"What brought you here?" I bit the skin of my lower lip to calm myself. "I need to talk to you, Sir.""We're already talking."My nose flared up, but I chose to shrug off his vexing sarcasm."It's about Greyson."He stopped what he was doing and faced me, at last. He sat on the swivel chair and beckoned me to sit on the chair across from his table."Speak."I took a deep breath, gathering my resolve."Do you still remember that time when we came to you three days ago, but you were leaving that time?""I do," he replied, nodding his head."Greyson was actually planning to invite you to the family day."His forehead furrowed. "So he lied to me."It was your fault, though.That's what I wanted to say, but of course, I didn't."He lied to you because he was afraid of your rejection."His face crumbled even more. "What are you saying?" I pinched myself to calm my raving nerves. I know that by doing this, I'm crossing the boundaries of my job. This might be a losing battle. Xavier tried t
The woman heaved out a sigh. "Your son was almost hit by a car. It's a good thing that the driver was able to hit the break, or else you'll meet him in the morgue." The corners of my eyes heat up. The image of Greyson in that distressing room is terrifying to me. "I rushed him to the hospital since I was on that scene where the accident transpired. He got minor scratches on his legs because he fell on the rough pavement." There was a fleeting moment of stillness until Garren spoke. "Who's the owner of that car that hit my son?" Garren asked with a clenched jaw. "Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the driver. But you can go to the nearest police station around Rodeo Street. Perhaps they handled the accident and kept records or whatsoever." My forehead creased. Rodeo is the neighboring street of MacCurtain Village where the Montreal resides. What was Greyson doing in that place? Audrey stood up all of a sudden. "I believe that my role here is done. I need to go home now." "How m
"Greyson might be mad at you right now, but he has no heart of stone. Apologize to him and appease his wants. It's your time to make sacrifices. I'm pretty sure that in no time, he will forgive you." Silence rose between us. Who would have thought that I would give advice to this man whom I despise with a burning passion? The world is unpredictable, indeed. "I wasn't actually asking for a counseling, but still, thank you." Did I hear it right? Garren is saying thank you? Is the world about to end? "Why are you looking at me like that? It's fucking creepy." I quickly tore off my gaze. I didn't even know I was already staring at him. "I was just surprised that you said thank you to me, sir." "Yeah. Whatever." He stood up from the bench. "Where are you going?" He stopped on his track and looked back at me. "Why do I need to tell you? You're not my wife." My cheeks flushed. That was embarrassing. I pulled myself up. I went back to Greyson's room to check on him. He's still s
I excused myself and went to Greyson's room. He's lying on the bed while reaching his hands toward the ceiling. "Are you okay?" He pouted. "I'm bored. I want to go out and play." "Unfortunately, you can't do that until you are fully healed. You need to wait for more days." Someone suddenly opened the door. Greyson quickly removed all the emotions from his face after seeing that it was his father, carrying a platter. I mentally laughed. I must say, this kid is a good actor. "What's that?" he asked with a stoic face. He put the platter on the table and opened the cover. The scrumptious smell of the barbeque sauce pervaded my nose. Even Greyson can't stop himself; his eyes are sparkling while looking at the dish. "You mentioned last time that you love beef brisket, so I made you one." None of us responded. He sheepishly scratched his cheeks. "It's been a long time since I cooked, so I can't assure you that this will be really great. But I swear, I did my best to cook this dish.
"Please tell me that I'm not dreaming, Cleo." I chuckled. "You said it for like the tenth time already." He pouted. "It just feels surreal. If ever this is just a dream, then I don't want to wake up anymore." He still couldn't believe what we overheard from his father's conversation, that he ditched his work for him. I mean, the company that Garren owns is one of the reasons why Greyson always felt neglected. He already had it etched on his mind that Garren would always choose his work over him. That's why he felt elated and could not believe it. I hate to say this, but I can't deny that the car incident was a blessing in disguise to some degree. It knocked some sense to Garren's mind. It's just sad that this child had to be in peril just for his father to realize his shortcomings. I cupped Greyson's cheeks. "I'm happy for you. You're finally getting what you deserve." He smiled back. "Thank you, Cleo. I really hope that Dad continues to be like this. I'm afraid that once I
"Eleonora?! What are you doing here?!" Claudette's face screwed up as she turned to Garren. "You dipshit! Didn't I tell you to not call me by my second name?! Do you want to die?!" I was flabbergasted by how she talks to him. If I were to talk like that to Garren, he would surely kill me. "Whatever. Seriously, what are you doing here?" He walked towards us. "When did you arrive? You did not even inform me that you were coming. I could have picked you up at the airport." "I told Xavier. I don't know why he didn't notify you because I only said not to spill my arrival to mom and dad because I wanted to surprise them." Someone suddenly emerged from the door, pulling luggage behind him. It was Xavier. "I forgot to tell him." He shot daggers at Claudette. "You didn't even help me carry your luggage, you brat." While staring at them, I noticed the similarities in their features. That gave me a hunch about their relationship. They are probably siblings. I was abl
"Imma leave before this shitface gets under my skin," Xavier grouched before leaving the kitchen. And now I'm left alone with Garren. Great. The silence hovering between us is putting me on pins and needles. Nothing can be heard but the clatter of the dishes I'm washing and the whistle of the wind. From my peripheral vision, I saw him getting a can of beer from the fridge. I thought he'd leave after that, but I was wrong. He leaned against the countertop and looked directly at me. I swallowed a lump. I feel like he's already piercing holes in my back. "Cleo-" "I'm not flirting with your brother," I cut him off. "It's never my intention to get close to him and milk money from him like what you're thinking, sir." I put the last plate on the drainer and dried my hands. "I may have grown up in a poor family, but that doesn't mean I'm a parasite." He didn't speak nor take off his eyes of me. This man doesn't realize how much he's making me restless. "Goodnight, sir,"
"I want Cleo to come with us." The room was ruled by crickets after he averted his demand. I gave Garren a side-over. His face can't be described because of how screwed up it is. I cleared my throat and sat beside Greyson. "I don't have to come with you. I'm pretty sure your dad will take good care of you." He shook his head. "No. I want you with us, Cleo. If dad doesn't want that, then there will be no vacation." I held his hands and smiled. "This should be a special vacation with your dad. Didn't you tell me that you've been wanting to go out of town with him?" As much as I fancy the idea of going out of town, visiting places that I've never been before and having a view of picturesque tourist spots around the world, this vacation should be exclusively for them. I'm neither a part of their family nor a close acquaintance. I'm only close to Greyson. It will be weird if I come with them. Moreover, I know that Garren is against it too. "But I will get to enjoy it m