The Forbidden Desires 03

"Let her stay upstairs, Kuya! She doesn't have any other room to use!"

Laura glanced at me, but my gaze was on Silas. He was opening the rooms and carefully inspecting each one, assessing if any of them could be rearranged to accommodate me.

My room, adjacent to his, was clean and comfortable. I couldn't understand why he didn't want me there.

“That floor is mine—”

"That used to be yours. You had it all to yourself because we didn't have anyone else living here. Grandma and Grandpa have preferred the second floor to avoid going up and down. Same goes for Gineth and me. You're alone up there on the third floor, let Athena stay there."

He irritably brushed his hair upwards before glancing at me. I stepped back and partially hid myself behind the door frame. He and Laura were inside a room that was dirty and dusty with peeling paint on the walls. My eyes avoided his and shifted at the broken doorknob.

"I'll fix this and move her in here later! I don't want anyone upstairs!" He walked towards the door and past me.

My gaze lingered on the doorknob after he left. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes which were always so dark and stern even when I hadn't done anything yet.

"Please excuse my brother's behaviour," it was Laura.

"Does he use all the rooms upstairs?" I asked curiously because of his strong objections to my staying upstairs.

"Yes, he uses some of them but the one you'll be sleeping in has no occupants." She looked at me hesitantly as if weighing whether to say more.

There were several rooms upstairs. Did he actually sleep in all of them? Maybe he used some as storage or for keeping important items?

"Alright," I replied, not really wanting to ask further.

I tucked a strand of hair that had fallen over my ear and onto my cheek. She was looking at me, but she didn't say anything. I blinked and offered a faint smile. I was ready to head back upstairs when she caught my arm and stopped me from turning away.

"If you happen to hear anything... just ignore it," she said seriously.

'Hear what?'

She smiled, so I smiled back, even though I didn't quite understand what she meant. I took slow steps up the stairs, mindful not to make noise; I imagined he'd be annoyed if I did. I hesitated briefly as I passed by his room. Why didn't he want me beside him? Perhaps he was used to being alone on this floor? And what did Laura say that I could possibly hear here?

I glanced at the other rooms. There were four rooms in total. Two were occupied by us. One was across from our room, and the last one was at the end of the hallway, a bit farther from the three rooms.

I entered my own room and pondered Laura's words and Silas's reaction upon seeing me.

The next morning, I woke up early, accustomed to the province where people were already outside riding horses or watching the cows being milked.

I sighed sadly while looking down at the stairs. I missed the hacienda. I was used to the smell of the province and the cold breeze that greeted me every time I'm wandering around with Avery. She was a purebred Arabian horse. She was white and only gentle with me. Even on my first day here, I already felt a sense of longing. Maybe I should've insisted to Grandpa that I wanted to wait for him at the hacienda.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice I was already on the last step. I would have almost tripped on the last step if I hadn't grabbed onto the man in front of me for support. I closed my eyes tightly as I felt a rush of vertigo from missing the last step.

His warm breath as he held me close reached my neck. His arm was around my waist, seeming to hold me to prevent falling.

My eyes widened upon opening them after seeing that he wasn't wearing a shirt. I quickly stepped away and Silas raised an annoyed eyebrow.

“Watch your step next time,” he said, annoyed.

I blushed slightly. "Sorry."

He gave me an irritated look and lowered his gaze to my lips. My hands were still on his neck, and his arm circled my waist to my back.

He seemed to be frozen for a moment. He cleared his throat and turned away before releasing me and going back upstairs. I followed his movements with my gaze and noticed the weight of his steps. He'd initially been walking but when he turned to look at me again and saw me looking at him, he suddenly started running up the stairs.

"Oh! You're there, Hija!"

“Good morning,” I greeted his grandparents politely as I finally descended the stairs.

"You can call us Grandpa and Grandma since you're our granddaughter, too. Gineth and Laura are your aunts. Silas is your uncle, but you're all around the same age so it's really fine to just call them Ate and Kuya."

“Okay, Grandma,” I replied with a smile.

She smiled back and led me to the table where breakfast was already served. I noticed they were early risers here. I felt a bit embarrassed that I hadn't helped at all.

"Are you going to Tita Sena's rest house?"

I overheard Gineth asking as I walked closer to the table. Laura smiled at me and gestured to where I should sit.

"We'll be back. Mr. Miller and his daughter will be staying a while," her grandma answered.

I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but judging from the elderly couple's attire, it seemed like they were going out.

"I think Kuya will visit Elle. They have training in the backyard," Laura added.

I almost gasped when I saw Silas. I didn't hear him come down the stairs and even his approach to the dining area went unnoticed. I couldn’t help but get more intrigued by his presence. It was as if he was an air that walked past us.

"Are you going to see Elle, Kuya? I’m coming with you!"

Neth had a big smile on her face and was trying to act cute to persuade Silas to let her come along. I looked at him and waited for his response to his sister's plea. As my gaze remained fixed on him, I found myself lost in thought.

Perhaps he felt that I was staring at him. He cleared his throat and turned to look at me. I didn't avert my gaze; instead, I smiled at him. I wanted to join them but his eyes were so stern that I couldn't bring myself to speak.

"Kuya, I'm coming!" Gineth insisted.

I didn't immediately get my food. I faced Silas with a smile, hoping he would consider letting Neth and me join them.

"If you're going with Gineth, can I come too?"

Silas was caught off guard mid-bite. His eyebrows furrowed and his expression turned sour. Even his lips pressed together firmly. I blinked in confusion and wondered why he suddenly seemed so cold toward me. From his tone of voice and the look in his eyes, it was as if he was avoiding me or didn't want me around. He shifted his gaze to the side and briefly looked at me.

"We’re not your servants. You will not get as you wished in my household."

I caught my breath. My eyes widened and I averted my gaze in embarrassment. I hadn't given him an order. I had just asked if I could come along.

“Silas, don't speak to Athena that way,” his grandmother gently admonished.

I didn't raise my gaze at them. Instead, I started helping myself to food though I felt hurt by his accusation. It wasn’t an order. I didn’t order him; I had merely asked if I could come along because I heard Neth. He could have just said no. I wouldn't have insisted if he didn't want me to.

“It's only fitting...for her to understand that I demand my rules to be followed here.”

I gripped the silverware tightly. I had been right about his attitude. I should have insisted to Grandpa that I didn't want to stay with Silas.

They all fell silent. From what I observed, Silas was the one in charge here, and everyone respected his decisions, even the two elderly people. His grandparents were the first to stand up and bid their farewells before leaving.

I helped Laura clear the plates. I hadn't assisted in cooking earlier, so now I was helping with the dishes. Silas was still seated even though he had finished eating. Our eyes met as I picked up his empty plate from the table. He held a glass of water while taking a sip while looking at me. His gaze was consistently intense. I looked away, quickly taking the plates to the sink.

"I can handle this now!" Laura exclaimed, smiling as she stopped my hand.

"Let me help. I didn't realize you were cooking early, so I wasn’t able to offer help.”

"Your hands are so delicate. You might hurt yourself while washing."

I hesitated and lifted my palms. My skin was exceptionally fair and it revealed the faint veins beneath that made them look sensitive. But the truth was... I was used to doing these tasks.

"I cook and wash the dishes at the hacienda. I help with the household chores."

Laura smiled at me and became interested in what I was saying. She glanced at Silas with a grin before turning her gaze back to me.

“You mean you're not bossy around your helpers?" she asked loudly as if meaning for her brother to hear her.

Silas hadn't left yet, so I felt a little nervous. His sister might scold him but I sensed his anger directed at me. I shook my head and reached for the soap for cleaning.

"I take on tasks when I can. I also clean the stables and bathe the horses. I'm even taught how to assist with birthing the cows."

Her eyes widened, and she looked at me from head to toe. She seemed amazed by what she heard. "Really? I wouldn't be able to tell from your appearance! Looking at you now... you're like a princess from a distant kingdom! One who doesn't need to work because there are servants ready to serve you!"

I chuckled at her words. Many people had said something similar to me before. That was also the first thing the hacienda's workers said to me. That I shouldn't be burdened with heavy tasks, but they eventually got used to my persistence, and they all became my friends. I want them to treat me equally while I'm around them, and not as the sole heir of the entire hacienda. Despite what I wanted, their respect for me remained, so there were still limitations when I was around them.

After returning to my room, I looked out the window. The breeze was cold, but still nothing beats the morning fresh air at the hacienda. I closed my eyes and let the wind play with my long hair. It was jet black and the tips were curled. A smile formed on my lips, a shade akin to the roses' hue, as my cheeks were tickled by my long lashes. My thick, black eyebrows framed my eyes which were as dark as the night. Due to my extremely fair skin and certain traits, people often compared me to a princess from a storybook.

'We’re not your servants. You will not get as you wished in my household.'

My smile became shallow as I recalled Silas's angry and cold words. Why did he agree to Grandpa's request to let me stay with him temporarily when I could see that he didn't like me?

I could strongly sense he didn't like me on the very first day. I sighed, slowly opening my eyes and gazing downward. He was there, looking up at me, observing me. He held a cigarette, leaning against the stone wall of their yard. His gaze was intense as he exhaled white smoke from his red lips.