the middle of the property, painted in a mixture of cream and crimson tones. Modern architecture blended with elegant details, making it look more like a private resort than an actual home. I had to admit it looked beautiful.

Not that beauty could solve my problems.

If the house couldn't magically cancel my engagement and send me back to the United States, then I wasn't interested.

I continued walking toward the entrance while Ansel followed behind, carrying all my luggage as if they weighed absolutely nothing.

The moment we entered, a woman immediately approached us.

“Ansel, siya ba yung anak ni Sir?”

Ansel smiled and nodded.

“Oo, si Ma'am Aria.”

The woman's eyes immediately widened before she hurried over to me.

“Hello ma'am, Nhea nga po—”

“English, Nhea,” Ansel quickly interrupted.

“Oh!”

The poor girl looked panicked for a second.

“I am Nhea, Ma'am Aria. Nice meeting you po.”

She bowed.

Then bowed again.

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to bow back.

So I didn't.

Instead, I gave her a polite smile and nodded.

“Hello, Nhea. Nice meeting you too.”

I turned my attention toward Ansel, who was still carrying my luggage.

“Anyway, Ansel. Where's my room? I kind of want to rest.”

“Ah, follow me, ma'am.”

Without wasting another second, he headed toward the staircase.

I immediately followed.

The second floor was surprisingly huge. We passed multiple rooms as we walked through the right wing of the house. Honestly, if somebody told me there were twenty rooms here, I would believe them.

“This one po, ma'am.”

Ansel stopped in front of a door near the end of the hallway and unlocked it with a key.

The moment the door opened, cool air immediately greeted me.

Finally.

Civilization.

I grabbed my luggage from him.

“Thank you.”

Before he could say anything else, I entered the room and gently shut the door behind me.

The room was larger than I expected.

A queen-sized bed occupied the center. There was a study table near the window, a large closet beside the bathroom door, and enough space for me to host a small gathering if I wanted to.

Not that I would.

I dropped my bags on the floor and immediately sat on the bed.

Soft.

Dangerously soft.

The kind of soft that makes people forget their responsibilities.

I was already considering taking a nap when my phone suddenly rang.

Dad.

Of course.

I accepted the video call.

“How was your trip, hija?”

Tsk.

Travel my face.

Thank God they remembered they had a daughter.

For almost three hours, I had been waiting for updates while stranded in a foreign country looking for a butler who disappeared like a side character in a mystery movie.

“Kind of great, I guess,” I answered. “I honestly thought you forgot you had a daughter. No updates. No calls. Nothing.”

Mom immediately looked guilty.

“Apologies, dear. Your father was busy earlier.”

Wow.

Busy.

Very convincing.

I rolled my eyes and placed my phone against the study table while unpacking my things.

“How's Ansel and everyone there?” Dad asked.

“They seem fine. I haven't met everyone yet. Just Ansel and a girl named Nhea.”

As I folded my clothes and arranged them inside the closet, I couldn't help remembering Ansel's face earlier.

Honestly, he was kind of adorable.

The way he struggled with English just to communicate with me was unexpectedly cute.

Maybe I should learn a few Filipino words.

Just a few.

Not because I wanted to stay here.

Absolutely not.

I just didn't want Ansel suffering every time he talked to me.

“Okay then, Ari. Stay safe there and don't cause too much trouble,” Dad continued. “I'll ask Ansel to keep an eye on you.”

I immediately looked at the screen.

“Excuse me?”

Dad only smiled.

Mom laughed.

I ended the call before they could continue.

What did they expect me to do? Kiss the screen?

Absolutely not.

After finishing my unpacking, I heard a knock on the door.

Before opening it, I caught a few whispers outside.

“Ikaw na magsalita ah. Hindi ko alam mag-English.”

“Ih, ikaw na Kuya Ansel. Kaya mo na 'yan.”

I paused.

Then slowly opened the door.

“Hindi nga kasi ako—”

“Yes?”

Both of them froze.

It was honestly funny.

Ansel looked like a student who had been caught cheating during an exam.

“Ahm...” He awkwardly scratched his head.

“Ma'am Aria, let's have dinner na po?”

I stared at him.

Then at Nhea.

Then back at him.

For some reason, both of them looked nervous.

As if inviting me to dinner was some life-threatening mission.

A smile escaped my lips.

“Okay.”