Chapter 6

Minerva had just one big realization: Darwin Gray was the man who paid for her groceries back when she was still grieving of her father’s loss.

            After their dinner ‘date’ at that Chinese restaurant, she was offered to meet up in this hotel yet again; to discuss certain things that will clarify Minerva’s mind about Darwin ‘taking care’ of Minerva Miller.

            Minerva agreed to meet here. Not because he was anxious to know what Mr. Gray is going to discuss with her. Instead, it was because of the sumptuous food of the hotel and the luxurious drinks. The restaurant already has nice, warm, expensive interiors; how much more a specialty restaurant within a high-end hotel itself?

            “How long have you been here, Ms. Miller?” Minerva refuses to look him in the eye. He was just so handsome. She couldn’t bear to see herself like and fall for another man other than Derrick, even with what he had left her, what he had left them. 

            Love indeed makes you go blind for your beloved’s flaws. Minerva was a living witness to that. That is why it’s kind of hard and challenging for Minerva to fall in love again.

 But Darwin Gray, he had made true of the saying,“There is always an exception”. 

            Darwin was wearing a blue polo shirt and a black leather jeans. Minerva was wearing a blue dress too. They are both twins in the color of their clothes. It made Minerva blushed even more.

            It was, of course, heavy inside her. Aside from her child’s weight on the inside, heaviness was also inside her because of what may be the future of her and her child that had been left with a myriad of debts due to Derrick’s gambling lifestyle..

            “I just arrived here,” she was trying to sound not nervous but her voice made it clear she was.

            “You’re lying again, Miss Minerva…” Darwin stated. “And do you know what I do to lying girls?”

            Minerva just stared at him, feeling like a dove being gawked by a mountain lion.

             “I kiss the lips of the liar women….”

            She tears her gaze away from him.

            “I’m just kidding, Ms. Minerva!” Darwin then laughed, a very sexy masculine laugh.

            The people around them began to peer and whisper what may be between them.

            Minerva just shoves those thoughts away. “I know Mr. Darwin…”

            She just said that. And she did not know and mean that she had said that in a bland, sarcastic, and uninterested tone.

            Darwin’s eyes narrowed, making her heart throb inside her chest faster.

            He leaned closer to Minerva. 

Closer. And closer.

            “Food is ready, Minnie.”

            Minerva did not know she was gaping and gazing at Darwin. She watched Darwin’s hand crawl at her back and behind her hips like a lover’s touch.

            ‘Shit!’ She mused as they walked to the Euphoria at the Sea, a specialty restaurant in this expensive The Ambrosia Hotel.

            The food was obviously delicious even just by the smell. Darwin was the first one to dig in the food.

            “What?”He asked after shoving a spoonful of broccoli cheese soup inside his mouth.

            Minerva just stared at Darwin and his food.

            “Eat,” Darwin commanded. “Look, I am not gonna poison you!”

            She gave him a sheepish smile. “I know. It’s just that…you are the only one that keeps paying for my food.”

            Darwin sighed. “Is that a problem?”

            Minerva didn’t yield an answer for a second.

 “It looks as if I’m your…your wife in their eyes.” She was referring to the people around.

            Darwin released his utensils and sat back. “So that’s what you’re worrying about, then?”

            She avoided his piercing stare and couldn't bear to look at him as she nodded her head. Minerva heard Darwin’s disappointed sigh.

            “There’s something I wanna tell you, Minerva…”

            As she jerked her head, Darwin’s hands are now crossed on the table and his chin above those hands. He looks pretty much of a dominant man and a dictatorial one.

            “I am Derrick’s half-brother.”

            Minerva can’t blink or breathe or even move her tongue. She was dazed, speechless, and incredulous.

            ‘What the fuck, Derrick?’ was all she managed to say in her thoughts.

            “Say something,  Wisdom.”

            “Something.” 

Well, that was pretty much sarcastic for Minerva Miriam Miller. Or perhaps that’s because of the life inside her that had also bursted into fury because of this sudden, unexpected revelation.

            “What else is Derrick hiding from me?”

            Darwin looked away, his breathing uneven.

“What else did he not tell me?!” She reiterated, voice showing utter ire and fury.

            Minerva watched Darwin’s head move side to side as he shook his head. “I think you’re not ready to hear the rest of Derrick’s story, my half-brother’s story…”

            “And you think that I am prepared to hear, to know that you are my late fiancé’s brother?”

            “Half-brother,” Darwin emphasized.

            Minerva gave him a breathy laugh and those signature rolling eyes of an irritated woman. 

“Full-brother, half-brother, step brother…those are just the same and bear the same meaning: a brother. And you are his brother nonetheless, whether you’re a half-brother or whatsoever kind of brother you are. The thing is, you are his fucking brother. Period!”

            It was Darwin Dennis Gray’s turn to be speechless. He was gaping, making it look like to the people around that they had a fight, a love quarrel. 

            ‘I am damned!’ He mused, touching his face, then his stubble, then finally laid his hands flat on the surface of the table.

            “Did I anger you?”

            “Do I look angry?”

            Darwin was holding himself not to be sarcastic and say, ‘Oh yeah you definitely are. You become uglier with that annoyed face of yours after finding out that I’m your half-brother in law!’

            But instead, Darwin took a deep breath and said, “Derrick left you in my care.”

            She raised her left brow. “And what do you mean by ‘care’, Mr. Gray?”

            He crossed his arms to his chest. “You will be under the same name as mine?”

            She scowled and was looking confused. “What? I am not some sort of property or possession or something!”

            “I know. That is why…”

            “That is why what?”

            Darwin paused for a few seconds before continuing, “...You will marry me.”

            There, Darwin managed to say that without restraining himself or chaining himself on this chair.

            But the look in Minerva’s face…it was unreadable. Like an ancient foreign text that had been lost for millennia. She was utterly unreadable, and looked as if she was going to do a despicable thing.

            Well, Darwin was right as Minerva stood and grabbed her simple-looking bag without even drinking juice or water or even finishing her cream of pumpkin soup.

            “Where are you going?” He was starting to panic. Perhaps he did not say the ‘will you marry me?’ well? 

Or is it because he was plain-sounding and was certainly lacking emotions and additional glittery-glittery sort of thing.

            Minerva Miriam Miller did walk away. She walked away from the scene, away from him, and away from his sight or reach.

            “Hey! Wait, hey Minerva. Wait!” Darwin was sprinting after her but she was nowhere to be seen. 

            He had broken his promise to himself to sound ‘normal’ towards Minerva. He had broken the promise he had made with Derrick that he would take care of her. 

Darwin knew something was fishy and off about his brother’s death but his brother had insisted earlier before his demise that, whatever unpleasant happened to him, Darwin will forget about him and prioritized the pregnant Minerva.

            Yet now, Darwin Dennis Gary was on the verge of giving up if not for a car’s loud honk.

            “What is that?!” 

Just when he was about to think further what was that, he saw Minerva absentmindedly cross a busy street with a huge car approaching in the middle of the street to where she was situated.