ã€ŠThe Grand Mistressã€‹


 Chapter 1 - In The Name Of Love

    In one of the rooms of the El Ceilo Chateau, the sun streamed in like a mboyant guest, not waiting for an invitation. There, peacefully taking rest on the rug of delicate gray were a pair of weimaraner and a beagle who were faithfully waiting for their master. They were the usualpanion of Hawk Monsanto and probably the only thing that don''t irritate him to no end.

    The dogs picked up their heads and ttened their ears briefly at the sudden noise that came through and after a minute the big door opened revealing their master.??

    "Mis perros" Their master greeted them, bending down to scratch the tops of their heads. They returned his affection by thumping their tail happily and followed him as he lounged on the huge couch at the center of the room. Hawk managed to loosen up his silver twill tie and freed himself from his suit while he was ying with his little friends, but this blissful moment was ruined the moment his assistant came in.

    "President, Miss Han will be returning from her tour at the twenty-second" Lucas, his assistant, dered and the name he mentioned easily swept away Hawk''s attention from his hounds to him, as if the name he mentioned was a ma that contained an irresistible force.

    The reason for that force was simple, it was love. Hawk was in love with the Han''s heiress. Crazily and obsessively in love with her that all these years he had been so faithful with her despite the fact that Feather probably was oblivious of his existence or probably she does know him, but wasn''t aware of his mad love for her.

    For who does not know Hawk Monsanto? Thest name Monsanto itself already rings a bell in the business industry as the Monsanto family was not only famous, they were feared and loathed off by other businessmen and the entire upper ss for their filthy dealings and transactions that made them extremely rich but to a disgusting extent.

    Their debauched lifestyle and evil deeds came around and destroyed almost all of Monsanto Conglomerate. The entire Monsanto household then went into hiding, afraid that loan sharks and their business nemesis will wipe out their family tree for good. While on the run, Hawk met the lovely granddaughter of the Han''s and vowed that one day, when he is capable enough, he wille and make her his wife.

    True to his word, Hawk worked his way back to the business industry on a clean te and rose as the youngest billionaire in the country.

    In this country, he was one of the most sought-after bachelors whose offer of marriage proposals and affairses as easy as writing his name. Hawk was not only extremely rich, he too had the kind of looks that can make one get lost in with a very little effort. He was gorgeous and that''s even before one could look down and gauge at his broad shoulders and toned muscles. Nevertheless, the Monsanto Conglomerate''s President had remained nonchnt to all marriage proposals since he got his eyes only to the Han''s granddaughter.

    "What did Mauro Han demands?" He asked his assistant about the father of the woman he wanted. Several days ago, he had dered his intentions about Feather Han and the former, despite his shock, managed to offer some business transactions in exchange for his permission.

    "He offers a partnership for a new venture which costs a hundred million US dors" Lucas revealed. He was happy for how his master''s love life was improving but the amount of money the other party was demanding was quite too much for his expectations.

    Hawk let go of a feral smile "I did not expect that Mauro Han became this greedy overtime. I have underestimated the man. He started as humble as a monk when I first met him. Funny how money changes a person"

    "Indeed President" Lucas agreed. He and his master had closely watched the Han''s activities for thest couple of years and knew of the fact that as much as Mauro Han work his ass out to keep their business in the loop, his uncontrolled vices counterfeited all his hard work by sweeping out their profits in a single loss "I''ve heard that his recent gambling expenses nearly made Han Scintiit bankrupt. This new venture might be their saving grace"

    "Great" Hawk hollered sarcastically as a concerned expression etched into his face. "So, he was nning to dry out my Feather''s inheritance"

    "Don''t worry President," Lucas immediately cheered him up a Hawk had this habit of overly worrying about Feather''s affairs. "I''m sure with the poprity that Miss Han had now, she won''t need those inheritances from her family, more so if she bes your wife"

    "Give the man what he demands. Tell general manager Wu to make the necessary arrangements" He instructed immediately without giving the thing a second thought.

    "President, a hundred million dors is a big money" He reminded Hawk of what seemed to be another reckless investment in the name of love. Lucas was more than a personal assistant to Hawk. All these years of being together, they treated each other as brothers. So as much as Lucas was a little concerned about his master being too obsessed with the Han''s heiress, he cared more about his finances.

    "A hundred million dors is nothing if I can''t have her," Hawk replied with a tone of finality and let go of a deep sigh "Lucas, you know I wouldn''t be here if not for her"

    "I understand. I''ll go and talk to general manager Wu" Lucas retreated and spoke for thest before he dismissed himself.

    "Lucas¡­." Hawk called on to his assistant before he was able to close the door. Lucas turned to back to face him.

    "Yes?" He asked frowning. "Did you miss to mention something to me?"

    "Yes. Call the organizers too. I want to throw an engagement party for Feather" Hawk added onest instruction but probably the most important on his list "I want a grand one"

    Lucas swallowed a good amount of saliva when he heard him.

    Damn! This stubborn master of him was willing to spend his entire fortune for that ballerina.

 Chapter 2 - Red Curtains

    "The young billionaire Hawk Monsanto and famous ballerina Feather Han publicly announced their engagement today during the press conference that the M Conglomerate conducted this morning. Although it came as a huge surprise, such news, however, received delightful positive feedback from Feather Han''s fans and supporters especially that M Conglomerate assured everyone that despite President Hawk and Feather''s union, thetter will continue her ballet career with her soon-to-be husband''s full support"

    "Many big personalities in the business and ballet industry had already sent the couple their congrattions and was looking forward to attending the couple''s engagement party that had already been set,"??

    The voice of the female reporter on the television soared through a dimly lighted bedroom away from the buzz and dazzles of the city. The bed that was nesting around the corner was packed with several garments that were tossed in there a few minutes ago before the owner of the room entered the shower.

    "Although the M Conglomerate did not give specific details about Feather Han and their President''s love story which the fans were dying to know, spections had it that the two had been together for some time. Sources also revealed that M Conglomerate was one of the major sponsors of the ballerina ever since she started her career which only proved how President Hawk supported her fianc¨¦e''s talent. Everyone was frantic and was looking forward to more updates on what they considered a love story that can bepared to a fairytale" The reporter ryed more of her scripted line on the tv while a young woman listened to it from the shower. Despite the sound of the dripping water, her ears had heard it all¡ªloud and clear.

    "Fairytale?" She let go of a mockingugh as she let the lukewarm water leisurely fall into her hair. The drips from it turned slightly copper as the girl just recently colored her hair. She wondered by then if she made the correct process of coloring her hair as the color seemed to have not made a sessful grip.

    A momentter, her thoughts traveled from her hair to the news that she just heard. It was Feather Han again on the news. She didn''t like how the media was giving that ballerina a good amount of attention and had been portraying her as the perfect epitome of brilliance and innocence because as far as she knew, Feather wasn''t anything close to that.

    Feather might have the perfect face and the most gracious demeanor, but didn''t everyone forget that she was an actress? Oh wait, she''s a ballerina. But don''t ballerinas act on stage too? God! If she happened to be one of her audience, she will surely give her a standing ovation for a very outstanding performance!

    The shower got cut off and in just a minute, a girl came out wearing a towel, wrapped turban-style around her hair. She was as naked as the day she was born when she walked toward where her undergarments were kept hidden. The girl had an amazing physique, her curves were crafted in the right ces and she had the set of most perfect long legs.

    Her name? No one knew and probably no one cared. She wondered right then whether Feather still remembers it. She hoped she would, for it would be such a pity if the perfect Han''s granddaughter would not recognize her the moment she shatters her heart into pieces. That would be a great sight to see!

    The girl stepped into a pair of redce panties and pulled them up. She took a brassiere and slipped her arms through it before fastening the sp between her breasts. After covering her intimate ces, she stood next to a big mirror studying herself, before she let loose of her hair. Her wet hair fell and hung all the way straight to her waist and if it wasn''t wet like then, the end would curl naturally. Her ivory stunning skin that matched with her thick new dusty copper hair looked heavenly on her.

    Staring at herself, she was aware that she looked like a runaway model then, very much far from the way she looked before. Previously, she was the type of girl that didn''t want to catch anyone''s attention. Her hair was always kept on a ponytail, her wardrobe consisted of a series of neutral-colored baggy clothing and she was very fond of wearing the thick eyesses that made her look like an old secretary from a boring firm. But that was a few days ago, not until she heard of Feather Han''s homing.

    Truth was that she was too busy to even care about Feather''s affairs. She had long decided to have nothing to do with her and she had lived a life away from all of that ballerina''s scheme and drama. However, just a few months ago, she realized letting Feather get away from all her misdeeds was the most stupid thing she had ever done in her entire life. She should have killed the rat before it had a chance to spoil all her goods.

    So she waited for her return. Waited for an overdue apology that never happened. Waited for years to make herself realize that Feather was an evil manipting bitch and that once, she had fallen into her schemes and the consequences of it still haunted her until these days.

    Now, it''s time for good payback. She''s not settling for anything less than what her satisfaction demands. That Feather had already exhausted her patience to an end that there was nothing more she can give but the will to get even.

    Feather Han ising home soon, and when the dayes, she will give the ballerina bitch the greatest performance she had ever seen in her entire life. If the girl thought she had won over against her, well, she hated to break it but the show was not over yet, the red curtains still hung open.

 Chapter 3 - The Woman In Silver Gown

    Bellows of praises and waves ofughter surged across one of Hotel Jade''s ballroom halls. Tonight, this five-star hotel was enveloped by dazzling sights and sounds of such sophisticated splendor that one could only gape open and thought they were in a dream.

    A few moments from now, the engagement of the sought-after bachelor and youngest billionaire, Hawk Monsanto, and ballerina Feather Han will officially take ce. This news of course shook the whole country and everyone could only wish they too had such a fairytale love story like that of ballerina Feather Han. ??

    For who would have thought that Hawk Monsanto, a known woman evasive bachelor would fall into Han Yue''s beauty? For years, many women had tried to get noticed by him¡ªactress, socialites, and even businessmen who wanted to get a good deal with his riches by selling off their daughters¡ªbut none of them had ever been sessful that one popr gossip magazine concluded he must be somewhat gay. Of course, the gossip didn''tst long as that magazine''s agency dered bankruptcy the very next day.

    "My God I couldn''t believe President Hawk is getting married," One of the guests hollered while standing on the sidelines, surrounded by her peers of young socialites who attended the event.

    "Miss Han is the lucky one, I wondered how she got President Hawk''s attention when our Miss ballerina seemed to be too shy to even pursue any man, let alone the famous Hawk Monsanto" answered by another whose eyes were glued to a gigantic crystal fountain which gurgled forth a ceaseless supply of drinks.

    "Rumors had it that Hawk had already adored her for long and had to wait for her homing before he dered his intentions. They say he had paid millions just to get elder Han''s approval"

    "O my what a beautiful love story" Another girl couldn''t help but giggle and adore the couple. "A fairytale!"

    Despite the obviousrge disparity of families'' wealth, everyone would agree that Feather Han was quite a good catch. She was loved by many as she was the country''s very first ballerina to ever join Voltaire Ballet, a very famous Balletpany abroad. Aside from her artistic achievements, Feather was the heiress of Han Scintiit Incorporated and was among the sought-after bachelorette because of the enthralling beauty that couldnd her on every magazine''s front pages if she wanted to.

    "Miss Han, what a lovely engagement party you have here. President Hawk seemed to have been spoiling you already" One of the gossip news reporters eximed as a bunch of them surrounded the couple to get some sort of interview for the articles they wished to publish the day after. Surely, every headline for tomorrow will be about the engagement.

    Feather glowed in red. She took a glimpse of the man beside her, Hawk Monsanto¡ª the embodiment of every girl''s dream, probably had the most handsome face she had ever met. He had lustrous warm dark chocte curls that were cut neatly and perfectly highlighting his prominent jaw. His grey eyes were rather impassive tonight as if he didn''t like the idea of being with reporters but had to endure them for her sake.

    "President Hawk has always been considerate about my wishes" Feather replied with shyness as her eyes glimmered with genuine happiness "But I never thought it would be this grand"

    "Such a sweet girl you are Miss Han," The journalist smiled as she nced brightly over her colleagues with so much adoration for the beautiful modest ballerina "No wonder President Hawk had fallen head over heels with you"

    "Oh please don''t say that!" Feather glowed more crimson all over as if their guest''s words were too much for her innocence. With courage and adoration, she let go of the words she genuinely felt inside "President Hawk was just too kind to take notice of me. I had never been so honored in my life"

    Hawk looked at the girl as her words hit something on his heart. The Han''s heiress was the only woman he desired his entire life and the main reason why he worked so hard to be the one he was today. He had adored her from afar ever since they were young and now that the time hade for him to im her, there was something, some odd feeling he felt about the girl. He was very certain a long time ago that he wanted to marry her, but looking at her now, something seemed to have changed that he couldn''t quite exin. Perhaps he was just too overjoyed or the uing wedding had him too overwhelmed.

    Abruptly, Hawk jerked his thoughts back to reality when he realized that he had been inadvertently staring at someone across the room, a woman in a silvery gown. She was wearing a mask, which was rather odd because as of his knowledge the engagement party he threw wasn''t a masquerade ball. Below her half-mask which was showing her rather high cheekbones, her full lush mouth lifted in a slow, amused smile and she shook her head at him as if mocking him for noticing another woman when his betrothed was just beside him.

    "President Hawk?" One of the guests that gathered before Hawk and Feather called the former''s attention when he noticed his indifference and the fact that his attention was drawn to somewhere more interesting than the conversation before them. Everyone who noticed, followed Hawk''s gaze and itnded on the gigantic crystal fountain of drinks, the woman in a split second managed to evaporate away from everyone''s sight.

    "I''m sorry but would you please excuse me for a second?" Hawk without waiting for approval pulled himself away from their guests and searched the crowd for the woman in a silver gown. He was lost in the middle of the ballroom, couples dancing on his left while single women gathered on his right waiting for someone to offer them a dance.

    "President Hawk, would you mind dancing with me?" One of the guests dared to request a favor from him. Since he gathered himself in the middle of dancing guests, they thought perhaps he wanted to dance. As expected, Hawk only gave the dance proposal a cold response as his expression turned grim.

    "Unfortunately, President Hawk had promised this dance already to me," An enthralling voice leaped out of the shadows behind him and Hawk knew by then he had found his prey, or rather his host.

 Chapter 4 - Her Ace Card

    When she appeared, everything in the room no matter how grand and beautiful it was fell past behind her enigma, as if everything were just a wallpaper that served as her background. Hawk recognized not only her mocking smile but also her scious lips that seemed to be ripe for kissing.

    As if hypnotized by her, Hawk epted the hand she offered and joined her in what she imed a promised dance. She dragged him graciously to the center, aware of the eyes that we''re fixated on both of them by many guests whose interest were drawn to the unidentified woman who was able to lure the great Hawk Monsanto into dancing. Never did they see the man dance, let alone dance with a woman who wasn''t his fianc¨¦e.??

    "I don''t remember promising this dance to you," Hawk asked as he drew the girl toward him without warning, keeping enough pressure on her perfectly curved hips as they danced.

    "You didn''t¡­" She smiled at his audacity and in response, she pressed her body to him tightly and closer than he anticipated.

    "¡­.But you wanted it. Don''t you President Hawk?" She was too close that Hawk could not act oblivious of her glittering silver gown that had disyed the two ripe curves in her chest to such a glorious advantage. Her skin brushing against his was burning hot, sending him sensations he never thought he was capable of feeling in public. In retreat, he twirled her around in time to the sweeping music just to make a gap of distance from her.

    They danced for a little while and every time, Hawk had to make sure their bodies had enough distance that would keep him from being sane andposed because the girl was raging hot and he might not be able to control himself from devouring her in front of everyone, worst in front of his fianc¨¦e whom he had totally forgotten at this point. Everything about her was so alluring, that Hawk wanted to sweep her away all for himself because he can''t stand anymore the other men at his engagement party, lingering their gazes lustfully on the woman he was dancing with.

    In the midst of their dancing, the girl suddenlynded her high stilettos in the wrong ce and got out of bnce. She stumbled but Hawk had caught her in his arms right away, keeping her from falling right through the dance floor.

    "Careful," he eximed as his arms dug deep into her skin, very unwilling to let her fall.

    "Thank you," She said andughed at her own gaffe "O my, I didn''t quite expect how hard it is to keep one''sposure under the arms of a handsome gentleman"

    Her rawugh caught something in Hawk. He had heard thisugh before, but he couldn''t remember when.

    Seeing that the man didn''t respond to her words and just kept staring at her, she hollered on the top of the music "Didn''t your kindergarten teacher ever taught you President Hawk that it is very impolite to stare?"

    "I skipped kindergarten," He answered with an audacious grin "But I guess any teacher would agree that staring at a beautiful woman is an exception"

    "You haven''t seen my face yet,"

    "I''m sure it could make the entire poption kneel at your feet,"

    "Including you?" She smiled the wildest when their entire verbal chess ended with a checkmate on her favor "That would be one of a beautiful sight to see"

    Hawk was caught silent at her words. It was a long time ago that he had conversed with a woman with an outstanding wit that it became exhrating to counter her words.

    Does this woman know who she was ying with? Hawk wondered.

    "You are aware that you are in my engagement party," He hated to break it to her but perhaps she should be warned not to make fun of the fire she was trying to light.

    "I don''t see a wedding ring," She pointed and moved slowly to whisper into his ears "And I find men more interesting when they already belong to someone else,"

    Hawk swallowed a lump on his throat with her daring words. For once he began to doubt the force that drove him toward the strange beautiful woman that was obviously trying to mislead his genuine intentions with Han''s heiress.

    Had he not waited twenty years and spent millions just to get this engagement possible?

    Surely, not a random woman, no matter how captivating she was, could destroy his ns of getting tied.

    However, the force she had trapped him with was rather too strong that Hawk could do nothing but be her willing prey.

    Trying to redeem his broken self-esteem, he attempted to dismiss her with all the righteousness that was left on him.

    "And what makes you think I would be willing to take the risk?" his expression hardened as he tried to put up a face before her enigma could drown him.

    "You already had" She threw back her head and gave a mockingugh. She looked at him incredulously with her perfect set of upright eyes looming over behind her mask.

    She raised her hand toward his face and slowly toyed her prey''s lips with her smooth fingers. Touching it, she saw how he swallowed a mouthful, making his Adam''s apple visible.

    "But if you still have doubts, I''ll let you have a taste and see how far you bites," She said with unfeigned confidence before she slipped herself away from Hawk''s reach.

    She walked far across one corner of the hall, with the least of guests roaming around. She halted at the far end, looked back with grace at her dance partner, and saw how Hawk''s gaze followed her just as exactly as she expected him to.

    ''You cannot resist me, Hawk Monsanto, I''ll make sure of that.''

    Without warning, she let loose the ribbon of her mask and let it fall unting herst ace card¡ªher heartbreakingly beautiful face.

 Chapter 5 - Honey-colored Eyes

    Hawk followed the girl and after a few minutes of chasing, he found her reveling in the beauty of the dappled moonlight on one of the hotel''s balconies, overlooking a beautiful garden that breathed out a fragrance of spring night scented with blossoms.

    "Earlier you were concerned that I might ruin your pretty little engagement party...yet here you are" The girl uttered without ncing at her pursuer as if her eyes were hypnotized by the moon. Her lips formed a smile, very much pleased with the man''s presence. ??

    Either curiosity or passion had dragged Hawk into following her, the girl still felt a little victory knowing that Feather was left out and was probably wondering by now where the heck was her fianc¨¦e. Besides, didn''t they say Hawk was hard to catch? Seeing how that same man fall into her schemes easily made a quiet smirk on her pretty face.

    "Little engagement party?" A frown marred at Hawk''s exquisite facial features because of the girl''s shallow remark "You, mydy is hurting my feelings,"

    "Oh, why?" She turned to him and dug to the man''s perfect set of grey eyes before she chuckled. Herugh was magical. "Does it hurt your ego to know that a simple guest like me considers the grandest engagement party of Hawk Monsanto only as a little boring one?"

    "So you know me," There was some delight that ran into Hawk''s spine when she mentioned his name. His eyes that were marveling at the girl''s pretty face traveled and wandered down to her curves and all he could do was swallow a mouthful when his insides cringed.

    The girl obviously saw how herpanion feasted on her body but instead of feeling harassed, she let him. She stood still in her gown feeling proud of how she was making him feel. If this was several days ago, she would p the man in the same kind of situation¡ªbut that was before she made ns of seducing him.

    There was a little voice inside the girl that said she should run away before she gets burned with the fire she willingly lighted up, yet her stubbornness and determination made her want to finish what she started.

    "I know who I want," She replied in a tone rather seductive and impudently surveyed the man from head to foot and in a way that had Hawk''s inside tremble.

    "And you want me?" He asked in a daring tone. He was making things clear and so he won''t end up ming misinterpretationster on.

    "Yes" Without a doubt she answered as if the man was some kind of prize she can easily win over. When he heard her unfaltering intention, something inside Lee hawk wanted to step back and reconfigure his system. His desire should only be exclusive to Feather, the girl he had always wanted all these years, and take note, that girl was out there upied with entertaining their visitors while Hawk''s evil self was under the control of another woman.

    Before he couldpletely forget his engagement, Hawk tried with all the reasons he could probably use against himself to stop his own madness. "I''m sorry to tell you that¡ª"

    Hawk was not able to finish his words because right then and in a deceptively casual move, the girl took one step forward so that her hips were pressed against Hawk''s hard thigh and her face close to his. The girl''s lips that were waiting to be ravished whispered into his ears.

    "Tell me what my dear?

    Goosebumps rose on Hawk''s flesh as the girl''s breath tickled his ears. "I promised you I will let you have a taste, didn''t I?"

    Hawk''s breathing picked up slightly and the pulse point at his neck thumped faster. He swallowed a mouthful at the thought of the girl''s promise but instead of giving in, his own rationality gave onest shot of defense.

    "Who are you?" Hawk managed to ask between his ragged breath.

    "That depends on who you want me to be," The girl uttered and for the first time, Hawk saw her upturned honey-colored eyes. Looking into it was like drowning yourself into something magical, something hypnotizing and very much irresistible that when the girl tiptoed to meet his lips, he willingly lowered his head to wee her. And he was right there, opening his mouth for her¡ªwarm and wet¡ªgiving everything he must give and was kissing her back with equal ardor. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, and he responded by pressing the girl''s body closer, the fiancee forgotten.

    However, when Hawk was at the point of wanting more, the girl pulled away and Hawk opened his eyes bewildered onto her sudden retreat. He was gasping for air and would very much like to pull her back to finish the bliss she had started. But she only smiled at him, feeling very empowered by the fact that the M Conglomerate''s President had already fallen into her trap.

    "What''s the matter?" He asked, confused as to what made her stop.

    "Nothing," Her smile widened a little more, making her face bright and goddess-like and Hawk became more defenseless with that. "It''s just that I only want you to have a free taste. The next of coursees with a big price,"

    That was thest thing she said before walked away, leaving Hawk feeling like a fool.

    "President," Lucas stepped in and joined Hawk as he watched the mysterious girl leaving. He had seen everything and cannot decide whether to be angry or be sad about it. "Miss Han is¡ª"

    "I know Lucas," Hawk simply said, eyes still fixated on the ce where the mysterious girl disappeared. "I''ll go to her now"

 Chapter 6 - Small Cuts

    The moment the woman left the hotel, the sky was covered by clouds and rain showered tremendously right after. Although the party got a little bumpy when Hawk left and danced with a beautiful woman, leaving Feather to attend to every guest''s question and scrutiny, the party however ended sessfully.

    However, upon returning home to the Brick Mansion, the Han''s ancestral house, Feather grabbed everything she could in her room and smashed it all in the wall, breaking them into pieces. She did not like how everything turned tonight. Someone dared to outshine her by luring Hawk into dancing and became everyone''s topic for the night. Worst of all, she had to endure being asked by the guests who the girl was!??

    Wasn''t that an engagement party for her?

    Everyone was supposed to be talking about her only!

    That whore right there definitely stole her limelight!

    "Miss Han please don''t be upset" Ami Jang, Feather''s assistant was trying to calm the ballerina who already grabbed another vase to throw into the floor. "I''m sure that woman is nothing significant,"

    "Don''t be upset? Somebody mocked at me tonight!" Feather''s innocent face turned into a real meanie. "Who is that woman? I''ll make sure she''ll pay for what she did!"

    Feather crashed the vase into the hard flooring. The ceramic shattered across the floor and a few small pieces made it to Feather''s skin and left small cuts.

    Upon seeing this, Jang Ami rushed to her worriedly and shouted "Miss Han! You had injured yourself!"

    Themotion in Feather''s room got everyone''s attention in the house, including her mother Fara Han. When she opened Feather''s room, she saw the mess and the small cuts in her daughter''s skin.

    "Feather? What''s all this?" The ballerina''s mother asked. She was used to Feather''s tantrums and she was already expecting this outburst from her. However, she didn''t quite expect that her daughter would end up hurting herself.

    Feather was modest and kind in front of the media but inside the Han''s household, every servant knew how bad her temper was.

    "Mama!" Feather''s expression turned more upset when Fara came. "Mama, have you not seen what happened earlier? How could you let someone steal my night?"

    "Feather, do not talk to me that way!" Fara chided, she knew how spoiled her daughter was and even she herself was already bothered by her childish tantrums, however since she was her own blood, she always covered up for her.

    Besides, Feather was her golden trophy and her means to remain as the Madam of the Han household. Thus, she just let her daughter do whatever she wanted as long as it benefits both of them. Her only challenge was her daughter''s tantrums.

    She closed the door and went deeper into the room where Feather and her assistant were standing. Calmly, she beeped into the kitchen''s quarters to summon a maid to clean her daughter''s mess.

    With her mother''s apathy, Feather tried to grab another expensive thing to break. "How are you so calm with all this? How can you let your own daughter suffer such humiliation?"

    "And what do you get from breaking those vases?" Fara replied with so much cool as she sat on the sofa. "Do you think these childish tantrums will help? Look at yourself and those cuts, such an ugly sight to see!"

    "And what do you propose I do mama?" Feather retorted with rage. "Sit here and watch while M Conglomerate''s president is being snatched in front of my face?"

    "Feather my daughter, I''m not telling you to watch while President Hawk is being snatched away. Besides, who says someone can snatch Hawk from you?" Fara said as she tamed the tip of her curls. She was in the process of brushing her hair when she heard Ami''s scream.

    "Everyone knows how Hawk was so fond of the Han''s heiress,"

    Her mother had a point. Hawk was so devoted to the Han''s heiress and so a random mysterious girl could notpete with that, no matter how alluring she can be. Hearing this, Feather''s raging veins subsided and instead of throwing more tantrums, she went to sit with her mother.

    "Mama then what should I do?" Her voice was tender this time as she held her mother''s hands "I don''t want anyone to go between President Hawk and I,"

    "All you have to do is be the Han''s heiress," Fara smiled viciously as she tapped her daughter''s hand, and with emphasis, she repeated. "The only Han''s granddaughter,"

    Feather understood her mother''s words. She had already known Hawk before when they were kids, back when the Monsanto household went into hiding and she herself had witnessed back then how crazy and faithful he can be when he''s in love. So there was nothing to worry about.

    "I already am the Han''s heiress and there can be no one else exempt from me," Feather said the words like a vow and this gave delight into her mother''s face. In due time, Feather will marry into one of the richest families in the country and they need not worry about anything else by then, not even the slightest care if the Han''s will end up turning against them. Although, that possibility was already impossible since Feather was the heir to all their wealth.

    "Good," Sheplimented her resolution, "Now listen to your mother and let''s make those small cuts in your skin of advantage,"

    "Huh?" Feather''s wless head formed few lines, "Mama these are only small cuts, they don''t even hurt,"

    "Of course it doesn''t. But you can use it to get some of President Hawk''s attention and make him regret why he danced to another woman tonight¡­" Fara grinned and turned to her daughter''s assistant.

    "¡­Ami, secure an appointment to the doctor tomorrow to treat Feather''s cuts and make sure President Hawk knows"

    Hearing Fara''s words, both Feather and Ami smiled satisfactorily. Instead of sulking about what happened tonight, Feather ended up practicing how she will make President Hawk regret leaving her at their own engagement party.

 Chapter 7 - The Man She Coveted

    Just as Fara Han expected, President Hawk indeed stormed into the hospital the next morning. Fara set up an appointment for her daughter and while the doctor was attending to her wounds, Ami waited outside the door, very much expecting the M Conglomerate''s President toe any moment soon.

    The moment President Hawk showed up, Feather''s assistant immediately weed him with a face that bore all the worry of this world, almost as forlorn as if someone had died. It was obvious that she was faking it but President Hawk whose attention and concern was fixated with his ever beloved fiancee didn''t give her much of a weight. However, for Lucas, Ami''s acting was nothing but a pure exaggeration.??

    "President, I''m very sorry I have to give you a call even though Miss Han was very clear not to inform you about this," She sounded rather convincing than her acting, "I know she''ll be very much upset of me when she''ll see you here but I just thought you have all the right to know especially now that you had been engaged,"

    "Tell me what happened and make sure not to miss out a detail," President Hawk sighed badly. His schedule today was all full but the moment Feather''s assistant called, he had them all canceled and rushed to the hospital in an instant.

    "Well...as you see...even though she was really happyst night something was bothering her after the party and I know it was because the guests made her feel very upset" The girl started her scripted narration, "They flooded her with too many questions when you went missing for a while especially when they all see you danced a woman before you suddenly disappeared. Although Miss Han was very certain you just went to attend on something important, still, some guests were suspicious..."

    Lucas suddenly cleared his throat to distract the girl from continuing. Then with a casual controlled smile, he looked at her, "Assistant Ami why don''t you just jump right into the part when Miss Han was injured?"

    Lucas could tell the girl was trying to make his boss feel guilty. He really didn''t understand why Ami was doing it but he understood that the girl might be protecting Feather''s interest and her loyalty to her made her do this ming. He just hoped that Feather had nothing to do with all this or else President Hawk had surely gotten himself some prima donna bitch.

    "Oh, I''m sorry I was just lost for a moment. I''m just very worried," Ami apologized in an instant. She thought she could drag on more of the ming part to make Hawk drown in deep guilt, yet his assistant was a sharp one. "Well since Miss Han wasn''t feeling well emotionally, she stumbled herself on one of the fragile vases in the Brick Mansion and hurt herself,"

    "Was the cut deep?" Hawk asked immediately. His voice was stern but deep inside his heart was cut a thousand times knowing his foolish self made Feather upset and worst, she ended up injuring herself.

    "The doctor is still checking her out but I''m very sure that even if the cut isn''t deep it will still have a serious impact on her knowing she''s a ballerina. Of course, people will expect her to be wless and she had been very careful all these years about her physique butst night was just too much" Ami pointed out not giving President Hawk a chance to redeem his broken confidence. No matter what, she had to make sure the M Conglomerate''s President would regret what he didst night.

    "I''m sure it isn''t that serious President Hawk," Lucas intervened before his boss would kill himself with guilt. "If it is, then the Hans would not wait for morning to bring Miss Han here. They should have called for a doctor right away. Am I the right assistant Jang?

    Lucas'' conclusion caught Ami off guard. His thoughts were all with sense and she could not right away think of something to refute his ims.

    "Well¡­"

    "President Hawk?" Feather''s surprised gentle voice caught everyone''s attention. She, with her mother Fara, went out of the room where thetter had been treated and their faces shared the same kind of expression. From looking at Hawk, she dragged her eyes immediately to her assistant and immediately confronted her as if she was all but innocent in dragging Hawk away from his full schedule "Ami, you called him?"

    "Miss Han, I apologize greatly but I really thought your fiancee should know about this," She lowered her head faking guilt.

    Hawk didn''t wait for more words to be said. He immediately went closer to Feather and gave her a thorough look. Looking down on her legs, he saw a thick bandage wrapped around just an inch above her knee.

    "I want to speak with the doctor please," Hawk requested. He wasn''t sure what to feel about Feather''s wounds but he felt that he needed to ask an expert opinion on how to alleviate her fiancee''s situation.

    "President Hawk please, my daughter is really tired and today''s appointment is very traumatic for her. She just requested me to bring her home immediately," Fara implicitly denied his request and smartly shifted the attention to Feather''s emotional well-being rather than her physical state. Having Hawk talk to the doctor will surely give him some relief for Feather''s wounds were really nothing serious and she basically didn''t want Hawk to have that.

    Hawk turned to look at Feather this time who indeed was looking pale and tired. With a resigned sigh, he said, "Whatever you want my dear. I''ll drive you home then,"

    "Wait, President Hawk," Feather kind of protested when he talked about bringing her home. "It''s true I don''t feel like staying here any longer as the appointment just gave me a surprising trauma but having you here honestly makes me feel better. If it''s not too much to ask, I request that we have lunch together, you and I?"

    Hearing Feather''s request made Fara smile inwardly. Looked like her daughter learned how to y her cards well.

    "Well, I guess that''s a better n since you both had a lot of catching up to do," Fara delightfully agreed with her daughter''s request. "Last night had probably made you both too busy you barely had time for each other,"

    Hawk was not able to answer her immediately as the way Feather made her request gave him some kind of strange feeling, something that made him too unfamiliar to her when he thought he had memorized every part of her already.

    "President Hawk, please. However, if your schedule doesn''t really allow it¡ª"

    "No my dear. Of course, we can have lunch together," Hawk replied, not wanting her to beg any longer. Then as any gentleman does, he offered her his arm to escort her out, "Shall we?"

    His response sponsored a smile on his fiancee''s face and Feather''s face brightened that only made her more beautiful than she already was. She then put her hand around Hawk, making a im to the man she very much coveted.

 Chapter 8 - Whore

    Six Months ago

    Voltaire Ballet Orchestra??

    London

    Feather, after a sessful performance, was sitting around her hotel room surrounded by gifts and bouquets from fans. She had a ss of red wine in her hand while Ami started unpacking some of the gifts for her.

    "This one is from Monsieur Lance," Ami announced and when she opened the box, her eyes were weed by a pair of diamond earrings that instantly captured Feather''s interest. Seeing how herdy''s eyes got excited, Ami smiled and dragged the box closer to Feather.

    "Those are pretty," Feather remarked but didn''t touch the thing, instead she took another sip of her cold wine. She cued Ami to open another box which thetter did obediently. However, in the middle of their gift openings, the main door opened revealing Feather''s manager, Rose, and her entrance made Feather grimaced.

    "What is it now?" Feather demanded. She had made known to everyone that she didn''t want any visits anymore as she was deeply exhausted, yet her manager seemed to have forgotten.

    "We have a guest," Rose announced and turned to Ami, "Quick! go and get that ss of wine away and fix yourdy''s makeup,"

    "I told you I don''t want visits anymore. Did I?"

    "The guest is a sponsor. We can''t just say no," Rose insisted and took the initiative of snatching away the wine from Feather since Ami didn''t follow her request.

    "I don''t care. It doesn''t mean that because someone is paying for my dues, I am obliged to attend to all their whims. If I know their contribution wasn''t even half of what my family provides," Feather rolled an eye. Those sponsors were getting on her nerves as they kept pestering her most of the time, demanding private meetings for their pleasure as if she''s someone ordinary.

    It was a custom for ballerinas or even actresses to attend to sponsors, fans, and media every after performance yet Feather didn''t like to linger long on it. The media and some fans however didn''t bother her much as she always loves to see herself being televised and the fans of course make good props for every conference and interview. However, the sponsors'' meetings usually were private and Feather thought they didn''t give her much of a benefit except those bouquets and gifts.

    "This one you surely want to met," Rose sounded sure, "And someone you don''t want to offend,"

    "Tell whoever is that to get lost," Feather dismissed and stood up to snatch her wine ss back.

    "Feather, it''s Mister M on the door," Rose revealed and the name made both Feather and Ami''s eyes bulge out of surprise. The announcement didn''t need much of an emphasis as it made everyone suddenly tensed. Feather ran to switch her robe to a casual white dress while Ami followed tob her hair.

    "You should have told me the moment you entered the door," Feather chided her manager this time. Mister M was someone everyone in the theaterpany wanted to meet as aside from he gives tons of money to sponsor their shows and afford the ballerina''svish lifestyle, most particrly Feather''s, he was also someone no one had seen yet. Let''s just say the man simply do not go on requesting meetings although he was every ballerina''s most weed guest.

    "Miss Han you are the first ever ballerina in Voltaire to have been visited by him," Ami hollered as she went from fixing herdy''s hair to retouching her make-up. "You''ll be everyone''s talk of the balletpany tomorrow,"

    Feather smiled deviously. Of course, she was aware of that even before Ami said it and the thought only made her proud. The ballet industry is also a show business so it was rather important for every ballerina to have someone who gives their talents high regard. The more powerful and rich your supporter is, then the more respected you will be. Now that Mister M has given her a visit, for sure she''ll be everyone''s envy for the rest of the days and surely for the next show, the major role willnd on her effortlessly.

    In just a span of five minutes, Feather got herself fully prepared for her visitor. Gone was the trace of wine and her bitchy attitude and what everyone could see then was the ever humble ballerina whose eyes show nothing but pure innocence.

    Rose smiled at the sight of her. If she was to rate every skill of Feather, her acting skills will top it all next to her beautiful face, if thetter can be counted as skill. Feather''s beauty was simply outstanding and that probably was the reason why her career in ballet became smooth specially because she was aided by the overflowing money from Han''s Scintiit and her other sponsors. Her beauty was simply alluring and when she ys the innocent fragile girl, every man''s heart will surely skip a bit and that was the key that unlocked Feather''s sess.

    "Feather, this one¡­ you had to make sure you''ll get a hold of him," Rose gave her some piece of advice, "If you''ll do that, you need not worry of your future even outside the balletpany,"

    "No worries. This is something I do best," Feather let go of a proud confident grin, "No matter how old and ugly this sponsor is, I''ll make sure he''ll end up very much attached to me that he can''t say no to all my whims and requests,"

    Rose was delighted. "Don''t worry you need not worry about him being old and ugly. But when I say you get a hold of him I say you should do it whatever it takes. Go as far as being his woman, do not ever withhold yourself for this opportunityes only once in a lifetime,"

    Feather raised a disgusted look at Rose. What her manager advised her was simply outrageous. Had she forgotten that she was Feather? The Heiress of Han Scintiit? An heiress should not go down low and do what desperate starlets do.

    "What do you think of me? A whore?" Feather''s veins burst with sudden anger. "I am Feather and I will not do as far as being someone''s whore to get what I want. I am an heiress and I''m one of the most talented ballerinas in thispany."

    "Chill my dear, you don''t want to ruin your makeup," Rose was nonchnt to her outrage, "Besides you admit it yourself, you are just one of the most talented ballerinas in Voltaire ballet but you are not the best among all. Besides, for this one¡­" Rose turned to the door referring to the sponsor who at this point should already be there waiting to be invited in.

    "For this one...you simply wanted to be a whore whichever heiress you are," Rose looked at her talent meaningfully and when the door opened, Feather immediately understood what her manager meant.

 Chapter 9 - His Fuzzy Cat

    Feather''s heart raced through time. She was fully aware of the person entering the door and she could not believe her eyes. Was he Mister M? If he is, everything Rose just told her all made sense. For this one, anybody would simply want to be a whore. His whore.

    "Oh God, is it only me or Mister M does look like President Hawk?" Ami uttered senselessly while they all gaped open at the man before them. Both Rose and Feather immediately gave the assistant a warning look.??

    "I want to speak with Miss Han...privately," Hawk announced before things became more awkward for everyone and when he said those, there was a strong emphasis to thest word he uttered.

    "Of course President Hawk," Rose agreed without giving it a thought and took the initiative of dragging Ami with her as they headed for the door. In just a minute, Hawk and Feather had the room for themselves.

    It took a few minutes for everything to sink in Feather''s head as she could not believe that the man who every woman dreamed about in her home country was already in front of her,rger than life, and had just asked for a private conversation with her. The word amazement doesn''t quite cover for what she felt right then as every fiber of her being felt with vibration.

    "It was a good performance, I''d like to congratte you," Hawk broke the silence between them and dug his eyes to the only person in the room. He had watched her dance earlier and could not deny that the woman in front of him had talents far superior to all the dancers on that stage. However, unknown to her, she wasn''t just an ordinary woman for him. The truth was for Hawk, she was everything.

    "Thank you, President Hawk," Feather flushed a crimson face and Hawk could see her apprehension as if she was afraid and pleased with the same time with hispliments. He wondered right then if his innocent little face could handle the things he was about to tell her tonight.

    "I...I...I¡­" She tried to say something more but couldn''t make her mouth finish her words. Then as if frustrated of her own self, she looked up to him with her ever angelic face looking very fragile and ready to be broken.

    "I''m sorry President Hawk. Forgive my indifference... it''s just that...I really did not expect that you are Mister M, my long time sponsor, and the thought makes me happy and ashamed at the same time,"

    "And why is that my dear?" His eyes glistened as he looked down upon her. Feather was aware of his tension as she saw how he swallowed a lump on his throat evident by the Adam''s apple that slightly became visible at her sponsor''s throat. Right then she knew her charms had gotten through his inside and she chuckled silently knowing that Hawk, just like anyone else, had just fallen right into her. With her recent discovery, she felt utterly proud of herself for being able to unman even the ill famous President of M Conglomerate, just by one nce.

    "Well, I¡­." Feather answered intentionally tripping over her sybles, "I just don''t think I''m that worthy,"

    "You are worthy of everything my dear," Hawk breathed nothing but assurance as his eyes still fixated over her.

    The woman he so desired for long was now in front of him yet the first thing he cared, to his own surprise and annoyance, was the changes particrly in the matter of her speech and fa?ade. Not that those changes bothered him that much as he already far once decided she''ll have her no matter what, but those particr traits were something that makes him remember her most of the time. Perhaps, now that it''s time to im her, he should spend more time and attention on her to see how much she had grown. Not physically though, as one look from afar, he could tell, the girl had not grown inches taller than remembered.

    "I myself could attest to that," He added and move closer so that the foot that once separated them now bes inches, "You are special Feather, most especially to me,"

    His words sounded unreal and because of their short distance and Hawk''s tall built, far taller than she ever was, Feather needed to tilt her head more to be able to look straight into his pair of grey eyes. There Feather saw a different kind of glint, like his eyes, were finding ways to connect to hers as if she was someone all familiar to him even before they met. The connection he demanded was nothing like a fan to an idol sort of thing, it was something else, something like that of a man to the woman he loved and this, although it excited Feather in all kinds of ways, also confused her as it was the first time they had ever met.

    "I''m d to have known I am special to somebody," Feather went along, cautiously choosing the right words to say in order not to ruin the mood. As Rose warned her, things like thise only once in a lifetime and she had to make sure her grip on it was tight. "It was rather weird to me because as far I could remember this is the first time we had talked to each other and yet I felt like I have known you for the longest time,"

    "This is not the first time we had talked to each other," Hawk smiled sweetly to her which of course surprised Feather because she had never once seen Hawk smile. Not in parties, not in meetings, and surely not in the magazines or news that features him.

    "This is not?" Feather''s brows curved up.

    "Yes, this is not the first time, my fuzzy cat," Hawked answered and his smile turned into a grin that confused Feather more.

    Fuzzy cat?

    She was surprised to hear such a cheap endearment from the President of M Conglomerate.

    And why in the world would the great Hawk Monsanto call a woman fuzzy cat?

 Chapter 10 - That Someday

    Feather was still confused and a bit irritated with how Hawk called her yet she tried so hard to put on a smooth acting, still flushing an innocent look on her already pretty face. However, before her mood turned into something that would definitely turn off President Hawk, Feather seemed to have remembered something.

    <em>Fuzzy Cat.</em>??

    She heard that before, a very long time ago perhaps. Now that she was giving it much of a thought, some memory from her childhood came back to her piece by piece and a sudden shock broke to her face! Her brain stuttered for a moment and every part of her paused while her thoughts caught up!

    Just as her eyes grew big and her mouth covered with her own hand, she gasped, "Can it be? Can it be?" She uttered many times before she went on, "Can it be that you are the boy from Somerset Vige?"

    Hawk''s face brightened, "Yes my fuzzy cat. You do not know how much you have made me happy by just remembering who I am"

    "And yet you are Hawk Monsanto, the President of M Conglomerate," Feather almost couldn''t believe it. The boy in the Somerset Vige was some part of her past she was forced to forget and seeing him nowing back for all that he had promised was something she had never thought of happening. "And you are telling me you are the boy in my childhood, it''s just so impossible!"

    Feather''s memory took her back to many years before when she was just a little child. Every spring break, her father used to bring her to Somerset Vige to spend some time out of the city. One time, on herst day and probably herst spring visit in that vige, a boy ridiculously appeared in their front gate with a vow that one day he will marry the Han''s Scintint heiress and relentlessly chased her ride until the vige''s border.

    Years after, when she finally got interested, she inquired about him and learned that the house where the boy and his family used to stay got burned down to the ashes, and the boy with it.

    "Yes it is impossible," Hawk admitted already worried on how Feather''s face grimaced at all the revtion. Not liking the view, he put a hand on her cheeks to soothe her tension "But somehow I made it happen, thanks to you"

    "They told me you died," She hollered still in shock. "I swear everyone in the vige thought you and your family died in that fire,"

    "You might be familiar with how the Monsanto''s were on the run previously," Hawk gave her some glimpse of what truly happened. "That''s how my parents cut off ties with everyone we meet when it is time to move to another safe ce,"

    Feather just realized then. Indeed, what Hawk said made sense. The Monsanto family were previously hunted by all their enemies when the M Conglomerate''s economy went down drastically and to protect themselves, they all went into hiding. So the boy in her past was President Hawk in his young years?

    What a fate!

    What a glorious fate!

    "Oh President Hawk," Feeling Hawks hand on her cheeks, Feather felt like she was daydreaming and when his hands shifted to her waist pulling her closer, her body tightened. She was then uncertain where to put her hands as there was not enough distance between them. At the end, she boldly raised her hands and steady them on Hawks'' chest as shevished herself with his masculine scent. She was almost irrational then but she was able to hold a grip on her own thoughts and cleared her mind. Now that she was aware of why Hawk came for her, she had to make sure things would end up to both their satisfaction. "What you just told me, I don''t know how to feel about them. I cried for many days and nights about what happened to that boy and tonight, you just make me remember how much I''ve missed him so,"

    "Hush my love," Hawk pressed her on his chest and kissed her brown curls, "I am here now. If only you knew how much I''ve waited for this day and how much I have endured while watching you from afar,"

    "And why didn''t youe to me sooner?" Feather was almost crying over the thought and it was almost impossible to tell at this point whether she was faking it or not, "Don''t you know even until now, I''m still having nightmares about you and when I dance, I think of you all the time,"

    "I am sorry my heiress buting to you earlier wouldn''t have done us any good. I still have to make myself good enough for you" Hawk apologized as hevished himself on her warmth. He had longed so much for her and at the moment he could not think of anything but only her. His fuzzy cat. "But here I am, as promised I came back,"

    "I don''t really mind if you are good enough or not," Feather was sobbing hard already and the sound of her sobs ached Hawk''s heart in a satisfying kind of way knowing it was tears of pure joy of their unexpected reunion, "Just like I don''t mind about it before,"

    Hawk did not anymore answer as Feather''s words made him too happy to argue over it. Very much pleased, he pulled something from his pocket and showed it to Feather''s face.

    It was an old metal ring with a single butterfly wing on the top. Feather recognized it in an instant and took it from Hawk''s hand.

    "Remember that?" Hawk asked.

    "Of course I do. It is the twenty-five cents ring I fought hard to have," Feather recalled. Her recollection brought her another unwanted memory that she instantly shoved away from her head.

    "How cute of you to remember the price," Hawk chuckled. "I still remember how delighted you were when you saw it at the festival and although this ring cost nothing great, this however was my most treasured possession"

    Without waiting for any reaction on Feather''s part, Hawk then took her hand. "My Feather I promised you that I wille back for you and now I did. I guess it''s time for me to fulfill my second promise,"

    "And that is?" Feather asked, uncertain of what promise it was since he mentioned too many promises already.

    "That someday I will marry you," Hawk''s words paused Feather''s world for a moment and his next words changed her fate right away, "That someday is now,"

 Chapter 11 - Barefoot

    Back to the present day

    Feather''s happiness was immeasurable. Time and time again, she was able to prove that she had Hawk under the palm of her hand and that whatever she asks, he''ll kill for her to have it. A vicious grin contorted in her face knowing that after their wedding, she''ll just spend the rest of her days, not worrying about anything but how to spend her husband''s wealth.??

    When they exited the hospital, Feather expected that one of Hawk''s fabulous cars was waiting but it seemed that her expectation fell short again. Instead of stopping at the entrance and calling for their ride, Hawk continued walking, guiding his woman away from the hospital until they found themselves walking in the side streets.

    Feather was definitely confused and she looked at Hawk who was taking his time strolling, not bothered on who and what kind of people they met on the road. Feather of course was notfortable at all and felt very unsafe knowing that the streets they traversed were a public street where all peoplee and go, all¡ªincludingmoners and beggars and street people whom she loathed very much. Those kinds of people for her were dirty, desperate, and dangerous. Growing up, she already knew that an heiress should not associate with them, not on any asion, and not even walk to ces where they go. Those ces if not at all dirty then surely dangerous.

    Few minutes of walking and Feather almost couldn''t take it anymore but she tagged along because she was afraid that Hawk would be offended especially that his face looked calm andposed.

    "Do you like the view?" Hawk asked as he nced at her.

    "Well, I have never walked this part of the city," She kind of avoided the question hoping her fianc¨¦ would notice that she was not pleased at all.

    "Really?" Hawk surely took interest in her response as if it was something he did not expect of her, "Knowing how curious and adventurous you are, I did thought you had explored every part of this city"

    Feather''s shoulder shuddered at Hawk''s statement and immediately she threaded a satisfying answer to him, "Well ever since I started ballet, I had spent most time abroad and ballet became my priority. I never went out that much ever since,"

    Hearing her response, Hawk felt some pity for the woman he loved. Seeing how much she had sacrificed and changed her ways for the sake of ballet, it made Hawk sad. He knew that she loves ballet, but for her to be another person just for it, that''s just sickening.

    Honestly looking back on how she was before when they were young, he never once thought her beloved heiress will eventually go this path. That simply isn''t the Feather he knew. His fuzzy cat was strong-willed, unbending, and definitely not the kind of person who will forget everything she wanted just for the sake of dance. However, that was a long time ago and things have changed already, not to his preference but certainly not to his dislike. It''s Feather after all, his fuzzy cat, the Han Scintiit''s heiress he wanted to be his for a very long time.

    "Then I''m d I brought you here today. How much have you missed this kind of ce," Hawk drew an inward sigh to hide the things that were running in his mind as he thought it would only upset her. However unknown to him, Feather was already upset because she does hate the ce they were in very much.

    "In which restaurant are we heading?" Feather changed the topic to save herself from more mishaps. She had almost said something rming earlier and she simply wanted to avoid it.

    "You''ll see," Hawk answered, "It''s a surprise but I know you''ll like it very much. I had my assistant look for such ce for a long time"

    "Oh, I love surprises!" Feather hollered then intentionally leaned her head to Hawk''s strong arms to let him know how excited she was. If President Hawk''s assistant had to look for such a restaurant, then it must be something rare and somewhere not all elites can go but only people as rich as Hawk Monsanto. That was really something she looked forward to and that''s why she had her best camera phone ready because she nned to go liveter on in one of her social media ounts to brag about such a ce.

    "Sure you do my love," Hawk himself got excited about it knowing how Feather was brimming with happiness. He almost thought he would not find such a ce like that in the city and the truth was he summoned like ten people to find it.

    "Are we going to walk there?" Feather asked as her feet were already sore. She had worn her best stilettos that showcase her ivory legs, however such stilettos were something not reallyfortable to wear. Besides, if they were to go to a very high-end ce, would it not be best if they go there in a car? It would be shameful of them to appear at the entrance by their feet.

    "Yes my love, I know how you love strolling very much," He assured her as he thought that Feather was very much thrilled about their strolling down-together-in-the-park situation. He thought Feather found it very romantic when the truth was the word romantic didn''t even cross her mind right then.

    "But my shoes-

    "Yes, my love you can take them off. I don''t really mind," Hawk cut her in as he thought Feather was worried that he would not approve of her taking her shoes off. Then with assuring eyes, he turned to Feather and gently told her, "Feather my heiress, when you are with me, you need not worry about being yourself. I love you for who you are,"

    Feather''s eyebrows were shaking. She could not believe that Hawk just told her to take off her shoes. Does he really expect her to walk bare feet on the street as if she was some kind of a vige woman?

    How in the world does the famous Hawk think an heiress like her would be willing to go barefoot?

 Chapter 12 - Her Trauma

    Feather was in a dilemma of finding the right word to save herself from the disgrace that Hawk proposed. She held onto the ends of her dress as she looked down on her poor feet.

    Hawk saw Feather''s face turn red and he smiled as he thought that until then, she really didn''t believe that he was not at all bothered if she chose to take off her shoes. ??

    The Feather he used to know was a very carefree child who loves to walk barefoot but one time he chided her not to because it''s very udy-like. Perhaps that was the reason why Feather was having second thoughts about what he proposed. Knowing that she was conflicted, Hawk took the initiative to take her shoes off so he bent down in front of her and carefully raised one of her feet to pull one shoe away.

    "Hey wait!" Hawk was surprised to hear her protest.

    "My heiress, you need not be shy with me,"

    "No please," Feather was desperate. She will never ever walk with bare feet no matter what. "I mean I would like to keep my shoes on President Hawk please."

    When she uttered those words, Hawk immediately looked up to her and the expression that shed on his face made Feather aware that she needed to have a good reason for it. "President Hawk, my feet just recently had an injury. I can''t take the risk of hurting them once more. I''m afraid that if I''ll walk barefoot, I might identally stumble on something sharp and cut myself again,"

    It was evident from Hawk''s face that he was not at all satisfied with her answer. However, a pang of guilt somehow made its way to his face when he was reminded of Feather''s injury and so he didn''t give her protest much of importance but rather stood back beside her and escorted her once again.

    "I''m sorry I should have been more cautious of your injury," Hawk apologized. The truth was he kind of forgot the girl had an injury because while he was escorting her at the hospital, she walked pretty fine and so he thought the injury was nothing. Nevertheless, it still was an injury and he was somehow responsible for it so he did not argue anymore.

    "No need," Feather was relieved of how things went on. Good thing her brain was sharp today, if not Hawk would have probably taken notice. Her next dilemma was how to convince her fiancee to call his driver and fetch them both or they will end up going to their reservation with no ride. That''s sure was more awful than strolling on a public street.

    While she was busy thinking of ways, Hawk suddenly halted his steps and started checking out his pockets looking for something until he found some coins he intentionally kept for Feather. When he had found some, he gave them to her fiancee that only made Feather''s head formed lines.

    Why was Hawk giving her some coins?

    "I''m sorry my love I only have three coins to spare," Hawk smiled bitterly that only made Feather more confused. What on earth was Hawk doing?

    "I think there will be a few more of him as we go along, better kept the other two for the rest," He instructed her but she had no idea what he was talking about.

    She was about to ask him when someone grabbed the hem of her dress. She immediately looked down and found a child, more like a beggar in front of her. To her shock, Feather screamed.

    "Ahhhhh! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Feather was disgusted and she almost wanted to vomit, "You filthy child, how dare you touch my dress!"

    The child''s face grimaced and his eyes teared up. He had asked a lot of passersby for coins and none of them acted more disgusted than Feather. He almost thought that the girl would give her a lot of coins for she was well dressed. Turns out she was not at all interested in giving him some.

    "Dirty kid! Oh my God!" Feather was hysterical and seeing how she acted up, Hawk immediately grabbed her body as if protecting her.

    "It''s only a kid my love," Hawk whispered, aware of how the child''s expression became pitiful.

    "Have him go away, please. Please, President Hawk!" Feather was sobbing already. Hawk, who was confused and helpless right then freed Feather up and bent down to level the child''s gaze. "Here this is for you. Go and buy some food,"

    Immediately the kid ran away as soon as Hawk gave him his coins. Good thing he was not able to hand thempletely to Feather earlier or she could have thrown them away while she was hysterical.

    Hawk then turned his attention back to Feather. However, unlike a few minutes ago, he did not attempt tofort nor embrace her but just looked at her as if there was something he wanted to ask desperately.

    Knowing that Hawks'' expression changed, Feather became aware that he was not pleased with how she treated the child. Immediately, her mind was stuck with something and she instantly panics knowing she might have ruined everything.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry President Hawk," She had crocodile tears then. "I just¡­.I just had some bad experiences with someone like them and it traumatized me. Oh God, I should have not treated that poor child like that, I was just caught off guard and really surprised. Poor child, he must have felt I was disgusted with him,"

    "You had a bad experience with them?" Hawk''s curiosity was shifted to something else.

    "Yes, abroad. I was once robbed by someone, street children, and¡­" She sobbed as if she did not want to recall such a memory, although such memories do not exist, "They had a knife. They were children yet they know how to use a knife,"

    Hearing her exnation. Hawk''s expression softened and in just a second, Feather was back on his arms again.

 Chapter 13 - Favorite

    Since Feather had a breakdown, Hawk decided to call his driver to pick them up. Her physical and emotional state made him assume that she was not up or in the mood for any lunch already.

    "Where to? President Hawk?" His private driver asked politely. ??

    Without a thought, he answered, "To the Han''s brick mansion please,"

    "Are we not going for lunch anymore?" Feather immediately dissented. She was already d that Hawk had called for his car only to be told that she had to be sent home. To be honest, she was already suspecting someone was doing witchcraft against her because everything that day was not falling into the right ces.

    "My heiress, I think you need your rest," Hawk told her and carefully caressed her long curls. "We can have lunch some other time,"

    "Can we not have it now?" Feather was already getting frustrated and she doesn''t know if she can hold back her annoyance anymore with everything that was happening, "I am really looking forward to that lunch,"

    She was aware that her voice was starting to sound irritated and when Hawk decided to look into her thoroughly as if he was trying to get past her facade, Feather''s panic came back. Immediately she remedied what she thought was a character mishap on her part.

    "I mean, we rarely see each other these days. I do really want to have this lunch with you President Hawk if you please," She flushed that innocent look again, and seeing how much she wanted it, Hawk eventually gave in.

    "Alright," He replied to her with a sigh, then turned to his driver, "Eleazar, to the restaurant, please. The one that''s situated two blocks from here,"

    "Two blocks from here?" Feather wondered. Seeing the view outside, she was aware that this part of the city was somewhere elites and socialites don''t frequent. It was obvious from how cheap-looking the buildings were as well as how unsophisticated were the people she saw walking by. "Is there any good restaurant around here?"

    "Wait until you see it," Hawk assured her with a smile, "You''ll love it there,"

    Just a few minutes and their car was moving through by a small busy road. Then to Feather''s surprise, it halted right somewhere in the middle of a series of small stores at the sidewalk.

    "Were here my love," Hawk''s eyes brightened with excitement, and seeing where they were, Feather almost didn''t want to step out of the car. However, Hawk''s expression was so legit and she just didn''t want to spoil the mood.

    "What is this ce?" Feather asked, really confused as she could not tell what these small stores were for.

    "Ramen houses," Hawk announced, "The best in the city,"

    "President Hawk are you sure we are going to eat here?" She wanted to run right then as they stepped in. The ce for her was not just unssy, it was super tight and there was no air conditioner.

    "Yes, my love. They don''t only serve the best ramen in the city here. They also serve your favorite." Hawk dragged Feather and had her seat in one of the tables in the side corner. Then he turned into the counter where a fat old man was standing warmly and ryed, "Two ramens and soup number four please,"

    Feather felt like any moment right then she would be robbed. She looked around and was disgusted to seemoners sitting with her in the same restaurant and worse she''s just a few inches away from their tables. This was probably the worst day of her life and she couldn''t believe that such a day would happen when Hawk-the youngest billionaire in the country who every elite woman was dreaming for-was with her.

    In just a second Hawk sat across Feather with a smile that could fade everyone''s fears away, everyone but not Feather''s current fears. She faked a smile in response and hoped their lunch would just end right away because, with all honesty, she doesn''t think she can endure it anymore. She just wished right then that when Hawk asked her to go home, she just obediently said yes. Will all her days as Hawk''s wife be spent like this? God, she needed to find a way for Hawk to stop torturing her like this.

    "Here you go madam, sire," A young server brought their order on the table, "Two ramen and a soup number four,"

    "Thank you," Hawk thanked him and pushed what the server called soup number four in front of Feather. "Here my love, you''re favorite. This, tops above all recipe that any fabulous restaurants serve,"

    "Really?" Feather was hesitant and Hawkughed at her expression as he thought she was only kidding as she usually does.

    "Well, at least that''s what you said to me," He reminded her. Then as fast as he answered, he grabbed the pepper that was ready on the table and put some to Feather''s bowl, "Taste it first and tell me if the amount of pepper is right,"

    "This one?" Feather confirmed pointing to her bowl, "You want me to have a taste?"

    Hawk of course did not answer and only smiled, fixating his gaze on his fiancee as he waited for her to have a taste and announced her verdict of how the soup tastes. Feather could tell by the way that Hawk was looking at her that he was expecting for her to drink the soup and whatever was in that strange bow.

    Not wanting to disappoint the expectant Hawk, Feather grabbed a spoon and tasted the soup and the warmth of the broth ran through her throat soothing her dry mouth. Luckily the soup tasted great and the aroma of it was addicting.

    "Not bad at all," Feather announced, thankful that the soup didn''t taste shit. She used her spoon to get some of those meat-like things in there to have a taste. "It''s actually good, what''s the name of this soap again ?"

    "They call it in here soup number four," Hawk whispered to her, "But you know this is simr to that what Mr. Wong sell in the Somerset Vige," Then naughtily Hawk winked to her, "Cow''s balls and intestines, your favorite,"

    Feather''s eyes bulged out in an instant with the revtion and before she even knew it, her stomach turned and she vomited. Hard.

 Chapter 14 - The Girl In Somerset Village

    Somerset Vige- Twenty years ago

    After days of unending rain, the sun had finally found its way back to the sky. Tweeting birds can be heard everywhere simply rejoicing the end of a storm. The soil was still wet yet it didn''t hinder the young Hawk from exploring the woods together with few other kids in the vige. ??

    It had probably been months since he was brought here¡ªin this small vige in the middle of nowhere. Life here was somewhat new to him, especially that he only had to live with his butler who carefully instructed him to call him ''papa''. Previously, he had a grand home back in the capital that was always lively. It was full of servants whom he could y with every time and their house, even if not hosting parties, were always full of guests. Big percentage of those guests were family members¡ªhis uncles, aunties and cousins. The Monsanto n is a big family and somewhat controversial.

    For decades, the Monsanto Conglomerate stood strong for one reason. It is dangerous. Every business strategyes with trickery and every business grievanceses with a blood price. The Monsanto''s were known for all kinds of filthy dealings and transactions all for business. n A for them is always profit, n B is to get dirty to get profit; n C is something no one in the businesses industry would like them to resort to, still for the sake of profit. This is the reason why, although in the fa?ade, the Monsanto''s are greatly acknowledged in the upper ss, they were loathed and backstabbed because of their violent and treacherous business ethics. This dirty tradition kept their business on top for many decades until recently.

    It was perhaps because over the years the Monsantos wronged so many people and umted many businessmen who wanted to strike back or because justice had finally woke up from deep slumber and found out the Monsantos had gone over the edge that one day, things for them just fell apart. The Monsanto Conglomerate is now in huge chaos and debt. Not only that, every Monsanto is being hunted like prey. What goes aroundes around and since the Monsantos never hesitated to use violence and shed blood previously, all their nemesis simply would just like to do the same for them. This was the reason why Hawk, the youngest Monsanto alive was brought to a remote vige along with his butler. They were to seek shelter in there and hide from the world while the Monsanto Conglomerate is still in chaos.

    The young Hawk was aware of the danger in his life. Although he was young, he was smart enough to know things had gone pretty bad for them. But he is just a little child, still thirsty forpany and fun and so he was allowed by his butler to y with other kids so long as he promised never to reveal who he truly is.

    Back in the woods, Hawk, with a group of local boys decided to go in a clearing to y basketball. They had a ring for it in the clearing set up by Hawk''s supposed ''papa'' and so that part of town became a sports haven for the vige boys. Just with his few months stay in this vige, he had learned some of Somerset viger''s ways and blended just fine.

    "You''d be the captain Spin," One of Hawk''s friends suggested referring to Hawk. They had figured out days ago that Hawk was good at ying spin top although he was kind of new to that toy and all of his friends decided to call him Spin.

    "Alright," He answered with pleasure. Aside from being the best spin top yer, he also gained his friends'' respect being a pro in basketball. Of course, young Hawk liked the recognition and the fact that apart from all the kids in the vige, he was probably the best in everything. "Let''s get it started then. Shall we?"

    Hawk turned to the rest of the boys expecting an excited response but his young head formed immediate lines when he saw them preupied with something else. Following their gazes, his eyes fell on the neers that caught everyone''s attention.

    "Looks like Doug haspany," Another of Hawk''s friendsmented, referring to another local boy they knew. He wasn''t part of their group yet hees and ys with them sometimes. "Hey Doug! Who''s that fe?"

    The boy named Doug jogged to greet them leaving hispany behind. "A friend of mine. You don''t mind us joining your game don''t you? She asked if she can join us, she had not been ying for a while and was in frantic when she saw you guys with the ball"

    "She?" Hawk instantly raised brow at the revtion. Then his eyes went to scrutinize Dough''spanion who at this point was still walking steadily at pace toward them. "A girl? You damn serious mate?"

    "She''s really good at the game, mate, better watch out. Seen her y and its perfect" Then Doug winked at Hawk teasing him. It was an innocent tease but it hit hard on Hawk''s little ego. His Monsanto blood just refused to acknowledge anypetition, more so if the other party is a she.

    "And how do you think a girl could keep up with us?" Hawk smirked. "Are you out of your mind? She can watch us y if she wants but we are not letting a girl join our game."

    "Why? Are you afraid of me, sweet little pumpkin?" The girl shouted from behind Dough. She stood with two hands on her waist as she looked down at Hawk making known to everyone that she heard it all. All the boys quieted, even Hawk was silenced for a moment as he stared upon the girl. Unexpectedly, she brought an intimidating aura brought probably by her height or just her unexpected pretty face.

    "Why would I?" Hawk answered after he regained his focus. His voice had the same intensity and sarcasm the girl gave. "It''s not as if you had some chance. We didn''t even know if you can y"

    The girl smirked. "Let me show you then. Shall we start the game?"

 Chapter 15 - His Monsanto Pride

    With the girl''s insistence and wise mouth, Hawk was left with no choice but to let her have her way. Besides, his friends seemed pleased with her presence that Hawk finds it hard to push her out. Soon, everyone was already in position and the ball was already being tossed up marking the start of the game.

    Hawk''s teammate was the one who caught the ball on air and the game went on smoothly for minutes. ??

    "Snap! Thump! Thump! Thump"

    "Pass here!"

    "Defense!"

    "Here" As one of Hawk''s teammates struggled to pass through his opponent''s defense, Hawk was waving his hand for rescue, asking the other to pass the ball to him. In just a moment, the ball can be seen flying and rolling in the air towards Hawk''s direction but itnded on his hand.

    "Snap!" The ball was snatched away expertly from Hawk''s grab.

    "Got ya!" The girl shouted and ran a distance away from the rest of the boys in an opposite direction. Hawk, although a bit shocked that the ball was snatched from him, smirked at the girl''s sudden move, mocking her for what seemed to be an idiot move.

    ''What is she doing? Does she even know the rules, she''s nearly at the end line ready for a foul''

    Hawk thought. But in just a minute, his thoughts proved him wrong when before the girl''s feet reached the restricted line, she jumped very high and threw the ball in the ring''s direction.

    ''What the F''

    Hawk''s mind went from mockery to amazement when he saw how the ball made it through the ring.

    "Thump!"

    "Three points!"

    "Wew!"

    Everyone was bbergasted!

    For a moment no one moved and as all their eyes were fixated on the girl who just let go of a satisfactory smile.

    "That was awesome!" One of Hawk''s teammates couldn''t help butpliment. "I''ve never seen anyone do a three-point shot as smooth and clean as that. Not even Hawk can do it,"

    Thement woke up, made another hit on Hawk''s young ego, and made him clenched his jaw, hard. He was then mad not only because the girl outshined him, his friend just then made it pretty obvious.

    "She''s tall and has long slender hands. Anyone with that kind of body can easily make a three-point shot" Hawk emphasized ming his disadvantage on the girl''s anatomy. Truth be told, the girl was indeed tall. She towered everyone in that group, even Hawk himself.

    "Anyone with a decent mind can tell that," Hawk added with a bit of insult towards his own friends. He was losing it as he couldn''t ept the sudden twist of today''s events. Just a few days ago, he was the new child that every vige boy envy. Yet now, it looked like another child came and stole his position.

    Aside from that, aside from annoyance, Hawk felt a few unexined feelings brought by the girl''s sudden appearance. He didn''t know whether it was because he had never yed with a girl before or because the girl was just too pretty to be ying with boys sports. Her smooth skin itself seemed like she wasn''t fit for such a game.

    "Easy mate. Were just ying a game," The girl tried to ease up the tension that she unintentionally brought in.

    "I told you before she''s good at it," Dough reminded Hawk. "You underestimated her¡ª

    "Stop it Doug," The girl cut him off, "Let''s just continue ying shall we?"

    Everyone agreed and the game went on again. Few more minutes passed, yet Hawk''s team never recovered. Hawk then was pressured and tensioned as he wanted to win the game for many reasons, including the fact that he was better than any neer in the vige. Because of his selfish desire, his moves within the court became aggressive and almost violent. The other yers who saw this change dared not toe on his way and allowed him to go on running the court with the ball. The game became less fun then and they all just stared at the young Monsanto shaking their head.

    The girl then, who didn''t find Hawk''s actions desirable, decided to confront him. While Hawk was dribbling the ball toward the ring, the girl blocked him and when Hawk insisted on getting through, she pushed and outbnced him. Hawk fell to the ground, shoulder''s first and it came with a loud thud.

    "Ahhh!" Hawk shouted as an immediate pain struck his body.

    "Cat what are you doing?" Dough ran toward the girl while Hawk''s friend went to help him. "You hurt him"

    "He''s not being nice. He needed a good push to wake him up" The girl answered in an annoyed expression. "Besides, he was being violent first. I just let him have a taste of his own medicine"

    "Aww, my shoulder hurts!" Hawk almost cried but as a man he ought to be, he swallowed all his tears away.

    "Cry baby," The girl wasn''t buying it.

    "I didn''t do anything wrong. Why do you have to do that?" Hawk, although he knew he somehow started it put the me on her.

    "Ohe one. Don''t y the victim here," She rolled her eyes on him. "You didn''t like the idea of your team losing and mine winning, that''s why you yed the violence card. You little sir is selfish, self-centered, and pathetic. If you continue to be on that way, none of the kids in here will want to y with you anymore," Then she looked at all the kids around them, "Am I right boys?"

    The boys didn''t say a word yet most of them nodded in agreement to Hawk''s frustration. Hawk felt humiliated then. He looked at his friends with his fiery grey eyes and confronted them. "You all agree with her because she''s a pretty girl! Perhaps you forgot, my papa was the one who built this court and that -

    "Stop it Spin," One of his teammates cut him off, "She''s right. You were not being nice and although you were our friends we won''t y with you anymore if you continue that rubbish attitude"

    "Yes, you can have this court all to yourself," Another boy added. "You should apologize"

    Hawk felt helpless then. He was the one who was hurt yet everyone was against him. His rage and jealousy flooded his being as he had never experienced such kind of dilemma ever before.

    Instead of apologizing then, Hawk turned from all his friends and ran away with his Monsanto pride.

 Chapter 16 - The Things She Must Do

    Feather was in bed the whole morning. Yesterday''s lunch date with Hawk was terribly awful. She got home so sick and exhausted. After she vomited from the restaurant, Hawk brought her back immediately to the hospital worried that she had gone pretty sick. The President of Monsanto Empire never had an ounce of an idea that the soup that he forced to feed her was the reason for her sudden vomiting.

    Why in the world would Hawk Monsanto¡ªthe youngest billionaire in this country¡ªwould ever feed his woman a cow''s balls and intestine? ??

    God! She had never once thought being Hawk''s woman was this hard!

    The thought of it only made feather sicker and so she beeped for a maidservant to get her some medicine for her sudden headache. However, when the door of her bedroom opened, it wasn''t only the maidservant who came with her medicine; her mother Madam Fara glided herself graciously also in her room.

    "How are you feeling my dear?" Madam Fara touched her head, trying to feel her temperature.

    "Awful mother," She answered, almost crying. From lying down on her soft covers, she pulled herself to sit and leaned on the headboard of her bed. Trying to recall again her misfortunes yesterday, she helplessly cupped her head out of frustration, "O God! Mama! He let me eat that feisty dirty food!"

    "Hush my child. Be strong. Remember the things I taught you. What happened yesterday was something you ought to encounter and you had to be prepared for many more," Fara thoroughly decided to get her daughter united in marriage with the Monsantos dare not to tolerate Feather''s childish tantrums over a small date.

    "What?" Feather couldn''t believe her mother''s words, "Mother, he fed me with cow''s balls¡­a cow''s ball," She emphasized the thing slowly hoping her mother would take it seriously, " Are you telling me you are going to let him make me eat more?"

    "If you have to, why not?" Fara looked at Feather with eyes that meant she was not kidding around. She reached out and tilted Feather''s head so she could look at it thoroughly, "Tell me, daughter, how you would like to be Hawk Monsanto''s woman?"

    "Very much," Feather''s voice expressed her thorough determination.

    "Good," Fara dropped her hands and resigned her back to the chair she''s at. She sat crossed-legged before continuing, "Hawk Monsanto is not someone everyone can have. He''s someone at the pedestal meant only to be adored by everyone, including us¡ªthe Han''s. That''s why you should have not taken him lightly. To be a Monsanto''s womanes with great sacrifice,"

    "Nobody told me those sacrifices involve the cow''s balls and intestines," Feather uttered with disgusts.

    Fara wasn''t pleased with her daughter''s answer and she ended up shaking her head. "My Feather. me yourself for that misery. I told you to be fully prepared for everything. What you did yesterday was foolish and reckless,"

    Hearing her mother putting the me on her, Feather wasn''t pleased. "I did prepare for it just didn''t expect¡ª"

    "Enough with excuses!" Fara chided Feather, cutting excuses she had about the incident " If you have truly prepared for it then you could have known that Hawk Monsanto was into exotic foods. He is a traveler previously and he must have gone to all the parts of the world and have tasted all kinds of food including exotic foods,"

    Feather was silenced at this. Her mother''s words were right. She wasn''t exactly prepared for it. She was all confident that she had gotten Hawk Monsanto under the palm of her hands and so she actedcently. She grew up in a family where she can have everything she wanted and make everyone follow her every whim, thus, having to walk under someone else''s shadow and standard¡ªHawk Monsanto''s standard to be exact was something she wasn''t used to. And of course, her prima donna bitch attitude would not want to make her bow to anyone, not until yesterday.

    Seeing that her daughter was lost on her own train of thoughts, Fara took the opportunity to reprimand her again "What you did yesterday could have made you lose your spot. Do you want that?"

    Hearing her mother''s words, Feather gave her a re as her body shook with anger, "I would never lose my spot. He loves me. He had been searching for me his whole life and he would never throw me away just because I didn''t like exotic food,"

    "Really?" Fara''s brow raised as his lips twitched into a smirk. Seeing how affected Feather with her words she continued, "You know what happens right when Hawk Monsanto searches deeper,"

    "You''ll lose not only your chance to be his woman, but you''ll probably also lose your ce¡ª"

    "Enough mother! There''s nothing to search anymore" Feather shouted to her offpletely.

    They stared at each other after that. Fara looked at her daughter as if challenging her while Feather looked at her mother with thorough defeat. Both fear and anger can be seen in her eyes.

    Fara understood that things were hard for her daughter but she had enough of her tantrums and attitude and the opportunity before them was too big she didn''t want her to miss her chance. Hawk Monsanto''s empire must fall into Feather''s hands no matter what, that was the only way she could secure their future, especially that her husband''s gambling habit was already putting them at stake.

    "Good. Then let him not search anymore or he''ll see," Fara finally said ready to close the conversation. She then slightly bent to touch Feather''s hair and pushed it back behind her ears "If you had to eat a thousand of cow''s balls just to prevent him from searching further then you must. Understood?"

    Feather nodded slowly, a tear was ready to crack out from her eyes. Many years had passed and yet she felt threatened by something that didn''t exist anymore. Right then her desire to be a Monsanto deepened. There were too many at stake and she certainly didn''t want to lose. Not before and certainly not now.

 Chapter 17 - The Gift (1)

    When Feather''s mother left her room, she thought she could have the room for herself. After their recent conversation, she decided to rest the whole day and nned well how she could tame Hawk Monsanto. However, her expectation blew off when she heard a series of knocks on her door again.

    "Miss Feather, it''s me Ami," Her assistant''s voice can be heard from the other side of the door. ??

    "Ami, I''m sick and I want to be alone! Didn''t I tell you to cancel all my meetings for the day?" Sheshed out at her.

    "Miss I have something for you," Ami answered with excitement, not minding Feather''s mood. She knew then it wouldpletely change the moment she knew what she brought her.

    "For Christ sake Ami, can it not wait for tomorro¡ª"

    "It''s a gift," Ami cut her knowing she wasn''t up for it. She had to divulge the surprise since Feather wasn''t giving it a chance, "Probably from your fiance,"

    The word fiancee tingled around Feather''s ears and her mood changedpletely. Her face brightened as she hurried to the door. The door wasn''t locked actually, she just couldn''t contain her excitement.

    "What is it?" She gasped as the door flew open. She saw her assistance with arge mystery box that she instantly grabbed away. She brought the box to her bed and adored its beauty.

    "It was beautifully packaged Miss, I wonder what''s inside," Ami shed a more exciting look on it. Hawk''s presents for Feather were always thought of and far more valuable than anything she has. They were not only expensive but also very rare, something only a person like Hawk Monsanto can have ess to.

    "Thest thing he gave you was jewelry previously owned by a princess," Ami recalled with adoration. "What could it be this time,"

    "I don''t know," Feather looked at Ami thrilled. Hawk''s previous gift was envied by many of the socialites in their circle and she took pride in it. For sure this new gift was something far greater than that. "I''ll open it!"

    "He must have felt pretty bad about your injury and decided to cheer you up with a gift." God! Hawk Monsanto is a very thoughtful fiancee. You are so lucky Miss," Ami consoled her while Feather was on her way to open the box. "You''ve done a great job Miss at making him feel guilty,"

    "You think so?" Feather felt some relief hearing Ami''s words. Then she shifted her focus in opening the gift. It was such arge beautifully ornamented box that she had never seen before. Whoever wrapped it for sure had all the talent for it. When feather untied the ribbon and lifted the covering, what weed her was a bouquet of white flowers. It was beautifully done that she can''t help but adore it. "It''s beautiful Ami,"

    "Miss isn''t that lilies?" Ami''s voice faltered a bit as if she was frustrated to see it.

    "I''m not sure but they are beautiful. Far more beautifully done than any bouquet''s I''ve seen," Feather continued adoring. The bouquet didn''t frustrate her in any way especially because she knew it was only an opening gift, she could still see another small box inside therge gift. "My Hawk surely knew how to please me so much? Don''t you think? I suddenly like kind of flower already,"

    "But Miss didn''t you know?"

    "Didn''t know what?" Feather turned to look at her.

    "Miss..in my hometown...lilies are for...for a funeral," Ami almost didn''t want to say it.

    Feather chilled at what she heard. She put the bouquet down and looked at Ami for a moment as her words brought some kind of uneasiness on her.

    Seeing how Feather reacted, Ami quickly withdrew her words, "But that was just for my hometown Miss. Seeing how beautiful these lilies are, I know for sure they aren''t the type that is being used for funerals. Besides, it''s from President Hawk, right? This must cost a fortune,"

    Feather chose not toment on that anymore. She was annoyed that Ami ruined the mood but she was more interested in opening the small box than lingering on Ami''s hometown stories. She let loose another set of ribbons and opened the box only to be weed by a much dreadful thing than lilies for a funeral!

    "Ahhh!" Feather''s screams were all over the ce. Even Ami herself got lost for a minute and screamed with her.

    "O my God!" Ami screamed again at the scene of two bloodied rings intertwined together with a scarlet ribbon. "Is that real blood?"

    "You told me it''s from President Hawk. This looks nothing like any of President Hawk''s gifts," Feather turned to Ami shaking in fear. She knew those rings. She immediately recognized them the moment she saw it and the person whost had them was someone she didn''t want to remember ever, especially then.

    "I really thought it was from him. Miss, I''m so sorry...I didn''t expect it to be¡ª"

    "Get out! " Feather screamed, shaking. She cupped her head with her two hands trying to wipe out a memory she doesn''t want to remember, "Out now Ami! Out of my room before I can fire you out!"

    Ami immediately ran out of the room before Feather could say anything further. Feather was left all alone trembling and in paranoia. She was crying hysterically when Fara found her. She heard all the screams and saw Feather''s assistant running away so she went on to check what happened.

    "Feather, what happened?" Fara saw all the mess in Feather''s bed and saw the bloodied rings. "Who sent you this?" She asked Feather right away as she too understood what the gift meant. "Tell me Feather, who dared to send you these gifts?" Herst question was almost like a scream. She too was immediately bothered by the fact that someone was trying to threaten them.

    "I thought it was from President Hawk''s mother. Ami brought it in saying it''s from Hawk," That''s all that Feather was able to tell. She had no more strength to say anything more as her fear consumed her.

 Chapter 18 - The Gift (2)

    Upon hearing her daughter''s words, Fara looked around to see whether the recentmotion had brought to many lurking and nosy servants. Luckily she didn''t find anyone around. She hurried and locked the door, blocking all those who wanted to know what made the Han''s heiress in distress.

    "Feather picked up yourself, this is no time to be in fear," Fara dragged her daughter and shook her body to wake her up from her paranoia. With ring eyes and constrained voice she added, "This is nothing and this shouldn''t bother you," ??

    "Mama the rings. The one who sent the gift knew about those rings and...and.."

    "Those are nothing," Fara cut her offpletely, not giving any chance for her daughter to mention something that they long had all buried in the past. She saw how Feather was deeply troubled to the point that she couldn''t anymore control her own emotions.

    "The one who sent that gift knew nothing. Come to think of it.If they knew about what those rings were for, then you shouldn''t be here anymore," Fara told her daughter while her two arms were still stuck on both Feather''s arms. She had rationalized the situation immediately and thought "Or if they knew something...it should be nothing but just spections with no solid evidence in their hand. That''s why they decided to send us the gift. They want to see how we react with it,"

    Hearing her mother''s words, Feather tried to calm down. The pain brought by her mother''s sharp nails on her arms caused her to awaken from her folly. However her knees were still shaking uncontrobly so she pushed her mother away and let her body fall back on her bed. She then wiped her tears away and tried so hard to erase that memory that was shing back in her mind back and forth.

    "What do you think they want from me?" Feather asked. She couldn''t think right so she needed her mother''s opinion then. Between her parents, her mother was the least she liked but she was however the one who always covered up for her. She didn''t know however whether Fara''s actions toward her was because of her motherly nature or because of something else. That something else revolved around the fact that Fara wasn''t greatly recognized by the Hans and although she was currently the madam of the Han''s household, many were her father''s mistresses and she can be reced anytime. Her only advantage from all those mistresses was that she bore the Han''s heiress, Feather. The Han''s heiress firmly believed that this was the reason why despite the fact that they weren''t totally close, her mother always made sure Feather was perfect in her father and the elders eyes.

    "They were just trying to scare you," Fara replied as she sat beside her. "Everyone in this country knows that you are to be married to Hawk Monsanto. Many envies you, not only women but also men whose businesses had no more hope in getting in touch with the Monsanto Empire. This is their way to get back at you and scare you off,"

    "Mother¡­." Feather wasn''t convinced at all. She knew the present was more than a simple scare from those businessmen her mother mentioned. The person who did this knew was someone directly or indirectly involved to those rings. By now, those persons had probably known her engagement with Hawk Monsanto and that they didn''t like that. "This is more than what you think it is,"

    "Feather my dear, just be calm and trust me on this okay?" Fara consoled her then. "You still have a pre-wedding concierto. You shouldn''t dwell on these things long."

    "But mother, how am I to be calm at this? You just chided me a while ago because I had beencent in my dealings with President Hawk and now you''re telling me to just let this go? Can''t you see my mother?Iif President Hawk will know about this...it will greatly affect our rtionship. We have to do something to make sure nothing like this happens again. Nothing ever!"

    "Hush! Lower your voice or the servants might hear," Fara chided her out immediately. "Feather we don''t even know who sent you this? How can we even deal with them so that they won''t do this again? You see.. We''re blind here. The only thing we can do is go on without lives and ignore these things,"

    "There was only one family in this capital who knew about these rings. They''re the ones who sent this to me," Feather tried to remind her mother. It has to be them, she was pretty convinced of that.

    "That family had already been dealt with," Fara told Feather, "There''s nothing left of them anymore and with all that happened to them, I don''t think they still had confidence to go against us. They knew it''s going to be dangerous for them,"

    "We can''t be sure of that," Feather replied, refusing to settle. "With what happened to them I''m sure they wanted to get back to us if they have the chance.

    Fara thought of it. Her daughter''s words somehow made sense. "Don''t worry I''ll go and check on them. It has been long since we have had news from them also, it would be better for us to check and look into their recent activities. However, keep this as a secret from you Father. We''ll both end up dead meat if your father will know,"

    Feather nodded in agreement. She too doesn''t want her father to know as her father already decided previously to let that family off. Thetter were a close family friend of theirs and so for the sake of old friendship, Mauro Han, Feather''s father and the current president of Han''s Scintiit gave his word not to cause anymore trouble for that family. However, with what happened today, Feather found it hard to ease her suspicion. She wanted to be sure that no matter what, that family will not be able to get back on their feet and be able to cause her trouble under any circumstances.

 Chapter 19 - Pre-Wedding Concierto

    It was a night of brilliance and dazzles in the capital. Tonight, many flocked into La Amandra Theater to witness the performance of Feather. After the announcement of her engagement to Hawk, her production team decided to stage a pre-wedding concierto for her. As she was a very much celebrated ballerina, the streets in front of La Amandra theater were in chaos. Fans flocked together to show their support to Feather and even though many amongst the fans cannot afford to buy a ticker, they still went to the theater just to have a glimpse of what was going to happen tonight. Besides, many celebrities and big personalities walked through the theater''s front gate and so fans can have a free viewing of them.

    Inside the theater, everyone was seatedfortably in their respective seats. Just another level up from the ground seat where the boxes, all of which were reserved for the VIP clients. On the front left side of the stage was the box reserved for Hawk and he was there already thirty minutes before the scheduled time. Everyone from the ground seat could perfectly see and gaped open freely upon the youngest billionaire and they all agreed he looked extra marvelous tonight provided the fact that this conceirto was dedicated to him. ??

    When the lights went off, everyone quieted. In the dark, the first thing that weed the guest was a very sweet aroma that came from nowhere, of course they all knew it was part of the act because as soon as the aroma scattered around, a light slow music went along with it. Few minutester the music went steady and from the stage you could already see a light that hosted ballet dancers doing a wee routine.

    Feather then was already at the back stage, standing calmly at one corner while her m team did few finishing touches. She must do good today as this was the first time Hawk was to watch her dance as his fiancee. Few weeks ago someone sent a prank gift to her and she admitted that for a moment it got her too paranoid. However, seeing that she was on every headline for the past few days because of her uing wedding and Conceirto, all the stress went away. Besides, her mother already promised she''d deal with it and she knew she could. She had proven her usefulness too many times already.

    "You are all set Miss," Her main makeup artist concluded after giving her one final look. "As usual you are ever beautiful. Almost as perfect,"

    "Thanks," Her replied to thepliment and immediately dismissed her m team by a hand cue which they all understood. Feather ever since had never acknowledged their presence, except for the main makeup artist. The rest, they can only hear her talk when she nagged about how ugly orcent their work was. Most of the time, she only gave them hand cue''s to indicate that she''s already satisfied with their jobs.

    "Ami?" She called for Ami this time.

    Her assistant ran toward her immediately. Although shemitted a huge mistake worthy of being fired, Feather luckily didn''t push it through which she was d of course. Truth was, there were many times that Feather wanted to fire Ami but apart from anyone else she''s the only one who was faithful to her. Also she always has a hard time finding any other assistants because the previous one she hired to rece Ami onlysted a day or two.

    "Yes Miss?" Ami answered as soon as she''s in front of her. "Do you need anything?"

    "Is President Hawk here already?" Feather asked excitedly.

    "Yes Miss. He was early and was looking very handsome. He must have spent the whole day preparing for tonight," Ami answered and told her own observations.

    "Good," Feather let go of a satisfactory smile. "I''ll give him a performance he will never ever forget,"

    "That''s the spirit Miss!" Ami cheered for her.

    ***

    All of the junior dancers on the stage were very fun and satisfying to watch. Their movements were all synchronized and harmoniously choreographed. Hawk wasn''t really that interested in ballet previously, not until he met the ballerina in Somerset vige. He still remembers the first time he saw her dance, it was so mesmerizing that for one moment he thought he was dancing with her in a heavenly realm. Tonight, as he watched his fiancee dance, perhaps that same old feeling wille out again. He had seen many of Feather''s performances abroad, in fact as the time he got the money to afford it, he never missed any single concert of her but then, all those times, that old feeling upon seeing her dance never came out again. Perhaps it was because they weren''t reconnected yet. Ever since Hawk was able to raise a name for his own, he had always wanted to reconnect with the Han''s heiress but he was afraid that by then he might not be able to control himself anymore and his uncontroble devotion and desire for her would make her gave up her dream to be a sessful ballerina. He wanted her to fulfill her dream first that''s why he waited for long until she finally got what she dreamed off. Tonight will be the first time he will watch Feather dance as his woman and he sure was very much looking forward to that.

    While Hawk was immense in his thoughts and while the preliminary performances were still going on, Hawk''s ears captured something more interesting. It was the sound of high heeled shoes ticking louder enough to go above the orchestra music. The tickling of the shoe resounded together with the beat of his heart as if his very own flesh was ultimately attracted to it. Hawk''s heart tightened and he let go of a desperate sigh just to release the tension that started to unfold within him.

    "Who''s there?" Hawk asked as it seemed that the steps he heard stopped just right at the curtain of his box. He also turned his head from the stage to the curtain behind him, ready to wee an intruding visitor.

    Just when the curtain flew open, Hawk''s heart leaped out from his chest.

 Chapter 20 - Pre-wedding Conceirto (2)

    A woman with the most alluring copper colored hair was standing in front of him with a half devious smile that can make one forget all their rationality. With the kind of clothing she was wearing, she was like an angel that was sent to work as seductress. She was in a night long gown with a side lit that gave away her perfectly tanned long legs almost inviting to be touched. The upper part of her gown was formed in a way that hid the intimate part of her breast but gave way the rest of its mounds. However, despite how her gown got short on fine covering, she stood sophisticatedly in a way that all men are wee to watch all the skins she let loose but were not allowed to touch them. She wore that kind of ss that she can wear nothing at all but men wouldn''t recklessly touch her because of her intimidating stance.

    "Wrong box again," Her voice worked through the train of devouring thoughts that ran wild in Hawks mind the moment she saw her, "But oh look who I have found. President Monsanto, we''ve met again?" ??

    "Finally," Hawk unconsciously said.

    "Finally what?" The woman''s smile widened, "Finally we''ve met again? Don''t tell me you have been waiting for me this whole time,"

    Hawk swallowed something on his mouth making his Adam''s apple visible. He chided himself letting go of such a stupid word in front of her. Guilt also made way to his eyes as although he didn''t want to admit it, he sent many people to look for her. Theirst encounter was almost a month ago and it would be a lie if he said she didn''t cross his mind. She did, many times, that Hawk gone sleepless for many nights and in his desperation sent not only one, but many investigators to find her.

    Hawk was not able to find a good excuse with the word he uttered so carelessly. He admitted defeat even before any war started as obviously, no matter how much he would resist, his flesh would just naturally respond to this mystery woman, a woman who can make him go berserk without even him knowing her name.

    The woman whose devious smiled remained stered on her lips walked slowly toward Hawk. He stopped just in front of him, his face facing the front of her thigh as she was standing tall while Hawk was idle on his seat. If anyone wasn''t focused on the ballet dances and would raise their head toward Hawk''s box, they could all easily witness such a scandalous re. However the woman wasn''t afraid of any of it, and Hawk was so defenseless he couldn''t even remember the fact that his box was open to everyone''s view.

    Hawk swallowed more upon the woman''s daring advances. His eyes were fixated on her front and even when it was covered by the fine linen of his gown, he was aware that only that linen was between him and her most intimate part he certainly and graciously wanted to explore if she allowed. One minute more and he could already feel her smooth hands running on his thick curly locks, he immediately closed his eyes to feel it. The girl caressed and yed with his locks until she let go and had her finger run down on Hawk''s face, down slowly until she reached his jaw. Then with an inch of a force, he raised Hawk''s face so thetter could see her goddess like face. What weed Hawk was her fiery honey colored eyes that resembles that of her fiancee but not as alluring as hers. Hers was just so raw, fiery and wild yet unexpectedly pure.

    "They say ballet was one of the finest art," She started uttering words again that Hawk wasn''t even interested about at the moment. His heart was raging wild and his hands were shaking as he tried to control them not to touch the girl, afraid he might offend her in some ways. He didn''t know what to do, all he knew was that her touch was enough to send him flying to the moon.

    "Don''t you agree with President Monsanto?" She wanted his response, which he did after a few seconds of self struggle.

    "It is," That''s all he managed to say under her gaze.

    "What a pity then," She let gopletely and went to the front of the box, her hands now on the balcony where she could see the stagepletely. "Its beautiful, but it''s kind of boring to me,"

    "It''s funny how people flock these days to witness what they say is an outstanding performance. They all im it''s all for the sake of art but I doubt many of the people sitting below do know what real art meant. They''re all just here for the hype probably can''t even tell which part of it is real art"

    All the words she uttered, although Hawk heard it clearly, just got through his ears and stuck on his head. He didn''t dwell on it much as the only thing he cared about at that moment was how to make here closer to him again. It was like the girl intentionally let him go, teasing him and making him suffer as she knew how he craved for her.

    "Do you want to witness a real art President Monsanto?" Her eyes found his again and the words for Hawk, hid some meaning that she was going to give him something he will not be able to resist. Hawk of course wasn''t able to give his yes, he only gaped open in front but he knew deep within him, before the girl would even ask for anything, he can only defeatedly say yes.

    She smiled again. He waspletely silenced by her enigma.

    "Come and I''ll give a performance you''ll never ever want to forget," She saidst and walked out of the box. Hawk, who was already under whatever spell she brought with her, could only do nothing but follow her to whichever hell or heaven she would lead him.

 Chapter 21 - The Fountain

    For a moment, Hawk thought he lost her again. He followed her into a series of doors and exits that ended up in an unending garden maze where she kind of yed hide and seek with him. Hawk was the blind seeker, mindlessly searching for someone who had trapped him in a kind of emotion that was hard for him to escape.

    Atst, he found her standing beside a water fountain in the heart of the theather''s garden. There was no single soul in there aside from him and the girl. It was like she intentionally led him to this ce alone so that no one could witness whatever dirty crime she was going to do with him. ??

    For a moment, they just looked at each other like nothing else in the world matters. Then the girl broke their connection as she bent down to let her feet loose from her heels. Then she immediately climbed into the fountain''s basin, barefoot.

    Hawk. worried that the girl might fall strode hastily toward her but just a few inches from the fountain, the girl''s voice halted his steps.

    "Watch me," Her voice was almost like a whisper but Hawk heard her and as he was greatly enticed by her, he ended up looking at her to give her an audience.

    The girl then started dancing, gracefully like a swan. She turned and glided with such a precision of a highly trained dancer. She danced to no music, only the wind was herpany yet it was so beautiful and mesmerizing to watch. Her expression too was so enticing, silently narrating the story of a lonely moon goddess who had been separated from the love of her life. She danced so ever beautifully, more beautiful than all the dancers in the concierto.

    While she was dancing, something within Hawk surged up. It was an old feeling, he longed to feel again for a very long time. The girl''s dance brought him back to Somerset vige twenty years ago where he first saw the Han''s heiress dance. Watching her was like he was surrounded in a kind of bliss that was beyond description. The scene for him was so breathtaking that Hawk''s jaw fell open with so much adoration.

    She was right, it was the kind of performance he will never ever forget.

    The girl too was lost in the dance, she didn''t want to stop. It was like her life depended on it and she held onto each step with hope until she reached her final leap. The girl flew into the air, like a bird, free and unconstrained. Shended just right into the basin''s line perfectly. Her dance was finished yet before she could make her final bow, something happened that made her lose her bnce. She fell from the fountain''s basin to Hawk''s strong arms. He caught her just fine as if he was always ready for her.

    "Are you alright?" Hawk asked, pushing away all the hair out from her face. She just smiled in response.

    "I know you''ll catch me," She said, giving Hawk some hint that she intended her fall. However, her voice this time was different. There was sadness and frustration, like she did something wrong in that very perfect dance. "Did you like my dance?"

    Hawk looked at her face thoroughly ever wondering what could have possibly made her sad. Her pain was resounding in his heart, as if they shared one beat and that he himself could feel its loneliness. Knowing that she needed his response, he gave her a reassuring smile, "I did. I like it very much, every inch of it,"

    Her face brightened at his answer. And as it did, Hawk was too drawn to her already that he cannot anymore control himself especially that she was so warm and real in his arms. He lowered his head to kiss her and she opened her mouth to wee him. Hawk drowned himself with the taste of her lips and she just let him savour it all. Their slow passionate kiss went intense just after a few minutes and Hawk had no ns on breaking it. He was so thirsty of her, many were the nights that he dreamed to devour her lips once more.

    She however was in some kind of haze brought by memory of the dance she just did. She was lonely then and Hawk''s warm arms and kisses was the onlyfort she had then. And so she let him, she let him give her warmth, she let him make her feel good that her mind and heart could think none of the sadness and just the feel of the Monsanto President''s kisses.

    The intensity of their kisses aggravated and they were both ready to let loose. Hawk''s kisses travelled down to the woman''s neck then, tasting the peculiar sweetness of her neck as the woman''s hands pulled off Hawk''s neck ribbon that wrapped around his neck. She then unbutton two of the buttons of her inside shirt and slid her hands to feel her warm chest. Hawk moaned inwardly as he felt the smoothness of her caress, then went to kiss her mouth again. More ravishing than the first time. As he did, her hands travelled from his chest to his neck and she pulled him more closer to her, it was her time to taste him. Hawk slowed down his kisses and yed with her seeking tongue. He could already feel his body burning up and his wanting surged up that any minute he was ready to get her naked. However before he could pull any of her clothing down to show all her hidden flesh, a loud slow "Ding dong" was heard all over the ce that instantly broke their kiss.

    "Midnight," The girl uttered as if she remembered something very important, "It''s midnight already," Then she moved, squeezing her body out so that Hawk could do nothing but let her go.

    "Leaving now?" Hawk was caught off guard at her sudden change of mood and as he was still breathless and half-awake from his surging want, he wasn''t able to stop her sudden escape. "Hey wait!"

    She stopped for a moment and looked at him for once, "Thank you for tonight,"

 Chapter 22 - Chasing Her

    "Wait, please tell me your name," Hawk''s voice was like he was pleading for it. He can''t lose her again tonight without knowing anything about her, even just her name.

    "You need not to know," She replied and ran as hurriedly as she could. Hawk, desperate to know more of her, chased her as she escaped but just as fast as she came, so was she when she left. As he lost sight of her, he thought of all the possible ways she could have taken and ran to the first direction he could think of. He was not done with her and he can''t just allow her to slipped away tonight. He needed something, something that could give him assurance or hope that he''ll meet her again.??

    Few minutes of chasing blindly and he finally caught a glimpse of the woman he was looking for. He saw her passing through a traffic bridge, walking steadily barefoot. Both of her heels hung on her right hand.

    Was she that desperate to run away that she didn''t even have time to fix her heels?

    Hawk thought but then, the girl didn''t give out any expression nor concern about the fact that she was walking barefoot. She wasn''t even in a hurry, confident enough that she had escaped Hawk Monsanto''s sessfully. It was like she intended to walk barefoot as it was something she preferred to do. Looking at her from afar, Hawk raised a brow not with the peculiarity but the familiarity of the circumstance. All his life he only knew one woman who loved walking barefoot and the woman she was following with was the second one.

    With this, instead of chasing the girl to let her give out some information about herself, Hawk decided to follow her secretly, hoping he''ll learn more of her just by following her around.

    The woman was walking alone solemnly and it was obvious from how nk she was staring at the street she walked in, that her mind was full of deep thoughts. Hawk wondered then whether it was he that was troubling her mind or something else. If only he can read her mind, he was damned interested in her thoughts.

    As he was trailing behind her back, he noticed that someone approached the girl as she was about to cross the pedestrian. It was a child, a beggar, who probably was asking her for some spare coins. The woman, as Hawk saw, stopped her tracks and faced the little child. Hawk was expecting her to shoo the child provided the fact that the little child who approached her was too dirty, almost covered with dirt in all ces. She must have even spoiled the woman''s gown with her dirty hands. However, nothing like that happened. Instead of pushing the girl away, she bent down and smiled at her sweetly and even spared extra time to talk to her as if she was someone she knew and cared for. If only Hawk could hear their conversation but he was at a far off distance it was impossible for him to hear anything. However, he was very sure the child was asking for some spare coins and the woman he was following sure had no money at hand. She held nothing but just her heels and Hawk didn''t remember her bringing any purse at all. Hawk then just continued look, waiting for how the woman''s conversation with a beggar would turn out.

    To Hawk''s surprise, even though the girl had no coins to spare, she was able to give the child something far more valuable than coins. The girl pulled the pair of earrings that was hanging on her ears and willingly gave them to the child.

    "Stupid move...tsk...tsk..tsk.." Hawk talked to himself. "You''re just as stupid as her," He added when he remembered another person who did the same thing few years ago. Beggars in town were somehow kind of connected with each other. If you n to give any of them, then be prepared to give all of them. However, although Hawk thought this act as a stupid move, he smiled at it, as such kindness, although stupid warms his heart every time he witnessed it.

    When the woman was done with her business with the child, she sent her off with a wave and she crossed the street smoothly only to be weed by another group of child beggars at the other side, all palms open ready to receive something.

    "Oh here we go," Hawk uttered again to himself as he saw the situation she was in. Hawk expected her to panic as the children surrounding her seemed like they were not willing to let her go without her giving anything. He prepared then to rescue her in case she''ll ask for help but again, for the second time, Hawk''s expectation failed him as nothing like that happened. Instead of panicking, the girl smiled at all of them and said something he couldn''t hear. A minute more and she saw the girl willingly gave up her heels for the kids. It was the only thing left of her apart from the dress she wore but without even giving it much of a thought, she let them have it. Hawk, who had witnessed the girl''s generosity, was thunderstruck for a moment. He had seen this kind of scene before and everything just gave him some sense of familiarity and satisfying feeling as if he had found something he long ago had lost, but didn''t know what.

    It made him feel some old feelings, something he was very familiar with twenty years ago in Somerset vige. But then, he was confused thoroughly because those things was something he didn''t expect to see again with that woman, basically a stranger to him, whose name he didn''t even know. What is with her? Because right then, Hawk felt like they were connected by an invisible thread that got tangled up in their past. Also, why was that even he was very sure of his devotion to Feather, every time this mysterious womanes out, it makes him be doubtful of anything even with his own self.

 Chapter 23 - Chasing Her (2)

    As soon as the group of children were satisfied with her present, they all gave way for her and she continued her journey. Hawk, although surprised at the girl''s actions, was able to move on his feet to follow her as fast as he could. However at the pedestrian where the girl just recently crossed, a car halted blocking all of Hawk''s way.

    The door flew open just in front of him revealing Lucas. "President the concierto if over. You need to go back now," ??

    Only upon hearing it did Hawk realized he had been gone for a long time. He looked at Lucas meaningfully as if he couldn''t believe how time had run that fast without him knowing it. "Was Feather''s performance-"

    "It ended just fine. Luckily Miss Han didn''t break down when she noticed you were missing at the concert she dedicated for you," Lucas told politely rebuking his boss for his inappropriate disappearance.

    Hawk chose not toment on Lucas'' words as an utter guilt struck his heart. What had he done again? Why in the world did he chase another woman rather than choosing to stay to watch Feather dance?

    Frustrated on his own mishaps, Hawk only sighed in distress andbed his hair out of frustration. He immediately hopped inside the car and sat beside Lucas who was shaking his head.

    "It''s that woman again," Lucas uttered on Hawk''s face. "I saw you following her,"

    "It was foolish of me. I know," Hawk admitted his own mistakes. "It''s just that¡­" Hawk closed his eyes and pressed the bridge of his nose. "I have no exnation for it. I''m deeply sorry,"

    "President, I''m not the right person you should apologize for," Lucas reminded him once again. He didn''t know what was happening with his boss, he himself had been confused on how reckless his decision was these days. He had seen his devotion for the Han''s heiress and he thoroughly believed it was something that could withstand even the most evil seductress in town. For Hawk Monsanto to fall into the trap of one particr woman only proved that she was more than a seductress, she must be a witch who had blown some love potion on him.

    *** shback Twenty years Ago***

    A boy, with attractive grey eyes and shoulder length curls can be seen hiding in one alley while waiting for someone. He was sure that any minute from now, the girl whom he yed basketball with a few days ago would pass through this side of the vige and he had a major business with her. He stood hidden in one corner of a stall, kicking small stones to entertain himself.

    Soon, when the young Hawk could already see the sun on the top of his head, the girl appeared, walking as gay as the birds that were flying above her. She wore a traditional Somerset vige dress in pastel pink color that was rather too long yet because she was tall, much taller than the other kids around, the material reached just perfectly only until her ankle. Through that, Lee Hawk could see she had worn no shoes at all. Hawk raised a brow at this especially that he could see a pair of shoes hung together in a thin rope across her neck.

    When she passed by, Hawk hid himself for some reasons. He was having doubts on approaching her or probably his ego doesn''t allow him just yet. But with the urgency of the situation he was in, he knew he had no choice but to talk to her. Not yet prepared for a conversation, he just secretly followed the girl as she walked along the uncemented road alone.

    As bright the sun was, the girl was then singing happily minding not the sun. From all the other girls he knew, she was somewhat disgustingly different. Unlike all the girls in their vige, she was the only one who wasn''t concerned about how she looked, not the dirt, sun or even her own sweat can make her withdraw to one corner to fix herself. Also, when all the girls around were trying their best to keep their skin away from the harsh sun, she on the other hand loves to walk unprotected under it. Even when Hawk was young, the boy had been exposed to girls of different ss and stature for he was a Monsanto. He was then very aware of how girls should act supposed to be and yet this girl? She had definitely broken all the standards that were set.

    One more turn and Lee Hawk lost sight of the girl. He panicked a little but after a brief look around, he found her sitting beside one of the beggars who was ying a broken flute, hoping someone would consider the music he yed a masterpiece, which was rather too impossible since his tool was broken. Nevertheless he yed with hope that for the sake of broken art or mercy someone would spare him some coins. The girl beside him, whom Hawk was following, decided however that the music was one of a kind and sheplimented the beggar then dropped a couple of coins to his can. After her music break, she started walking again still with no shoes worn on her little feet.

    Hawk diligently followed her but s on their next turn, the girl encountered another beggar again, this time without a broken flute but with palm open, very ready to ept thest of the coins the girl had. It was herst, Hawk was sure because her purse did not make a clunk sound when she shook it.

    Lee Hawk just smiled at how foolish the girl was, giving everything to the beggars and leaving nothing for herself. Then the girl started walking again but on their next turn, the girl was faced with another beggar dilemma and Hawk could not believe she was stillpassionate knowing she had nothing to give anymore.

    "Oh I don''t have a coin anymore," He heard the girl say. "What would I give you if I don''t have anything anymore?" She touched her head as she was thinking, as if her hands had some magical active brain power. Momentster her face brightened as if she had found a brilliant solution then proceeded to pull the shoes hanging on her neck, "Oh well, you can have my shoes. Sell it to the market, you''ll get money for it.

    Hawk''s face instantly fell with her resolution.

 Chapter 24 - Somerset Beggars

    How foolish was the girl to be fooled by the beggars in town? It was obvious they were all waiting for her because probably every time she passed by, she would always make time for them. Didn''t she even realize that. Besides, it was okay to be generous but to give your own shoes to a beggar just because you don''t have any more coins to spare was simply outrageous, beyond foolish than he can ever imagine!

    "Here," The girl sessfully untangled the pair from her neck and she immediately handed it to the beggar whose face became too frantic for such an unexpected gift. ??

    However, Hawk couldn''t take it anymore, so before the beggar could walk away with the girl''s shoes, he intervened.

    "Wait!" He shouted and both the girl and the beggar looked to where the boy was standing. Looking straight to the beggar, he shouted again with a demand. "Give it back to her!"

    The girl instantly made a face when she realized who it was. She faced him with two hands on her waist, "I give it to him already, you dumbo little pumpkin!"

    Seeing that the beggar didn''t heed his demands, the young Monsanto ran and grabbed the shoes away from him "I said give it back to her. It''s hers. You won''t even make a use of this as it doesn''t fit you in the first ce," He then carefully hung the girl''s shoes in his own neck and grabbed something in his purse. It was some spare coins he kept and he gave it to the beggar in exchange for the girl''s shoes. "Take this and go. This can buy you enough food for the day"

    The beggar who had now some coins in his hand was greatly satisfied and so he left. The girl however wasn''t pleased about Hawk''s intervention and confronted him right away, "What''s that for?"

    Hawk did not answer her question. Instead he kneeled on his feet and positioned one shoe to the girl''s feet. "Wear it. You''ll eventually hurt your feet if you continue walking barefoot,"

    The girl did not expect such a gesture from him, especially that few days ago, that same boy had gone berserk just because he couldn''t ept defeat. Not wanting to cooperate with her, she declined immediately, "No, I won''t"

    "Just put on-"

    "I know why you are here," She cut him off and proceeded tounch an unannounced confrontation the young Monsanto wasn''t prepared for. "All the boys didn''t want to y with you anymore unless you apologized to me? Right?"

    "Well.." Hawk seemed to have lost his tongue. The boys in the vige indeed refused to y with him and even so became friends with him because of how he acted previously. Worst, words of how Hawk had gone berserk over a basketball game reached his ''papa''s'' ears and he wanted him to apologize or he''ll be grounded forever.

    His ''papa'' who was his butler, of whom his parents have entrusted him was more than a servant to Hawk. As a servant of Monsanto''s he had seen first hand how the adult Monsanto''s were and how their big prides and bad deeds caused them the current misfortunes of their family. He wished then for Hawk not to follow the same path and so ever since Hawk came in his custody, he tried to teach him the good ways and discipline him as much as he could. This was the reason why he wanted Hawk to be humble and apologize for his mishaps.

    However when he approached the boys, they all agreed that they would only deal with him when he apologized to the girl they yed with that day and so he looked for her. Problem was that aside from the girl having a smart mouth and unending wits, Hawk wasn''t really into apologizing. In fact, he had never apologized to someone before as his status as a young master of the Monsanto family gave him that kind of benefit where you don''t need to apologize to anyone you''ve wronged.

    "Well what? Are you ready to apologize to me?" She demanded. Unfortunately her demand only made the young Monsanto scratched his head without even saying a word.

    "Don''t tell me you don''t know how to apologize?" She added as Hawk wasn''t answering.

    "I sure not¡­" His voice was low as he seemed not willing to admit that there was something in the world he wasn''t capable of doing and that is how to apologize when you''ve wrong others.

    "What?" The girl heard his answer for the first time yet it seemed like she couldn''t believe it. Is it even possible that there was someone who didn''t know how to apologize?

    "I don''t know how to apologize," Hawk repeated it again for her.

    The girl blinked for a moment trying to rationalize what she just heard. She looked at Hawk thoroughly from head to foot with her two big round eyes. Her incredulity got her lost for a while.

    "You don''t know how to apologize?" She repeated her answer just to make sure she wasn''t just hallucinating. Hawk answered with a nod right away and only then did the girl realize he wasn''t bluffing or so. When she had a gasp of everything, instead of bing annoyed with the boy, he pitied him. For him to not know how to apologize only meant he must have not been taught well by her parents, or he might have no parents to start with.

    The girl cleared her throat and uttered, "I''m sorry.."

    "What?" Hawk was confused.

    "I''m sorry," The girl repeated. "That''s what you say to someone when you want to apologize to them. Also you need to be sincere as it is the sincerity that makes one forgive you more than the word sorry itself,"

    There was huge silence between them after that. They both contemted on what they both heard that moment. Soon, the silence was cut off by the young Hawk as he spoke, "I''m sorry. I''m sorry to you and I''m sincere with it,"

 Chapter 25 - His Apology

    For a moment, the girl looked Hawk, unable to decide whether she''ll be amused or take pity on him. For how can a child, older than her, know none about making apologies. Does he have no parents that teach him good manners?

    Perhaps she''s lucky, her father never fell short on reminding her how to act and be kind to other people. ??

    "Well not bad," She told him, hiding the amusement inside her. "You are a fast learner,"

    "I am?" For no reason, the girl''spliment made Hawk proud of himself. It was like for once, he had aplished something good in his young life. He didn''t know why but there was some kind of need in him to make the girl see him in a different light. He was aware he didn''t do well the first time they met and he wanted to change that.

    "So we''re okay now?" Hawk rified.

    The girl nodded. Then she went on her way. "Well I have to get going. You can tell the boys that were now good so they''ll allow you to y with them"

    "Hey wait!" Hawk followed her.

    "I''m really in a hurry," She said, making full strides.

    "Can I tag along then?" He asked, wanting to keep herpany. He worried she might keep seeing beggars on the street and continue giving something although she had nothing to give anymore. "I''m afraid some beggars will pester you along the way,"

    "For starters, you don''t have to be afraid of beggars. They just wanted some money for food. Second, they are not pestering me. If they are, I don''t mind at all," She told the boy as she walked along, Hawk was following her. Her tone was like chiding the young Monsanto for having such a negative mindset about beggars.

    "But those thugs are only leeching money from everyone. Instead of working, they sat all day in the streets to ask for money," Hawk continued his defense. Growing up, he was not allowed to walk on the streets alone as his parents told him there were many bad people in the streets and beggars. With beggars always being mentioned together with bad people, he sees them as one.

    "That''s not true at all," The girl shook her little head. "Beggars are just unfortunate people and besides there are other reasons why I always give them something aside from the fact that I pity them,"

    "Huh?" Hawk''s brow''s creased. "If you don''t pity them then why take effort on giving them something?"

    "Because my papa says whenever you give to one, you feed two," She answered simply as if what she had said was easy for Hawk to understand, but in the end, it only got the young boy confused.

    "Howe?" He took it literally as he was a child. The girl''s wisdom was deep, not something a young Monsanto could understand. The world he had lived in the capital was full of greed and so giving to others without any business benefits was certainly the Monsanto''s will never teach him.

    "Well, first you feed the person whom you give. The beggar for example," She patiently exined to him. "Second, you feed your soul,"

    "Your soul?" That was deep. Hawk thought. He already knew the girl was somewhat weird but then, he was enjoying every moment he had with her and so he went along.

    "Yes your soul. And that''s what I''m after when I give," She let go a satisfactory smile and went on, "It''s not what you give pumpkin. It is the feeling of satisfaction, aplishment and the fact that you inspire others thates with it,"

    "Satisfaction and aplishment?" He repeated the words she emphasized more. "Inspire others?"

    "Yes. Whenever I give, it satisfies me. It makes me happy. That''s why I give more, because it makes me happy more," Herst exnation was widely spoken and clear. Hawk then understood but such wisdom was foreign to him, refreshing and new. He never gets to hear these things in his old home.

    "I don''t understand how you be happy after people take something from you," Hawk couldn''t rationalise it then. He was brought up in a home where giving wasn''t an ordinary thing. Also, as a Monsanto young master, he never came to a point where he had to give up something he owned for the sake of others. He was pampered well that he never had to think of other people but only himself.

    "You should try it then," The words the girl uttered rang to his ears like a challenge. "You''ll be shock to learn how good it feels,"

    The girl''sst statement was apanied by a sweet smile that got Hawk awestruck. He swallowed some saliva in his mouth as his cheeks warmed up. The feelings that went on him were something he had never felt before, it was good. Too god that Hawk clung to it as he could.

    "Good," He unconsciously uttered while looking at her. "It feels so good,"

    "What?" The girl caught his expression and got confused in his words in an instant.

    "I mean good...It must really feel that good" He tried to fix his words as soon as he realized his mishap. He certainly didn''t want to look like a fool in front of her. Not ever.

    The girl just nodded again, trying to convince him into giving. She learned all those words he said from her father and she was just proud she was able to exin it well to the boy in front of him who seemed very ignorant when ites to proper manners.

    "By the way I don''t know what to call you aside from pumpkin," It came to her attention that they both haven''t formally introduced each other, she doesn''t even know his name and so she initiated the introductions, "What is your name by the way?"

    "Haw-...Spin, you can call me spin," He badly wanted to tell her his name but perhaps not today.

    "That''s a nickname the boys gave you," She pointed, "But it''s alright if you prefer it,"

    The girl lived long enough in Somerset for her to know their ways. It had been a natural habit of the people here not to call everyone with their given birth names rather they make nicknames for them. These nicknames were taken from something that reminded them most of the person. Hawk for example was called Spin, as the boys were impressed at him being good at spin top.

    "And your name then?" he turned to ask, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

    "You can call me Cat," She answered and winked, "That''s what the boys here call me,"

 Chapter 26 - Festival

    Soon, the two children reached a busy part of the vige. There was a festival and so the ambiance then was lively. Hawk could see different colors, ranging from all the beautiful materials that were hung for sale to all the hand crafted goods disyed on the streets. There were also musicians ying local instruments while people flocked in front of them to listen and toss some coins. Even the people themselves were colorful as most of them wore traditional Somerset clothing that were all in bright pastel.

    For a moment Hawk was lost in the crowd. His mouth gaped open upon the things he had seen. He had never gone to such a ce before, more so wandering around the midst of people alone. As a young Monsanto, he rarely got out of their house and he wasn''t allowed in adult parties that their mansion always held. He was practically hidden from everyone especially because their family had many business nemesis who would love to get a hold of him to be used to their own advantage. So all his life, he had never been in a crowd like such. ??

    "Look at those things!" Hawk looked above as he adored the beautiful colored papers wrapped in a kite that was flying in the air. "They look marvelous! Looks like graffiti in the sky!"

    "Those are kites," she said, not as awestruck as the boy. She was a Somerset girl and she had been to many of their festivals before so all the things that Hawk was seeing weren''t new to her. However she was greatly amazed at how the boy was acting ignorant on all these things. Perhaps he was a very remote vige, more remote than Somerset which doesn''t have festivals? It was very obvious from his face that he had only known what a festival is like today.

    "Kites," Hawk murmured with fascination. He let himself adore the view for minutes more until he realized the girl wasn''t anymore by his side. He looked around wondering where she went and found her entering a store. He immediately ran to catch up on her.

    "Hey Cat!" He called as he entered the same store where he had seen her. However the store was spacious and there were many racks of goods that blocked off his sight. He was having a hard time locating her.

    "Cat!" he called again for her as he eased himself through different directions.

    "Right here," Finally she answered and when Hawk followed her voice, he found her at the far end looking at something that was disyed on the racks.

    "What are you looking at?" He asked with a frown as he approached her. When he followed her eyes, itnded on a metal ring. On top of it was a beautifully carved metal butterfly wing with little sparkles of green.

    "Nothing," She says, although her eyes were greatly fixed at the tiny jewelry. She let go a regretful sigh and Hawk finally understood she wanted it that much.

    "If you like it too much then we should buy it," Hawk suggested but the girl only shrugged at his suggestion.

    "I don''t have money for it," She honestly replied and looked at Hawk in the eyes, "So I''m just looking at it,"

    "How much is it?" Hawk asked and pulled something in his pockets only to realize he himself didn''t have money to buy her the ring. He wanted to so desperately buy it then knowing how much the girl adored it.

    Instead of answering Hawk, the girl just walked away and left the store. Hawk hurriedly followed her, afraid that she''ll feel utterly sad because she wasn''t able to get what she wanted. However as soon as she started walking on the streets again, she disyed the same vibrant vibe she had previously when he first saw her.

    "Hey!" He called on her again. Didn''t he tell her he wanted to tag along? Why does it seem like the girl keeps leaving him? When he caught up on her, he asked immediately "Are you not sad?"

    "Huh?" She asked as one of lush eyebrows curled up.

    "I mean are you feeling bad that you were not able to buy it?"

    "Why would I? I''lle back some other day to buy it," She simply answered not giving it much of the thought. Truth was when she left their house, she brought enough money to buy the ring but she gave them all to the beggars earlier. She had seen the ring a few days ago and was greatly attracted to it and so she promised to herself to buy it during the festival if only the beggars didn''te into the picture.

    "I see," Hawk concluded and started pestering the girl again with another question. "Where are you headed next to?"

    "On the wheel," She answered, this time slowing her pace because she could see that the boy was sweating already. She acknowledged the fact that she was taller than him and so her steps were far big for him to catch up.

    Hawk knew the ce she mentioned. The wheel was where all people gathered to get water and do theirundry. Most of the people in Somerset don''t have their own water system on their houses and the wheel was their water resource.

    "What are you gonna do there?"

    "I''ll wait for someone,"

    "Someone?" Hawk got annoyed at the mention of another person who will be joining the girl sooner. Was he not enough of apany that she still needed someone else?

    "Yes, we agreed we''ll see each other in the wheel," She told him, unaware of the selfish thoughts running on Hawk''s mind. "He will drop his horse there for a drink so I told him that is where we will meet,"

    He.

    Hawk definitely caught that and his annoyance only got worse knowing that she intended to meet another boy.

    Who is this boy anyway that made her wait?

    And why would they go to the festival together?

    He was d then he tagged along because he cannot mouth the fact that the girl was invited by another boy to the festival.

 Chapter 27 - Her Date

    When the girl and Hawk reached the wheel, no one was around aside from a few horses that were tied on the corner. Hawk expected that whoever was the girl''s date, he should be there already waiting for her. For who would make a pretty girl wait?

    "Your date seemed to bete," Hawk murmured. ??

    "Well I''m pretty early for our agreed time," She reasoned. She didn''t even correct Hawks words when he practically emphasized the word date and Hawk''s annoyance only surged up. So it was really a date?

    "Don''t you have any ce to go to?" The girl asked him and Hawk thought perhaps the girl was already bothered by his presence. However he really can''t leave her alone especially when he doesn''t know yet what kind of person she will be meeting then.

    "None really," He answered in a low voice. He felt like the girl was already shooing him away although her face doesn''t seem to be bothered by him. She was still all smiles and was very polite with all her words toward him.

    The girl did not anymore ask Hawk more questions to the boy''s relief. They stood beside the wheel for a few minutes without doing anything until the girl, probably out of boredom, climbed on the basin of the wheel that surrounded it.

    "Careful or you might fall!" Hawk shouted in an instant yet the girl ignored him. She spread her two hands in the air like she was flying and bnced herself as her foot walked into the small tform of the basin.

    "Watch me," She told him and proceeded to close her eyes. She then started to dance slowly at first until she found a rhythm to sing and followed it.

    Hawk was caught off guard upon seeing her dance. He didn''t expect he would see such a beautiful scene then. The girl with her very light feet, turned, swayed and jumped like a swan full of grace. She hummed something in the air while her eyes were close and such music ran to Hawk''s ears sweetly.

    Hawk as a young Monsanto, had seen quite so many professional performances while he was in the capital. But none of those performances he had seen can match the beauty of the dance the girl gave him. It was so perfect in his eyes and the feeling thates upon seeing her dance was like Hawk travelled to a dreamlike ce where there was nothing but all pure bliss. He can''t take her eyes off her and even though he was aware that his jaw dropped at the sudden performance the girl gave him, he couldn''t just help it.

    It was a good five minutes of bliss and then she stopped humming. Her feet also stopped, opened her eyes and smiled at him.

    "How was it?" She asked him immediately with eyes that imitates the color of honey. Her straight natural and voluminous chestnut colored hair was everywhere and she just pushed it back head uncaringly. Some sweats sparkled at her head which she didn''t mind to wipe.

    "Was it good?" she asked again even before Hawk could answer her first question.

    "..." Hawk still awestruck wasn''t able to give his answer.

    "Was it bad?" The girl''s face contorted into something that told him she was worried that the boy didn''t like her dance at all.

    "No no no," Hawk shook his head and waved his two hands in front of him, "It was really really beautiful,"

    "Really?" Her small little face brightened up.

    "Really! Swear to my bones, it was really beautiful," He confirmed with thorough adoration.

    "Do you think I can get in then?" She asked him as if she knew what he was talking about where in fact Hawk had no idea what it was.

    "Get into what?" Hawk asked.

    "Oh I''m sorry," It was only then that she realized she hadn''t told him yet. "I applied in a ballet school, my teacher in the dance ss helped me,"

    "You are a dancer?" Hawk''s eyes went big with the revtion. No wonder she danced so ever gracefully, he thought. When Hawk first saw the girl at the basket court, she looked so tomboy no one would ever thought she was a dancer in town.

    "Um yes," She confirmed. "My papa enrolled me with the dance school at the far end of the vige. I kind of liked it since then and had been training real hard,"

    "You mean you didn''t like dancing at first?" Hawk didn''t know why he asked that but somewhere in between her lines he got an idea she only liked dancing when she tried it but it''s not really her natural preference.

    "Yep," She confirmed, d the boy brought up. Truth was she kind of regretted showing off her skills to him including the fact that she was a dancer to him. She had just met the boy a few days ago and they weren''t really close in the first ce to make her open to him. Besides, none of the boys they yed with knew about her dancing and she didn''t intend them to know as dancing for her was somehow so girl-like, something the boys won''t probably prefer. However, there was something in this boy she liked about, perhaps his ignorance to many things.

    "My grandmother is actually a dancer. She used to own the ballet school where my papa enrolled me," She added and somehow her face lost some warmth upon her words.

    "I see. So your grandmother stopped teaching in that school?" Hawk asked and regretted the words as soon as it came out in his mouth because the girl became more sad upon hearing it. He wanted to change his question then or withdraw it but he was disturb by the sound of approaching horse.

    "Hiyyyyya!" Someone yelled and the horses neigh and stomped all over the ce. Hawk himself was shocked but despite it, he was able to grab the girl immediately and ran to one corner away from the approaching horse. He was afraid it might run through them.

    "Papa!" The girl shouted when she realized who the horse rider was.

 Chapter 28 - Eatery

    "Papa?" Hawk repeated her words as he turned to the girl''s side only to find her brimming with happiness. The girl instead of amodating the boy''s curiosity ran toward the gentleman who just jumped off his horse. He weed the girl with big arms as she clung to him.

    "How is my little dancer?" He told as he kissed her head. Like her, he too had chestnut colored hair that was kept under his cowboy hat and he had a yful tone as if he was a star in a certain movie. His looks too was beyond the normal handsome, something the girl must have taken from him. "Did I make you wait?" ??

    "Just a little," She answered, thrilled that her father had joined her in the festival again.

    His father like usual had been working in the fields tirelessly and even when the festival was cutting off some time he had to spend with the crops, he didn''t mind it so long as he could grant her daughter''s request.

    "Oh look at you in that beautiful dress" Her father suddenly noticed it. Fact was that she had a self-debate this morning whether to wear such a bright pink dress or not because it was rather too girly for her taste but seeing how her father was happy with it, it brought the girl some sense of pride. "I told you this would look pretty good on you,"

    "Is it?" She confirmed looking at her father with thorough warmth and affection. He was the only parent she had left, yet when ites to love and teachings, his ways never fell short. He single handedly raised her as a bright and beautiful child and everyone who could see them right then could affirm to that.

    Hawk himself was amazed by how close the father and daughter was. Their happiness was contagious and was right in all ways that only made Hawk feel detached. He never had that kind of rtionship especially with his father. The Monsanto patriarch was a strict rigid man and all his young life that was spent in their mansion, he had never once seen his father smile. This was one of the primary reasons why he feared him aside from the fact that his father would not hesitate to be violent if hemits a mistake.

    To answer the little girl''s question, his father nodded and gave her another kiss on the hair. Soon, Hawk''s presence became known to him and so he turned to his side to spare him some attention.

    "And who is this young fellow?" He asked.

    "This is Spin papa," The girl cued her little hands for Hawk to go near them. "He lives near the basketball court. His papa was the one who put the ring,"

    "I see," The man answered and when Hawk was just inches away, he extended a hand on him for a handshake as if Hawk wasn''t a boy but a full grown man. "Nice meeting you young man,"

    "Nice meeting your sir," He answered as he epted his hands.

    "Are you going to the festival with your parents too?"

    "No sir. My father is busy at the moment,"

    "And your mother?"

    "..." Hawk does not know how to answer the next question. His butler told him that when someone asked about his mother, he should tell them that she was dead. However, Hawk couldn''t bring himself to say that her mother had died when he knew she was in the capital very much alive and so he tried to avoid answering questions about her.

    "Perhaps he can join us," The girl interjected. She instantly caught Hawk''s ufort when asked about his mother and so she took the initiative to break the recent conversation, "I mean if it''s okay papa. Besides we''ve always been in the festival together you and me, and so, perhaps having Spin would somehow make a bit of difference in our festival celebration this year"

    Truth was the girl felt bad for Hawk when she realized his papa, unlike hers, couldn''t spend time with him on such a joyous day and that his mother might be missing in action. The festival was something every kid in the vige looked forward to and it had been an implied tradition then that families would usually make time for it and go to the festival together. For sure, all the boys they knew in the vige were already with their families enjoying the festival all together.

    "Well I don''t mind at all," Her papa replied, proud that her daughter was sensitive enough to notice the boy''s circumstances. He tapped her head with enthusiasm and turned to Hawk again, "Would you want to join us?"

    "dy sir," Hawk was really pleased with the invitation especially with the fact that he can spend a little more time with the girl.

    "Good then. I''ll tie up my horse on the field then we''ll leave okay?" The man then started pulling his horse to the greenery.

    Soon the three of them walked back together to the festival. The girl was holding hands with her papa, while Hawk tailed on them. The girl was very careful to include Hawk in her conversation with her papa so not to make the boy feel awkward.

    "Where do you want to go first?" Her papa asked the girl as soon as they reached the colorful crowded ce again.

    "Hmmm... actually I want to go and eat first," She replied pointing to her tummy which seemed to be all screaming for food. The girl looked soical then that both her papa and Hawkughed at it.

    "Alright then. Let''s feed that tummy of yours," Her papa answered and in the midst of hisugh added,"Where do you want to eat?"

    "You need not to ask," She answered and gave her father a wink. There was only one eatery in town she always preferred and her father already knew where it was. Knowing that her father will surely bring them there, she turned to Hawk then bbered, "My papa is going to bring us to the best eatery in here and today I''m going to let you taste my favorite food of all time!"

 Chapter 29 - Ballet Dreams

    The girl''s father brought the two kids to an eatery around the corner. It was a small one and jam packed. Because ofck of space, the owners put up tables outside the store where additional customers can sit and enjoy their meal. At first nce, Hawk did not like such a set up because it looked untidy to him and besides he had never eaten in an eatery before. However with the aroma of fresh hot soup that his nose caught and the sight of people enjoying their food thoroughly, he set aside his prejudices.

    "This is Mr. Wong''s eatery," The girl for no reason whispered in his ears as if she was trying not to tell everyone that it was Hawk''s first time there. "They served the best food in the vige," ??

    "It must be so delicious because it is obvious you like it so much," Hawk answered also in a whisper. The girl''s father caught their secret conversation and just smiled at it. Then he cues the girl to find a table for them as he goes to the counter to order food. The girl then grabbed Hawk to an empty table and sat beside him.

    "My mother and father met here," The girl was talkative enough to not open a conversation once they were seated. "That''s why this is my papa''s favorite ce too,"

    "Then is your mother joining us?" Hawk asked.

    "Nope," She shook her head and actedposed as if the question didn''t bother her. However it does in so many ways but she was a happy kid and things like that only slipped in her head for a moment and fades just minutes after, "She''s noting,"

    "Well your dad sure is a goodpany," Hawkplimented, not able to catch the split second change of her mood. "It must be fun to be with him all the time,"

    "Sure he is," The girl widened her eyes at Hawk''s words, "But he can be really annoying at times,"

    Just then, the girl''s father came with two bowls of soup. He ced the first at his daughter then the other to Hawk. He then went back to the counter and came back a minute after with another bowl of soup for himself. When he sat down, he asked the girl to take the lead in prayer and she did. Hawk just simply imitated the girl, not making it too obvious that he had no idea of such rituals or formalities, whatever they call it.

    "Dear Father, thank you for your food today. Bless it to our good we pray, thank you for your loving care that others may way always share. Amen," She said her prayer in rhymes to Hawk''s amusement. However, he could see how sincere she was and so he dared not tough at it even in secret.

    "Okay chop! Chop!" The girl excitedly yelled just after she said her prayers. Then in a hurry, she started digging on her soup.

    "Easyd," Her father tapped the girl''s head, reminding her not to be overly excited about the soup, "The soup won''t run. Besides, we have a guest right here. Try not to be so messy,"

    She answered by nodding her head because her mouth was full. She also turned to Hawk and flushed an overpleased face, encouraging him to try his bowl immediately before it turns cold. She swallowed whatever was in her mouth in one gulp and said, "Try it. You won''t regret it."

    Hawk looked down in his bowl of soup. It was certainly not as appealing as all the soups that he was used to but he can tell by the aroma of it that certainly is something worthy to be tasted. Hawk with grace, raised his spoon and took a small sip.

    Seeing how Hawk was eating in such a formal manner, she dropped jawed. "Whoo! That is not how you eat a delicious soupd! You look like one of those city boys right there,"

    Hawk turned to her surprised only to realize that he indeed was acting like a city boy. He immediately put his spoon down and thought of something before he replied, "My papa trained me how to eat properly saying I need such graces in the future,"

    "Your papa must have big dreams for youd," The girl''s father uttered pointing his spoon to Hawk. In a minute he turned it toward his daughter''s direction "I had been teaching this little girl how to act properly too and yet she never learns,"

    The girl''s father took Hawk''s exnation well. Most of the vigers dream to send their children to the capital when they reach a certain age with hopes that they can get their way into the upper echelon of the society. So it was not new for parents to teach their children how to act right and dine properly.

    "If you want to be a sessful ballerina, you need to know good graces," he added, eyes on her daughter.

    "Of course, I heard prima ballerinas are always invited to big events in the capital," Hawk joined in lecturing the girl, "You should learn table etiquettes now so it would not be hard in the future,"

    "I can just easily say no to those events, I''m not interested in any of it," She said annoyed that the two males were picking on her. It seemed that her father had found a good aplice in pestering her raw manners.

    "You won''t get much sponsors if you will always say no," Hawk brushed her reasons away, "If that''s the case then it will be hard for you to get a big break and have your own solo concert,"

    "I don''t want to be a ballerina so I can have my own solo concert, you foolish!" She gave Hawk a re. Hawk back off in an instant.

    "Look, I just want to learn ballet for one reason only. I want to have a license to be a ballet teacher, buy back the dance studio my grandmother used to own and teach ballet like my current teacher does. That''s it"

 Chapter 30 - Clearing

    "Okay fine," Hawk settled, a bit shocked by her revtion. She wants to be a ballerina so she can end up being a dance teacher in a remote small vige? That probably was not the most impractical answer one could ever give but it was sensible and humble that Hawk respected it. He didn''t argue anymore because he didn''t want to offend her. Besides her dream wasn''t his, so he basically can neither dictate nor convince her of the things that she wanted to achieve in the future.

    There was a moment of silence at their table after that. Hawk felt a bit awkward with theck of conversation but then seeing how the two other people at the table were upied and overjoyed with their own bowl of soup, he too dug in on his. He already had a taste earlier but didn''t give it much thought as he was too conscious to even raise his spoon for the second time. However, seeing the girl and his father eating freely without care of the world, he decided he''ll just follow their example. He gave his soup some attention like the other too was doing and at first taste, he could already tell it was beyond ordinary. It was also addicting that in just a span of minutes, Hawk already finished his.??

    "This is so good--burp!" Hawk didn''t mean to make such an impolite sound at the table and immediately he blushed out of embarrassment. "I''m...I''m sorry.."

    Just then the girl let go of a loud guffaw. She had seen how Hawk''s face went crimson and because he had a paleplexion, the blush ran obvious in his face, "Your nose is burning red like rudolph the rednosed reindeer! Ha ha ha!"

    "My little girl, stop teasing your friend!" His father chided her but she continuedughing. Shaking his head he turned to Hawk, tapped his head and assured him, "It''s okayd.The food was really so good. It can''t be helped,"

    "Thank you for the meal. It''s really delicious and the meat is awesome, I wonder what kind of meat they used for this," Hawk gratefullyplimented, not anymore bothered by the girl''sugh. He had never tasted such kind of meat before even though their mansion''s cook always made sure they had the best food. So he wondered by then how rare could that meat be that their family cannot afford it.

    The girl and his father looked at each other in amusement with Hawk''s words. The girl, stillughing called off his attention and said, "It''s not meatd,"

    "Not meat? So what are they? Some kind of vegetables? Wow, such an interesting menu!" He replied innocently that the girl almost had another round of hardugh at it. "Tell me what it is, I want to know!"

    "It''s the cow''s balls and intestines," She revealed, giving the boy a wink as if it was nothing. She then fixed her gaze to him, awaiting his reaction.

    Hawk''s stomach immediately felt some fluttery as soon as he heard it and he was just so thankful he didn''t vomit in an instant. He looked down at his clean bowl and regretted he finished it.

    "Well, it wasn''t as bad as I thought," He lied, shutting off the girl''s attempt to tease him further. His tone was neutral then, hiding every inch of disgust with the food he recently took. Good thing his mouth remembered how delicious it was so his insides wanted to give it a pass.

    "Well looks like it''s officially your favorite too," The girl tried onest tease "Next time, I''ll make sure to order two bowls,"

    Her threat made Hawk''s beamed with some sweats and she grinned at the expression that etched his face.

    ***

    After the meal, the trio explored the festival and Hawk already forgot about his upset stomach. They went from stall to stall, looking into the goods that were sold off and some entertainment. When they were done window shopping, they watched the local musicians y some music and danced together with the vigers who were there. They were also lucky enough to have watched a puppet show for free and tried some free games the festival offers. It was such a happy day and many fun things kept them upied until the sun had finally worn its end.

    Soon, Hawk and the girl were already on the back of a horse as the girl''s father guided it through the path home. They were happily singing on the rocky street until it was time for them to part ways.

    "We''re heading this wayd," The girl''s father pointed to the left while Hawk''s home was on the right. "Little girl, say goodbye to your friend,"

    Hawk mounted down the horse carefully and waved the girl goodbye. "Tomorrow again,"

    "See yah," She replied, also waving. The girl''s father then charged the horse to the path they were heading. They were riding at a slow pace as if taking all their time on the road and Hawk watched them as they went along.

    Some kind of curiosity rushed within him as he wondered where and what kind of home the two lived in. For a moment, he thought it was a bad idea to follow them specially that darkness was already looming in and his butler might have been worried about him by now.

    However, the curiosity within him cannot be tamed anymore and he just found himself following the two as they head home. They passed by many streets and houses and Hawk could only guess which one was theirs however, surprisingly, the two went through all the vige residences and headed for a big clearing.

    Hawk''s brow raised at it.

    "Their house is somewhere in the open?" He thought and when he looked further, his jaw dropped. There at the end of the greenery stood a house, not a house but a mansion in full white and it stood in such grandiose that Hawk felt so little at it.

    "They live there?" he asked himself, the end of his eyebrows met. "There''s that kind of mansion in this vige? Whoah!"

    Hawk attempted to walk in the clearing to follow them further but before he could, someone grabbed him and he shrieked.

    "Hey! Let go of me!" Hawk protested.

 Chapter 31 - The Hans Heiress

    The grab was too sudden that Hawk shrieked terribly but before he could raise amotion, the man behind him spoke.

    "Young master it is I!" It was the voice of his butler and when Hawk turned to look at such a person, he was relieved immediately. ??

    "Butler Gah you scared me to hell!" Hawk chided him immediately.

    "You were the one who scared me to hell, where the heck had you been?" It was his butler''s turn to reprimand him. He then bent slightly to make his face closer to the young boy and with a constrained voice he reminded, "Also didn''t I tell you to call me ''papa''?"

    "And yet you called me young master," The boy noted. To hide Hawk''s identity, his butler was to act as his father and of course no father would call their own son a young master so they had agreed that such formalities should be suspended then. "You are supposed to call me Spin,"

    "Okay young Spin. Where had you been all afternoon? I had looked for you everywhere!" His butler started his reprimands then. He had imposed a curfew on the young Monsanto and he was supposed to be home already a few hours ago and he was thus very worried when the boy didn''t show up on their cottage. "You have a curfew remember?"

    "I''m sorry papa," Hawk apologized in an instant. "But today there was a vige festival and a friend invited me over that I can''t say no."

    "Which friend? Those people?" Butler Gah pointed to the girl and his father who was heading toward the mansion. They were of considerable distance already away from Hawk so they didn''t hear him shrieked earlier.

    "Yes. They were kind enough to invite me over to a family affair," Hawk exined and pressed on, trying to make an impression to his butler that he was the one that had been invited which was rather true, scrapping the part where he annoyingly followed the girl to the festival.

    "But Spin you should have asked permission first before going to such asions. Besides, aren''t festivals too crowded? Those ces are not meant for a Monsanto like you," His Butler added to what Hawk calls as his litanies.

    Ever since they came to Somerset vige, Butler Gah had always been full of ''things to say'' and his mouth never ran dry of it. Hawk who was not ustomed to all advice and teachings had been thoroughly annoyed by it but had endured all of them because he had no choice at the moment. He had to stick with Butler Gah no matter what.

    "Papa I am not a little kid anymore. I know my way around the vige already and besides we had been here for many months already and had seen no threats, not even a single one. It seemed that those who had been trying to catch us had already missed us and would never ever once think we would end up in such a remote vige," Hawk begged to disagree with his butler''s words.

    "There''s nothing wrong with being careful," Butler Gah answered him. "We can''t take risk especially that it is your life at stake,"

    "I understand," Hawk was kind of exhausted to argue anymore and besides Butler Gah had a strong point so he dare not defy him anymore. "I''m sorry,"

    "Come one now young boy," His butler took his little hands on his then started walking home. "It''ste already and I still have to cook us some dinner."

    Soon, the two were walking down the road home. Since Butler Gah was a big man, Hawk had a hard time coping up with him and they walked in a way that Hawk was being dragged by. Also, Hawk kept looking back at the mansion, hoping he could have onest glimpse of the girl.

    "It seemed like the father and daughter tandem got your interest," Butler Gahmented because he was very aware of Hawk''s curiosity over the people who invited him to the festival.

    "You saw them?" Hawk raised his head to ask.

    "Of course I did. I saw the man dropping you off in the corner before he and the girl he was with went on their way," Butler Gah narrated.

    "Do you perhaps recognize them? Was the castle-like mansion we saw earlier belongs to them?" Hawk flooded his butler with too many questions and yet instead of brushing them off away, he answered all of it patiently. Butler Gah, although strict and tight when ites to disciplining him, was the most patient man Hawk had met in his entire young life.

    "As for your first questions, yes I think I recognize them, they are the Han''s. They own most of the farms here in Somerset and speaking about the mansion, yes they live there," He tried too much to give the boy some definite answer because if not, he knew he''ll seek for it somewhere else.

    "The Hans? When you speak of them you meant the Han''s in Han''s Scintiit right?" Hawk''s confirmed. He knew of the Han''s family as they were some of the intriguing elites in the capital.

    "Yes it''s them. If I''m not mistaken the man you met was Mauro Han, the only son and heir to Han''s Scintit and the girl was the Han''s heiress, his only daughter and sessor." Butler Gah told him. He was sure it was Mauro who dropped Hawk in the corner street earlier because he had seen his face and instantly recognized him. He was a bit shocked to have seen him here in such a remote vige because he thought being CEO of Han''s Scintiit took most of his time.

    "The Han''s heiress?" Hawk was amazed when he learned of the fact as he certainly did not expect that such a boyish girl was in reality an heiress in her own right more so Han. "So she''s an heiress,"

    "Indeed Spin, she is," Butler Gah took notice of the boy''s surging interest over the girl and he was amused by it. It seemed that his young master found someone who can tame him, hopefully it wasn''t as bad as he thought.

 Chapter 32 - Feather Project

    Back to the present

    It was past midnight when a woman entered the room with her dazzling night gown and bare feet. She was very careful with her steps as if a thief that doesn''t want to be caught. The room then was dark, so dark that she cannot even see a thing but was able to get through the kitchen without much effort. ??

    She went for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. She leaned on the counter exhausted, uncapped the bottle and drank from it. Knowing that she was alone in the penthouse gave her some relief. At least she wouldn''t have to exin as much.

    She nearly finish the whole bottle when the lights, surprisingly turned on, much to the girl''s surprise. Then a woman in a dark pink nightgown appeared right in front of her. She had long dark curls, while her eyes of shinning emerald prated right through the girl''s honey-colored eyes.

    "Gabrie!" The girl almost throws her bottle off out of surprise.

    "Don''t scream as if you had seen some ghost!" The other woman answered as a smallugh bloomed right through her sweet pink lips. "Where the heck have you been? Its past midnight and you made me all worried!"

    "I''m sorry I lost track of time," She apologized in an instant, her eyes refused to meet hers. Then in an attempt to hide her guilt, she tried to change the topic "Did youe down for some ss of milk? I''ll make you some,"

    "Simone!" The woman she called Gabrie red at her as she dropped her name. "Answer me? Where the heck have you been?"

    "I went out with some friends," The girl who was still barefooted reasoned as she was already feeling the cold floor.

    "As far as I know, you have no friends apart from Lucy and I," She brushed her reasons aside, one eyebrow raised. She had a suspicion where she had been and she wanted her to confess right then.

    "With some ssmates rather," Simone changed her answer knowing the previous one had some ws.

    "You don''t like your ssmates. They were all bratty richw students. You just made that clear to me a week ago,"

    "I don''t have to like them to attend a group study," Simone was already exhausted and so she could not make a convincing lie. Also she knew that Grabrie will find out eventually so there was no point of lying to her.

    Grabrie for her was like a guardian angel, not just because she looked very angelic but because she was that kind of friend whom you can never hide any secrets away. Like a real angel, it seemed like she can see everything even your heart.

    "Group study your ass. No one goes to a group study with that kind of dress," She answered and looked at Simone from head to foot. "God Simone! If your colleagues will see you, they''ll assume you are some kind of a prostitute,"

    "Of course she doesn''t!" Someone interjected and right then, another enthralling beauty entered in the kitchen with a sharp and deep ocean blue eyes and hair dyed of ash gray. Unlike Grabrie whose beauty shouts innocence in all ces, the next girl was wicked kind of beautiful.

    "She looked dashing sexy!" Her rose like lips formed a bewitching devious smile and she casted Simone a wink that didn''t pass through Gabrie''s unnoticed.

    With a suspicious look, Gabrie turned into the girl that just entered the room, "Lucy? Do you have anything to do with this?"

    "With what?" She brushed off her friend''s suspicion by acting innocent and dashed to Simone''s side. She gave her a thorough look for a minutes, shook her head upset. Then without warning, she pulled Simone''s gown lower right in the side of her breast to expose more of it. "You should have exposed it moredy! These two mounds look so gorgeous in this dress and I''m so pissed that you didn''t give it much exposure!"

    "Luci! Simone!" Gabrie called their names because right then even when the two had already been caught in the act, they pretended nothing was happening. "Tell me that you didn''t push on with that Feather project!"

    Since the three were best of friends, Gabrielle was very aware of Simone''s n on getting back on Feather Han and she was very much against it. Not because she was afraid of the Feather or the Hans, but because it involves a Monsanto. The Mosantos were not the type of person someone should messed up with and she was ultimately worried about Simone that she strongly didn''t approve of it.

    Lucy on the other hand believes that Simone needed the revenge to move on. Feather had done her friend much of a damage and somehow Simone needs to have some justice. Besides, it seemed like the more she let Feather be, the more she bes a headache to Simone.

    "Don''t shout or you''ll wake all my neighbours," Lucy tell off. She went to another fridge, a smaller one, pulled some wine and started drinking a ss of it. She also served Simone some while didn''t bother to give Gabrie any of it. As far as she knows, Gabrie can''t drink wine, not anymore. "They might assume I had gone crazy and trust me, it would only take a day for it to be a headline,"

    Lucy is a famous acimed singer dubbed as the country''s nightingale and she owned the penthouse where the three of them were all residing. The two Gabrie and Simone were her ''adopted'' as calls them. They had been living with her temporarily and yet such temporary nature extended for almost like forever.

    "I am asking both of you a question!" Gabrie wasn''t letting go. It seemed like the two went on with the Feather revenge project without her knowing and this annoyed her to hell.

    In their circle, Gabrie was like everyone''s big sister and she was overly worrying about her two friend''s safety.

    Simone was ying with fire while Lucy was the fireball herself.

    ''God! How this two could be such a pain in the ass?'' Gabrie thought as head turned.

 Chapter 33 - Deep Roots

    "Simone! Do you even realize what you are doing?" Gabrie continued her chastise. "I don''t really care much of Feather or the Han''s but Hawk Monsanto? Oh dear, you are digging your own grave!"

    Although Hawk Monsanto had somehow a good reputation and had changed the M Conglomerate''s business approach by making sure everything is clean, many still feared them. Their long outstanding reputation as being the most dangerous and ruthless family in the country for ages had already taken deep roots. That was why many were still careful not to offend them, especially now that their wealth and power had tripled. ??

    Years ago, when the tall pedestal of Monsantos had fallen, many thought they were gone for good. However, ten yearster, Hawk who was then seventeen, not even of legal age yet, had started picking up little by little their shattered wealth and reputation. He started from nothing and not long, just in the span of seven years, the M Conglomerate stood again, more grandiose than before. It was also this time that all the Monsantos hade back to the capital. they had lost many during their tribtion yet many also survived to share with Hawk''s glory. Because of this, Hawk had been greatly respected not only by his family but also by many big businessmen who had seen him grow strong and powerful. With such respectes also fear. For who would not fear a young blood Monsanto who out from nowhere, built M Conglomerate as it is today.

    "Gabrie, give Sisi a break okay?" Lucy brushed her off. Gabrie red back at her, ready for another round of whole night grumbling. Luckily to Lucy''s relief, the girl''s phone rang and when she saw the caller ID, she picked it up and walked to the balcony leaving her friends in the kitchen.

    Now that they were free of her, Lucy saw this as an opportunity to satisfy her curiosity about Simone''s escapade. So without warning, she dragged Simone to the second floor, threw her into her room and locked the door. She then plunged into her bed feeling everyfort by it, then rolled on her stomach a minute after as she threw her stilettos off her feet.

    "Now tell me what happened?" She asked, her devious ocean blue eyes were suggesting she jumped right away to the most intricate and intimate part of the story, something that involves pure seduction.

    "A ''kiss'' is what happened," Simone replied as she sat on the big red sofa near Lucy''s bed. Red was Lucy''s favorite and lucky color so it''s not surprising if her room was almost all in shades of red from the bed coverings to the curtains.

    "A kiss is the most boring ending for such a night of opportunity!" Lucy rolled an eye at her. She was expecting something more, something more daring than what Simone had done in the night of Feather and Hawk''s engagement.

    "On the neck¡­" Simone added to her answer and immediately Lucy''s eyes glowed wild.

    "Shayyyyts!" Lucy eximed like a wild woman. Well truth was, even though she was dubbed as the country''s nightingale, her spirit was as dauntless and fierce as a fire phoenix. Lucy loves everything that''s daring and that was made obvious in her fashion style. In all her appearances, she loves showing off her skin and fierce seductive look thatnded her on number one of the country''s one hundred sexiest female celebrities. "God he must have gone in famished when he caught sight of you! Good girl!"

    Simone responded to Lucy''s thrill with a smile, a forced smile actually which only ruined Lucy''s mood.

    "Sisi, your smile is very stic. Don''t tell me you are feeling guilty again?" She red at her. Although Simone was determined to get back at Feather, it was obvious something was holding her back. Lucy of course understood this part of her as Simone was not the type of girl who does such outrageous things on a normal basis unlike her who certainly loves thepany of men. Many men to be exact.

    "I''m just feeling bad about-"

    "Nope! I''m not going to let you finish and sumb to all these guilts again. Remember your goal and stick to it!" Lucy didn''t give her the opportunity to change her mind, nor changed ns.

    As far as the nightingale was concerned, Simone had finally decided she''s going to seduce the great Hawk Monsanto, make him want her to the point where he couldn''t get enough of her. Although manybelled Hawk previously as the most evasive bachelor, Lucy knew men all too well that she was aware of all their weakness. Certainly a certain Hawk Monsanto, like other men she knew was the same- they can all be tamed.

    Besides, she didn''t teach Simone how to seduce men for nothing. Over the past few months, Lucy spent a fortune to make sure Simone''s seduction skills willnd her a spot next to Hawk Monsanto, kicking Feather Han off the picture.

    "Simone, remember why you are doing this," Lucy added, hitting the part in Simone''s heart that bites so hard. "If ever therees a time that your doubts and guilt was holding you back, just close your eyes and remember carefully why you are doing this,"

    "I know Lucy. I know," Simone replied, her honeybed eyes were glistening with tears but she''s far too messed up to cry and admit defeat. Lucy was right, she had to remember why she was doing this if not, all her efforts, as well as Lucy''s efforts and money will end up wasted for nothing. "I''m doing this so that once and for all, Feather will finally realize what kind of person she is,"

    When Simone uttered her recent words, her face flushed a sad one. Seeing that she was feeling lonely again, Lucy rushed to her side and gave the girl a tight hug. Simone was probably the most brightest and bravest girl Lucy had ever met in her entire life, not until Feather messed her up and ruined her for good.

 Chapter 34 - Raging Suspicions

    It was supposed to be a fabulous night but nothing like that happened tonight. Feather danced with so much grace and brilliance as she could but when her eyesnded on Hawk''s empty box, her heart fell.

    Where was he???

    As she was dancing, for some reason her eyes warmed up with tears. Good thing the routine she was performing was a mncholy one and so the sad tender face that shed in her face blended to her dance like she was in total character.

    She wouldn''t deny the fact that she had fallen first on Hawk''s wealth but it wasn''t long before she had fallenpletely in love with him. She had always desired him, his attention and all the more his affection and every time Hawk deres his devotion for the Han''s Scintiit heiress, she couldn''t help but be jealous because she knew she wasn''t the one he was searching for.

    She had lied to him at the very beginning. She wasn''t his fuzzy cat and certainly not the one he met a few years back. But what can she do? The opportunity came to her so suddenly without warning and all she could do by then was seize it. Can anyone me her then?

    Besides the woman Hawk was searching certainly doesn''t deserve him. She was someone far below than their kind and someone not worthy of the L Conglomerate''s President so why bother about her?

    And yet she can''t help but be jealous with her even though she knew that woman was long gone for good.

    ***

    At the end of the feather''s performance, everyone praised her for such a breathtaking performance especially that her acting that night was incredible. Unknown to the audience, she wasn''t acting really and whatever expression that fell on her face was all real. However, it wasn''t long before the audience noticed that Hawk disappeared and so the whispers and spections started.

    To add up to Feather''s predicament, when her post concierto interview started, everyone''s question was focused on Hawk''s disappearance and not a single thing was mentioned about her performance.

    "I''m sorry but it would be best if my fiance would answer such questions," Feather couldn''t find a right excuse so she just refused to answer it. "I apologize," she bowed and acted very polite and gentle towards the media when the truth was she was raging mad inside ready to smash the bouquet of flowers she was holding to each of her interviewer''s faces. If only she wasn''t protecting her image, she could have pped all their faces right then.

    "You mean to say you didn''t know why he suddenly disappeared?" Another reporter asked, trying to dig as much as he can on what was really behind the issue. Being a long time reporter in the media industry, he had a nose for anything fishy and he certainly could smell something suspicious about Hawk and Feather''s rtionship.

    "My fiancee is a very busy person, let''s not all forget that. His presence tonight, even just on the start of my performance was already a big leap on his part and for that I am already thankful," Feather tried to put up a good face at those words. Although she didn''t like what Hawk did, she still was his woman and so she was bound by all terms to protect his image, and hers too.

    "Please don''t take this against him," She pleaded for them to stop all the questioning and just when she thought she had sessfully convinced everyone with her answer, another question shook the crowd before her.

    "President Hawk was spotted chasing a woman earlier. Was she the reason why he was not able to finish your performance?" One daring reporter asked.

    Feather''s inside twisted upon what she heard. A woman?

    "I¡­.I don''t think that''s true," Feather denied even though she wasn''t sure about it. She could feel her heartbeat fast as a tornado of anger swept inside her. However, her acting skills and her exposure to showbusiness got her all wrapped up and prevented her from bursting in front of everyone.

    "Well ording to the description, she might be the same woman he danced with during your engagement party. You know the one with a gorgeous copper hair" That audacious report added more to Feather''s frustration. "Do you know this woman Miss Han?"

    Feather was left speechless. Her hands were shaking with fury and any moment right then, she could lose it all. The same woman? That woman who stole her spotlight in her own engagement party managed to take away Hawk''s attention tonight, again! How daring!

    What type of whore could she be like and how thick was her face to steal her man and shame her in front of everyone! How shameless!

    "Miss Han, would you like to exin all this to us?" The reporters had seen how Feather became uneasy with the revtion and so they all started bing suspicious. Was the information leaked by theirrade true? Did the great Hawk Monsanto chase another woman while his fiancee danced on the stage for him?

    "I believe you got it all wrong. You all know how great a man President Hawk is," Feather tried topose herself as her previous actions only got the matter worse. Whether it was true that Hawk chased a woman tonight or not, she needed to contain the rumours to avoid any scandals. "Besides he wouldn''t be marrying me if he wanted someone else. Who am I anyway, I''m just, I''m just Feather Han,"

    Feather''s words were so expertlyposed that everyone was touched with her humility. Indeed what she said was right and Hawk Monsanto was the type of person who can get any woman he wanted yet he chose Feather Han. So why would he chase another woman?

    "Miss Han is right," Rose, Feather''s manager who was beside her intervened. "I believe whatever happened tonight had nothing to do with another woman. It''s not new in our industry where good couples are tried by insecure people by starting up a baseless scandal. Let me warn you all, this is Hawk Monsanto you are using,"

 Chapter 35 - Headstrong Woman

    Manager Rose reminder sounded like a threat and emphasizing Hawk''s name worked well with the crowd of reporters. Certainly they were all afraid of Hawk and so they chose not anymore to pester Feather with questions about his disappearance. Besides, they all don''t have the courage to write anything negative about President Hawk as they all are aware of what the consequences will be.

    As the interview was about to end, only then did Hawk appear with Lucas and few of his bodyguards. Of course their presence caught everyone''s attention but no one dared to approach him for an interview, instead everyone turned kind toward Feather who at that point was relieved that Hawk somehow showed up.??

    When the interview wrapped up only then did Hawk approach Feather. Although he could approach her without hassle earlier as everyone in the room would of course dare not question him, he chose to be polite and let everyone do their thing. Also, he didn''t know what excuse he would tell Feather about his disappearance earlier and he was not the kind of man who would make up false excuses. He had already made the Han''s heiress upset, lying would only add up to the injury.

    "Thank you foring," It was obvious from Feather''s voice that she was upset but she did not dare confront him about his disappearance. She even faked a smile to hide what she truly felt. For her, it was best not to upset Hawk and act like a very understanding fianc¨¦e, "Don''t worry I''ve manage to answer their questions about your absence without much of aplication,"

    Unknown to her, Hawk was trying to thread the right words to say to her because he was expecting her confrontation. The fuzzy cat he knew was a headstrong woman who would not forgive slip ups without thorough exnation and so when Feather approached him like nothing had happened, his brows creased. Did she just forgive him without exining? Weird.

    Feather saw the rather confused expression that registered on Hawk''s face and afraid that she might have offended him she added, "I know you are very busy and yet I insisted with this pre-wedding concierto without asking your schedule first. You must have a hard time adjusting things and have to go and attend to some important clients. Don''t worry I understand it,"

    The confused Hawk only nodded not able to say a word. He certainly didn''t expect such an easy pass. When did the bossy Somerset vige girl be this timid? It was obvious that she was upset but she seemed to have lost all courage to confront him and chose to keep it all to herself. With this, Hawk was having hard time trying to reach out to her as her constant pretentious act of being a very understanding fiancee shuts him off. Unkown to her, her actions was creating a wall between them, a wall that wasn''t there before.

    "The President wants you to join him in his car Miss Han," Lucas took the initiative to cut the awkwardness between Hawk and Feather. He also knew they needed to talk about what happened tonight and so he took charge of giving them the time and space to be by themselves. He thought it would be better for Hawk to bring Feather home so they can have a little privacy in his car on their way to the Han''s mansion. "He wants to bring you home personally,"

    "Of course," Feather shed another fake smile and as Lucas directed her, she went on her way toward the exit as Hawk followed her behind. Soon they were both in the backseat of Hawk''s car yet the awkwardness still lingered.

    Hawk waited for Feather to speak up but halfway to the Han''s mansion she didn''t say a word. With that, Hawk sighed and decided to cut the silence between them.

    "I''ll make it up to you," Hawk let go of a promise. "I''m sorry about tonight,"

    "President Hawk it''s nothing," Feather lied, "I know what I am getting into. I know you are managing a big conglomerate and these kinds of things are bound to happen. I''m just d you still showed up,"

    "Feather, if you are angry, it''s okay to tell me," Hawk encouraged her to open up. For other men, the Han''s heiress'' action of being apathetic to their fianc¨¦e''s slip ups was a convenient thing, but for Hawk, things were different. He had fallen hard to the Han''s heiress he met in the Somerset vige and her character was something he adored very much. However, for some reasons, Feather wasn''t speaking up. Did their long years of separation had changed her so much to the point that she was nothing like the girl he had fallen head over heels on?

    "I told you it''s okay," Feather flushed another fake smile of her and because she was a good actress, the smile reached her honey colored eyes. Her eyes that all this time Hawk was trying hard to fathom and connect but couldn''t. "We only spent little time together and as much as possible I don''t want to spend it on arguing things over,"

    "I see," Somehow, Hawk understood her point and so he stopped his pleas for her to open up. What she said was rather true, because of his role as the President of a big conglomerate, he was far too busy to spend much time with her and for that he knew he had to make up for it, "How about we spend tomorrow together? I''ll take you jewelry shopping,"

    "Jewelry shopping?" Feather''s eyes glistened with real joy upon hearing it. Knowing that she bbered the words outright looking so excited, she immediatelyposed herself, "I mean I would d to spend more time with you. Tomorrow...tomorrow is good,"

    Seeing her pleased, Hawk was relieved. He always felt bad for her, especially that for some reasons his focus was always with someone else. He didn''t know what was really happening in him and what was with the mystery woman that he just cannot resist. However by then, there was only one thing certain, Feather was his fiancee and he was bound by any means to be responsible for her.

 Chapter 36 - Simply Gorgeous

    As promised, the next day, Hawk took Feather jewelry shopping. Ami had constantly made it known to Hawk that Feather loved jewelry and so he specifically took her to one of the renowned jewelry stores in the city.

    Feather couldn''t contain her excitement then that she immediately forgot about Hawk''s disappearance in her concert. Ami, her assistant, was with her as she wanted someone to document and post their date and the jewelry Hawk bought for her in her social media ounts. ??

    When they entered the shop, many salespeople came and greeted them. They were all instructed to cater to Hawk and Feather that day and so the shop was well prepared for their visit. In fact, they had the shop closed to give the couple the privacy they needed.

    Hawk seated on a seat provided for him as the sales person brought to Feather each of the jewelry she had her eyes on. Of course as she was surrounded with so many shining and glittery things, Feather forgot to withhold herself. She and Amivished themselves on every jewel in the store and had the saledy try it on them.

    "This miss is from Europe. It is purely made of diamonds," The saledy showed her a beautiful luxurious ne flooded with many stones. Its design was filled with too much glitter stuff and it was obvious in one look that it was meant for grand asions.

    "Look at Miss Han," Ami''s eyes glittered with it, "This one is so grand it suits you so much,"

    Just one look and Feather knew it was meant for her. The ne looked pretty expensive. Imagined if she wore it on, she''ll definitely shine with so much luxury.

    "Try it on me," She instructed the sales person, which thetter did after carefully taking the ne from its box. The salesperson had gloves on as it was a standard procedure in their shop to wear one when handling their expensive pieces. The moment the nended in Feather''s neck, the girl shone with it. She looked at Hawk who was just patiently waiting for them and let him look at it.

    "This one is nice," She told how much she was pleased with it. In response, Hawk only smiled at her and nodded in approval.

    "I''ll take it then," Feather concluded and moved on to the next piece. She had made sure to pick up those things that looked grand in her eyes as it was not everyday she got to go jewelry shopping. Truth was, although she was an heiress, theirpany, the Han''s Scintiit had been in serious mess for as long as she could remember. This started when her father Mauro Han took over the presidency. Her grandfather, Don Benedicto had long retired and chose to oversee his other business abroad.

    Mauro Han started as a promising businessman but his gambling addiction always put Han''s Scintiit in trouble. This was the reason why despite their big ventures and profits, theirpany barely had the budget to cater Feather''s likes for jewelries. Most of the jewelry she owned were gifts from fans and sponsors and although she had a credit card, she was not in the position to swipe and pay for big things unlike most of the heiresses in the city. Her credit card that was sponsored by Han''s Scintiit can only cater average heiress expenses and not grand ones like Hawk can afford.

    "This bracelet Miss Han was created by Angka Lu," The salesperson continued showing off their best pieces in the house and all Feather could do was be amazed by everything. She didn''t choose a particr style or kind but rather choose all the grand things she can see. Basically whatever pieces that looked grandiose, she would have it.

    Lucas who was watching the jewelry shopping spree of Feather couldn''t help but raise a brow at it. Isn''t Han''s Scintiit apany that produces jewels? Howe their heiress seemed to have no taste in jewelry at all? She just basically grabbed off the things that shone better than the others. Could she not tell the that those she rejected were more exquisite and valuable than those she bought? Besides, what was she to do with all those jewels she chose? Will she go and attend a masquerade ball the entire year? Obviously the jewels she chose were all for grand parties. They were not the type that could be worn on simple asions and gatherings.

    "President Hawk, I''ll wait outside," Lucas excused himself as watching Feather shopping bored him to death and he felt like he was about to fall asleep soon.

    Hawk gave him an eye for some reasons but despite his warning, Lucas left.

    "I badly need coffee," Lucas managed to say before he left the room. He doesn''t care if Hawk chastises himter for leaving him to thepany of thedies and guards, he just couldn''t stand the ambiance of the room.

    ''How could he stand such a boringpany? Ah love is really something I could not understand'' Lucas said to himself, shaking his head as he exited the room. When he left the room, he forgot to close the door, especially that a surprising sight weed him in the reception area.

    "Hello mister," Ady wearing a ck casual dress approached him. Her dress perfectly showed off her long shining legs and shoulder as she was wearing a spaghetti strapped type of mini dress that although obviously looked smaller than her size, still looked dashing on her. Her copper colored hair was wrapped in a messy bun and she smiled at him in a way that took Lucas'' breath away.

    Lucas immediately recognized her and he never once thought that standing in her presence can make man almost lose all control. She simply was gorgeous and her aura would forcedly maized all attention to her. Right then, Lucas finally understood why the great Hawk Monsanto, the known woman evasive bachelor could not ever resist her.

 Chapter 37 - Hot Mess

    Simione was having a hard time with the dress Lucy had her wore. It''s definitely not her size but she had no choice then but to wear it since her clothes were identally messed up by Lucy''s personal assistant.

    It was the weekend, she had no ss or work and so she decided to drop by at Lucy''s photo shoot only to end up getting an errand for her. One of Lucy''s m team employees got sick and was not able to pick an important jewel she was to use in one of her shoots so she volunteered to pick it for her. Before she left, her dress was ruined and so she had no choice but to pick up something in Lucy''s wardrobe on the photo shoot site.??

    When she arrived at the store, there was a close sign in the door. However, the store already informed Lucy that they would close the store that day but that she was wee to send someone to pick up the parcel. So despite the close sign, Simione went inside especially because the door wasn''t locked.

    "Hello?" She called when she found no one at the front desk. The store was located in a high end mall in the city where security can be assured. Therefore the stores that rented there do not have security guards at the door and so no one was there to wee the girl.

    She looked around for a few minutes until one door suddenly opened and a man wearing a blue suite came out. He looked so put up that Simione thought he was the store''s manager and so she approached him immediately.

    "Hello Mister," She started but for some reasons Simione saw how the man openly scrutinized her from head to foot in a very surprised manner. She grimaced a bit as her confidence shuddered as she thought the man was disgusted by her dress. Didn''t Lucy tell her she looked great in it? Seemed that Lucy, her Lucifer friend, yed pranks on her again!

    "Ahm," She tried topose something but the man seemed to have not recovered from whatever caught him and so Simione waved a hand in front of eyes to wake him up. "Hello¡­"

    "Cough.cough.cough," Lucas coughed as he tried to recover his fallen pride. Sh*t! Did he just drooled in front of her? He tried to wipe his mouth as if some sweat gathered in that side of his face and was thoroughly relieved he didn''t feel any sticky wet saliva in it. "I''m sorry Miss," He apologized immediately and threaded some words to help him recover in that shameless situation, "Well...ahmm.. This store is closed?....Yeah, it''s closed. We are not open for customers,"

    Lucas wasn''t really in the ce to answer any of her store''s concerns as he was not an employee in it. However the situation calls for him to say something and that was the first thing that came to his mind.

    "Oh I know. It''s obvious with the close sign on the front door," She replied pointing to the door, "But I''m just here to pick up a parcel. We made a call earlier and they said I coulde here,"

    "I see," Lucas replied, putting a hand on his stomach. Some butterflies were clearly flying in there and so with all his might, although he was thoroughly disturbed in a good way with the girl''s enigma, he thought of a way to help her with her errand. "How about I call someone inside to help you,"

    "That would be great," She smiled and Lucas'' heart flew with it.

    "Okay," He breathed a deep one, turned back on her then tracked back his steps earlier to the room where everyone was.

    The moment he entered the room, Hawk was able to capture Lucas'' weird expression and so he raised a brow on him. He expected Lucas to say something to him but instead, Lucas called one salesperson''s attention and whispered something to her. Although only a few salespeople were helping Feather with her jewelry shopping, all of the store''s personnel were there standing at the sidelines waiting in case more help would be needed. The one that Lucas called was one of them and so she went out of the room to heed Lucas'' request without much inconvenience.

    When the saledy went out, Lucas also tried to leave the room but when he caught Hawk''s questioning eyes, he panicked. Only then did he realize how awkward the situation was for his boss as surely the presence of Hawk''s mysterydy outside the room would cause a ruckus if not handled well. The first thing that crossed his mind was to make sure Hawk would not know about thedy outside and so he steadied at the door for a moment and shed a fake smile at his boss as if nothing was wrong.

    However, he and Hawk had been together enough for thetter to know that Lucas was up to something. The way his head immediately sweated and the way he was wearing such a pretentious smile at him, made him aware that his assistant had some shady business outside. He tried to look beyond Lucas to check what''s going on outside but Lucas movedically to block his view. The door was so open then and the only thing that hindered Hawk from not seeing the woman standing outside was Lucas.

    Hawk grimaced at Lucas'' actions. Outright, he signaled him to move and shed daggers at him. Seeing it, the hair at Lucas back stood in fear! He certainly knew that look and that was something he dare not defy. So with a deep helpless sigh, Lucas moved away and the view of a woman in ck dress emerged in front of him. She was talking to the saledy that just left the room and was not in a good position to see him.

    Seeing her again afterst night definitely, if it didn''t give him chills, turned Hawk into a hot mess!

 Chapter 38 - Served Her Purpose

    "Yes miss, how can I help you?" The salesdy went out of the room to Simione''s relief.

    "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, I know you are closed today," Simione went on with her errand "But I was sent here to pick some parcel for Luci Dimitri,"??

    "Oh yes Miss, Miss Dimitri did call earlier. Do you have her receipt and her authorization? " The polite saledy amodated her immediately as Lucy was one of their valued clients.

    "Yes," Simione grabbed some documents in her bag and gave it to thedy "Here it is,"

    "Thank you Miss. Let me just authenticate this and prepare the parcel for you," She replied as soon as she had the documents she demanded.

    "No worries," Simione replied. After the small curtsy which she answered with a nod, the saledy left her to attend to her request. Simione was left standing alone in the room, aside of course from Lucas who for some reason stood at the door where the saledy came from as if blocking the entrance.

    ''What is he doing?'' Simione raised a brow at the man''s unusual behavior especially earlier when he totally made a fool of himself in front of her. Curious, she tried to peek inside the room but thought it was rather hical to pry into somebody else''s business so she let it go.

    Instead, she busied herself appreciating the disyed jewels that surrounded the whole store which was more amusing than the man earlier. She went on and scrutinized the pieces and entertained herself by the thought of how they were processed and carved delicately. Simione had a peculiar eye and knowledge about the manual jewelry process as it runs in her blood and such skill was the only good thing she inherited from her family. The rest, she doesn''t want to think about it.

    As her eyes transferred from jewelry to another, something caught Simione''s eye and as if maized by it, she found herself approaching one particr jewelry that immediately drew a smile on her face.

    It was a gold ne with a butterfly pendant. The design was a simple one, in fact its cord was very thin, almost not visible to the eye but since it was made of gold Simione knew that it would shine enough to catch anyone''s attention when worn. The centerpiece was a beautifully carved butterfly adorned with rubies. Although it seemed to be a simple jewelry, it actually was not and its rarity and value was made obvious by the fact that it was disyed on a corner of the room, separated from all the others. Simione was totally awestruck by it. With the knowledge she had, she knew it cost a lot as the design and the carving was intricately done.

    "Mariposa verde," Simone read the note that was disyed with it. She took time to appreciate it then sigh helplessly at its beauty, "Such a beautiful piece,"

    "Miss here is your parcel," The salesdy came back and pulled Simione''s attention away from the jewelry, "I''m sorry for making you wait,"

    "No problem," She went to the counter where thedy was and grabbed the box. "Thank you so much for amodating me,"

    "Anytime. Send our regards to Miss Dimitri," The polite salesdy added and bid her goodbye.

    Soon after, Simione left the store and hurried to Lucy''s photoshoot site. Unknown to her, she made someone totally disturbed as soon as she left.

    ***

    All this time, Hawk was watching the girl. She was totally clueless of his eyes all over her and of the raging fire she created on him.

    How could she wear that kind of dress in broad daylight where everyone can see all of her clearly? Her silky skin alone can already create chaos! Damn! He wanted to follow her and gouge all the eyes of those who dare look at her!

    Even Lucas was not an exception! He was already plotting how to punish himter for lusting over the woman who was currently the apple of his eye.

    "President Hawk?" Ami''s call seemed to have awakened Hawk from whatever forbidden desires that befall on him.

    Hawk turned to their side and was wee by curious expressions. Feather and Ami had been calling his attention for a while then but he was so upied that he could not hear anything. Only when Ami intentionally raised her voice did Hawk hear it.

    "Yes? Are you done?" He asked and for reasons both Feather and Ami don''t know, his tone felt like he was in a hurry.

    "Miss Feather was wondering if you like this bracelet on her," Ami expressed. ''Was President Hawk that bored already that he wanted to go? He was clearly out of focus'' Ami thought.

    "It looks good," His reply was short and went to straighten his back to give them his full attention.

    It was obvious that Hawk''s mood changed into something else and Feather was rmed knowing that she had spent a good four hours already choosing jewelry. She wanted to buy a lot more but was not willing to bore Hawk to hell as it was obvious that thetter was not anymore pleased with what they were doing.

    "President Hawk, I think I''ve had enough already," Feather said, flushing a shy face.

    "But Miss Han¡ª" Ami protested but Feather gave her an eye before she could finish her words. Seeing that Feather had thoroughly decided on leaving, she changed her words into something, "I mean, Miss Han you really are so considerate. President Hawk, I guess Miss Han don''t want to take much of your time since she knew you have many things to do,"

    "If that''s the case then let''s leave," Hawk concluded and gave a que to the group of salespersons to pack up all the things Feather chose. "I had some reservations, let''s eat first before heading home,"

    "Thank you President Hawk," Hearing it, Feather was thoroughly satisfied. She nned to have Ami leave early so both Hawk and she can have an intimate dinner. Of course, she didn''t want her assistant to tag along then, her jewelry presence during the shopping was enough and she surely had served her purpose already.

 Chapter 39 - His Demands

    When the group stepped out of the room, they were totally packed. Several shopping bags were prepared for them and Lucas went to settle the bill.

    Although Feather''s shopping was cut short, she was somehow happy to see how much new jewelry she had and the fact that Hawk was the one who was paying for it. Knowing that she and Hawk were going to eat after, she told Ami to leave. Hesitantly her assistant did as told and left the store.??

    After that, Feather thought of having some small chats with Hawk while Lucas was settling the bill but she found the man talking to a certain saledy in front of a jewelry piece. Curious, she went and checked what Hawk was discussing with her.

    "This is the mariposa verde President Hawk," The saledy introduced the piece to him. They all thought the L Conglomerate''s president was done shopping but as soon as they left the room, he went to check on the mariposa verde disyed near the reception with thorough interest. "Our store takes pride in this jewel as it is an important piece,"

    Hawk looked at the jewel and understood why the mystery women earlier took time to check on it. What got him interested was that, when thedy earlier saw the subject jewel piece, she smiled so ever beautifully. It was obvious she fell in love with the piece at first sight.

    When Hawk didn''t say the word and only immersed himself on scrutinizing the piece, the salesdy continued her narration, "This piece was made by thete founder of our store, Mr. Lance Verde, a world renown jewel artist. He made it for his wife. His wife died few years ago and he followed a year after and so their children valued this piece so much,"

    "How much?" Hawk inquired.

    "I''m sorry President Hawk, but this piece is not for sale," The saledy exined. "This piece became a symbol of our store and definitely is priceless,"

    "I want to have it," Hawk demanded. His voice was calm but since he was Hawk Monsanto, the salesdy was having a hard time already refusing his request.

    "But...I''m really sorry President Hawk. This piece as you can see was only meant as the center of attraction of our store. It''s not meant for sale. I really apologize,"

    "Call the manager," Hawk instructed and immediately the salesdy went to call the manager who was then busy supervising the payment of Lucas.

    Feather who was watching the wholemotion got curious as to the jewelry that caught Hawk''s interest. When she gave it a look, her brow''s creased. The jewelry looked very simple and although it somehow had a unique design, she didn''t think it deserved all the trouble.

    "President Hawk, don''t worry about it. I had bought enough jewelry already, I don''t need more," Feather said, assuming very well that the mariposa verde was for her. "Also I don''t really think that looks¡ª"

    "Yes President Hawk?" Her assuming words got off when the manager came to attend to Hawk. "I was told you wanted this piece. On behalf of the whole store, please ept my apology. This particr piece was very valuable to the children of thete Mr. Verde, please understand that we cannot just sell it to you. How about I show you some other jewelry that you might like?"

    "I want to know the market price of this one," Hawk wasn''t swayed by all the apologies he heard and would like to see how he can have it. If the manager would not do it for him, then he''ll find another way.

    "Previously this was valued at seventy million dors," The manager answered and hearing it, Feather''s jaw dropped.

    ''Seventy million dors? That expensive?'' Immediately her heart raced in her chest and her incredulity made her lose her mind for a moment.

    When she recovered from shock, her heart warmed up. Surely, the mariposa verde was for her and seeing how Hawk was insisting to buy it for her, she was so ttered. She blushed immediately and took pride in it, especially that everyone in the store could feel the tension of Hawk when he was refused.

    "However, as I said, it is not for sale. If you really wanted it, how about I raise your interest to the board and have them decide on it?" The manager continued.

    Since the mariposa verde is a very important piece of their store it just cannot be sold right away when someone demands it. The children of thete artist who were currently the board of directors of their stores needed some concession whether to sell it or not. That''s why the manager suggested raising it on the board. In short, Hawk cannot just buy it outright.

    "Lucas," Hawk called his assistant''s attention. Lucas, who was then busy with the payment, ran to his side immediately. He had seen Hawk''s expression and since he was very much familiar with it, he knew he was about to break loose.

    "What do you need?" He asked on the spot.

    "Make the Verde Jewelries Incorporated sell me this piece," Hawk instructed. "I won''t leave this store without it!"

    Lucas'' face fell. Hawk Monsanto''s interest over that woman was beyond control already. He knew it was for her because he had seen her earlier adoring the mariposa verde. However he did not once think his boss, the great Hawk Monsanto would go as far as making a chaos in a bigpany just for something the girl had interest in. For God''s sake the girl didn''t even say she wanted it! She did look at it though but it doesn mean when you look on something, you like it already!

    "President Hawk, are you¡ª"

    "Now Lucas!" He insisted before Lucas could push some sense on him. His grey demanding eyes showed his desperation and knowing him fully, Lucas understood there was no more way out of his folly but rather give him what he wanted. Helpless, he exited the store and dialed some numbers.

    "Damn you Hawk Monsanto!" He cussed secretly.

 Chapter 40 - Her Show

    Lucas went through hell because of the mariposa verde but Verde Jewelries Incorporated experienced the worst. To cater Hawk''s request, theyunched an immediate board meeting to tackle the impending predicament and although they didn''t want to sell such a piece, they sure don''t want to go against Hawk Monsanto. Hell knows what would happen if they refused him and surely, they didn''t want to take a risk.

    In the span of an hour, the Verde Jewelries Incorporated decided to give it to him and the only thing they could do was increase its price to a hundred million topensate for the trouble. They knew pretty well Hawk would pay as although the young billionaire was a bit ruthless at time, everyone in the business industry knew he was reasonable. At the end, the store where Hawk was waiting packed the mariposa verde to him.??

    "Congrattions President Hawk," The manager told him as he handed the parcel, "You are now the new owner of the mariposa verde. May it bring you luck and joy,"

    Hawk did not respond but his expression was already calm and wellposed and so Lucas knew he was definitely satisfied with how he ended up having the piece he demanded.

    Feather on the other hand started out impatient with how Hawk took like for a jewelry she wasn''t interested in. However when she heard of its price and value, she too fell in love with it and didn''t mind waiting for an hour doing nothing in the store.

    "Thank you and we are sorry for the trouble," It was Lucas who answered the manager''s congrattions as Hawk already turned his back to leave with Feather.

    "A pleasure to serve you sires," The manager said and every saledy present gave them onest bow and sigh with relief when the group had left the store.

    Feather and Hawk continued with their dinner date despite what happened. Hawk brought her to a high end restaurant this time so Feather was in thorough joy. Thankfully she need not to worry about vomiting and being sent to the hospital. Unlike thest time, their dinner ended smoothly and Hawk drove the Han''s heiress back to the marble mansion after.

    "Thank you for today President Hawk," Feather said once she mounted his car. Hawk opened the door and so she took this time to talk to him as all the servants were busy attending to all the jewelries they brought.

    "Anything for you my dear," Hawk replied. "I shall see you next time,"

    "Of course," Feather''s face brightened at the thought of their next date but right then although Hawk was already saying his goodbyes, Feather was still expecting he was going to hand her the mariposa verde. She had been expecting him to give it to her during their dinner but for some reason it seemed like Hawk had forgotten about it.

    Feather stood in front of Hawk for a considerable amount of time and since the servants were still busy unloading the things they shopped, Hawk didn''t mind. But when thest of the shopping bag was taken and Feather remained on the same spot without moving, he thought something was wrong.

    "Are you okay?" Hawk ced his hand on her shoulder to support her in case.

    "No no, of course not," She answered, still wearing her smiles and her honey-coloured eyes of course still shone with thorough expectation. After all, the mariposa verde was a hundred dors worth and so she didn''t mind waiting a bit more to have it.

    "Off you go now my dear. It''s cold in here, you might get colds," Hawk dismissed her lovingly but she refused to leave.

    "Don''t you have something to give to me?" Feather couldn''t help but asked. She thought Hawk forgot again to give her the surprise gift just like how he had forgotten to give it to her during their dinner. After they left the store, Hawk handed the mariposa verder to Lucas and since thetter was in the front seat, he knew such jewelry was in the car.

    "Something?" Hawk''s brow creased as he wondered what the girl was talking about. After a minute he seemed to have been reminded of something. He moved closer to her then and gave the girl a kiss on the checks. That was what she wanted, right? A goodbye kiss?

    Feather totally did not expect such a kiss on the cheeks and immediately a blush pronounced in her face. However because her mind lingered deep on the mariposa verde, she didn''t get to enjoy such an intimate moment.

    "Now off you go," He dismissed her again and this time cued a servant toe and assist Feather inside the mansion. Hawk then went back to his car as his driver started the engine.

    "President Hawk!" Feather called for him but the car''s door had already been shut. His car moved after a second and only then did Feather realize that Hawk did not intend to give her the gift!

    "Hey!" Feather called off stomping her feet in dismay. "Where''s my surprise gift?" She screamed in annoyance but Hawk''s car was already of considerable distance and they could no longer hear her nagging.

    "Ahrrgggg!" Feather couldn''t help but blow her tantrums free. She even went as far as throwing some of the jewelry shopping bags that the servants were carrying. "I want my surprise gift!"

    "Miss Han!" Ami heard themotion outside and immediately ran when she heard Feather''s screams. "Miss Han, don''t throw the jewelry away! They are expensive!"

    "Heck I care!" Feather was really mad. The moment he heard how pricy the mariposa verde was, she knew all the things she bought were nothingpared to it. She felt so cheap then especially that among all the things she brought, Hawk didn''t give much attention to it unlike the effort he took just to get the mariposa verde.

    Why didn''t he give it to her then?

    Aside from her, certainly there was no one qualified to ept such a valuable gift! She wondered then for whom that jewelry was with great jealousy and annoyance!

 Chapter 41 - The Hans

    Early in the morning, the day after Hawk and Feather''s shopping date, the Han''s family gathered for breakfast. On the table, Feather, her mother Fara and the head of the family Mauro Han, all sat together at the table. Feather, who was just fresh from her shopping spree yesterday, was still feeling upset and had gone suspicious over Hawk''s actions for thest few days.

    "Mother, are you even aware that President Hawk disappeared in my concierto?" Feather raised the fact with the intention of making them do something about it.??

    "It''s all over the news my dear," Fara Han replied, giving the issue not much of a concern. She didn''t find anything wrong with it as Hawk was a very busy man. Besides, it was said that he hade back after to fetch Feather.

    "Did you know that he went to chase a woman that is why he disappeared?" Feather asked again, upset that her mother didn''t give her question much of a thought. Even her father wasn''t rmed with her concern and just continued reading the newspaper he had been doting on since their breakfast was served.

    "Feather, where did you even get these foolish ideas?" Fara wiped off her mouth with a napkin and turned to give her daughter some attention, "You know full well how Hawk treasures you so I don''t know where all these suspicions wereing from? Besides, you two seemed well yesterday,"

    "All is well not until Hawk brought a hundred million jewelry," Feather revealed and the annoyance she had over the thing only surged up.

    "A hundred million jewelry?" Fara''s eyes went big. "Did...did he bought it¡ª"

    "Obviously mother it wasn''t for me," Feather cut her question short to Fara''s dismay. "He even went as far as demanding the Verde Jewelries Incorporated for it since it wasn''t for sale,"

    "Did you know to whom he will give that jewelry?" Fara continued asking.

    "Obviously mother I don''t. I hope it''s not for the woman he danced with during our engagement," Feather answered, pressing hard on the fried egg in her te as if trying to kill someone, "God! I swear I''ll kill that woman!"

    "Feather that woman is just nothing," Fara blew off her suspicions, "Hawk still had some rtives left. He might have bought it for his aunt, thedy Monsanto or for his niece. I heard from a friend the Monsanto family had a well beloved niece,"

    "I don''t think it''s for them," Feather refused to believe it. She knew something was wrong and she decided to give it some action before it would ruin anything. "Father, don''t you think it''s time to give a date for our wedding already? Hawk and I had already been engaged for quiet a weeks and until now you guys haven''t decided on the date of the wedding yet,"

    Without putting his newspaper away, Maurho Han replied calmly, "Feather leave this kind of thing to us. You certainly don''t have a say to it,"

    "How can you say that? I am the one who''s going to get married," Feather insisted. She couldn''t stand the annoyance over Hawk''s mysterious woman anymore and so she nned to convince her father to have her marry Hawk sooner than he intended to n.

    "Feather!" This time, Mauro banged the newspaper on the table. He certainly didn''t like how his prima dona daughter sounded and wanted to put an end to her tantrums, "Just so you know, I let you marry that Monsanto because we needed his money for Han''s Scintiit. So until the new venture is secured and has been started, there will be no wedding to speak of!"

    For Mauro Han, everything is a business. Even his daughter''s marriage to Hawk Monsanto is a business, so until he gets what he wants, Hawk will not go further on his ns for his daughter. He certainly knew how madly in love Hawk was with the Han''s Scintiit heiress and he nned to take advantage of that love as long as he could.

    "Father, let me just remind you that as long as you dy the marriage¡ª"

    "There is no wedding until the new venture is secured!" Mauro Han shouted, not giving a f*ck if it was early morning and that they are in the middle of having breakfast. Things in theirpany, the Han''s Scintiit were not running good and so he needed Hawk''s promised venture to save his ass. If not, her father, Don Benedicto mighte back to this country and evict him from the presidency.

    "You might be making a big mistake, father," Feather pointed. "There are many leeches in the water these days that are willing to take Hawk from me and leech off on his wealth. If that happens, you''ll surely regret for dying the marriage,"

    Mauro Han''s ear''s itched at Feather''s words. It was so obvious that her daughter had fallen hard on being Hawk Monsanto''s fiancee. Of course he couldn''t me her Feather for that, the privilege of being Hawk Monsanto''s woman was far too great to speak off. However, he wished Feather would just be more patient, especially that it was theirpany he was saving but Feather seemed to be too uncaring about theirpany predicament.

    "Feather, your mom is right. That Hawk Monsanto is clearly smitten off by you," Mauro chose to calm Feather as although her tantrums was giving him headaches, he too knew she was the key to getting Hawk Monsanto. "You need to worry about anything then. He''ll do anything as long as it is for your own good,"

    "Yes my dear, listen to your Father," Fara encouraged her daughter to agree with Mauro. As much as she was worried about all the things that Feather revealed, she didn''t want Feather to go against her own Father. Although Feather was already named as heiress, Fara was still worried, afraid that such title would be taken from her if she became a headache to the Han''s. "We all saw how Hawk was obsessed with you,"

    "If only I''m the person you are all talking about!" Feather threw the napkin she was holding off the table.

 Chapter 42 - Jewel Heiress

    The table was silenced for a moment. Feather stated a fact that they all used to ignore.

    "I am not the person President Hawk wanted," Feather stated again. "You both know that. So don''t you think it''s better to rush things off before he figures it out?"??

    "Feather!" Fara snapped out of the sense of her daughter. Feather had made a shameless thing mentioning the woman they had already long forgotten and certainly, such an attempt of her to bring the memory of that woman in their household would surely anger her father more.

    When Feather was already named as the sessor of the Han''s, Fara''s ce as the madam of the household was secured. However, Fara was aware of the history of the Hans and so she felt the need to constantly please her husband as well as the Han''s elders to secure her ce. This too was the reason why, as much as possible, she wanted to put a leash on Feather and make her a desirable granddaughter and heiress by being obedient to her ascendants. However, Feather was a naturally spoiled prima donna who can''t control her tantrums and this gave Fara much of a headache.

    However, for Feather, things were different. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she already knew her ce in the Han''s household. She was born as an heiress and for her, there''s no one who could take her ce and so she didn''t feel the need to work out on her character.

    "There is nothing to figure out!" Mauro gave her own daughter a hard look. Feather getting into ballet was already a headache for him. She was meant to seed Han''s Scintiit but she went on chasing some dancing stuff that Mauro hated so much. Good thing she was good at her stuff and managed to get a name on her own, if not he certainly would have had a hard time defending her on the Han''s elders. "You are the one and only heiress! You are meant for him! It''s a shame that you are dragging someone else''s name in this family!"

    "Then have me married to President Hawk already so you won''t have this kind of conversation!" Feather retorted with much irritation. Her Father, as always, doesn''t really care much of her welfare but only business.

    She knew how bad things were in Han''s Scintiit as they were on the verge of bankruptcy already before Hawk came into the picture. However, despite such struggle, her father kept this fact a secret to the Han''s elders as he was very afraid that if they learned about it, Han''s Scintiit would be taken from Mauro''s hand and he would end up with nothing.

    This too was the reason why somehow he was dying a bit the marriage of Hawk and Feather because he wanted to fix things within Han''s Scintiit before some merger takes ce. He was betting all her hopes with the new venture Hawk promised and wanted it to take ce before the marriage happens. The venture cost a fortune and he was afraid that Hawk would not continue it if he gave him her daughter that easily. So to make sure Hawk fulfills his part, he will hold on to her daughter until he bleeds all the things and money he demanded.

    "Feather this is the reason why I want you to study business," Mauro Han shook his head frustratedly. Fara had already failed to give him a son and yet, the daughter she gave him had a very bad temperament. "Remember that I agree to this marriage because of Han''s Scintiit. If Hawk will not deliver what he promised, then the marriage will not take ce,"

    "As if we are in the position to demand anything!'' Feather boldly answer, "If I know ourpany had already been bankrupt because of your gambling habits and yet here you are, talking about demanding something from the great Hawk Monsanto as if we have a good business to speak off,"

    "Feather calm down my love," Fara reached out to pacify her. "You have to understand that your father is not only after business. There are also many formalities our family had to go through in order for that to happen. Besides, Hawk still need to meet the elders first,"

    "The elders surely will have no problem with Hawk. I had talked to grandpa and he certainly liked Hawk. That''s why he had a go with the engagement," Feather told. If there was one person Feather wanted to please and obey, certainly it was her grandfather. Unlike his father, her grandfather is richer and more powerful. He was also the one who pushed Feather to do ballet and supported her entire career. " So I don''t understand the need for all these formalities,"

    "Feather I had always told you to be careful with your dealing with your grandfather," Fara panicked upon hearing Feather uttered her grandpa. The old man was someone not a single Han would wish to upset. Even Mauro himself was very careful with his father and this was the reason why he didn''t want him to know how Han''s Scintiit was struggling. He certainly doesn''t want to fall from his grace.

    "Afraid? Do you want me to tell grandpa about the Han''s Scintiait''s predicament?" Feather threatened her own parents.

    "Go ahead!" Mauro challenged the girl. "Go ahead so that your grandfather will learn you had no good knowledge in handling business, not even a single talent for handling jewelry,"

    Being the sole heiress of the Han''s, Feather was expected to learn business and more so, since Han''s Scintiit is apany that makes and produces fine jewelry, she was bound to learn just even the basics of jewelry making. But Feather, as spoiled as she was, refused to learn such stuff and focused on ballet. So all these years, she didn''t pick up any skills that were required of her.

    "You are upset that Hawk brought a hundred dors for someone else? Well if you are knowledgeable enough, you could have asked him to buy such jewelry for you first, instead of those other things you chose," Mauro spat and Feather''s expression fell at that.

 Chapter 43 - Jewel Heiress (2)

    "Father that is not what I intended," Feather backed off a little when she heard her father''s words. She surely didn''t want her grandfather to know she was an ipetent heiress. All these years, she had worked hard to gain her grandfather''s favor which she did so, knowing how he named her the heiress of Han''s Scintiit.

    "Not what you intended and yet you dare to defy me!" Mauro smirked when he saw the fear that rose to Feather''s eyes. He knew pretty well her weaknesses and as much as he too don''t want his father, Don Benedicto to know Feather being a spoiled brat with no other desirable skills than ballet, he makes such weakness of her to put a leash on her neck and tightens it when she started barking back just like she was doing now.??

    "Feather I just want you to please set up a marriage date," Feather murmured not wanting anymore to go against her father. She thought that since she was already engaged with Hawk she could go and demand everything she wanted in this family, and yet her father still makes the call.

    "Enough of that, both of you," Fara gently intervened, pulling Feather back to her chair. She gave her daughter an eye, telling ''I told you so'' and turned to Mauro to appease him, "Dear why don''t you just let this pass. Let''s have a peaceful breakfast okay?"

    "I wouldn''t have this problem if you had disciplined that child well," Mauro barked at his wife this time. Loaded with all the problems in Han''s Scintiit, Mauro certainly had no patience left for Feather''s drama. Angrily, he left the table as he had no appetite to speak of after that conversation.

    "I don''t understand Father at all," Feather steadied when her father was already away. She cupped her head as if pacifying a headache that just hit her.

    "Feather, when will you learn?" Fara started her reprimand. "I told you to always be careful with your Father. You even dare to mentioned your grandfather in the conversation,"

    Don Benedicto, the most powerful elder of the Han''s and Feather''s very own grandfather was residing abroad with almost all of the Han''s. Only Mauro''s family and some distant cousins of his were residing in this country and since Mauoro was Don Benidicto''s son, Han''s Scintiit was given to him as well as the rest of the properties of the Han''s. This was the reason why Don Benedicto wasn''t much aware of the things that had been going on in Han''s Scintiit because as much as he was far too busy to even care, Mauro made sure the reports that went to him regarding their business in this country were all good. Besides, the old man rarelyes and visited this country as if he had been dreading it.

    "You know very well how your father is very upied with the Han''s Scintiit''s problem," Fara added trying to make Feather understand the situation. "He needs to make sure the venture takes ce before your marriage with Hawk because your grandfather will surely not want to miss your wedding. Do you want your grandfather to know that Han''s Scintiit is in a deep mess?"

    Feather only sighed, almost didn''t want to give things much of a thought. If only she could tell her grandfather anything without losing much, then she had done so a long time ago.

    "If your grandfather will learn about it, then he''ll take thepany away from your Father''s management and we will end up with nothing,"

    "Mother, Father is the only son of grandfather," Feather emphasized the fact, "If he''ll decide to give Han''s Scintiit to someone else, we will not end up with nothing. We are still the Han''s and we''ll continue reaping all the benefits thate with it. Perhaps by that time, I can have a ck card and buy everything I want," She was aware of how big her grandfather''s fortune is and if only Mauro Han was being honest and confessed Han''s Scintiit''s predicament, then her grandfather could have taken care of everything and give her everything that she wants.

    "You don''t know your grandfather. He is a very strict person and even if you are the heiress, you cannot get anything unless you deserve it," Fara warned. Don Benedicto had only been present in their lives when Feather was still a child, probably around the age of ten. After that, he had migrated abroad and only visited the country once in a while.

    "All I know is that grandfather was so pleased with all my achievements all these years," Although Feather and her grandfather didn''t spend much time together, she had kept in touch with him. Also, when she was abroad training in Voltaire Ballet, the old man made sure she was well provided for and that she had a good sponsorship. Like her, the old man had some love for ballet for some reasons and this was the reason why he somehow doted on Feather''s dance career, "Also he was so happy with my engagement to Hawk. If only father had been honest with him, then I could have enjoyed all the things meant for me as an heiress,"

    Fara totally understood Feather''s resentments. Her daughter had suffered thoroughly because of theirpany''s problem. All her cards and allowances depended on Han''s Scintiit as she was their heiress yet she didn''t get to enjoy good things because they were tight. Since they had kept this problem away and hidden from Don Benidicto, Feather couldn''t tell her grandfather about her card''s limit and also her limited allowances. They always pretended Feather had enough and that the Han''s household in this country was living well without muchplications.

    "Don''t worry. As I told you, if you get married to Hawk. You need to think about all these anymore and he''ll surely give you a ck card," Fara promised her. "You don''t even need to please your grandfather anymore as we all know Hawk''s wealth was better off than all the Han''sbined."

    "Mother, I know all that. This is the reason why as much as possible, I wanted to fasten the marriage preparations. As much as I hate my life in the Han''s already, I''m also feeling like something is going on with President Hawk," When she said this, Fara did give her some attention and she was relieved that finally she was listening.

    "What do you mean? Things look pretty good with both of you," Fara asked.

    "Things really got weird ever since that woman showed up,"

    "The woman in the silver gown?" Her mother confirmed recalling the incident that caused a bit of chaos during her daughter''s engagement party. "Is it true that Hawk chased her on the night of your concierto too?

    "Yes. As for your second question,a reporter imed he saw them. Didn''t you know they bombarded me with questions about her after my concert? Imagine the shame I got!" Feather replied with thorough determination. "Besides, I have this feeling that I know this woman.I don''t know but her aura somehow seemed familiar. I couldn''t just remember where and how I met her,"

    "I too felt the same but I thought it was just me," Fara admitted. When she saw the woman that night, she was already dancing with Hawk Monsanto and something went on with Fara that time. It''s as if she had seen the view of her dancing before and she was so intrigued to the point that she had given them her full attention all the time they were dancing. If only Feather didn''t call on her, she might have even followed the girl everywhere. "Everything is intriguing about that woman. We have to know who she is and what she wanted from President Hawk,"

    "Mother you had to do something," Feather flushed a worried face this time especially when she saw how troubled her mother had be. The girl came as a dashing threat to her rtionship with Hawk and seeing how Hawk danced with her that night was like she had seen defeat even when there was no war orpetition to speak off. That kind of feeling then as well as the sleepless nights she spent thinking about it, she can''t just let it go "I can''t just sit here and be bothered all day. I really need to know who she is!"

    "Feather I have many things in my table right now," Fara wanted to refuse but she knew for her daughter''s sake she had to make something somehow, "I''m not even through with that family you wanted me to take care of,"

    "You mean you haven''t checked on them yet?" Feather tensed remembering their previous predicament about the bloodied rings that were gifted to her. "I told you mother to take care of that one fast! Mother, you know how important that is!"

    "I know! Shhhh! Lower your voice'''' Fara hushed her knowing they were in the dining area and that everyone could hear them. "I''ll take care of that first then have someone investigate that woman! I promised,"

    "Mom you''d better be on it," Feather pressed on. "I don''t want to lose President Hawk,"

    "You won''t. Don''t worry, I''ll talk to you father about the marriage tonight," Fara made another promise hoping somehow Mauro understood the risk of dying it.

 Chapter 44 - Lucys Gift

    Ming Hotel

    Few renowned businesses gathered for a little celebration in honor of the business tycoon, Walter Wong. Recently he won a million dor bid and to celebrate the sess of a new promising venture he decided to throw a little private party with few of the respected businessmen present in the city, especially those who yed a role in his sess. President Hawk, whosepany contributed much to this new project, of course was invited. He was there sitting on afortable couch together with other big businessmen. Walter Wong and him weren''t exactly close but he respected the tycoon very much because of his unsparingly good business expertise and so they tend to exchange favors now and then.??

    As expensive drinks were served, Walter Wong also gave them good entertainment. Luci Dimitri, the country''s nightingale was then invited to give them a private concert and so all of them watched in silence as the woman with ash gray wavy curls sang breathtakingly in front of them all. It''s not everyday that Luci Dimitri grants a private concert because as much as her talentes with quite an extravagant fee, she too was very picky of her clients. Not all elites can give her a good mood to perform, only those who gain favor in her eyes and Walter Wong was luckily one of them.

    Luci then sang sophisticatedly in front of everyone. Her beautiful voiceplimented very well to the piano she yed by hand and her expression was so on point that everyone almost dropped some tears with her performance. She sang a beautiful piece too, a song she wrote about a person who dreams of love but never gets to experience the wonders of it.

    "Bravo! Bravo!" Walter Wong stood to give Luci a big round of apuse as soon as her music stopped. Her performance was so well done that everyone for once felt like they were brought to some kind of wonderful and yet mncholy ce they had never been. To honor her talent, the rest of the audience stood and gave her a cheerful apuse.

    "Thank you everyone," Luci pressed some of the loose hairs at her back and casted some small waves to all the men in front of her. As she had enough of their cheers, she then extended a hand towards Walter Wong, giving him a cue that she needed his assistance as she descended on the mini stage. Like a puppy being called by her master, Walter Wong ran to her, epted her hand, gave it a meaningful kiss and slowly assisted the singer.

    It was very obvious that Walter Wong was smitten by her and she was taking advantage of that. They couldn''t me Walter Wong though, Luci was quite a very beautiful woman and very talented too. Many businessmen would like to have as their woman but she was simply not the type that one can get easily. Luci had received many offers from wealthy suitors but she''s the kind who doesn''t want to be controlled by men and so she ended up controlling all of them. She''s a ygirl, going from man to man and her lovers were quite many to mention, however they all have the same profile¡ªall were bounty rich and respected. Over the years, Luci took advantage of her lovers'' wealth and connections to make a reputation for herself and so she easily infiltrated the top wealthy elites and became one of the most influential women in this country.

    "I''d like to have a few drinks darling," Luci requested as soon as Walter guided her to the coach.

    "Of course, you can have everything you want," Walter replied with amusement. When he sat back on his coach, he expected Luci to sit with her but instead, she sat on hisp, leaned on his chest and started caressing his arms. Walter couldn''t be more happy with her public disy of affection and his heart ttered endlessly. This was one of the many reasons why although he was aware Luci had many lovers, she was still his favoritepany.

    All the businessmen that were there looked at Walter Wong with envy. For all of them, Luci was a trophy and those she took interest in were the winners. Unfortunately her standards were quite high when ites to her loves and so many could only dream about her from afar.

    Hawk who was there, only looked at the couple with not much of a concern. He didn''t particrlye here to watch two love birds flirting with each other but he couldn''t turn down Walter Wong''s invitation as he was a good business ally.

    If there was one thing he didn''t like with Walter Wong, it was his reputation with women. This was the reason why they couldn''t be friends in real life but only in business. Walter Wong was a pretty good womanizer that Hawk even believed that his single status was a strategy he held onto so that he could have as many women as he liked without the wrath and inconvenience of a legal wife.

    Luci Dimitri on the other hand was the same but he kind of liked her character more than Walter Wong. Aside from Luci''s rare beautiful voice that he was so fond of, Hawk could see how smart she was. She used her beauty and talent to control people and not just ordinary people, but the biggest and powerful businessmen in this country. However, Hawk thought seducing men wasn''t anymore necessary for Luci to be sessful as she can be one on her own. So Hawk doesn''t understand why she goes from one lover to another. Could it be that she had some deep intentions that he didn''t know or she was just a naturally naugthy woman who can''t live without men?

    "That was a brilliant performance Miss Dimitri, your voice is really one of a kind," Someone beside Hawk couldn''t help butpliment the singer.

    "Aye thank you," She thanked the man and turned to Walter again, "Hear that Darling. I was pretty good tonight. Don''t you think I deserve a gift for a job well done,"

    "You always do darling," Walter''s eyes were all on her that it seemed like he had forgotten he had many men invited to this party, all drooling silently at the view of Luci Dimitri. "How about we go shopping tomorrow, I''ll buy you everything you want,"

    "Darling I don''t want anything," She replied and Hawk saw how Luci''s lips twitched slightly at the end. She was up to something for sure! "I want an ind on the east coast as a gift. Buy me one,"

    ''Ind on the east coast?'' Hawk thought ''Smart girl''.

    It was just recently that the government auctioned all the inds on the east coast and that was what Luci was demanding. All of them who were present in that private party were aware that if you want a smooth secure deal with those inds, Walter Wong was the right person to ask for it. Hawk himself got his through Walter Wong''s connection. The Wongs were old rich in this country and their ancestors were big politicians who had so many connections in the government that until then, the new generation of Wongs enjoyed.

    When she heard him, Walter Wong''s eyes faltered a bit. What Luci was asking was too much and it would cost him a lot. For a moment Hawk thought he would not give in, but when Luci dragged her smooth hands to his neck, kissed Walter in his ears and whispered something, he had lost it. In just a span of seconds, he had already said yes to her.

    Hawk chuckled inwardly at how Luci made Walter say to her request in a span of seconds!

    Seconds. That was only what it took for Luci to get what she wanted. Damn that woman!

    "Thank you darling," Luci''s smile got wild and without warning, she kissed Walter Wong in front of all of them. A torrid hot demanding kiss!

    Everyone''s jaw dropped for a moment and ended up looking away. The view was just so intimate and raw they didn''t want to end up being either so hard or hungry. Hawk himself couldn''t take much of it so he stood with the intention of going away.

    "Not so fast President Hawk," He heard Luci called on him, still gasping from the kiss she recently took. Surprised that she took notice of him, Hawk turned, brow raised and gave her a hard look.

    "You don''t want to miss the next show," She said and turned to Walter who was still catching his breath, "Right Darling?"

    "Luci prepared something for you guys," Walter said in between his ragged breathe, "Please President Hawk, take a seat,"

    Hawk wasn''t interested in it as he thought he had enough of Luci Dimitri''s shameless shows tonight. He had already decided to leave and so even Walter Wong cannot stop him then. His few hours'' presence in the party was already enough to make him not look like an ungrateful ally and so he thought it was time to go then. Perhaps him leaving can also make Luci and Walter realize they already need to get a room for themselves.

    "It''s a performance you''ll never ever want to forget," Luci winked at him and something between her wink and wild smile struck Hawk hard that instead of leaving, he found himself heading to his coach, awaiting Luci Dimitri''s promised show.

 Chapter 45 - Her Kitten

    When Hawk settled back on his coach, everyone rxed and awaited Lucy''s promised gift. They all knew it would be something as Lucy kind of had some reputation to be so generously considerate.

    Then soon, all the lights in the room faded and there was total darkness. There was nothing then but Lucy''s naughty littleughs, "Everyone I give you Cat, my wild kitten!"??

    Right then, the center of the room lit up and the very heart of it was a shining dance pole and a woman dressed and masked like a kitten. Her glittery tank top and skirt were all short and tight, showing off almost all her legs and shoulders. She had copper hair, tucked in a clean bun and on her ears were cat ears, cut and designed in a way topliment her outfit and the half mask she wore in her face. She was alluringly sexy to look at.

    When the guest allid eyes on her, they all swallowed hard and deep. The woman in front of them, although masked, certainly captured all their interest. The mysterious aura she breathed into the room the moment she appeared sent all hearts in pit fire and their desires raging wild. She was hot, wild and perhaps dangerous.

    "Ahm,"

    "Ahm,"

    "Cough"

    The men that gathered in the room cleared their throats as the woman totally made them thirsty for something their drinks couldn''t satisfy. Perhaps one touch of the woman could, however there was something in her aura that warned all of them that she''s not an ordinary person and definitely not one they can easily have if they want.

    Just a littleter, music started ying. It has a slow sexy vibe and the girl moved. She started giving them slow on point poses and soon something breathtaking. As she danced, climbed and glided in the pool, all the men in front of her realized she was no ordinary. She was a dancer, a professional one and the routine she gave them was certainly something, something men would never want to miss.

    Hawk, like all the others, fell into the dancer''s enigma but when he realized who she was, his feelings went into rampage. She was his mystery woman and yet she was dancing for other men and that fact alone got Hawk into a state of total madness.However as much as he wanted to go berserk, the woman was dancing so gracefully sexy that he didn''t want to miss any moment of it. His eyes were all over her, skimming through her as if he could see all the depths of her persona.

    Simione made sure she had all their attention. She practiced so hard to learn such a daring dance under Lucy''s supervision. Her friend, Lucy the Lucifer, always had wild nasty ideas and this full stripper kind of performance was probably the most outrageous one she had pushed her to do in the name of their Feather Project. Truth was, she kind of hesitated at first because although she knew how to dance, she had never danced like that before and the fact she will be subjected to many malicious eyes kind of scared her a bit. However, when she heard the news of Hawk buying Feather a bulk of jewelry days ago, she got pissed off and immediately decided to double her time. Let''s see then if Hawk Monsanto can even think of his fiancee when he gets to see her in that wild dance.

    And so, during her routine, when she saw how the President of L Conglomerate swallowed hard at the sight of her, she fixed her eyes on him as if the dance was meant only for him alone. She knew he recognized her, it was too obvious with the look of his eyes. Simione then made sure her moves were sensuous and sultry that would make Hawk Monsanto go insane!

    Everyone didn''t say a word as Simione performed. They sweated and struggled with such a raw dance. Simione had done so well that everyone in the room immediately wished they could have a little of herpany before the night ends. They all followed all her moves religiously and each shift was like a climax, however before they could have a satisfying ending, Simione stopped.

    "Ahmm," All men sigh and breathe deep at the unexpected end and they all curse Lucy in their minds as they thought she was all ying on them. How could she stop at the climax ? Damn!

    An immediate hotness and tension filled the room but before they could all begged Simione to continue, Lucy walked to the front with her devious smile. They were still halfway to their n and yet she knew they''ll have a victorious ending already. She gave Simione a wink to congratte her for a job well done.

    Truth was she didn''t think Simione could pull off such a wild daring dance and yet she learned so fast. When they started out this Feather project, there were so many things to be done specially because the Simione who danced seductively tonight was very different to the real Simione who knew so little of men and their ways. And so, over the past few months, she spent teaching Simione with all the knowledge she had with men and their weaknesses. Seeing how Hawk Monsanto became so defenseless with her friend''s daring advances, she couldn''t be more proud of how Simione learned so well.

    "I know you are all upset," Lucy announced to their faces. "But I didn''t bring my kitten here for free. After all you are all businessmen,"

    All the men in the room kind of lost their strength to get back at Lucy. She had yed on them tonight and they all fell to her trap so easily. Who was this woman she calls her kitten by the way? She was so incredibly hot!

    "Darling go easy on them," Walter Wongughed at Lucy''s nastiness. He already knew she was up to something when she insisted on bringing someone over but he didn''t expect it was this outrageous! Looking at the faces of her fellow colleagues, he couldn''t help but let go of a loud guffaw.

    "Of course Darling," She replied sweetly to him and turned to all other men in the room without missing a nce at the fallen Hawk Monsanto. "As you can see my friend Cat wished to havepany tonight. But since there was so many of you¡ª"

    "One million!" Someone shouted from a nearby coach. "I''ll give you one million as a gift for herpany,"

    ''God Lord I wasn''t even finished yet'' Lucy thought with a wild grin. She did intend to make a bid for Simione''spany tonight to pissed Hawk Monsanto. He spent millions buying Feather some jewelry days ago, right? Then she''ll make sure he''ll bleed more millions for Simione than he did with Feather.

    "Two million" The bid continued without much exnation. Everyone in the room wanted the girl and hearing them throwing their prices almost wanted Simione to run as fast as she could. However she knew it was toote for that. Besides, Lucy promised her she''ll be safe in any way in case Hawk would not bid. However she couldn''t think of how foolish these men are to just throw money away all for the sake of a random woman whom they don''t even know. What if she''s a scammer then? Then she''ll be able to scam on them without much of a hassle!

    "Five Million," The prices went high and Lucy couldn''t be more thrilled. She casted a nce at Hawk whose expression then cannot be painted.

    As the prices on Simione''spany went higher and higher, Hawk''s anger surged up. How dare all these men desire his mystery woman? They are all not worthy of her, nor her presence, not her dance and all the more herpany! And how dare Luci Dimitri call her kitten as if she was some kind of pet and sell her off? Who does she think she is? Didn''t she know he could make and break her singer career at this instant? Walter Wong might not be able to stop her then!

    "Six million!"

    "Ten million!" The prices got pretty high and desperate. Simione then just wanted to shrink as if it was only then did she realize how foolish this idea was. Also when she looked at Hawk, she captured something in his expression that tells her how he wasn''t pleased at all. Didn''t her dance get into him? She sure thought she somehow had captured his interest as his eyes were fixed on her all the time while she was dancing.

    "Eight million!"

    "Eight million five hundred,"

    "Ten million,"

    "Ten million. Anyone who wants to bid higher?" Lucy asked, hoping Hawk would be interested. All this time he was just there watching the bidding quietly as his expression darkened. Obviously Hawk Monsanto was mad but as to what made him mad, she could only guess and she hoped she was right.

    After quite some moment, no one dared to go beyond thest bid. Lucy then thought perhaps Hawk Monsanto then wasn''t interested. With great dismay, the singer concluded the bidding as it was already getting boring since Hawk refused to participate.

    "Ten million it is," Lucy settled, "Going once, going¡ª"

    "Twenty million dors," Hawk''s voice crept into everyone''s ears slowly like a freezing breaze. His tone contained some serious threat that everyone immediately backed off, afraid to go head on with him.

 Chapter 46 - Her Consent

    There was silence for a moment. Everyone was very surprised. Did Hawk Monsanto just bid for a girl?

    Every businessman present knew of his reputation as a woman evasive bachelor and also of his recent engagement with ballerina Feather Han. Because of this, they had reservations into believing the rumours going around that he had taken some like on another woman that isn''t his fiancee. Was the rumors after all true???

    As much as they couldn''t believe it, they had heard him all loud and clear. He wanted the girl and for twenty million worth! What the F? Is he out of his mind? They all ended the bid at ten million because as much as they all wanted the girl, as good businessmen, they all thought ten million was already a ridiculous price for someone''spany. However, Hawk Monsanto set the price ridiculously higher than it ever was!

    Surprised with the sudden turn of events, they all could do nothing but look at each other. Even Walter Wong was surprised that his previousposed facade fell as he was trying to decipher what just took ce.

    Was Hawk Monsanto serious?

    Didn''t the media portray Hawk and Feather as a perfect couple and that their soon marriage ceremony involved nothing but all real feelings? Why is it that right then it seemed that the things they knew about Hawk Mosanto''s rtionship with Feather were all lies?

    Are they really going to marry because of love or their marriage, like most of the marriages of the businessmen in the city, were just another strategic arrangement for business purposes only? And what did M Conglomerate want with Han''s Scintiit when all of them knew thatpany was on the verge of bankruptcy?

    No one knew the answers then and no one could dare ask Hawk why. So, they all just raised a brow at it and sigh badly.

    "Did you say twenty million President Hawk? Right?" Lucy herself couldn''t believe it. She was transfixed for a moment not able to move but when it all dawned on her, her insides twisted with so much joy.

    They surely hit the jackpot tonight!

    Proud and thrilled, she turned to Simione and flushed aical victorious face. Since Simione was at her back, nobody saw the expression she gave her.

    "I want her for twenty million," He repeated again as if drawing a line in his territory. His voice was demanding and impatient.

    "Well then¡­.she''s yours!" Lucy announced and grabbed Simione immediately. She dragged her to Hawk Monsanto without much effort but with haste, as she was afraid someone might dare to outbid hawk. The money he spent on her little game was already too outrageous for her conscience and she would never want any additional amount from that. God! Hawk Monsanto was one hell of an unpredictable man!

    But Goodness! She almost thought he couldn''t be moved and yet he ended up biting the bait!

    As soon as Lucy got Simione''s feet beside Hawk Monsanto, thetter took off his suit and wrapped it immediately to the girl''s body. He don''t want anyone to feast on Simione''s body any longer and so he made sure she''s all covered.

    "Well Hawk, how about you sit with the girl¡ª"

    "I''m leaving," Hawk announced and headed straight to the door with Simione in his arms.

    "President Hawk," Lucy went after them as she wanted to make sure Simione was okay. The President of M Conglomerate seemed to be mad about something and she certainly didn''t want Simione to leave with someone of such a mood.

    "What? I''ll have the money transferred in your ount," Hawk told the singer right away as he thought it was the money she was after, "From now on Luci, do not ever bring this girl again to dance in front of men or you''ll say goodbye to the entertainment industry" He demanded with a threat and only then did Lucy understood his anger. He was mad because she had let Simione dance under the view of all the men in the room. His threat of course struck right through her heart but not with fear but with total fascination!

    ''O my God Hawk Monsanto, you had fallen to my kitten far too fast without knowing she would be your doom1'' Luci thought as she chuckled inward.

    She dared not tough in front of him and allowed the man and Simione to leave the room without any more inconvenience.

    ***

    Hawk held Simione''s hand as if everything depended on it. His face was mad as hell that Simione thought it would not be wise to talk to him then, so she quietly followed him anywhere he would lead her.

    First they went through the hallway, then to a VIP elevator that leads right down to the parking lot. There, a car was already waiting for them. Simione didn''t remember Hawk calling anyone to wee them and so she wondered how his personal employees knew they were heading to the parking lot. However, that was the least of her concern at the moment, especially that Hawk Monsanto''s mood was not very pleasant at the moment.

    "Hop in," Hawk opened the door for her.

    "Where are you taking me?" She asked, thinking whether it was wise to defy him at this crucial time provided his anger had not abased yet.

    "I brought you for twenty million," Hawk started, eyes dug deep on her honey-colored ones. "I can bring you wherever I want,"

    "You only brought mypany, not my consent," Simione snapped back. "And I won''t give my consent so long as your anger lingers. I don''t want to spend the entire night worrying about my safety,"

    Her words knocked off something on Hawk that he immediately regretted being mad at her presence. Did his anger scare the hell out of her?

    "Out of all the people in that room, I''m thest person who would hurt you," His expression softened this time. Deep down he was cursing himself for being such a reckless fool. He wasn''t exactly angry with her, God knows why she took the job of entertaining men but he was mad with the situation. If she needed money that bad, why didn''t she ask him for it?

    "Alright then," Seeing that his expression changed, Simione finally decided to go with him. That was her n after all.

    Hawk carefully assisted her as she stepped into the backseat and after her, Hawk went inside the car too. He sat next to the woman he just brought for twenty million and yet he could do nothing but just be in awe of her.

    "Hmmm, aren''t we going somewhere? The car isn''t moving," Simione called his attention when she saw that he did nothing for a few minutes but just stared at her. Was he so distracted that he forgot to instruct the driver to turn the engine on?

    "Ahmm," Hawk snapped back to reality and awkwardly coughed a little. What was happening with him? The girl''s presence got him too bad that he couldn''t think of anything but make sure she''s okay in every way possible.

    "Are we not going to leave yet?" Simione asked again, curious.

    "I''m waiting for something," Hawk replied and even before he could exin further, there was a knock on the window on his side.

    "Here it is President Hawk," Ady guard handed Hawk a bag of something and he immediately took it without much question. Not even a thank you was said.

    "Here," He then brought the bag in front of her eyes, "Clothes,"

    "Oh!" Only then Simione realized that she was still wearing Hawk''s suit and that under it she had nothing but her sexy feline outfit. How foolish of her to ask him to leave already where in fact she herself wasn''t on proper clothes yet. With an awkward smile she thanked the man. She then took the bag from him and started pulling off Hawk''s suit from her body.

    "Ahm," Hawk couldn''t help but clear his dry throat again and again upon the sight of her wearing such a daring dress. For God sake, why was this woman so alluring? He can''t just take his eyes off her most of the time.

    "You like what you see?" Simione''s lips twisted at Hawk''s reaction. He was clearly tempted to watch her undress but with thest of his dignity, Hawk turned sideways to give her privacy. He too pulled up the partition between the driver''s seat and backseat to make sure no eyes was prying on her.

    Simione chuckled at Hawk''s response. Was he trying to avoid her? He just bought her for twenty million and yet he wouldn''t even dare look at her. What is he? A virgin? Why was he acting like it was the first time he was seeing a woman go naked? Or probably was the rumours about him being gay true?

    Seeing how Hawk Monsanto was trying his best to be a gentleman, Simione was challenged to unwrap the other side of him. Without warning, she moved and sat on Hawk''sp with that sexy outfit of hers as she wrapped her two hands around his neck. Their eyes met. Surprised, Hawk could only do nothing but support her back and meet her eyes.

    "You''d like to know what your twenty millions is worth?" Simione asked in front of his face. Thest time around, Lucy didn''t give her much of a credit for the kiss she gave him and so she wanted something else this time. She had to go second base, especially that Hawk and Feather''s rtionship seemed to be blooming good. She certainly couldn''t make that happen!

    Hawk could feel all of her. Her warmth, her heart beating and his own greedy flesh that was getting more hungry as each moment passed. She looked so hot in such a feline outfit but then as his urges fired up, he wanted to see her face that she was hiding behind her ck mask and and so, as her face was already in front of him, he pulled off her mask the face of the woman he had dreamed every single moment appeared just inches away from his, with ripe lips ready to be kissed.

 Chapter 47 - How Bad Was He?

    Hawk found himself staring into Simione''s eyes. They were so close and so he relished her light, rosy scent and drowned into the mystery of her honey-colored eyes. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he brought it into Simione''s cheeks and touched the smooth silk like skin of her face. She seemed surreal, dreamlike, that Hawk Monsanto couldn''t believe she was there with him, alone and very close.

    Simione rested her face on Hawk''s big hands. She felt the warmth of it and gave Hawk a sweet smile as if she was so fond of him. Lucy had taught her many ways to pleasure a man and smiling in front of them like they were your everything was one of her best advice. Seeing how Hawk Monsanto had fallen for it, she wanted to give Lucy a standing ovation then.??

    "You are so beautiful," Hawk dragged his fingers from her cheeks to her eyes. He felt like such eyes were very familiar as if at some point they had already met. His heart felt it too however until then he couldn''t understand why. Surely he had never met this woman before, if he had, then God knows what kind of stupidity he had done just to have her. Never before did Hawk feel that way for a woman, not even with his very own fiancee and so he was deeply troubled as to why. Why did this woman feel like she was his everything?

    Hawk traced her eyelids with his fingers and Simione closed her eyes to let Hawk have his way. Seeing her responding to his touch, Hawk''s anger seemed to have evaporated on the spot and what was left was his desire to touch her more and more tightly.

    "Open your eyes," His tone was gentle and gone was the trace of annoyance and dark expression he wore earlier. Simione obeyed his request and instead of allowing Hawk to enjoy every detail of her face, she moved her face so that Hawk''s fingers could be in her lips. She toyed his ring finger with her mouth and gently bit it.

    Hawk swallowed hard!

    Simione biting his fingers was a raw enticing scene and it brought some hot feeling inside him that all gathered between his thighs. His manhood went berserk and stood proud and hard.

    Feeling his hardness, Simione felt her backhairs flipped. However, she had brought so much courage with her tonight and she doesn''t care then where this daring encounter would lead to. All she could think of at that moment was how all this would ruin Feather but she couldn''t deny that some part of her was also delighted at how Hawk was treating her. She certainly didn''t deserve his gantry and yet, here he was, trying to get hold of himself afraid that he''ll upset her.

    When she first learned of Hawk, Lucy described him as a hard man. Lucy had once considered Hawk to be one of her long list of lovers but he wasn''t easy to fool. Also after a few encounters, she found ying with Hawk Monsanto boring and Lucy, as yful as she was certainly didn''t like that. So she had long abandoned the idea and considered Hawk Monsanto as a boring old fool who does nothing all his life but work and terrorize all those around him. She despised him and so when she learned that he had taken some liking for Feather Han, she vomited in disgust.

    Really? Feather Han? It would have been nice if she didn''t know what kind of woman that bitch was. She was a hyena hiding in a sheep''s coat, all fooling everyone with her beautiful face and innocent looks. She can''t me anyone though, Feather Han was such a good actress and if she hadn''t been friends with Simione, she would have probably been fooled by her too.

    So with the circumstance at hand¡ªHawk and Feather''s iing wedding¡ªLucy had to double the hard work to make sure Simione can get in between them. She had trained her friend, Simione, with all the knowledge that she knew to make sure she''ll seed in seducing Hawk Monsanto and leave Feather Han heartbroken. That bitch deserves that.

    "Do you like what you see?" Simione teased. She had long stripped her morals and dignity when shemitted to get revenge on Feather Han so right then, nothing can make her feel shameless, not even her own conscience.

    Hawk didn''t reply but she saw how Adam''s apple became visible, signifying that his throat had been dried up.

    "I like you Hawk Monsanto," She continued and if only she was aware of how her prey''s stomach was twitching every time she spoke, she''d feel more victorious than she already was. Simione watched the y of emotions that ran into Hawk Monsanto''s face. There was shock, confusion, pleasure and then intrigued.

    What Simione didn''t know was that Hawk Monsanto felt little in her presence. For him she was a goddess, standing on a tall pedestal that was definitely out of his reach. He knew very well that she was ying with him and she had made sure she hadmunicated the fact that right then that he was nothing to her but a favorite ything.

    Also, witnessing first hand her connection with Luci Dimitri, Hawk could tell they had the same personality and purpose with men they take interest in. Don''t the same birds flock together?

    However, if Hawk could not be fooled by Luci, the girl in front of him didn''t need to fool him. He was very defenseless about her enigma that he would be willing to give her all that she wanted even though he could see she wasn''t even into him. What left Hawk wondering was: What does she want with him? It wasn''t his affection obviously, perhaps his money? He can certainly give her whatever she demanded but until then she didn''t name her price. Also there were many businessmen out there that didn''t have baggage like him¡ªas he was already engaged¡ªbut even so, this goddess wanted him; she was willing to overlook the baggage he had.

    "I want to have you all to myself" Simione continued ying with fire. Then she moved her face to his ear and whispered, "Can I?"

    "Something inside me tells that you are not willing to take no for an answer" Hawk managed to y with her words at this state. He was at the point of breaking, one more move and he would not be able to control it any longer. His mind was shouting against him for thousands of reasons to walk away from her, but he just can''t.

    "I don''t," Her smile turn wild and when she brought back her honey-colored eyes to look at him, all themonsense that was running in Hawk''s mind idled and his jaw dropped when Simione, in front of him, while staring at his eyes, took her hands on her back and undid the buttons of her upper garment. In just a minute it loosened and the straps of it fell down on her shoulder.

    Hawk''s throat went bone-dry at the sight of her two big mounds unting in front of him. All he could think of right then was how beautiful she was in her naked raw splendor. He hesitated for a moment, feeling so undeserving of how her body was shouting hot all over but as he couldn''t control things longer, especially the one between his thighs, he reached for her nape and slowly explored her skin down to her bare chest. When his fingers had finally had a touch of her soft explored flesh, his breath shuddered out of his chest, together with hers.

    Instantly, he felt his hardness begging to be satisfied that it became uncontrobly painful already. He paused for a moment, swallowing the pain in as he couldn''t really allow himself to go berserk at the moment of he might end up doing unspeakable things with the woman in front of him. Even though it appears that she might not mind it, he still wanted to be gant and as much as possible gentle with her.

    "I thought you''d like it," Simione shed an upset face when Hawk stopped. She thought Hawk''s guilt managed to settle in and that he paused because he was thinking of Feather. That thought took the light in Simione''s face, defeated. For the first time, she went all the way getting half-naked in front of a man, only to be rejected at once. Immediately she grabbed the strap on her shoulder and tried to cover her nakedness.

    The expression that went through Simione''s face got Hawk in a state of panic. Thest thing he would want then was to make her upset. Knowing that he unintentionally did, he took her hand and pacified her. Foolish was he!

    "No my mi amor," He stopped her from covering the sight that was giving thorough pleasure. "I just¡ª" he shook his head frustrated at the foolishness he did that made the woman feel rejected. "You are so beautiful..I can''t..I don''t¡­"His mind for once wasn''t giving him the right words to speak at the moment.

    ''Damn! I didn''t know I was so bad at this''

 Chapter 48 - Desirable

    Hawk cursed himself.

    As far as he knew, he had never stuttered, nor had he even lost words in all conversations he was in. He was the great Hawk Monsanto, he wouldn''t go so far in business if he wasn''t a good speaker. But in front of her, he cannot even get the right words to say! This girl surely was more difficult to deal with than business!??

    Seeing how lost he was, Simione''s lips twitched invisibly and to not waste more time. She wed tighter at his back and pulled him toward her naked flesh. "If you like me that much," she said, intentionally sounding breathless, "Then show me,"

    Herst words finished off thest string of control that Hawk had within himself and in split seconds he buried himself in her and started owning her nape, kissing and biting it at the same time.

    "Oh Hawk," Simione moaned as Hawk''s kiss did leave hot sensations in her neck. She was very sure it would leave some marks right after as Hawk made sure he tasted every bit of her being. She arched her back with the pleasure he brought and as move did make Hawk had a chance to beamed in her beaded nipples. It was enticingly pinkish and he got so attracted that hetched on it immediately sending shivers into Simione''s body. Hawk took time to y her mounds as she had the most gifted front he had ever seen. He won''t lie, he had some fairshare of one night stands but no one among the women he had been with can bepared to Simione''s beauty, not even her two two gorgeous breasts. So Hawk made sure he took some time to appreciate its beauty.

    "You taste so good mi amor," Hawk gasped hungirly. The sound ''mi amor'' was something he had called her twice for that night already and although Simione was very sure she had nothing for Hawk, the words sounded so good in her ears and for a moment she had imagined they were real, real lovers on their way to real lovemaking.

    Lucy warned her very much not to entertain fantasies of being in love with a Monsanto. It would be a very dangerous choice, she said. She didn''t know why Lucy had warned her with that but Lucy wasn''t the kind of friend who would go on ranting for nothing and so her warning should have some basis. However at that moment, Simione felt like it would be nice to be his woman, to be Hawk Monsanto''s woman.

    "Mi amor," Simione repeated Hawk''s call of love. Her mind was filled with it, wondering how it would be a good endearment for a couple who were thoroughly in love. Not like the one they had then, as she came to hisp for revenge and he must be there for his lust.

    When Hawk heard her call him mi amor. His world went berserk. Simione''s ragged sexy voice nearly made hime on the spot. He couldn''t believe the power she had over him, on how she was making him feel all the more making him insanely craving for something he never even thought was there. He had his experiences with women but he never had gotten so hungry and ill craving just like how this woman in front of him was making him suffer.

    Couldn''t take anymore the feeling of Hawk''s mouth in her breast, Simione pulled him for a kiss on the lips. Hawk however overtook over the kiss and drowned her under his mouth. Deeper and deeper until they were breathless. Momentarily Hawk let go of Simione''s mouth and he saw how she bit her lips, seductively. The girl started unbuttoning his undershirt and soon enough Hawk Monsanto''s abs and chest were all in front of her, ready to be imed. Seeing it, Simione unconsciously swallowed a mouthful in front of Hawk and this didn''t go unnoticed in his eyes. He smirked as he thought that for once, he had somehow made an impact on her.

    The girl had been intentionally seducing him since the night of his engagement. Made him run away from his fiancee''s pre-wedding concierto that was all supposedly dedicated to him. She did outrageous things to make him feel resentful of himself right after and yet he knew she didn''t desperately want him unlike how he was with her. She was ying all this time along and for who knows tonight was one of her games and not Luci''s. And so, when Hawk finally for the first time made the girl desire him, it brought humongous pleasure and satisfaction to him.

    "Like what you see?" He returned to her the very words she asked him earlier, teasing her. Simione blushed with the unexpected blowback but kept her wit so as not to end up foolish and defeated with the game she initiated. Annoyed and challenged with Hawk''s mockery, she felt the need to subdue him. And so without warning, she nted kisses on his neck and made sure he moaned at it.

    Hawk liked the way how Simione was taking over and how her smooth body entangled on his half naked one. Her scent was addictive and the feel of her silky smooth skin rubbing on his chest and the small smooth kisses she was nting on his neck, God! It felt like heaven!

    Not wanting to dy it any longer, Hawk pulled Simione to face him and captured her lips again. While at it, he moved and carefullyid the girl on the seat. He was half lying across her as their kiss depened and their cravings agitated.

    From her mouth, Hawk''s kisses travelled down to her nape, soon to her breast again and immediately got her nips so hard that Hawk got tempted to y with it for a while. It had always been the apple of his eyes. Only a fool would not notice that she had the most glorious breast all women wanted to possess.

    When he had enough, Hawk slowed his kisses a bit and started pulling it down, further into her stomach, down to her navel and further. His hands too were everywhere in her body, caressing gently, passionately making Simione feel so good.

    ''Damn you Hawk!'' Simione screamed in her mind. She cursed him for all the good magical, sinful, unspeakable things he made her feel right then.

    She came to make Hawk crave for her, not the other way around. However, Hawk Monsanto''s touch and kisses were giving her magical things it would be hard to forget them. She had loved and kissed another before, but only the M Conglomerate''s President had made her feel so beautiful, desirable and worthy. She can''t deny she felt really so good at the moment, in her most sinful moment.

    The feeling of desire that went to Simione got her scared and in the midst of their intensifying kiss and passionate cravings, she broke it and pushed Hawk away. She immediately nced sideways, lowered her head, felt defeated and very afraid to meet Hawk''s eyes.

    ''What is this feeling?'' Simione questioned herself.

    When she withdrew halfway to their lovemaking and pushed Hawk away, the man was left bewildered. However, this wasn''t the first time she did this and so he somehow expected it. His expression fell for a moment as his cravings were immediately put to a halt but he somehow felt d that she ended it before they would regret it both. Not that he didn''t like going all in, God knows how much he wanted her. But for some reasons, he wanted to have her when things weren''t soplicated between them.

    "Don''t leave yet," Hawk broke the silence and begged her to stay. Previously, after she ended their raw encounters she would flee. However tonight, he hoped she could stay and give him somepany. "Come have dinner with me,"

    "Alright," It took minutes for the woman to answer. Simione agreed and sighed deeply, frustrated on how things ended. She had worked so hard so she could have the stomach to do all these shameless things she must do to get back at Feather and yet, she couldn''t do it all the way. There was something, something with Hawk Monsanto that was making Simione feel strange. He was making her guilty, somehow. Something both Lucy and her didn''t expect.

    With that, Hawk sat back to his previousposure while Simione pulled herself up, grabbed the bag he gave her earlier and started fixing herself. While so, Hawk tried so hard not to make a mistake by taking a nce at her while dressing up as he didn''t know if he could control himself twice in a row. So he avoided such temptation before he''ll have problems with it.

    He rested his back on the car''s seat and sighed deep and hard, swallowing all his urges and desires. He also called the driver in the front seat to inform him of where he was nning to bring her and also instructed the man to increase the aircon''s temperature. He was still feeling so hot and hard and he hoped such feelings would die with the cold.

 Chapter 49 - Cravings

    Simione slid herself to the dress Hawk gave her. It was a casual dress and surprisingly the right size. She finally had it on but was unable to zip its back.

    "Let me," Hawk noticed her struggling with the zipper so he volunteered to do it for her. ??

    "No it''s fine, I got it," Simione refused but it was already toote. Hawk had his hands on the zipper already and locked it for her. With that, she had no choice but to say her thank you''s.

    The car finally moved and yet both Hawk and Simione awkwardly sat at the back unable to say anything. Hawk had taken nces at Simione who seemed to be drowned in her train of thoughts. He wanted to have small conversations with her but his raging desire was still filling him and he was then trying to put off the fiery passion that Simione aroused on him earlier.

    Simione was also lost. She wanted to finish what she started but for some reason her conscience wasn''t letting her do anything. She had never once imagined that she''ll fear her encounters with Hawk Monsanto just like how she was then. She thought that, no matter what, she''ll never have any reservations seducing him to ruin Feather but some unexpected things came on the way. She was feeling all different with Hawk, as if no matter how much Lucy described that he was nothing but another foolish businessman, she felt like he was more than that.

    "Hungry?" Finally Hawk uttered something.

    "A little," She replied. "Miss Dimitri had something for me earlier so I''m not really in famished,"

    "You too are close?" Hawk inquired, wondering if she had some real connections with the singer. Hawk had someone look for Simione and investigate her but they couldn''t find anything. He was hoping Luci Dimitri could probably aid in his venture of knowing the woman before him.

    "Not really," Simione lied. She knew for a fact that he was damn too curious about who she was but she couldn''t let him. He must not know or all her ns will just fall apart. "It just so happened she wanted a dancer and I needed a good pay. She pays generously"

    "So you are a dancer?" Hawk dug more.

    His question for some reasons made Simione sigh, "I''m not a professional if that is what you are asking"

    "Really? You dance pretty well," It was apliment but Simione seemed to have not liked it. An odd expression registered on her face that Hawk instantly regretted his words. However, before their conversation got pretty bad the car came to a halt.

    "Were here," Hawk announced, relieved. He certainly wasn''t good at keeping conversations with her, especially that she seemed upied with something else. He stepped out of the car first, then opened up the car''s door on her side.Hopefully at dinner they can talk about something better, something that can make the girl smile probably.

    When she stepped out, Simione realized Hawk brough her to a fancy restaurant. Without much protest, she took the arms he offered and went to dine with him. Hawk chose a good table for them, something that gave them much of the outside view. It was past nine in the evening and the viewprised nothing but the lights of the city surrounding them.

    "Is there something you''d like to eat?" Hawk asked her, trying to consider her likes.

    Simione on the other hand didn''t care much about the food. So simply told him she''d have the things he liked. So Hawk ordered a few good dishes and soon the table was filled with the best things in the house.

    "I like the food here," Hawk tried to start another round of a good conversation. He seemed to have her attention and so he thought it was a good start.

    "It does taste good," Simione replied after a few good bites. Hawk noticed she had good table manners and realized that she must be from the upper ss or probably just smart enough to learn all the ways of the upper ss. He became a bit confused then.

    Earlier, he was convinced she didn''t belong in the upper ss because no woman of good family would be willing to be hired as a sexy dancer. She too mentioned she needed a good pay and so this implies herck of resources. Obviously her needs were pretty tight because such a woman like her, as Hawk supposed, wouldn''t be willing to dance like a stripper if she wasn''t desperate. With all this, Hawk thought Simione was someone not in their circle. Besides if she was, then he had probably figured out which family she belongs by then.

    However, seeing how she was so natural with table etiquettes, Hawk was having a second thought. Perhaps his first theories about her were right and she had just learned table manners by constantly engaging herself with rich clients. Wasn''t she a private dancer? She must have been doing such a sideline regrly and had wealthy clients who constantly brought her to dinner.

    Just thinking about her many wealthy clients made Hawk want to hunt them all. However, as he didn''t want to scare the girl like he had previously, he chose to hide his anger over it.

    "By the way, I really want to know your name," Hawk gave it a shot. Thest time he asked her she refused to give it him, "I mean...I need something to call¡ª"

    "You can call me Cat," For some reason, she smiled and Hawk felt overly victorious at that. Ever since their hot exchanges in the car earlier, the girl''s became indifferent and he had a hard time reaching out to her.

    Simione however had finally got over the strange feelings and fear that overtook her earlier. Also, she found Hawk Monsanto trying too hard to make up a conversation and she found it so cute that she can''t help but chuckle. Imagine the great Hawk Monsanto trying so hard for a woman?

    Right then, she was reminded of someone. A weird arrogant boy from her past who doesn''t know how to apologize. She kept smiling at the memory of him.

    "That''s what few good people call me," This time she looked at him now willing to cooperate with his attempts. Hawk Monsanto was genuine with his attempts and Simione didn''t want to make it too hard for him, especially because he bought herpany for twenty million tonight.

    "Cat," The name struck at Hawk''s throat. Wasn''t it a coincidence? His Feather insistently wanted to be named Cat when they were young and this time around, the woman whom he was overly attached with also wanted to be named Cat. What''s with the name Cat that all the women in his life were obsessed with it?

    "Is there a problem with the name?" Simione raised a brow as she was intrigued by the sudden indifference that shed on Hawk''s face.

    "Oh no nothing," Hawk lied. It wouldn''t be good if she''ll tell him about how Feather also liked that name previously. Surely their dinner date would be ruined before he knows it. "I am very sure Cat is not your real name. But may I ask why you like such a nickname?"

    "It reminds me of something," She replied and Hawk was very d how their conversation was going smoothly. Ever since he met her, he had always imagined a time like this with her. Sitting down, having dinner with many stories to tell. Now, it''s finally happening and he was just d she seemedfortable with it.

    "A pet perhaps?" He took a guess. He knew well of why Feather wanted to be called a cat when they were young, and it was because of her favorite animal. He wondered by then what''s the story of his mysterious woman''s nickname.

    "How did you know?" She seemed amused that his guess was right.

    "Was it really because of a pet?" Hawk certainly didn''t expect that.

    "You are good at guessing!" Simioneplimented and theyughed about it for a while.

    "I didn''t see thating," Hawk settled after such a fascinating topic. He shook his head terribly about it because unknown to Simione, he was cursing inside knowing how identical Feather and the woman in front of her were. Not the new Feather he knew now but the old one.

    "Amusing" Simione thought it was all a coincidence and Hawk just had a wild guess. She took another bite of her food and decided she was already full. So she positioned her utensils in a way that was rather saying she was done with her dinner.

    "You didn''t like the food?" Hawk noticed how she only took a few bites on her te and now she was finished.

    "Oh the food is great really," She tried to console him as he seemed overly worried the food he ordered didn''t give her much delight, "It''s just that. I''m craving something else,"

    "Something else?" Hawk got intrigued. "You can take another look of the menu and order another dish,"

    "No really I''m okay," Simione declined. She should have just told him she was full instead of saying she had other cravings. However it was toote for that then.

 Chapter 50 - Interconnected

    "Please Cat, it''s not every night we are together," Hawk insisted. He was so desperate to know her, especially her likes and dislikes and so he wanted to know then. "As much as possible I want to know even the food you like,"

    Simioneughed about his insistence. If only Hawk Monsanto knew what he was asking her, he would never be that desperate. In the middle of herugh, she saw how his expression faltered and knowing that she might have acted rude about the man''s pleas, she apologized and exined, "I''m sorry I didn''t intend tough about it. It''s just that, the food I''m craving...it isn''t something you guys would like.."??

    "You guys?" He repeated her words in a form of question wondering what she meant by it. "You mean.."

    "I mean you and your circle. Your type of man," She rified, referring to Hawk status. Simione lived once as an elite and she knew very well the kind of food they served and what they did not. Right then she was certain, Hawk Monsanto didn''t know what he was asking her about.

    "Businessmen?" Hawk confirmed.

    "Wealthy businessmen to be precise," She answered. "It''s not the kind of food your kind of person would prefer,"

    Simione''s statement got Hawk intrigued. He wasn''t a bit insulted by the fact that the girl assumed he was not different from all the businessmen around the city but he was somehow challenged to show her she was wrong. What type of food could she be referring to? Certainly it wasn''t the type he eats everyday.

    "That definitely got me," He shed a hurt face. "I mean Cat¡­"

    "I didn''t intend it as an insult," She immediately apologized. "It''s just that I''m sure you wouldn''t like it,"

    "Well then...why don''t you try me," Hawk challenged her. In case she doesn''t know, he was already so into her that he wanted to impress her somehow and all the more erase all the prejudices she had with "men like him".

    "Oh no," Simione refused to take his challenge. She didn''t really mean to hurt his feelings but she also knew it was a waste of time to let him prove it. It doesn''t really matter to her, especially that he wasn''t really what she was after but rather his beloved Feather. "You won''t like it,"

    "Cat please. Really I want to try it," Hawk convinced her and his expression then tells Simione he was serious about it. For a moment she hesitated but as she considered it again, she thought there was really nothing wrong with it. Besides, she really craved it, wouldn''t it be nice to eat it with Hawk''spany? There''s really nothing wrong if they would try it.

    "Are you sure?" Simione for some reason adored Hawk''s confidence. She wondered then what his reaction would be if he found out the food she was all craving about.

    "Yes please. I insist," He pressed on, delighted that Simione gave it another thought.

    "Okay," Simione concluded. She then dragged her head to a wall clock disyed in the restaurant to check the time. It was past ten thirty. "I think the store that sells it is still open by this time,"

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go," Hawk initiated and stood. He went to Simione''s side and escorted her out.

    "And the bill?" Simione reminded him as she didn''t see him pay anything. Hawk sure ordered a lot of food and Simione was afraid the restaurant wouldn''t get any profit for everything they ordered.

    "I''m a regr here," Hawk revealed. "They know where to get payment for every meal I orders"

    "Oh I see," Simione silently gasped at the thought.Not many elites in the country can walk out of a restaurant by not paying the bill like Hawk Monsanto can. He certainly wasn''t an ordinary businessman and the girl somehow felt proud of his achievement although it wasn''t her concern anymore.

    When they walked out of the restaurant, as usual, a car was already waiting for them. Hawk opened the door for her but for some reason, Simione hesitated.

    "I don''t think the store I''m referring to is far from here," She said, looking through his grey eyes. She looked up at the night sky and saw how beautiful it was. It''s a shame not to enjoy walking beneath it. "I''d like to take a walk instead, if that''s okay with you,"

    "Okay. That would be a very good idea" Hawk immediately shut the car''s door. He certainly didn''t expect that request from her but he was d. It had been a long time since he had strolled around the city and since it was a beautiful humid night, he might as well enjoy it since it''s not everyday he had the time.

    Simione led the way and as they were walking and Hawk walked beside her with the same pace. Few steps more and the girl felt her feet sore a bit and so out of instinct, she halted and took off her heels. Those heels came with the bag that Hawk gave her earlier and because they were new, her feet weren''t used to it yet.

    "Let me bring it for you," Hawk offered, referring to her heels and only did Simione realize she did a very awkward thing. Sh*t! Didn''t Lucy warn her never to disy such an unpleasant character to Hawk? How could she ever forget that?

    When Simione had been training under Lucy''s supervision, she had made sure to pinpoint all the do''s and don''ts and wearing barefoot was one of the don''ts. Lucy told her that for the elites, such a habit was a turn off. Shoes were an extension of your pride, Lucy emphasized and without it, people in the upper echelon of the society wouldn''t give you much of a respect.

    "Oh no! I''m sorry I should have not taken it off," Simione cursed herself, feeling like a fool. It was just that, after those few goodughs she had with Hawk earlier, she somehow becamefortable with him; she kind of forgot her goal.

    "No it''s okay," Hawk noticed the blushes that came pronouncing at her face and he realized she felt some shame for what she thought was a discouraging habit. Luckily for him, it wasn''t. Instead he liked it, "Actually I wanted to take off mine too, it''s hard to walk with these shoes especially in the sand,"

    Truth was, only did Hawk notice that the road they were following suddenly became sandy. Luckily it had been a good excuse for him to also follow her lead of taking off their shoes so as not to make the girl ashamed of it.

    "Seemed like we''re headed to a beach," Hawk said, finally barefoot like her. He felt his big feet buried in the smooth sand and enjoyed the cold feeling they brought to his skin. "This is nice,"

    "Yes. Old folks say that everything in the earth is interconnected and so once in a while, I walked barefoot to connect with the earth, " The girl was pleased with it. She was a bit surprised that Hawk Monsanto had this side of him¡ªconsiderate, gentle, very gant and most all calm. Just tonight he had blown her away with his character, something Lucy hadn''t told her nor she even expected. But here she was, walking side by side with what seemed another version of the man everyone in the country loathingly feared.

    "I see," He epted her exnation without protest. It seemed like this woman, like her old Cat, had some fondness of old folk tales.

    "Would you like to hold hands with me?" Hawk felt the change of ambiance as the road they were taking seemed to have breathed another type of breeze, this time colder than before. He was afraid that his Cat was already freezing and he intended to keep her warm. "You know since everything on earth is interconnected, we should also¡­"

    "Hahahah" Simione chuckled and was utterly surprised at his offer, nevertheless, she agreed to such an idea. She offered him her hand with a smile "Why not?"

    Hawk glided his fingers to Simione''s small ones. It was warm, very soft andforting. It was the first time he held hands with her and the feeling was a bit refreshing as if he was once a teenage boy who had finally been noticed by her crush after a very long time.

    Simione herself didn''t understand what made her agree to hold hands with Hawk. However the feeling was so satisfying, that for once after a long time she found warmth and security. It took her back to the memory of her when she was very little, when she knew nothing but innocence and was surrounded by love. Gone were the days, she had long forgotten them and only Hawk had managed to bring her to such a memory of who she previously was.

    The night sky was so beautiful that night and under it, two love birds strolled along the shore. It was such a romantic night. Their fingers intertwined and their hearts full of hope. They came from a separate long journey and yet they had found their ways to each other again.

 Chapter 51 - Strong Arms

    After a few minutes of strolling, Simione and Hawk reached a ce filled with many people. There were few bay restaurants at the ce and it was filled with men and women, having night drinks. By the way they acted and just by scrutinizing their clothes, Hawk immediately knew these people were from the lower ss. Probably employees of some of the city''s big corporations having a few drinks with colleagues to ease off some stress.

    "I didn''t know some ce like this exists," Hawkmented as he had never been in such a part of the city. Although it was filled with people not of his kind, Hawk liked the ce. The ambiance was so lively and he was enjoying the view of employees drinking andughing amongst each other. The ocean too was beautiful to look at that night, it was like a mirror showing the reflection of the night sky and some city lights.??

    Simione only smiled at hisment and dragged Hawk to the farthest part of the bay. There at the very end, there was a small hut that had been isted from the rest of the restaurant. In front of such a small hut were a few wooden tables surrounded by fairy lights. As soon as Simione caught a view at it, she let go of Hawk''s hand and ran toward the hut.

    "Hello Madam Ning," She greeted and bowed to thedy at the counter.

    "Hello Miss. It''s been a long time," Thedy, a bit fat and in Hawk''s assessment was probably in her mid fifties , seemed very d to see the woman he was with. Do they know each other?

    After a few exchanges, the olddy finally noticed the girl wasn''t alone and her face brightened at the sight of Hawk. She dragged her eyes back to Simione and nodded her head lightly "You have apany miss. That''s good, that''s good."

    "Oh Madam it''s not what you think," Simione waved two hands in protest. She knew what the woman think and she didn''t want her to get such impression, "He is a friend,"

    "Everything starts with friendship my child," The smile on thedy''s face didn''t falter and she even gave Hawk a thorough look. Not satisfied, she cued to Hawk toe closer, "Come,e. Let me look at you closer young man,"

    Hawk respectfully responded to the old woman''s request. He walked and stood beside Simione and let Madam Ning have a good thorough look. Unexpectedly, the old woman held Hawk''s arms and pressed it twice. Pleased on whatever she found out, she turned to Simione with all smiles "Good child. He has strong arms. You won''t get hungry with this,"

    Simione understood what the olddy implies and she blushed thoroughly at that. Hawk however didn''t understand the meaning thaty beneath his words and so he only looked at the two women confused.

    "Go on, sit there," Thedy told both as if a mother was instructing her children. "I was about to close but since you are here, I wouldn''t mind heating your favorite soup. It''s not everyday that you drops by,"

    "Thank you Madam Ning," Simione was grateful. She then turned to Hawk, ignoring his confused expression and invited him to sit on the empty table.

    As soon as they were settled, Hawk, whose curiosity was already at its peak, couldn''t help but ask, "What does she mean when she said you won''t get hungry because I have a strong arm?"

    His question made Simione''s face turned crimson. However, she thought it would be impolite not to tell Hawk what Madam Ning meant and so she decoded the idiom for him. "Madam Ning was from a small country vige and in those ces the only viable upation for men was farming. Therefore, most of the families there would marry their daughters to men with strong arms because it means those men were hardworking farmers,"

    "Ah I see," Hawk finally understood. Although Hawk once lived in a small vige, his old butler really didn''t educate him much of the lifestyle there. Besides, he only stayed in that vige for a few months and he wasn''t able to learn their ways, except from some.

    "So since I have strong arms, I can be a good candidate for a husband right?" He added.

    "Hahaha," Simioneughed at it. "I''m not really sure if you can be a good husband, sire. However, I am sure you are hardworking"

    "I am?" He sounded normal when he asked but his inside was screaming with pride with Simione''spliment. Right it Hawk felt like his years of hard work paid off just by one singlepliment from the woman in front of him.

    "Of course you are. Your achievements in business are extraordinary. Imagine how at the age of seventeen you managed to put up the M Conglomerate back to top," Simione started narrating his personal achievements. Hearing those from her very own lips made Hawk Monsanto want to do more. "You are simply remarkable"

    "It seemed that you know me well,"

    "Everyone knows you. Let me just correct that," Simione emphasized.

    "Then since I''m remarkable, I can be a good candidate for a husband then?" he tried to bring up his previous question. He was actually teasing her and Simione could only shook her head amused and sigh.

    "Okay fine Hawk Monsanto. You are a good candidate for a husband," Simione gave in. "If not then Han''s Scintiit wouldn''t approve of you for sure,"

    The mention of Han''s Scintiit silenced them both for a moment and Simione just wanted to bang her head on the table for being so careless with her words. It''s just that she became sofortable with Hawk that she wasn''t anymore conscious of her words.

    "So you lived in a vige before?" Hawk immediately changed the topic to save the conversation that went awkward for a moment.

    Simione was relieved. However since she had already made such a mistake, she guarded her all the things that woulde out from her mouth then. Realizing that Hawk was extracting information about her, she replied. "You asks too much Hawk Monsanto,"

    "I''m sorry. I really want to get to know you. That''s why I''m asking a lot," Hawk apologize, "But you can choose not to answer though. However if you can, I would be d,"

    "Even if I answer your questions you wouldn''t know if they were the truth or not," Simione warned him. "People can lie,"

    "Then I''ll just believe all your lies," Hawk''s words ventured like a foolish promise that Simione was left amused with. Her goal was to make him exactly what he was right then but the girl couldn''t believe the great Hawk Monsanto would be willing to be that foolish. And for what? A woman he barely knew?

    "You sounded like a martyr husband," Simionemented, not sure whether she meant it as apliment or a criticism.

    Hawk wanted to counter however, Madam Ning came nagging with two bowls of hot soup before he could have a chance. "You must be hungry, I added a bit of spice to make it more delicious. Here you go, eat while its still hot,"

    "Thank you Madam Ning," Simione replied sweetly. "I''m sure it tastes good as always,"

    While the old woman was still there, Simione took a good sip and it ended delighted on how the taste made her stomach crave for more, "Oh heavens! Nothing beats Madam Ning''s soup number 4!"

    "Do not tter me child," The olddy chastised. "I actually thought you have found a new favorite somewhere since it''s been a long time since you dropped by,"

    "That is impossible. There''s nothing as delicious as what Madam Ning cooks," Simione winkedically at the old woman.

    "Alright. Alright," Madam Ning rolled her eyes at Simione''spliment as she was very aware she was exaggerating things, "I''ll leave you both alone so you can chat a little more. I''ll be inside, if you need more soup just call,"

    "Oh I''ll sure do," Simione promised and when the old woman left the table, her attention turned to Hawk, "Go on try it,"

    Simione''s voice sounded like she was challenging him. She knew he would like the soup but she expects that he''ll be disgusted if he knew what it was made of. Truthfully, Hawk tasted the soup and he seemed very delighted with how it tasted.

    "Delicious right?" Simione chuckled at the sight of the great Hawk Monsanto getting a taste of Madam Ning''s ill-famous soup number four.

    "It is," Hawk agreed without doubt. He was so into it that in the span of three minutes he had finished one big bowl alone. Simione was left bewildered. Did he like it that much?

    Simione let loose a loud guffaw when Hawk''s bowl dried up. Sheughed so hard that she almost vomited everything she ate that night. She ended up coughing instead, "Do you know what it is made off?"

    Hawk didn''t answer and just looked at Simione, brow raised.

 Chapter 52 - That Fleeting Moment

    Assuming he had no idea, Simione continued, very much expecting his outburstter, "Well that is¡­."

    "Cow''s balls and intestine," Hawk continued for her and nonchntly continued eating as if there was nothing wrong with it. "Delicious isn''t it? I like this soup very much,"??

    Simione''s excitement dies down at the view of the great Hawk Monsanto, enjoying amoner''s food. Her jaw even dropped at the shock that came onto her. She looked at him for a few good minutes as her incredulity struck into her, hard.

    "Seriously?" She gasped. "You know this kind of food?"

    "You underestimate me mi amor," Hawk smirked at the sight of the girl''s confusion. He let go of a smirk and finished up his soup with thorough delight. Ever since Feather vomited at theirst restaurant date, Hawk had never got a chance to eat such kind of soup anymore. So right then, he wasn''t really enjoying it without pretense and amazed that the woman he was with, out of all people, also had this kind of peculiar taste. "This probably is the best vor in this whole city,"

    "You mean you regrly eat this kind of soup?" Another shock went through Simione. How in the world did the great Hawk Monsanto like a peasant''s food? Simione right then was having some chills, not able toprehend anything. "But how is this possible?

    "I do. Actually it''s not that impossible as you think it is," Hawk cleared. Then went on narrating something about his previous life, "I''ve been to many ces before I steadied here. I had travelled a lot and in the road, there is not much of food choices so I eat everything that was avable "

    Simione''s shock was swept away by Hawk''s exnation and a bag of empathy rushed into her heart. She was aware of the Monsanto''s story, how once the M Conglomerate fell down and every Monsanto was being hunted. If her calctions were right, Hawk was still a young child at that time and it was said that they had been on the run for many years. This probably was what he meant when he said he had travelled to many ces.

    "I see," Simione concluded, hiding away the pity she felt. She certainly didn''t want him to see it because she knew it would create an awkward environment for the both of them. "I''m sorry,"

    "For what?" Hawk''s eyes went from his bowl to Simione''s honey-colored ones, "For underestimating my kind of men?"

    "Well yeah," Simione owned her mistake. "Your kind of men,"

    "I don''t ept apologies mi amor," His words sounded as if it was some kind of threat and the girl shivered a little at it.

    "I''ll pay for the soup then. Since I owe you," Simione proposed, hoping Hawk could give a pass to her bad judgement. "How about that?"

    "How about you tell me something about yourself?" Hawk traded with her and Simione was then amazed on how he was using his business skills to deal with her secrecy. "Two things," he added as his eyes quickened at the sparke of such a brilliant idea.

    Simione''s brow arched at his audacity, "You are so demanding Mister Monsanto,"

    "Something is telling me I have the right to demand," Hawk replied with a devious handsome smile that got into the girl''s bones instantly. Looking at him right then, Simione for the first time had seen how captivating his looks were. He was handsome without question, from his grey sparkling eyes and his manly deep voice. Even his gestures can make every woman fall away as he was naturally a gentleman and his words, opinions and thoughts would make you fall in love on the spot. Hawk Monsanto was smart and brilliant but what made Simione so amazed was not his beautiful appearance but the beauty of his heart. He was a noble man with great spirits, something Simione had not expected and feared all the most.

    "Well, if you insist. I won''t mind¡ª"

    "I do insist," Hawk cut her off and winked with a victorious smile. Simione wanted to refuse as she didn''t want to give Hawk any information about herself and yet, right then she was so defenseless with his demand specially that he looked so goddamn cute as he was on it.

    "Alright. Alright," Simione rolled her eyes and smiled. "Well let me see¡­" She thought of something for a moment. Her lips moved and twitched as she rampaged through her brain, trying to find something she can give Hawk without risking her chances, "hmmm, first is that...I have voluntarily subjected myself to everyday stress for thest three years. Second is that my friends says I have the most boring job in this city and I extremely, heavily hated my boss,"

    "Everyone hates their bosses," Hawkmented, flushing a neutral expression but his mind was actually scrutinizing each of Simione''s words carefully. What does she mean when she said she had voluntarily subjected herself to everyday stress? Is that her job or something else?

    Her first statement didn''t give Hawk much information but at least the second statement was kind of useful in a way. Simione''s second statement made Hawk know a few things, first is that; the girl works within the city, second; she had a boring job? Clerk work maybe? He did think she was a dancer because seriously she had some talent. Third is that; she had friends. Wonder what kind of friends they were, was Luci Dimitri one of them?

    "Well mine probably was the worst," Simione got annoyed thinking about it.

    "And yet you keep on with him," Hawk emphasized the fact that she actually had a choice to resign if he was that bad. ''Just resign and be my private dance, I won''t mind paying you twenty million each night'' Some nauthy thought suddenly went on Hawk''s mind but before such thought came pronounced at his face, he shoo it all away.

    "If only I can," Simione sighed deep. "Perhaps after a year or two maybe,"

    Hawk''s mind caught and processed swiftly Simione''sst statement. A year or two? She''s definitely waiting for something to happen. That''s why she puts up with her boss no matter how much she hates him. Did she also mention the time frame three years previously? Was it the one she was waiting to pass?

    "Hmmm.. intriguing," Hawk whispered in his breathe as Simione''s statement got him too upied.

    "What''s that?" Simione heard it but didn''t catch it clearly.

    "I said if you are that stressed with your boss, you are wee to apply in mypany," Hawk straightened his mind and teased her, "I promise I won''t give you much of a stress,"

    "Very funny Hawk Monsanto," Simione shook her head. She had heard of how strict he was as a boss and that hispany hired nothing less than people who graduated with honors in big universities. "ording to statistics, yourpany has the lowest retention rate when ites to new employees. I will be fired even before I stepped in that''s for sure,"

    "You''ll never know," Hawk gave her a naughty wink, amazed at how she knew much about him.

    Simione and Hawk talked for a few more minutes before they decided it was getting sote and they had to go home. After waving Madam Ning goodbye, the two head off.

    "I can give you a ride if you want," Hawk gave the thought a chance although he knew the girl would decline.

    "Not anymore. Luci had arranged a transportation for me," Simione refused as Hawk expected. If he''ll give him a ride, he''ll definitely know where she lives and who she was staying with. She didn''t want to give him that.

    "So you''ll wait for her ride?" Hawk was amazed that she was to be picked up by Luci. He was then thinking that she was really an important person to the singer but when he was reminded of how a thoughtful and generous employer Luc Dimitri was, he had his doubts.

    "Yes. She''s probably aware where I am right now," Simione revealed.

    "She had someone follow us?" It was only then that Hawk realized it.

    "Well she always made sure all her employees were safe. Especially in circumstances like this when we are taken by clients," Simione exined hoping Hawk would believe it. "You know, she''s very particr with her employees safety,"

    "I see," Hawk didn''t give it much of a thought right then because he had something more important in mind. He and the girl were still walking in the bay, tracing back their previous path. With such a beautiful ambiance and mood, Hawk thought it was the perfect moment.

    "Cat," He called her attention as he stopped in his tracks.

    "Hmmm?" Simione turned to his head and realized Hawk stopped and looked at her with his ever gorgeous grey eyes that were trying to connect with her.

    There was something within it that took Simione''s breath away. Hawk Monsanto looked at her with so much warmth that for a moment, Simione thought she was the woman whom he was in love with. Thinking about it, Simione knew it was a horrible fantasy but with Hawk, right there and then, she could think of nothing but all good things and her doubts and hesitation were silenced for a moment.It was like they were in love and it that particr moment, Simione surrendered herself freely to that fleeting moment.

 Chapter 53 - Business Chaos

    Hawk himself felt too many butterflies in his stomach while looking at Simione. She was beautiful as always, standing there in front of him with her mouth parting slightly and eyes that reminded him of trees in bright summer. With his hands that had gone sweaty despite the cold breeze that surrounded them, Hawk pulled something from his pocket. A blue box that he had waited for so many days to give to her.

    Going through each day wondering where she is, what she was doing, and whether she''lle and give himpany for a while again made Hawk grow impatient and doubtful. Those were the days when he had made Lucas go insane and all his employees left wondering what made Hawk''s Monsanto''s temperament go that bad.??

    "This is for you," Hawk managed to let the words out of his mouth after a few seconds of struggle. For some reason, he knew he blushed and thanks to his tanned skin andplexion, it didn''t go that obvious in his face unlike that of Simione''s. Simione had a pearl-like skin, very smooth and white that a single blush can never hide from it. While his eyes still fixed into her, he opened the box and inside it was something that got Simione lost for words.

    It was the mariposa verde.

    The beautiful piece of jewelry glittered in front of Simione''s eyes with so much elegance and beauty the girl knew was worth more than millions. When she first saw it in the store, she knew right away it wasn''t ordinary and she wondered why then Hawk Monsanto would ever give a random stranger, who just danced like a stripper a few hours ago such jewelry of value.

    However, because so was surprised and drawn to it, she lost all the strength to protest at Hawk''s gift. She was not even able to move, nor say a single word when Hawk took the jewelry out of the box and wear it in Simione''s neck.

    "Beautiful," Hawk was amazed at how perfect the piece was in Simione''s neck. Since the chain was thin, you can''t barely notice it until it was worn around the girl''s neck. Since Simione had an ivory skin, the thin chain of the piece was lost into it. However because it was made of fine gold, it shone ever beautifully in the girl''s neck like her skin was filled with fine glitters.

    Simione''s brain couldn''t process what was happening and all she was able to do right then was touch the jewelry that hung in her neck. She felt the piece in her hand, signifying that she wasn''t dreaming and that this was all true. She looked down on her breast and saw the butterfly pendant filled with rubies and her heart just fell in love, either with Hawk or the mariposa verde in her neck.

    "Do you like it?" Hawk whispered in her ears as his two hands settled from her neck to her bare shoulder and felt all the warmth he had for her. Simione couldn''t understand what she was feeling then as she never had a chance to be familiar with all the things that went on to her. Or probably she had just long forgotten them. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling everything in before she answered him.

    "Yes," She replied as if her heart weren''t fluttering endlessly. She turned to meet his eyes that only drowned her into a dream. A dream that says he was hers although she knew very well he wasn''t. Couldn''t take it all in, Simione who was bombarded with rising hopes andplicated feelings tiptoed to give Hawk a kiss. The only salvation she had for her raging feelings.

    Hawk didn''t expect that sudden kiss and although he had tasted her lips for many times already, it always felt different every time. Like her insides were made of so many vors and he got to taste each of it every single kiss. It was so sudden and sweet, and yet he enjoyed her lead. If this was his kind of reward for giving her the mariposa verde..Oh God! He''ll go and buy her even more!

    Simione''s lips in his mouth got Hawk very hungry and in just seconds, he had wrapped one of his hands on her head, pressing her in and the other at her back, supporting her. Her kisses then were so sincere, like a million loving thoughts condensed into a moment that Hawk ended up hoping she''ll stay and be his. However, he knew she was something that cannot be contained. Something that no man, not even him, the great Hawk Monsanto, ever deserved. So right then he was enjoying the moment while itsted because he knew he''ll have to crave and dream for her for the rest of the days ahead.

    When the kiss broke, they were both breathless. Simione''s face reddened at such an intense passion and she bit her lips shamefully. Seeing it made Hawk want to kiss her even more but he chose not to because right then he was afraid he might not have the strength to make her leave.

    "Thank you," Simione wanted to return the gift as she knew she didn''t deserve it but her inner self didn''t allow her to. Instead she ended up saying her thanks for such a valuable piece. "I like it very much,"

    "I know," Hawk smiled and although confused with his answer, Simione didn''t ask anymore.

    Soon they left the baypletely and the moment they emerged on the main road, a car stopped in front of them. It wasn''t one of Hawk''s cars and so he knew it came for the girl.

    "Thank you for tonight," Simione bid the M Conglomerate''s president a farewell. The night they spent together was so beautiful and splendid that the girl knew she''ll have a hard time forgetting it. All the more ignored that it happened.

    "When will I see you again?" Hawk someone felt a bit of panic knowing that she might not appear in his life anymore. She''s a woman who left without traces and so he wanted some assurance that she''lle back.

    "I will see you again," Simione assured him, "This will not be thest time Hawk Monsanto,"

    "I''ll look forward to that," Hawk hoped and without waiting for anything, he grabbed Simione''s hips, pressed her to him andnded a warm kiss on her head. "Goodbye mi amore, don''t make me wait for long,"

    Simione just smiled and eased himself out of Hawk''s grab. She went into the car and left Hawk without looking back. At the car, she held a very deep sigh and cursed herself for being such a stupid fool. How could she let herself enjoy Hawk''spany, all the more allowed herself to sumb into the feeling that went on to her while she was with him.

    "Foolish Simione," She chided her own self, "How very foolish of you,"

    ****

    The moment Simione appeared in the door, Lucy''s heart leaped with thorough excitement. She had asked the driver to bring Simione back to the hotel where she was waiting for her all night. She had dismissed herself from Walter Wong''s presence to make him enjoy the night with his friends because she was very aware that her presence then only killed the men''s fun.

    "Omigod Sisi!" Lucy dragged her immediately to the sofa to check for any signs that would give her a glimpse of what took ce between her and Hawk Monsanto. Although she had asked someone to spy on them, she instructed them very carefully not toe near and ruin the forbidden lover''s moment.

    Lucy''s eyes went from Simione''s shoulder to her neck and when she saw the thing hanging in her friend''s neck, her soul kind of went away with her shock!

    "Sh*t Sisi," Lucy gasped dreadfully, "This is the mariposa verde,"

    Lucy couldn''t believe her eyes. It was a recent hot topic amongst the elite how Hawk Monsanto almost destroyed the Verde Jewelries Incorporated just so he can have the piece. Everyone of course suspected it was for Feather as it was the same day that the ballerina''s social media ounts posted the fact that she and Hawk had gone jewelry shopping.

    "I know," Simione answered, her voice shaking when she saw how Lucy got bewildered at it. "Please don''t tell me there is a huge story about this piece,"

    "Nothing actually apart from Hawk making business chaos just to get this piece," Lucy yed innocently at her words, "My God Simione! This is huge! Hawk was so into you already!...oh wait¡­.oh noh Sisi¡­.he must be in love¡­ he must have been in love with you already!"

    Lucy''s bber got Simione''s inside twitched. A huge amount of guilt went into her. If it''s true that the M Conglomerate''s president was already in love with her, will his heart not shatter into pieces once he knew what she was after?

    "I don''t think that''s the case Lucy," Simione refused to believe it.

 Chapter 54 - Love Drama

    "Not the case?" Lucy raised a brow when she saw Simione''s hesitation. "Simoione, I had known Hawk Monsanto for long and he had never ever gave in to any woman before,"

    "But he gave in to Feather," Simione pressed.??

    "Who knows what''s behind this Feather and Hawk''s love drama. It could be that their marriage is only for the sake of business. I heard M Conglomerate and Han''s Scintiit have some sort of business venture together," Lucy answered, very suspicious about the whole affair.

    "I heard they love each other," Some little needles pricked into Simione''s heart when she said it and it unconsciously showed in her face. "Wasn''t Hawk Monsanto one of Feather''s major sponsors? He had been adoring her for years,"

    "So what?" Lucy''s brow arched it. "Sisi, you know what, I don''t like how this conversation is going because to be honest, you are giving me some chills! Girl, you sounded like a woman in love with President Hawk,"

    "Lucy, that''s impossible," Simione fixed her face and with assurance added, "I''m not here for him. I''m here for Feather and I''m certainly not into Hawk Monsanto,"

    "Well that''s good to hear," Lucy was relieved. "Because Hawk Monsanto is not a good man to love,"

    "I know," Simione answered but her wordscked sincerity. For the first time in thest couple of months she was having some serious doubts of what she was doing and whether she should stop there or take risk and be burned. "But Lucy, why do you always say that?"

    "Say what?"

    "That Hawk Monsanto was not a good man to love," She didn''t really give much attention to Lucy''s warning not until then and so she was curious what made Lucy say this.

    "He is Hawk Monsanto Simione," Lucy highlighted the name. "The name itself is dangerous, that''s all I can say,"

    Simione upon hearing it didn''t ask anymore. She didn''t want to raise any suspicions on Lucy''s part and make her aware that something was bothering her inside. Besides, it''s only tonight that she had felt it so she was hoping it will all go away soon. Perhaps by morning, she''ll not even remember it at all.

    ****

    The next morning, Feather had a pictorial for an elite magazine. Since she was nning to stay in the country for good, her manager Rose Feng thought it would be good for her to take part in the showbiz industry to keep her in the spotlight.

    Right then, Feather just walked into the studio where the photoshoot was held with Ami and the rest of her staff. When she appeared, she thought the whole ambiance was weird. The set up was nice and the preliminaries went on smoothly but everyone was acting a bit strange. She saw some staff whispering amongst each other and some looked at her with unusual expressions. However, no one seemed to care to tell her what''s wrong, not even her own staff did.

    "Ami is there something that I do not know?" Feather asked. She was in front of the mirror right now as her make up was being taken care off. She could feel everyone''s eyes on her as if she was carrying some sort of a weird tiara in her head.

    "What do you mean Miss Han?" Ami asked. She herself didn''t know what''s going on and unlike Feather she didn''t notice any weird things running around. She had been busy looking up Feather''s business and schedule that day so she had not had enough time to get what''s going around.

    "Maybe there''s nothing then," Feather swooshed the thought off seeing how Ami had no idea about it. If there was something, Ami would surely tell her.

    When she asked, only then did Ami realize that Feather''s mood wasn''t that great and so to spare herself the burden of her random outrageous tantrum, she tried to lift her mood up.

    "Miss, how do you like President Monsanto''s gift?" Ami intentionally opened up the thing to draw everyone''s ears in their conversation. Since she posted the pictures she had during that shopping free, Feather''s social ounts had been flooded by so manyments of envy. Netizens all praised Hawk Monsanto for being a very generous lover who never missed on spoiling their favorite ballerina.

    As Ami expected, Feather''s mood did go from ''meh'' to great. With sparkling eyes and smiles, she answered, "Oh Ami don''t you mention it. President was just being so generous as he had always been,"

    Feather expected everyone to join in the conversation andpliment her, more so bber jealousy statements like she had always heard from everyone ever since she got engaged to Hawk.

    Truth was although Feather was a well respected ballerina in the capital, her poprity was brought by her grandfather''s power and Hawk. Her grandfather had been discreetly paying off mediapanies to always feature her and had been sponsoring performances in London with fixed contract provisions of Feather being the lead ballerina. This was the reason why Feather had been on many lead performances in Voltaire Ballet Company. Hawk too had contributed to her sess as he had been secretly supporting her for years.

    However, because the ballet industry in London was a bitpetitive, Feather struggled to get by in a foreign country. This was the reason why Feng Rose had been nning to make her go home and do ballet in the capital as she was already popr there. Besides, unlike in London, the ballet industry in this country wasn''t that strict and hard to infiltrate.

    With this, while she was still working in Voltaire Ballet Company, Feather didn''t receive much approval especially with her fellow ballerinas. For them Feather was just lucky she had back up support but apart from that she''s just an ordinary ballerina like most them. And so Feather was always hungry for attention and appreciation. She craved it these days specially that since she got engaged with Hawk, she was always in everyone''s conversation with good feedback.

    "O Miss I particrly like that ne he gave you," Ami added, trying to lengthen the conversation about the jewelry. "You know what, I had my grandmother take a look at its picture and she said it was very very expensive. Oh Miss I''m very jealous! Gosh I cannot contain my adoration for your soon to be husband. It was so obvious he was so in love with you!"

    "Oh that ne," Feather tried to rummage her mind on what ne Ami was talking about. She had brought so many nes during that shopping spree and she couldn''t figure out which one was it.

    "Is the ne you are talking about the Mariposa Verde?" Someone from the staff dared to ask and the question rang to Feather''s ears ever painfully. Damn! Out of all the jewelry Hawk brought her, that Mariposa Verde was seriously getting into her. If she wasn''t protecting her reputation then, she could have pped the person who asked it immediately.

    "I''m sorry Miss Han for interrupting," The person who asked saw the angry expression that went onto Feather and so he apologized for it. "It''s just that it''s been a talk of the town how President Hawk almost made the Verde Jewelries Incorporated almost bankrupt because of it,"

    "You fool! Of course it was the mariposa verde we are talking about!" When Ami heard the staff''s exnation, she suddenly saw the opportunity to brag a bit more. She didn''t really know the story behind the mariposa verde as Feather had not told her about it and that time, she had dismissed her early so she and President Hawk could have a date. However, with all the amount of jewelry Feather brought that day, she was sure one of them was the mariposa verde that everyone seemed to be fussing about.

    "Is that really true?" Another staff member who was already too curious asked. Then she turned to Feather, questioning, "Did President Hawk really give the mariposa verde to you Miss Han?"

    "Are you implying that Miss Han is lying?" Ami raised a brow at him as if threatening him for his audacity to question her boss. What''s with everyone today? They seemed to have grown some balls overnight that they went on questioning Hawk Monsanto''s future wife?

    Feather too got so annoyed that she ended up shooting danger-like stares at that same person.

    "No No Miss Ami," The person waved his hands in front of them. "It''s just that there is an article going online about President Hawk giving the mariposa verde to...another woman..."

    "Lies!" Feather couldn''t hold her anger with what she heard. Her anger rose to her brain in a way that she couldn''t say anything but just flushed a red burning face.

    "Impossible!" Ami dismissed such rumours immediately then went on chiding everyone. Seeing how enraged her boss was, she was nning to talk to the studio owner and request to have all those staff be fired right away. "How could you all believe such fake news and cast some filth on President Hawk''s devotion to Miss Han?"

    "I''m sorry Miss Ami but I don''t think they were lies," Many of the staff members already joined in the raging argument.

    "Enough!" Feather screamed on the top of her lungs to silence everyone. "I don''t know what you are all talking about but I won''t tolerate this nonsense conversation. Besides, I am Hawk''s fiancee. Would you rather believe the rumours than me?"

 Chapter 55 - Without Meaning

    "Then Miss Han, how can you exin all this?" Someone stepped in holding a phone in her hand. On that phone was the article of Hawk Monsanto enjoying a night with another woman and together with it were pictures of them.

    Seeing it, Feather''s knees shook. Although the woman''s face was a bit blurred because obviously it was taken from afar, her shining copper hair made the ballerina realize she was the same woman from the engagement party. Did Hawk and that woman really met and even dated at her back???

    Feather then was confused. Growing up, she had envied Hawk''s devotion to the Han''s heiress even when she was not aware that the boy in the remote vige nicknamed Spin was a Monsanto. That boy had always been true to his words and had exceeded all their expectations especially when after many years, he emerged powerful and rich yet his affection for the girl he met in the Somerset vige remained the same. So how in the whole wide world, would a person who was deeply devoted to someone cheat just like that? Was his devotion to the Han''s heiress not true after all?

    "I don''t think these pictures are real," Feather shook her head miserably and although she didn''t want to break loose in front of everyone, her expressions simply couldn''t be contained. She was hurt, shocked and all the more devastated at what she had seen. How could Hawk Monsano do this to the woman he swore to marry?

    "Right!" Ami defended Feather amidst the chaos. She too had seen how her face suddenly went pale and it wouldn''t be long before Feather would storm out the door and make her day miserable than it already was. She and Feather''s manager, Rose Feng, spent so much effort for this photoshoot for thest several days and for it to be ruined by a certain rumor going around the city was thest thing they wished would happen. "You have no proof that these pictures are legit,"

    "Well then there''s another way to find out if Miss Han was really telling the truth," Another of the staff stepped in. Actually they all hated Feather and so they all used this opportunity to at least get back at her a little. The ballerina was sure as bitch as hell and she had fired out many of their colleagues for petty reasons and yet they could do nothing because she was a pride in this country when ites to ballet and right now, people had a high regard for her as she was Hawk Monsanto''s woman. So no matter how the staff bleed and get insulted by Feather on set they all just let it pass as they don''t want to go against the M Conglomerate''s president.

    "If President Hawk did really give you the mariposa verde, then perhaps you can show it to us?" the staff suggested. There was a picture of Hawk giving the mariposa verde to that mystery woman and so they all wondered whether Feather was really telling the truth or had been denying it all.

    "It''s not here with me," Feather reasoned. "And besides, why the hell would I bring such precious jewelry everywhere?"

    "Then you can post when you are at home? It''s not that hard I guess,"

    Feather''s face fell at that. Of course she doesn''t have the mariposa verde and she can''t just go and look for something identical to it because surely the Verde Jewelry Incorporated will be able to tell the difference. Besides, it is a crime to imitate one and she wouldn''t risk being persecuted because of her rising career and the reputation she was trying so hard to protect.

    "Now that you said it I won''t be posting anything then!" Feather was enraged. The hotness of her red angry face immediately sent droplets of sweat in her head. "That gift was very precious to me and I don''t want to share it with anyone!"

    Meanwhile, a few buildings away from where Feather was being bombarded by the studio''s staff, a woman was staring at an anonymous online article. Her copper hair was on a tight clean bun and on her face hanging was her thick reading sses. She was sitting on her office desk very stressed out from all the deadlines and her boss demands. In fact it was only a minute ago when she had managed to sit and take her break after hours of running and hurrying around.

    Right then she was staring at the article online about Hawk Monsanto dating another girl behind his fiancee''s back. Seeing it her head suddenly ached. Is this Lucy''s doing?

    Last night she asked Lucy what would be their next move to get on with their Feather project and that devious queen only smiled.

    "You''ll see" She could hear Luciughing at her mind as she was nning to pull a bomb the very next day. And s! The bomb was already out as an anonymous article had been circling online about Hawk Monsanto''s infidelity and his outrageous expenses for his mistress. Good thing Lucy didn''t miss to blur her face or everyone of Feather''s fans will go and hunt her.

    "God Luci, you are soo like Lucifer!" Simione cursed the singer a million times but of course she couldn''t deny it was such a good move. What''s the purpose of having an intimate night with Hawk Monsanto after all if Feather will now know about it. Seeing thousands ofments and shares on that article, surely it had reached Feather''s knowledge then. She wondered then how many vases Feather would break at the Han''s Mansion with her anger over such news. The thought sponsored a satisfying smile on her face.

    "Whoaah! Simione! You smiled today!" Gertrude, one of her officemates, noticed it. He flushed a surprise faceically in front of Simione mockering her for smiling for the first time that day. Curious, he took a nce at what Simione was doting on and found her reading the news about Hawk Monsanto. Immediately he shook his head in disgust, "My God Simione, while everyone in the country was disheartened with the news about President Hawk''s infidelity over Miss Han, here you are, weirdly, smiling so happily at it!"

    "Really?" Another secretary but in. "How heartless you are Simione!"

    Simione was working in aw firm as one of the secretaries of a famouswyer. Getrude and the other girl who just teased her were her colleagues and so were the rest in that department. Although theirw firm had good benefits, their direct boss, Mr Wanglin, who was the head of the secretariat department was a very strict and taunting man that no employees would simply stay long under his care. Simione for example dreaded the man soo much, however herpany was the one paying her fees inw school which she will never ever be able to afford and her sry there, which was higher than what she can get from otherw firms made her stick through all of Mr. Wanglin''s emotional torture. As far she was concerned about her emotional well being, she needed the money to support her family which at the moment was under a great predicament.

    Simione just rolled an eye at their dramas and put her phone down. With sigh, she opened herptop and started opening some files.

    "Reviewing again are we?" Gertrude didn''t give her a break. "If Mr. Wanglin sees you reviewing again, he''ll send you to hell!"

    "If you are that concerned then please just cover for me," Simione grimaced at the mention of their boss name. "I wasn''t able to reviewst night and I don''t want to end up standing the whole four hours if I fail again to answer the recitations. Besides I had finished everything he demanded,"

    "Goodness Simione, as if Mr. Wanglin''s tortue isn''t enough, you dare to enroll inw school and subject yourself to more stress!" Trini, the one who just joined Getrude in teasing Simione earlier,mented. "No wonder your smiles are very expensive. You simply had no time to be delighted in small things because of the amount of stress you intentionally drown yourself into."

    "I''m already in my third year," Simione answered, eyes fixed on herputer. "Don''t you think your concern was a bitte already? You should have told me that before I enteredw school,"

    "Excuse me, I tried to convince you to drop out fromw school when I and Gertrude did," Trini reminded her. Every secretary in thatw firm had been offered full schrships inw school and yet most of them dropped out after a semester. Statistically speaking, only one percent of the employee''s poption in theirw firm survived throughw school and Simione was one of them.

    "Hussh!" Simione dismissed her off as her eyes had started rummaging around a case file that she was reading. She needed her focus and Trini''s words were just stressing her all the more. "Just warn me if Mr. Wanglin drops by,"

    "Right," Trini just shook her head as she abandoned her earlier statements. She was aware that Simione was already in study mode and so her words all just went through the girl''s ears without any meaning.

 Chapter 56 - Her Past

    For few minutes, Simione''s eyes was glued to her readings. Good thing Mr. Wanglin seemed to be busy with some things else and stopped pestering Simione, giving the girl the entire morning to study. She was up for another case file when suddenly heard her phone ring.

    When she saw the caller id and realized who it was, she immediately picked it up. "Yes, grandmother¡­"??

    Simione wasn''t able to finish her greetings because the olddy from the other end was crying frustratedly. It was grandmother Ninya and she brought Simione some real bad news fresh from the courthouse.

    "What? How could that happen?" Simione was worriedly shocked when she heard her grandmother''s exnation and in order to calm down the old woman, sheforted and assured her at the same time "Don''t worry grandmother, I''ll find ways. I''ll take care of it. Go back to the hospital now and rest,"

    As soon as the phone dropped, Simione grabbed her school files one by one and tucked them in her bag. It was already loaded with her books but she pressed everything in nevertheless. While she was doing so, Gertrude saw her terrible expression. He heard her talking to her grandmother and understood it had to be something about either her brother or grandfather.

    "Where are you going?" he asked.

    "Can you please cover up for me? If Mr. Wanglin looked for me¡ª"

    "I''ll tell him you got a very bad stomach ache that I had to send you home before you flood the whole room with a foul smell,"

    "Thank you," Simione was pleased although Gertrude''s made up reason was a bit too extreme. She knew he can pull such lies anyway in front of Mr. Wanglin, as he always did for the past few times she had to leave the office like this.

    "Is it your brother this time?" Trini, who caught the conversation, asked. They were both aware that Simione''s family wasn''t in a good kind of situation these days. She didn''t know the details exactly but what she knew was that Simione''s grandfather was in prison and her brother was in the hospital for many months now.

    "Grandfather¡­. his case was scheduled to be heard in the courthouse today and hiswyer didn''te," Simione managed to reply as she stood and attempted to fix her suit then hurried to the door.

    "Again?"

    She heard Trini ask as she left and since she was in a hurry, she didn''t mind answering her. Besides, she doesn''t really have answers as to why her grandfather''swyers go MIA everytime his case is being heard. Probably because his case was of embezzlement and no attorney would really take the risk of ruining their career by beingbelled as a protector of the criminal who stole people''s money. Grandfather Tang was the governor of the second district and it was his public service that brought him through prison. Right then, Simione was keeping a look on his case with all the knowledge she had withwyering and understood that what her grandfather needed then was anotherwyer who would keep his words.

    Simione hired a taxi and asked the driver to bring her to the city''s prison where grandfather William was held. She then requested to see him as soon as she reached the station and after just a few minutes of waiting, the old man was guided to the visitor''s quarters.

    "Grandfather," Simione bowed to pay her respects before she hugged the old man.

    "Sisi, you look pale. Have you been eating well?" Grandfather William held the girl''s hand and tried to put up a smile so as not to make the girl worry. "You should have note. It''s a weekday, I''m sure you have a sster. You should have just studied,"

    "Grandfather, it''s okay," She guided the old man to sit. Although he was trying his best to look okay, Simione knew he wasn''t. How could one be okay in prison? Especially at a retiring age, grandfather should have been out there enjoying some vacation he had never had time to do all these years.

    "About your case, don''t worry. I''ll be able to find a newwyer," Simione promised. Truth was she had exhausted all her resources and talked to many people in the legal profession but none would like to be involved in her grandfather''s case. However, she was not going to give up on it as she knew very well that her grandfather was innocent. All his life, he dedicated it to public service and to say that he just became rich because he took people''s money was very unfair. Although the Tangs weren''t rich like Hawk Monsanto, they were however members of the elite circle for so many decades. They had enough money to live a luxurious peaceful life so there simply wasn''t any reason at all for grandfather Willim to embezzle money.

    "Sisi, my little one," Grandfather William held her face. "Do not concern yourself with my case anymore. You have so many things on your table right now, even when you don''t tell it, I know you are the one paying for your brother''s medical expenses and that, that''s already enough my love,"

    Sisi''s heart ached when she heard what her grandfather said. She had been keeping it a secret to him all this time about their financial predicaments. Since her grandfather was used of embezzlement, the government froze all their assets including all the money in their banks. This was the reason why Simione had taken over and be the breadwinner of the Tangs and kept the whole matter out of William''s knowledge. However, it seemed that he already knew.

    "Grandfather I''m sorry¡ª"

    "No no my little one," The old man shook his head trying to imply that he wasn''t angry at all. In fact he was very ashamed that Simione had to take over his ce as the provider of the Tangs. Good knows how difficult Sisi''s life had been growing up and thest thing he wanted was to give her this burden. Besides, they weren''t her obligations anyway as she wasn''t really their blood rtive, they just took her into their home and raised her. Also when she became of age, she immediately left the Tang''s household and lived independently, relying nothing on them but on her own effort and persistence. "I am not mad at you. However Sisi, I don''t think it is right that you also had to be burden of me,"

    "Grandfather, why are you saying that. Although I am not really your real granddaughter, you loved me beyond anyone did," Simione had smiled lovingly at him that somehow, grandfather William''s heart was filled with thorough warmth. If there was one thing he really liked about Simione, it was her warmth and her love for her family, her true family. "Just please let me do something,"

    "Alright Sisi," Grandfather William settled. As much as he didn''t want Simione to help, he couldn''t also resist her pleas. "But don''t worry about it too much, although we don''t have much of resources right now, I still have some friends in the government I can call,"

    "Yes grandfather,"

    "By the way, were you able to visit your brother this week?" He inquired.

    "Yes I did grandfather," Simione replied instantly as she knew how worried he was about him. Before grandfather William was sent to prison, his only grandson had a terrible car ident and he had been in aa for many months now. "The doctors said he was doing fine. Don''t worry about him, I''m sure one of these days he''lle back to us,"

    "I do hope Sisi. I do," It was when he said this that the old man''s expression went bad. Obviously, grandfather William doesn''t care much if he spends many days in prison. What he cared the most and was very afraid of was that one day, they would lose Lyndon. He was past the critical stage of the injury brought by his ident but he was not able to wake up after it. "Please take care of him, Sisi. That is only thing I want to ask of you and your grandmother too,"

    "I will grandfather," She promised and right then, grandfather William held her hand one more time tightly and flushed a bitter smile.

    He then said this, "You are so good Sisi. When you left the Tang household, I did think you would forget about us especially with how things turned out with you and your brother. Yet here you are,"

    "Grandfather, why would you ever think that," Simione flushed an upset face. It was the first time that grandfather William confessed his real feelings when she left them and although her heart ached at the memory of such a heartbreaking past, it wasn''t right for her to hate the Tang elders just because things didn''t turn out good between her and Lyndon, "What happened to me and Lyndon in the past was part of growing up. It''s between me and him. It was no one''s fault. Not yours, not grandmother''s and especially not Lyndon''s,"

    "It''s not his fault if he didn''t love me the way I loved with him," Simione''s throat wet dry at herst words and yet, things like that needed to be said.

 Chapter 57 - Hit The Climax

    "It''s not his fault if he didn''t love me the way I loved him," When Simione said the words, her soul felt thin. Something sparkled within her, like some match had been lit and she enjoyed the me for a little while before it became ashes. There was a time when she loved a man and thought love was a journey without an ending. However, in the middle of somewhere, a storm came and she was left behind, alone in the cold and rain.

    "Sisi¡ª" ??

    "It''s okay grandfather, it''s been a long time already," She smiled bitterly at the old man. He knew how Sisi and Lyndon used to be lovers and although how much the Tang elders approved of their rtionship, it did not end well.

    They all thought that when the time woulde, Simione could officially be part of their family as their grandson''s wife but their hopes faltered when the two broke up and decided to separate ways. That was the same time that Simione left the Tang''s mansion and although that household brought her one of her greatest heartaches, she looks back and remembers them as the only family she knew. Now that a certain tragedy befell them, she can''t just turn her back on them.

    "The pain had long been gone," Simione added but her words were full of lies. The pain never left and she doesn''t know if it ever will. Lyndon was her first love and she had loved him so deeply that when they broke up, she had been lost for a while. She had a hard childhood and during those times of despair, Lyndon had been her sunshine. He was her great defender, her superhero, her best friend and the man, apart from her father who had cared and loved her. She had known no love then aside from him and so growing up, her world revolved around him.

    When they broke up, Simione''s world fell apart and yet she had no choice but to let him go. She decided to leave the Tang''s mansion to avoid any moreplications with the Tangs and also to give herself some chance to move on. Yet, after so many years that passed, the moving on didn''t happen. Until then, Simione was hurt but like she had previously, she had no choice but to bear the pain and longing alone.

    "I''m now okay grandfather. Lyndon and I had long been okay," The girl assured the old man.

    Grandfather William held a deep sigh and tapped Simione''s head. "You are a good girl. Sisi. You always were and you always have been. We the Tangs were so honored to have kept you in our home and we could just wish to keep you as ours forever but you have dreams and a life of your own now,"

    "Taking care of me until I can already fend for myself was the greatest thing you had ever done for me, grandfather. I will never forget Tang''s kindness," Simione, no matter what, will always be thankful of the Tangs. She owed them her life, if not for them she would never have survived the streets and all the cruelty of the world.

    Soon, Simione bid her grandfather goodbye and left the prison. Away from grandfather''s presence, she thought of many ways to fix their predicament. Thewyer went missing in action again and as much as she wanted to go and confront him, she knew he would just make excuses. This was always the problem when you have publicwyers as defenders, their services were all voluntary and they have so many clients on a daily basis so there was a high chance the reason why he wasn''t able toe to grandfather William''s court hearing was because he was busy with all the others.

    Right then, the only avable option for her was to hire a privatewyer, someone who has all the time and expertise to help her. The problem was, the Tang''s don''t have much resources now and they can''t afford to hire a privatewyer. Usually, privatewyerse with great sries, which was what Simione was worried about. Although her sry in the firm as a secretary was big enough to sustain grandfather''s case, she can''t keep up with all the extras fees, especially that she was also the one paying for Lyncon''s medical fees and the expenses in the Tang''s mansion.

    Simione closed her eyes frustratedly as her thoughts were full with nothing but money. If only she was rich enough like Hawk Monsanto, she wouldn''t have to deal with all these difficulties. However, unlike those lucky people called elites, she was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Or probably she does, but all the silvers she was born with were stolen and left her with nothing.

    "What am I going to do? Should I call Lucy?" Simione''s brain cornes were exchanging ideas about how to solve her recent predicament. Lucy''s name of course emerged in her mind constantly but she was already too ashamed to ask Lucy anything, especially that it was for the Tangs. Besides, Lucy had already helped her too many times and she had so much debt with her already plus the fact that she was until then living under the singer''s house. All was just to much she can''t drag Lucy to this matter anymore, h however at that time, she basically don''t have a choice,"

    "Yes Sisi?" Lucy''s sounded sweet at the other end. "You need something?"

    It was obvious from all the background she heard that the singer was busy, probably with another photoshoot but since she had already managed to disturbed her, she pushed on her business with the singer.

    "Lucy¡­" Her voice was shaking and was full of hesitation. "Lucy I don''t really know how to tell you this but¡­"

    "I know, I know. Its grandfather William''s case," Lucy hollered at the other end. "I''ve seen it in the news. He had already been stood up by hiswyers before, this is the third time,"

    "Yes. I don''t think I have any other options left. Lawyer Tsu was thestwyer I know, I...I don''t know anyone anymore that I can convince to help grandfather," Simione exined. The previouswyers grandfather William had were all acquaintances of Simione and it was she who begged them to help the old man. However, both of thosewyers promised that they would help but ended up being absent from the court hearing, never to be seen again.

    "Sisi I had already told you before. You can''t keep relying on public defenders. They wouldn''t take his case seriously since it was a case of embezzlement," Lucy emphasized. "I don''t understand why you haven''t gotten a privatewyer by now. I already told you to get one,"

    "Lucy you know I couldn''t afford their fees," Simione replied pitifully. What Lucy said was true, she had once told her to get a privatewyer but because of financial difficulties, she relied on the attorney''s she knew that would help her more than those she can pay if she had good money.

    "I already offered to pay for hiswyer," Lucy brought up her past offers to Simione which thetter declined. "Yet you continually declines me,"

    "Lucy you are a celebrity, if people know you have been helping a man they thought was a people''s money thief, your career will have a blow. This is the reason why I really don''t want you to be dragged onto this. Just please... Can you let me borrow some money to pay for a privatewyer? I promised to pay it as soon as I can. I really am so sorry Lucy, I''ve already asked too many things from you,"

    "Simione, why are you borrowing money?" Lucy''s brow raised at the other end. "As if you don''t have money,"

    "I sure don''t have any money. You are very aware of that Lucy," She answered and thought that perhaps Lucy was already tired of all her misfortunes that''s why she chose not to answer. "If I do have anything big, I won''t be here calling you,"

    "But you have some money, Simione," She heard Lucy chuckled, the kind of small she does when trying to annoy anyone. "Or did you forget you have money?"

    "What are you even talking about? Lucy you know very well how broke I am right now," Simione refused Lucy''s statement. She was very aware how naughty and evil Luci can be at times and she was afraid she was pranking her.

    "But Simione, did you forget? You just earned twenty millionst night," Lucy tried to bring her memory back to when she danced raw and seductively in front of many men to draw Hawk Monsanto''s attention. Thetter paid Lucy and she forwarded the money to Sisi'' bank ount.

    "What?" SImione''s shock and relief came to her face at once. She was shocked Hawk Monsanto did pay twenty million for herpany and couldn''t believe that she became a millionaire in just a span of one night. She barely even gave her audience a full dance performance as Lucy turned off the music before it hit the climax.

 Chapter 58 - Contemplation

    "Lucy, I think we should return the money to him. I don''t think it''s right," An instant guilt went into Simione.

    "Return the money eh? Why? You worked for it," Lucy dismissed her proposition. "You deserve a good pay, afterall you are the best dancer in town,"??

    "Lucy you know I''m not a professional dancer and I don''t really think such dance was worth twenty million, more so mypany," Simione didn''t know why she felt ufortable with the fact that Hawk paid twenty million for herpany. It''s just that, after that night, she felt unusually different, especially when President Hawk came into the picture.

    "It''s not like we force him to pay," Lucy reasoned. "Besides, the private dancing you did wasn''t illegal per se. It was such an art, an art that''s worthy of a big price,"

    "But¡ª"

    "C''mon Sisi! What''s with you? Remember grandfather Williams needed the money so just think of it as a blessing in disguise," Lucy reminded her of her predicament. "Also buy yourself something, you deserve it,"

    Simione wasn''t able to answer for a while and so instead of listening to more of her protest, Lucy dropped the phone after she said her goodbyes. Simione was left thinking then whether to use the money or not. She did feel guilty suddenly but she wondered so much why when she didn''t feel remorse in using Hawk Monsanto to get revenge with Feather. However, things just became so different when ites to Hawk.

    "Omigosh Sisi, why are you like this?" Simione cussed herself but after thorough self-deliberation, she decided to use the money instead, especially that she had no choice at the moment.

    ***

    Hawk had been staring at the view of the city right through his office''s ss windows. He had been idle for a while dreaming of nothing but the woman whom he gave the mariposa verde. On his table was a pile of documents needed to be signed and hisptop was an online article containing pictures of him and the girl.

    His team was then busy tracking down who posted the pictures and Lucas had been so busy taking down every copy of the same article online. Everyone was so worried that this scandal would ruin Hawk and Featherpletely but instead of worrying about it, Hawk seemed to be phlegmatic of the whole thing.

    He didn''t stop his team from doing what they needed to do under Lucas'' supervision but Hawk did not also help them. All throughout the morning where everyone was worrying and was loaded with additional tasks, Hawk sat therepletely, not even a single file in his table was touched as if nothing was in a rush.

    "President," Lucas disturbed his solitude and although he cued for him toe in, his eyes remained fixated on the view. "Ie to report that all the articles had already been taken down,"

    When Lucas went forward to Hawk, he realized that on Hawk''sptop disyed another copy of the article that was posted online about him. He wasn''t aware of this copy and so he knew his job wasn''t done yet. With a sigh, he deeply admitted, "Except this one. This probably is thest article,"

    "That''s my personal copy," Hawk told him. He wanted to keep a souvenir of what took ce on his first date with his mystery woman so he specifically asked the head of the IT to give him a copy.

    Upon hearing it, Lucas pressed the bridge of his nose frustrated. "Hawk, are you even serious?"

    Since Lucas called him on his name without the ''president'' as a courtesy, Hawk knew then his personal assistant wanted to talk to him as a brother and not as his head assistant.

    "You and Feather are getting married already. Please get a hold of yourself!" Lucas chided like an older brother ready to do some smacking. "That woman¡­.For Christ sake! We don''t know what she is and what she wants. Can you just please stop all this?"

    "I''ve tried, Lucas believed me," Hawk reasoned. As much as Lucas was frustrated with how he had been acting up these days with that woman, he too was. He knew he loved Feather and wanted to marry her but there''s something, some kind of an unknown force that pulls him every time to that woman''s path. He wanted to call it destiny but knowing that he was cheating with his fiancee, voluntarily and most of the time without remorse, was something destiny would be ashamed to do. "It''s just that, she''s different,"

    "Really Hawk? And you would say all these after a hundred million dors contract with Han''s Scintiit? Can''t you see we are losing already? The venture we have with them was too much for an averagepany like them and yet we continually lose money just to give Mauro Han what he wanted," Lucas chiding went from Hawk''s infidelity to his bad business judgments.

    "I told you it''s for Feather. She''s worth it," Hawk replied as calmly as he could. When Lucas would chide him like this, Hawk makes sure to listen because although Lucas worked for him, he was more like a brother to him already.

    "And yet she''s not worthy of the mariposa verde and all the more, your love," Lucas pinpointed.

    "She didn''t want the mariposa verde. She made me aware of it when she tried to stop me from buying it," Hawk recalled. Truth was, when he was buying the mariposa verde, his mind was so full of nothing but Simione that he cannot think of anything else. However he remembered Feather saying she had enough and didn''t want more jewelry. "And you know how much I love the Han''s heiress Lucas,"

    "And yet you are cheating on her!" Hawk''s jaw tightened when he heard this. He hated being pped by words of truth, but Lucas was right and so he knew he meant it for good. "You should¡ª"

    "Lucas!" Hawk red at him in an eye that was rather telling him he should know his ce. Instantly, Lucas seemed to have awakened from whatever daring spirit that went on him and realized he had crossed the line. He made one step back afraid that the great Hawk Monsanto would eat him alive because of his chastisement.

    "I''m sorry President," Lucas bowed, cursing himself for his folly. Truth was there were times that he went on chiding Hawk but it had never been this intense. It''s just that since Hawk decided to marry Feather things just got out of control and Hawk''s reputation had already been tested. Besides, he did think he had seen the worst of Hawk when he was obsessing with the Han''s heiress. Guess he had seen only the tip of the berg. "It''s just that your reputation these days had been tested and I don''t like how its going,"

    "Lucas, you don''t have to feel dejected over it," Hawk''s tone calmed down with his assistant''s apology. "It''s my fault. Everything is actually my fault. I do love the Han''s heiress, God knows I do. But many things have changed with my Feather that I had never foreseen. She changedpletely and I am having hard time with the fact,"

    "But don''t people say love should be unconditional?" Lucas thought of saying the things he had recently read somewhere. Truth was he was having a hard time dealing with Hawk''s affairs especially with Feather and his mysterious woman because it was the first time his boss had been involved romantically, in two women, to be exact. So to keep up, he had read so many books and magazines about love in order to further understand it, all the more to understand Hawk''s position. "Perhaps it''s not love at all,"

    Hawk sighed meaningfully when he heard Lucas'' words. "Things areplicated right now," he admitted. "The Han''s heiress is a very important woman in my life. She was my everything. But she changedpletely and suddenly I felt like she''s another person. Then out of nowhere, someone came and although she''s a total stranger, it felt like I had been waiting for her all my life,"

    "This is the reason why I cannot let go of her, Lucas," He added, referring to the mysterious girl, "She''s like someone I know very much and she has made me feel so alive andplete. All this time I thought I would find these feelings only with Feather and I waspletely wrong"

    "President, I don''t really know how to help you with this," Lucas helplessly admitted to. The M Conglomerate had never been this chaotic because of women and Lucas himself didn''t have much experience with romantic involvements as they knew only business andpetency all these years. "But I have been with you for many years now and I can tell youpletely how important Han''s heiress is to you. And so before you hurt her, please consider fully the fact that you had worked so hard for many years just to have her. Now that she''s on your reach, it would be unwise to lose her because of someone you don''t knowpletely,"

    His words silenced Hawk and to give him more space to contemte, Lucas left the room.

 Chapter 59 - Cannot Be Helped

    Hawk breathed heavily at the sight of Lucas back. He turned to look at hisptop and looked at his and Simione''s pictures meaningfully. It was a look of regret and disappointment, not for the girl but for the circumstance surrounding them.

    He wanted to get to know Cat more and wanted to fathom the mystery that surrounded her but he was already engaged to someone else and had promised to take care and make Feather happy. He was already responsible for Feather the moment he put an engagement ring on her finger and such responsibility does not only extend to making sure she got everything she needed but with the fact that he should also think of her feelings. Surely his ventures with Cat would hurt her and the thought that the news of his infidelity had reached her then made Hawk remorseful for the first time.??

    "President!" Lucas came back running through the door. He was in a rush that he did not even care to knock. "Miss Han was taken to the hospital!"

    "What happened?" Hawk immediately rose from his seat and his instinct made him want to fly to wherever Feather was then.

    "The report that I got says many had tried to confront her about the article circling online and she fainted¡ª"

    Lucas was not able to finish his words any longer as Hawk immediately fled and hurried toward the lobby of his office. All he was left to do was tail on him and called Hawk''s personal driver to prepare his car. In just a span of thirty minutes, they reached the hospital where Feather was taken. It was the same hospital where she had her injuries taken care of thest time.

    The moment Hawk opened the door, he saw Feather lying on the bed crying. An IV drop was attached to her and her mother Fara was there at her sideforting her. When she noticed Hawk, she cried even more.

    "What happened?" Lucas inquired on behalf of Hawk.

    Madam Fara turned to them as Feather''s face was buried in her chest. With a sigh she replied, "The photoshoot staff came at her and confronted her about a certain scandalous article and tried to hurt her. My poor daughter! She was sure shock that she fainted,"

    "President Hawk?" Feather raised her head to look at Hawk pitifully. Tears were all over her pale face and she looked weak, hurt and devastated. Seeing how messed up she was, Hawk instinctively went near her bed to give her somefort. Knowing that it was him who caused all those tears, Hawk felt more guilty with his previous misdeeds although it''s really hard to regret such a magical night.

    The moment Hawk came to her, Feather reached out and hugged him. She also buried her face at Hawk like a child who had finally found his knight in shining armor. "I was so afraid they would hurt me and they said you cheated on me,"

    It was the first time that Feather had been that close to Hawk for a very long time as thest that they had hugged this tight was when he went to propose to her in London. After that, Hawk had been so busy with work and even when she came home to amodate his request of marrying him, for some reasons, they rarely saw each other. However she was confident then knowing Hawk Monsanto had deep devotions with the girl he met in Somerset vige and so she had never been bothered by theirck of constant dates and meetings like the usual lovers have.

    On Hawk''s part that time, after he had made his intention clear with Feather, he wanted to settle every important matter in his office before his wedding. He nned to spend more time with her by taking a leave in his office so he and Feather can travel around the world and make adventures together. It was what he had been dreaming of for years. It was the reward he looked forward to after all the years of thorough hard work. This was the reason why he spent less time with her after his proposal in London.

    Lucas actually thought this setup was unusual because he knew how Hawk had been longing for Feather for many years. He thought that after the president''s proposal, he would constantly visit and date Feather as some longing like that cannot be helped. He was even nning to redecorate Hawk''s penthouse as he was expecting he would house Feather in there and would not allow the girl to leave his sight. Besides, he thoroughly believed that if someone misses someone, he would always make time for her no matter how busy he was. However, surprisingly, Hawk continued doing his business and although he made sure to check on Feather from time to time, he never craved her presence like all men who are in love do.

    Lucas thought however that perhaps things were just different from Hawk, after all he had never seen him having a rtionship with any woman and so he didn''t know what kind of actual lover he was. Perhaps Hawk was just like that¡ª unpassionate and unromantic.

    Since Hawk was sitting on her bed, Feather''s face was on his chest voluntarily pressing herself into him. Hawk''s warmth calmed her and she could feel his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and felt the hard body of the man who was soon going to be his husband and felt a rising desire that ran into her stomach. Having him that close, she craved him so much that if only no one was there right then with them, she would seduce him to bed.

    Before Hawk came, she was throwing tantrums about what happened in the photoshoot site and demanded all those employees be fired. Fara could do nothing but calm her down specially that she knew Hawk woulde any minute. Feather was mad to hell knowing that her man was being snatched in front of his eyes just like that and she was wailing and cursing how shallow was the love Hawk had for the Han''s heiress.

    She did think Hawk and the woman he was looking for had a real connection. Something deeply rooted that no one could ever cut off. But seeing how Hawk was snatched easily by another shameless whore, she mocked andughed annoyed at how such devotion was nothing but puppy love. Of course, knowing that woman, how can somehow take her that seriously? She was nothing but an orphan who had no home and title. She was an ingrate and a filthy little rat who once leeched and tainted the Han''s name and reputation. Good thing they had gotten rid of her before she ruined their family for good.

    Knowing that she cannot rely anymore on Hawk''s devotion, she nned to take the matter in her own hand. She''ll make Hawk fall in love with her, either by hook or by crook.

    "They said you cheated on me," Feather repeated, almost couldn''t say it as she was then hurting. Truth was she wasn''t acting, it was what she really felt. She felt betrayed and dejected over it. As if her broken heart wasn''t enough, people from the photoshoot even came and mocked her.

    "Feather don''t say that," Fara dismissed her daughter''s light confrontation. Although she was suspicious, she however thought that perhaps they were only being tricked by their enemies that wanted to get in between her daughter and the great Hawk Monsanto. She acknowledged the fact that many were envious of her daughter these days and such a scandal was just one of their ways to ruin the couple''s rtionship. "You know how people are envious these days. You should not go and confront your soon to be husband for things that are obviously made up. Right Mr. Lucas?"

    Lucas knew that Madam Fara just wanted to treat this matter as nothing as she didn''t want the couple to argue over it. Seriously, was she that desperate that she would side with Hawk when it was very obvious that Hawk was cheating? Wow, it''s really interesting how money can make all parents go blind to the welfare of their children.

    "Ahmm," Lucas cleared his throat then opted to segway his answer, "Well..we have taken down those articles already and as for the people on the photoshoot, we have sent someone to investigate the matter,"

    "See Feather? Your husband had already taken care of everything," Madam Fara sounded delighted at it. She thenbed Feather''s hair trying to appease her while she was still buried at Hawk. Good thing Feather knew how to act in front of Hawk which was rather unusual because her temperament was always extreme.

    Feather certainly looked like a child beingforted by everyone, contrary to what Hawk remembered her. The young Feather wouldn''t go acting like Feather did and instead would throw everything at him the moment he appeared at the door. The young Feather certainly knows how to defend herself, not only at people who try to hurt her but also with men who would go around ying his heart. Although thetter was inconvenient, Hawk still preferred that kind of Feather as it was something he really liked about her¡ªher stubbornness, her courage, her spirit and bravery. She certainly would not hesitate to break up with him and give a hard time for dating another woman regardless if it was true or not.

 Chapter 60 - The Drive

    Having her that close, with her soft fragile body clinging on him for strength, Hawk felt nothing. As much as he was frustrated that Feather had changed so much, he felt very thoroughly upset too that she had not made him feel any fire of desire. He thought perhaps that it was okay that his Somerset favorite girl changed and wanted to rely on his feelings for her as he remembered very well how he was very attracted to her. Although he was dedicated to her, he too was a man with needs and all these years growing up without her, he had desired her fully from the time adolescence struck him. He craved her for some days that he went on and found some satisfaction with a few other women but only ended up craving for her more. When he finally had her, he thought his desire would be more uncontroble but surprisingly he felt nothing then, not even an ounce of lust.

    Comparing it to the times he was intimate with Cat, his body was not attracted to Feather in any way despite the fact that she was a very beautiful woman. She and Cat also shared some features, especially their eyes and sometimes Hawk felt like they were rted or something. However, despite some of their simrities, Hawk''s desire for Cat was raging like a wildfire but with Feather, there was nothing but a typical warmth as if he was hugging merely a woman who neededfort.??

    Hawk wanted to say something but knowing that he was guilty, he couldn''t utter a word. Luckily before things went awkward, a doctor came in to check on Feather.

    "How is she?" Hawk finally said something but the question was for the doctor to answer.

    "Miss Han is just stressed out. She needed some rest," The doctor ryed. They had a thorough check on her and found nothing wrong with her health "It''s not unusual for her to be stressed, especially with her line of work. I rmend that she take some off, a day or three will be good,"

    "Well then I guess this is a good opportunity to go for a vacation," Madam Fara suggested. She had something in mind to secure Feather''s position in Hawk''s life especially now that some whore was trying to take her daughter''s ce. "How about you and Feather spend some time together away from the stress of the city? It''s time to get some fresh air,"

    "Well¡­" Hawk was about to reject it outright but Lucas cut him in.

    "That''s a good idea. After all President Hawk himself needed some days off too," Lucas looked at Hawk in a way that was rather telling that he owed Feather some time. His assistant saw this as an opportunity so Hawk can rekindle whatever feelings he had lost with the girl the moment the mysterious woman appeared.

    Feather who was still sobbing suddenly stopped and slowly lifted her head to meet Hawk''s grey eyes. "Can we really¡­.would you really go and have a vacation with me?"

    "It''s okay if you can''t," Feather withdrew her words immediately when she didn''t get a response from him. "I understand you have more important things to do and meetings you can''t cancel. But I''ll take the doctors advise and rest at home,"

    "I''m sorry for dragging you again here," Feather became more upset with the fact that Hawk hesitated. She was already desperate then in fear that the woman with copper hair had finally taken some portion of Hawk''s heart. How dare that slut take something that was hers? If she''ll know who she is, she''ll make sure to send her to hell!

    "President Hawk?" Lucas called on him waiting for his confirmation about their recent conversation. It was obvious Miss Han was already sulking and was suspicious of the things that had been going on between Hawk and his mistress. Right then, Lucas was just worried it might be toote for Hawk to stop his affairs with another woman that he will surely regret once he will lose the Han''s heiress.

    "Alright. I''ll take days off to take care of Feather," Hawk replied. His mind had convinced him it was the right thing to do although his heart was surely not with it.

    "My rtive is opening a beach resort in Mondrew City. How about you and Feather go there? I heard the weather is really good in Mondrew city these days," Fara suggested further, finding a perfect ce where her daughter can spend more quality time with Hawk without much intervention.

    "Are you referring to uncle Fonize''s hotel and resort?" Feather turned to her mother wondering what she was up to. It was obvious her mother wanted to choose the ce where Hawk and she would spend some off.

    "Oh yes. I know my love that you had not seen your cousins for a while and as for Hawk, I guess this is a good opportunity for you to get your husband to be acquainted with our family on my side," Fonize was Fara''s half brother and their family, the Gao''s, live in Mondrew City. Just a few weeks ago, she was given an invitation to appear in the opening of the G Hotels and Beach Resort and she thought of sending Feather and Hawk there. Knowing that it was her family who owned the ce, it would be hard for any whore to infiltrate the area and ruin her daughter''s vacation.

    Hawk only agreed to having a vacation with Feather as he thought it might also be a good opportunity for them to spend some time together. Hopefully he can knock out some sense on his own and realize he was standing between two pit fires and that he needed to act right away on it or he would end up burning. However, as to the details of their vacation and the ce, he left it all to Fara because as much as he doesn''t have the mood to n it out for himself, he doesn''t want to appear disrespectful to his future mothe-inw''s offers.

    After a few little conversations, Lucas and Hawk left the hospital and finished their day in M Conglomerate. Fara then was left to care for her daughter who until then wasn''t pleased with everything that was happening.

    "God! I thought that woman hit the jackpot when his childhood love turned out to be Hawk Monsanto," Feather nagged, referring to Hawk''s Somerset vige girl. "Turns out it was nothing but shallow love. Who would have thought Hawk Monsanto would easily throw her away just for a whore!"

    "Feather, I told you not to becent with it," Fara reminded her. "The opportunity knocked into you, you should have grabbed it tight. You should have not relied on childhood love tales of devotion and loyalty. And you know that woman very well, she was nothing but a shame in the history of the Hans. They should have not allowed that girl to be a part of the Hans. Look how she ruined everything from the very beginning,"

    "Now I only have to rely on my own," Feather cussed and looked down on her fingers, checking if her nails weren''t ruined. She remembered throwing a lot of things in the photoshoot site before she fainted. Her faint was real that time, it wasn''t some kind of acting. She really did faint, everyone''s confrontation about his engagement and bad temperament made her so.

    "Good, then you should know the best thing to do," Fara said and this caught Feather''s attention and made her turn to her mother with anticipation.

    "The best thing to do?" She asked.

    "Yes" Fara looked at her thoroughly. "You have the secure the wedding will push through as intended,"

    "I''ll do my best, mother. First things first I should make Hawk Monsanto fall in love with me and not that orphan from Somerset Vige," Feather said with confidence and thorough determination. After all she was a beautiful woman and if Hawk Monsanto fell for her beauty once, it would be easy for him to get into her and forget about the others.

    "And do you think you can make that happen before the wedding?" Faraughed at her daughter''scent ns. It was obvious Feather was still an amateur with these kinds of things and she needed good training to be a wise Madam Monsanto. "That''s quite impossible to happen."

    "Are you saying I''m not good enough?"

    "I''m saying we don''t have much time. The goal is for you to be Madam Hawk Monsanto and not Hawk''s affection, you can work on thatter on," Fara corrected her. She even shook head knowing how slow Feather was to take real action with her recent circumstance.

    "Mother if Hawk will not fall in love with me then how can I make him push through the wedding?" Feather was confused. She thought her n was right but it seemed that her mother had more brilliant schemes.

    "You already have a wedding to speak of. What you need is drive on his part," Fara exined. "His drive will not be lust or love. Those things fade. The drive you must secure was something that he cannot resist,"

    "And what is that?"

    "A child," Fara smiled ferociously. "Make sure something happens between you and Hawk on your uing vacation. Make sure you''ll get pregnant with his child,"

 Chapter 61 - He Got Her Pregnant

    After school, Simione decided to head home immediately as she was extremely tired.It was past nine in the evening as her sses usually ended that time. Since she was working full time, she enrolled in night sses and usually after ss, even when it''s alreadyte, she would drop by in a coffee shop to study for three to fours hours before heading home. However tonight was an exemption as she was terribly exhausted specially that she had dropped by in prison to visit grandfather Williams.

    When she reached Lucy''s apartment, she was weed by no one and Simione found it odd. Usually Gabrie was always there to wee them as that runway maiden had never left Lucy''s apartment ever. Yep. runaway. Simione usually calls Gabrie the runaway maiden because Gabrie ran away from home. ??

    Gabrie Monteria, her friend that looked like an angel, was one of the heiresses of House of Monteria, a famous fashion house. Their family owned several clothingpanies that were scattered all throughout the country and their clothing lines do sell and have a steady market.

    For Simione, Garbrie was the epitome of perfectness. She was from a good family, she was beautiful, smart, sophisticated and most of all upright. She had a good character, a modest one, that separates her entirely from the liberated Lucy the Lucifer and apart from the three of them, she was the most responsible. In fact, amongst the three of them¡ªthe tres marias¡ªshe was the one who acted as their older sister when in reality Lucy was the eldest technically.

    Gabrie was the perfect woman every man of good reputation would want off and yet it didn''t exempt her from all the troubles brought by men because unexpectedly and in the most scandalous way, Gabrie was cheated. Cheated by her boyfriend of ten years. They had been engaged for three years already and were supposed to be married this year and God Lord! Thankfully before that happened, she had found his misdeeds.

    As a result, Gabrie ran away from home and never left Lucy''s apartment ever since. She however told her family she was in good condition but didn''t tell her where she was because right then she was still fending off her broken heart.

    A sound of broken ss brought Simione''s thought back to reality and realized that the sound came from Gabrie''s room. Lucy''s penthouse was big with four big rooms on the second floor so each of them had their own rooms.

    "Gabie?"Simione called and climbed upstairs to check what themotion was all about. When she reached Gabrie''s room, she knocked but was not answered. Simione grimaced and wondered where Gabrie was, did she perhaps went out? She nned to give Lucy a ring wondering if the former texted anything about leaving the penthouse.

    As Simione was dialing Lucy''s number, she heard some sobbs inside Gabrie''s room and knowing that something was wrong, she knocked again. "Gabie, are you okay?"

    The sobbs stopped for a moment but Simione was already rmed. She turned and pressed the door knob but it was locked, however she remembered that Lucy had some spare keys somewhere so she went and looked for it. When she finally found it, she opened Gabrie''s room and was weed by a dark messy chaos.

    The room was all dark and through the small light that managed to peek into what seemed to be an endless hollow, she could see that broken sses scattered everywhere.She looked further and found a woman slumping at the corner of the bed, hugging herself tightly as if she was cold.

    "Oh Gabie.." Simione instantly felt a thorough pity at her once spirited friend. She had never seen Gabrie in this state ever before provided the fact that they had been friends throughout college. The Gabrie she knew she was always smiling, always alive and always positive but right now, not even a trace of her once beautiful character could be seen.

    Simione walked toward her friend, very careful not to step into any broken ss and hurt herself. Good thing she was wearing a sturdy high heeled shoe she borrowed from Lucy''s closet and so she was confident not a single sharp piece of broken ss could wound her foot. She sat beside Gabrie and hugged the girl, hoping her warmth was enough to give herfort. She also ran a hand through thick dark long hair and shushed her not to cry anymore.

    "Sisi," Gabrie called her name in between her slow sobbs. "What is wrong with me? Why did Erwan have to¡­.cheat¡­"

    Erwan Zhao was the boyfriend Gabrie settled with for thest ten years of her life without knowing the man was actually a jerk. Everyone once envied the couple, including Simione and Lucy because they were so perfect for each other as if it was a match made by heaven. Gabri''s beauty was very angelic and Erwan''s too, so it looked like their rtionship had no faults at all. And yet, ten yearster, here they all are, watching the once heavenly thought rtionship turning into hell.

    "It wasn''t because of you Gabie. It was because he was a fool," Simione hugged her friend, tighter than she did before. She could feel her weak heartbeat and her sobs struck Simione''s ears like a painful piercing. She didn'' like it, she didn''t like how Erwan turned her friend into an insecure maiden without redemption. If Lucy would know this, for sure Erwan will be their next project and Sisi would be willing to crush him more than she will crush Feather. Damn that asshole!

    "Don''t tell Lucy please," Gabrie begged. Truth was she did not expect Simione toe early and so she had never prepared for her presence. Just then, her depression struck and as she wanted to control it, she smashed the vases in her room to get a hold of herself. "I don''t want to make this big,"

    "Alright," Simione agreed. Lucy was always overprotective and she treated them like her own sisters. One time in college she almost strangled to death their ssmate who dared to say bad things to Simione. Lucy was suspended in school for that and that was what Gabrie was wanting to avoid. If Lucy makes desperate measures for Gabrie, she is afraid it will cause a big ruckus in the elite circle as they were both elites. That was also the reason why until then, the infidelity of Erwan didn''t make it to the news because Gabrie shut her mouth about it, and so did her family.

    "Did something happen that I don''t know about?" Simone asked. Her friend was a strong person and knowing her fully, she suspected her breakdown today was something caused by more than a break up.

    "I actually ran away from home, thinking Erwan would realize his mistake," Gabrie confessed. "I thought he would look for me and so all this time I was waiting for him to realize I was here and that he woulde...that he would kneel on his feet...with flowers and many things...asked for my forgiveness¡­.and that we could get back together again¡­."

    Simione closed her eyes thinking how painful their break up was for Gabrie. She remembered the time she and Lyndon broke up too. It was all sh*t that she doesn''t want to linger on it any longer.

    "Who knows what will happen," Simione was positive. Although she was cursing Ewarn at this very moment she couldn''t deny the fact that he had treasured and treated Gabrie well previously. If not then she and Lucy would have not envied the two. She thought it would be such a waste if such a beautiful couple like Gabrie and Erwan would really end things right here. "As far as I could remember, Erwan does love you so it''s not foolish for you to think he mighte here and beg for your forgiveness. It''s not yet toote for you guys to be honest,"

    "I''m afraid that''s not going to happen anymore Sisi," Gabrie''s couldn''t almost say the words, "He already decided to marry his woman and only now did I realize, it was my very own sister whom he cheated me with,"

    "What?" Simione''s eyes went big. She remembered Gabrie had four sisters and so much as she was surprised with this news, she was also confused which sister was she referring to. "Which sister?"

    "Angelisa," Gabrie revealed. The night she found out Erwan was cheating, his bed partner fled from the scene outright so she never got to see who the girl was. She was blind all these days that it was Angelisa, her very own sister was the one who climbed into her fiance''s bed. "And he got pregnant. Turned out it wasn''t just a one night stand. They had been seeing each other for a while because Angelisa was now three months pregnant,"

    The revtion got Simione nk for a moment and all she could do was cuss. She looked at Gabrie with thorough incredulity because in her life never did she ever imagined that a woman with a Monteria blood would ever do such an outrageous thing. Everyone in the country knew who well mannered all the Monteria''s were so this scandal would surely ruin their good long standing reputation.

    "F*ck!" That''s all what Simione managed to say.

 Chapter 62 - Hypocrites

    "F*ck this!" Simione cussed again.

    "Yes fuck the both of you!" Someone screamed and both Simione and Gabrie looked at each other wondering who was the person who just spoke. ??

    "Was that Lucy?" Gabrie chilled at the thought of the singer and when she said her name, Simione realized she tried to call Lucy earlier. In panic, she looked at her phone and realized it went through. Lucy was on the other line and she heard all their conversation loud and clear!

    "Oh Gosh!" Simione instinctively stood up and hurried to the door. Gabrie too somehow forgot about her recent predicament and hastilty followed Simione. Lucy heard what they had just talked about and that means she knew what Erwan did to Gabrie and right then they were both afraid the singer would go berserk and kill Erwan right away.

    "Lucy please don''t do anything stupid!" Simione ran down the stairs ready to go where Lucy was rigth then. She must have been at the photoshoot site as she had another shoot today and hoped that she could still catch on to her before she could do anything that they will regret.

    "Lucy, calm down! Calm down!" Gabrie screamed through the background. Sh*t! How could she be this careless? Why did she have to have an episode and be caught by Simione first hand and worst, Lucy figured out about it.

    Before the two girls be crazy on how to stop Lucy from getting into Erwan, they both find the singer at the door. Her phone was in her ears, one hand on the waist and eyes skimming through her two friends that almost fell at the stairs upon seeing her.

    "So you both n to keep this a secret from me?" She raised a brow at their faces. "What a good betrayal and it all happened in my own house,"

    "Hehe Lucy," Simione tried to appease Lucy as she walked toward her. Immediately she helped her with her coat and tried to massage her bare shoulder. "I didn''t intend to keep it a secret to you. Gabrie influenced me to do it,"

    Gabrie couldn''t believe what she heard. Did Simione just throw her away to save herself from Lucy''s fury?

    "Hehe your face!" She snapped Simione''s hand, acting annoyed. She then smashed Simione''s head gently to make her realize she wasn''t happy that she connived with Gabrie in hiding her recent predicament. "And you my dearest guardian angel Gabrie Monteria...how dare you keep a secret from me...I don''t know angels can be traitors,"

    "Lucifer is. He can be counted as an angel right?" Gabrie rebutted trying to hide away her guilt. With her folly answer, Lucy''s handbag hit her face in just a minute. "Ouchie!"

    "Ouchie," She repeated as if it really hrrt where in truth, she felt no other pain but the one that was in her heart. "Lucy can''t you see that I''m already depressed and yet you dare to hurt me even more," She sulked and dragged herself into the sofa where they could all settle and have a good talk. She was just d Lucy didn''t decide to hunt Erwan Zhao tonight.

    "Gabrie, how can you be okay with this?" Lucy started nagging. She was so mad and only if she learned about this earlier beforeing home, she could have thrown a bomb right through the Zhao''s mansion right then.

    "I am not okay Lucy, can''t you see?" Gabrie pointed to her messed up face. Because she hurried through the door, she could have run the streets with that same cobweb-like hair, reddened nose and tear jerked eyes.

    "What I''m saying is that you should have not stayed here and cried the whole afternoon. You should have gone home and strangled that little brat sisters of yours!" Lucy''s angry voice pierced through both Simione and Gabrie''s ears, almost making them deaf. "God! I could not connect how in the word can Angelisa and Evangelina be twins when they are too different from each other. You all are sophisticated and modest and only that Angelisa had some dark roots as if she was taken from a dumpsite,"

    "Lucy, Angelisa is still my sister," Gabrie emphasized.

    "Did she think of that when she was fucking you fiancee?" Lucy couldn''t believe how Gabrie was still defending that sister of hers. Gabrie''s throat instantly went dry with the truths that Lucy was pping her. "And please tell me your family didn''t tolerate this. Please tell me they had stripped Angelisa off her inheritance because of this shameless deeds,"

    Gabrie sighed. She didn''t want to spill it all to Lucy because she didn''t want to upset or anger her more. However Lucy had her ways to know the answers to all the questions she asked so there''s no point in lying to her now and she wouldn''t dare do such again as she and Simione were already caught by her.

    "You know my family Lucy. Our good reputation is important to them," She said, feeling utterly upset that even when Angelisa did her wrong, she wasn''t punished as she was supposed to. Instead, everyone was being good with her and was taking care of her especially that she was pregnant these days.

    "This could be the reason why Erwan and Angelisa are getting married," Simione but in, "To save her from disgrace,"

    "Even if they wed them, there is still going to be an issue as everyone in the whole country would talk about how suddenly Angelisa married Gabrie''s fiance. It''s obvious they cheated on you provided that the bitch was already months pregnant," Lucymended trying to decipher the fact on how the Monteria''s can escape this scandal.

    The Monterias were a family of good reputation and for many years they had continued to be such. Thus, for the sake of a good public image, they were willing to overlook the fact that Angelisa poached her sister''s fiance and hurt her.

    "Actually my grandmother called. She wanted me to tell the media that me and Erwan had long called off the engagement and broke up," Gabrie''s tears came back again. "They want to make it look like Angelisa and Erwan didn''t cheat on me,"

    "Whaaaaat?" Both Simione and Lucy were surprised with her announcement.

    "Damn!"-Lucy

    "F*ck!"- Simione

    "You are the victim here Gabrie!" Lucy was so mad, "How can they all do this to you! What do they think of you? A pushover?"

    Even Simione couldn''t believe it. How can the Monteria''s be this cruel to their own blood. Was it not enough that Gabrie had been cheated?

    "Don''t you dare agree to this Gabie!" Simione warned her but even then, she knew Gabrie could do nothing. As a Monteria, she was also bound to protect their family''s name.

    "I already had Simione," Gabrie confessed. "I can''t bear to see my family''s reputation be ruined just because I couldn''t forgive Angelisa and Erwan. I can''t let the media feast on us. I don''t want to be the reason of our own downfall,"

    "No family is perfect Gabie," Simione tried to convince her. "Acting like the perfect family in front of everyone would do you all no good,"

    "That''s how my family had been for many generations, Simione," Gabrie sighed. "There''s just some things you couldn''t change,"

    "I felt like there''s more to this," Lucy bbered. She had already managed to get a bottle of liquor from the mini bar, poured on three sses and served herself and her two friends, "Go on shot!"

    "Lucy you know I don''t drink," Gabrie protested. She only looked at the ss of liquor, almost tempted.

    "At this point. I think you should," Lucy pressed on. She even took the ss and raised it to level Gabrie''s gaze. "Don''t tell me Angelisa was the only Monteria who''s allowed to rebel? This is just a liquor, not as bad as climbing into the bed of your sister''s fiancee,"

    Gabrie was conflicted as she had never drank any form of liquor before. However, hearing Angelisa''s name and her misdeeds, she was annoyed to hell. Determined, she closed her eyes, and took the ss and drank. The liquor ran hot through her throat, stinging a little that she ended up grimacing at the end.

    "Ahmp! Cough. Cough. couch!"Gabrie coughed, almost wanting to vomit it.

    "It''s going to get better after a few sses," Lucy the lucifer encouraged. She knew her friend was depressed and she knew very much liquor can help forget a little. She poured another ss and gave it to Gabrie with the intention of getting her drunk.

    "Go on," Simione joined the fun. It was not everyday that they saw Gabrie drink and so she was thrilled.

    Gabrie didn''t want another but there was something about the liquor that warmed her insides. It wasforting and so she took another of it and drank it all the way.

    "That''s the spirit girl!"

    That night, Gabrie got drunk for the first time and although a part of her was feeling guilty she drank what she considered as a forbidden drink all these years, for a moment she felt free and alive. The tres marias then had a little party. They danced, cried,ughed and mocked the Monteria''s for being the country''s best hypocrites.

 Chapter 63 - The Monterias

    The night went on and the tres marias went berserk all over Lucy''s apartment. Bottles of liquor were all over the floor and Lucy had been singing like a mad woman. Simione was lying on the sofa, obsessing herself with some chips while Gabrie was dancing and asionally joining Lucy with her singing.

    "Aish you girls sucks!" Simione''s ears were already irritated at their crooked singing. Her face was red like the two other women in the room. Lucy had a beautiful voice but when she''s drunk, she acted like a mad rockstar and Simione hated it.??

    "Hey now! Hey now!"- Lucy

    "Yoh! Yoh! Hey now!" Gabrie

    The Monteria heiress was enjoying the song Lucy sang and she mimicked her. However in the middle of her singing, she felt something rising over her stomach and she felt like she was about to throw up. Immediately she ran into the bathroom and started vomiting.

    "Gabrie! How dare you leave me doing a concert alone!" Lucy called on her only to realize she was already in the bathroom. She followed her there with a bottle in her hand and watched her struggling in the bathroom.

    "Go girl! I''ll support you right here!" She said as if encouraging the Monteria heiress to vomit more. Soon, the sound of Gabrie vomiting turned into cries. She had an upset stomach, a broken heart and some resentments on her family that right then things just got too much and she cried the nth time again since their drinking session started.

    "I hate you Erwan! You said you love me! F*ck you!" She wailed, knees on the bathroom''s floor. She held her head as some headache added up to her frustration.

    "Here¡­" Lucy gave her the bottle she was drinking into. "You need more of this,"

    Without hesitation, Gabrie took the bottle and drank from it. After a big gulp, she wiped her mouth with her arms and cried again.

    "How dare you Erwan Zhao! You fuck my sister behind my back!" She was cursing and asionallyughing at how stupid she had been "What''s with Angelisa that you had to hurt me for her? Was it because she gave you her flower? Damn you! You should have told me I am very willing to give mine!"

    Hearing it, Lucy pointed a finger on her head and pushed it. "Foolish! A cheater is always a cheater, even if you give your flower to him, he''ll still find some other flowers, more big and beautiful than yours!"

    "Mine is awesome!" Gabrie defended while pointing a finger in between her thigh. Shameless. She was drunk and only then Lucy realized she can be as shameless as this at the influence of liquor. "He should have tried mine instead huhuhu!"

    "I hate you Erwan! I hate you!" she added. "Didn''t you know I had saved this flower for you for many years? How dare you share yours with someone else! Oh I forgot. It was not just someone else, it was Angelisa, my dear younger sister!"

    "Eh Gabie! What are you talking about? Erwan doesn''t have a flower! E!" Lucy was disgusted suddenly by Gabrie''s confessions. She knew how modest and conservative Gabrie was and yet all the things like she was narrating then were all too cringey. Imagine keeping yourself pure for someone as jerk as Erwan Zhao? What''s good with that man rather than his face? "What he have is a small...small...small" Lucy raised her pinky finger in front of Gabrie''s face, "Small thing like this,"

    "You wouldn''t even feel any pleasure with it so don''t cry over it cause it''s only pinky finger worth," Lucy added, amused with her description. She ended upughing at the end.

    "Lucy your mouth!" Simione reprimanded from the sofa she was lying on, still eating chips. She had this habit of overly eating any food on the table whenever she gets drunk and so that time she was only listening to Lucy and Gabrie''s filthy and cringey conversation about men and heartbreaks while chewing her chips.

    "Really Lucy?" Gabrie seemed confused but she realized Lucy must be telling the truth. When they were in college, before they became close, the singer had been rumoured that she had hooked up with almost all the good looking men in their university and she thought the singer might have indeed some experiences with her ex-fiancee. "Did you perhaps?"

    "Na-ah" Lucy denied in an instant. She was already drunk but she can still process what they had been conversing about. "I think I saw his when I went to the men''s shower room back in the university,"

    Thinking about her reason, Lucy''s words might be true. She was known for making outrageous things and intrusions to ces she was not allowed to like the men''s lockers and shower room and so her words seemed believable to Gabrie. Did her friend really see it?

    The Monteria heiress raised her pinky finger and scrutinized it shamelessly. Unconvinced, she raised her pinky finger to Lucy as if doing a pinky swear and asked again, "Just this big?"

    "Yes.I''m sure. So don''t cry over it," Lucy took the bottle from her and drank. "If I were you, to make the waiting worthwhile, find someone with a big...big...you know...thing," She intentionally put emphasis on the word BIG. "Remember you are already twenty eight. A twenty eight year old virgin,"

    "No no no Lucy!" Gabrie shook her head trying to dismiss her friend''s proposition. "My family will throw me out if they find out I had done such an outrageous thing. I can''t just hook up with anyone,"

    "But Angelisa can?" Lucy pointed. "The Monteria''s didn''t abandon her. If I were to say, you were actually the one being abandoned. Look at you, here, hiding in my house for forever while Angelisa was already nning her wonderful marriage with your ex-fiancee"

    Gabrie wanted to cry with the truth that Lucy sshed on her. However, her tears had run dry already and so she vomited instead. It was the first time she had gotten herself soo drunk and so the liquor struck her head and stomach hard.

    "I don''t want to sire a baby like Angelisa did," Gabrie dismissed the thought and said it while her face was still in the sink, ready for another batch of vomit. "I hate babies. I started hating babies since Angelisa and her twin Evangelina was born,"

    "Aish! Stupid Gabrie! Stupid!" Lucy mocked her. "There are many ways to avoid it. Reproductive health, remember? It was clearly taught in college. You saying that only makes it obvious that we are copying answers from Simione that''s why we were able to graduate"

    "I know there are many ways to prevent it and hello, I studied well in college although I admit I''m still copying Simione''s answer sometimes. Right Sisi? That was only...sometimes" She waited for Simione to answer but since thetter''s mouth was full, she was not able to say anything but just grumbled. "I know there are many ways to not get pregnant, but thinking that Angelisa was not able to prevent her pregnancy, I''m not sure of the efficacy,"

    "Angelisa got pregnant because she intended to get pregnant not because she missed her pill or any contraception" Lucy nted to her friend the suspicions she had. With what happened to Gabrie, it''s impossible things just went on coincidentally. Lucy suspected that Angelisa nned it all along and went as far as getting herself impregnated so she could rece Gabrie''s ce. Afterall, Gabrie had always been envied by their rtives and part of those envy came from the fact that she was then the girlfriend of Erwan Zhao, an heir to a big conglomerate. This probably was the reason why Angelisa snatched Erwan from her unsuspecting sister.

    "What are you trying to say Lucy?" Gabrie caught what she meant and wanted to rify it.

    "Im saying that Angelisa schemed against you and seeded,"

    "She didn''t," Gabrie tried to dismiss the thought, "It might be just a mistake,"

    "Truth hurts," Lucy snapped back. "No matter how much you deny it, it was very obvious she nned this all along,"

    The truth was that Gabrie herself had already been suspecting it ever since her ordeal happened. Afterall, the Zhao''s were a big powerful family and this was one of the reasons why the Monteria elders were so weing to him. She once gained all the elders'' approval because of rtionship with Erwan and not that they broke up, they all shifted their focus and attention from her to her sister Angelisa in an instant, as if thetter didn''t make any mistake. Now that she became Zhao''s ex-girlfriend, her importance in the Monteria family abated. She was no longer the money ma as right then, she had no rich man she could bring to the Monteria family.

    "She had always been jealous with you," Lucy added more of her conclusions. "You always get what you want and like because you were the girlfriend of Erwan Zhao previously. Angelina felt so jealous of the amount of attention you were getting and so she did this so she can rece you. "You now the old saying goes, like mother, liked daughter"

 Chapter 64 - No Ordinary

    "Mother Lilith is not like that," Gabrie defended the woman. Lilith was her step mother and unlike all the fairytales stories where step mothers were bad and corrupt, Mother Lilith was kind to Gabrie. She had raised her like her own daughter and loved her so much that people would often think Gabrie was her own daughter.

    Gabrie was the only child of her father and when she was ten, Lilith came into their lives. When he and her father met, they both had daughters. Gabrie''s father had her while Lilith had Rapha, a young aloof girl two years older than the Monteria heiress. And so when Lilit and Gabrie''s father got married, Gabrie immediately got an older sister. ??

    Their lives then were good and peaceful and for the first time in her life, Gabrie experienced what it meant to have a mother. Lilith had pampered her, spoiled her too overly and most of the time tolerates her mishaps. Every time she''s hurt or bullied, Lilith was always there tofort and protect her even against her biological daughter Rapha and so Gabrie grew up so pampered and well loved.

    Eights years into the marriage, Lilith gave birth to twins, Angelisa and Evangelina but even then, her mother''s love for Gabrie didn''t falter. Lilith does her best and makes sure Gabrie receives the same or even better attention than the twins and Rapha still.

    "You know very well how she sincerely loves," She added thinking about what her mother was up to then. Actually when she ran away from home because of what happened between her and Erwan, it was mother Lilith who first looked for her. These days, she was the only one who sided with her and she''s sure she was very displeased with how Angelisa acted but could not do anything. Inside the Monteria''s household, even when mother Lilith was the madam, the elders do not give her much recognition because they disapprove of her and so Lilith could only do little at such.

    "Alright, I won''t speak ill against your mother,"Lucy withdrew her words. She knew how Gabrie treasures her step mother so she dared not hit on the powerless madam of the Monteria so as not to upset Gabrie even more. "But know, I''m sure Angelisa''s pregnancy was well nned. She might be tired living behind your shadows being the ever perfect innocent and naive true heiress of the Monteria,"

    Lucy had always loved Gabrie, but she does hate her very naive character and so don''t understand why Simione would always say Gabrie was more mature than her and acted as their elders sister because for her, she was very fragile and easy to break. She''s the perfect epitome of a princess who knows nothing of this world because all her life she was locked up and pampered in her castle. If Sisi had a hard life growing up, Gabrie on the other hand got everything she wished and wanted and that probably was the reason why she was a bit soft, unlike Simione who had gone through depths of hell which exins her very strong character.

    "Well right now, she won''t have to hide behind your shadows because she instantly became the bride of Erwan Zhao," Lucy added and her words only made the Monteria heiress vomit even more. "You see? A rebel can end up like a princess after all, because at the end of the day, no one cares who the princess is and who isn''t. Only the queen matters. Now, Angelisa was to be crown as queen and you are the pushover princess,"

    "Lucy¡­." Gabrie''s cries intensified at Lucy''s statements. Only then did she realized how stupid had she been. All these times, she never thought of anything but just to go and enjoy everything under the sun. Even after graduation, she never sought any career and had not learned any skills. She knew she would end up as the madam of the Zhao''s anyways so what is the use of any of those? So basically all these years, while Lucy sought her singing career and Simione struggled her way throughw school, Gabrie did nothing but go to tea party''s, shop endlessly and travel. Her life had noplications or drama, not until she learned of Erwans betrayal.

    Now that Erwarn was gone, so was her future. What was she going to do now that she''s not going to be the madam of the Zhao''s anymore? Also, her importance in the Monteria''s household lies on the fact that she was the fiancee of one of theirpanies'' strong business ally and not that she wasn''t anymore, what would the Monteria elders think of her now? Obviously Angelisa had taken her ce already.

    "Lucy¡­ what am I going to do?" Gabrie wailed at it. Being in the same room with the two, Simione and Lucy, she felt so useless. She had never been that insecure all her life and only then did she wish she was as bold as Lucy or as smart and courageous like Simione.

    "It''s time for you to start living," Lucy raised a brow at her tearjerked face. "Cry all you want tonight. Tomorrow, think of what you want to do with your life¡­ asih!" Lucy was done with her drama so she went and joined Simione on the sofa.

    "Hello Miss Sisi, would you care and help me with Gabrie?" She slumped beside her and grabbed the chips on her hand, "How dare you finish this all by yourself. What''s your contribution by the way tonight? Just eating? Go ahead and take the lead of reprimanding Gabrie,"

    "Why would I? She''s older than me," Simione refused. She could hear the Monteria''s cries and wails in the background and to be honest she had no words to say to her. Truth was Simione felt a bit of guilt because Gabrie and Angelisa''s situation was like her and Feather''s, only with different intentions. Basically, like Angelisa, she was nning to grab and snatched Feather''s fiancee and ruin them for good. Seeing Gabrie cry that much for a heartbreak, it felt like she was punished for her misdeeds.

    "Guilty are we?" Lucy can read through her thoughts.

    "I''m not," She lied although she was so bothered by such feelings all throughout this drinking session.

    "Good. Don''t be guilty. Unlike Gabrie, Feather deserves a heartbreak," Lucy told her and Simione had never been so amazed at how Lucy can be very good at her words. She made Gabrie cry by pping all the truth to her mercilessly and just now, she took away her guilt for her Feather revenged project just by uttering a few raw words. "And unlike Gabrie, Feather isn''t naive. Even right now, I''m pretty sure she was nning things to secure her position as the madam of Monsanto''s. She''s more corrupt than Angelisa you see,"

    Lucy''s statements bore some warning and Simione knew then she knew something that she hadn''t told her yet, "What do you mean?"

    "I''m telling you not to go easy on her," Lucy gave a sly smile. "I''ve heard a couple''s vacation was being nned in Mondrew City. Whoever nned was very smart to choose a location an ordinary person cannot stepped into,"

    "What?" Hearing it, Simione''s heart felt some sting. A vacation? Did Hawk n a vacation for him and Feather?

    Simione felt something rising inside her, something new, something she felt a few years ago that she didn''t want to feel again. Her heart was like being jabbed a hundred times and she felt very betrayed by the fact that after she spent an amazing night with him, he would go on an exclusive vacation with the ballerina bitch? What was he nning? Did he wish to finish off with Feather the thing they didn''t finish in his car?

    Damn that Hawk Monsanto! Perhaps Lucy was right all along, he was a man after all. The same breed, the same kind. He''s not special like she thought.

    "What''s with the frown?" Lucy chuckled at the expression that went into Simione''s face. "Are you that mad? I told you not to fantasize about any exclusivity with him. You are not after him anyway."

    "For the record, I didn''t fantasize about exclusivity with Hawk Monsanto. Or any man for that matter," She lied again, hoping her steady tone was enough to shut Lucy''s teasing. "I''m just mad I can''t go and follow them on that vacation. I wished to ruin their beautiful moment,"

    "Well Mondrew City is hard to infiltrate so was any of the property''s belonging to the Gao''s" Lucy said. She knew very well every family in the elite circle including all their rtives outside the city. Based on her knowledge, the Gao''s were old and rich in Mondrew City and this was where Feathers mother, Fara Gao, came from.

    "I heard you the first time you said that no ordinary person can go and enter any of the Gao''s property. The Gao''s are madam Fara''s rtives and I''m very sure Hawk and Feather were to spend some vacation in one of the Gao''s properties," Simione bbered, annoyed with the thought.

    "True," Lucy looked through Simione''s eyes meaningfully before she let out a vicious smile then winked at Simione, "Luckily, we are no ordinary persons,"

 Chapter 65 - Dashing On Casual

    Mondrew City

    Hawk and Feather flew to Mondrew City as nned so they can have a little vacation and at the same time spend time together alone. They were to spend the days together in Gao''s newly constructed beach and hotel and since the ce was new and exclusive, it wasn''t as crowded as the other hotels and beaches nearby. ??

    Feather right then had the time of her life. Ever since Hawk fetched her up in the Han''s ancestral mansion, his attention was all on her. Hawk had made sure that she wasfortable and well tended provided with the fact that she just had gotten out of the hospital. They took Hawk''s private ne all the way there and at the flight, she had purposely made sure she was very close to him, literally, by leaning at his broad chest when she pretended to be sleeping. She even nned to show off one of her legs in front of him, making it appear that it was an innocent mishap since she was sleeping but before she could make that happen, the gant Hawk Monsanto wrapped a nket around her and made her leaned on her seatfortably before he opened a book and started reading. Feather''s n then was shut off but she wasnt that upset because she knew she had more time to make her ns seed.

    When theynded, Feather was weed by her female cousins. They were all thrilled to see the great Hawk Monsanto and was all there hoping they could get something out of the wealthy businessman. Their expectations didn''t fail them right because right after a festive lunch, Hawk took all of them shopping around Mondrew City. Feather wished her cousins did not show up as they only ruined her time with Hawk but seeing how jealous they were about her, she kind ofpromised on it. The shopping spree took all their afternoon and so when Hawk and Feather finally reached the resort, it was already past nine in the evening. As soon as they settled, Feather excused herself to take a shower.

    While the hot water was falling on her skin, she thought of how their night would end. She took time rubbing her skin, preparing it all for a wondrous night. She even used a special shampoo and bathe soap, something that smells tempting and alluring that Hawk could not refuse. Feather smiled in the midst of the falling water, she already smelled her victory and her sure fate being the madam of the Monsanto''s. Aside from that, she really wanted to spend the night with him, especially that deep in her heart she had already harbored some feelings for him and wondered, with how he looked and how gorgeous was his built, how good and fulfilling it would be to be in his bed.

    Few minutester and Feather slipped out of the shower room, she wrapped a towel around her body and started applying her lotions and oils. Hawk was in the other room as their suite had two and amon room in between. When she was done finally, she let her chestnut hair fall down on her body while she wore an enticing night gown that gave away most of her skin. Before she left her room, she made sure to look at herself in the mirror and practiced a few sexy poses that would help her venture that night. Finally after what seemed forever, she finally became satisfied with how she looked and had already chosen what pose to use in seducing the great Hawk Monsanto.

    When Feather came out of her bedroom, he found Hawk still doting on the same book he was reading at the ne but this time, he was wearing sses that made him look ever more handsome than he already was. Also Hawk was wearing a in shirt and shorts, something so casual that she had never seen. Feather immediately swallowed a saliva at the sight of the man ironically looking more dashing in his casual clothing.

    "You need something?" Hawk noticed. "I thought you had slept already and so I didn''t check if there''s something youck,"

    Right then it was past ten thirty in the evening as Feather took an hour and half to prepare. She was wearing a nightgown, it was a fancy one, something she brought specifically for that night but it seemed that it passed unnoticed on Hawk''s eyes. Just in case he didn''t see, Feather daringly pushed her legs out of the slit of it and made her shining smooth silky legs unt in front of him and yet after a few seconds, he seemed to be unaffected by it.

    "Are your legs sore?" Hawk thought it did because he saw her giving much emphasis on it. They had walked for hours that day because Feather''s cousins went from boutique to boutique to buy whatever they could think of. "I can call for a private massage therapist if you like,"

    "No, I just needed some water," Feather reasoned, almost annoyed that Hawk didn''t catch her cues. If it was other men Feather knew, they would dive on her just on the first nce of her skin. However it was the great Hawk Monsanto she was dealing with and so she kind of expected it would be hard.

    "I''ll go and get a ss for you," Hawk put his book down, stood up from where he was sitting and went to the nearby fridge. He took one bottle of clear water, unsealed the cap and gently handed it to Feather.

    Feather epted it with all grace, flushed a timid innocent-like smile and while looking at Hawk''s eyes, drank from the bottle. She took only two gulps before she handed it back to Hawk. Thetter of course took the bottle back, wanting to throw it away for her so she wouldn''t be hassled. However before his big hands could secure it, Feather let it fall and the water fell on the floor and it surely didn''t miss ruining Feather''s gown. A part of her night gown was spilled with water, from her hips down to her knee, and she immediately attended to it as if it wasn''t her intention to make such a careless mishap. Obviously, she did.

    "I''m sorry it slipped through my hands," She apologized, ming it all on clumsiness. She bent a bit down to wipe her dress dry, as if it would magically do by just wiping it down by her bare hands.

    "I''ll get you a dry tissue," Hawk was fast to grab it and helped the Han heiress with her ruined dress. He voluntarily wiped off the wet part of her dress and while he was busy then, Feather smiled ferociously.

    ''Got yah''. She thought victoriously.

    So, while Hawk was busy wiping down, Feather slowly grabbed the tissue he was holding as if she wanted to wipe it down by herself. In the process, the tissue fell and what was left was Feather grabbing Hawk''s warm hands.

    There was a momentary pause when their hands met.

    Hawk, who thought something was wrong, raised his eyes to Feather. He was then kneeling down at her so he could dry off her gown properly and so when he looked up at her, he saw a different expression in her eyes. Feather flushed a shy, hesitant look although her hands were pressing on Hawk''s hands on her skin.

    "What is it?" he asked, he innocently did thought there was something wrong.

    "Ahm," Feather looked away for a moment as if hesitating but in just two seconds, she took Hawk''s hands and gently guided it inside her dress, letting it through it and pressing it hard so that he could feel the smoothness of her legs.

    Hawk was caught off guard and so, by instinct, his eyes looked down to where his hands were guided by Feather. Instantly Feather''s intentions became clear to him. Who would not get such cues right away? The girl just made him touch her raw legs and guided his hands non-stop on its way to what''s between her legs.

    For a moment, Hawk could not move as he was shocked by her daring act. His brows creased but Feather didn''t get to see it because he was looking down on his hands.

    "Hawk," Feather''s voice was hoarse and very dreamlike. Feeling Hawk''s hands right through her intimate skin was so warmth and sensuous that she felt like moaning right then. She slowly moved their hands up to the corner of her lingerie and let Hawk grab the thing. He encouraged his hands to pull it off but Hawk seems paralyzed that through her guidance he only was able to grab a bit of it and immediately let go, only making the garter click a sound.

    Knowing that she was close to having his hands get to her most intimate part, she bit her lips and moaned a little, making Hawk know that she was all feeling it and that she was very willing to let him have it then. They are about to get married anyways and so things like this should be normal to them.

 Chapter 66 - Discooperation

    Hawk had his fair share of women, all the more women who were taking leads. However, the Han''s heiress that was in front of him, although he had dreamed of touching her all his life, just didn''t make him feel anything but awkwardness. Was it because he respected her so much that her tant intentions then kind of made him upset?

    However right then, he didn''t want to make her upset, especially that he had made her less than what she was to him the past few weeks. His actions of having illicit affairs with another woman, contradicted his good intentions with his fiancee and for that Hawk was kind of hesitant to reject her advances outright. But was he really willing to dive into her bed just because he didn''t want to upset her???

    "Hawk," Feather was calling his name dreamily but the sound of it only made Hawk more aware of his dead arousal. Even if he would give him what she wanted, she''ll only end up being upset in the midst of it because right then, Hawk couldn''t make himself fire out for her. His body was cold and the aromaing from Feather''s skin, suffocated him. He had to stop this or the Han''s heiress he wanted to marry would end up having an impression that her soon to be husband was not capable of doing his duties in bed. That might end up to a serious scandal at the end.

    Good Lord! Was it this hard to make love to someone you liked very much? Was he really that devoted to her to the point that his body''s manly virtues would voluntarily shut off without his consent because he had strong devotion and deep respect for her?

    Feather had already made her intentions known and even moaned over and over to entice the man but a few minutes had passed and Hawk didn''t take the lead. He simply idled kneeling in front of her. What was he doing?

    The Han''s heiress felt some annoyance over Hawk''s inaction but she refused to give up. She will have him tonight and there was no one who could stop her, not even Hawk Monsanto himself. Determined, she let go of Hawk''s hand and instead, dived off on him and her sudden charge made Hawk fall on the floor, with Feather on the top.

    Their eyes met for a moment and Hawk could do nothing but let the woman do what she pleased. He thought perhaps lingering with her a bit might aroused him but if he based on how he was feeling, he knew this would go nowhere.

    Feather''s burning eyes looked down at Hawk and her, on his top, was making her feel like she could have all she wanted. She pressed her light body to him but even when he was sitting right between Hawk tight, she felt nothing in there. Where''s his arousal? At this point she was sure she got him craving for her specially that the man just basically allowed her to do whatever she wanted, but with no participation in own body, how would she be able to consummate their wedding before the scheduled date?

    Perhaps he needed a bit more grinding or more of her skin. So right then, Feather let the strap of her night gown fall, showing all of her shoulder and a part of her mounds. She flushed an innocent shy face in front of him as if very ashamed of her misdeeds and even went as far as biting her fingernails in front of Hawk to seduce him even more.

    Hawk right then had no choice but to stare at Feather''s almost naked top. She thus looked beautiful with her honey-colored eyes and chestnut hair that fell on her raw shoulders but when Hawk looked at her mound, he couldn''t help but think about Simione''s breasts.

    They were bigger, fuller, more tempting and although it was rather unfair of him topare the two, right at that moment when he was being intimate with the Han''s heiress, he couldn''t get his mistress out of his head. Feather''s honey-colored eyes looked like Simione''s, but her''s were ironically soulful and full of mystery that he or any men would be intrigued and would want to fathom its depths. Her copper colored hair was longer than Feather''s, but although he knew the color was fake, he preferred looking at it specially when it brushed to Simione''s skin, it made him want toe on to the spot by just looking at it. Her skin too, was more vibrant, silkier and very white, like a pearl luring fishermans to dive down into the depths of the sea. At that very moment, he sinfully wished she was the one grinding on his top because as much as he wanted to pretend Feather was Simione, his cold insides made him fully aware she wasn''t.

    Feather, after ying innocently in front of Hawk, chose to bite her fingernails onest time and proceeded to bend down to capture Hawk''s lips. They had been an official couple for almost a year already, he made it so when he revealed his intentions during her concert in London but even then, she didn''t remember them sharing a kiss. She always wondered how he tasted, especially that many women dreamed of having him. However, for some reasons, Feather''s kissnded on Hawk''s neck instead of his lips, the man innocently evaded her lips or probably he wanted to have her explore his neck first. It doesn''t matter for Feather though, because right then, all she wanted was to please him and seal their destiny. He will be hers and no matter whates their way¡ªany whore specifically¡ªwill not be able to break them anymore. She''ll make sure that before the night ends, she can have a leash on Hawk Monsanto''s neck either by making him fully responsible on her by what will happen on them tonight, or if that was not enough, by making sure she can a have a little Monsanto she can use to tighten her grabbed on him.

    Feather nted kisses on Hawk''s neck andter started devouring it. She made sure she could kiss it enough and explored it so, expecting that in just a little time, she could feel his manhood rising for her. However minutes had passed and she could already smell her saliva all over Hawk''s neck but the thing in between his thighs had no ns on cooperating with her. She was bing exhausted too and irritated that Hawk did nothing to cater her, except that he just willinglyid on the floor and let her be.

    Hawk on the other hand broke some sweats not because of passion or lust but because he was having hard time keeping up with Feather''s advances. He simply couldn''t make himself crave for it and nothing had evere out on him, no lust, no hardness, no anything. He didn''t want to upset her but at the moment, he was so powerless over his own body that even when he drowned himself with lustful thoughts, Feather on top of him, half naked couldn''t make his manhood stand proud.

    Feather, who was already at the end of her patience, started kissing Hawk ferociously, from his neck, down and down further. She stripped him out of his shirt, which he phlegmatically allowed and nned to get rid of whatever was below him. Just in seconds, her kisses reached his stomach, then just below it, his most powerful asset bulged but unknown to her, it did create a mound under his shorts because it was of great size not because it was willing to amodate her. Hastily, even when it was all covered with clothing, Feather smacked small kisses on it, hoping it would respond to her but whenever her lips touched it, she became more fully aware that his thing didn''t manage to harden despite all her audacity.

    ''Is Hawk Monsanto impotent?''

    Feather was already entertaining such a thought. Was this the very reason why he wasn''t touching her? Because he was very afraid that she would learn his most daring secret¡ªthat he, the ever desired bachelor in the city, was nothing but an impotent. Thinking about it, Feather''s face eyed dreadfully at Hawk''s sleeping manhood.

    When he realized that Feather stopped, Hawk already knew she figured out he wasn''t capable of being aroused for her. He didn''t think she was thinking of something else and when he saw her dreadful expression, he thought he had made her so upset. He pulled his back so that he was already sitting on the floor while Feather was still in between his thighs, her expression couldn''t be painted then.

    "Feather I''m¡ª" His words were immediately cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. It was in his pocket all this time. He picked it up, nned on dismissing the call so he can talk to Feather about what just happened then thoroughly. However, to his interest, his phone shed an unidentified number and although this wasn''t the first time it happened, something inside him felt like it wasn''t an ordinary call.

 Chapter 67 - Her Invitation

    Staring at his phone for seconds, there seemed to be an invisible ma that drove him to answer it.

    On regr days, Hawk does not ept stranger calls and yet sometimes, unknown callse through. He always made his contacts organized and made sure not to be disturbed by anyone and so his personal number had always been exclusive. Means to say, if an unknown number gets through, then such calls must be from big persons in the city who wanted to have business with him. To find his number, they must have been so extremely rich and powerful and yet their calls being answered by Hawk was still something not certain because mostly, he just ignores and blocks stranger calls without hesitation. He simply did not wish to cater to any person he didn''t know, no matter how big fish they are.??

    However, the call he received seemed to be different, it bore some mystery as if it was something he had been waiting for such a long time. While Feather was still between his thighs, he slowly tapped the answer button and braced himself for what was toe.

    "Hmmmmm," Hawk heard a woman humming on the other line which ended in a chuckle and a sound of liquid being poured down a ss. After a long silence, the woman let go of another gentle chuckle before she casted him some greeting.

    "Hi," She simply said and her voice rang to Hawk''s ears, tingling and immediately sent shivers down his spine. The shivers went down below his stomach, then further below that his manhood immediately rose up, vigorous and strong that Feather was caught off guard by the sudden twist of event. Feather was determined Hawk Monsanto was impotent but her resolve was rendered false at the sight of his manhood standing proudly right through her face. She swallowed a mouthful of saliva at the sight of it.

    Hawk noticed how his body fired up by just hearing Simione''s gentleugh and realized that the thing between his thighs was seeking satisfaction already, it cannot be helped any longer.

    "hmmm...weird ¡­ you seemed to have forgotten about me already," Simione was sulking at him when Hawk didn''t respond but truth was, Hawk couldn''t say anything out of his shock. He certainly didn''t expect she had called and thinking that she must have gone extra lengths to get his number, made him feel bad. For why in the world did he make his number exclusive? He should have made it publicly avable so the girl could easily contact him! Besides how mad he was for not giving him his personal number thest night they met! Damn! He cursed himself like a million times before he finally had the courage to speak.

    "Have...have you been drinking?" He asked immediately, stuttering. He was certainly lost for words that he ended up saying the first thing that came in his mind. However, at the end of his eyes, he too saw Feather looking up at him as if questioning who was the person calling him in the middle of the night. Not wanting to expose his infidelity, he immediately stood up, covered the phone and excused himself to her.

    "I have to take this call," Hawk told her and took a moment to help her stand and fixed her night gown. "Go and sleep now, itste,"

    Feather was about to protest, but her shock to what just happened seemed to have made her speechless. She ended up nodding to his instructions as Hawk hastily went inside his room, leaving Feather alone in themon room¡ªcold, curious and in just a moment, turned furious when things sank in her. In just a span of minutes, her suspicions that Hawk Monsanto was impotent was refuted by the fact she personally saw his manhood stoop up in front of her face and it so happened the moment he received such a mysterious call.

    Who was that person calling him? She was certain it was a woman as she heard her chuckle. Was it his mistress? Was it the same woman that had been ruining her days¡ªthe one with copper hair? Seeing Hawk Monsanto''s arousal by just hearing her voice made Feather''s knees shake in anger and fear.

    What kind of whore was she?

    She must be damned pretty good that she was able to control Hawk Monsanto''s desires!

    "Arrrrg!" Feather screamed but it was controlled, something that Hawk will not be able to hear. Her eyes teared up in anger and frustration. She nearly had him but that whore again managed to snatch him by just a single call!

    "How dare!" she murmured heavily as her head formed angry lines. Of course she cannot let such audacity pass through her knowledge and so she nned to stop whatever that call was about.

    Determined, Feather followed Hawk to his room, only to find the door being locked. She immediately raised her hand to knock but paused half way when she heard Hawk''s voice from the other side. His voice was unclear but there was something about the conversation that Feather wanted to confirm. With that, in front of Hawk Mosanto''s room, the han heiress lingered longer than she should.

    ***

    "I''m just a bit tipsy, but I ain''t drunk," His caller replied, her voice was tantalizing making Hawk''s body warmed. He was half naked by then, as Feather had managed to take off his dress, but despite the cold air that the room was breathing through an air conditioning, he was sweating purposely, as if his body had enough fire and he needed an outburst. "I wanted to see you tonight,"

    Hawk gaped open, thrilled at her demand but at the same time cursing himself for leaving the capital right at that moment. Look what he missed? If he stayed, his new friend Cat could have made a visit. God knows how long he had been waiting for her to see him again after thest time they met.

    "I''m sorry¡ª"

    "I know you are not here around the city," He could hear him taking a sip at her ss and wondered what she was drinking and who was apanying her that night? He hoped she was all alone with no one or Hawk would stupidly fly back at this instant and hunt down whoever she was with. "What a waste. I was nning toe and see you only to end up knowing you flew away,"

    "Cat, really I''m sorry. Where are you? I''ll have someone pick¡ª"

    "Where am I?" Simione let go of a vicious chuckle upon his question. For the second time he had cut her off and Hawk at that moment didn''t know what to do. He wanted to be there and apany her because it seemed like she was too upset about something. He hoped it wasn''t because he left the moment she wanted to see him because he will end up regretting such ignorant action for the rest of his life. The fact that flew to another city and missed being with her already made him feel too upset about his own self already. What if Cat will end up upset and be disinterested with him? What''s worst to happen was that¡ªwhat if she''ll look for someone else to y with because his absence had bored her to hell?

    "Sh*t!" He cursed inwardly.

    Listening to her drinking from the phone made the M Conglomerate''s president paranoid and too imaginative. He was picturing her drunk in a certain bar and had met someone more worthy of him. Or what if she had already found someone else and just called to say goodbye? Was she drinking with another man right then?

    "God!" Hawk sped his head in frustration. He was going crazy about her. He had not slept for so many nights thinking about what took ce in his car and everything before that. Her Cat came too suddenly in his life but he was not so ready for the beautiful storm he brought with her.

    "What are you frustrated about?" Simione heard him shouting so she asked, curious. Was he frustrated that she called him in the middle of his and Feather''s mini vacation? "Did I call at the wrong time? I''ll just call some other time if you like,"

    "No no no, don''t drop the phone please¡­." Hawk was not willing to let her go. He we waited for her to spare him some attention after so many days had passed and so he was not going to slip this call out from his hands. "I just want to know where you are. Cat, it''s not safe to drink alone somewhere. Please go home now, I''ll have someone fetch you up," He was like begging her to go home for he knew she was too beautiful that men will always seize a chance to have her and Hawk didn''t certainly want to share her.

    "I''m alone at home Presiden Hawk," Simione assured him, "Don''t you worry. Besides, I can take care of myself,"

    "Cat seriously, where are you? I know you have been drinking, who are you with?"

    Cat''s lips twisted at the end when she confirmed that he was getting possessive with her. "I''m really at home. I just drank three sses of wine and uhmmm¡­ I kind of feel hot, I might take a shower then, good¡ª"

    "Cat please, I know you are drinking and i don''t think you are alone," Hawk thought that she was lying as aside from she sounded drunk, he could hear some music from her background. His incredulity somewhat entertained Simione and to erase all his doubts and suspicions, she rang a video call. Hawk epted it in a split of seconds and the view of a beautiful woman with long copper hair weed him. Her face as a bit red and she wore the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

    She was wearing a red nightgown, tied at the center while holding a wine ss in her hand. She was so enigmatic and beautiful and Hawk could only stare at her goddess-like presence for a minute before she, with confidence and in front of his eyes, pulled the ribbon of her long gown, leaving nothing but her underwear covering the intimate parts of her body. She then flushed another wild smile at him.

    "I am alone," She cleared off all his assumptions and her next words shut all the hell of the great Monsanto. "I''m feeling a bit warm, I''ll go and take a shower...would you want toe to the shower with me?"

 Chapter 68 - Losing Her Game

    "..." Her invitation rendered Hawk speechless.

    His body was shooting tiny fireballs at his veins and a surge of wanting stormed into his stomach and unconsciously, Hawk bit his lips as he stared helplessly at the woman on the screen. He wanted her so badly, his hands were shaking wanting to feel her smooth skin and he felt his manhood stretch at the sight of her undergarments.??

    "Hmmmm, you wanted me that much?" Simione saw him bite his lips at her invitation and the desire that went to Hawk''s grey eyes. It was like he was staring at a campfire and his eyes mimicked the view.

    Simione took her phone with her to her bathroom where a tub full of white bubbles was waiting. There were red petals of roses scattered everywhere surrounding the tub and the room was lit up only with a few candles she had arranged earlier. Because of the limited light, the room she went to had a dark background highlighting the tub in the middle as it was surrounded by candles. Without saying anything, she positioned the phone in a right angle, where Hawk could clearly see the tub and where sheter on carefully lounged herself.

    The bubbles made way for Simione and it catered her body by popping off. At the corner of her eyes, he could see the man wiping up some sweat at his mouth at the view of her in the tub, wanting to take a bath as he was watching. For the first time, Hawk envied the innocent lifeless bubble that surround Simione''s skin wishing it was him wrapping her with his warmth.

    Just as Hawk heard before, there was a slow music ying at Simione''s background, setting up a romantic passionate mood. As if swaying to the music, Simione touched her neck as if it was sore and caressed it ever so gently in front of Hawk''s eyes that the man could only swallow a handful at the sight of her raw silk-like skin. He wanted to nt kisses on it, caressed it for her and make sure it got all the touch and appreciation it deserved under his lips, but he could only wish for it right then.

    After stroking her neck, Simione reached at her back as she loosened her brassiere and with an inward chuckle, took it away from her boy and threw it on the floor. Her imprisoned breast was freed and was hiding away from Hawk''s eye under the bubbles of water where she sat. However, because her breast was kind of big, Hawk could clearly see her mounds, wanting to lick it so. His body felt some rush of wanting that he couldn''t resist at the sight of it, wishing the girl could move a little so he could see a glimpse of her rose petal nipples but even when she didn''t, Hawk Mosanto ended up touching his manhood and held it tight as if he was chastising it for being so impatient. Helpless, he let go of moan as he had a small release. He just had a pre-cum.

    "Ahmm," Hawk struggled, very helpless as to Simione''s sedition. She was clearly ying and punishing him to her heart''s desire. Was this her retribution for not being present when she demanded hispany?

    "Do you want this?" As if his current struggle wasn''t enough, Simione touched her breast while looking at him at the screen. Her honey-colored eyes showed some wanting, telling him so that only if he was there at her side, she could do with her all the things he wanted. The girl''s two hands explored her two plump mounds and even went as far as leaning her head at the end of the tub so Hawk could see her clearly, ying on her own desires.

    "Ah shit!" Hawk couldn''t help but lean somewhere as his knees suddenly went weak. His manhood was aching, demanding more than just a pre-cum. Helpless, Hawk pulled off his shorts down together with his undergarments to his toes and kicked it off away. He was basically naked then and with grasp and a heavy breath, formed a hollow in his hands and let his manhood on. He couldn''t just watch it anymore. Seeing Simione''s skin glowing in the dark, wet and pinkish, and her copper hair, slightly damped from the water and her own sweat was too raw and sensual that Hawk''s mind was filled with his arousal and own fleshly wanting. He licked his lips, wishing he could filled kisses on the pinkish nipple that grind while the girl was ying with it.

    "Cat f*ck! What are you doing to me?" He breathed out in husky tone as his own hands moved between his thigh, to and fro as he was drugged in a famished of something he knew only Simione could satisfy.

    "Punishing you," Simione bit her lips, her eyes fixated on him.

    Her face was red and she was drunk, literally. She didn''t know why she was so pissed off at him the very moment Lucy told her that decided to bring Feather to a vacation. What the fuck was he doing? She thought that somehow she had managed to make him change hus mind about Feather after all the things he showed her. Turns out he was a damn two timing asshole who couldn''t decide which to choose. Simione knew very well she shouldn''t be affected by all these things considering that she doesn''t really have any ns with Hawk Monsanto. Once Feather and him were ruined, then she''s done with him for good. However, things seemed to have changedtely and Simione felt an unexined betrayal¡ªas if Hawk Monsanto had promised her anything when clearly, he didn''t. There were no them, not even a rtionship to speak off, all the more love. But damn! Why does things hurt?

    Frustrated and ever annoyed, Simione got herself drunk and ended up in a bathtub, giving Hawk Monsanto a live stripper show. She knew how he was craving for her and thus right then, she was punishing him for being away with Feather when he implied shown her something she somehow thought was real.

    "Punishing you for making miss you," She lied. Deep inside she wanted to confront him for being with Feather after the things that went on him. As her annoyance and drunkenness covered her reason, she let it control her body and promised, she''ll make Hawk Monsanto pay. As if she was done punishing him, she let go of her breast and pulled off her lower undergarment, the only clothing that was left of her then. In the process, she raised her legs up and pulled her panties ever slowly for Hawk to see.

    She was all naked at that moment and the only thing that was covering her nakedness was the bubbles that filled her tub.

    Hawk was so mesmerised with Simione and seeing how she was caressing her long legs carefully until her hands were back to her mounds, massaging them sensually again made the chaos inside him want to explode. His hands moved faster, his breathing became heavier. He gasped at the increasing sensation of his own hands rubbing against his manhood and the view of Simione touching herself that at the end he twitched in pleasure.

    "O Cat! Damn it!" he cursed using her name as he had his release and for a moment he was imprisoned in a heavenly bliss. Together with his seeds, scattered and wasted on the floor was a long heavy moan.

    His knees shuddered and he ended up copsing in his bed nearby, naked and sweating. It was a satisfying bliss but it took all his strength away. Wanting to calm himself from the precious beautiful struggle, he ran a finger to his dark wavy locks. Just a minute after, he grabbed his phone again and found Cat, still in the tub, washing herself clean, ignoring him.

    She knew he had his release as his moan was so loud, ringing to her ears beautifully. She even saw how he closed his eyes and called her name as if it was the only thing he could depend on at his most raw vulnerable estate before vanishing from her screen. Few minutester, Hawk came back looking so gorgeous and refreshed,bing his hair like his eyes lidded with desire.

    Cat started to bathe right then with a correct routine this time, skipping the part of seducing Hawk. She seemed to have awakened from her drunkenness but not from her annoyance and anger for his audacity to spoil another woman, as if Feather wasn''t his fiancee and she was. It was a foolish thing to sulk over it but seriously, Simione was too pissed, not only with Hawk but also with herself for feeling such a stupid emotions over a man whom she knew wasn''t hers in the first ce. She thought all of Lucy''s warnings were right, she should never fantasize anything about them or she''ll end up losing the game she started with Feather.

    "I''m sorry," Hawk for some reason apologized to her even if there was nothing to apologize. Simione, who was nning to shut off the video call and bathe privately without Hawk watching, confusedly looked at the M Conglomerate''s President at the end of her eyes, wondering what he was apologizing for.

 Chapter 69 - Wondrous

    "I don''t remember you making any mistakes," Simione answered, not sparing a single nce at Hawk Monsanto. She was then taking care of her hair,bed it with her fingers and soon applied some conditioners and shampoo into it.

    "I''m sorry for leaving without telling you," He said helplessly. He could feel her coldness and the fact that after she gave him a satisfying release, she refused to look at him and went on with her bath as if he wasn''t there.??

    "You don''t have a way to tell me you are off to another city," With Feather¡ªshe wanted to add that, but her mouth couldn''t just utter the bitch''s name. Feeling already ufortable, she bid him an instant goodbye, "I''ll finish off my bath now, I''ll log this off¡ª"

    "Please Cat¡­." Hawk cut her off, almost begging. "I wanted to see you¡­.I mean, can we linger a bit longer?"

    Simione wanted to refuse but there was something in between their lines¡ªunsaid emotions and words¡ªthat made the girl unable to say no to him. However, right at this time, Simione also didn''t want to talk to Hawk¡ªShe was upset and if only she had not gotten herself drunk, she couldn''t dare to do what she just did. She thought however that, if Hawk would linger a bit on their video call, she basically wouldn''t have anything to say to him so his presence there was kind of a bit useless.

    "I''m already tired," That''s all she managed to say, hoping he will just cut the call off and sleep through the night whatever he was feeling then, just like what she was nning to do.

    "You don''t have to talk to me, I know you are upset," He knew she was. Her voice and her cold treatment to him confirmed it all and although he wasn''t sure it was he she was upset about, he still didn''t want to risk it. Besides, just then when he saw Simione, he realized how much he missed her already that he wanted to stare at her beauty for a while, naked or not. "Just let me see you¡­"

    "Whatever," Simione rolled her eyes, now tantly showing him she was mad. Hawk Monsanto was clearly trying to appease her but she was not a stupid fool anymore. She wouldn''t let him get through to her again and will never forget, he was just a man, like all the others¡ªan animal who couldn''t keep their word¡ªalthough, she was very sure Hawk Monsanto didn''t give her any words of assurance to hold on to. But still, how could he be so caring with her and make her feel like she was very special and then fly to another city after a few days with another woman.

    As another tornado of anger and annoyance came over to Simione, her desire to punish Hawk Monsanto eagered. Without warning, she stood up from the tub where she sat and let her whole body unt in front of him¡ªhis once exhausted manhood immediately stood up, ready for another round of action.

    "Cat¡­" Hawk swallowed a breath. Simione''s gorgeous body was like a perfect sculpture. She had the right curves in the right ces and her skin was so smooth that anyone would be enticed to touch it, even Hawk himself. The only thing that covered the girl''s intimate ces were the tiny bubbles from the tub that started popping off, slowly revealing all of Simione''s skin and flesh.

    Right then, Simione flushed the water from the tub and opened up the shower. She rinsed herself, totally eliminating all of the bubbles, leaving nothing to cover any of her skin. Hawk just like thest time, held onto his manhood and started another round of race. The girl was showering in front of him and the view of the droplets of water raining down on her skin made all of his limbs twitch painfully. Something was rising again in Hawk''s stomach and even when he was exhausted already, he already couldn''t control his urges that he had no choice but to give his body another release.

    And he did. Thrice in row before Simione stepped out of the shower, done and satisfied. The girl was very aware of what he was doing but she didn''t give a damn. Tonight, he can only wish to have her and let himself be satisfied by his own hard work. If only he didn''t go with that Han''s heiress, he could have a chance to be in her bed and have a taste of her, but since he chose to be with Feather and pissed her, then such chance was only something he could only dreamed of having. Simione was clearly and thoroughly convinced she would not ever be fooled by Hawk Monsanto. From now on, all her ventures and encounters with him will solely be for the purposes of her Feather revenge and nothing else, as it should have always been.

    ***

    Feather had been there, standing for hours in front of Hawk Monsanto''s room. Her tears had dried already and her fingers had sullen for banging the door too many times and yet Hawk seemed to have not heard it all.

    She didn''t hear every conversation his mistress and he had but she could hear his moans and cursing as if he had another woman in his bed right then. He had been calling someone else''s name while he was satisfying himself and she knew right then that whoever was he was calling that night, that whore did give him something. Something that made him moan with so much pleasure and gratification.

    In the midst of him doing his thing, Feather couldn''t take it all anymore and so she ended up banging his door but even when hours had passed, Hawk seemed to be oblivious of the fact that she almost knocked off the door in her anger. His moans and cursessted for hours and when the wall clock hit dawn, Hawk had onest moan, almost screaming uncontrobly before his room sunk into silence. He must have gotten too tired of the release he had and knocked himself off to bed, now snoring peacefully with a big smile painted on his lips. His naked body spread into his bed while his phone was still on, having Simione on the other line, also sleeping.

    Hawk and his mistress were already dreaming while Feather was still at the door, very miserable. She couldn''t bring herself to sleep, not when Hawk virtually had s*x with another woman and managed to get so many releases when she, his very own fiancee, couldn''t even manage to arouse him. She felt so little for the first time in her life and heartbroken because obviously, she had fallen in love with M Conglomerate''s president already. However, even when he had promised her a wedding, her ce in his heart seemed to have been corrupted by a wicked sly witch who probably let her lover drink a love potion. If not, how could she exin the fact that even when Hawk proposed and promised her pure love and devotion, he still ended up having an affair with another woman. A woman who was surely not as worthy and deserving as her.

    Feather had definitely lost to that witch tonight but if that woman thinks she was too easy to handle, well, she was wrong. She''ll get back at her until she bleeds and realize Hawk Monsanto was meant for her and only hers alone. With that, Feather wiped off the tears on her cheeks, hugged herself thoroughly before she went into her room and tucked herself to sleep. This failure will be just for tonight, the next following days, she''ll make sure to get even.

    ***

    The next morning, Hawk woke upte already. He was so exhaustedst night that his body merely forgot his wake up time. He had always been up early, not until that day. Last night was wondrous and he didn''t know that gettingid virtually with Simione was far better than gettingid with any woman. She was so addictive and appetizing thatst night, he couldn''t just know when to stop. Even the view of Simione sleeping peacefully with her red blush made hime and so his body then, was very alive, after such a refreshing night. For once, he had forgotten about his work and what was left was his desire to be with her.

    As soon as he was done reminiscing about what took cest night, Hawk grabbed his phone and checked if Simione did video chat with him. It seemed like a dream and although he sprawled all naked in his bed, he still had doubts if ever it was all true. When he saw Simione''s ount and the history of their video callst night, Hawk''s smile went big and wild. s! He finally had contact with her! He spent a few minutes trying to thread a good morning greeting to her as if it was such an important task and when he had finally sent it, he stared at the screen for a few more minutes waiting for her response.

    Simione didn''t reply and she wasn''t active on her ount too so Hawk thought she might still be sleeping then.

    ''Perhapster I can call her again when she''s free''

    Such thought made Hawk excited and so he went with his morning routine with so much vigor and joy. He first went into the shower, cleaned himself from his own sweat and tidied up, ready for what''s toe next.

 Chapter 70 - Careless Stranger

    When Hawk went out of his room, Feather weed him with a sweet smile as if she had not cried tearsst night. She was sitting on the table near the balcony, food was already served and the aroma of freshly cooked morning soup caught Hawk''s nostrils.

    "I had already ordered some breakfast," Feather said, inviting him to sit with her. Hawk''s excitement was suddenly put to halt as the sight of his fianc¨¦e pushed some guilt in his heart. While he spent the night with another woman, Feather was on the other room, sleeping by herself, alone and cold. And yet, here she was, early morning, preparing something to fill his stomach. Without a word, Hawk epted her invitation and so he sat beside her.??

    "Here drink this soup," Feather gave her a bowl filled with the soup. "This will help your exhaustion and hangover,"

    It was an innocentment on Feather''s part but it definitely got into Hawk''s nerves. Did she know he slepttest night?

    Sensing his difort and her mistake, Feather cleared it up, "I know you''ve been upte because of work. You had worked all night right? I''m really sorry how this vacation was very inconvenient to your work,"

    "It''s okay," Hawk answered, full of guilt. Feather had always been considerate with him and his work. It''s such a shame that he went and go on cheating at her back. Truth was even then, Hawk Monsanto couldn''t understand himself. He clearly loves Feather and yet he couldn''t control himself. It was like there was this invisible string that always bring him back to where his mystery woman was if they were destined to meet, the reason then was unknown but he knew it was either to break him or to make him better.

    Seeing how Feather had been giving him thorough care during their meal, Hawk instead was reminded that he was there on that vacation to take care of her and not the other way around. And so, during breakfast, he gantly served her all the food just like how she was doing with her.

    Feather faked a smile at Hawk Monsanto''s gantry¡ªhe became so sensitive to her then and was making sure she eats the right food she needed. He was almost pushing all food to her mouth, encouraging her to eat further so she''ll be fully nourished. However, despite all his efforts, Feather couldn''t be fully happy knowing he was all doing this because he was feeling guilty. Guilty of spending the night virtually with another woman instead of warming her own bed.

    "You should eat more," Hawk encouraged his fianc¨¦e further, almost feeding the food to her mouth.

    "I''m already good," Feather slightly refused then picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. "I want to go to the beach today. The weather is really good,"

    "Alright. We shall head there right after breakfast," Hawk promised.

    "Well since I''m done. I should go and prepare," Feather answered delightedly and with Hawk''s permission, she left the table and head into her room. She grab her most expensive bikini, a yellow one and she put it on, ready for another round of her ns to seduce the great Hawk Monsanto. She also put on some essories, some expensive bangles on her arms and a hat that matched well with the bikini she choose. Satisfied with how she looked, she went out the room and found Hawk, wearing another shade of the same kind of shorts he wore the night before and a white shirt.

    "You are not going to take a swim?" Feather was upset to see him in that clothing. She wanted to execute her ns while they were taking a swim, away from the crowd that must have flocked the beach outside.

    "Depends," Hawk answered casually fixing an eye on her. He looked at her in aplicated way that Feather end up imagining many good things under his rigid stares. After like ten seconds, Hawk told her "You should have something to cover your swimsuit. It''s very hot outside,"

    "Okay," Feather''s expectations fall short right in an instant. She somehow thought wearing such a sexy bikini in front of him would entice him to dy their beach ns and spend the day rather on bed with her. Reluctantly, Feather went back to her room and grabs something to cover her bikini.

    Soon, Feather and Hawk were already lounging somewhere near the sea side. There were few guests at the resort but not too many to ruin such a peaceful ambiance. The view of the sea in front of them was glorious and it shone under the ray of sunshine like it was full of mini diamonds that gives it asional glitters.

    Feather then was waiting the right timing to get her ns into action while the oblivious Hawk took some nap. He had slept reallytest night and so his body demanded it.

    Feather tried to get her fianc¨¦es attention by sprawling into the lounger seductively but Hawk''s sleepy head got into him that he was not able to give her even a little of his attention.

    After thirty minutes, Feather got tired of it and so she sat on her lounger noisily, making sure the sound she intentionally did woke Hawk up. He did so and he immediately turned his head to her side.

    "What is it?" Hawk asked, still in daze.

    "Oh I''m sorry if I woke you up," Feather acted innocent. "I was just trying to put some lotion but it seemed that I needed some help. I can''t reach my back,"

    Hawk didn''t give any affirmation to her request but he did took the bottle of lotion and went to sit on Feather''s lounger. With an inward chuckle, Feather turned to her stomach; making sure Hawk he had all the ess to her smooth back. Hawk then started his routine by putting some lotion in his big palm and started applying to his fianc¨¦e''s back. Her skin turned a bit dark already from sunbathing and Hawk made sure he had applied the lotion carefully so Feather''s skin would not be damaged further.

    When Hawk was done with her back, Feather turned, now facing her fianc¨¦e with the intention of letting him do the same thing on her front. Feather took all of her hair that tangled up on her chest to make sure there was nothing blocking it from Hawk''s gaze. It was also her way to tell him to start applying the lotion near her chest where her two mounds was unting covered tightly by the bikini top she was then wearing.

    Hawk didn''t mind such audacity from the girl as he thinks nothing then but to finish the job of applying the lotion on the girl''s skin. Feather did expect that he would find her mounds very alluring and would be enticed to touch it, paving a way for her ultimate seduction goals but even before she could get to the first stage of her illusion, a cold liquid from nowhere suddenly was spilled into her.

    "Ahhhhhhh!" Feather shrieked as the cold liquid tinged into her skin. She got up immediately, wiping herself off from whatever was poured down on her. Her pretty bikini was ruined.

    "Omigod!" Someone beside the Han''s heiress screamed apologetically. Then in just a moment, Feather heard some apologies, as if it all could change what just happened. "I''m really sorry Miss, I didn''t intend to disturb you more so ruin you beautiful bikini. Please ept my apologies,"

    It turns out, a careless woman who was then holding two refreshments stumbled by her side, causing the refreshments to fall into Feather''s chest.

    "I''m sorry?" Feather''s eyes grewrge in anger but when she saw Hawk at the corner of her eyes, her anger fled and what were left were a fake considerate smile and a low tone, very different from her usual tantrums tone. She just looked down at her dress, upset, as she had carefully chosen that bikini for that moment only to be ruined a careless stranger. Not wanting to burst out in front of Hawk, she excused herself immediately. "I''ll just go and change,"

    Feather didn''t wait for Hawk''s response anymore because she was ashamed of how she looked then. Her bikini had been ruined for good and her skin was covered with slimy pinkish gtin from the careless girl''s refreshment. She walked away from where Hawk was hastily, with ns to get into another sexy swimsuit to capture Hawk Monsanto''s attention but suddenly, she remembered something and so she paused and idled for few minutes before she looked back where Hawk was. And as her instincts got him, her fianc¨¦e whom she just left few minutes ago was no longer in the spot where she left him.

    "Where is Hawk?" Feather''s eyebrows creased at the thought. She went away easily as she was very worried she might look like a undesirable because of her ruined dress only to find out this was all a scheme. Feather inspected the ces that her eyes could reach but was already toote. Hawk had gone and just like the woman he had been eyeing on these days, it was a mystery where he went.

 Chapter 71 - Ardous

    "I''m really sorry Miss, I didn''t intend to disturb you more so ruin you beautiful bikini. Please ept my apologies,"

    The voice of the person who ruined Feather''s bikini was immediately recognized by Hawk''s ears. He looked up and was left aghast to see Simione in her daring red two piece suit, looking at his fianc¨¦e with a wild grin on her face. Her face didn''t show any remorse for what happened to Feather''s bikini but because thetter didn''t dare to give Simione a look, she didn''t saw her fake apologies. Then in just a minute, Simione''s honey-colored beautiful eyes ran down at Hawk and she give him a naughty wink as if demanding a little reward for an acting well done.??

    "I''m sorry?" He could hear the annoyance in Feather''s voice but just after a minute she went back to her gentle tone and apologetically said that it was okay and that she''ll go and change her dress. Without waiting for Hawk''s permission, Feather stood and left, leaving Hawk in thorough danger¡ªdanger of bing a prey to such a beautiful wickedly host.

    "Did I ruin your peaceful rest?" Simione broke the silence that sunk after Feather left. She stood in front of Hawk, with such an alluring red two piece suits that made her looked like the goddess of love preying on a mortal that was so defenseless of her magical beauty.

    "You''re here," Hawk''s brow creased, as if he couldn''t believe she was there in front of him. She looked like a dream¡ªa sexy beautiful dream that no one would dare to leave.

    "Of course I''m here," Simione answered. "Why do you look so surprise?"

    "How did youe here?" Hawk stupidly asked.

    Simione gave him an eye before she sarcastically answered, "through a ne,"

    "I mean howe you are here?" Hawk seemed confused but the truth was that¡ªaside from the fact that he couldn''t believe the girl was there with him, his insides went on chaotically that he couldn''tpose the right words to say to her.

    "Why not?" Simione returned the question, "This ce after all is a hotel and resort. Does it seem so hard to believe that I can too afford this kind of ce?"

    ''I was able to afford this ce through your money'' Simione wanted to add that statement but she choose not to as it sounded inappropriate although as Lucy said, she shouldn''t be ashamed of such money because she worked hard for it. She danced that night and pleased many men and for that, she should be rewarded. Besides, there''s nothing wrong with dancing, it''s not illegal per se and for the record, she had some dance experiences and rewards that was worthy of some sort of payment although of course, she could agree that the twenty million was a bit of too much.

    "It''s not that," Hawk immediately took back his words. "I meanst night¡­ I thought you were still in the capital and¡­"

    "Last night was great," When she said that, Haw''s inside burned up as if Simione had pressed some bio switch inside him. The memory of what took ce the night before awakened in his mind and a burning passion rose within his stomach right away.

    Simione swayed her head andbed her tangled hair, it was messed up by the wind that blew between them and her slight move only aggravated Hawk''s fiery lust. The woman was dazzling sexy and she had the most perfect body and curves that any man would immediately get notice. Staring into her eyes and with the recent words she daringly uttered, Hawk couldn''t rebut it, nor have the courage to open his mouth to say anything else. He only managed to swallow a mouthful of saliva as his mouth watered that if he lost control, he would end up drooling in front of her. Hopefully he wouldn''t end up that shameful.

    Seeing Hawk idled and was lost for words, Simione chuckled before she walked away. Hawk immediately panic at the sight of her leaving that he ended up grabbing her hand.

    "You should go and follow your fianc¨¦e," Simione said those words as if she wasn''t all annoyed with the view of him and Feather together, very intimate under the sun. She had been closely watching them since they came at Mondrew City and was very aware of how Hawk treated all of Feather''s cousins and how they were so sweet during breakfast, as if the other party wasn''t cheating with the other. Much to her annoyance, they even dared to be intimate in public as Hawk obediently put lotion to Feather and he seemed enjoying every bit of the moment. Thest act was what drove Simione to be soo mad that she ended up buying some refreshment worth a considerate amount just to sshed it all to Feather''s face. The ballerina bitch should be thankful she was considerate enough to ruin only her bikini because if Hawk wasn''t there and if it wasn''t a public ce, she would ruin her face too.

    "Cat¡­" Hawk uttered her name. Simione was still very annoyed that she pushed him away only to be captured again by him. "Hey Cat¡­."

    His voice sounded like he was doing his best to appease her but to Cat''s ears it sounded like he just needed another round of release. She rolled an eye at him then, without him knowing, as he was at her back grabbing only one hand of hers as if a child who don''t want to let go of a ymate.

    "What now?" Simione turned to him with a fake glowing smile that Hawk didn''t think wasn''t real. She eyed him seductively and asked, "Don''t tell mest night wasn''t enough. Didn''t your fianc¨¦e end all your cravings after me?"

    Hawk''s expression didn''t suit well at Simione''s words and as if such humiliation wasn''t enough, the girl added up, "Oh I see she didn''t. Because if she did, you won''t be that upset,"

    "Cat¡­" Hawk pressed her hand. He was very aware that she was upset with him, her treatment with him right then tells it so and as much as he wanted to calm her off and ease of her anger, the M Conglomerate''s President didn''t know where to start. Just like the little Feather he knew in the Somerset vige, Simione''s was the kind of girl that made him feel less confident that he was. Not just confidence actually, less that everything he ever was.

    Also, apart from the girl in his childhood, Hawk had not had a real rtionship with another woman and so basically he was new to making rtionships. He had encounters with few women in bed but those for him were all business transactions. Those women too made sure to please him in every way without him making a move and in exchange, he gave them all the money they demanded. However, it was very different with his ventures with her childhood friend Cat because for him, he chase her to be his wife as a promise and although he was trying real hard, he was certainly amateur to the ways andnguage of women that his decisions were all subject to mistakes although he didn''t expect such mistakes would stretched into having a secret affair with someone that he didn''t know but surely felt familiar to him. Someone that made him feel like he had finally found something he had long lost.

    "Cat what?" Simione''s annoyance already came obvious in her tone. Hawk couldn''t dare to open his mouth to answer her question as he simply didn''t want her to leave but knowing that Feather was just around, he was caught tight in between. He certainly didn''t want Feather to see him having a good time with another woman but he also missed the woman he had a grip on right then that he couldn''t let her go.

    "What?" Simione pressed, her anger was reaching its limits and when Hawk didn''t answer and just staredplicatedly with her, she went past the limit and ended up grabbing him instead, pulling him to somewhere where there were less people.

    In just few minutes, both Simione and Hawk reached the back of a certain beach hut where the girl, pushed the M conglomerate right through the wooden wall. Hawk was very surprise of Simione''s advances that he could do nothing then but just wait for her to eat him alive. He could see the fire of anger in her eyes and yet despite her wrath, she still looked very dashingly beautiful in front of him.

    "I hate you!" Simione cussed, ready to crash down all the frustration, resentment and anger she had with him for the past few days since she heard about Hawk and his dear fianc¨¦e''s gate away.

    "I very much hate you Hawk Monsanto!" Her words were daringly strong and filled with wrath and unsaid threats. Simione was soo mad at him for ying with her innocent little unhealed heart and with fiery emotions; she raised her two strong arms in his chest and punched him sessively. Such act ended up the girl looking up at him who was towering her and jabbed an arduous kiss into his mouth.

 Chapter 72 - Little Misdeeds

    Simione''s lips exploring inside Hawk Monsanto''s mouth was ravenous. She was like a deadly tiger¡ªbiting, licking, pressing as if she was making a mark that he was her prey and that no one, that even his very own fianc¨¦e can''t overtake her game.

    Hawk knew very well she was punishing him but in that moment, although he had no protest against her cruel advances, he really wanted to confirm if she was real and not just some sort of imagination that his mind yed for him, a cover up for all the frustrations he had about her. Last night was already suspicious and now, even when she showed very real to his eyes, he wanted to see if his eyes weren''t betraying him. With that, he slightly pushed Simione away, held her shoulder under his control and forcefully departed his lips from her. He then looked down at her beautiful face and what instantly weed him was the anger in her honey-colored eyes.??

    "I thought this is what you wanted," Simione raised a brow, a bit annoyed that Hawk refused her kisses. Did his little getaway with the ballerina bitch made him changed his mind perhaps that right now, he dared to pushed her away?

    "Looks like the wind blowing somewhere else already," She said again meaning that Hawk''s treatment toward her was not as warm as she expected it.

    "Well it''s really you," A big smiled contorted at Hawk''s lips as he raised his right hand to hold her face. It firstnded on her cheeks, and then Hawk caressed it down to her chin, feeling the smooth ss skin she had. He was greatly enjoying the view of her honey-colored eyes, ring with anger and annoyance that even though he somehow feared it, the same eyes gave him so much fascination. Her anger and her determination to seduce him right then was probably the most seductive thing about her. "My Cat¡­"

    "Yeah it''s me," she sarcastically replied and for after a minute, she squeezed herself away from Hawk''s grab, making enough distance for him to not be able to touch her.

    Trying to clear her mind from whatever emotions that overtook her, Simione turned sideways to meet the ray of the sun, raised her eyes frustrated at it andbed her hair with her fingers, slightly grabbing it to massage her already aching head. She didn''t like the way she was feeling right then and her frustration was like a desire that needed to be put off or it will exploded inside her with so much emotional casualty. First, she was very frustrated about Hawk''s continuous devotion to Feather and second, she was very angry that even though she should not care about their rtionship, here she was¡ªvery desperate to ruin their vacation¡ªand even though she swore many times in front of Lucy and God that she would not be affected to whatever maye during her ventures to seduce Hawk Monsanto, she ended betraying her own vow as right then, she was very very affected that Hawk Monsanto was still not giving Feather up. Simione was very frustrated with herself too for some reasons because no matter how she argued and warned herself many times to never be too upied with Hawk, her mind couldn''t forget the night they shared previously, the night where he gave her the mariposa verde and impliedly swore to her the moon and the starts¡ªor perhaps that''s what she believed what happened that night.

    "So what now?" Simione turned to the man who seemed to have been transfixed in where he stood for a while looking at her. For the nth time, Hawk Monsanto just stared at her and tired of his silence, she walked full strides back to him and started kissing him again, this time¡ªharder and more daring than before. She had dug and thoroughly explored his wet mouth, tasting every corner of it but even before she could find satisfaction and lose herself, Hawk pushed her slightly again. Thinking that he had refused her twice in a row, Simione spatted, "Damn you! If you are not into it, it''s better that I leave now,"

    Hawk immediately grab her hand with such threat, "No Cat, don''t leave yet. I''m sorry okay, can we just please talk¡ª"

    "I don''t want any talks. I just want to kiss, I''m soo done talking with youst night," Simione cut him offpletely and her daring answer went right through Hawk''s spine, making him shivered helplessly at all her requests or rather, her demands. "So either we kiss or I''ll leave because God! I''m so mad right now I could kill," She ended their conversation with the right kind of threat.

    Without much of a choice, Hawk grabbed Simione back and locked her in his arms, before capturing her lips again, this time he was on the lead. He was kissing her more ravenous than she did and met her tongue to y fire with it for a while. He tried to taste every inch of her mouth while his hands was wrapped too tight on her back, making sure she will never be able to escape him again. It''s just a matter of time before Hawk felt his urges demanding Simione''s body as a price. His body ached for her that much that even just a single touch, more so a kiss, could already make his insides go insanely chaotic.

    Soon, Hawk turned her over so that this time, it was Simione who was pinned on the wall, his kisses went down her neck then and then down to her chest. Although Simione was a tall woman, Hawk however was inches taller than her. Thus, kissing down her chest whilst standing was a bit of a challenge for him. Instead of bending down to grant his lips ess to her full breast, he lifted Simione up while still pinned on the wall, his two hands across her waist and to pressed their body deeper than it was possible, he guided her legs so she could wrapped it around his hips.

    That position made both of them swallowed a moan as their body was pressed tightly against each other. Hawk''s hard manhood was sandwiched in between that made Simione fully aware of how big and hard he can be. She felt an instant panic within her but the sensation that Hawk was giving her overthrew that panic in just few seconds and what was left as a strong desire within herself to be one with him.

    Hawk ravaged Simione''s breast. Since she was wearing a two piece suit, it became too easy for Hawk to bite the clothing, loosened and pushed it away so that Simione''s hard pink nipples became very easy for him to y with. He kissed her mounds like there was no tomorrow, one after the other and made sure he gave both the same amount of attention and warmth. Wanting to tease and hear more of her moans, Hawk positioned his manhood in front of Simione''s opening that if only they weren''t wearing something below, he could pushed it through her.

    "Ahh Hawk! Shit!" Simione cursed and pulled his hair, very helpless to the sensations Feather Han''s fianc¨¦e was giving her. Hawk who craved for her voice got wilder when he heard her cursing and so he swayed his hips to and fro, rubbing Simione''s center in the process.

    "I hate you! I hate you! F*ck! Damnit!" Simione''s back arched at how yful Hawk had been. The feeling he was giving her was so alien to her that for the first time, she felt like she had bloomed immediately into a woman. She liked very much what she was feeling that right then and wished she could just have him for herself. However, she knew the man was owned by someone else and what she was feeling right then was just a stolen feeling, a stolen lust and stolen desire that belonged to another.

    "I like you Cat! I like you very much!" Hawk answered her curses with words of adoration before he captured her lips again and teased her further. He could already feel her heartbeat, racing against his and in just little moment, he knew they were all going to explode. He certainly didn''t want to take her right then but the way she was making him feel made him totally lost control of his urges and desires. He wanted her very badly that moment and it was obvious that the girl wanted him too, badly.

    "Hawk?" The voice of Feather screaming his name sent an instant panic in Hawk''s stem. The image of his fianc¨¦e looking for him crossed his mind that in a moment he stopped kissing Simione. However, the woman under his arms pulled his head back to her and showered his mouth with another ravenous kiss that Feather''s voice faded in the background. In that very moment, Hawk Monsanto gave in to Simione and had lost his mind in the middle of his thigh where a great need to be satisfied drew all his focus away.

    He could still hear Feather calling his name, closer and closer but Simione was on her way of giving him a tremendous amount of joy he couldn''t just let it go at that moment. And so the two birds kept doing their thing while Feather, the Han''s heiress was on her way to where the both of them were doing their little misdeeds.

 Chapter 73 - Tremors

    Feather searched for Hawk almost every corner she could find. She had a bad feeling about his sudden disappearance that instead of leaving to change her ruined bikini, she ended up roaming everywhere, looking for any signs that would lead to her fiance.

    Soon she found a wooden hut near the beach and although she was sure Hawk wasn''t there, there was some kind of force that drove her to explore such an unusual ce. As she came closer, she heard Hawk''s voice¡ªnot sure if it was just a product of her imagination or that he really was there talking to someone, a woman to be exact and in just a few seconds, she heard a woman cursing loudly. ??

    Hearing those curses made Feather''s lungs go so tight that she had no choice but to exhale heavily. The sound¡ªmoaning, curses, dirty talks that she could hear was like a knife being jabbed right through her heart over and over again. There was a part of her that wanted to stop and paused, thinking whether she really needed to see what''s on the other side or if she can handle it all. What if she would really find Hawk there?

    Feather shook her head, trying to dismiss all the negative thoughts that were running on her mind. She was in the Gao''s hotels and resort¡ªa property that belonged to her family and her mother made sure no one, not even the Hawk''s mystery whore could infiltrate such a ce. Besides, this resort was very expensive, something that only the ss A socialites can afford and judging by the way that copper haired woman was¡ªit was obvious she doesn''t have much money because if she does, she won''t bother seducing Hawk Monsanto. She was very sure that the girl only needed some share of Hawk''s wealth because if not, then why would she even chase a man who was alreadymitted to someone else? It was very obvious that she was desperate.

    "Hawk?" Feather called on him, still afraid of what she would find. Too many scenes shed in her mind right then, all of which were those she had watched from telenovs where the girl caughts her fiance in bed with someone else and that made all their lives miserable. As much as possible, she doesn''t want that to happen. She had exerted too much effort to be Hawk Monsanto''s fiancee, she cannot just give that up right then.

    What answered her call was another round of moans and little screams from the people who obviously were making love at the back of the hut. Curious and very much wanted to confirm whether it was Hawk right there, she made full hasty strides with a dark expression. She was only gone for like three minutes and that M Conglomerate president was able to knock off her confidence and made her feel very unsecure despite the fact that they were on her family''s resort.

    The breathing and heavy moans at the back of the hut were intensifying. Together with rising tensions, Feather''s anger boiled up. She was trying her best to reach the back immediately but for some reasons, the way was a bit longer than she expected, or it seemed that it stretched for some reasons. Her knees and hands then were shaking too,fervently hoping she would not see any betrayal head on.

    s, after minutes of struggle, Feather was only a step away from the corner and when she turned, expecting to see a scandalous sight, she found Hawk¡ªalone and breathless.

    "Hawk?" Feather wanted to confront him right away but when she looked around, she found no one there with him.

    Hawk didn''t answer for quite some time as he was still catching his breath and his mind was still in daze. He was almost there¡ªhe and Simione were close to reaching their bliss and yet, without no warning, Simione fled the scene, leaving his body in a helpless state. He closed his eyes hard, as he shoved off all the feelings that were left unsatisfied.

    "Are you okay? What happened to you?" Feather threw him questions sessively that after he was able to clear his head, he chose to answer immediately as her voice kind of made him irritated. That voice was the reason why his mysterious woman fled and even though he knew Simione did the right thing, his body as well as his down urges certainly didn''t like how all things ended.

    "I''m fine," Hawk''s voice was hard, as if he was in a state of half angry and half confused. "Why are you here?" he asked hastily that he was not able to hide his frustration over Feather''s sudden appearance.

    "I''m sorry...I...I lost you and I¡­" Feather couldn''t respond right away as she certainly didn''t not expect such hostility from him. Hawk had always been gentle and caring for her and it was the first time she had seen him in such a bad mood.

    "You are not dressed yet?" Hawk took notice of her unchanged bikini, where the mark of the previously spilled refreshment was still lingering obviously. "Did you go around with that?"

    Hawk''s voice was like chastising her and in a moment, Feather turned real emotional over such a little outburst from him. She felt like crying and very ashamed when he made it very obvious that she looked very unpleasant with her ruined bikini. Truth was, when she lost sight of him, she panicked so much that she was not able to think anything anymore but just went and searched for him, very afraid that someone had managed to snatched him away again. However, seeing the upset Hawk in front of her face, the situation for her became more heartbreaking.

    "I''m sorry,"

    "Feather you kept apologizing for nothing," Hawk again made a negative remark. It was obvious that Hawk was frustrated by something and it became very obvious in his exchanges with Feather right then. However, his remark wasn''t really that harsh and his recent remark was meant for good as he thought Feather should not apologize for something she had no fault on. But Feather, who was then overly sensitive, took thement hard that right then she looked like a puppy being chastised by her master.

    "I was worried because when I turned to look at you, you weren''t there anymore. I thought you were...I was worried," She settled on herst statement, not being able to confront him anymore of the moans and sensual curses she heard before she saw him.

    Seeing that she turned teary, Hawk''s heart softened right away. He sighed inwardly, chiding himself for taking it all against Feather when she had no fault whatsoever in what happened. It was his mistake. It was his goddam urges he couldn''t control and in broad daylight! What the hell was he even thinking? If Feather had seen him and his mistress then, it would end up in such a heavy scandal!

    "I was just visiting the beach," Hawk reasoned, his tone back to normal. "I thought it will be long for you toe back so I went alone,"

    Although his reasoning was a bit crooked, Feather epted it wholeheartedly. He was afterall near the beach and the view of it from that part was rather beautiful¡ªunexpectedly.

    "I see. I''m really sorry I should have not followed you and went on my own," She apologised again to Hawk''s frustration.

    The old Feather he knew wasn''t this soft and apologetic. She was a bit nasty, headstrong that even when she makes mistakes, it would be hard for her to apologize if she didn''t want to. Although the new Feather was actually better¡ªgraceful, uptight and well mannered¡ªHawk somehow craved the old person she once was as it was those qualities that amused him so much. Right then, he felt like this was probably one of the reasons why he was attracted with Simione, because it was with her that he saw the qualities of the old Feather he knew, as if she was his home and not the Han''s heiress he sought very much to have.

    With a heavy downhearted sigh, Hawk ended up tapping Feather''s head to appease her. "Would you rather have mee with you then? I can wait for you in the room while you change,"

    "Alright," Feather settled, relieved that Hawk''s tension had evaporated right away. Hawk Monsanto being angry was something she would not want to ever encounter again as it only reminded her of the possible things he might do to her when he ever finds out her greatest secret. Hopefully, she will be wed to him soon and that secret can then be buried forever.

    Hawk then escorted Feather back to their room. On their way, Feather excused herself to go to a nearby bathroom to somehow calm herself. Hawk of course let her go and waited for at the door of thedies bathroom.

    Inside, Feather washed her face, hoping the cold water would be able to calm her down. Hawk''s bad temperament almost made her shed tears and sent her whole body shaking. For a few minutes, she stood idly in front of the bathroom''s mirror, waiting for her tremors to subside.

 Chapter 74 - On Her Neck

    Feather''s feelings went heavy as she stared at herself. She was left wondering then if what she heard before she found Hawk was all real or it was just a product of her hallucinations. Perhaps she was just in a state of panic and her doubts had struck and covered her trust causing her to be slightly paranoid.

    She raised her hand to her face, caressing it ever carefully. She raised her chin and looked at herself. She was beautiful and perfect and thought that no one, not even the most expert whore could out stand such a pretty face she wore. Why would she ever be insecure then???

    Feather was still having her narcissistic episode in the mirror when one of the bathroom''s cubicles opened and a woman emerged, wearing a beach shawl all over her head. Knowing that she wasn''t alone, Feather cut off her self adoration and continued washing her face.

    For a moment Feather thought how in the world would a perfectly sound minded person wear a shawl inside a bathroom? It was such a sinful fashion taste and so with disgust, she watched the woman at the side of her eyes but couldn''t figure out her face because right then, as she was about to check her out, the woman put a sunsses on, something that covered almost all of her face. With how dreadful she looked as per Feather''s taste, she rolled an eye at her thinking she might be one of those unfortunate losers that existed in the world meant for women like her¡ªwealthy, beautiful, sessful and perfect.

    The woman beside Feather took her time, concealing herself and when she was done spending time in the mirror, she walked toward the door. Feather, who was innately a bitch, suddenly felt picking on her and so she nned to block her way and pushed her off the floor. This resort afterall was owned by the Gao''s so she can pick on anyone she thought was not fit for such a ce like it. Thedy who shared the bathroom with her was an example of that.

    So, as soon as the woman moved forward, Feather attempted to block her, only to realize she was far taller than she expected that when their body met, she was the one who stumbled slightly and was pushed right back toward where she previously stood.

    "Ooops!" The woman gasped as soon as she saw Feather being thrust back. "I''m sorry Miss. Are you somehow blind?"

    Her question gained a big arch on Feather''s brow.

    ''How dare this woman? Doesn''t she know who I am?''

    "I can escort you out if you are indeed blind," The woman went forward toward her and waved a hand in front of her face to check. She saw Feather instantly blinked and so she was relieved. "Oh you are not blind. You are just one careless woman,"

    Her recentment drew a big ''ah'' on Feather''s mouth as if she cannot take her sarcasm. She wanted to throw a big p on the woman''s face right then and drag her off the bathroom then send her to hell. How dare she pick up on her? Who the hell is this woman?

    Feather moved to hurt the woman who was clearly ying the game she started. However, before she could make a move, a sudden beautiful spark caught her attention and when she looked toward it, it led her right through the neck of the woman where a familiar jewelry was hanging.

    It was shining with simplicity but it was far beautiful enough to catch everyone''s attention. It was the Mariposa Verde and seeing the jewelry right then, gave Feather some chills than she hadst night while hearing her own fiancee moaning for another woman!

    "That is¡­" Feather pointed instantly to the jewelry hanging on the woman''s neck as if she had seen a ghost. Her eyes went from the jewelry, then to the woman''s face that was hiding under her shawl and sunsses and back again to her neck again where the mariposa verde resided.

    "Oh, this is the ever famous mariposa verde," The woman held the jewelry and caressed it with adoration before turning her attention back to Feather whose face turned into a real mess.

    "Do you like it?" The woman asked, surely teasing her. "It was a gift from my lover,"

    Feather could bear the woman''s audacity, iming her fiance as her lover. Was this person Hawk Monsanto''s woman? Seeing the mariposa verde hanging on her neck only confirmed her suspicion. So, the whore did manage to follow them all the way to Mondrew City to hit on Hawk while she was around?

    An instant anger rose to Feather''s spine but as much as she wanted to slit the woman''s throat by her very hand, she cannot do so knowing that Hawk was outside. He was already upset at her earlier and although she wasn''t certain if her killing his mistress would upset him even more, she still didn''t want to take the risk. Also, her mother carefully instructed her never to make more enemies at this point when she was not yet wed to Hawk to preventplications. Angering a mistress then would surely divide Hawk''s attention and knowing how Hawk was amused of this mistress at the moment, she was not sure where to stand.

    "Truth was I don''t specifically like this jewelry," The woman continued, more to Feather''s frustration. "But I heard my man had exerted too much effort to get me this, so I cannot just throw it away. I made sure to wear it all the time, to please him,"

    Feather was silenced not knowing how to react and what to feel. She was Hawk''s legitimate fiancee and yet why does it feel like she was the other woman instead? For a moment, she didn''t want to introduce herself and made the woman know she was the real fiancee of the man she imed as a lover because she didn''t want to beughed at.

 Chapter 75 - Infiltrated

    Surely Hawk''s mistress knew how Hawk refused to give her the mariposa verde and how he ran away from her concert just to be with his mistress and that made Feather felt very little, not just literally as the woman was so tall she can stand beside Hawk Monsanto perfectly unlike her whose height only reached Hawk''s shoulder. Her insecurity with her stretched as far with the fact that he can make Hawk crave for her by just one phone call.

    "You know it''s important for us women to always please our men," the woman continued shaming her, either intentionally or innocently. "Men are just men after all. If we can''t please them, then they will just get tired and jump to another woman''s bed. We don''t want that right?"??

    "That only applies to couples who aren''t in love," Feather had enough of her words, "I still do believe in love and know that if people are bound by it, no one, not even a very professional whore can tore them apart. That is my case and my man, we are in love and I swore to you, the world may end but no one can make me gave him up,"

    "Really?" her sarcasm continued hitting off that Feather wondered if the woman already knew she was Hawk Monsanto''s real fiancee. "Ah love! Good for you then. However I doubt that so-called love. I once believe that fantasy was real but then a ballerina whore danced with my lover in bed. I lost faith in love after that,"

    Something with the woman''s words struck Feather hard and right then, she was deeply curious as to who the woman was behind those big sunsses. Does she know her? Why does it feel like she was speaking about some things she was familiar with? Could it be just all a coincidence?

    "Do I know you?" Feather asked immediately. She scanned the parts of her that were left open for her to check but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn''t find any trace of familiarity in the woman''s facade. "Have we met before? Are we friends or something?"

    "It don''t make friends with ballerina whores," The woman said outright and for a moment Feather was convinced the woman knew her so well, not until she withdrew her previous words, "So if you are one, then probably we are not friends,"

    "Goodbye then," The woman added and proceeded to leave but before she reached the door, Feather blocked her off.

    "Let me through first," She panicked and without waiting for the woman''s response, Feather squeezed herself out the door and ran out first. She knew Hawk was waiting outside and afraid that he and her mistress would cross paths, she grabbed him immediately and dragged Hawk away as fast as she could.

    "What''s wrong?" Hawk was left wondering went on Feather as she was obviously dragging him away with the fastest pace she could. Her expression too turned dreadful than before she entered the bathroom and so he was confused as to what happened so suddenly.

    "Nothing.. We need to leave," Feather answered, determined to leave the resort. There was no point in staying there anymore as even the resort carefully chosen by her mother and guarded by the Gao''s was infiltrated by mistresses who did nothing but only ruin Feather''s day. "Something came up, I want to leave Mondrew City right now,"

    "Right now?" Hawk was confused as to Feather''s sudden charge. "Feather we still have few more days left so¡ª"

    "Hawk I''m really sorry but we need to leave right away," Feather pressed continually as she and Hawk went on, now already on the elevator toward their suite. Feather thought that Hawk was free of any work inconveniences this time as he took a leave to be with her. Therefore, his mistress was all free to seduce him at any time she wanted and might end up getting pregnant instead of her. So, with all that she could, Feather wanted to leave with Hawk immediately knowing that his mistress was with them in Mondrew City only waiting for the perfect time.

    "Someone invited me to a performance I can''t refuse," Feather reasoned. "You know how some opportunities can make and break our career. This invitation was one of them,"

    "Feather, you are just fresh from the hospital," Hawk reminded her, skimming right through her as if he was doubting her words. "Your mother will surely not approve of it and I too cannot let you perform at this state,"

    "I am well rested. Thanks to you," She purposely said that to appease him. "But really Hawk I had been waiting for this performance and I cannot just let it pass this time. Please understand,"

    Feather''s innocent wishful face somehow got through Hawk''s protest. He shook his head slightly and went on, escorting Feather back to their suite. With how it looked, Feather seemed to be very determined to go home and although he was already enjoying his stay knowing that Simione was around, he somehow cannot let his fiancee fly back alone. It would only make things worse than it already was.

    Sensing his hesitation, Feather was left wondering if he indeed knew his mistress was around. Was she the one he was with earlier? Did he get mad because she almost caught them off? Thinking about what would happen if she didn''t arrive, Feather knew she almost lost her case with Hawk Monsanto. Mistresses of big people like him would not leave without a fight, especially that there is a stock pile of billions awaiting at the far end and so she must guard her premises well or some whore can steal the limelight that was destined for her.

    "I''m really sorry Hawk," Feather apologized again but this time, her apologies was answered by only a shrug. She knew he wasn''t good at them leaving but with what''s at stake, thest she could think of was him being upset with her. She must go home right then with him, no matter what it takes.

 Chapter 76 - Lucys Love Advice

    The moment Feather left the bathroom, the woman whom she just conversedughed like a wild woman. She was shrieking and held her t stomach as herughter cannot be held anymore.

    Just then, two cubicles of the room flew open. On the other Gabrie with her emerald eyes and dark long curls raised a brow at the woman who still at the moment wasughing like she had gone to aical show.??

    "You impostor!" Gabrie called on her. "Howe you have Sisi''s jewelry?"

    "Hahahhahah!" The woman who cannot stop her loud guffaws, held on to the sink, almost breathless before she took off her sunsses revealing her deep ocean eyes. It was Lucy.

    Simione, who was at the other cubicle only sighed at Lucy''s fooly. She pretended to be her in front of Feather and gave the ballerina bitch a head on. However, both her and Gabrie find it amusing so they only shook their heads for a while andughed with her.

    "I didn''t know Feather could be that¡­ oh gosh! How can I describe it? Gullible?" Lucy was sweating already because of her uncontrolledughter. She took off the shawl around her head and let loose her ash gray hair.

    "Hey, you didn''t answer my question. Why do you have Sisi''s jewelry?" Gabrie repeated her question as Lucy seemed to have forgotten it because of their fascination with Feather''s reaction.

    "I borrowed it," She answered, intentionally avoiding Sisi''s gaze and immediately looked down on the mariposa verde around her neck. "Aiyooh, mariposa verde you are so pretty. It''s such a shame Sisi does not often use you, so I''ll just use you okay? Because you know, you are very expensive, it would be such a waste for you to be hidden there at Sisi''s closet full of antique clothes,"

    "Lucy!" Gabrie chided her misdeeds. Truth was the three were very used to borrowing things. They share a lot and probably the only thing in their possession that they do not share were their underwear. "Do you know how expensive that is? You can''t just borrow it without asking,"

    "You borrow expensive things to me without asking me," Lucy bbered in their faces, "Besides why are you nagging. Sisi didn''t even make ament," Then Lucy turned to Sisi''s side and with puppy eyes, she said, "Sisi. I really like this jewelry. Just sell it to me okay?"

    "I can''t Lucy you know that," Simione refused her. "It''s a gift and you know I might need to return it after all this,"

    "Woah! Return your ass!" Lucy tells her off. "You shouldn''t give Hawk Monsanto a full naked show and have him have a release if you n to return this," Lucy then gave her a wink and Simione immediately shot daggers at her with her revtion.

    "You what?" Gabrie heard it all loud and clear and so she turned to Simione with thorough incredulity. "You did what Sisi?"

    "Ahmmmm," Simione lost her tongue. She didn''t even know why Lucy knew she gave Hawk a full naked show because it was a decision she made out of her frustration and in full drunkenness. Did Lucy the Lucifer have a peak while she was doing that?

    "What?" Gabrie then was in front of her waiting for her exnation and an itchy hand ready to give their youngest friend some spanking.

    "He he Gabbie¡­.ahm.. I need to leave now¡­" Simione, who knew that she was about to get a punishment in the hands of Gabrie immediately fled the scene.

    "Hahah! Run Sisi run!" Lucy shouted at her back but at the corner of her eye, she saw Gabrie turned to her with a mad gaze ready to slice her off. "Aye.. heheh Gabrie...ahm I''ll go after Simione...see you at the bar!"

    Just that and Lucy ran after Simione, trying to escape Gabrie''s fury.

    *** Two hours after***

    The tres marias can be seen in a beach bar nearby, drinking away all their frustrations and hurt. When Simione and Lucy nned to go after Feather and Hawk and Mondrew City, they brought Gabrie along as they thought it was also a great opportunity for her to have fun. Mondrew City was full of beautiful beaches and it was always the perfect getaway from couples and friends who wanted to spend a little vacation.

    Although Gabrie had strong opposition about their Feather project, she cannot really leave Lucy and Gabrie doing it by themselves so she impliedly go along with it. Besides, she had problems of her own then and the Feather project can be a perfect segway for her broken heart.

    "I MUST HAVE BEEN IN LOVE BUT IT''S OVER NOW!" Lucy was singing at their table loudly like a lunatic again. Good thing the bar they were in was a busy one, full of deafening music where the party goers jive in. Many foreigners and vacationers were there enjoying the night and this was the very reason why Lucy was hiding under her beach shawl and big sunsses, so as to prevent people from recognizing her.

    As Simione and Gabrie were busy finishing their drinks and telling each other nonsense things, the singer took a moment to watch the writhing, twisting bodies that melt into each other on the dance floor as the music vibrates a sound very different from the tone she was singing. The bar was ying lively music while she was singing pathetically mncholy music, and heck she was doing it with all emotions.

    However, before her song reached the bridge, her eyes went big when a group of smoking hot men arrived. She stopped singing immediately and skimmed at the abs they were untingfortably. Since they were in a beach bar, it was a norm to sea party goers going around with trunks and bikinis.

    "Sweet f*cking assholes!" Lucy turned her posture toward her two bestie''s and extended her long arms around both their necks. "Do you see what I see?"

    "Lucy if its boys again, we don''t f*cking care!" Gabrie bbered. She was a bit drunk but unlike the first time she had a taste of liquor, she can now handle a bit of it. Since then, they have been drinking every night so that her stomach and brain can already tolerate the kick of hard drinkable chemicals.

    "Why are so obsessed with good looking boys?" Simione asked out of nowhere. It had always been a wonder to her that Lucy became so addicted with having lovers all around. When she first met her, she wasn''t really that into men until their third year in college. That time and so suddenly, Lucy started hitting off college heartthrobs and had been collecting lovers since then. With her beauty, character and unexinable wealth, it was always easy for her to jump into one after another but then Simione could see she wasn''t really into them, it was like she was just ying with them all intentionally as if someone was counting.

    "Because men are great! They give you¡ª"

    "Nothing," Gabrie continued her statement. "They give you nothing but heartbreaks,"

    "Whooah Gabbie! So bitter eh?" Lucy intentionally grabbed and pulled her long hair. Then, as if she was giving them a serious conversation, she squeezed herself between the two, intentionally joining in their heart to heart conversation. "You know what Gabbie, I know you are hurting in here," She pointed her long fingers in Gabrie''s heart, "And I do pity you so much to the point that I''m going to give you an easy way to get out of such a pain.. The easy way¡­"

    "Is there an easy way out of it?" Gabrie was distrustful at Lucy''s iing love advice. "If there was then why didn''t you teach Simione that when Lyndon and her broke up,"

    "Because Sisi was young then and she had big ambitions," Lucy reasoned without even thinking it through as if she was really certain with her words. Or probably lies. Who knows what''s really going into Lucy the Lucifer''s head?

    "So you are saying I don''t have big ambitions,"

    "Yes you don''t,"

    Simione almost threw up as she bursted intoughs. Immediately, Lucy pushed an elbow at her to give her a warning. "Sisi, I''m trying to be serious here. And hello we all know Gabrie don''t have big ambitions like yours,"

    "Sorry," Simione zipped her lips off but continued chuckling inside her lungs. Although most of the time Lucy does give off senseless or more like a joke kind of advice, Simione somehow finds them really useful. Thus she knew whatever she was to tell Gabrie it must be something. Something worthy to be considered about, "So what''s this advice that you are trying to tell Gabbie?"

    "This is just for Gabbie so you are not wee to listen," Lucy dismissed her interest as a retribution for her prematureugh. However Simione didn''t listen to her and just rested her chin over Lucy''s shoulders so that they were both facing Gabrie.

    "Spill it off," Gabrie was impatient.

    "Go fuck someone tonigth," Lucy went all the way that both Simione and Gabrie almost fell on their seats.

 Chapter 77 - Fallen Angel

    "The F Lucy!" Both Simione and Gabrie gave her thud.

    "Are you out of your mind?" It was Simione who first confronted her. "How could you ask Gabrie to do it?"??

    "She''s twenty eight," Lucy just rolled an eye at it. "There are many great fish in the sea and yet she keeps on crying about rotten fish. It''s time she taste some fresh new fish, or fishes,"

    Pack! Simione gave Lucy another snap.

    "Gabrie does not have experience on those kinds of things," Simione protested. "She might get hurt,"

    "Oh look who''s talking? Why Sisi? You also don''t know anything about these things and yet you gave Hawk Monsanto some... hard release," Lucy retorted, giving emphasis to herst words and making a face at Simione who instantly turned crimson.

    "My goals are different,"

    "Gabrie doesn''t have goals," Lucy pressed. "Besides I strongly believe it''s time he meets someone new and enjoys thepany of men¡­.right Gabbie?....Gabbie?"

    Both Simione and Lucy were appalled to have realized Gabrie wasn''t on their side anymore. They searched for her with their eyes and found none.

    "She ran away again," Lucy apathetically sighs. This was not the first time Gabrie ran away to evade most of their conversation about her predicament.

    "This is your fault. We are here to chase Hawk and enjoy the city," Simione pointed. "And yet you dare scratch her broken heart,"

    "Seriously Sisi, I think it''s time Gabrie meets someone new," Lucy turned and searched for the group of handsome looking men she saw earlier. "You know most of the times, new love makes you forget of the old ones,"

    ***

    Gabrie was strolling around the beach quietly. She was always grateful for Simione and Lucy''spany especially at this time when she was at the lowest point of her life. However, there were times that she didn''t want to talk about it, to forget everything even just for one night or hours maybe because the truth was, her life situation then was already suffocating her. Erwan had been continuously running in her mind¡ªhis promises, his love, their supposed to be future and all the most, the family she looked forward to having with him. There was not a single time she stopped thinking about him even when he was the one that had been causing her heart to bleed then.

    After some time, Gabrie had found herself in a docking area where many yachts had been anchored. She looked around and realized she had walked miles already from the bar where she left her friends. She thought of going back already but the quietness and calmness of the ce made her want to linger still. So she stayed and looked up, adoring the stars up above. It was a beautiful night and the stars glistened like snow-kes giving Gabrie''s heart a warm feeling as if tonight, they glowed specifically for her, givingfort to her cold frozen heart.

    Gabrie thought then that stargazing wouldn''t be a bad idea for tonight. Besides, she didn''t want to go back to their suite as she was sure no one was in there. She''ll just end up crying like crazy in there alone because Simione and Lucy would surely drain all of the bar''s liquor first before they gave up their bad drinking habits and that would take them the whole night.

    Thoroughly deciding she''ll stay for a while, Gabrie decided to climb on the smallest yacht she can see. There were many to choose from and since she sees no one around, she didn''t hesitate to do some trespassing. Like a thief, she slowly climbed into one of the unattended yachts,nded in the cockpit and went on until she reached the hatch. Once there, shey on it and watched the stars glowing endlessly like little fireballs. Few minutes there and she felt drowsy as the liquor seemed to have kicked into her system. Gabrie closed her eyes exhausted, she felt like she wanted to vomit but was able to hold herself for a while until she dozed off.

    While the pretty Monteria angel was sleeping in the hatch, someone climbed on the same yacht she sneaked into. It was a man of big muscr build, half naked and was carrying scuba diving gear with him. It was dark on that part of the dock and so he didn''t certainly notice there was a sleeping beauty snoring at the hatch. The man went on his routine around the yacht, he needed no light to be able to move aroundfortably in the cockpit because he had memorized every part of it. Soon, after preparing everything, he pushed the buttons to start the engine and engaged forward. He was a bit in a hurry because his perfectionist character kept reminding him he was runningte in his voyage ns that night. The yacht then moved, slow for a while until it hit a good speed, enough for Gabrie''s stomach to turn provided she felt a nausea already before her unexpected boat ride began.

    When she opened her eyes, what weed her was the rush of a fast speed running boat and since she was in the hatch, she was not spared from the harsh little sshes of ocean water that turned her instantly soaking wet.

    "Ahhhhhhh!" She screamed in fear and helplessly sat to reach into the railings, afraid that she''ll fall into the dark blue ocean beneath her.

    "Shit!" There was a loud scream that rose above Gabrie''s fright. In just a few minutes, the boat immediately stopped and the girl was left gasping for breath. She was not used to the adrenaline rush and right then she knew she messed up, a lot.

    A minute more and a light was directed to her, blurring her sight. She heard a series of fast paced footsteps and a littleter, a loud chidding.

    "What the fuck are you doing here miss? Who the hell are you!"

    ***

    As soon as the man turned off the engine, he opened the lights in the hatch to see whoever was there. He saw a silhouette in the dark, which he didn''t see prior and heard a woman screaming and so he was sure someone, a trespasser dared to climb into his boat.

    His big steps led him right through the hatch in no time and out of his anger he sttered heavy cusses only to regret it afterwards when he saw someone, an angel that seemed to have fallen fresh from the skies.

    There he saw a woman in white soaked clothes, helpless and frightened with a face that resembled a godly being yet very attractive as hell. She had a very pale skin, very long wavy curls that tangled up wet in her body and metallic green eyes that radiated a soft fury that were fixed at him, ublinking.

    Her lips were soft pink, as if she was a newborn babe and her angelic face had eight or seven freckles sttered around her small pointed nose that made her unusually beautiful and magical. The man was left speechless because upon seeing her, it made him somehow wonder whether mermaids or angels were real as it seemed that someone was caught in his yacht.

    Then, the woman hupped, twice for a while until she continued doing so. Then he noticed she was pinkish blushing and slightly in daze.

    "Miss, are you drunk?" His previous hard tone went gentle.

    She huped once before she answered, "A bit. Could you help me please?"

    The angel he found slowly raised a hand at him, asking for help that for a moment he didn''t know what to do. He felt so unworthy to touch her hand thinking mortals cannot just hold heavenly beings'' hands. As far as he knew, he made so many grave sins in his life that for sure, one touch of an angel would send his skin burning unworthy of her pureness.

    "Please.." Gabrie asked again, feeling like her head was turning. The rush that she felt earlier only aggravated her drunkenness and she was feeling helpless. The man who found him, hesitated to ept her hands but he did so after her pleas. He pulled her up to stand before him but even when she was already standing, he still towered her as he was physically tall.

    "Are you okay?" The man suddenly became concerned but Gabrie was so drowned in her nausea that instead of answering, she stumbled on him and ended up vomiting hard, right through the man''s stomach.

    The man wanted to curse seeing the mess that Gabrie created but strangely, he was able to hold his mouth as if it seemed very inappropriate to curse in front of an angel. Instead, he tapped Gabrie''s back and slowly caressed it, hoping he was helping her because right then, he couldn''t think straight as he was still deeply in awe with the angel who trespassed his property.

    "I''m alright," Gabrie managed to answer despite her turning stomach. She felt like there were more things in her stomach that she needed to let out but she can''t keep her focus on it as her wet dress was so heavy already and the cold that clung onto it was pressing through her skin. And so to make herselffortable, she, without warning, pulled her dress and threw it off somewhere, leaving nothing but her undergarments to cover her intimate ces.

    "Heavens!" The man''s eyes went huge upon the sight of an angel, almost naked. His eyes immediately burned.

 Chapter 78 - Tiger-like

    Gabrie felt so sick that thest she would care about was a man skimming at her body. She felt another crampy feeling in her stomach, almosting to her throat and knew she was going to vomit more.

    "Get me to the sink please," She pleaded once more and in just a span of minutes, she felt somebody taking her in. The man carried her in his big hard arms and his warmth was the first thing that gave herfort, calming her restlessness. Soon, he let her go and let her hold on to the marble sink somewhere she didn''t know. She had no sense of direction but she was sure it was somewhere inside the yacht, a cabin maybe as the room she was in was warm but obviously not as warm under the man''s arms.??

    Relief and a bitforted seeing the sink in front of her, Gabrie poured all her heart out vomiting everything she had inside. If her heartbreak was only one of the things she could vomit right then , she had spit it out first and flushed them off right away.

    A littleter, Gabrie felt a bit fine. Neither was her stomach or head turning anymore and so she raised her head only to find herself staring at her reflection in the mirror before her. Only then did she realize the odd situation she was in.

    "Where the heck am I?"She wondered as she scrutinized the ce from the mirror. The ce she was in right then was obviously a bathroom, not a big one but luxurious enough to host a king.

    "In my cabin''s bathroom," Someone answered from the corner, making Gabrie jolt in surprise. She immediately turned around and met unusual eyes which color she couldn''t identify but did seemingly resemble like that of a tiger¡ªa bit golden with shades of brown. He looked at her in a way that Gabrie swallowed a big gulp because he was like a dangerous animal, very much like a tiger in a hunting state, ready to eat her alive.

    For a while he just looked at her, carefully assessing how delicious of a prey she was while arms crossed and back leaning against the wall. Soon, he paced the room toward her and Gabrie''s legs shook. She wanted to run away from him immediately because his aura bears so much power the poor woman cannot take but before she could, the man sigh helplessly in front of her and his expression softened then pat her head gently.

    "Drink this," He pushed an open bottle of clear water in front of her that Gabrie didn''t notice earlier. Gabrie thought of taking it as she was really thirsty then but before she could extend her hand, the man took the initiative of bringing the bottle to her mouth as if she was a child, not capable of drinking it herself. The girl who was left with no choice and was very careful not to offend the stranger chose to open her mouth and drank from the bottle he offered.

    "Thank you," She decided she had enough and thanked him. He nodded and proceeded to wipe her lips dry. It was an act out of instinct as Gabrie carelessly took gulps as she was so thirsty that some water spilled in her lips and chin. Feeling the warmth of his fingers in her lips, Gabrie unconsciously bit her lips.

    "Uhg," The man growled a little, trying to hold off the urges that were forming below his stomach. It was obvious the woman didn''t know that what she was doing¡ªfrom her hesitant voice, the shyness in her eyes and her biting her lips in front of him¡ªwas terribly making him so hot inside that he could already feel his manhood craving for something carnal.

    "Oh God!" Gabrie squealed when she noticed the man''s ruined trunks. She remembered throwing up right at him at the hatch and was immediately embarrassed at the inconvenience she brought on him. Without thinking much, she bent down to wipe off the small tidbits left on his trunk, as if her hands could miraculously make it clean. Her attempts made miracles though, not on the cleaning part but on firing up the man''s lust.

    "Fuck!" He cursed uncontrobly when the woman mercilessly touched him between his thighs. Was she even aware of what she was doing?

    "I''m very sorry," She realized that even when she swept the tidbits off, his trunks remained damped. "I can wash it though for you if you could just give it to me,"

    She innocently offered, still not aware that her deeds had other implications. Truth was although she was already okay, her head was still afloat because of the influence of alcohol and she was then feeling different from his presence. The man scares her. That''s why she was very careful not to offend him¡ªvery much exins why she was trying to appease him with his ruined trunks. Ironically despite the fear, she somehow felt secure at him as if as long as he was around, no one could hurt or touch her.

    "Give it to you?" The manughed in a fearsome way that made the woman''s heart race against her chest. His voice somehow awakened Gabrie''s drunken stupor and she managed to became aware of how stupid and audacious she had been. Like a child caught for unbehaving, she refused to meet his eyes, guilty.

    Seeing that she idled, the man slowly pulled her jaw up and Gabrie was forced to meet his eyes.

    "I can surely give it to you dulzura," His eyes were loaded with desire as he stared directly at a pretty face that was too small for his big hands. Then with a grin that made him look devilishly handsome, he added. "But can you handle what''s inside?"

    Hisst remark seemed like a threat and Gabrie swallowed a whole lot of saliva with it. She felt so helpless and unusually hot even when she was wearing nothing but only two undergarments that was sure could not protect her when the man before her decided to devour her alive.

    "Soo angelic," his voice was bing hoarse. "I wonder if you are really an angel that fell from heaven or just one of those seductresses who wished to end up in my bed,"

    The man had his doubts then. It was too good to believe that a woman with a beauty so enthralling randomly climbed in his yacht alone. He wondered if she was one of those desperate celebrities and socialites who wanted to try their luck on him or if she was sent by his enemies to slit his throat. Either way, she had done a pretty good job seducing him.

    "I...I want to leave," Gabrie sensed the rising tension and she wanted to escape it. This time, it wasn''t him she was scared about but the unusual feeling that was rising in her stomach. Unlike earlier, the sensation needed not to be vomited, it needed to be satisfied and although she was a virgin, she was not that dumb to know it was lust.

    "Not so fast dulzura," he said and immediately bent down to reach Gabrie''s lips.

    The kiss he gave her was hot, carnal and very much demanding a response. Gabrie''s eyes were so big and wide while the man ravaged her mouth but he was so unexpectedly irresistible that instead of pushing him away, she shyly opened her mouth for him and in a moment closed her eyes and sucked all the sweetness of his hot ravenous mouth.

    He growled at her sweetpliance and wrapped his arms around her, cupped her backside and pressed her little body to his, feeling all the softness of Gabrie''s body. He knew it was rather careless of him to take a beautiful stranger and be allured at her but what can his very mortal and sinful body do when it was when an angel like the woman under his arms, demands his warmth?

    A minute more and their exchanges became intense. Gabrie, already filled with thorough desire and desperation, took the lead inside their mouths. Her tongue took possession and she moved ording to her desire, returning his advances of the mating ritual, pressing her pelvis hard against his each time their tongue sank inside.

    The girl''s retribution to his touches was making him lose control. For a moment, he cut the kiss and looked down at her, fascinated at how she was making him feel. Under his rattled gaze, he saw her face flushed and she was catching her breath. He smiled knowing it was his kiss and touch that made her like that and god dammit she even looked more beautiful at her raw estate.

    "God woman! You are one hell of a seductress!" he cussed breathless and in a smooth quick move, lifted Gabrie and made her sit on the sink, her back facing the mirror and her breast, unting in level with his gaze anticipating his very careful attention. Unable to resist it, he immediately buried his face into it and Gabrie moaned for the first time.

 Chapter 79 - Sinful

    Feeling the beautiful new kind of sensation he was giving her, many thoughts rummage through Gabrie''s mind. Her morals screamed all the way that what she was doing then was against all the rules of an upright decent woman. There''s no doubt the Sta. Catalina sisters of the church she usually frequented would be horrified by if this matter reached their knowledge. This was sinful and they will tell her how she''ll end up in purgatory for a very long time if she couldn''t hold herself off.

    However, the man right in front of her nuzzling her neck and cupping up one her one of her mounds was just so good at whatever he was doing . Right then all the arguments she had in her mind flew right off through the window the moment it rushed in her brain. She was then top naked, arms wrapped around the man''s neck, moaning and arching her back in response to his sweet torture. ??

    All of this was new to her because even though his rtionship with Erwan reached ten long years, they didn''t get past torrid kissing.

    Erwan had always respected her, or probably that''s what she thinks. The Monteria''s were the city''s paragon of good behavior and Gabrie had always been the good and perfect daughter that only a fool would demand of her something anything below her moral standards and premarital sex was a great example of those. But right at that moment when a stranger was giving her intoxicating pleasures, she wished she could have known such pleasure sooner.

    A minute more and the mysterious stranger owned her lips again. It was hard this time and tantly possessive but he cut it shortly and stared right through her.

    "To my bed now dulzura," Hemanded, his character bing domineering like he was used to ordering people around. Gabrie needed not to move though because even when he was the one who gave themand, he was also the one to take the initiative to wrap the woman''s legs on him and carry her in such a position out of the bathroom. The next room they entered was dark but the light from the adjoining bathroom cast shadows on the room and made their skin golden.

    He put her down in a moment, put his two big hands on his waist to keep steady and whispered in her ears.

    "In your left is the door out," He said, tickling her earlobes. "I''ll give you a chance to run now and leave. At the count of ten, go,"

    Gabrie turned to her left and saw that there was indeed a door.If only she was sane right then, she surely have bolted out of the it the moment he said the words but even when there was a part of her, screaming and chiding her very own self to leave, she was deeply tempted not to go.

    "And if I stay?" She dared to ask.

    "Then you''ll be at my bed, moaning all night," There was a vicious smile that came with those words and immediately, he set a timer for her. "One, two, three¡ª"

    He only managed to count right until three because the woman, curious and very intoxicated with the pleasure he gave her earlier, shut his lips off by a kiss aggressively and as if mouth wasn''t enough, her very own inexperienced hands traveled down to his trunks. This time, she intentionally touched his manhood that had long aroused her.

    "Woman¡ª" he growled and evaded her kiss to confront her daring advances. "What do you think you are doing?"

    "I once was scammed by a pinky finger worth," She naughtily revealed, remembering how Luci the Lucifer mocked her for crying over Erwan whom the singer revealed was short of size. That moment, she wanted to make sure that if she ended crying again because of another man, his size should be worth her regrets and tears. "Just making sure I got the right size this time,"

    Gabrie didn''t know where she got all the courage to be that naughty in front of a man but she was sofortable with him to the point that she didn''t care about being promiscuous anymore. It was like with him, she can be anything¡ªnaugthy, wild, rebellious, just anything¡ª with no shadows and pressures of being the perfect Monteria heiress.

    "I promise you dulzura, it''s more than the right size," He answered head on and took the hand that was exploring his thigh and brought it forth in his mouth, licking and sucking her fingers while his eyes raging fixated on hers. "However you need to wait forter because I don''t want to do our first in your hands,"

    Gabrie didn''t understand what he meant but she had no time to think through it because he carried her abruptly to bed and in just a second, she felt the smooth duvet at her back, him cowering above her. The next thing he did was ripped thest strand of clothing she had and paused to watch how beautiful of an Eden she was. Gabrie''s long curls sttered around his bed, so was her nakedness, arms rested helplessly at her sides and mouth slightly open. It was a very erotic thing to watch and he took his time skimming at fragile body, sighing and cursing inside of how big his catch tonight was.

    Gabrie attempted to cover herself but the man stopped her immediately by locking up her arms with his. "Dulzura¡­.I..can watch you all night...like this,"

    His voice bore the agony he had inside. He felting then but wanted to wait until he was inside her. So not wasting more time, he pulled his trunks off and Gabrie slightly bent up to see his naked glory. Well, it was such a sight and she sucked in a big breath when she realized he didn''t lie when he said it was more than the right size because of her, it was big¡ªtoo big¡ªthat she wondered if it could even fit her.

    "What''s with the look of dulzura? I warned you earlier already," There was some pride that sprouted from his guts when he saw how she reacted seeing all of him. "It''s toote to run away from me now,"

    "Would it hurt that much?" Some worry swirled into her expression that the man instantly caught and caused his gorgeous brows to rise. "I mean¡­ they said it would surely hurt the first time¡­ and since yours is kind of big...I guess¡­.would it hurt more?"

    "You''re a virgin," He said in deep awe and stared at her in a different way. He was already convinced she was one of those celebrities who wanted to seduce him so as to enjoy the benefit of being his woman but wouldn''t a celebrity like that should have many experiences with men already? It''s now new to the showbiz world how celebrities end up in their director and producers bed to get some benefits. So how in the world was this angel never spoiled?

    When he said it, Gabrie felt like it displeased him. Since she had no experience at all perhaps the man thought she cannot give him the pleasure and satisfaction he expected like all those experienced women have. That too was one the reasons why Erwan left her, right? Because for the ten years they had been together, she had not managed to give him pleasure that her sister Angelisa gave him? Fuck! Perhaps Lucy then was right, being a virgin at her age was one heck of a disaster!

    Gabrie tried to move, nning to get off the bed and leave the man''s cabin immediately out of shame but even before she could, the man whom he thought was disgusted by her alreadyid by her side and pulled her body close to him. There in the darkness their eyes met and he smiled at her, intrigued and deepy in awe of her mystery.

    "Now I''m finally convinced you are an angel," he said to her, their faces so close that Gabrie could feel his hot breath. "Pure and untouched,"

    "Dulzura I''ve never touched a virgin before," he confessed, greatly amused and thoroughly aroused at the situation and by the way their naked bodies were brushing against each other, "but I promise you, I''ll be very gentle. Trust me okay?"

    His promise sounded so nice in Gabrie''s ears and she nodded at him there in the dark, putting in his trust her fragile body as she explored a world that she had never been before. As soon as she gave her permission, the man sucked her lips once more, slowly this time but deeply as if he was very very thirsty and her lips was the only salvation he could clung onto.

    Together with his kiss did his hands move, slowly like his kiss and explored once more Gabrie''s smooth skin. Soon his hands moved down to her stomach, her navel and soon below until he reached his most precious ce, feeling the smooth silky tiny hair that was covering it. He moved his hands around it for a while, before he pushed a finger down to her soft slit.

 Chapter 80 - Dizzying Abyss

    Him, exploring her most intimate part by his finger, gently and seeking, made Gabrie feel like she was falling into a dizzying abyss of sensuality and awakened some of her hidden passion. Her mouth let loose little helpless moans of surrender as she clung her hand to his arms in an attempt to stop him from exploring deeply into her yet, he wasn''t hindered by her little attempts.

    Very d at how he was making her feel, he decided to give her more of it before he took her, and so, he withdrew his fingers inside her and made his mouth take charge. As soon as his lips touched her opening, Gabrie felt an instant panic. She tried to push him away, not sure how to feel about his sudden charge.??

    "Don''t move dulzura," He said between his ragged breath. He wanted to take her then but didn''t want to spoil her first time and so he wanted to give her more of the beautiful things before he tore her purity apart.

    Gabrie dared not to move at his instruction, instead, there in the dark, she opened her eyes and stared hard at the ceiling as she took in the raw pleasure his tongue was giving her center.She sucked a breath when his mouth and tongue began to make love intimately. It was so raw, surprisingly wonderful and she could feel herself losing it all that for a moment it terrified her.

    There was second she thought of pushing the man away as her fear sponsored some doubts too but when his mouth went pass the gentle and considerate stage and started moving crazily in her opening and in a moment slipped inside her, trying to taste the flesh inside her, skillfully¡ªall of her doubts disappeared through her moans. She was already consumed with thorough desire and she knew it would be impossible to stop already.

    Just when she thought she would surely explode from the feelings building inside her, the man moved again. He positioned himself in front of her, ready for a passionate invasion. His urges cannot be held anymore and so he parted her thigh and hoped she was wet enough to not feel much of the hurt.

    Gabrie saw him poised above her¡ªaplete stranger whose name she didn''t even know, yet managed to give her those wondrous sensations that she never ever thought existed. His face was filled with passion and he looked at her in a way as if she was the most beautiful Eden he had ever met.

    In a moment, Gabrie already felt his hardness probing, poised at her entrance hoping she''ll receive him. She had already anticipated the pain and she met her fate by wrapping her arms tightly around the man who was destined to tore her purity apart. The man took it as a sign and like her, he too closed her eyes as he started burying his throbbing shaft inside her warm treasure.

    The man shuddered at the thought of how he was going to hurt the angel in his arms. He wanted to lessen the pain as much as possible but there was no other way around it but to tear her apart. And so without warning, he drove himself full length into her in one hard thrust, Gabrie screamed with tears!

    "I''m so sorry dulzura," his voice was hoarse and tightened his hold on her, wishing he could sucked in her pain. He was twisted into a knot of desire but his heart beat painfully at the sound of her little sobs after her scream. He paused for a moment inside her moist flesh that was sheathing him as he gave her pain some time to subside. He waited for her tension and sob to go away before he moved again. When he gently pulled upward, Gabrie''s tensed nerves loosened and she was back to moaning again.

    Gabrie felt some tears crept out of her eyes. She hated the pain but the moment he moved again, she floated in a mindless sea of pleasure making her unable to stop moaning for him. Hearing it drove her partner in bed mad and it tripled his passion and need for her. He pushed and pulled again, entering deeper and withdrawing further as he lost his control. The feel of her squeezing as he made each of his trust drove him mad and in a moment more, he grabbed her legs to encircle him and went on his routine savagely.

    Gabrie, although drunk, was very aware of what was happening and she was so in awe of how wondrous it felt. She moved with him, trying to reach something she was not aware of. Every moment that passed and as their body danced into the sound of their gasps, curses and moans, she felt like she wasing closer and closer to something.

    As the man quickened his insistent hard strokes, Gabrie came apart. She screamed this time again, but not anymore with pain but with pleasure.Her orgasm took her by surprise andpletely overwhelmed her. Wave after wave of intense pleasure poured over her. She clung to him, wanting to scream his name over and over again, only if she knew it.

    He knew she had her climax but he was not finished and so even when Gabrie was still in daze with pleasure that went on her, he drove into her consistently. Harder, deeper until he was no longer able to control the force of his trust, and there in the middle of Gabrie''s scream of after-climax, he found his and spurted out his warmth into her without the need to withhold it.

    Gabrie felt like she had reached the stars and in minutes, fell back to earth. Her eyelids fluttered open and the shadows of the room came in shape and form. She felt the man move to his side, bringing her with him and wrapped her once more in his arms as he caught his breath.

    "Did I hurt you so bad?" he asked in her ears, his tone very gentle and full of worry.

    "No," She half-lied. She couldn''t just say a tant yes because surely there was indeed pain, but the pleasure was so many and consistent she couldn''t remember how painful it was anymore. It was the most amazing thing but the moment her tremors subside, her guilt and fears came. She could panic because she had lost all control and realized she trusted a strangerpletely with her body. Now she''s pure no more.

    She was no longer drunk as their passionate love making seemed to have awakened and detoxified all her nerves. Realizing the consequences of what she had done, she expected all her guilt and doubt to consume and make her feel worse but unexpectedly, she felt the opposite. She had some guilt and fears with her scandalous actions, that''s true¡ªbut all this suddenly just felt littlepared to the satisfaction and security she felt inside her. Even her loneliness alleviated and the whole time she had a wondrous bed session with the stranger she just met, Erwan didn''t cross her mind. Perhaps Lucy was right, she just really need a good fuck.

    "Sure it doesn''t hurt?" A tempting voice managed to jerk back her thought to the stranger who was tightly wrapping his big arms to her, very unwilling to let her go. Gabrie, who was no more clear headed, became curious of him for the first time and so she looked up to see his face but the darkness of the room rendered her attempt impossible. She sure could see him and his tiger-like eyes but his features whom she missed checking out earlier were blurred to her. She wondered then if his face could match the sexiness of his voice because truth was, the sound of him was enough to arouse any woman, including her.

    "Why ask?"

    "Because I want to do it again,"

    "..."

    "Dulzura?

    "It still hurts" It was the truth and was her way of shoving his request off.

    The heck this man? Did she perhaps unfortunately bumped into a sex-maniac?

    The man didn''t bother to ask again after herst words and instead just buried his face into her back. Soon she heard him snoring already and his sound lubied her until she too had snored peacefully beside him.

    ***

    The next morning, Gabrie opened her eyes and felt like he had gone to a thorough work outst night. Every part of her was aching but the moment she realized she woke up in an unfamiliar room, naked, she panicked immediately.

    "Fuck!" She cussed as remembered what took cest night from the time she tresspased into someone''s yacht until the time she had sex with a stranger whom basically at the moment, she didn''t remember who.

    "Oh fuck Gabbie..fuck!" She pulled her own hair hard with her fingers and even went as far as knocking her head off.

    "If your family will know about this they will surely be upset and God! What will my father and mother Lilith say about me? Oh! Gabrie you are in deep doom!"

 Chapter 81 - Manly Pride

    Gabrie was still having a self litany when the bathroom door opened and a man who had the most intriguing tiger-like eyes appeared. Immediately, Gabrie dropped jawed at the sight of him.

    ''Shit! Is this him?''??

    "You look like you have seen a ghost," He said, digging his eyes upon the Monteria heiress who until then was naked on bed. The man was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water covered and fell in his body. Seeing those droplets falling in his well defined abs made Gabrie want to swallow a lump in her throat. Was this man really the one she bed withst night? Surely not because there''s no way she could have missed those great firm abs.

    "Do you want to shower?" He asked again as Gabrie did nothing but just stared at him. The look that flushed on the woman''s face amused him and made him proud of himself somehow. It felt like those times he spent on physical training and times he spent on the gym was all worth it.

    Gabrie still didn''t move as truthfully, she was deeply surprised. As she couldn''t open her mouth to ask anything, she ended up questioning him. "Who¡­..who are you?"

    "Seriously dulzura? There''s no need to y pretend," Right then he still believed that the girl purposely went and seduced him so he was sure she knew him well. However the look in her eyes and the expression of surprise that came on her face was very convincing; he almost believed she didn''t know him at all.

    "Never mind," Gabrie was d he didn''t give away his name. That would be better though. What happened was just a one night stand so they basically don''t have to know each other.

    "How about you dulzura?" The man went to sit by her side and looked at her carefully admiring her nakedness. Only then did Gabrie notice she was all naked and instantly, she pulled the sheets and covered herself.

    "No need to hide it, I''ve seen it allst night," he teasingly chided her and the girl went crimson. "Now my angel, tell me your name," he gently demanded as he attempted to pull her close to him.

    Gabrie saw how he was closing their gap and she panicked at the thought. She can''te closer to that man because seriously¡ª his face, his body and even his voice was so tempting she was sure she won''t be able to control herself and their morning might end up in another bed sweet session. And so, before the man could grab her, she fled immediately from bed.

    "I need a shower," She said running away and the moment she stepped into the bathroom, she locked the door right away.

    "Fuck! Holy fucking cow gabie!" Gabrie couldn''t stop cursing. "He''s fucking so handsome! Was it really himst night? Shit! Did we really¡­.Oh god! I could die right now! No wonder I enjoyed it so much!"

    The man he just saw looked nothing close to a human. He was like a fictional character as his face was well crafted and his eyes made him stand above the genes of the human race. Aside from having such a gorgeous face, his body too was something every woman could fall for. He looked like a model with the body of a roman diator. That''s how fucking handsome her was!

    "And my God he was so big!" Gabrie bbered in the bathroom continually, "How was able to hold his weightst night? And oh shit I''m so sore, there''s no way he was a pinky size, I do remember stretching so wide for himst night!"

    All those surprises that weed her this morning got Gabrie so upied that even when she was already in the shower, her thoughts were full of him. She didn''t even realize that the bathroom door had opened and that someone had already joined her in the shower, not until he wrapped his arms around her.

    ''What the fuck is he doing here? Didn''t I lock the bathroom door?''

    Her eyes went wide as her mind flooded her with questions. In a moment, the man was nting kisses on her back already, giving her tiny pleasures.

    "What are you doing here?" she asked gently as if she was not surprised at all by his presence. "I''m still enjoying my shower...can''t you see?" she added implying that she doesn''t want him in there.

    "You''re taking so long. I can''t wait for it anymore," He said in a hoarse struggling voice. He pulled her closer then and took time kissing her neck wanting to leave kiss marks on her body to remind her of the beautiful night they shared.

    "I''m still¡ª"

    "Please dulzura, I''ve been holding it off all night," He begged desperately.

    Truth was he had woken up after Gabrie dozed off and was not able to sleep back anymore. Gabrie, naked on his bed sleeping and his sheets with marks of her destroyed purity was so alluring to watch. He cannot believe what just took ce and his body just went berserk on that. He was all tempted to have a release inside her again but he didn''t want to wake her up and so he shut off all his urges but his attempt only made his situation worse. In the end, he had called someone and had her investigated as he was then so intrigued by her.

    Hearing him struggle at her back, Gabrie couldn''t resist him. Besides, his hands had started roaming everywhere in her body and the thought of their wondrous love makingst night made it all hard so hard to resist it even more.

    In one swift motion, the man had twisted her body around and she ended up facing him. She looked up and was weed with his tiger-like eyes that were burning with eagerness and passion. His face was so close to her that right then she was fully determined he had the most gorgeous face she had ever seen and when his mouthnded on hers again, everything about him was beyond description already. He ravaged her mouth for minutes that made Gabrie fully aware how he was so desperate to have her again.

    The man took his time kissing and licking her. Enticed with her angelic beauty, he couldn''t help but adore every part of her that he ended kissing all of her. It was rather odd how Gabrie kept up with pleasure because they were basically in the shower and she was all standing.

    Soon his lips reached her center and sipped everything he could taste right there, like it was a beautiful flower and that he was a bee seeking for her nectar. Gabrie moaned hard with that and when his tongue started moving inside her, she held onto the wall for support as her knees were already shaking.

    "Oh please¡­ my knees...I cannot take it anymore," She begged in the midst of her bliss. The man kneeling in front of her seemed to have not heard her plea and he kept on, expertly ying in her center non-stop. Gabrie reached her peak with his tongue and she didn''t withhold her pleasure that she ended up screaming. Certainly, if they weren''t alone in that boat, people outside would definitely hear it.

    "Did it taste so good, dulzura?" The man stood and gazed down proud at her intoxicating green eyes. He loved how she screamed each time he gave her bliss, it gave him some hard sense of manly pride and aplishment. Who wouldn''t have when it was an angel screaming for you?

    Gabrie didn''t answer but only bit her lips. ''Damn you it was so good!'' The thought came to her mind but before it could get out through her lips because in just a minute, her tiger-eyed host captured her lips once more, making her taste her very own nectar in the process. He went so hard on her lips that he even reached the back of her neck and pushed it to him as close as he could possibly do. The kiss was so ravenous that when he let go, they were both gasping for air.

    Denying no more his aching manhood, he grabbed Gabrie''s body this time. The shower was still on and so they were both in it then, soaked and wet with water and their very own desires. He lifted the girl to his arms, had her locked her legs around her as he supported it with his two big hands. Since he was so big for Gabrie''s petite and thin body, the task was easy for him and inserting his manhood to her was far easier.

    "Ah shit!," Gabrie couldn''t help it. Their position made all of him dug to her deep, not to mention he was pressing her too hard to him. She stretched for him and even thought it was no longer possible but he fit, like he was meant to be there. Then he moved and she didn''t know what to feel anymore.

    "Does it hurt?" he asked as he moved her up and down. He was the one supporting her whole body and so it was him whomanded the move.

    "Ahhh," The girl only answered with moans.

    "Dulzura, does it hurt?" he asked, his voice bore all the lust he had for her. "Because if it does, I''ll stop it. I don''t want to¡ª"

    "Oh don''t stop!"Gabrie chastised or more like begged. "Please, don''t stop!"

 Chapter 82 - Not His Sweetheart

    Gabrie''s fingers already dug on his nape as she could already feel pleasure building inside her. He had her in a very erotic position and leave her with no choice but to be at his mercy. With his strong hands, he maneuvered through their intense love making, pushing her body up and down to his throbbing shaft.

    Soon, he heard a loud moan from her that went above the shower noise. She had reached her peak, and this time, he was with her. They both sumbed and surrendered to the bliss for a few good minutes before they ended up gasping in each other''s arms. As soon as both their tremors subsided, he sealed their passionate encounter with a kiss that went on until they were both finished in the shower.??

    Soon Gabrie was already back in the room, very silent, as she tried to fix herself. She found her dress carefully pressed at the side of the bed so was her undergarments. It was fresh from theundry which made her wonder who washed it for her. Even the sheets on the bed were new, she could tell. However she didn''t linger too much on the thought and the moment she was finished, she turned to him and found him already staring at her.

    She was surprised to see his eyes. How long had he been looking at her? Never mind.

    "I''ll leave now, thank you for¡­" She couldn''t finish her words as she didn''t know what to thank him for. What should she say then? Than you for the fuck? Even the statement ¡ªthank you forst night was so inappropriate that she was stuck for a moment wondering what she should add to the words she already uttered.

    "For letting me stay...yeah...thank you for letting me stay," With that, she immediately turned and bolted out the door ready to run away from the most scandalous thing she ever did in her entire life.

    Gabrie struggled her way out because unfortunately, the yacht that she thought was small was so big below and she was lost in so many doors. When she saw the stairs toward the dock, she was relieved, and anticipated her free escape. However when she reached the dock, the reality took her by surprise.

    "Holy moly shit!" She cursed hard when she realized they were in the middle of the ocean and she could see nothing but all blue waters and the horizon up further.

    As she was faced with a thorough dilemma, she heard someone chuckling at her back and when she turned, he saw the man, all smiles as his tiger-like eyes were filled with thorough fascination.

    "Amusing," he dered at her helpless face. "I don''t know angels cursed hard,"

    "Where are we?" She gave the man an annoyed face. Was he mocking her?

    "In my yacht,"

    "I know that. What I mean is that where the heck are we? What''s our exact location?"

    "Just a few kilometers from Mondrew Bay," He said, stillughing, very amused at how she turned to be a nagger when she was so quiet few minutes ago.

    "How dare you take me here? How am I supposed to go back at this point?"

    "Easy dulzura, it wasn''t my fault that you ended up here," He defended. "You were the one who hitched a boat ride, remember?"

    "Don''t call me that, I''m not your sweetheart," Gabrie was so done with the man''sck of apathy in their current situation, her situation in particr. She wanted to leave, she wanted to escape from him because as much as how handsome he was, he was also so irresistible she was afraid she might be tempted to do another bed session with him.

    "So what should I call you then? My Fubu?" he raised a brow at her. Her reactions honestly confused him as it was rather rare for a woman in his circle to be annoyed with him and the way she was then, it was like she was running away from him. Why would she run away when she finally got to fulfill her mission of sleeping in his bed? Did she not n to enjoy this moment with him and get her price?

    "Arrg!" Gabrie cupped her head in annoyance. The man was sure to give her a headache!

    Stupid Gabrie! Stupid! That''s what you get for sleeping with some random male species who clearly was so full of himself.

    "Rx dulzura," Gone were theughs he was enjoying earlier when he saw her stressing out. "I''ll take you to shoreler, for now why don''t youe and have brunch with me,"

    He invited and moved somewhere out of her sight. Gabrie rxed when he left and slumped on a sitting area she saw at the corner then stared endlessly at the sea, worried. The sun was so high up she was afraid that Sisi and Lucy had already rummaged through the whole Mondrew City looking for her.

    "Dulzura?" The man came back again after a moment to disturb her solitude.

    "What?" She replied in a harsh tone, signifying how annoyed she was.

    "Brunch is ready,e," He invited again and the girl wanted to refuse him outright but the smell of fresh bacon and chicken soup was caught by her nose and her empty stomach craved for it immediately.

    She bit her lips wanting to suppress her hunger but she gave up after a minute. She stood and walked past him without a word and toward where her nose led her to. Soon she caught sight of a table filled with food and fresh fruits and all the sudden she felt very hungry. She sat on one corner ready to eat when the man sat beside her.

    "What are you doing?" She meant to question him for sitting beside her when obviously there were other empty seats away from her.

    "Eat this soup first to warm up your stomach," He instructed gently and put in front of her a bowl of steaming chicken soup, "I just heat it up for you,"

    Seeing that he ignored her first question, she moved a bit far from him as she hated the feel of their skin brushing against each other, but then, as soon as she did, he annoyingly followed her and even pressed himself toward her closer that there was no more space left.

    "Move a bit father," She told him, totally acting up as if she owned the yacht and that she was her boss.

    "Dulzura?" He looked down on her this time,one of his brow pulled upward. "Why? You liked it so much when I pressed hard closer to youst night but now you are asking me to move away?"

    Gabrie''s face turned instantly red. How could this man be so tantly shameless?

    "It''s different. We are eating now,"

    "I''m also eating youst night," He said, smiled then bit his lips in quick session at the thought of their intimacy. "And this morning," He added and gave her a wild, wild smile as if he was thinking about doing another round with her.

    Gabrie''s inside went chaotically at the threat of another round. She could already feel her arousal once again but she dismissed the feeling by drinking the whole bowl of soup in one gulp that was served for her.

    "Careful it''s hot!" He worriedly reached out for it but it was already toote. Thankfully it wasn''t that hot anymore as he thought and Gabrie didn''t hurt herself. However, after she was finished with the soup, she doted on another menu and started stress eating.

    Seeing how good her appetite was, the man pushed more food on her te and even deboned some fish for her. He was actually worried about her earlier as he knew she vomited almost everything she ate the previous day and she woke up sote he was already tempted to shake and wake so he could feed her.

    Unlike Gabrie, the man he was with was a very disciplined and organized man. It was obvious how well kept his yacht was and how he was very conscious with time. He also woke up early, 5:00 AM, which was his usual wake up time and already did a few chores including puting her dress intoundry and cooking the food they were eating then. He even swam a fewps and took a bath and when he stepped out, that was when the girl woke up.

    "I really need to leave after this," Gabrie announced in the middle of chewing something. "My friends had probably flipped the whole city up and down looking for me,"

    "Dulzura I''m really sorry but I can''t go back to the bay right away," he replied. "This is the only time I can nt corals as my schedule for the week is full already. If I leave now, I might now have another time toe back"

    "My friends would really be worried. I''m afraid my face will end up in the news report before noon ends. If that happens you might be suspected of kidnapping, you don''t want that, do you?" Gabrie said gently threatening the man. What she didn''t know was that he wasn''t threatened at all. "So would you please bring me back to the shoreline after this meal?"

 Chapter 83 - Scandalous

    "I''d love to dulzura but you see my schedule here is kind of hectic," He lied. Truth was he certainly didn''t have problems giving in to her request because right then he was under her spell already but his time in Mondrew City was limited and he certainly didn''t want to miss this chance he had of spending a few hours with her. This was the reason why he didn''t want to let her go, not just yet.

    "But¡ª"??

    "Why don''t you give your friends a ring? Tell them you are okay and that you are stuck here. I promise to bring you back to the bay before the day ends,"

    Gabrie sighed at herck of choice. Then the man before her took a phone out of nowhere and handed it to her. Hesitantly, she epted it and dialed Lucy''s number. For some reason Lucy wasn''t picking up and so she tried Simione''s number and luckily after many many tries, the line opened up.

    "Sisi!" She eximed in relief that finally she was able to contact one of them. "Sisi, were you worried about me? I''m so sorry Sisi. Please don''t panic, I''m¡ª"

    "Worried what?" The yawning Simione answered through the line. "Who are you by the way? And why are you calling? You are so disturbing my peaceful sleep,"

    "Sisi it''s me Gabbie. I''m sorry I was not able toe homest night," She cleared. Judging by Simione''s voice it was obvious she just woke up and the Monteria heiress already suspects the two went home sote without even noticing her absence. Perhaps that was the reason why Lucy was not answering, both the girls were still drunk and were still trying to get a good sleep.

    "You know what¡­xjsksnksns..." The drunk Simione bbered something that Gabrie didn''t understand and then hung up.

    <em>''Ah! Lucy, Simione! The heck are these two drunkards!''</em>

    "So were your friends so worried?" He sarcastically asked her. Although Gabrie didn''t put the call to speak he could clearly tell whoever she was calling was still drunk at this moment.

    Gabrie only gave him an angry look before she turned on her back again and texted Simione''s phone saying that she called yet the girl was not yet clear headed and would just want her and Lucy not to worry about her.

    "What are you gonna do here in the middle of the ocean again?" She threw his mobile on the table and decided to change the topic.

    "Coral nting," He answered hoping the girl would find it amusing but her angry look only tells him she was not happy at all. However, he intended to make this a great afternoon for the both of them and so he didn''t bother himself with her sour expression.

    "Would you like to help me?" He asked as a way of inviting her to dive with him under the sea. He knew for sure she would like it. "I have an extra gear and some clot¡ª"

    "Nope, I don''t want to. Besides I don''t have much diving skills," She confessed as a way to dismiss his attention to her.

    "I can teach you," He offered but was determined the girl was determined she wasn''t going to try any and so he gave up the idea.

    Soon the man already started his routine and went scuba diving while Gabrie had some tan on the hatch. Since she had nothing to do then, she thought of sttering under the sun, taking this chance to make herplexion darker. While she was on it, she could see him, her annoying host, seriously nting corals in the name of saving mother earth.

    After an hour of staying in the hatch, Gabrie felt utterly bored and so spent her time looking at the man who was swimming back and forth doing his business. When he caught a glimpse of her watching him, he waved and invited her again.

    "Wanna go for a dive? I promise it''s fun!" he said and luckily, his persuasion worked this time because right then Gabrie was already so bored she needed some distractions. She thought scuba diving would be fun and it won''t hurt to try. So with this sudden change of mind, Gabrie epted the man''s invitation. She descended in the hatch then and went to where he was. Immediately, the man went to assist her and helped her with the task, especially with the gear.

    Soon she was then under the sea, enjoying the scenery of the beautiful fishes and colorful nts. For once, she had forgotten about everything, even her predicament with her ex-fiancee and enjoyed the whole afternoon under the sea. The man himself was a great teacher, he carefully taught her how to use the gears and patiently followed her all throughout until she was able to go independently. However because scuba diving was new to her, she didn''t stay in the water for long and retreated to the yacht even before the man finished his tasks.

    "How was it?" The man after long hours of doing his routine approached her, ready to retreat. She was then swimming at the foot of the yacht, spending the rest of her time swimming while waiting for him.

    "It was good thank you," She answered and abruptly made way for him. The man climbed to the yacht for once and took off his suit and gear before he joined her in the water again. He made it so with a big ssh to Gabrie''s surprise!

    "Hey!" She shouted wiping off the water from her face but the moment she opened her eyes, he was already in front of her, floating so close.

    "Hey what?" He asked, smiling. He was so done with coral nting that he could give her all his attention then. Of course he wanted to spend the rest of his time on something worth his time.

    "What are you doing?" She asked in panic. The hair at the back of neck stood as if they all recognized the danger or the pleasure he brings.

    "I ain''t doing nothing yet," he replied with a grin that almost took all of Gabrie''s breath. He was obviously using his charms on her and goddam, it worked so well that in just a minute, Gabrie''s own veins and body were so anticipating his touch and warmth. Immediately, a need inside her was formed and she was very sure he was the only one who could satisfy it. And as if things weren''t uncontroble enough, his next words fell everyst defense she had against him. "But I''m nning on doing you again, you won''t stop me right?"

    Instead of answering, Gabrie only swallowed a big gulp. She attempted to flee by moving back but it was already toote. His hands already grabbed her and in just a second his lips were on hers again, tasting every bit of her mouth again as if he wasn''t satisfied at all with all his chances previously. His mouth moved expertly, so was his hands, unbothered by the fact that they were in the ocean water and that someone might be able to get a picture of them.

    There was a part of Gabrie that wanted to push him away. She oncebelled their sexual encounter as a one night stand only but at this point when their passionate sex had continued even until the very next day she was having hard timebelling already what they had. Also she was a bit bothered by the fact that the man seemed to be expecting more about her one time sexual adventure and hoped he was still on the same page with her¡ªthat they had nothing to do with each other and that all that had happened was just for today. There''s no more next time and certainly no more another round.

    Yep. Speaking about no more ''another round'', that certainly wasn''t prevented because the moment the man started making advances on her again, itsted until past sunset and they did many rounds the whole afternoon with Gabrie''s consent.

    Turns out, as much as how he was so craving for her, Gabrie''s desire aggravated that she consented and even initiated more rounds with the man. The thought of going back to the shoreline was pushed back for hours. When it happened, it wasn''t because they were done with their cravings and had gone exhausted, it was because they both had schedules and they had people and friends waiting for them.

    "I think I should leave now," Gabrie announced. The man was still nuzzling her neck, giving her kisses as his car was parked on the hotel where Gabrie and her friends were staying. They were already back to the bay and he insisted on driving her back to her hotel.

    "Just another kiss dulzura," He begged and Gabrie took his mouth for onest time. Theirst kiss was deep and ravenous that surely if not put off, will lead to another hot session but luckily they were a bit shameful to do it again in a parking lot so after a few minutes they both let go.

    "Give me your name," He demanded gently, looking forward to being with her again.

    "Angel. My name is Angel rcon," She lied and hoped to never see him again.

    "What''s your suite number?"

    "352," She lied again. She had spent enough time for her to know he was the type of man whom you cannot easily answer by no, so she lied instead of saying ''no'' to all his questions.

    "Call me as soon as you get inside safely," He handed her his personal number, something he didn''t give to everyone and finally let her go.

    Gabrie then climbed down his car and walked as fast as she could. She didn''t dare to look back and when she was sure he wasn''t looking anymore, she tore his number into pieces, ready to forget him at the scandalous night she spent with him.

 Chapter 84 - He Is Taken

    Feather was at her Father''s study, kneeling and wailing like a child who had broken an ancient expensive vase.

    "Father please¡­ let there be a date for a wedding already," The Han''s heiress begged. She cancelled out and dragged Hawk Monsanto home so she could immediately remedy her worsening situation. "I swear, if you will dy it I''m afraid someone can already take my ce,"??

    "Feather my daughter, what is happening to you? " Fara was at her back appeasing her. When Feather came home yesterday she locked herself in her room and only came out now, when her Father arrived.

    "What shamelessness is this Feather?" Mauro Han''s big chilling voice went above her cries. Until then, he didn''t want to make things easy for Hawk until the business venture they agreed would be signed and finalized. "How dare you seek first your own sake rather than ourpany''s. If will announce the wedding date, there''s a possibility the venture will be dyed further and Hawk might not take it seriously anymore,"

    "Father If you can''t make me marry Hawk right away, then the whole venture and your efforts will go to waste," Feather was desperate, crying mercilessly while her face was ruined by her mascara.

    "What foolishness is this?" He was so done with Feather''s temperament and her bratty attitude that he helplessly turned to Fara, wanting her to drag her daughter away from his sight. "Fara, get this child out here!"

    "Feather you are already making your Father angry," Fara tried to pull Feather off the floor but before she could, the Han''s heiress screamed in all her lungs.

    "Hawk has a mistress!" She revealed. Truth was she didn''t want her Father to know because she didn''t want him to mock her especially because they were not on good terms. She always goes against him and threatens him that she will tell her grandfather about his gamblings.

    "What? Hawk Monsanto as I know is very devoted to¡ª"

    "He''s still a man and many women were desperate to have him," She cut him offpletely. "They''ll do anything to snatch him from me,"

    "That is how the men live, Feather. Do not be so naive," Mauro tells her off. Truth was he simply cannot believe that the great Hawk Monsanto had other women as he thought he was different from all the other Monsantos. However, there was no sense in defending him so he justpromised on it. Besides, he didn''t need Hawk''s loyalty, all he needed was his money. "There will be more women in the future and you''ve got to live with that. He is a Monsanto afterall. The important is that you are the one he choose to marry, the others can are just passer bys,"

    "I''m not being a naive Father and I''m telling you, this is more than a mistress," Feather stood from her knees and faced her father head on. "He bought the Mariposa Verde for this woman and even ran away from my concierto for her. Now if that doesn''t makes you worry then don''t me me at all when your venture will be realized,"

    "What? I thought you had sorted out that he gave the Mariposa verde to his rtive?" Mauro''s expression darkened. "How stupid of you to be just trampled on by other women? You are the Han''s heiress, what happened to you getting in control of everything,"

    "That''s why I''m here," Feather pressed. She doesn''t care anymore of her Father''s reprimands and insults. So long as she can get a date for the wedding, her pride can fall over anything. "I won''t be here begging if I can still do something else!"

    "Feather, there must be some misunderstanding," Fara tried to remedy her daughter''s fallen pride. "Hawk loves you so much and he will certainly not look on other women,"

    "I''m so done with that thing you call love mother!" Feather snapped out frustratedly. "That was the most foolish thing I had ever believed in this predicament about Hawk Monsanto. That woman simply cannot be loved by anyone, not even her family loves her!"

    "Enough!" Mauro''s ears were already in pain from Feather''s wails and nagging. Realizing that things were not running good and that his venture with Hawk is at risk, he didn''t think twice about it. "Alright, I''ll talk to the elders about the wedding,"

    "Finally!" That was all that Feather needed and she felt fine. She wiped her ruined mascara and headed for the door.

    "Feather!" Her father called on her tant disrespect.

    "What?"

    "I''ll do my best to arrange a wedding date," He emphasized, giving Feather a threatening nce and a hard tone. "Make sure you won''t mess this up this time or I''ll make sure that you go down with me,"

    "Understood," She already expected that and so she wasn''t scared at all. She excited out the room uncaringly. That''s what she needed¡ªa wedding date. Now all she needed to do was wait and prepare for the wedding for surely, Hawk Monsanto would be pressured to fulfill his part, especially then that the whole country will surely do the countdown with her.

    ***

    It had been a few days when the tres marias left the Mondrew City and everything that happened there had been forgotten through the loads of photoshoots and school stuff that had been waiting for Lucy and Simione. However for Gabrie, things didn''t turn out well because as much as she wanted to forget what happened, she had no school or concerts to keep her busy and so the memory about the tiger-eyed man kept haunting her.

    The night that she went home to their suite, both Sisi and Lucy had a severe hangover that they were so exhausted to ask her many questions. Early morning the next day after that, they flew back home and the two had been so busy they seemed to have forgotten about her sudden disappearance. Also to shut off more suspicions about it, she deleted the miscalls she had on Lucy''s phone and also deleted her own text message in Simione''s phone about her giving her a heads up that she was okay.

    "Hi," One night, Simione came home from school and went to see Gabrie in her room while she was busy with something.

    "Hey," The Monteria heiress replied, surprised that she didn''t even notice hering home. She had been so focused about sewing that she forgot about the time. "Have you eaten?"

    "Yep," Simione jumped on her bed andvished herself with the soft mattress. "What is that?"

    "This one?" Gabrie brought in front of her a beautiful dress she sewed for her designer doll. She was a collector of dolls and it had been her long time project to make dresses for her dolls but she was so busy with her ten year rtionship with Erwan she didn''t even have time for it. These days when she was haunted by the memory of her scandalous venture, she thought of sewing to forget about it.

    "Beautiful," Simione smiled at it. She had long known that her friend was a collector and that she could sew. After all, the Monterias business was about clothes and they even owned the most celebrated House of Monteria, a fashion house. "Thest time I saw you sewed something was a long long time ago that it already feels weird seeing you sewing something now,"

    "I just thought of doing something to pass the time," She replied, already nning to tell what happened to her in Mondrew City. It actually bothered her that she was keeping some secrets to Lucy and Simione even if it was an unintentional lie. However, at that time, she was so overwhelmed and annoyed that she couldn''t tell them everything right away.

    "Actually Sisi¡ª"

    "What''s her name?" Simione seemed to have not heard her and raised a question when she was about to confess.

    "Huh?" Gabrie was confused by her question.

    "Your doll. You give them names right?"

    "Oh," She looked at the doll she was still holding, the one she showed Simione earlier, "Serapina. I named her Serapina, she looked like an angel right?"

    "Trully, and yet you gave her a ck dress," Simione noticed. "An angel with ck dress,"

    "She''s broken hearted, that''s why," Gabrie smiled bitterly. Serapina actually represented her emotions then, she was broken hearted.

    "And yet she''s ssy and beautiful," Simione was so drawn into the doll as it looked very interesting. "You gave her dark makeup too that fits her dress. I think she''s the most beautiful broken hearted woman I''ve ever seen,"

    "I kind of agree¡ª"

    "Wha-huhuhuhuhuh!" The sound of wailing Lucy rang through the whole penthouse that immediately Gabrie and Simione both ran on their feet to her room.

    "Lucy!"

    "What happened?"

    "Wahuhuhuhu!" Lucy was wailing as she clung to the heavy curtains of her window. Then as if everything in her body was heavy, she slowly pulled herself down to the floor, her right hand on her head.

    "Omigod Simione! Gabbie!" She reached for her two friends as if they were too far away. Immediately Simione went to her side tofort her while Gabrie raised a brow as whatever she was doing then was obviously pure exaggeration only. Even though Lucy shed some tears, she knew all of it was fake and that she was just making a scene.

    "My heart Sisi, my heart!" Lucy''s expression turned as if she was losing her breath.

    "Lucy what the heck is happening?" Simione was almost ready to give her some spanking.

    "Your boss! The El Tigre!" Lucy wailed as she mentioned the man. El Tigre was Lucy''s long time crush and was on her list of prospective lovers. "He is already taken!"

 Chapter 85 - Primo

    "I already thought someone had died," Gabrie hissed, shaking her head helplessly.

    "Lucy, you almost made me worried!" Simione shouted at the singer''s absurdity but before she could dismiss her, Lucy clung to her arms.??

    "Sisi, how can you be like that?" Lucy contronted herck of concern. "I thought you were also a fan of El Tigre? Remember what drove you in applying in his firm? It was because of your great obsession with him too,"

    "Lucy it was a long time ago, I was just a simple fan," Simione defended but all Lucy said was actually true. When they were still college students, both she and Lucy were obsessed with the El Tigre like all the other women in the country were. The man was simply a heartthrob and the fantasy of all young women.

    El Tigre''s poprity emerged when he became the youngest army captain in the country and was awarded great for his bravery and valor during the war with the militia¡ªa rebel group that had long been a problem in the South. He and his men were on a very important mission and things just got out of hand. The whole country thought the young captain had died in war, so was his team but a month after, they miraculously emerged victorious and unscratched.

    After that war, El Tigre took off from the military and went intow school and just after a few years emerged as one of the brilliantwyers in the city who went to defend his fellow soldiers in an international military court. Many prisoners of war had been released because of his hard work and because of this, he was considered a hero by many.

    These days, his poprity continued since many had been following him but the man remained secretive and had managed to keep a low profile, only emerging when significant national cases were at hand.

    His poprity had simply gone out of control, especially that he was always the standard of chivalry and gantry by most elite bachelorettes and even big celebrities. However unlike Hawk Monsanto who was known as a woman evasive, EL Tigre had been involved with many women but none of them was introduced as his official lover and once there had been a huge challenge in the circle of socialites and big celebrities on who will be able to gain the title of bing El Tigre''s woman and singer Lucy was one of those who took the challenge for fun.

    "A simple fan?" Lucy squinted at her. "You researched thoroughly for a few weeks prior to graduation on which firms belong to the El Tigre and applied diligently and you call yourself only a fan?"

    "Hehe," Simione scratched her head. Truth was like Lucy she had also been starstrucked by El Tigre but had long given up her foolish dream in meeting him in person. The reason primarily why she applied in his firm was because they say he had always provided good benefits¡ªwhich was very true as Simione now worked in thepany he founded for years. Second was that he hoped to see El Tigre in person and thought that by bing his employee, she''ll have a chance. However, years had passed by and El Tigre never once stepped in office, or probably he did; she just didn''t know.

    "But Lucy, you know El Tigre, he was never really into women," Simione changed the topic and tried tofort Lucy''s broken heart. "You know his reputation with women right? Manynded on his bed they say but none on his heart. Simply exins why until know, many were still after him,"

    "Simione...Simione" Lucy shook her head with a very devastated face. "I know for sure his heart was already taken. This is not just another affair,"

    "How do you know that?" Simione herself was curious. It''s not like Lucy and El Tigre were friends so it''s very impossible that Lucy knew some information about him first hand. El Tigre was a very important person in this country and so his information can bepared to those who worked as FBI agents, very confidential and most of the time, he leaves no tracks on his whereabouts more so his rtionships.

    "Look," Lucy gave Simione her phone where a social media app was opened. Interested, Gabrie and Simione looked and realized it was El Tigre''s page on the screen. He had many followers in such an app, amounting to millions and although it says that the page was created a few years ago, there was almost nothing in his page. Just some basic information and one recent update.

    "There''s basically nothing on his page," Gabrie noted. She had long known about El Tigre but didn''t understand such a hype so she never once bothered about him and for the past ten years, she had basically nothing on her te but just her love for Erwan and her world revolved around that.

    "There is one update Gabrie," Lucy chastised her for being so apathetic about her dilemma. Truth was the Monteria heiress was always a killer joy when ites to her rtionship with men and only Simione was supportive and tolerant with her madness about rich, handsome and powerful men.

    Since Lucy mentioned it, Gabrie looked again and saw the one update El Tigre just posted just minutes ago. He updated his rtionship status andbeled it as TAKEN.

    "The heck!" Simione was surprised to see that indeed there was an update. She was also a follower of El Tigre and the man never once updated his profile. Did he just basically announce to everyone that he already has a woman?

    "See Simione? I told you, this is serious! Very very serious!" Lucy wailed at it when she saw that even Simione herself reacted dreadfully at the news. "Damn this life! I hate it that I have to scratch two men in my list! Well I don''t mind Hawk being crossed out since his taste of women sucks but El Tigre? My Primo ''El Tigre'' Umbresio? Damn! That hurts so bad! Huhu"

    "Lucy," Simione then felt the realness of the situation. She didn''t react at first because she somehow didn''t think it was this bad but seeing about the update he just made, her heart went with Lucy. She hugged the singer on the floor and cried with her. Primo "El Tigre" Umbresio was the man of their dreams since college and right then their hearts were shattered.

    "My God, you two!" Gabrie rolled an eye at their shamelessness.

    "Sisi, if I''ll know who that woman is! I''ll gorge her eyes with my own pretty hands," Lucy threatened.

    "Of course Lucy. I''ll study hard to be awyer and I will defend you for murdering that woman," Simione promised to cover up her crimes. "Lucy you have to make her pay for shattering our hearts...huhu¡­"

    "Sisi, I guess that woman is so pretty but I''m sure the whole poption of women in this country is in great outrage right now. She should hide or she''ll be dead before she knows it," Lucy bbered again some hateful thoughts of the woman who caused such a nationwide heartbreak tonight. The singer''s im then was true as the rtionship update in El Tigre''s ount had gone viral and had millions ofments, mostly women crying out.

    "We shall find that woman and we will rip her heart!" Sisi eximed and for some reason Gabrie who had certainly no business in their broken hearts felt like some daggers were mercilessly struck in her heart.

    Lucy and Simione''s dreadful threats to the El Trigre''s woman get into her nerves as if she was the one they were talking about. She felt very uneasy then and wanted to run away then probably hide in her room because her two best friends'' faces then were like mad women really to kill in the name of love.

    "Can you stop that? It''s not good to say something about an innocent woman" She chastised the two. Her voice was shaking in fear and she didn''t understand why. Helpless, she took Lucy''s phone again from Simione and started checking out El Tigre''s profile.

    No matter how her two friends bbered about him since college, she never really bothered to check him out and since she was not the type of girl who watched news or be concerned about national affairs, she missed all his achievements all these years. Seeing how Lucy and Simione were very devastated then and how she felt unusual about it, she took time to check him out.

    "We''ll I hope he is worth your tears," She said while clicking on the photo section link. His profile picture didn''t give much of his features so she looked for other photos of him. She scrolled for a while through the few collections of his public photos and hoped she could find something worth looking at. She did find one and it gave her one hell of a huge shock!

    "Fuck!" Gabrie instantly threw Lucy''s phone away. Good thing itnded on the singer''s bed because the intensity of her throw should break the gadget immediately if it hit the floor.

    What the heck was that?

    Was it just her hallucination?

    Because really¡­.

    How the heck did Primo "El Tigre" Umbresio looked very much like the man she f*ck just days ago?

 Chapter 86 - Serafina

    "Gabbie, what''s wrong?" Her two friends gave her a stare and although it meant nothing, for the Monteria heiress, it felt like they were both nning against her back. She was not the woman, El Tigre was in a rtionship right?

    "No¡­...nothing¡­" Her voice was shaking as she flushed a fake smile at the two. "I just remember I have to make a call..so I''ll go to my room now¡­.hmmm...you two just cry there okay?....bye!"??

    Gabrie bolted to the door, went to her bedroom immediately and locked the door. She then leaned her back on it and heaved a very deep sigh. What the heck is happening?

    Still in denial of what she just saw, she took herptop and searched for Primo Umbresio and reality hit her hard. On the web were pictures of the man whom she just secretly met a few days ago and all of his life achievements. There were so many articles and news about him that Gabrie''s mind felt like it was turning, overwhelmed by the truth and of all the information of the man.

    "So he really is the nation''s husband, Primo Umbresio!" Gabrie hissed. There''s no more doubt to it, all the pictures that flooded the tore all the indenials she had. So that man was so fucking popr and a soldier?

    Damn! Now that exins why he had such an appetite!

    Reminiscing the night they were together, Gabrie remembered how he had such a big firm body and all this time she thought that was because he was a gym body. Turned out he was a soldier and so that exins why everything about him was hard. But...but¡­.how could a man that has a built like Samson looked so fucking handsome?

    Primo "El Tigre" Umbresio.

    So that was his name. Even when she wanted to forget it and nned to forget about him totally, fate has found its way to make her somehow know. God! That man was so popr and yet she didn''t even recognize him!

    So as it looked like, Primo had updated his social site, announcing to everyone that he already has a woman. There was something inside her that wanted to hate the man, for how he im to be then officiallymitted when he just sneaked past behind whoever his woman was and have a sex escapade with her. Does she even know?

    Surely, she wasn''t the woman he was talking about because aside from she had not contacted him any longer¡ªthey did not aslo talk about having a serious rtionship worthy of announcing to the whole country. Right?

    She wanted to believe such a proposition, there was simply no reason why she would not. Out of all that happened to her a few days ago, there was nothing more real than the fact that she was NOT the woman El Tigre was talking about. That''s just absurd!

    However, even when she was certain she wasn''t, she still felt strange and definitely terrible especially when two of El Tigre''s avid fans were living with her and they swore to kill the woman who had broken their hearts.

    ***

    The next morning, Lucy arrived at Starlight Entertainment all dressed in ck. She had worn no other shade than the color of mourning¡ªhead down to toes and even on her face there was a little veil, the one those celebrities in thete 80''s wore. Together with such an eye-catching outfit, she too was carrying in her right hand a beautiful doll, Serafina, whose dress and make up suits the singer''s theme for the day.

    Lucy''s fans and admirers of course immediately took notice of it and they all know she was wearing that because justst night, the El Tigre announced that he was already taken. Singer Lucy had openly expressed in the media and fans long before that El Tigre was her ultimate crush and so with the recent shocking update, they all wished to get her thoughts about it only to see her wearing a mourning ssy outfit the very next day.

    "Singer Lucy, can you exin to us why you came in that outfit today?" One reporter came to ask.

    "You might have guessed how my heart was feeling right now with the news of El Tigre having a woman," Lucy sniffed a cry on national television looking absolutely ssy. Her outfit that day, immediately became the nation''s hit and topic next to El Tigre''s rtionship update. "I am wearing this to mourn for the our love that never get to realize,"

    "Oh my singer Lucy you are trending again," The reporter told her admiringly. When pictures of singer Lucy were posted in a popr site, many fans of El Tigre imitated her, even socialites and celebrities alike. This was not the first time though, as Lucy had always been a trendsetter and right then, she just proves that she remains the trendsetter queen.

    "Of course because my outfit today shows that even when you are broken-hearted, you still are beautiful," She said and posed, giving every photographer a good angle of her. "This is what we call self love, hashtag Brokenheartedgoddess,"

    "Singer Lucy, many had been asking about the doll you are with," The reporter asked as many had been interested in it. The doll, like Lucy, was wearing mourning clothes and yet, she too was ssy and beautiful. ''They are all interested in it.

    "Oh this is Serapina, myfort doll," Lucy stated. Truth was, Gabrie dropped the dollst night in her room and it was the beautiful doll that gave Lucy the idea to wear mourning clothes the next day. She just wanted to look like a doll, still beautiful despite her broken heart. She knew very well that Gabrie owned it and that her name was Serafina.

    "She''s the inspiration for my outfit today," Lucy narrated. "Last night, when I learned about El Tigre''s rtionship status, I got so heartbroken and when I looked at the mirror and saw my tearjerker face, I felt more horrible. Serafina, then made me realize that you still have to be beautiful and ssy despite such a broken heart,"

    "Wow Serafina seemed to symbolize self love despite a downfall," The reporter wrapped up.

    "Indeed she is," Lucy smiled bitterly and gave Serafina a pat. "If you are all asking where I bought her and who made her outfit, a friend of mine owned Serafina and she was the one who made her outfit. She''s the real broken hearted goddess,"

    After Lucy''s interview, many hashtags all rted to Lucy''s mourning dress outfit that day went viral. Even Serafina had be so popr and the #brokenheartedgoddess became a hit trend that day.

    At Lucy''s penthouse

    "Look at her, she stole my doll and put up a good drama today," Gabrie watched Lucy on the kitchen''s television while Simione was cooking something. "Aish. Singer Lucy is such a drama queen,"

    "Don''t you love it? Serafina became instantly famous," Simione took notice. She knew the moment Lucy left the penthouse that today''s entertainment industry will have a huge uproar because of her. Lucy had always been like that, she loved everything outrageous and scandalous. Most of all she loves being famous and being such a drama queen was her style.

    "Oh yeah, I checked instagram and Serafina already has fake ounts made by fans," Gabrie noted. "The marketce app was also full of people asking around where to buy Serafina,"

    "Well you know what, why don''t you just create a legit ount for Serafina," Simione suggested. Since Serafina was part of Gabrie''s collection, she assumed that she must be hard to find in the market and might be an antique as Gabrie had such a tastes of unique dolls, "Since you don''t have anything to do these days why don''t you just show off your collections of dolls and dresses you made for them,"

    "I''ll think about it," Gabrie shrugged and opted to change the channel of the television because Lucy on the screen was bing over-dramatic. She pressed the button to change it from channel to channel until shended on a sh report that immediately caught her eye.

    "sh Report: Han''s Scintiit already released the date of Hawk Monsanto and Feather Han''s wedding. The said ceremony as per Han''s Scintiit representative will take ce at the 23rd of October this year,"

    Simione, who was then cooking, halted it and turned to the television with a dim expression. For the past few days, she took a break from their Feather Project to catch up with her assignment and readings inw school. Thest time she checked, the ballerina bitch and the M Conglomerate''s president left Mondrew City prematurely. She didn''t really know the reason why they had cut off their well nned vacation but she suspected it might have something to do with her pestering them around.

    She even went thinking they had a huge fight that''s why they left early but the news right then rendered her assumption false as it turned out, the two, even when she managed to get between their pre-honeymoon vacation was all working fine and even continued their shameless engagement and now, out of nowhere, a wedding date was announced.

    "Sisi," Gabrie turned to Simione, "It looks like Feather the bitch had managed to fix things out,"

    "Then she''ll regret it," Simione swore and balled her fist.

 Chapter 87 - Imperial Hospital

    The very next day, Simione watched through a car''s window the clouds that looked like puff of little joys, moving slowly in the clear blue sky. She had woken up earlier than usual, cooked some food and before the clock hits ten, she went off and took a cab around the city.

    The cab stopped in front of Imperial Hospital, one of the several good hospitals around the city that had good service. Soon, she was walking down the white painted halls and stopped in one of the private rooms there. ??

    "Simione," A woman in her mid fifties weed the girl with a gentle smile on her face. She had been expecting her and so she immediately stood and gave Simione a meaningful hug. She was grandfather William''s wife, Silicia Tang and the woman who all these years acted as Simione''s mother.

    "How are you here?" Simione asked immediately knowing that it was just recently that they settled in that hospital. She politely squeezed herself out of the old woman''s arms and strode toward the table nearby to put the boxes of food she brought with her.

    "We are good," Silicia then turned sideways to give way to the view of a young man, lying idly on bed. He had natural blonde hair, a pointy nose and a calmed face¡ªprobably brought by the fact that he had been sleeping on bed for months and had not woken up since the ident that caused him to beatose.

    The man was Lyndon Tang, Simione''s foster brother and once, he had been her world. For many years, she had loved him, more than a brother and the memory of their past warm love still haunts the woman until these days.

    She had loved him even before she could remember as most of her childhood memory revolved around admiring Lyndon from the sidelines as a friend and when she was big enough to give her heart, she gave it all to him, fully, without reservations that when they broke up, her world fell apart. Hard.

    "Thank you Simione," Madam Silicia took her hand and expressed her great thanks. These days, there was no one she could rely on but her and although she was already ashamed of dragging her to their family predicaments, she simply had no choice.

    "Grandmother, you don''t really need to keep thanking me," She looked into her eyes with full assurance that no matter what, she will always and always have her support. "If not for you guys I would never be here so I''m just happy that these days, I can finally give back, although I can only do a little,"

    "What little are you talking about?" The old woman rebutted her humble ims. "You had constantly found ways to make sure your grandfather could get out of prison and now, you have brought Lyndon back here. I know for a fact that this hospital is expensive and yet you shoulder all the bills without hesitation,"

    Few months ago, after Lyndon''s surgery, he was kicked out of Imperial hospital because the Tang''s could not anymore afford the fees. He was then taken to a government funded hospital whose services were somewhat substandard. Simione could do nothing then as she cannot afford to shoulder the Tang''s debt in Imperial hospital and even though she had a good health card from herpany, she cannot enroll Lyndon under its services because he was not her legal brother. Besides, aside from hospital bills, the Tangs had other expenses and other bills that add up to her burden.

    However, because of the money she received from Hawk, she was able to pay in full the Tang''s debt in Imperial hospital and so she requested that her foster brother be transferred back there and receive the proper care he needed.

    "This is too littlepared to what you did for me," Simione expressed. "Don''t think about it anymore grandmother. The heavens were good to us after all,"

    "Simione, it makes me feel guilty knowing that you are shouldering everything," Madam Silicia felt useless. If only not because she needed to care for Lyncon''s well being, she could have found a job to help the girl with all the bills. "If only I can find a job in this age of mine,"

    "Grandmother, brother Lyndon needs you here," She brushed off her ns then. Madam Silicia was too old already to find a job and besides, she cannot just watch her tire herself of with work when the Tang''s predicament had exhausted her fully already. "Just stay here and worry about Lyndon. Don''t worry about anything anymore, especially anything rted to money, I got it,"

    "Simione my little one, I hope you are not tiring yourself with work" The old woman''s worry turned to Simione then. She cupped her face and looked at her fully, trying to see if she had been always upte. She had heard of Simione going tow school and working in one of the goodpanies in the city and she could never be more proud. "You looked pale and thin, had you been eating well?"

    "Of course I am a grandmother. Just ignore the dark circles in my eyes, I had to double time reading for the past week because of school," She lied when the truth was it was Hawk that had been keeping her upte. She really doesn''t know why but herplicated rtionship with the M Conglomerate''s president was stressing her out more than the problems of the Tangs.

    Soon, after a few more conversations about school and grandfather William''s case, Simione was left in the room with Lyndon alone. She sent the old woman off so she can have time to take some break. Grandmother Silicia was always anxious to leave Lyndon alone and so only when Simione was around did she leave to attend to some other important things.

    "Brother Don, how are you here?" Simione sat beside Lyndon''s bed and caressed his head. In her hand was one of his favorite books that she just read to him recently. She got tired of reading and just opted to spend the rest of her time talking to heratosed brother. "It must be hard for you to be this way knowing how great of an adventurer you are,"

    Right then she had recalled how her brother loved adrenaline rush and how he loves going around making adventures. When they were young, he used to take her to great camping trips and with him she had experienced daring sports like bungee jumping and skydiving.

    "You might have not noticed this but after that day¡­" Simione''s memory brought her to one of the painful memories she ever had but before she could sumb back to it and hurt herself, she dismissed it outright, "After I left home¡­. You nevere home to the Tang''s mansion as you usually do and you spent most of your summers abroad..I used to call the kitchen maids to check on you hoping you hade home¡­"

    Simione confessed then. When she left the Tangs, it had been a huge emotional battle and although she had buried their love down the grave, she had missed him a lot. He was her usualpanion previously and being away from him after all of those years, felt like she had entered a frozen grave. Each night ended with tears, what ifs and wishful thinkings. She was just d then that after those years of emotional turmoil, she was able to get by. She did get by, right?

    "...you nevere home anymore. Grandfather and grandmother used to call me then, saying how they missed you, how they missed us," Simione held a sigh recalling the past. Bothered and bing too emotional, she stood and went to a nearby window and blew everything in her heart out. Exhale, inhale. She did that breathing routine for minutes, hoping it would ease the pain that managed to crept back into her heart. She had long been okay and she will always be okay.

    Soon her phone rang and she picked it out right away. It was Lucy on the line and she knew why the singer had called.

    "The bitch had been enjoying her time off doing some wedding shopping," Lucy announced straightaway. She already heard about the wedding date as it took of her #hearbrokengoddess off the number one of most shared hashtag that day. She felt annoyed then and vowed she''s going to get back at Feather for stealing her limelight.

    "So?" Simione answered calmly although in her mind, she had already imagined a thousand ways on how she''d ravage both Hawk and Feather mercilessly.

    "I got a copy of her shopping itinerary," Lucy''s lips curved into a vicious smile. "Wanna go shopping for weddings too?"

    "I''d love to," Simione replied without hesitation and their conversation went, all fixated on their shopping ns. When Lucy hung up, almost half an hour had passed and Simione immediately turned to Lyndon, her eyes full of hatred and resentment. She walked toward her brother again, caressed his smooth silky blond hair and gave him a kiss on the head.

    From Lyndon''s head, Simione''s lips travelled down his ears.

    "It''s good brother that you are sleeping these days," She whispered. "Or the news will give you more heartbreak than I had,

 Chapter 88 - Wedding Date

    Mauro Han drove past a street full of nothing but big lushful trees. The street was neat, and the sidelines were obviously being cleaned up regrly making it known that he wasn''t traversing an ordinary street but a street meant only for richest of the rich can explore. He was inside Golden Heights, a high scale estate in Metropolis where glorious vis, chateaus and mansions owned by top rich families were nesting. He was there to see Hawk and the car that he was in right then was bound to stop at El Cielo Chateau, thetter''s residence.

    When he arrived, he was amazed to see the grandeur that stood before him. El Cielo Chateau was a marvelous sight and although Mauro Han was used to luxury, he cannot help and admire it.??

    ''Indeed, the Monsanto''s were extremely rich,''

    Mauro thought and imagined the bright future that was waiting for them if Feathernds in this house and be the Madam of the Monsanto''s.

    "Mr. Han, this way please," As soon as he stepped out of the car, a butler came to weed him and guide him his way. "President Hawk is waiting in the stables,"

    Hawk''s property in Golden Heights was big and to make use of the property, he built a stable for his horses so he can do horse-riding any time he wanted.

    As Mauro walked behind the butler, he was trying to weave a good story in order to rify, or rather cover up his misdeeds to Hawk. Just few days ago, he had released a statement, giving a date for the wedding that was not agreed upon. He thought that since Hawk desperately wanted to marry Feather, he wouldn''t mind his intervention but just after few hours, his associate reported that M Conglomerate refused toment on Han''s Scintiits announcement and when he tried to contact Hawk, he didn''t answer back.

    He was afraid then that his ns and ventures might be put off as Hawk seemed to have been offended in his actions specially too that since there was already a wedding date, and if he was indeed as vicious as Mauro though him to be, then he can just dishonor their agreement since he had already what he wanted with him. Anxious like her daughter, he desperately find ways to connect to him but failed to speak to him for the past few days. Good thing Lucas amodated him today and found a way to get him in touch with Hawk.

    Soon, the view of stables and a fencedrge horse'' pen appeared before him and there in front of the fence was Hawk, caressing a ck horse that resonates his aura.

    "President Hawk," He greeted.

    "CEO Han," Hawk returned his curtsy.

    "Thank you for amodating me today," Mauro expressed his gratitude when inside his heart, he wasn''t really grateful but severely troubled and annoyed on how things were running.

    Feather had told them that there was threat to her and Hawk''s rtionship, but he didn''t think it was real as Feather had this habit of exaggerating things. However, when he himself experienced Hawk''s coldness, he immediately understood why Feather was scared to hell. Something indeed had change in him that he felt like the tables have turned now. Previously he was the one obsessed with Feather and yet right now, Feather was the one who refused to let him go.

    "I understand that we have to talk," Hawk started and walked slowly, allowing Mauro to join. They strode quietly for a while until the edge of the pen where a horse ready to be mounted was waiting with a stable master.

    Hawk without hesitation, mounted the first horsefortably, expecting Mauro to do the same. He thought horse riding was a perfect past time to do while they talked about all the things between their families and of course Feather. However, minutes had passed, and Mauro only gave him a scrutinizing look.

    "Join me in the ride, CEO Han. I know you like horse riding pretty well and so I had the stable master prepared a horse for you,"

    Mauro Han was surprised. Immediately he stepped back and waved his two hands in front of him to refute Hawk''s ims, "President Hawk, I don''t know where you have heard of such a story but I don''t know how to ride a horse."

    His denial suddenly took Hawk, surprised. With brows raised, he casted him a protruding look. "You don''t know how to ride a horse?"

    His answer came as a bother to Hawk. He had seen him many times when he was young, riding a horse. In fact, the very first time he had met him was the time when he came riding in a horse during one of the festivals in Somerset vige. Cat, his fuzzy cat, used to wait for him in wheel where he usually tied his horse safety while they go around the vige, eating and enjoying simple things with his daughter.

    Was he lying then?

    If he was, then for what reason would he lie about his horse-riding skills?

    Mauro Han, saw the indifference in Hawk''s eyes but could not understand why. Was he mad because he did not know how to ride a horse? Would Hawk take such a petty thing against him and treat it as a form of disrespect.

    "I am sorry assuming such a thing," Hawk dismissed the conversation outright specially when he noticed that his future father-inw have be ufortable with it. With gantry and grace, he dismounted from the horse and let the stable master bring the horses back to their pen.

    "No worries President Hawk," Mauro Han brushed it off. "Besides, I don''t really n on lingering longer. I just want to express my apologies because we announced a wedding date without your express consent. I wish that you would listen to my cause before you took it as an offensive cause,"

    "Speak," Hawk gave him a permission to exin. Indeed, he was mad to hell when he learned that Han''s Scintiit already gave a date without even informing him, like such a wedding do not need a consent of both parties. Also, he was then upset that Feather had to cut off their vacation shortly even when he protested and he the unconsented released of the date only aggravated his ill feelings.

    "When you and Feather came back from Mondrew City, my daughter kneeled in my study for hours asking me to announce a wedding date," Mauro narrated, "She was crying and we couldn''tfort her,"

    The news sponsored another shock on Hawk''s face and in a moment, it turned into a worry. Feather indeed acted strangely when they were in Mondrew City and because he got a bit upset that she had cancelled the vacation, he did not give her much of an attention. He didn''t even talk to her for day and hearing how she kneeled for hours causing her father to announce a wedding date right away¡ªsomething serious might have happened.

    "Why would she?" Hawk only managed to ask a short query afraid of the answer.

    "She said that he had met your mistress," Mauro Han went all the way. "Forgive me President Hawk, I know it might just be a little misunderstanding and that this mistress probably just something she made up to cover up her insecurities but she really had been in an thorough emotional struggle because of it for days because you might have not known this but she was already invested so much feeling in you,"

    "I tried to talk to her and told her that I needed your consent first before I can announced a wedding engagement but she didn''t want me to do it because she was very afraid that your other woman had already manage to take her ce and that the wedding will be cancelled. To prove that she wrong with all of this, I announced the wedding outright and God knows how she had been well after that,"

    There were many things that Mauro had said that time but only few stuck in Hawk''s heart. Feather knew he had a mistress and that it was the reason why she was in a deep emotional turmoil these days. God what have he done?

    A full thunder of self-guilt rushed into Hawk''s heart that for once, his feeling got mixed up again and it became moreplicated that it had been. For Hawk, there was slight no reason for him to believe that Feather was fake and so his feelings and his devotion for his fuzzy Cat remained with her.

    Every time Feather got hurt, a scene of a young headstrong vige girl shed in his mind and his instinct immediately calls for a need inside him to get up, hug andfort her.

    Knowing then that he was the very reason of her pain, Hawk could only curse and chide himself for being such a greedy selfish jerk who couldn''t control his lust. However, deep inside him, he knew what he had for his mystery woman was a more than lust because he was not the type that could arouse without devotion.

    "I''ll go and talk to her," Hawk concluded, hoping that for once his heart and mind could be one. He needed to settle this matter right away and knowing that it was his fuzzy cat¡ªFeather¡ªwhom he promised all his love and devotion, it was only responsible to day he was the choice he had to pursue. "I''m okay with the wedding date,"

    Hawk''s words cleared off all of Mauro Han''s anxiousness that when he left his house, he immediately went off to casino to feed of his dirty habits. He had nothing to worry anymore specially that his ns of being Hawk Monsanto''s future father-inw was going to happen soon.

 Chapter 89 - Breathless

    Feather was frantic that day. She was about to shop for a wedding dress and as a tradition, Hawk had to be there to see how his bride was. Early in the morning they drove past the city into a morous fashion house that specializes in wedding gowns. Feather then was with Hawk, and Ami and Lucas tailed on them as usual.

    When they reached the fashion house, many came to greet them and lead them into a private room that had been prepared for them. Inside that room was a sofa that served as a nesting for the guest but most especially, this was meant for the groom who will be catered there as he awaits his bride to be. In front of the table was a big curtain where the store''s staff members prepared for VIP clients. There the bride will be prepared for her final look and be hidden from his groom until she is ready.??

    "We are pleased to have you in our presence, President Hawk, Miss Han," The staff bowed to them and carefully prepared a wine for them to drink. Lucas as always didn''t want to spend all his day watching the lovers so he went outside and waited at the reception area.

    As soon as Hawk sat on the sofa, Feather was then guided to another room where she was to choose the gown she wanted. Ami apanied her and so Hawk was left all alone in that room waiting so patiently.

    In the other room where Feather was brought, she was amazed to see the mour that awaited her. In front of her and Ami were beautiful wedding gowns all in white and shining crystals and diamonds. For a moment they stood there as if all those shining things paused all their rationality.

    "Miss Han, we''ve chosen ahead a couple of wedding gowns rmended by our stylists," One staff member revealed. "We have a team of best designers and they carefully assessed all these gowns. They wanted to rmended these dresses for you as they thought it will suit you well,"

    "Are these the most expensive ones?" Ami raised a brow at it, feeling offended that they had chosen without even asking Feather first if she liked it.

    Truth was the rmendation made by the store was part of their service. As it was one of the best shops that sells wedding gowns, they knew that some of the elites don''t have time to choose for themselves so they hired a team of designers to rmend something to the bride. This was only to give her an idea of what she wanted and if she rejects those that had been rmended, at least she had now a basis of what style she would prefer and would work for her.

    "All of our gowns are expensive Miss," The staff answered, "I assure of it is the best of quality,"

    "No I was asking if this was the most expensive one," Ami pressed further and Feather at her back also looked at the staff in gaze that was rather telling she was annoyed.

    "Some of them were the top of the line. It means they had the top prices," The staff who was well trained not to offend clients exined further, "Some were made by the best designers in the city who thinks Miss Han''s beauty was already morous and rmended a simpler gown,"

    Hearing it, Feather was a bit pleased. Her face rxed at the ttery but wasn''t at all convinced that she needed a simple gown.

    "Just rmend to me those that are top of the line," Feather instructed. "I will be married to Hawk Monsanto, it will be big offense if I wear something simple on our wedding,"

    "Yes Miss," The staff obeyed and cued all thedies that were in her back to take off the gown that wasn''t on the top of the line. Only three gowns remained from the ten that were prepared. Feather then scrutinized which one she liked.

    "Let me try them all," Feather said and immediately all the staff helped her dress up. A makeup artist also came and redo her makeup to match up the gowns, as well as a hairstylist.

    "Urg, this is heavy. Let me try the other,"

    "This doesn have much of diamonds!"

    "I don''t like this, it''s too conservative. I want something that is a bit sexy,"

    When the three gowns didn''t suit her tastes, the staff members pulled more gowns for her pleasure.

    "I don''t like thece in this one,"

    "God! Don''t you have anything that''s nice?"

    As the time advanced, Feather grew more impatient with the dresses she tried on. She can''t really decide what she wanted and since she refused the earlier rmendations of the designers, the staff didn''t rmend anymore. They just let her have what she wanted, anyways, the longer the couple will stay in the store, the more their pay will be.

    ***

    Hawk waited for hours but there seemed to be no improvement. He wondered then if Feather had chosen already or it was just the preparation that had caused more dy. The worst thing was that Lucas refused to apany him and so he was already boring himself out. He wanted to leave and take a stroll but he didn''t want to miss Feather when she''s done.

    "Do you need something, President Hawk?" One staff member went to check on him and got worried because apart from all their VIP clients that day, it was him who had been waiting for a long time.

    "How''s Feather?" He asked, curious and almost wanting to ask how many hours it will take more.

    "Miss Han is taking a long time to prepare, President. She wanted to be perfect for you today," The staff member put a good word for Feather as they always do. However deep inside she was utterly cursing the ballerina for giving her colleagues a hard time then. She didn''t know why but that Feather seemed to be so obsessed with all shining things she even demanded a makeup that glitters. What does she think of herself, a Christmas tree?

    "Don''t worry President, she is well taken care of," The woman assured him and poured him another ss of his wine before she went off to see how everything was going with the ballerina.

    As soon as she entered the room where Feather was, she almostughed. Good thing she was trained enough that she was able to control it. She looked at her colleagues who only gave her a meaningful look, almost rolling their eyes.

    "My hair should have a diamond tiara," Feather demanded. She was not even finished choosing a dress yet she was already thinking about other things. "Also my ears, I want an earring full of diamonds,"

    "Right Miss Han, I think that really looks good on you," Ami cheered on her and immediately turned to the staff. "You have all that she needed right? Bring her right away the things she demanded,"

    "Yes miss," One staff member obeyed and left the room with thorough joy. s! She can finally have her break. She''lle backter, probably when they are close to the finish line.

    "I looked so skinny in this dress, my God!" Feather almost screamed. However despite her tantrums, the staff remained calm and professional as they were all ustomed to such an attitude. However they had to admit, Feather was the worst. It was rather ironic how she looked innocent and gentle whenever she danced because her attitude was very far from what the stage and the media portrayed her.

    "Miss Han, how about you choose a dress close to the thing you like," The staff who just recently entered approached and suggested. "We can start on that then we can have the designers alter to your dream wedding dress,"

    "Is that possible?" Feather raised a brow, unaware that there was such a thing.

    "Yes, anything for you Miss Han," She replied politely. "However, since we can''t alter the wedding gown right away, I''m afraid whatever you choose right now will be the dress we are going to show President Hawk. But don''t worry as soon as we finish with the dress you like, then we''ll schedule another appointment for you here,"

    "I think I''m good with that," Feather herself was exhausted so she just settled with what the bright staff rmended. She then turned to a previous dress she liked because it entuates her curves very well, "I want that. However I want the designers to fill it with expensive crystals, something that will looked it more expensive,"

    "Yes Miss, I''ll take it that request," She answered and turned to her colleagues with a satisfied smile, "Go and prepare Miss Han with that dress, President Hawk will see her in few minutes,"

    ***

    Finally after hours and hours of waiting, someone informed Hawk that her bride will be there in a few minutes. He straightened himself up and prepared for her and soon enough, he could already tell that someone was moving from behind the curtain in front of him.

    "President Hawk, thank you for patiently waiting," Someone announced from behind the curtain. "Let me give a glimpse of what your wife will look like on your wedding day,"

    Right when it was announced, the curtain flew open and Hawk''s was transfixed on the spot. Breathless.

 Chapter 90 - Dominates

    When the curtain flew open, a woman wearing the most beautiful white wedding gown Hawk had ever seen appeared. She was covered in a veil but right through it, Hawk could see her honey-colored eyes. For a moment he was amazed by how her estranged fiance suddenly became the woman in his dreams, the woman he longed to have waited for many years. Her aura then reminds him of some old feelings¡ªthe one you feel in Somerset vige whenever the rain stops and the sun decides to finally show up and give everyone some warmth. It felt refreshing, vibrant and peaceful.

    However, just a second of staring and Hawk''s confidence faltered. There was something in the bride''s eyes that made him shiver for a moment. ??

    No, that wasn''t Feather.

    Feather''s eyes were full of innocence and sweetness and she smiled at him like he was her everything. But the woman in front of him right then was different, her eyes were deep and full of pride and her smile, cunningly beautiful!

    She smiled at him like he owed her a pocket of full gold and that the price for stealing it wouldn''te as easy as returning the money.

    Hawk was confused. Upon realization that the one in front of her wasn''t Feather, he looked around and realized there was nothing in the room but him and the woman. It was like time froze and that at that very moment they were the only thing that was significant in the world.

    "Did you not like what you see?" The woman asked and pulled her veiled up so that Hawk Monsanto could finally see all of her. It was Simione. She looked at him sarcastically and Hawk swallowed a big lump in his throat knowing that she brought hell with her.

    "Cat¡­" He said her name helplessly.

    "Oh so you do remember me," Simione raised a brow at him. "I thought since you are soon to be a fullymitted man, you had forgotten the kitten you raised at the back of your fiancee,"

    She was mad and Hawk knew that. They looked at each other as Hawk tried to find something to pacify the girl while Simione was ready to eat him alive.

    Simione thought how could Hawk do such a thing at this moment? However she understood long before that Hawk Monsanto wasn''t a reliable man and that nothing, not his words and his actions, were something you can rely on.

    "Cat...I don''t know how to say this but," Hawk was trying all his best to resist her. When he knew what happened to Feather and how she kneeled to fight for their love, some sense went into Hawk. What he was doing behind Feather''s back wasn''t something she deserved and certainly not something he wished for her.

    Cat however was someone he just met and the very first time he met her, she already knew he had a lover and so he didn''t understand then why Cat was furious and why he cared about her feelings. Probably more than she ever cared about it.

    "I don''t know how to say this...but I have long decided to marry Feather," He tried to put on a face, even though his heart was breaking inside. For him, his feelings and wants do not anymore matter, what mattered for him was that Feather¡ªhis fuzzy Cat and the woman he had long waited for. She was then crying and suffering because of his rendezvous with Cat. He couldn''t keep it happening especially when Feather was trying to act as if she wasn''t hurting in front of him.

    "You know this from the start," He added.

    "Of course I know Hawk Monsanto," Simione knew then that despite all her efforts with him, he still chose Feather and that makes her more mad.

    She then smiled as if they were not arguing and Hawk''s inside twisted, immediately regretting he had said those words to her. It was like, Cat didn''t care and that he was the one who''s going to lose in the battle he started.

    "I know you are getting married and since the start, I didn''t expect much from you. So I don''t know why you are exining," Simione lied and then turned to the full size mirror to look at her beautiful face.

    Lucy said she was the most beautiful woman she had seen in a wedding gown and she only hoped Hawk Monsanto could agree, but guess he was not. She certainly didn''t expect him to mention Feather in their conversation right now as she didn''t remember a time that he did. Perhaps he was really serious this time and that he was determined to get rid of her. Unfortunately, she''s not the type who gives up that easily.

    "Did you think I came here for you?" She added the question.

    "So you are not?" Hawk''s pride fell at that. He was all feeling ttered knowing that she had gone so jealous about the wedding date that she went desperately to see him and even went as far as dressing up for him. "So what is this? Another coincidence?"

    "I don''t know... perhaps...who cares?" Simione answered, still looking at herself in the mirror, refusing to give Hawk an audience. "All I know is that my fiance brought me here for some wedding dresses and¡­." That''s the time she turned to look at him. "...And you are stealing his seat,"

    "Your fiance?" Hawk''s expression darkened at what he heard. Did she just say he got a fiance and that she was here to try out wedding dresses too?

    "Uh-hu," Cat gave her a slight nod and turned back to the mirror to watch her herself. Her face grimaced then as if she was not thoroughly satisfied with how she looked so she called for some staff members.

    "Hey, can you curl my eyess a bit, for some reason they''re so disobedient today," She asked gently to the person who came.

    "Yes Miss I can," the staff member replied who immediately proceeded to curl hershes more.

    "And can you check please if the buttons at my back were sealed. I don''t want them to fall down in front of my fiancee. I want everything to be so perfect," Cat continued, ignoring Hawk''s clenching fist. At the corner of her eyes he watched his expression turn hard, almost ready to grope someone.

    "And Miss, can you also escort that man to his room?I think he was lost or something. My fiance will be here any second and I don''t want him to see any man looking at me," She hid a grin when she said that. "He''s kind of possessive,"

    "Sir, do you know what your room number is?" The girl who assisted Simione turned to ask Hawk, as if he was indeed the intruder of the room they were in.

    "This is the room where your staff brought me and even my fiancee was here earlier," He defended, already annoyed by what was happening. "Look they even served me wine,"

    "I''m sorry sir. I''ll go and verify everything. Please stay here for a while as I look unto it," The girl bowed before she left.

    Simione then took over the curling of her brow that in a moment, she missed what Hawk was doing. The moment the staff left, the man however, paced the room toward Simione, grabbed the girl and pressed her into the wall.

    "Who is the man you are marrying?" He asked, mad as hell, that Simione instantly believe if she''ll give him a name, that person might end up dead the next morning.

    "Why do you care?" Simione pushed him off, as if she wasn''t expecting such an action from him when deep inside she knew and anticipated he would. For when was the time he was able to refuse her? There certainly was none! "Let go of me, I don''t want my fiance to see you. He might think we had something,"

    "But we have something," Hawk wasn''t backing off. Whoever that man was, he just hoped he knew whom he was messing with. Immediately, all his concerns about Feather''s hurt went away, toppled by his anger and fear that his mystery woman was owned by someone else. "You are my woman. How dare any many a im on you!"

    "I am NOT YOUR WOMAN!" She spat at his face giving him the same intensity as he did, or probably more because Hawk almost backed off at the angry expression that went on her face. "You just made that clear to me few minutes ago when you said¡ª"

    The intense argument halted with a frigid kiss. Hawk captured Simone''s lips and owned it like it was all his. He dug his tongue into her but the girl wasn''t very willing to take him in. Instead, Simione bit him. Hard. So hard that in a moment Hawk''s lips bleed.

    "Ahg," he pulled his lips away and tasted his own blood, eyes fixated at Simione. The anger in her eyes brought not anger, nor annoyance to him but rather a carnal urge. Seeing Simione so mad aroused him, and that even when she was refusing it, he rammed his mouth back to hers and let her taste his bleeding lips.

    The second time around, Simione unexpectedly let him in. However when he thought she had surrendered to him then, the girl instead took the lead that in the moment, they battled on who dominates the kiss.

 Chapter 91 - Intricate

    The forbidden kiss they willfully both tasted was like an apple in the tree of life. It made them very aware of the sins they bothmitted. However such tasted good, addicting and for a moment of selfish desires, they just wanted to have each other, free from all responsibilities, fiancee''s and both their past.

    Hawk could taste Simione''s anger while thetter tasted the M Conglomerate''s hesitation. There was still doubt in him. How could he not hesitate when he knew deeply that the pleasure he was having right then was at Feather''s expense???

    Simione felt that Hawk''s was about to withdraw the kiss and so she distracted him, in some ways she was taught. She sped her two arms around his neck, pressing him to her and arched her back to let him know he was well pleasing her. Her mentor taught her that men love to give their women pleasure as it gives them pride and so she didn''t withhold herself and let her pleasures be known to him.

    Hawk groaned hard as the girl moved her body, seemingly dancing to the tune that matches the routine of their tongues, intertwined together for their kiss. Right away, an intense desire rose above all his doubts that his priority went from Feather down to satisfying his selfish needs. Instantly, he lifted Simione up, his right arm around her waist while the other was guiding one of her legs to wrap around him. Luckily, despite the fact that the wedding dress she was wearing was a ball gown, it didn''t be a hindrance for Hawk.

    When finally Simione''s legs were at the ce he wanted, around his hips, he then supported the girl by hugging her tight in, specifically making a press in the part of her waist so that her center can feel his hardness. He thought by this time he had won and took full control of their sinful deeds but man, he was so wrong! Because Simione, when she realized that Hawk was teasing her, arched her body so that her center was then squeezing Hawk''s manhood in between, brushed off and in, that in a moment he became uncontrobly hard.

    "Fuck oh, Cat!" Hawk cursed and immediately carried her to the sofa he was previously nesting. There, they both fell on it¡ªHawk sitting on the sofa with legs wide open while Simione on top of him, grinding with their clothes still on.

    "Ah shit, Fuck!" Hawk cursed whatever curse was present in his vocabry.

    "Fuck you!" Simione cussed at him and grind even more and intentionally bit her lips in front of him, making him so aware how she was very much enjoying their unfaithfulness to their lovers¡ªif there was one. In Hawk''s part that might be true, but Simione of course was lying when she said she was there with a fiancee. She just wanted to make him feel how it felt seeing the person you thought was already yours, being stripped away by someone else in front of your face.

    Hawk was sweating already even when he did nothing but just sit there, curse, moan and watch Simione do the job. In the moment he thought, Simione grinding in hisp was the most beautiful feeling he could ever have that morning, but he was wrong, because unfortunately, Simione wasn''t finished yet.

    The girl raised her chin up proud and fixed her eyes to Hawk. She was breathing hard and intentionally slowed down the pace of her grinding, slow but pressed hard down to him that only when they weren''t wearing anything, his hardness should be inside her already, tasting her most intricate part.

    "Ah..Cat," Hawk moaned as her slow grind was giving him more struggle. As if things weren''t hard enough already, under his eyes that were all fired up, Simione undid the buttons of her gown that in a moment, her two beautiful breasts were unting in front of him with nipples fully erected. She wasn''t wearing any bra at all as the gown she was wearing didn''t need one and right then, she thought it was such a good choice.

    Immediately, Hawk reached for her, wanting to touch her delicate breast and y with them but Simione brushed his hands away before he could even touch her skin.

    "No!" Simione smirked. "You can''t have them right now, President Hawk. You are forbidden to touch me,"

    Simione''s announcement sponsored a frustrated groan in him. How could he not touch her? Watching her touching her body on the screen a few days ago was already one hell of a night, what more could be worse then with the circumstance that after so many days, he had finally got a chance to touch and taste them again but he wasn''t allowed to? And the fact that it was only inches away from his hand made it more frustrating.

    "But you can watch me," Simione teased victoriously. The expression in Hawk''s eyes made her so aware she got the upper hand. His eyes desperately wanted it but the girl''s anger with him made her want to punish him so hard that he''ll ever regret why he dared to drag Feather''s name into their conversation.

    Wanting to torment the man, Simione pulled her gown more so that Hawk could see her entire upper body and while looking at him, she bit hard and started ying with her breast in front of him. She imitated how Hawk did it when he first touched her breast in the car during the night Lucy had her do a stripper dance. She moaned at her own touches and Hawk went crazy at the sound of it.

    In just a few minutes, her body turned pink as the pleasure hit her and she was so smoking hot. As she was doing it, Hawk was constantly licking his lips, wanting to savor her. However, she was determined to not give him any that time. How could she when he had not been a good boy.

    "So you like me more naked than seeing me in a wedding gown," Simione bbred while she was still on it, touching and grinding at hisp. Hawk was so helpless he couldn''t even move a muscle, afraid that Cat will be mad again and might end his pleasure right away. "Does it mean, I''m only meant to warm your bed?"

    "No mi amor, you know you are not" His answer made Cat grind tightly on him again and when she did so, he couldn''t help but begged, "Cat please, I can''tst watching you long,"

    "Endure it," Cat brushed off his request without thinking through. She was desperate to remind him she was not the type of woman he can easily throw away "You don''t deserve it today,"

    After that, Simione stood, threw her gownpletely on the floor and what''s left of her was a sexy ckce panty she intentionally wore for that asion. She then, without warning, started ap dance routine for him, swaying and grinding to his pleasure.

    There was no music with the dance she did, but the way she danced was something that needed no music at all¡ªit was already so sensual, raw and very enticing that Hawk in just a few minutes, undid his zipper and let his manhood free from all restraint.It was so hard already, desperate for a release and hiding it off way tucked off in his tightening pants aggravated the pain he had within his stomach. The pain that made him so aware how he very much wanted to touch her then, so bad.

    Surely, Simione did not ever expect Hawk would do such a thing in front of her and for the record, it was the very first time she had seen his flesh manly pride, nor any other men''s pride for that matter. She could feel her face warming up more at the sight of it and even swallowed some saliva in her mouth. Good thing Hawk didn''t see it as he closed his eyes for a moment to swallow some intense pleasure brought by his own hands caressing his manhood.

    "You want a show mi amor, then I''ll have something too," He opened his eyes and challenged her outright. The woman was sure winning their game, but he wasn''t going home without giving it a fight. Right then he was gonna let her know what she was missing too.

    Even when she was trying too hard to keep up a steady face, the view of Hawk''s full erection did make a flush in her face, making her more red. Seeing how she reacted to it, Hawk twisted the end of his lips and thought they were then even.

    "You can''t touch it too," Hawk mimicked her, giving her the taste of her own medicine. He then leaned on the sofafortably with a vicious smile, like a king taking his ce, reminding everyone he was above them all and that he had more pawns hiding in his sleeves.

    However, what he didn''t know was that¡ªif he was the king, Simione was the empress and she had more power over him than he had for himself.

    "If I can''t touch it, then probably I can lick it," Simione''s words ended the game with a checkmate!

 Chapter 92 - Her Anger

    Simione''s proposition took all of Hawk''s rationality and what''s left was the surging need inside him. He wanted to say no outright to keep teasing her but how could he do that at such a crucial moment? He was all turned on that his manhood was seemingly looking for its match but the girl only looked at it and even teased him further by biting her lips and wiped it all wet with her lips. She was a damn hot tempress and very irresistible.

    With eyes staring down at Hawk''s eyes with an intensity that unnerved him, Simione slowly paced the distance between them abruptly and sat herself in one of Hawk''s legs. From his eyes, hers travelled down to what''s standing proudly in between his thighs. Having her so close, he could smell the fragrance of her perfume that reminded him of a red currant mixed with something he couldn''t identify but it definitely smelled wild, sexy and sublime. Even her smell was enough to make him have a release but in a moment, he felt her gentle fingers touching his manhood and the smoothness of her skin against his moistened hardness was so heavenly he couldn''t help but groan hard.??

    "Cat" He pushed her hand away as he couldn''t bear the struggle it was giving him. However, one gentle push wasn''t enough to shoo her away cause just a second after she was back at it and captured his lips that his moans faded into her ravenous kiss. Simione explored his mouth andplimented it to the rhythm she was doing in her hand. She licked and ravished him while her hand was freely exploring his proud pole. She was caressing it gently and circled her finger in its small opening that had been deeply moistened by his sticky pre cum.

    Then, in a moment she broke the kiss and teased him, wildy. "I thought I''m not allowed to touch this?"

    "Only a fool would believe you can be stopped," Hawk said in between his ragged breath. He was so close to orgasm, he could feel it and it made him a bit frustrated with himself knowing that of all the women thatnded on his bed previously, it took him a good amount of sweating and grinding before he could have a good cum and yet with Cat, a single touch almost finished him off. Fuck, he wasn''t even inside her eyet!

    Seeing him struggle satisfied Simione''s anger. Indeed her mentor was right, she can have a man cum with just a little effort. When she was still nning this whole revenge thing, Lucy hired the highest paid prostitute in the city to teach her how to please a man and she taught Simione very well that she has mastered the art of igniting men''s pleasure without the need to open her legs for them.

    "I''m d you know," Simione saidst and started moving her hand on Hawk''s thigh as she formed a hollow on her hand. While she fasted the pace of her hand, her lips took over Hawk''s neck and ravished it, determined to leave all the marks she could for Feather to see.

    Hawk was all caught by surprise and all he could do right then was groan with pleasure as his woman had heavily decided it was her time at that moment. So who was he to stop her? As far as he knew, he was just one of her favorite prey and she could do whatever she wanted. He was basically at his mercy then, or probably long before.

    "Mi amor¡­.mi amor¡­ Oh God! I want you so bad..." He called on her, again and again as his need was almost hitting the edge. He wanted to pull her down and be inside her however it was all toote as he could feel his seed ready to sprout. However before he could, Simione stoppedpletely and left him with a heavy painful groan. As he was at the peak, he managed to have release but the pleasure was cut off leaving him some pain instead of the feel of heaven. Shocked, in pain and unsatisfied, he immediately searched for her eyes to ask why she stopped only to find her honey-colored one''s shooting daggers at him.

    "You want me? And yet you still want to marry that ballerina," She spat at him angrily that he thought she was to grope him next. Luckily she didn''t but her next move only made him more frustrated. So was his little bird that was anticipating all pleasure only to be cut off at thest moment.

    "Cat¡­" Hawk''s voice wasn''t yet steady when he called on her frustratedly, She was all around picking up her gown then proceeded to fix herself.

    "Cat what? You want more? Have your fiance finish it off, I''m sure she''ll be d to take over what I started," Simione answered sarcastically before heading to the exit without forgetting to bang the door hard.

    "Hey¡ªoh fuck!" He wanted to stand and chase her but he was all in pain and his release that unusually was so many, sttered all over his thigh and pants. He was in a position that needed much work before he could chase her and hating such a circumstance only made him pressed the bridge of his nose and shook his head helplessly. In the end, he ended up pulling his hair and screamed so frustratedly that everyone in the dressing room heard it.

    ***

    "Was that Hawk?" Feather definitely heard him. His voice sounded so frustrated and annoyed that she wondered what had happened. She immediately turned to Ami and asked. "What time is it already?"

    "Three o''clock in the afternoon Miss," Ami answered hesitantly. She too heard Hawk and just like everyone else in the room, they all thought he was frustrated because Feather was taking so much time picking up a wedding gown.

    "What time did wee here?" Feather asked again, only then did she realize how annoyed could have Hawk turned while waiting for her for long.

    "Almost ten in the morning Miss," Someone answered for her as Ami didn''t want to tell her.

    Hearing it made Feather swallow a big lump in her throat. Was it that long already? No wonder why Hawk was mad. However it was so hard to pick a dress so she can''t help taking most of her time.

    "Are we done?" she asked the staff who was then helping her off. She had been fully dressed almost an hour ago but she wasn''t at all satisfied by her looks so she let them add more.

    "Yes miss if you have no request to ask more," The staff answered politely although all of them were cursing her already, silently. If they were President Hawk, they too would be so mad as Feather seems to have no sense of time. It was normal for most of their customers to not be able to pick up anything they like for a while, but Feather took so long they almost thought she was going to stay until the next morning.

    "I have no more to add, get me to curtain space," Feather suddenly was in a haste that all the staff almostughed at it.

    "Hold on a moment Miss, there''s something wrong in the back," One staff member tried to dy her then. It was her way to gently get back at her, now that she was desperate to go out, she intentionally slowed her down.

    "Is it done?"

    "No Miss, don''t move yet please or your dress wouldn''te out perfect," The staff lied as she held an inward chuckle, so was every staff member that was there. Feather was already in panic and so she had no time to be annoyed then. Every minute she was there was like a moment wasted in her attempts to save herself from such a shame. How could she forget about the time and go on nagging around. Her rtionship with him wasn''t running good already so she should have acted decently, most of all be mindful of his time, as he certainly had so many things to attend to and that she was being such an inconvenience already.

    "Are we done?"

    "Hmmmm," The staff circled on her slowly, pretending to scrutinize every single detail so as not to miss any mishaps. Such a task took her minutes, that Feather just wanted to run away already.

    "Yes Miss, you are perfect," She replied with a fake smile. Just when she said so, Feather ran toward the curtain space which at the moment was already closed. It looked the same when she left earlier as if nothing happened¡ªlike the whole Simione and Hawk ordeal didn''t happen.

    Feather looked at herself in the big mirror that Simione looked up to earlier and smiled beautifully, holding tight onto the bouquet of flowers that the store provided for her. This finally was the moment and she hoped he wasn''t that annoyed yet to ruin such a promising day.

    "Announce me in.I''m ready," She instructed the staff nearby who gave her a polite nod in response.

    "President Hawk. Your bride is ready," She paused to give the man on the other side a time to get ready for a breathtaking view of his soon to be bride. "This is how she''ll look like at the wedding,"

    The curtain then flew open, revealing the sofa where Hawk sat earlier. The only thing missing was that Hawk wasn''t there.

    All of Feather''s smile faded in an instant.

 Chapter 93 - Fallen Pride

    Hawk''s empty seat made Feather''s eyes tear up and in a moment, sheughed self-deprecatingly at the thought that he left just because she took so long to choose a dress.

    How foolish was she? ??

    For thest few days she thought that somehow she had gained Hawk''s love again by sending her own Father to beg him to be good to his daughter.

    However right then, seeing how he shamefully left her and in this most special time kind of made her lose some self-respect. How far will Hawk make her feel so worthless?

    The bouquet she was holding fell on the ground and Feather, without a word, she went to the sofa and sat there herself frustratedly. If only she had been a little early, perhaps things would be a little different and she would not have experienced this humiliation in front of the store''s staff who all took pity on her right at that moment. They hated her just minutes ago but seeing how she was stood up made them sympathize with her, they were after all just humans.

    "Miss Han, I believe President Hawk must have an emergency," Ami tried to lighten up the mood that sank in depths of chaos. "We all know he wouldn''t just leave if it''s not that important,"

    Feather wasn''t listening then. Her heart was shattered to pieces and it felt like there was no more remedy to Hawk''s treatment of her. How could he be so hard on her now that he had taken his love and devotion already. If only she didn''t love him and all she was after was the wealth he had then she shouldn''t have felt this way, but she loved him already and every rejection he casted on her was a cut right through her heart.

    "Miss Han, please don''t cry," Ami sat beside her tofort the ballerina. Although they couldn''t me Hawk for leaving as it had been so many hours already, they also thought Feather didn''t deserve this. She was just merely overjoyed to the point that she missed the time.

    "Miss Han¡ª"Ami wanted to say something more but she noticed Feather stopped crying and started sniffing on the sofa. She caught an unfamiliar fragrance that she never smelled before, did someonee here and give Hawk apany?

    "Red currant¡­" Feather''s nose recognized it. Already in panic and messed up, she looked at everyone in the room and asked, "Who among you had a perfume made of red currant?"

    Everyone looked at each other and immediately shook their heads no. This made Feather suspect more and so she asked further. "Did someone enter this room without my knowledge?"

    "Miss Han, this room was reserved for President Hawk, only persons that he allows can enter here," One of the staff exined.

    "Then did someone enter while I was busy dressing up?" Feather continued asking and the color of her face became worse to worse until it became frightfully pale at the realization that someone had indeed given Hawk somepany.

    "We sure don''t Miss. We were all there attending to you," the staff members exined although some of them were lying. Of course they knew something happened there but they were all paid to shut up no one was going to give Feather a detailed narrative of it.

    "I need the CCTV camera here," She demanded, head already turning and heart bursting out with so much annoyance. Was she tricked again? Did his mistresse to steal him at one of their most important moments? How long was Hawk going to allow this woman to ruin them both? Does he think he can go away with it just because he was Hawk Monsanto?

    "I''m sorry Miss but only President Hawk can request that," The staff refused. They were in strict protocol and since Hawk was their client, he was the one who had the call for everything. Feather wasn''t married to him yet and so she cannot insist on it.

    "What? She is about to get married to President Hawk and you are denying her this?" Ami''s confrontation raised above everyone''s refusal. She was frustrated on how the staff was treating Feather specially that she knew they were stabbing the ballerina behind her back. She definitely could sense their indignation and mockery.

    "It''s a protocol Miss, we apologize"

    "No! I don''t care what your protocol is, get me the manager now!" Feather was screaming then. She couldn''t control her anger anymore and would just do anything to get what she wanted then. She needed that mistress face! She needed to know who she was and so she could make her pay for what she was doing with her. God! She might just kill her right away and feed her filthy body to the sharks!

    "As I said Miss¡ª"

    The staff member was not able to finish her words as the door suddenly flew open and right then, Hawk entered with Lucas at his back. When they both saw themotion and Feather''s tear jerked face, their heads both formed lines.

    "Where have you been?" Feather spat at his face that made Lucas raise a brow at it. This was the first time he saw Feather breaking loose and the sight of her face ruined with mascara made her look like a crazy woman.

    "He was from the men''s room Miss Han," Lucas answered for him. "His dress got messed up with wine so I brought some fresh clothes for him," He added some lies knowing that his boss was in a serious mess. He dragged his eyes then to Hawk who only looked down at Feather without expression. "Right President?"

    "What''s wrong with you?" Hawk''s deep voice filled the room and everyone grew silent at his question, like his presence shut off all their courage and confidence. Even the staff bowed their heads down, not daring to take a peek at the couple''s ongoing quarrel. "It took you so long to choose a dress and so I thought you wouldn''t mind if I excused myself for few minutes,"

    Truth was he needed to go to the men''s room to freshen up because Simione not only ruined his pants, he also ruined his ego. She left him helpless that he ended up calling Lucas for fresh clothes and had to spend a few minutes in the men''s room to remedy his urges and falled pride.

    Hearing his exnation, Feather stepped back shamefully. "You weren''t here the moment the curtain flew open, I thought you left,"

    "And so you went on chiding everyone instead of calling me?" Hawk wasn''t in a good mood then because of what happened between him and Simione. Of course he knew he couldn''t take out his anger on Feather but for some reasons, she was annoying him knowing that she and his own foolishness got Simione really mad.

    "I¡­ I¡­." She lost some words to defend herself because she instantly feared the expression that flushed across Hawk''s face. If not for Ami who supported her by caressing her back, she could have run away from his presence out of fear.

    "President Hawk, I''m sorry for this mishap. My Miss was having a hard time picking a dress. That''s why it took us so long to dress up and she was already in deep emotional trauma so I hope you can understand why she acted that way," Ami spoke for her. "She just went in panic when she was not able to see you here,"

    Instead of pitying the girl, Hawk just found themotion petty, so was Ami''s excuse. How did Feather end up being weak like this? He had been watching her all his life and received no single report of her being abused in the opera house where hest saw her. In fact, she once sent him a letter saying how she was being treated better and being recognized for her talent and so he thought she would grow up very confident and full of dignity. All this only made Hawk more frustrated, not only with Feather but also with himself.

    "Feather, don''t you think it''s time for us to see a therapist?" He suggested then knowing how messed up she had been for the past few weeks. His frustration with her got him thinking too that all this was his fault and that perhaps he should pay more attention to her emotional well being because the sight of Feather right now, definitely tells she wasn''t in a good state of mind.

    "I''m okay President Hawk," Feather refused it outright. Her mother Fara also suggested the same but it was kind of risky on her career. If such a thing were leaked to the media, they would all say she had gone crazy and would not want to be subjected to such judgment. "I''m just stressed out and perhaps overwhelmed with the uing wedding. I''ll work on it and act better next time,"

    "Feather¡ª"

    "Please president Hawk. I just want to go home right now," She was done with it. She had already epted the fact that one of the most important days of their wedding preparations was ruined. "Let''s just schedule another day for this,"

    There were no more words uttered after that. Hawk only looked at Lucas and he already knew what to do. Soon, Feather and Hawk were seen leaving the fashion house with nothing but Hawk''s fallen pride and Feather''s cold heart.

 Chapter 94 - Allegria Penthouses

    Gabrie was busy cutting garments for Serapina when Lucy knocked on the door. They were the one left in Allegria Penthouses, Lucy''s home, as Simione went somewhere. When dragged her head to the door with a scissor in her hand, she caught Lucy''s worried expression. She immediately knew her worry had something to do with her.

    "What is it?" Gabrie braced herself thinking it was bad news.??

    "It''s who," The singer simply answered and the girl then realized she had a visitor. Not wanting to ask Lucy anymore, she simply followed her downstairs. As they both descended the stairs, she caught sight of a woman, with long blonde hair and eyes that shone with thorough relief at the sight of her.

    "Mother Lilith?" Gabrie was surprised by her sudden visit. She descended hastily and went to give her stepmother an embrace.

    "My angel, how are you doing? Have you been eating?" The woman asked as she turned to scrutinize the Monteria heiress. "I have brought some food for you,"

    "Mother Lilith, it''s good that you''vee to visit me, I missed you so much already," They both sat on the sofa and Gabrille clung to her embrace again. The woman, although only a step mother, was the one who raised Gabrie and she had given her special care and favor than her three other children which was rather ironic because among the four daughters of Gabro Monteria, Gabrie''s father, she was the one who wasn''t her flesh and blood. Gabrie was the daughter of Gabro''s first wife, who died giving birth to her.

    "I do miss you my angel," Madam Lilith replied and started caressing Gabrie''s hair.

    Lucy, who was watching the mother and daughter tandem felt out of ce so instead of lingering in the living room, she turned to the kitchen and prepared some refreshment for their guest. It had been long that Madam Lilith had note and when she did, a long long conversation always happened. She made the refreshments from scratch and so it took her a long time to get back at the two and when she did, Gabrie was already crying while her mother wasforting her.

    "Gabbie?" Lucy was surprised to see the Monteria heiress crying as she was okay when she left.

    "I''m sorry singer Lucy," It was mother Lilith who apologized for it and gave a deep sigh. "I actually came to bring news from the vi,"

    "What news?" Lucy sat beside Gabrie and caressed her back. "Madam Lilith, Gabrie is not yet okay with what happened with her and Erwan. Please be mindful of all the words you say to her,"

    "I apologize, singer Lucy," Mother Lilith immediately epted her mistake. "But the things I told her cannot be helped. I don''t want my daughter to go to the household meeting without knowing what it will be about. I don''t want here to go and broke down in there,"

    "Household meeting?"

    "The elders and head families will gather to resolve the issue between my daughter Angelisa and Erwan," Gabrie''s mother exined. "I came here to tell Gabrie about it as the elders also asked me to,"

    "The elders asked you to tell her?" Lucy suddenly was suspicious. As far as she knew, no one knew where Gabrie went when she ran away and Gabrie wasn''t answering their callstely so it should have be hard for them to reach her. "You were the only one who knew where Gabbie is, did you tell them you knew where she was?"

    "I..I¡­." She stuttered and immediately Lucy knew she was going to deny it. "I didn''t tell them specifically where she was at. However they all suspect Gabrie and I had been talking to each other and so they forced me to tell her toe to the household meeting,"

    "Tell them Gabrie didn''t call you and so you were not able to tell her," Lucy instructed and grabbed the juice to make Gabrie drink from it. She was sobbing hard and so she knew whatever her stepmom told her must be something bad.

    "I can''t, they will all take it on me," Mother Lilith refused and her face turned into a mess. "Singer Lucy, in case you didn''t know, even if I am the Madam of Gabro''s household, I don''t really have all of the respects attributed to a madam. They all see me as a nobody and so I cannot also¡­."

    "You cannot sacrifice yourself for Gabbie''s sake," Lucy cut her off. "You don''t want to offend them that''s why you promised them you can make Gabbriee,"

    "Its not¡ª"

    "No need to exin. I know you are not Gabbrie''s mother and so you won''t protect her if it bes inconvenient to you," Lucy went on. She was really mad that Madam Lilith came and made Gabrie cry. If she was indeed a good mother to her, she should have dealt with her filthy daughter Angelisa first and yet she didn''t.

    "Lucy please don''t Mother Lilith, she was right. She really can do nothing about it," Gabrie stopped Lucy from confronting her stepmother. Knowing that the environment was getting tense, she just went on and dismissed her mother as she too cannot entertain her well that time. "Mother, I''ll need to think about it. It is best that you go,"

    "But my dear, I want to stay a bit andfort you for a while," Mother Lilith insisted on staying specially so that she could see that her well loved daughter was hurt.

    "I''ll be okay, mother don''t worry. Besides Lucy is here," She sent her off and soon the woman left, leaving all the food she brought for her on the table. Lucy, who knew Gabrie was getting tense and all messed up, went to grab a ss of wine and let her drink.

    "What happened?" Lucy asked as she was sipping through the ss.

    "Just the usual. Erwan and Angelisa,"

    "And? I know there''s more so spill it out, all of it. I want to hear it all," Lucy demanded and sat in front of her crossed arm. The Monteria''s were already getting into her nerves and if only she didn''t have problems on her own, she''ll go and hunt them one by one.

    "Well aside from the fact that they wanted me to tell the media that Erwan and I had long broken up to pave way for their wedding. They also wanted me to participate in the wedding preparation to show everyone that there was really nothing between us and that I am okay with it all," Gabrie announced and another set of tears fell from her eyes. "Lucy how would I be able to deal with such? I don''t think I can,"

    "Fuck them all!" Lucy gave Gabbie a warm tight hug, very annoyed by the fact. "Why do I feel like they were all bullying you. Also, what did your father say about all this?"

    "I don''t know. However I think because the Zhao''s were one of our biggest partners, then I think he would do anything to not offend them," Gabrie exined to her. She had long grown to believe that business and good reputation was more important than anything else as that was what the Monteria''s lived their lives. The very reason why she lived under Mother Lilith''s care was because her father was then very busy with their business. The Monteria''s all owned a couple ofpanies, all products rted to clothes and garments and his father was one of the CEO''s in many of thepanies under the Monteria Groups of Businesses.

    "How about the Zhao''s? They had long been expecting to wed Erwan to you," Lucy''s raised a brow, confused on how these things were running. She felt something was wrong but just couldn''t see where. "I heard from before that Elder Zhao was the one who approved your betrothal to Erwan, how could he change heart easily?"

    "I don''t know. Perhaps because Angelisa is my sister and it doesn''t really matter who Erwan marries amongst us, we are all Monteria heiresses," Gabrie added, sobbing relentlessly. She felt like everything was falling apart and that she had no more redemption to all this chaos.

    "No Gabrie you are wrong," Lucy caught some important facts from what Gabrie told her. "It matters whom he marries,"

    "Huh? Lucy, I''m just one of my father''s daughters. We all have the same privileges," Gabrie just brushed off her friend''s words. She thought Lucy was just trying to lift her spirit up and although she appreciates her effort, nothing seemed to work then.

    "Gabrie, I don''t know but there''s something fishy about this," Lucy brushed her hair off as she thought all of it. For ordinary persons, what was happening in the midst of Monteria was just as simple as saving a fallen reputation but for a person like Lucy, who was very well acquainted with the business world, she could tell right away that someone was brewing something.

    "Hold off your tears," Lucy''s tone became so serious that Gabrie immediately turned to her wondering. "This is more than just what you think. Go and call Simione, see if she''s done. We need her legal expertise. I need to call someone too so stop crying, save it forter,"

    "Tell Simione we''re code red so she bettere home fast," She added before she went on and dial some numbers.

 Chapter 95 - Sta. Catalina

    In one of the exclusive restaurants in the city, the fragrance of boiling tea filled the whole room. There was a big long table where all of the significant elders for the Monteria sat while Gabrie was at one corner, heads down and almost teary eyed. All the elders'' presence terrified her and she was greatly intimidated by their presence.

    They had long been there and the old men and women before here had already told her a series of long litanies¡ªabout she should not have run away from home, about her responsibilities of protecting the good name of the Monterias, about the fact that she should at least protect her sister being from such a scandal and that it wasn''t her fault why Erwan choose her, about the fact that they should not do anything to offend the Zhao''s and many more, all of which pertain to almost every good thing for Angelisa and the Monteria''s sake and nothing about her.??

    "Your friendship with singer Lucy had already been our big concern since before," The litanies continued and Gabrie helplessly listened to them all and took all the pain, all for the sake of being an obedient heiress of the Monterias, the thing that everyone expects of her. "You had promised before to cut off this friendship as that woman had a scandalous lifestyle and we are afraid that you will be influenced by her,"

    "Singer Lucy was nothing but myfort these days, I have no other friends to depend on aside from her," Gabrie replied, trying to push her voice above all the judgemental and calctive eyes. To be in the presence of the elders was one of the things that Gabrie dreaded, however as of this moment she basically had no choice but to listen to them as she didn''t want to be abandoned by her family. It was enough that Angelisa and Erwan betrayed her, she cannot lose some more from such an unfortunate tragedy.

    "She is not a friend but an opportunist. You''d better cut off whatever you have with her and return to the Monteria Vi," One of the elders spat.

    "How could I? Angelisa is there and I can''t live in the same house with her. Can you not just allow me this? I''m trying to be obedient with all your decisions even though it hurts and I''ve already said yes to all that you ask. Please leave my friendship with singer Lucy, this is all that I ask," Gabrie almost cried at it. In this small circle, it was hard for her to raise her voice and with everything that they throw at her, she cannot give her friendship with Lucy being abandoned without a fight.

    "Let''s just let it be for the meantime, "One of them who had taken pity on Gabrie said, trying to convince all the others. "But Gabrie you can''t keep on living with her, what will people say about you? That you had gone out of control like Luci Dimitri because Erwan left you? You''ll be casting a serious scandal to our family,"

    "I have nowhere to go and please don''t ask me to go home," Gabrie embraced herself feeling so cold about everything. Even when the people around her were her family, she felt nothing else but a stranger to them. This was the reason why even though her friendship with Lucy and Simione had been forbidden since before, she was not able to give them up. For the Monteria''s , Lucy was pretty scandalous and Simione was too poor to be Gabrie''s friend so they were against it. However the tres marias were able to keep their friendship going under the Monteria''s noses.

    "Sister Cyntia wille and see you," One elder expressed and for some reason Gabrie already knew this conversation would take ce. "The sisters of Sta. Catalina had expressed their great concern for your well being these days and asked our permission for you to live with them¡­.you know, until you''ll be okay,"

    "That''s good to hear," One seemed d about the visit. All these seemed pretty scripted to Gabrie as if the elders had long nned this and just made it so appear that it was a coincidence. "Gabrie, since you were young, you had always been vocal about your dream of being a nun. Perhaps it''s time for you to rethink this. Perhaps this whole Erwan ordeal was already a sign. The Sta. Catalina sisters will surely be d to if you will,"

    "I''ll think about it," She answered without protest. Before her father remarried, Gabrie spent all her days in the Sta. Catalina nunnery. Her father who was having hard time managing both their business and raising a daughter opted to send her to a boarding school owned by the Sta. Catalina sisters and so that nunnery was where she lived and studied when she was young. Only when Gabrie entered Senior Highschool was she allowed to live in the Monteria Vi again together with her new mother and sisters.

    Perhaps because of her connection with the nunnery, Gabrie had always expressed her likes to be a nun when she was young but when she had gone out of the nunnery and had seen the world outside, she became fully aware she didn''t like to be one. However her family had taken such a childhood dream seriously that on her eighteenth birthday, they invited a priest and missionaries to help Gabrie find her calling but she was already in love with Erwan that time and so the dream never got to be realized. After that, there were a few more attempts initiated by her family to help her reconsider her choice but all failed. This time, as Gabrie expected, the conversations about her going to be a nun started again.

    "Gabrie as a child I have always known you belong to God," The elders went on. "I have already known from the start that this rtionship between you and Erwan wouldn''tst long. This now is your time to rmit to the Lord. Go and live with the Sta. Catalina sisters after the wedding, it will surely help you rekindle thatmitment instead of staying with singer Lucy,"

    "I understand," Gabrie replied but unknown to all of them, all the words they uttered just passed through her ears unfiltered. Lucy had told her to just endure this day. The singer had called a few connections yesterday to check if there was anything suspicious within the Monteria''s household but nothing can be ascertained yet and everyone she called asked for a little bit of time to investigate. For Gabrie''s side, she had really no reasons to suspect her family although she hated them for being such a control freak. They were all controlling her like they owned her life and she was almost at the verge of breaking. At this point, only Lucy and Simione were making her hold on.

    After an hour, the elders hadid down all their concerns and were about to dismiss Gabrie but the girl somehow didn''t move.

    "Gabrie dear are you okay?" one of them asked.

    "Yes I am," She answered politely. "I was wondering if you knew,"

    "Knew about what?" All of them turned their attention back to her.

    "My mother," Gabrie didn''t know where she got all the courage to ask. Her mother was a big mystery to her and she long wanted to ask them about her but was always scared to do so. Her father never really spoke about it and she left her nothing aside from Serapina the doll. Now that all the elders were there, she decided ask "I''m sorry I don''t if it''s a sin to ask about her but I really have nothing about her but a doll and her name. I wondered if¡ª"

    "We do not speak of your mother here, forget about it!" Someone chastised. "If your father refused to say anything then we can do¡ª"

    "Elder Miranda, spare the child," The head leader, whom Gabrie was most scared off, halted all the words and chastity that was to be thrown at her. "You can never me the child if she was curious, we never really exined to her why,"

    "Gabrie, the reason why we do not speak of your mother is because she has done some things that are not pleasant to our eyes... to themunity¡­. and to the Lord," The head elder was kind enough to amodate her query. "Do you wonder why out of all your sisters, you were the Sta. Catalina''s sister''s favorite?"

    "Because I grow up with them,"

    "No Gabrie," The head elder gave her a bitter smile. "It was because your mother was from there,"

    Gabrie raised her head to meet the head elders eyes, asking her to rify her recent words. What does she mean when she says her mother was from the Sta. Catalina nunnery?

    "She was a nun, my child," The head leader announced and that for a moment Gabrie felt so little, "She went out of the nunnery to marry your father and when she died, people said it was her curse for her disservice to the Lord. This is why we do not speak of her. I hope you understand now and please do not ask of this again,"

 Chapter 96 - Drunk

    Gabrie walked like all the breath she had was slowly evaporating from her heart. She had already left the room that the elders asked her toe and walking herself out had be a bit heavier than hering in. The piece of information she heard about her mother hurt her in so many ways although it wasn''t really as scandalous as what Angelisa and Erwan did but the elders were treating it as it was. If not, then they could have condemned Angelisa and Erwans actions already instead of pushing her to the edge. Look what they did to her mother, they had banned her memory simply because she had chosen a life out of the nunnery without hurting anyone unlike Angelisa who had been celebrated and greatly favored for cheating on her own sister.

    "Gabbie," She felt some warm hands grab her and when she turned to who it was, the tears that were refusing toe out made its way to her eyes. It was Simione and Lucy was there standing beside her, looking at her withplicated emotions. ??

    "Sisi, Lucy," The view of them both wasforting. She wasn''t an ounce of surprise when they suddenly showed up because they were all worried of her prior to this day and so they must have secretly followed her.

    "Don''t cry anymore, they weren''t worth your tears," Simione said and immediately wrapped her arms around Gabrie. When they both saw her leaving the restaurant, she looked like a real mess. For minutes she was walking with no direction and just hugged herself and they both followed her behind her back, giving her time to be with herself. However, Simione thought it was enough and so she went and made their presence known.

    "These tears aren''t for them," Gabrie flushed a bitter smile. What she said was true as she wasn''t all then hurting because of Angelisa and Erwan, nor because it seemed like the whole Monteria household was bullying her. It was because for the first time in her life, she had heard about her mother and the Monterias managed to put a dirt on her memory even before she could know her better. She wondered then how her mother''s life was living as a Monteria madam. Did the elders bully her like the one they were doing with her now?

    "These are for my mother," She added and smiled wider at the thought of it. "Finally after twenty eight long years, I had the courage to ask and luckily I got an answer,"

    "Let me guess, what they told you was all nothing but her bad deeds," It was Lucy who answered this time. Both Lucy and Simione knew that the Monterias never once mentioned to Gabrie who her mother was, making them all assume a hundred percent that they must have hated her mother. If not, then why are all keeping it away from Gabrie to the fact that they didn''t even show her any grave where she can mourn on to.

    "What else would I expect?" Gabrie answered, tears still flowed from her eyes endlessly that Simione took out her own handkerchief and wiped it all from her. "They were the worst and them talking about her earlier made me feel how unwanted I am,"

    "Gabbie you are not," Simione pushed the idea away. "You know very well that you aren''t. You know your father loves you, your mother Lilith too and Evangelina. Weren''t they one of the reasons why you didn''t want to go back to the nunnery? You once told us you don''t want to miss them. You were then happy,"

    What Simione said was true. Although these days Gabrie felt like she was just a pushover, her immediate family had all been nice to her and so were all the other Monteria''s she knew. Even though she grew up in the nunnery before, she never had any bad memories of her father, all of them were good and worthy to be cherished. Even when he remarried and had other children, he never had made her feel less than she ever was. In fact he had always spoiled her and this was primarily the reason why Gabrie never thought of pursuing anything in her life, because she was well sheltered and well loved at home to the point that she had to think of nothing but just looked forward to bing Erwan''s wife.

    It was onlytely that things have gone real bad and that her father stopped talking to her. Maybe he was mad because she ran away from home or maybe through time, he had gone to love his twins¡ªAngelisa and Evangelina more than her and perhaps she didn''t notice that.

    "You know what, fuck this night! Let''s get out of this ce and go somewhere fun," Lucy cut off all the drama and looked at Simione giving her a cue. Gabrie was pretty bad tonight, they need to have some release.

    ***

    Just an hour after, the tres marias were already in a private VIP lounge helping themselves with some liquor. At the moment, they had no other remedy to Gabrie''s predicament but just to let her drink it all through the night. Lucy had observed that since the Monteria heiress started drinking her emotions worked well in liquors and this was one of the reasons why she had miraculously felt okay prior to her stepmother''s visit.

    "Did you know my mum was a nun? Fuck I never once in my whole life imagined she was one!" Gabrie repeated it for the nth time that night. She was already drunk and had gone talkative about everything.

    "I guess this was the reason why they wanted me to be a nun too as a payment for what¡­.what did they call that?...hmmmm...ah! Yes!....a payment for her disservice to the Lord," She went on, holding to another ss. Lucy and Simione were just sitting on each side still conscious and weren''t as drunk as her.

    When they reached that bar and ordered some drinks, Gabrie took the whole bottle down in just a minute and Simione and Lucy could do nothing but just allow her. The Monteria heiress had gone berserk and put all her heart out by drinking all that was served at their table. After a few hours, Lucy and Simione only managed to drink five percent of all the liquors they ordered while Gabrie finished the rest and wasn''t finished until then.

    "Ah but they didn''t know that...I cannot be a nun anymore. No! No! No! I would be doing another disservice if I entered the nunnery. Only virgins go there don''t they? I''m not sure but I think all the Sta. Catalina sister''s were virgins and I am no¡­.so¡­ I guess I''m disqualified?"

    Hearing it, both Simione and Lucy raised a brow and looked at each other. In the end they both smiled thinking that Gabrie was already saying nonsense things.

    "You are not a virgin anymore?" Simione tried to talk to the drunk heiress, wondering how her senselessness can go. "Really?"

    "Yes I am not, didn''t you know? Didn''t I told you I fuck you ultimate crush?"

    "Who?" Simione was intrigued.

    "El Tigre! Damn you! You didn''t know! Oh fuck bitch he''s so fucking hot!" She bbered like a mad woman. "He''s so hard and gorgeous¡­...hmmm...yummy el tigre...xhxhxhxh"

    "You''re drunk," Lucyughed at it. "El Tigre you''re ass! If you are not drunk right now! I''m really going to smack you!"

    "Just let her be Lucy," Simione too,ughed at it. This was the first time they heard Gabbie mentioning another man''s name when she''s drank. The previous week she had kept bbering Erwan''s name, now she was obsessing with El Tigre. "She must have been influenced by us already. Oh God El Tigre, the mention of his name just soothes my ears,"

    "Me too. Make me wanna cum,"

    "Lucy!" Simione threw a purse on her scandalous words. "Mind your words!"

    "Gabrie isn''t minding her words, why would I?" Lucy retorted and grabbed a bottle from Gabrie''s hand to pour her cup some of it. "Gabbie you don''t say anything like that specially in public,"

    "Why? It''s the truth!" She insisted and reached for the bottle that Lucy took from her.

    "It''s because not all fans are patient like Sisis and I. If they hear you saying that you fuck El Tigre, they''ll kill you before the night ends," Lucy warned her although she herself knew, the heiress would probably not remember any of the things she said tomorrow.

    "They can just kill me all they want, but I did fuck you El Tigre," She went on with her ims that only made Lucy shook her head mercilessly.

    "You''ve gone crazy," The singer gave up chiding her.

    "Just let her be," Simone dismissed Lucy''s reprimands and turned to y around with the drunk Gabrie for more amusement. "So since you fuck El Tigre, mind telling us where?"

    "In Mondrew City when you went drinking one night. He took me diving but instead diving into the sea, I was the one he had been diving on the whole afternoon¡­.hahahhahah" She narrated confidently that both Simione and Lucy paused for a minute.

    They both look at each other weirdly, but like earlier, they took it all as a joke andughed at her words real hard.

 Chapter 97 - Quick And Fast

    Soon, Gabriell''s hyper state subsided and two had to bring her home, dragging herpletely as she can no longer carry herself. Lucy and Simione both carried her to Allegria''s penthouses and pushed her off her bed,pletely drunk. Good thing, that night no matter how drunk she was, she didn''t vomit ceasely like before.

    Simione immediately took off Gabrie''s clothes and shoes so she could sleepfortably. She was about to go out and head to her room when she saw Lucy slumping beside Gabrie on her bed and so she did the same. ??

    "Gabbei is so heavy," Lucy murmured under her breath. She was also drunk but unlike Gabrie she always finds her way home no matter how drunk she was. "I lost all my energy carrying her home,"

    "You bet," Simione agreed as she kicked off her shoes and pulled her dress off thenfortably squeezed herself beside Lucy who was then nagging about many things.

    "Hmmm.. I really hate the Monterias, I want to p them one by one," Lucy bbered harshly. The liquor she drank made her more resentful and merciless. "Shameless people. They''re trying to push off Gabrie to a nunnery while they let Angelisa get off by what she did,"

    "Cheating ruins everything," Simione answered, lowering her voice in the dark room where the three of them nested. Good thing all of the beds in Lucy''s apartment were of king size so their three petite bodies fit in perfectly.

    "Why do you say that so sadly," Lucy noted as if she felt something in Simione''s words that struck so hard.

    "Because like Angelisa, I''m a rtionship wrecker," Simione replied, carrying all the guilt in her voice. When she started this Feather project, she was vengeful. However after so many encounters with Hawk and finding herself withplicated emotions, she felt like she had been cursed for her misdeeds. Worse was that she had seen how Gabrie suffered because of a mistress like her and it made her more guilty.

    "Are you having second thoughts?" Lucy could see Simione''s confidence falter even though the room was dark. It was very obvious in her voice as all words she uttered went heavy as they came out of her mouth.

    "Seeing Gabrie like this? Who would not have second thoughts?"

    Lucy sighed. Even she already had her own doubts about what they were doing as it felt like the universe was letting them see first hand the consequences of it. However, knowing Simione, she knew there''s more to it than Gabrie''s predicament.

    "Are you falling for Hawk Monsanto?" Lucy asked, her ocean deep blue eyes dug through her friend amidst the dark room.

    Lucy''s question brewed something inside Simione. There''s something that wreaked havoc in her veins and for moments she had to calm it all that she was not able to answer the singer''s question.

    "Simione, I clearly warned you not to," Lucy heaved a sigh. If this was a regr day she would go on chastise Simione for breaking the most sacred rule of revenge¡ªnot to fall in love with your enemy. Yet after what happened to Gabrie and all the shit Simione herself had to go through these days, she couldn''t bring herself to.

    Previously, when the Feather project ceased to exist yet, Simione just wanted a peaceful life away from all the hurts of her past, not to mention all the toxic people that go with it. If not for the Han''s constant pestering and schemes, their paths wouldn''t cross again. However, some tragedy brought the girl to bring revenge on Feather just because the things that she was doing were already too outrageous for Simione to bear and hence the Feather project was born. Simione was hurt, mistreated and abandoned before but she epted all those with noint. She moved on and forgave but when things finally got better for Simione after so many years, the Han''s proved not worthy of all the forgiveness she gave and so she decided to let them taste the same pain she had.

    However, these days, Simione finds herself in chaos. Seeing Gabrie suffer because of a cheater and seeing herself doing shameless things all for her revenge, she thought the Feather project wasn''t doing her any favor. It was only making her the same person as Hans and though it pleased her to see Feather suffer, her conscience bleed.

    "That''s why it ought to be stopped before everything just goes out of hand," Simione answered, very much disappointed in herself. Lucy had spent money and time to help her and yet she was having second thoughts of pursuing it further. "You told me to stop when I see danger right?"

    "I did. Was it getting that dangerous already?" Lucy inquired, referring to the Simione''s feelings. She understood that the Feather project was an all in n¡ªmeaning you have to give it your everything and that includes your mind, heart, dignity, pride and even morals. Now that Simione expressed her ns to stop it, it only meant she couldn''t sacrifice more of it and that probably was her heart.

    It was clear that she was confused, by her own feelings and probably of Hawk''s actions. Hawk had somehow exceeded all their expectations when it came to having a mistress. Lucy never expected him to treat Simione well and at times, even better than how he treated Feather and so the singer herself was confused of his intentions. Was he too falling in love with Simione? Or he was just really one of those men who was greatly challenged to chase a woman that they cannot control.

    With all this, she can''t basically me Simione if she was feeling conflicted for how would you define a person who confesses love to another yet treats you like you were the one he was in love with? Ah, men¡ªthey always say women wereplicated beings when the truth was they were the most puzzling sinful creatures than them.

    "It''s up to you Simione," Lucy told her and caressed her long smooth hair. "It''s your call, you know that.If you don''t want to do it anymore, then we''ll stop,"

    "I want us to spend our time for Gabbie these days," Simioneid down some of her reasons as she knew all the major ones, Lucy already knew it. If not, she would have asked further. "Instead of getting between Feather and Hawk, I''ll just save my energy apanying Gabbie,"

    "The Monterias weren''t giving her a break," Lucy turned to Gabbie this time, who was then sleeping soundly parallel to them. "I wonder whats will all this act, I just hope that there''s no underlying schemes behind all this,"

    "Lucy by the way," Simione thought of something when their conversation directed back to Gabrie. "Do you remember the time when Gabbie ran away from the bar in Mondrew City?"

    "Oh Simione, we were so wasted that night," Lucy replied not getting why Simione opened it up.

    "I just wondered if she was with us that night. If she ever came back, she did right? I mean I don''t remember seeing her after that and she just appeared the next day, a bit weird,"

    "Weird?"

    "I don''t know but she slept the entire time after she came back," Simione recalled. "Makes me wonder if she went home the night before, then she must have gone to sleep with us from dawn till afternoon. But that night she didn''t even dine with us saying she was tired and sleepy and even slept through the night like she had not have any sleep at all,"

    "Perhaps because she had attended to us while we were drunk," Lucy reasoned, although she herself became suspicious when Simione mentioned it. "Did this alle to you at the bar earlier when she said she fucked El Tigre in Mondrew City the night we were both drunk?"

    "Yes. I just wondered if it was possible?"

    "Reall?" Lucy raised a brow at it, almost wanting tough about Simione''s conclusions. "Do you really think El Tigre would spare her some attention? Worst bring her to his bed? Do you know no woman has evernded on his bed, like literally?"

    "Huh? Didn''t he have a few rumoured flings before? Don''t tell me he didn''t fuck them, that''s superflous," Simione didn''t believe it.

    "He had and they had gone to tell the town El Tigre to do it fast and quick. So fast that he didn''t have time to bring them to bed. Then he dismissed them. ording to rumours, the longest he had with a girl was only fifteen minutes," Lucy narrated amusingly. "So truth be told, no one had managed to sleep in El Tigre''s bed. So if Gabrie did perhaps miraculously had sex with him, then it meants she had a good night of sleep after he threw her out,"

    "Wow, howe you only told me this right now?" Simione didn''t know how to feel with what she had heard. "God he''s a bit mad!"

    "Surely, but he is still the El Tigre," Lucy mumbled, already sleepy. "I''d kill to get to have that fifteen minutes of his time,"

    Soon, the room fell silent and all that could be heard was the slow snores of three persons who had squeezed and fitted themselves on one same bed.

 Chapter 98 - 1-White Mansion

    Somerset Vige-Twenty years ago

    A week had passed when Hawkst saw Cat. After that one great afternoon they spent in the festival together with the girl''s father, the girl hadn''te out and yed with them. He asked Doug about her and the boy only shrugged, not able to tell him anything.??

    Worried and curious, the young Hawk bravely went to the white mansion alone where hest saw Cat and her father went. Until then he wasn''t sure whether his butler was right when he said they were the Hans as when he inquired about it with Dough¡ªthe boy who brought Cat to their group¡ªhe simply answered that he didn''t know and that it was impossible for Cat to be and heiress because there was no heiress in their vige.

    When he reached the big metal gates of the white mansion, he peeked inside, hoping he could find any signs of Cat in the vast garden inside it. However before he could look further, a guard who was stationed beside the gate shooed him away.

    "Hey boy! Go away! This is no ce for ying," The guard reprimanded but instead of going away, Hawk went toward him and politely bowed.

    "Hello sir, I''m looking for Cat. Is she around?" He asked and the guard for a moment looked at the little boy wondering what he was talking about, but then he realized something.

    "Cat? Hmm¡­ you are friends with the Miss?" The guard returned the question and looked sideways to check whether someone had noticed the boy aside from him.

    "Yes sir. She had not been going out for many days. Is she alright? Is she sick?" He inquired further as the guard''s expression somehow told him he knew her.

    "Oh boy, this is not a good time to visit her. The Don is here and if he will see you here, both you and the Miss will be of trouble," The guard exined it all in one go and asked him to leave once again, "Things are not good in the miss now, it might be worst when the Don figures out she had been making friends withmoners,"

    "Off you go now or the Miss will be in more trouble," The guard said and Hawk could do nothing but retreat. He understood the predicament when the guards said something aboutmoners and he understood right away that heiresses like her shouldn''t be going around making friends with vige children as it was not appropriate with her status. Being born as an elite and having been trained all his life to act as one, he knew their standards when ites to making friends as he too was always reminded not to make connections with people below his status.

    Hawk heaved a heavy sigh and left but there was something about the situation that made him want to linger longer. He looked at the big mansion far ahead and the big wide wall that surrounded it. There''s no way he could pass through it without going through the front gate.

    Without much hope, he traced his steps back to the big dusty road Cat and his father previously tracked the afternoon of the festival. He was then walking slowly, his hands in his pocket and head bent low because of frustration. What could be happening to Cat these days? The guard at the front gate seemed to be implying her situation isn''t good.

    As Hawk advanced his steps, something hit his right arm that made him shriek. "Ouch!"

    A tiny stone had hit his right arm and although he wondered how he was hit that hard, he went on, thinking it was just a natural thing. However soon, he was hit again sessively and he noticed that many tiny stones had been thrown toward him.

    Hawk immediately frowned and when he looked back at the mansion to see who had been throwing stones at him, he saw no one. He looked back at the front gate and saw the guard busy on something but aside from him, there was no one there who could throw stones at him. Still wondering, he thought of leaving the ce right away, afraid that some evil spirits had been ying pranks on him, however as he was about to turn, he saw something glistened at the east part of the gate.

    There was a tree that nestled in there whose branch seemed to have covered a part of the wall and there, something bright was reflecting, almost making his eyes squint. Hawk found the thing a bit strange and so he ran back to the mansion but this time he didn''t go to the front, but instead went to the east side where he saw the reflecting light.

    It took him a few good minutes to reach that part as aside from it being far from the front gate, it was also a bit grassy there that he had to look at every step he took, afraid he might step onto some animals that might attack him, like snakes for example.

    "Faster or the guards will see you!" Someone called on him and he immediately realized it was the girl whom he came for.

    "Cat?"

    "Faster you slowpoke!"

    Hawk did so as instructed and when he reached the wall, he looked up realizing it would be impossible for him to climb up. It was so high, even an adult person will not be able to climb up on it. He was about to nag about how he couldn''t go up when suddenly, a ropedder fell in front of him.

    "Get on! Guards are roving, hurry!"

    Hawk climbed up on the wall and although he was aided by a rope, he still struggled to get through it and his climb did not go on easy. After a few minutes of struggle, he reached the top and saw the girl, immediately pulling the ropedder up with haste.

    Hawk wanted to help her but when his eyes fell on her, his heart leaped almost leaving him breathless.

    "Don''tugh," Cat caught his expression and immediately understood it. She knew she looked different as she was all dolled up into an heiress, far away from the Cat the boy used to see. She was then wearing a little white dress with stockings and her hair was all adored by beautiful hairpins. She was so beautiful, far more beautiful than Hawk had seen her previously. "The servants made me wear this freakin thing,"

    "How did you climb here with that?" Hawk wondered as she seemed too girly and put up to be able to climb such a high tree. Up there, there was a little tform built with bamboo where thedder she threw at him was attached to.

    "With the samedder you used, dumbass!" She eximed, obviously not in the mood. Only then did Hawk notice she had red eyes. Had she been crying up here?

    "Why are you here?" She asked the a bitter and added "You should have note,"

    "Then you should have not helped me climb the wall," He noted and satfortably beside her. Judging by her expression, it was obvious she was not okay and he had never been d to be there.

    "Sorry if I just visited today, I should havee sooner," Hawk added, trying to tell her that was worried about her and that no matter what she was sad about, he was there to give herpany. "Is everything bad in he¡ª"

    "Cat!" Hawk''s words were cut off when he heard someone calling the girl. Below, they both saw her father rummaging the entire garden looking for her. "Cat, where are you?"

    It was obvious he was in distress and Cat who was then sitting beside Hawk tensed up upon hearing her name, but instead of answering, she chose not to answer. Hawk who saw the whole ordeal wondered why Cat wasn''t answering her father and his gaze went from the girl''s father and her. He didn''t understand what was happening but it was obvious Cat was hiding away from him.

    Just after a few calls, another figure appeared. It was an older man, walking straight and proud like he owned the ce. He was then wearing sses and his eyes shared the same color that Cat had. Right behind him, another man walked, seemingly trying to appease him as it was obvious from his expression that he was mad.

    Cat''s father, who had heard the two persons from his back, immediately turned to them and with eyes filled with fury and resentment, he confronted the older man with sses. "This is all your fault! How dare youe here and make such a mess!"

    "Mr. Han, please calm down," The man, whom Hawk recognized as either secretary or a butler, turned to Cat''s father to appease. "Don Benedicto is just fresh from the hospital. He is not that stable yet, please be considerate with your father,"

    "Don''t call him my father! I refused to acknowledge this man!" Cat''s father pointed at the old man''s face. "He is not worthy of such a call!"

 Chapter 99 - Ties Of Blood

    "The ties of blood can never be cut," The old man replied without much of an expression. Dressed in a ck armani suit and with his hairbed back neatly, showing off his good features that didn''t much abate with his wrinkled skin, the man walked with great pride and calmness as if Cat''s father wasn''t then so tensed up in front of him. "But if I don''t want to acknowledge our son and father rtionship, I don''t give much of a damn. But things with me and that girl of yours is different and you cannot stop me from getting close to her,"

    "You don''t have the right!" Cat''s father eximed through his lungs, almost wanting to grope the man only if he wasn''t his father. "She was mine and mine alone!"??

    "Mr. Han! Mr. Han please, do not anger your father anymore," The old man''spanion was pleading already and had his body get in between the two. He was all afraid this argument would affect Don Benedicto''s already weak body and would cause more trouble in his health, but his son wasn''t listening. He was then too angry and pissed to even listen.

    "You know I do," The man replied and the way he said it felt like he had thest card on. No matter what protest his son will do, he will always win this game against him. "She is heiress and therefore she''ll be treated as one. Sending her to that cheap ballet school won''t help her much. She''s a talented girl. Are you gonna bury her talents down the rock?"

    "The cheap school you are referring to was the only school she wanted to be at. Besides, she worked so hard to be epted to that school! You can''t just withdraw her application like that!"

    "She liked that school because she had seen no other," The older man replied as he turned to look at his angry son. "You had been keeping that girl here away from the ce where she belongs. Look what your stupidity brought her? She''s growing up an idiot, making much effort for a school that do not suit her,"

    "And what? You are going to bring her to the city and make her like you? She doesn''t need such a cursed lifestyle!" The conversation continued and Hawk understood right away that his father was trying to hold off Cat''s grandfather from exposing her to the elite world. Was she like him being kept hidden from the city? Was Mauro Han keeping her daughter away from everyone''s eyes?

    "You can''t make her leave this ce! She''ll stay here and that''s final"

    "You don''t get to have the final call on this!" The older man dismissed his words, not wanting to bend on it. "The Mara balletpany is the best in this country. She had been epted with a full schrship. Do you know how rigid the application process is there? Only the best of the best can go. Besides, that balletpany was the only balletpany that can rmend ballerina''s to Voltaire Ballet in London. How could you withhold her from such a great opportunity?"

    "Because she doesn''t like it!"

    "She wille to like it when she''s there," The old man was already pissed. Definitely giving Cat''s father the same tone he was giving him, "The problem with you is that you are treating her like she was you when clearly, she had more ambitions than you!"

    "Besides, whether you like it or not, she''s a Han. She has my blood and she had to leave this ce and you cannot prevent that!" The old man added and when he eximed those words, Cat who was then sitting idly beside Hawk covered her ears, not wanting to hear any more of the adults fight. She had enough of it. Every time Don Benedictoes and visits, her father and him always end up fighting with so many things and this time, they had been arguing about her for many days already.

    Don Benedicto wanted Cat to live in the capital and trained as an heiress because for him, she was growing up improper and a bit wild for a girl. She had no grace to speak of and even her table manners were inappropriate. Aside from that he was afraid that her father would greatly influence her to live the life he chose¡ªa simple one, one that themoner lived and this worried and displeased him. He was then afraid that if he left Cat at his son''s care, it would be hard for her to be a proper heiress as she was.

    Cat''s father however didn''t much hate the life of an elite but he was deeply concerned and hated the life his father chose. He had done shameless things in the name of money and ruined their perfect family all for the sake of it. He even went as far as hurting his wife¡ªhis mother so he could get to live the luxury he had and continued hurting her even at herst breath. For this, he developed a deep hate for his father and vowed to not let Cat follow his shameless deeds.

    Right then, they were all arguing about Cat as Don Benidicto was greatly determined to get the girl out of his son''s custody but of course Cat''s father wouldn''t give her up without a fight and so the white mansion was all in chaos. The girl had been hearing this type of conversation for thest few days and she was already suffocated by it. Right then, she chose not to hear more of it by covering her eyes as her tears started falling endlessly. She was then upset, not only because of the way her grandfather was intervening with their lives but also by the fact that she wanted her family to get along with each other but things always got so out of hand that it seemed impossible for them to live in harmony. Their resentments and hate toward each other had long been there, already rooted in their hearts and no matter what they do, they''ll always end up arguing and hating each other. When will such an ordeal stop?

    "I will not allow you to take my daughter anywhere away from me!" The girl''s father''sst word ringed within the whole garden like a solid threat that for once, not even the old man countered it. He then left, ending the conversation with the old man and went somewhere else to look for her daughter. Soon the once tense garden became peaceful and the old man and hispanion left.

    Hawk was left with the girl who right then was crying miserably. Not knowing what to do, Hawk reached out for her shoulder and tapped it lightly hoping it was enough to give herfort.

    "Don''t cry Cat, it will be okay," Hawk awkwardly told her, clueless on how to make the girl feel better.

    "Shut up, I want to cry!" She ignored the fact that she was wailing gracelessly. If Don Benedicto saw her that way, he''d outright tell her how she was acting like a wild child and would be more mad about it.

    Previously Cat''s life wasn''t asplicated and chaotic like the one they had then. She used to live with her father peacefully in another vige and onlyes to the white mansion to visit her grandmother. Her memory about the white mansion was always good, especially that her grandmother was also a sweet olddy. She was the one who taught her ballet and the one who had ignited the ballerina dreams in her.

    However when her grandmother started getting sick, her father decided to care for her in the white mansion and so they packed up all their things to go and live with her. Only at this time did Cat realize they weren''t the only family her grandmother had and had soon met Don Benedicto, whom she knew was her grandfather and his grandmother''s husband. His presence of course shocked the hell out of the little girl because no one had mentioned the old man to her before and from what she knew, her grandmother had lived in solitude in the white mansion for many years.

    Now fast forward, her grandmother had died two years ago and her father and his grandfather had been in constant argument because of her. She didn''t know why but she always found herself being the topic of intense conversations and this upset her, emotionally. She felt like she was the reason for their family''s predicament and that she was already bing a burden to everyone.

    Soon, Cat''s tears dried up voluntarily and when she felt a little okay, she wiped her tearstained face and looked at Hawk.

    "What?" Hawk asked as Cat''s gaze was bing intense.

    "You won''t tell the boys right?"

    "About what?"

    "About what you¡­..what you saw here?"

    Hawk heaved a sigh at her question. Was she afraid he would go and tell the boys how she cried helplessly?

    "I won''t tell them that you cried," He assured and saw how her expression brightened up a little, "And that you dressed up like that,"

    "Promise?" She pressed on and Hawk helplessly nodded at it.

 Chapter 100 - The Lady Of The White Mansion

    "Yes I promise," Hawk repeated her own words. "Besides, there''s really nothing to tell they won''t believe me if I tell them you live in this house,"

    "Some of the boys knew I live in this house," Cat told him, "But I told them my father is just a gardener here and that we worked for thedy who lives in this house,"??

    "Ady?" Hawk was intrigued. He saw what transpired earlier and thought if there was anydy around, would she have not interjected in the argument Cat''s father and the older man had.

    "My grandmother, she used to live here," The girl said the word and it felt something stuck in her mouth as the memory of her hit something inside her.

    "Why do you say that so sadly?"

    "She passed away already," She answered and Hawk immediately understood why the mention of her grandmother went hard on her. Wanting to change the topic and curious, he gently asked about the people he saw earlier.

    "The old man earlier. Who is he?"

    "He is my grandmother''s husband,"

    "Your grandfather then?" Hawk saw the girl''s hesitation with his question and thought perhaps she''ll not answer anymore but he was sure surprised when Cat answered a littleter.

    "I don''t call him that, I call him Don Benedicto," The girl replied. This time her once solemn expression changed and it went from soft to hard like the man she just mentioned wasn''t someone that was making her feel dejected, he was making her strong and angry.

    "I didn''t know him at all. He just came here one day and I was told he was my grandmother''s husband," Cat told her so. Her narration touched something in Hawk''s little heart as it told him many things and one of those was that the girl, right then, was trusting him with her secrets. "Obviously my papa doesn''t like him but when my grandmother was sick, he was one of herforts and so papa let it be. Now that she''s gone, I don''t know why he stilles here and the arguments started,"

    "Was it always like that between them?"

    "Yes and to be honest I don''t know why. It was obvious their rtionship wasn''t that good from the beginning," Cat answered, not holding off anything. With all that was happening in the mansion and the burden he carries with him all the time, it was hard for Cat to talk to her father about these things and for the first time, she found someone who can listen to all of it.

    "He wants you to go to the city¡­" Hawk recalled the argument that took ce. "He said you had a sponsorship in Mara Balletpany,"

    "I don''t want to go there, I already got epted to the school I wanted," She told him, very determined about her ns.

    "But do you know what Mara Ballet Company is? It''s a big thing...no it''s not big...its grand!" Hawk bbered about it. He knew about it of course as it was the most well celebrated balletpany in the capital who had produced and rmended ballerina''s in big theaters abroad. For anyone who wanted to have a good future in ballet, then Mara Balletpany was their stepping stone.

    "Really?" The girl was almost influenced by the boy''s expression as it bore all the admiration and respect he had for suchpany. The girl however knew nothing about it as she was kept all her life in the suburbs and if not for her grandmother, she would never have known ballet at all. She didn''t even know she had to go to big schools to study advanced ballet, not until her ballet teacher rmended her to have an audition. "I only heard it from him...from Don Benedicto,"

    "If you had been granted full schrship, then it must mean you are very good at it," Hawk told her. With what he heard from the arguing adults earlier, he thinks that Don Benedicto was right, the girl would probably like the Mara Ballet Company better than anywhere else. It was just that she was still so naive about so many things and wasn''t exposed to so many opportunities so she grabbed only things that she can, without even knowing she can have more.

    "You are ttering me. The truth is I don''t remember sending applications or having an audition in Mara Theater Ballet. The servants said, I must have been epted because Don Benedicto was a powerful man," She sighed. That was also one thing she didn''t like about this whole Maram Ballet Company ordeal. She didn''t want to go to any schools because of the Don''s influence as it only made her less confident in herself.

    Hawk thought about what she said and realized what Cat said must have been true. If she didn''t attend any auditions, then perhaps Don Benedicto will pull some strings so she cannd a slot in the said theaterpany. He was a Han afterall. Earlier, when the adults were arguing, he didn''t recognize him as he had never seen him before but when Cat told him his name, he immediately recalled the head patriarch of the Hans¡ªDon Benedicto Han. In the capital then, he was the current CEO of the Han''s Scintiit and because his reputation as a businessman was good, his name always made it to elite conversations.

    When he had thought these things, he had then confirmed that what his butler said was true. Indeed they were the Hans and his father was Don Benedicto''s heir, Mauro Han and the girl was the Han''s heiress.

    "Maybe. However I knew that once you are there, they''ll see you are not an ordinary ballerina," Hawk smiled trying to lift up her confidence. "I know someday you''ll be great,"

    Cat looked at Hawk meaningfully and her heart warmed up. Perhaps it was because of the boy''s confidence in her or the fact that she had somehow found someone to listen to all her heart''s concerns¡ªchanged something that was in her heart that day. When her grandmother died, her dreams of ballet were faltering and although she goes to ballet calls regrly, she wasn''t as passionate as before. However, hearing the little boy''s word then lit up the fire that had long been put off. For the first time in so many days, she was hopeful about her ballet dreams.

    "I''ll be great you''ll see," She said like it was a promise. "Someday I''ll be in a big stage dancing with so many people and with dazzles and sparkles,"

    "I''ll sure be in the crowd watching your performance then I''ll cheer with the loudest p after," He beamed at the thought. Seeing the girl with lifted spirits and all smiles made him feel aplished. Finally she smiled after crying for a long time.

    "Do you think I should go to the Mara Balletpany?"

    "Up to you," Hawk answered and bbered on. "Go wherever your heart tells you so. I know you''ll be great anywhere but since you are a Han''s heiress I think it would be better if you go to the Mara Balletpany," Just when he had said the words, Hawk wished he could take it back. Did he just mention she was a Han''s heiress? In panic, he looked at her expression and saw how it dimmed.

    "How did you know I''m a Han heiress?" Cat raised a brow at him. She wondered how the young boy knew about these things as she had never mentioned it to him.

    Good thing Hawk was quick enough to think of something. "Did I mention before that my father was an ambitious man?"

    "Yes, that''s why you act so graciously at the eatery,"

    "He hopes that someday I''ll make it to the city and work with Hans. The Han''s were jewellers and he thought that working on such apany will make one rich right away," Hawk went on with his pretend narrative trying to act natural to escape the girl''s suspicions. "Although we don''t know much about the Han''s, the current CEO Don Benedicto Han was somehow a popr personality, so when you said his name earlier, I knew right away it was him,"

    "Also, everyone in the capital was aware he had a son. His son was married to a Gao from Mondrew City and they have a daughter," Hawk continued. "His son Mauro Han was to seed him so their daughter is the Han''s heiress."

    "You sure knew a lot," Cat replied but for some reason her expression darkened, like there was something in what he said that sponsored some bad emotions on it.

    "I just heard and learned it all from my father," Hawk acted innocently. He hates the fact that she had just told her some secrets but he can''t tell her his. He knew she would be in great danger if she learned anything about him.

    "Then I tell you now Spin, your father sure knew nothing about the Han''s," She said and smiled bitterly at it.

 Chapter 101 - Nightmares

    Back to present day

    "You sure knew nothing of the Han''s," The scene yed in Hawk''s mind a couple of times that his dreams somewhere became a nightmare! He woke up panting and full of sweat as he rolled on his bed and sat at the corner, holding his head like he had a big headache. A month had passed since he started dreaming about Cat, his fuzzy Cat and it felt like there was something wrong with her. Was Feather still upset until then? ??

    God it had been a month since the incident in the fashion house took ce and this was thest argument they had than he can recall. After that things went on smoothly and Feather had continually participated actively in other wedding preparations like the incident in the fashion house didn''t happen. Just a week ago, they had the wedding pictures taken and some of it was leaked to the media. Right then, the couple were a hot topic again as people started sending them best wishes and congrattions about their uing nuptials.

    So what''s with these dreams? As far as he could tell, Feather and him had been okay. Was she secretly harboring any ill feelings with him and hence the reason for these nightmares?

    Hawk took off his nightshirt and decided to leave the bed. He nced at the clock and saw that it was almost three am in the morning. God! He barely had an hour of sleep. These nightmares sure kept him awake. He remembered it was just an hour ago he decided to sleep as he finished some office work and yet with his current state then, he didn''t think he could sleep further.

    For how long has this been going on? It has been a month already. Distrubed and already upset by hisck of good sleep, he desperately went to a therapist and thetter told him, there must be something that his body was looking for and something inside him that had been suppressed and he knew what exactly it was. Speaking of something he was looking for, it wasn''t really something, it was someone¡ªit was Cat¡ªhis mystery woman as the girl seemed to have evaporated and that her existence had long ceased. She stopped appearing for a month now and as much as he wanted to be okay with it and wanted to have his full devotion to Feather, his body and heart weren''t cooperating. Perhaps this was the reason for his nightmares?

    Hawk paced the dark space of his home until he reached the kitchen. He went immediately to the fridge, grabbed a bottle, uncapped and drank almost all its content. A minuteter, he found himself staring through dark with all his frustrations out. Where could Cat be these days? Was she getting married too? He wondered by then if she was thinking of him as bad as he does¡ªso bad that he was almost bing crazy and restless over everything.

    He wouldn''t lie. He was just a human after all. In just a week of Cat not showing up, he hadunched several people to find her¡ªwho she was, whose family she came from and where she lived. He had exhausted all possible resources he had and was even willing to spend more but his search proved fruitless. He had never since be frustrated about his men and connections as they had provenpetent for several years while working for him, but not this one. It turned out Cat somehow wasn''t an ordinary person. She had no trace, her moves were all clean and most of all, she was extremely hard to track. He almost believed someone was helping her out, could it be his enemies? Was she somehow nted by them?

    What Hawk didn''t know was that Simione''s real identity was somehowplicated from the beginning. She was someone that had intendedly been hidden from everyone, even before she came out of this world. Her origins were hidden and had been intentionally left untraceable to protect someone else''s good standing and reputation. When she grew up and became hard to suppress, people exerted more effort on hiding her and that made her feel like she was a mistake that should have not happened, hence, she loathed the identity she was born into.

    So, when she left the good graces of the family she belonged to, she took another identity with the help of Lucy and it was Lucy who had been protecting her against Hawk. Although Hawk was more powerful than Lucy, because of Simione''splicated past, she was able to hide well Simione''s identity together with all the privileges she had with all her backing. Besides, she had trained Simione for months on how to avoid all the security cameras and to avoid everyone''s attention like a pro thief.

    Of course, the tres marias was very aware of the danger of the Feather Project and so they prepared for it well. Now that Simione abandoned it, they were able to escape Hawk''s grip. Also, since Hawk was a little torn between Feather and Simione he had somehow his doubts and apprehensions that made him unable to personally looked into Simione''s identity because although his men were not reliable these days, he can still do something about it.His money surely can find out all secrets kept hidden. However he was afraid of what he would find, so he didn''t push over the search well.

    Cat then, whom he knew had given up on him was somehow hisfort on all hisplicated days specially the when things seemed not right. Her memory was an ease in his heart and so he was afraid that if he went deep into her identity, he might find some sickening truths. What if she was sent by his enemies? What if she came to steal something and what if she was a spy? Would he be able to ept the fact that the girl had no real deal with him and was just after his ruin? For him, Cat and him had a special connection and now that she was gone, he wanted to keep that good memory of her in his heart like it was a beautiful dream. Perhaps he can live with that.

    An hour had passed and the sun was finally rising. Hawk could already see the flicker of orange bright, seemingly rising over the vast dark canvass. It was also then that he realized a night had passed again on him without sleep and although he wanted to go back to bed and attempt to calm his mind, he knew it would all be useless. His remedy then was to go to M Conglomerate and bore himself out with meetings and paperworks. By that, his mind could somehow forget all the frustrations and needs he can do nothing about.

    Hawk then decided to go to the shower and start preparing for work. He paced his condominium again that was located in one of the luxurious and high buildings in the center of the City¡ªReign Skyline. This was his alternate home when he was too busy and too upied to go home to the chateau.

    As he was about to step into his huge bathroom, he somehow caught an invitation card around the corner. It was something that Lucas had sent him previously and although he didn''t usually give some social activities much of a focus, this, he picked with much interest. It was an invitation for a hotel opening and one of their highlights was a closed vip concert of Luci Dimitri. The singer had always been used for promotions and since she was very in demand in the upper ss, some bigpanies and ventures sponsored concerts for her and sent out invitations to high esteemed powerful personalities in the city¡ªthat includes him of course.

    Truth was he was not up for any social activities then but attending a concert would not be that bad. Afterall, he was having a hard time sleeping these days. Perhaps the country''s nightingale can sing a luby that can lure him to snooze even for a bit. Interested, he picked up the invitation and caressed the ck card that had been essorized by a gold ribbon. It was beautiful and definitely speaks so much of the singer.

    "Perhaps I should go and invite Feather," He thought and nned to ring Lucas and instruct him to inform his fiancee. Right then with all his mishaps, he thought his nightmares were his karma for making Feather upset. After the fashion house incident though and the nightmares started appearing, he had tried so much to treat her well and spoiled her hoping to appease her and eliminate all his nightmares.

    However, it seemed like none was working and that perhaps Feather was hiding some resentments for him. He can''t me her though, he had sure messed up and ruined not only her trust but also his confidence in his love for her because right then, even when Cat stopped showing up, he had never once found Feather in the same light he had seen her before. The most frustrating thing about it was, every time his fianc¨¦e showed up, all he could think about was his mistress who probably had forgotten about him right then.

 Chapter 102 - Romantic Date

    That night, the VIP concert of Luci Dimitri was flocked by guests, most of them from prominent families in the city.

    As it was a social event, every woman present wore long gowns while the men went on with their suits and tuxedos. Along the great hallway, many lingered as they waited for the theater to open. Of course the waiting time became an opportunity for businessmen to talk about certain ventures while the socialites gathered to talk about industry gossip. It was a vibrant evening and it became more interesting when big personalities started appearing, one of which was the well beloved couple, Hawk Monsanto and ballerina, Feather Han.??

    They threaded the hall together, Feather''s arms wrapped around Hawk''s arms and they glided in with such aura that everyone could not help but turn their head to acknowledge it. Hawk of course was ustomed to this kind of attention so he swept past the crowd nonchntly. However Feather wasn''t, as although she was a ballerina, not everyone in the upper ss gave her high respect especially that Han''s Scintiit became a joke ever since Mauro Han took over and so she was specifically thrilled. She went on smiling with everyone, flushing on all of them her innocent pretty face like she was a one humbledy.

    "Feather Han is so lucky, I''m so jealous about how she was doted on by the M Conglomerate president," One of the socialites in the sidelinesmented with her circle. They were all eyeing the couple with much jealousy and envy.

    "Considering that Han''s Scintiit wasn''t going well and President Hawk would surely get nothing significant with it, she was indeed lucky to be noticed by him," Another expressed, "They said they were lovers since they were children and got reunited only a few months ago. Aye fate, indeed the ballerina was so lucky,"

    "Was she the reason why President Hawk had been so phlegmatic about women?" Interjected by another socialite. "Many coveted the title madam of the Monsantos but no one was able to get a hold of it. President Hawk must have been so attached to that childhood love, what a devotion!"

    "Hahahaha," Someone in their circleughed at all thedies'' conclusions. "What devotion are we talking about? Have you not heard? President Hawk was rumoured to have a mistress,"

    "Seriously? That surely cannot be true," One tried to refuse such a im. Feather and Hawk had been nothing but a good perfect couple in everyone''s eyes that it was hard to believe something bad was brewing in the midst of them.

    "You sure knew nothing," The one who sponsored the gossip went on. "They said during a night out, Hawk paid twenty million for a girl and that he brought the mariposa verde for that woman, not Feather,"

    "The mariposa verde? Wasn''t it the jewelry everyone was talking about several months ago? They said Verde Jewelries Incorporated had been in deep mess when they attempted not to sell Hawk the piece," Of them recalled as the talks continued on under their breaths, very careful for the neers not to hear.

    "Everyone thought he brought it for Feather Han, but he gave it to his mistress,"

    Their conversation immediately halted when Feather and Hawk went past them. Since Feather was all smiling and gave them a slight nod, they all gave her some fake pleasantries in return. They waited till the couple disappeared to continue with their gossip but the theater suddenly opened signifying the start of the concert and so as the crowd went, they all followed.

    Soon, everyone settled in the semi-lighted theater room. There were seats lined up below the sophisticatedly built stage and everyone went on the seats they were assigned into. Hawk and Feather surprisingly sat almost at the back far end of the stage and this made some brows raised. Why was President Hawk sitting at the back? Could he not afford the front rows? Feather herself felt a bit dejected as she became conscious with everyone''s stares knowing they were mocking them for not being able to secure some seats in the front. What was Hawk doing?

    "President, would it not be good for us to sit in the front rows?" Feather sweetly told him, hoping he could make something about everyone''s mockery.

    "I want to sit here, sometimes it''s good to be at the back," Hawk answered nonchntly. He wasn''t even aware of everyone''s stares and if he does, he doesn''t give much a damn. All he wanted right then was a little sleep which he very much looked forward to. This was the main reason why he took a seat at the back rows as he didn''t want to be seen by the singer herself, sleeping at her concert. God knows how hot tempered and proud Luci Dimitri was and although she was nothingpared to him, still he acknowledged her great talents and didn''t want to make her feel disrespected.

    Feather wanted to sweet talk him further but the concert had already started. Singer Luci appeared on the stage with a bright orange glittering dress and started singing a beautiful mncholy song that cascaded in Hawk''s ears like a thread of snowkes. It gave him some wintery vibe whose coldness draws him to sleep. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling and for the first time in so many days he felt calm.

    Feather who saw Hawk felt upset that his fiancee refused to give her the best seat in the concert, he was also sleeping on her like being with her was a boring thing. This wasn''t the first time though as throughout the wedding preparations, Hawk had been consistently cold and silent. Gone was the time when he made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world and what''s left was a big wall in between. A wall that she did not notice before and just one day stood, separating their previous one heart into two. She didn''t know what happened, as far as she was concerned, she had been good with him and she gave him her heart as soon as he demanded it without hesitation only to be left in the cold and dark after just a few months. Where was the devotion and love he had promised her before?

    Sighing, Feather justid back at her seat and listened to singer Luci''s tale of sad love. The hymn she sang then perfectly fit the roars of her heart. She was broken,frustrated, angered and only if she had the guts, would she let all her tantrums let loose in front of Hawk mercilessly. However, such tantrums were her deepest secrets and she''ll allow it to win over her, she''ll surely lose all the things that Hawk promised her and one of it was to be the madam of the Monsanto''s.

    Hawk was able to peacefully snooze off for a few good minutes until something lured him back to open his eyes. There was something in the crowd that made his body twisted and his instinct drove him to turn his head toward the door, where neers silently entered, very careful not to disturb all the guests that had already been there enjoying Luci''s Dimitri''s nightingale-like voice.

    They were two youngbloods, a woman and a man, more like a couple who entered the room with sweet gestures. Their smiles at each other were quite alluring but calctive, as if they were all very careful towards their treatment with each other. The man was surely handsome and although he didn''t know him, he surely came from a family of great wealth reputation, his actions proved him so. The girl on the other hand immediately sponsored a dim expression in his face. Not only that, it made his veins rushing in and out, ready to burst any time.

    It was Cat, wearing a bit of a modest gown as her copper hair was let loose and she damned looked pretty young and innocent at that. Although she looked very far from the seductive Cat who alwayses to haunt him, he immediately recognized her, especially that her copper dyed hair was very hard to forget and so were her eyes. Hawk immediately straightened his back and his eyes, fixed at the two, following their every move as they walked past them and settled just two rows away. The ce was dimly lit so Cat surely had not noticed him. Besides, she sure was very well enjoying the man at herpany that it would be impossible for her to notice him, already ring daggers at them. Good thing Feather''s attention was already with Luci Dimitri and so she did not notice the tension that suddenly poured down on her fiancee.

    Cat who was oblivious to Hawk''s presence was looking at the man with great fascination. Soon, in the dark, herpanion whispered something to him and in just a minute she giggled and had her mouth covered by her hand so as not to disturb all the other guests. She sure was enjoying the evening, but Hawk wasn''t and hell he cared but he sure was ready to ruin that sweet romantic date of hers.

 Chapter 103 - Groans

    Simione had been enjoying the night. It had been a long time since she went out and had a good conversation. After they decided to abandon the Feather Project, the tres marias went on with their normal lives but Lucy thought Simione had been excessively drowning herself with work and studies that she never got out and had fun anymore.

    Also, a week ago, the official photos for the wedding of Hawk and Feather got leaked in the media and the singer had seen how it affected Simione. Although her friend acted like all those were something she didn''t care about anymore, her eyes faltered and Lucy knew deep inside, it made a blow on Simione''s heart. ??

    Her friend had indeed fallen for Hawk Monsanto but the singer was sure that her friend was far from being in love. Things were just getting there and this was why Simione abandoned the Feather Project¡ªbecause she wanted to put off the fire that was blooming in her heart for Hawk. She knew Simione very well and she knew the girl was very careful when ites to things about love as she had once fallen into its trap previously and was unable to let go. With all her experience, Lucy was confident she can get over whatever feeling she had with Hawk easily.

    In Simione''s part, it was true that she was feeling attached to Hawk for some reasons and just like Lucy was thinking, she indeed wanted to put off the fire before she drowned in it. However the past month of overworking and over studying did not help much and when she saw the wedding pictures of the couple, things only got worse. Desperate, she decided to go out and have fun but Lucy, who was always one step forward, secretly arranged a blind date for her. Surprisingly, the blind date Lucy put up for Simione was a brilliant man and so Simione gave it a chance. That night, Lucy arranged something so the two could attend her concert together but since they had fun teasing and talking about many things on the way, they reached the theaterte.

    However what Simione did not expect was that Hawk would be there. Lucy assured her that Hawk did not confirm his appearance and also when the singer ran into the front row''s list where people like Hawk was to be expected, she did not see his name. Besides that was only a small concert of hers and usually Hawk does not appear on such gatherings so the singercently gave Simione'' date a ticket.

    So there in that semi-lighted room Hawk with an expression that was ready to kill, fixed his gaze on the new couple that arrived. He was deeply bothered by the fact that Simione was thoroughly enjoying the man''spany and they constantly gave each other some whispers. Simione''s smile then was heartbreaking for him to watch as he had never seen Simione smile like that at him and never appeared so modest and innocent but always seductive, sexy, irresistible. Right then, many things had rushed into his mind¡ªWas this Cat''s fiancee? Was this how she dresses and acts with the man she was about to marry? Very dignified? Does the man even know what she was doing at his back?

    Instantly, he felt his sweat gathered in just below his nose and he wiped it off with his hands. Something within him was brewing and it came intense like how the waves crashed the ocean when there was a storm¡ªthe current was strong¡ªready for a downfall. Good thing Feather then wasn''t giving him some attention, thinking he was still sleeping when the truth was there in the dark, his grey eyes were filled with fire. A minute more and he was to burst, ready to confront anyone, only if Simione did not move and politely leave the theater.

    Simione excused herself to go to the bathroom because for some reason, she felt utterly different that night. Was it because she was with thepany of all the elites? Normally, Simione does not go on socializing with the elites so she doesn''t attend Lucy''s concert at all. However this one she cannot refuse as aside from it was Lucy who arranged it, the man, whom she was with was a huge fan. It was his first time being able to attend a concert as he was studying all his life abroad and so his opportunities for attending Luci''s concert were limited.

    The girl spent a few minutes in the cubicle and right after, washed her hands on the sink. She nned on doing some retouching on her makeup for a moment before she headed back to the theater but as she raised her head in the mirror, her eyes went big on what she saw!

    There at her back, looking all dashingly handsome in his tuxedo was President Hawk Monsanto whose eyes dug on her like she was his prey. Simione, out of shock, threw her make up kit on the sink and immediately turned to face him, only to be weed by stern and a smoldering look.

    "President¡ª"

    "Mi amor," He cut her offpletely and stepped closer so that there was nothing left between them but just there to breathe. His eyes protruded down to her honey colored ones looking for something aside from surprise, but he could not see anything.

    No longing, no despair, only surprise.

    Was he the only one having such a hard time with their separation? Ah of course! He had forgotten she could appear anytime she wanted if she once longed for him, but she didn''t and that only meant one thing¡ªshe doesn''t care about him at all¡ªand that hurt as hell.

    Hawk chuckled at disappointment. He thought seeing her smiling to another man was the only struggle that would give him more sleepless nights. It turned out her apathy andck of concern for not being able to see him for one full month was more difficult to bear.

    "I suggest you stop calling me that one President Hawk," Simione who had then recovered from shock remembered she should not feel anything with such a sudden meet up.

    "Why mi amor?" Hawk asked this time, his veins bursting out of anger and lust. He wished he could just forget about the second but his anger intensified his desire, so was Simione''s indifference. Previously, she had made it clear she wanted him but right now, it seemed like she''s not anymore interested. "Are you afraid your fiance will know?"

    Simione smiled at his confrontation, however if Hawk thought he had the upper hand, we''ll the girl was still holding on to the weapon tight. She chuckled immediately and this sponsored a shudder in Hawk''s shoulder as if herugh was a warning he should not cross.

    "I sure am not afraid my fiance will know," her smile held her victory. Then with a steady stance, she dragged her lips toward his ears and whispered. "How about you? Are you not afraid Feather Han will know?"

    Hawk''s ears immediately warmed up most specially that Simione, whispering in his ears sounded so sensual. However, with the warm feeling travelling from his ears, to his face down to his stomach, so was fear that rushed into his mind. The mention of Feather''s name made him hesitate knowing very well she was just in the theater waiting for him.

    "Should we make a bet?" Simione challenged especially when she saw his apprehension. "I''ll introduce my fiance to you and how about you introduce me to Feather?"

    With her challenge came her hands that she intentionally rested on Hawk''s hips and without warning, pressed him to hers so that they could both feel each other¡ªtheir warmth, their heartbeat and so was the fire that both roseplicatedly inside them. Simione then started to glide, moving in a way that her hips were squeezing and rounding at Hawk Monsanto''s front, like she was dancing, on top of him. Hawk immediately groaned at it.

    "Hmmm...is that a yes?" Simione murmured, almost drowning to the sensation she voluntarily ignited. She didn''t actually know why she ended up seducing him when she was very clear to her previous stand that she was so done with the Feather Project. However, right then, what she was doing obviously wasn''t for her revenge ventures anymore, it was to please herself with Hawk''s warmth and with his anger¡ªanger over the fact that she had brought another man and that made him uncontrobly jealous.

    "Should we go and see Feather now?" Simione continued throwing challenging words while Hawk was struggling to find his bnce and control. God! Simione grinding between his thighs was something he had terribly missed and didn''t want to miss anymore and so he savored the taste of it¡ªas it was so sensually vorful he couldn''t help but want to have a taste!

    Unable to help himself, he wrapped his arms around Simione and with groans of lust, captured her lips and owned it like he had always dreamed off for thest few weeks.

 Chapter 104 - Balled Fist

    Simione let Hawk take over the kiss, not that she intended it but she for a moment drowned into the fantasy again of being his woman. His lips moving on her were all possessive, so strikingly stunning and tasteful that for a moment all her sound judgement fled from the window. Hawk made sure he made a mark on her, savoring the taste of her lips, leaving no corner untouched. It was a deep kiss and it was ravishing.

    However although she was all tempted, she got over her desire all too quick, specially that she knew she will only ended up defeated if she''ll make her have his way and so instead of surrendering into Hawk''s advances¡ªwhose lips was already on his way to her nape and down further¡ªshe tried to control her urges and yed fire with him.??

    "Ah, you do miss this I could tell," Simione hollered, her tone was sarcastic but Hawk was so upied in his lust he didn''t notice it. "Doesn''t your fiance taste so good like me?"

    Hawk groaned but intendedly ignored that he heard Feather''s name. He was trying so hard to get Simione to surrender to him and leave her wanting like she always does with him and so he put more pressure on his touch without knowing that he was only pushing himself more to his disadvantage because the more he explored her body, the more he got drowned into the sensation.

    Running his lips to her smooth exposed flesh and being able to catch the whip of fresh floral scent on her nape already made him so intoxicated that for once he had forgotten about his anger and all he could think of was his longing for her. His senses went numb. He was not in clear head anymore to see that they were in the women''s bathroom and that any moment someone can catch them doing fleshly pleasure and this right here might end up in a huge scandalous uproar.

    Simione however was too mad to ever let her guard down. She wore all her pride and sanity that night that even when her heart so wanted hispany and her body was responding to all the sensations he was giving her¡ªshe fixed her focus onto the fact that unless he cannot let go of Feather and choose her¡ªshe''ll not have this sinful ventures again. She had already decided to abandon the Feather project and that decision should stand, regardless of how she felt.

    Truth was she hated everything that was happening then. She hated the fact that whenever they do all this fleshly pleasures, Hawk was making her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in this word and that every part of her was worth giving attention and yet, despite how passionate and satisfying this all ends, Hawk still choose to go with Feather and pursue her. There was a time she had built some hopes for Hawk Monsanto¡ªthat probably he was something that would turn out wortht and good of all the shamelessness she did in the name of revenge. However, fate had already proved to her that nothing cane out good for making things out of covetousness and so Hawk was not something she could own just because she felt like she deserved him.

    Hawk after all was Hawk Monsanto¨Cthe President of M Conglomerate, the youngest billionaire in the country and a man that rests so high in a pedestal that was so out of her reach and that no matter how his body shouts its need for hers, she will never ever be good enough for him.

    Hawk was already on his way to capturing Simione''s breast by pulling off the sleeve of her dress and started kissing her exposed chest. It was obvious by his kisses that he so wanted her and that he was already at the verge of his lust, he could kill whoever tried to snatch Simione away. Unluckily, Simione was not afraid of him and so she gave him an ultimatum before he could have another free taste.

    "You know very well the price of having me," Simione stopped Hawk''s hands as he was about to rip her gown off. Hawk who was all so drowned with his lust was very much surprised by her sudden protest that for a moment, he dragged his grey eyes to her with furrowed brows trying to question her what was wrong.

    Still confused, he desperately opened his mouth "Mi amor, what''s wrong? Please I terribly¡ª"

    "You want me?" Simione asked head on, her honey colored eyes dug deeper on him. Then in a hard demanding tone she collected. "Pay the price,"

    "I can give you everything you want," Hawk wasn''t in his right mind yet, not still aware that Simione''s fury was far too rming than his lust.

    Simioneughed so suddenly, very hard that Hawk''s mind caught up with what was happening and immediately flushed aplicated look. Only then that he became aware of Simione''s mockery and a panged of anger and annoyance hit back onto him. Heavily breathing, he grabbed Simione''s wrist and steadied her then repeated his words with precisement. "How much? You know I can afford anything,"

    Simione''sughed only aggravated at his rising fury that made Hawk too aware she was not all afraid at him. It was such a rare sight to see as he had never seen a woman so tantly mocking him when the rest of the poption in the city cowered at him with fear.

    "Can you afford me Feather''s ce?" Simione''s lips twitch at her inordinate demand. "I want to be your woman, with no other. Can you afford that?"

    Hawk''s expression dimmed at Simione''s words and only at the moment he had became aware of how serious andplicated things went on for everything. Why did Cat all so suddenly demand Feather''s ce when she first sought nothing but only his wildpany? He couldn''t believe the thing she was asking and for a moment he got so confused that he stepped back with a face that bore allplicated expressions.

    "You can''t," Simione answered in behalf of him. His expression and retreat in reality hurt her in so many ways but she held all of it in, sucking all the pain and failed expectations. Funny was that she had already expected this reaction from the great Hawk Monsanto and yet seeing it outright was damn more painful than she ever thought of it. She didn''t even love him yet. Or probably she had but not yet as deep and desperate like she had with Lyndon but he already managed to hurt her,deep.

    Stupid Simione. Stupid!

    The first man she loved betrayed her and ended up not choosing her.

    The second man betrayed someone for her yet still ended up choosing the other.

    Ah love, when will she ever be lucky with all the men she hands her heart on.

    Lucy was right, they were all the same! She''ll remember to listen to her in the future.

    "Cat, I don''t know why you are¡ª"

    "No need for an exnation Hawk Monsanto," Simione took advantage of the space Hawk made for both of them to fix herself under his still confused whim. She went on and smothered her gown and pushed back in ce her straight long copper hair before she walked away. The current rejection Hawk gave her helped her push aside all her insecurities and make a glorious exit by sophisticatedly walking past Hawk Monsanto like an empress who needed no man to escort her out.

    "Cat," Hawk tried to stop her by uttering her name but she didn''t even spare him a look. Desperate, he chased her out until the door and grabbed her wrist again, wanting to clear things out. He was so done with all theirplicated rtionship and wanted to see what could be done for everyone''s benefit because until right then, he didn''t have an ounce of idea what she wanted. Although she told him she wanted Feather''s ce, he was still confused why and how serious she was with it.

    "Cat please, let''s talk," He demanded, his Hawk Monsanto aura taking over the ce immediately that even Simione shuddered at it. However her frustration over Hawk''ste reaction had already ruined all her hopes.

    Cat aggressively yanked his hands away from her so that for one glorious moment their domineering attitude collided. Hawk wasn''t anymore clouded with his lust that he was then flushing off his being Monsanto¡ªproud, ruthless,manding that for a moment, he looked like a rigid businessman who wasn''t at all pleased with their transaction.

    Simione however didn''t fidget despite the fact that the sight of him gave her an instant fear. She however faced him with her headstrong unrelenting attitude that gave Hawk Monsanto an instant message¡ªshe wasn''t going to bend on him.

    "There is nothing to talk about President Hawk Monsanto," Simione answered with all her pride that was about to shatter any moment if she would stay long in his sumbing presence. "It''s nice to have a good business with you.Unfortunately you cannot afford my price, so I''ll give it to someone who can,"

    "Adios," She added and turned, leaving Hawk with his fist balled tight.

 Chapter 105 - Dreadful

    The moment Simione left Hawk , his expression went dark. He was shaking furiously as his anger and frustration went off its limits. Cat telling him that they were done was something he didn''t want to have and knowing that there was another man trying toy a im on her made him helplessly mad.

    Just thinking about how she left him right then to go with her man was already a huge p on his face and made his blood teeming with violence. His temper cannot be tamed anymore and he needed an avenue for all of it to leave his body and so walking past that great hall once again, he went back to the theater to find Cat and finish what they had started. ??

    Damn her! How dare she end things with him just like that?

    She cannot leave. She cannot just leave him like that!

    No one leaves Monsanto! No one leaves him!

    Opening the theater door with a loud bang, Hawk was weed by the audience pping and greetings of Lucy''s finished concert. The once dimmed light was already lifted and so every corner of the theater then can already be seen. Because of the loud cheering, everyone was then oblivious to the Monsanto temper that rose into Hawk and so no one did notice the tension that was about to fill the room.

    "Where is she?" He approached the man whom Simione was previously with without hesitation.The man was then joining the crowd with pping and whistles and the sudden tugged of Hawk turned his attention from Lucy to him.

    The man who realized it was Hawk Monsanto who approached him was very surprised. "President Monsanto? What a surprise? How can I help you?"

    The gentleman was casual enough to inquire about Hawk''s sudden question. He was thrilled of course that the youngest billionaire of the country took notice of him and was looking forward to having a good conversation¡ªall unaware of the anger that the M Conglomerate''s president had for him.

    "I said, where is she?" Hawk gave an impatient shake in his head. He doesn''t care anymore if that man was Cat''s soon to be husband. All he could think of right then was Cat and her clear intention of getting out of his lifepletely.

    "Are you looking for Cat?" The man raised a brow at the thought. Why was Hawk Monsanto interested in his date? Never in the whole wide world would he imagine that the two had any connection because Cat and him, although both intellectuals, weren''t really from good families in the city as he knew. They were both not from elites and if not for Lucy''s free tickets, they both would not be able to afford the concert that night.

    The mention of Cat''s name on his lips made Hawk felt utter disgust as if the man was not suited to even speak of it. Trying to hold off his temper, he immediately grabbed the man''s wrist and threatened him. "The thing between you two, don''t ever think about it,"

    Although Hawk had reached the pinnacle of sess, it wasn''t his trait to be a bully, especially not with men below his circle. It was obvious that the man was amoner, educated but still amoner. His tuxedo wasn''t expensive enough, so was the watch he was wearing. Aside from that, Hawk knew mostly all the significant people in their city and this man in front of him wasn''t one of them.

    However, knowing that his rtionship with Cat was on the line¡ªif one could even consider that a rtionship¡ªhe was then shamelessly bullying the man. Deep inside, Hawk Monsanto was very aware he was not in his right mind anymore and that his self-control had been dismantled thoroughly. He cannot think right and act right that time and all he could focus on was Cat and all the things he could do to prevent her from leaving himpletely.

    "President Hawk, I don''t think you have a say on these things," The man who refused to be bullied retorted casually. Although he was very aware of who he was talking to right then, he was also well principled and educated enough to know that what Hawk was doing was beyond what he was supposed to. How could he just approach him so suddenly and tell him to stop dating Cat? Who was he? Cat''s father?

    Since he was then amoner, he didn''t have much experience with the elites and he so believed in universal principles that a rich man cannot just step into the men in lower ss than them. So when he heard Hawk''s warning, his pride went above his fear and so he met Hawk head on. Besides, Cat was a very beautiful, interesting woman and although they had only dated twice that time, he was already having fantasies of her bing his and so like Hawk, he was not willing to let Simione slip out of his hands.

    "I get to have a lot to say on many things, especially when ites to Cat," Hawk pressed. With the way the man was responding, he could immediately tell there was indeed something with the man standing before him and his Cat who at the moment was missing in action. "Stay away if you still can or you''ll see what I can do to people like you,"

    "President Hawk, this is too much. I don''t remember having any faults at you," The man shook in incredulity at Hawk''s hostility. He cannot believe his most awaited concert and date would just be ruined by a pathetic elite whom a lot of people had been admiring. They all said he was far from the old Monsanto''s but him, bullying, intimidating and threatening him right then just because of Cat and without proper exnation made him worse than his ancestors.

    "Just make sure to stay away from Cat and we''re good," Hawk growled, his eyes then was already firing up like he had finally found an avenue for his seething anger and aggravating frustration.

    "Cat and I is something you¡ª"

    "Don''t you dare say her name like she was your equal!" Hawk''s voice went above the cheering and immediately all eyes turned to them as the crowd fell silent. Feather, who was drawn to themotion immediately got one hell of a huge shock when she noticed Hawk was the source of such a sudden mess. From what she can see, it seemed like his fiancee was confronting another guest but the reason for their argument was unclear.

    "I meant no offense and no need to be harsh," The man was surely taken aback. Hawk''s anger then was all too sudden; he didn''t even have time to evade it. If only he knew his night would end like this, he shouldn''t have forced Cat to attend Luci''s concert. All he ever wanted was to have a good romantic night with Cat and not some arguments with an unreasonable elite because of the girl. "All I''m saying is that, whatever Cat and I decide on our rtionship is something we should decide on our own. I certainly do not understand your interference, President Hawk and your expression then makes me conclude you and Cat had something which I think was far from being true since I am well aware of your uing wedding with ballerina Han. So this whole Cat ordeal between us was something I do not understand,"

    "What''s with you and Cat by the way?" Cat''s date asked, wondering why the hell was Hawk Monsanto trying to shame him in front of everyone.

    "It''s none of your business anymore," Hawk dismissed his question as if he was not worthy to ask it.

    "It is my business because Cat and I were very positive whatever we have right now can lead into something great" He refuted him once more that only angered Hawk that he ever was. "Cat was to be my woman and ¡ª"

    He was not anymore able to finish his words as Hawk already threw a hard punch on his face. Together with the man''s painful groaning was the shrieking of the crowd who became an audience to their boiling argument. Hawk who then all filled with anger had thrown it all on to the man whom he thought Cat was favoring and the thought of it was all too frustrating that one punch wasn''t enough to gratify his blood lust. So just after his first punch, Hawk threw another and another until the theater was all filled with chaos. Cat''s date tried all his might to dodge all of Hawk''s attack and defended himself but at the end, Hawk who was all used to violence won over him that in just ten minutes his punches was then feasting on his rival who was already at the floor, bloodied.

    "President! President!" Lucas, who was then alerted by the situation, rushed to the scene first than guards of the venue did but he was all toote. Hawk had already let everyone see his ruthless and mercilessness that what was left of Lucas to do was drag him away from his almost unconscious prey.

    All the guests were left dreadfully speechless on what took ce. It was such a dreadful sight and those who caught the argument started whispering they were all quarreling because of a woman. These words of course reached Feather and his heart sank to the deepest of the sea with no hope of recovering. Helpless, she could do nothing but flushed a surprised and fearful look at her fiancee.

 Chapter 106 - Break

    Simione was there when Hawk went berserk but she was nowhere near. After the confrontation they had in the bathroom, she went out for a while to get some fresh air and vent out her frustration with Hawk and only after few good minutes did she go back to the theater, ready to face her date whom probably by then was already worried that it took her a very long time to get back.

    As she strode in the theater, the dreadful sight of Hawk Monsanto having an intense argument weed her and before she could go in between the two men and appease either of them, someone grabbed her away immediately out of everyone''s sight. Lucy''s bodyguard whom then the singer instructed to fetch Simione took the girl silently before she became the center of attention.??

    Lucy had sense that something was brewing up, especially that she received reports just after she stepped out the stage that Hawk Monsanto was there. In panic, the first thing that got into her mind was her friend, Simione. She was afraid that the two would cross paths and some chaos would ensue. Indeed she was right because just after a few minutes, Hawk made amotion and ended up being violent with Cat''s date.

    "President! Stop! Stop!" Lucas grabbed Hawk away but there was already blood everywhere. Cat''s date was on the floor, all bloodied that his once handsome features had all been messed up. Hawk''s anger had gotten its toll on him and he went on uncontrobly that for a moment he had lost his sense.

    In just two minutes Lucas had grabbed his boss and the securities came to manage the situation. They all called for an ambnce and brought Cat''s friend out already unconscious while Hawk was still there trying to squeeze himself out from the persons that had stopped him. The M Conglomerate''s president was of big build and so it took four people to stop him from charging again with his rivalpletely.

    His once angry expression lingered as if punching the man nearly to his death wasn''t enough even when his nemesis had been taken away from his sight. He was really pissed and although what he did was bad in every perspective, he just couldn''t let the man pass away his grip especially when he was making a im on his mysterious woman. For all that foolishmoner knew, she wasn''t an ordinary woman he can just have whenever he likes. Even though he himself was having a hard time dealing with her, how can it be easy for such amoner like him?

    Hawk who then wrapped in Lucas arms squeezed himself out, ready to face everyone who dared defy him. He didn''t know why but for the sake of Cat, he can have as many enemies as he can, especially if their intention was to grab Cat away from his reach.

    "What happened?" Lucas confronted as he freed him. He was all to shock when someone informed him that Hawk was in serious shit. Right then his arms were still around him, keeping him from attacking everyone because even when the drawl was over, the expression in Hawk''s face cannot be trusted. He flushed a non-regretful face as if the attack itself wasn''t his doing and he was all innocent.

    "President please," Lucas begged when he saw that Hawk wasn''t over it and he was trying his best to brush him off so he could continue going wild and berserk. However this time, men circled on the President of M Conglomerate, all ready to stop him in case he decided to be wild again.

    Even with all the taunting stares of the onlookers, Hawk''s anger did not subsides, not until Lucas informed him of the consequences of his cruelty, "President what are we going to do about this? Feather had seen it all,"

    "Feather?" Only at the mention of the heiress name did it alle back to Hawk¡ªthe concert, his wedding, his fallen reputation and of course the mishap that he did in everyone''s zing stares. Although no one had confronted him outright afraid of what he''ll destiny might be being an anti-Monsanto, the way Hawk had managed to scare out almost the entire of the city''s poption was far too rming for his team to handle. Even Lucas himself had seen the fear that rose above everyone''s spine and how they were obviously cursing Hawk under their breaths for being such a ruthless powerful being.

    There at the theater that night, when Hawk''s head had cleared off, he dragged his eyes toward his fiancee and saw Feather from afar, standing like she was shrinking into the crowd. Seeing what happened under her eyes, she became too afraid to even walk toward Hawk, more so looked at him. She stood from her spot shaking, afraid that any minute, Hawk''s anger will be directed to her and that she will end up having the same fate with the man Hawk had his casualties on.

    The sight of Feather being too afraid of him woke all the senses out of Hawk and when his senses cleared he ended up cursing himself for what he had done. His uncontrolled temper made his mind paralyzed for a moment leading him to do such outrageous violence. He was lost for a moment and he certainly didn''t want to scare Feather out of it. However, even though he regretted it, the thing went on uncontrobly that neither he nor Feather was ready for it.

    "Miss Han," Lucas, who had seen Hawk''s anger subsided and had be clear-headed, went to pacify Feather''s fears. She was still shaking when he approached her and even before he could do some pleading to help the girl recover her steady state, she stepped back with a look that tells everyone she was all too terrified to go with them. In the end, Lucas''s pleading became useless and the Han heiress ended up running away all by herself not wanting to be with the violent Hawk and her retreat sponsored a big p on Hawk''s face.

    What had he done?

    How could he lose it all in front of Feather like that?

    How he lost it in front of everyone!

    Hawk''s team had always been promoting the M Conglomerate as a brand newpany without any trace of violence and ruthlessness that had been attached to his name for centuries and so what Hawk did was certainly a contradiction toward their branding. One could tell that he had seriously made a huge shit on the way he acted that night and how he ended up almost killing someone for petty reasons.

    Indeed, in just a span of twenty fours from Lucy''s concert, M Conglomerate suffered a serious blowback on Hawk''s unrestrained behavior and many had been cursing him anonymously online as no one was brave enough to do it outright.

    "This is getting out of hand," His PR team had been in a serious situation after that violent scandal broke out and they had to work all their asses out to remedy the situation with all their expertise.

    Knowing that the blowback was huge and the fire cannot be put off immediately, they nned to drag on the issue for days until it would just fire off itself. They knew issues like this were good only until people talked about it and so they nned to stop all the talking by just ignoring itpletely and have Hawk be out of everyone''s site for a little bit¡ªenough for them to forget about what happened.

    When people talk less about what happened in the concert, they hope to have Hawk participate in good social activities and so people will forget his violent temper and would see him in a different light.

    "You mean we have to keep him out of everyone''s sight?" Someone confirmed. The scandal had not only taken its toll on them, Hawk too was greatly frustrated of himself about this one serious mishap he ended up not doing anything against it and just sucking all of the people''s me and pinpointing.

    They were right afterall, he was a one hell of a proud arrogant person who deserved no less than everyone''s hatred and spanking. He had received quite a serious blow back just by disying his temper, how would people loathe him if they knew he was two-timing between twodies? For sure, he will receive more criticism than what he has right then.

    "Let''s send him off somewhere to clear his head. President Hawk wasn''t himself these days, perhaps a little vacation would help," One suggested very much favoring the idea of getting Hawk out of the limelight. These days, he has constantly been in the top news considering his uing wedding to Feather Han so a single mishap like what happenedst night surely cannot be kept.

    Perhaps a little rest from the media and the crowd would help fix things and so they all decided for Hawk to rest and spend time somewhere he could assess his own foolish self.

    When Hawk received the suggestion through Lucas, he epted it all easily. He knew something was wrong with him, especially that before the scandal, he had been having a hard time sleeping and he acknowledged he needed help. He had attended several therapy sessions after the incident and none helped¡ªnot even with his sleeping problems so he knew he needed a hard reset.

    The predicament that he had with the two women was obviously ruining his confidence and respect in his own self and he admitted he needed to fix that before he can fix anything.

    For how was he going to expect other people to forgive his misdeeds when he cannot even forgive his own self . With this, Hawk willingly took the PR team''s advice and left the capital the very next day to have a break from everything.

 Chapter 107 - Changed

    The Devon City where Simione and the other tres Maria''s lived, so was Hawk Monsanto and the Hans was the capital of their country and due north where there was nothing but mountains, dangerous terrains and hills was Commis Vige, one of the remote areas where few natives lived.

    To be able to get there, one had to cross severalkes and had to hike for a day from the main road. Hawk, who was desperate to leave the city and have a hard reset, didn''t mind all the challenges, especially that he had ventured far worse ces than that. From Devon City, it took him two days to be able to get there. One day was spent travelling to the north and the other for a long hike but after all the pain, sweat and exhaustion, he reached the small vige safely.??

    His appearance in the vige caused old folk''s heads to turn, curious on what a stranger who seemed to be from the city was doing in their humble vige but when he had talked to a few to ask a few questions they had understood he came to stay with someone he knew.

    Soon Hawk can be seen walking a few more miles, this time away from the vige where most of the vigers'' hut were gathered. He crossed a rice field at once and at the far end was a temple, being maintained by one single man. He was the vige monk and he had been in that vige for just a year as he had been recently assigned there and had long nned to dedicate the rest of his life to the work of religion.

    When Hawk stepped into the temple, there was nothing but bricks and a deafening silence. Nothing can be heard aside from a few birds singing and the brushing of tree leaves. There at the far end, he could see some smoke rising into the air and that was where he went. On his way was an open wide garden that stretched until the far end where a temple altar was ced. On that altar, a single human was standing¡ªa man with a bald head and whose neck was full of beadles and was praying.

    Hawk respectfully waited until the man finished his prayer and when he opened his eyes and noticed him, there was not a single expression in his face as if he was already expecting the man.

    "Papa," Hawk called and bowed at him politely.

    "You must be in trouble again," The man said and grimaced a bit at the sight of him. The M Conglomerate president rarelyes to visit him and for him to be willing to give up some time to meet him in such a remote area where he was just recently assigned means he was in deep real shit. "You never really call me papa on regr days, only when you are in trouble,"

    Hawk only smiled bitterly at the old man. It was the old Monsanto butler, Butler Gah¡ª who single handedly raised him for years while they were on the run. He was a monk now which he specially requested to be when Hawk was finally able to get back on his feet and live independently.

    "It''s good to see you papa," Hawk expressed. Butler Gah, although he had long retired as his personal butler, was the only father he looked up to and so whenever he was in deep trouble, it was hispany and wisdom he always sought.

    Truth was if only Hawk had a choice, he would never want the man to leave hispany but when thetter had seen that he had grown up and can tend on his own, he requested to retire and spent the rest of his life paying for his sins and that was how he became a monk. Hawk knew the man very well and had seen personally all the things¡ªterrible and good ¡ªthat he had done while he was in the service of the Monsanto''s and so he epted his request although he didn''t want it. However he always kept watch on him and made sure he knew where to find him as he was one of the persons whom he treated as a family.

    "This ce is very remotepared to thest temple I was assigned. You should have note and bother to visit me," The man all turned to him now, deeply scrutinizing his face and expression to see whether his previous words were right¡ªthat the Monsanto he raised was in deep trouble that''s why he came.

    "The journey is fine," Hawk replied and the old man who knew him well only heaved a deep sigh.

    "Guess you messed up big time," His butler noted and cued to follow him. The entire temple wasn''t that big so in just a few minutes they reached a small quarters where his butler assigned him. "Rest well. I''ll cook some food for you but since you are here in the temple, it would be rude for you to just stay idle all day. Tomorrow when you are well rested, help me nt in the rice fields and gather some woods,"

    "Yes papa," Hawk didn''t protest anymore. He was used to this kind of treatment from his butler as he made sure he knew how to work hard. This traitbined with his Monsanto blood was probably one of the reasons why he became the youngest billionaire in the country. However that title didn''t matter to his papa as even when he had a big conglomerate under his hands, for his old butler, he was just anybody not worthy of special treatment.

    After that, his butler left and Hawk went for a good bath then took some nap. When he woke up, it was dinner time and so he and Butler Gah sat on the table and talked about many things¡ªincluding the reason why he was here, his illicit affairs with two women and most of all sudden uncontrolled temper. Butler Gah sure spent the whole night lecturing his son and decided he should not leave the temple until he made up his mind.

    "How did you even end up having another woman?" Butler Gah was mad as hell with it. "Your deep devotion with the Han''s heiress was something I was once proud of with you never expecting that you would end up ruining it by your misdeeds,"

    Hawk didn''t answer and just took in all the chiding.

    "Hawk¡­." Butler Gah sighed, greatly disappointed but the look on Hawk''s face told him well that things weren''t easy for him. There was something, something in his story that doesn''t feel right¡ªnot the cheating part but the part on how he ended up being seduced by another woman. However, knowing that Hawk was then pretty naive when ites to rtionships as he had never been in any real rtionship before Feather, he knew something like this was possible.

    "I could not really advise you on who among them to choose," he admitted hisck of experience too. "The fact that you had long treasured the Han''s heiress and yet another woman managed to steal your attention, means the new girl wasn''t ordinary either. But you can''t keep them both. To have one with the other would only lead to more trouble and negativity and so you must make up your mind and choose,"

    "I understand papa," Hawk heeded his butler''s advice. "It''s just that, when Cat and I started, I never thought being with her for real was possible. It felt like she was something I do not deserve but days ago, she demanded my loyalty and it was only then that I realized she wanted to be with me. I never thought this was an option,"

    "Cat? Her name was Cat too?" The name sure did not escape Butler Gah''s scrutiny.

    Hawk nodded to confirm it and this only sponsored an amused expression in Butler''s face. "Ah...funny how you always have hard time on girls with such a name,"

    "It was purely coincidental," Hawk defended, although he kind of agreed with his butler with it. Why indeed in the world girls with the name Cat gives him some real headaches? What''s with such a name?

    Thinking through it, he recalled something more amusing. "Her name was Cat and like Feather when she was young, she too had honey-colored eyes, skin so white like pearl and certainly tall. Except for the hair, she had a dyed copper one and so I''m not sure what her natural hair looked like. But with all her main features, I even think if I hadn''t seen Feather yet, I might have mistook her as my old Cat. She was just like her when Feather was young,"

    "When Feather was young? Why do you say that like ''the now'' Feather didn''t live up to your expectations?" Butler Gah noticed his indifference with it. Thest time Hawk came to visit him was in another country where he was assigned previously and that was two years ago, before Hawk went to propose to Feather. Although he sent him some postcards then and now, theirmunication had always been limited so they haven''t discussed Feather for a long time now. Right then, Butler Gah was curious about how she was.

    "She was still beautiful as I could remember," Hawk started, "But she somehow changed,"

 Chapter 108 - Saving Grace

    "Changed?" Butler Gah returned the question.

    "I don''t know, for some reasons I felt like her being exposed to the outside world changed herpletely," Hawk sounded disappointed. He does remember that in their childhood years when they were both still in Somerset vige, Cat was having doubts about giving in to her grandfather''s ns of sending her to the city to see the world outside and he was one of the persons who encouraged her to do it. Now, when he had seen how much she had changed, there was something in him that wished she didn''t leave Somerset. Perhaps her father was then right, the world in the city will ruin her pure and innocent mind.??

    "All the traits that made her what she was hadpletely gone. She wasn''t wild anymore, nor headstrong and not anymore that naive to things,"

    "You say like this was the best of qualities when they were not," Butler Gah shook his head bemused on how love can make a person go blind. He did know Cat as once the girl visited their house, way back when they used to live in Somerset and he particrly noticed her strong character¡ªvery unrelenting.

    For him, headstrong women were only a headache and it amused him how his son, Hawk, became particrly fond of this attitude of hers. Perhaps because itpletely changed his idea of women as fragile little things who needed a man to get through life, because that Cat whom they both knew was never fragile and was also very independent enough¡ªtoo independent rather to depend on anything nor anyone.

    "Feather right now is too needy, not that I don''t like it because it does make me feel good knowing that she needs me but¡­.but¡­ I do love the old Cat more," Hawk confessed.

    "So this was where the other womanes into the picture," Butler Gah concluded and started hitting off the topic about Hawk''s another woman. "I now know why you are too attached to her. It''s because she reminds you of the old Cat you loved so much,"

    Hawk didn''t answer anymore because his father''s words were so on point, he couldn''t rebut any of it. This was what he particrly liked about being in Butler Gah''spany, he needed not to pretend or hide his true self, even his dark and shameless side.

    "Don''t you think you just like this new woman because she reminds you more of the Cat you used to know?" His papa added when he saw that he wasn''t answering.

    "Perhaps. The truth papa is that I do not know, there''s just something about her that I could not resist," Hawk said helplessly. "She felt like someone I am very used to having even when I just met her,"

    "And Feather?" Butler Gah asked. "How do you see her?"

    Hawk for a moment to think about it. "Feather was my foundation. My reason for everything but perhaps our long separation created some permanent walls that I cannot break anymore. I do love her, I love my fuzzy cat and you know that very much,"

    "Hawk, love is a serious thing. When you say love¡ªit is supposed to be unconditional. That means no matter how much a person would change, it won''t matter," Butler Gah reached for his shoulder to press it. "If the changes with Feather now matters to you, then perhaps it''s not love at all,"

    "Are you saying I should give up Feather?"

    "I''m saying that perhaps you had given the Han''s heiress too much devotion you had forgotten to leave some for yourself," Butler Gah tried to push some sense to him. "I know you love Feather, I had seen this since you were young and it was because of her that you had be who you are today. However, your life my son is not all about Feather, you just made it so. Obviously, the Cat you used to love does not anymore exist as Feather had changedpletely. So decide now which among the two girls can make the best out of you,"

    "How do I know which one can make the best out of me?"

    "Simple," Butler Gah''s eyes brightened. "Choose the one who can make you sane,"

    Hawk''s head formed lines at this advice. His papa made it sound so simple but he was then having a hard timeprehending it.

    "Papa I¡ª"

    "You came here because you had lost your mind and that''s the reason for your sleepless nights and uncontrolled temper," Butler Gah cut him offpletely. It was obvious Hawk could not see through things. Knowing Hawk, even though he was a Monsanto, Butler Gah knew his temper was tamable as he was able to tame it when he was young. For him to go berserk over a petty thing only meant a stimuli had hit his resolute and he believe it had something to do with one of his women, "Choose the girl who can make you the Hawk Monsanto I know, not this ever messed up adult that I am seeing in front of me,"

    "Previously I didn''t mind your mad devotion to that Cat girl because she was able to make the best out of you," His papa added, "Now, I wish for you to have a partner who could do the same,"

    "But Cat is Feather,"

    "There''s no doubt about that . We know there is only one heiress and that is the daughter of Mauro han, the only son of Don Benedicto Han," Butler Gah expressed. "In the vige they seemed like normal people. I almost never thought Mauro Han stepped over Han''s Scintiit because with all honesty, as I''ve known him in Somerset, he is not the type of man who''d like a life with the elite''s circle. I can''t even believe the kind of man he has be now,"

    Butler Gah sure did not believe at first that Mauro Han took over Han''s Scintiit as when he knew him in Somerset, he was quite a humble man. When Hawk told him he had changed and became an aggressive gambler, he could only shake his head in disbelief. However, seeing his name all over the news and other media outlets as indeed the CEO of Han''s Scintiit, it was hard to deny it anymore. Besides, when Hawk was able to get back from hiding, round when he was seventeen years old, they went together to attend Feather''s debut in Voltaire Ballet and they had seen the two personally for the first time in many years¡ªMauro Han taking over the stage to give her daughter, Feather some bouquet after a good performance.

    That time, Mauro Han, he can instantly recognize as nothing much has changed from his physical appearance aside from him bing quite confident. Feather on the other hand was a teenager and although her features had changed since she had grown up the trace of the old Cat was still with her¡ªher brown hair, honey-colored eyes. Some quiet stunning features left her however like her ever pearl whiteplexion and her being so exceptionally tall but of course since she was the only daughter of Mauro Han, he knew well that she was Cat, the girl from the Somerset vige.

    Besides, both Hawk and him knew that Cat went to Mara Balletpany and became a prima donna as she once sent Hawk some letters when Butler Gah and him were still living in Somserset. However, after they left the ce to escape some of their enemies who managed to find them after many years, themunication between Hawk and Cat stopped. Fast forward after that, Hawk learned from a newspaper that the Han''s heiress who was then the prima donna of Mara Ballet was epted in Voltaire Ballet Company in London and that she had left the country to train more.

    "You are not the only one who feel upset of what he had be," Hawk also expressed his dislike about the current shameless Mauro Han. "Perhaps his changed of attitude was also the reason why Cat changed,"

    "Could be," Butler Gah agreed. Sighing to give his chest some fresh breath he expressed, "But it''s good that she still remembers you even after so many years. Your bond really is something,"

    "It''s true. If only you know how it made me feel so happy to know she still remembers me," Hawk answered and smiled, finding some positive side of all the misfortunes they had gone through.

    If there was one reason why he kept on holding on to Feather, it was this bond he had with her. It had started when they were children and had grown only strong now that they were then lovers, almost to be wed. Cat''s impact on his life was more than friendship, more than apanion or a ymate as she was then his saving grace. The only woman who had inspired him to be better in life and it was really hard to give her all up just because a stranger came and intrigued him.

 Chapter 109 - Foreigners

    Hawk adjusted pretty easily in the life in Comis Vige as although he was one of the richest men in Devon City, he grew up running from ces to ces and being able to adjust easily to new environments was something normal for him. Also, living with Butler Gah, they had lived on simple resources that eventually, even though he was a Monsanto, he was used to the life of being poor.

    In just days, he was able to befriend some of the vigers and had been helping the vige folks in their daily chores specially when ites to farming and tilting thends. He noticed that vigers in Comis vige were all old folks and small children¡ªthis got him intrigued, especially that it was very odd for amunity not to have any young adults. He asked one of the people he befriended and it was exined that all of the young adults in the vige usually migrate to the nearest town which is miles away as soon as they reach the age of thirteen. ??

    This was because the vige did not have a highschool and so when the kids graduated from elementary, they were all being sent to a nearby town to continue their education. After highschool, most of the Comis youngbloods migrated to the city either to work or continue their studies and so this exins why the only regr people staying in the Comis vige were old folks and young children.

    The young children in the vige on the other hand wereposed either by the children of the young adults that they cannot take care of in the city so they send them to their parents for regr care and the rest of the poptiones from the nearby orphanage that is situated in the vige. That orphanage had long been built and they were one of the institutions that kept the vige vibrant and lively despite their small poption.

    Hawk, one sunny afternoon was helping the vigers nt some potatoes which was their main crop. There in that big opennd near the road, Hawk tilted and dug the soil while hispanions, mostly elders, were the one nting the crop. They had started the nting since early morning and this continued until past afternoon with just a little break and rest. This was what upied most of Hawk''s days in Comis vige and although the job requires a great deal of physical activity, he didn''t mind it such. In fact he was thankful that at least something was keeping him busy and exhausted so when the night ended, due to physical exhaustion, he scked down the bed with no trouble sleeping.

    "Thank you Hawk for your help," The vige head, elder Santio, expressed his great thanks to him. Normally, because of their small poption, it took them almost a week to fill the empty but with Hawk''s presence, they had been able to do almost seventy percent of the job in three days. Since Hawk was still young, he had no problems digging thend and since he was very fast with it, their nting process elerated fast. "It''s really good to have young bloods during nting season, it fastens the job."

    "But youngbloods these days would prefer to work in the big cities than tilt thend," Elder Susan, the vige head''s wife, joined the conversation as she had been filling cut potatoes to the soil that Hawk dug in a straight line. "Even our own son would note home anymore as I think he had been enjoying life in the city. Oh that child! I wonder when will hee and visit us again,"

    "Just let him be," Thinking about his son, Elder Santio turned to Hawk and with pride introduced his son to him, "My son Hawk is working in a big conglomerate in the capital. You two should see each other when you go back home in Devon City so you could ask help with him if you are looking for a job. He might even rmend you to thepany he was working at then. Thatpany pays a lot,"

    "Hey you old fart! Do not influence Hawk to go and live in the city. Can''t you see he is training as a monk? He sure do not like the city at all," His wife brushed off the vige head''s suggestions, "Not all youngbloods like the city you know, I wish our son would have chosen to live here with us and help us caring for thends and just like what Hawk is doing right now,"

    Hawk only smiled at the folk''s words. He finds it amusing how people in the Comis vige see him as an ordinary person. They all didn''t know he was a rich man in the city as he was introduced as the adoptive son of the vige monk and since Comis vige was remote enough not to have any reception for inte and television, it was easy for Hawk to hide his identity. They thought that he came to train for being a monk and follow his father''s footsteps of being a man of faith.

    As the afternoon ripened, Hawk and the vigers decided to retreat from the fields and so they all gathered in the small river to clean themselves up. The river was a great distance from the road but even then, the people in the river noticed the flock of people that were hiking towards the vige. There were like fifteen of them and together with their group was a small carriage being pulled by a horse and in it were boxes of something that Hawk had no idea off.

    "It seemed like the volunteers hade," Elder Susan announced as she dragged her eyes to the neers. They were of considerable distance so they could not clearly scrutinize them one by one but something like that was not new to the vige so it was easy for her to conclude that those were indeed volunteers from the city.

    "Volunteers?" Hawk turned to ask her more about it.

    "They are here for the orphanage. Volunteerse here regrly for the kids," Someone exined and Hawk already had a grasp of what it was all about. It''s not new to him how some non-profit organizations go on volunteering for some good deeds to give back to the society so he easily understood it. "I heard from the directress that what was scheduled toe these days were a group of foreigners,"

    This announcement didn''t intrigued Hawk much and so he went on cleaning himself in the cold water of the river. However, for some reasons he could not tell, there was some force within that drove him to scrutinize the newes as if something significant was with them. He thought what he felt was pretty odd so he brushed the thought and went on with what he was doing. Soon, he waved hispanions goodbye and went home to the temple where his father was already preparing a dinner.

    "How was the nting today?" Butler Gah asked. He had seen how clean he was when he came home so he prepared the table immediately so they could already eat. He knew he must be hungry and his face already shouts exhaustion all over.

    "We are almost done," Hawk replied and helped his father prepare the utensils. He then sat at the table with them and talked about the neers that they had seen. "Foreigners hade for the orphanage,"

    "I see," Butler Gah seemed not surprised. He was used to seeing volunteers once in a while and so the news wasn''t a big deal to him. However his statement somehow reminded him of something and so he went on. "The directress actually sent an errand boy earlier to invite me for tomorrow''s activity in the orphanage. I don''t usually go since I had to schedule prayer and you know how I don''t like fancy celebrations. However you must since everyone in the vige will be there, the elders might look for you,"

    "We still have to finish nting tomorrow so I don''t think I''ll have the time," Hawk announced. Truth was he was not up for any celebration and lively gatherings these days as it seemed not apt for the reason why he came here. He must pray and meditate like his father does and perhaps do more good deeds for the vige,"

    "I''m sure the farmers will halt the nting tomorrow to cater the orphanage''s request," His papa replied but seeing how reluctant Hawk was, he just dropped off the conversation about it. "You are not required to go. Just go if you want, if you don''t feel like it then join me with my prayers tomorrow,"

    "Alright papa," Hawk obediently answered and started digging on his food. The meal was sumptuous and delicious even when they were just a simple menu and so Hawk didn''t withhold himself and satisfied his tummy. After dinner, Hawk was the one who cleaned the table and washed the dishes as his father had to pray. Soon, after all the household chores was finish, he withdrew to his bedroom and had a goodnight sleep.

 Chapter 110 - Hardwork

    The next morning, Hawk went on with his usual morning routine and left the temple early to continue nting potatoes. He was up early, earlier than all the people in the vige and even when he reached the area where they worked on alone, he didn''t mind and started tilting thend. Many days of nting made him realize that it was better to nt as early as one could because when the sun goes up, the heat will exhaust one easily and the tilting will be slow. Unlike when one tilts in the early morning, the sun''s heat isn''t that skin piercing, so one can go on tilting without much inconvenience.

    The morning went on and oddly, no one came to the fields that Hawk thought his previouspanion might have decided to postpone the nting today but even then, he continued tilting as he really had nothing else scheduled to do that morning. He even thought that if hispanions would note, he''d continue tilting until noon and perhaps spend the afternoon gathering wood sticks for the temple.??

    "Hawk, what are you doing here?" Elder Susan came to approach him as the olddy saw him tilting alone. "Didn''t the orphanage invite you to their program? Go and clean yourself so we could go together,"

    "It''s okay Elder Susan," Hawk replied with a face that tells the olddy he was not at all bothered by working in the fields alone. "The orphanage did sent us some invitations but I don''t feel like going so I just decided to continue working on the fields,"

    "Child, stop what you are doing or else you might make ourpanions guilty knowing that you had worked here alone while all of them were partying," Elder Susan announced and his words did hit something inside Hawk. That possibility didn''t ur to him but it thus indeed sounded reasonable. Indeed hispanions might feel guilty knowing he had worked alone. "For sure they will be looking for you at the party. After all, our vige is small and so they will immediately notice your absence. Come along now, let''s go to the orphanage together,"

    "Alright," Hawk immediately let go of his tools and dragged them to the river where he washed them and also washed himself clean.

    "I''ll wait for you at the house," Elder Susan shouted at him as she retreated. "Help me carry some food for the orphanage. I had cooked plenty for today''s party,"

    "Yes elder Susan," Hawk replied obediently and continued on with what he was doing. When he was satisfied with his cleaning, he walked with his tools toward elder Susan''s house and saw the old woman busy packing something covered with banana leaves. He suspected it was some kind of delicacy as he could smell its sweet aroma.

    "Grabbed some to eat," The elder told him and he spared no time to grab some of it, opened its banana left cover and devoured what''s inside. He didn''t know what it was called but it was sweet and pretty delicious.

    "Do you like it?" She asked when he saw he had finished one in just a minute. Hawk then only nodded at her requisition.

    "Ah, you are so like my son. This also is his favorite," Elder Susan smiled at him and went on with what she was doing.

    Soon, Hawk and elder Susan traversed the road to the orphanage and only then did Hawk realize the ce was a bit far from the vige itself. They walked for a considerable amount of time in the woods until they saw a stone building in the middle of nowhere. As soon as they advanced, Hawk could hear some lively music being yed and childrenughing and giggling.

    "This orphanage was built by a foreign phnthropist," Elder Susan told him some story about the ce they were heading. "When he was young, he got lost in the woods and luckily found our vige. He loved the ce and immediately connected with the people that soon, he lived here with us. Then he built this orphanage in this property which used to be his home and when he died, this became one of his legacies,"

    Elder Susan wanted to tell Hawk more about the orphanage''s backstory but children run towards them as soon as they emerge in their sight.

    "Elder Susan! Elder Susan!"

    The children called and surrounded them as if they were very pleased with their presence.

    "I know why you came running for me," the old woman replied and slightly bent to meet the children''s eyes who were all brimming with excitement. Then she lowered the food to their grab and announced, "Get one each of you,"

    "Yehey!" They all responded happily and turned to line themselves and started grabbing the delicacy they brought. After everyone got their share, they ran back to the party leaving the neers alone. "Thank you!"

    "Ah these children!" Elder Susan seemed pretty fascinated by them. "They run away from me after they get their shares,"

    Hawk also smiled at what took ce. The children and themunity in the Comis reminded him of Somerset and the life he lived as a simple vige child. Back then, like those children who just approached them, he was innocent of many things and the only concern he had was food, ytime and how he hates nap times. This warmed his heart and so his expression brightened at the thought.

    "You must have liked the ce," Elder Susan saw how his expression rxed and thus shemented. "I told you it is fun here,"

    "I do notice that," He replied politely and soon the sight of theirpanions emerged from Hawk''s sight. They were all gathered around a big table, watching the crowd of children dancing in the middle with other adults.

    "Oh here''s Hawk!" One announced his presence. "I thought you would note,"

    "He went on tilting on the field," Elder Susan told them as she dropped what she was carrying on the table. "Good thing I saw him or he had been digging the whole day alone,"

    "Such a hardworking child you are," One of the old menmented and cued for him to sit beside him. "It''s not time to nt today young man. Today is meant for a joyous celebration. Even men like us needs some holiday you know,"

    "I thought some would skip the party and continue nting so I went there early," Hawk reasoned gently and joined the elders in watching the dance. The children did so in unison.

    "We are only a small vige Hawk so when we have celebrations, we all have a holiday together," One of hispanions went to exin and went on, "Only your father doesn''te to celebrations because we understand he had to pray most of the time. God bless the humble monk,"

    "He indeed had to pray," Hawk affirmed. "He had been praying this morning when I left,"

    "He is all praying for our sake so we should not take his time from praying," Elder Susan intervened. "Yet even though he was such a busy man, especially that he is alone in that temple, he does help us with the fields and evenes to our aid when there are emergencies. He is such a gift to our vige"

    "Blessed the vige monk," Hispanions agreed and then went on to watch an intermission number the children in the orphanage prepared for the visitors.

    The orphanage prepared many intermission numbers for them, there was a group dance, a choir, and a one act y. They were so entertaining to watch that even Hawk was delighted no matter how simple it was all of it. It just breathed out so much innocence and freshness knowing that these kids had a hard start in life yet they were living a happy peaceful life in the suburbs.

    Once the intermission number was finished, everyone had upied themselves with the food and just a littleter, another set of dancing took ce¡ªthis time everyone was able to join in the dance floor and for once, Hawk noticed the foreigners that arrived yesterday. There were many of them and they had been there since the beginning yet they were at another table and since Hawk was busy chatting with hispanions earlier, he didn''t notice them. Some of them joined the fun and they were wiggling and hitting off their best moves with the old folks and the children in the dance floor.

    Hawk smiled at the diversity of the crowd before him but his smile left his face when he caught someone familiar dancing together with the children. His heart pounded and his jaw tightened at the sight of her ever flowing copper hair that hung over her shoulder. She was wearing a simple white shirt and a pair of jeans and she wasughing her heart withholding nothing as she danced and swayed in the center with two children beaming at her. Hawk, who couldn''t believe his eyes rose from his seat as he dug his eyes down at the innocent Simione who was oblivious of his very existence.

 Chapter 111 - Husband

    Hawk couldn''t believe what he was seeing. It felt like his eyes were betraying him and that Simione dancing in front of him was nothing but some sort of hallucination. His eyes fixated on her for minutes, like the whole world stopped and only Simione was the only worthy looking at.

    Her copper hair swayed with her body as she danced and her aura blended perfectly at the ambiance of the party¡ªlovely, joyous and very heartwarming. There was always something about the way she moves, she was always graceful like a swan.??

    "Isn''t that Cat?" Elder Susan asked as soon as they noticed Simione''s presence. It was really Hawk the old woman was looking at, wondering what captured his attention and when she followed his eyes, itnded on Simione.

    "Oh yes it is!" One of hispanions blurted, very much thrilled by what they saw. "She came this year!"

    "Cat! Cat!" Hawk''spanions called on her and it only took a minute for Simione to drag her eyes to them. She smiled at the old folks but it faded when her eyes fell on Hawk. She was taken aback for a bit but instantly recovered her expression that one barely saw the awkwardness that she felt. Feeling the need to greet the old folks out of respect, Simione left the dance floor and walked to their table.

    "Hello everyone" Simione bowed and greeted them. "How have you been?"

    "Oh Cat, you look more beautiful now," Elder Susan forwarded to give Simione a hug which she reciprocated of course.

    "Elder Susan, so you are," She returned thepliment and dragged her eyes to the vige head, "My greetings to you vige head,"

    "My greetings to you Cat," The vige head replied with a wide smile as if Simione''s presence had made his day brighter. "How have you been? When your previousrades camest year and the other month, they said you might not go and volunteer for a while because brother Don is sick. How was he?"

    "He is fine, vige head," Simione replied politely but it was obvious her expression faltered a bit at the mention of brother Don''s circumstance.

    "Is he awake now?" The man continued asking. "They said he had an ident and he went intoa,"

    "He hasn''t woken up yet but ording to the doctors his health is fine and that maybe sooner orter he will," Simione patiently answered his question as if Hawk wasn''t there. She wasn''t at all concerned if Hawk was listening because she knew the information she was giving the elders won''t bring Hawk nowhere in case he''ll have her investigated.

    "Aido you old man!" Elder Susan red at her very own husband, cueing him to stop asking because she had noticed Simione''s not so good expression. "Why do you keep bringing up the bad conversation. Cat is here to spend time with the kids and yet you are ruining her vacation by reminding her of brother Don," Then after confronting her husband, Elder Susan turned back to Simione, "Don''t worry dear, couples do undergo some sort of challenges for some reason. This challenge you have right now with brother Don will soon be over. Be strong okay,"

    "Yes Elder Susan, thank you,"

    Hawk didn''t like the flow of the conversation, especially that the name of a man was being mentioned. Who was this brother Don they were talking about?

    "Brother Don must be so lucky to have a wife like you, Cat," One of theirpanions at the table expressed. "It requires great strength to stay with a man who can do nothing for you. Brother Don is sick now, he cannot protect and provide for you and yet you are still by his side,"

    ''Wife?''

    Hawk''s surely caught the word. So this brother Don everyone was talking about was her husband? Was she married all this time? Hawk wanted to grab and asked her then, but in front of the folks, he could not do so.

    "Oh c''mon," Another interjected. "That''s how love is. Cat and brother Don had been sweethearts ever since they were young. They love each other so much that was why Cat was staying with him even when he had beena already,"

    ''Love?''

    What kind of foolishness was he hearing? Hawk''s eyes never departed from Simione as he was then studying her expression. Cat however ignored his presence, pretending that she doesn''t know him.

    "Hawk, sister Cat is very lovely," One of hispanions noticed how his eyes were doting on the girl and so he grabbed Hawk by the shoulder and teased. "But unfortunately man, she is already taken. Besides his husband, brother Don was not only handsome, bt She is had brother Don already while you is to be a monk,"

    "Mario what foolishness are you talking about," Elder Susan chided the man who just bbered nonsenely. His words made an awkward moment but before everything sank into a mess, Elder Susan tried to rectify what had been said. "It''s only normal for Hawk to look at Cat, afterall she was a very beautiful woman. I just remember the time you first saw Cat, you were drooling disgustingly,"

    Everyoneughed at Elder Susan''s words that Mario shamefully retreated. "I was trying to tease Hawk a bit because he seemed out of ce,"

    "By the way, Hawk, this is Cat. She is one of the regr volunteers here in the orphanage," Elder Susan took the initiative to introduce the two to each other. "Cat this Hawk, he''s the adoptive son of the vige monk. He came here to train with him,"

    "Hello," Cat bowed at him as if it was still the first time she had met him. Truth was Cat was shaking inside as she was expecting Hawk would go berserk again and ruined the party just like what he did thest time in Lucy''s concert when he got pissed of her and it was a great relief on her part when he didn''t. What was he doing here anyway? And what does Elder Susan mean when she said he was training. Training to be a monk?

    Hawk only nodded in response, unable to return her greetings. It wasn''t intentional thought, for a moment he had just lost the courage to answer for some reasons he could not understand.

    It had been three weeks since Hawk didn''t appear anywhere in Devon City. After the incident in the concert, he kind of vanished from anyone''s sight, not even Lucy could get any information where he went. Who would have thought that Hawk Monsanto was here in Comis vige, pretending to be amoner?

    Although nothing was much said about Hawk, the way the old folks werefortable with him gave Simione an idea they didn''t know who Hawk was. Besides, judging from his very tanned skin, who right then already matched theplexion of the farmers in Comis vige, it was easy to guess what he had been doingtely. He must have been nting potatoes with the farmer. This raised some curiosity on Cat''s part as she had been visiting Comis vige for a long time and yet none of the families here, as she knew, were connected to any big personalities in the city.

    "Vige monk you say?" her curiosity was not able to stop her inquiry. "Isn''t the vige monk from this vige? I had been here for a long time and never saw him tending to a son,"

    "It was a different monk Cat," One cared to exin to the girl. "The old monk was sent to another country for a new mission. To rece him, they sent another. He had been here sincest year but because you didn''test year, you surely had not met him yet,"

    "I see," Cat finally understood. So there''s a new vige monk and it is Hawk Monsanto''s adoptive father. Wow, that''s certainly interesting.

    "You have been here for a long time?" Hearing her asked questions about him, he felt the need to do the same.

    "Oh Cat had been volunteering here since she was young with brother Don," It was Mario who exined it. "They are one great and very kindhearted couple. Perfect for each other,"

    Hawk smirked at Mario''s words. Good thing was everyone was very focused on Cat and they didn''t notice his indifference. Anger rose into his stem about what he just learned but he tried too hard to control his temper as he knew the consequences for breaking lose already.

    Great and kind hearted couple?

    Who are they fooling ?

    If only they knew how Cat came to destroy his rtionship with Feather, then they sure will not say that.

    Hawk wondered then if the man he almost killed at Singer Lucy''s concert and the one being called brother Don was the same man. However, he just heard them all saying he was ina so the likeness is rather slim. So does hisatose husband know she had gone on flirting with another man? He had too many questions then, waiting all to be answered. Unfortunately, he might wait until he gets back to the city before he could inquire about it all unless Cat herself will exin it all to him.

 Chapter 112 - Basket

    Simione had taken a sincere liking for the Comis Orphanage because of two reasons; First, after being drowned of so much rejection from the people she expected to love her, it was at this ce she found a home.

    Years ago when she was young, she was brought to the government system of homeless children andnded here. It was only for a short while but everyone here, all pure strangers to her treated her well.??

    Second; This was the very ce where Lyndon and her spent most of her favorite moments with him.

    Every summer before, she came here with Lyndon to volunteer and it was also there where the Tang boy confessed his love to her. This was the ce where they officially became a couple. Everyone in Comis vige witnessed how their love bloomed and expected the two to marry as soon as they reached eighteen. The wedding didn''t happen however, but Lyndon and Simione didn''t tell the vige folks about it and so they all assumed they had already married since both were past eighteen already. Besides, they didn''t really talk about it that much, nor did they deny it when people talked about it.

    The conversion in Hawk''s table went on for a few minutes but cut short when the time for food had been announced. After some prayers, all children, host and guests dug into all the food that had been served and so everyone then was busy.

    Simione, who then was so relieved at how the conversation went on without Hawk brewing some trouble, tried to avoid him as much as she could. However, she couldn''t withdraw to her quarters nor stay in the kitchen because surely everyone will wonder where she went and she was very much needed in the party because some of the foreigners she was with cannot understand theirnguage and so she was tasked to do interpretation for them.

    Few days ago, the one assigned to the foundation where the volunteers wereing from called her and asked if she could apany the group of foreigners to the Comis vige for some volunteering. She rejected it at first as she thought she won''t have time for it but after what happened with Lucy''s concert¡ªhow she med herself for the fate of the man she willingly dated with and how things went pretty bad at Hawk, Lucy advised her to take a break and so she decided to call the foundation again to ept their offer. Luckily they hadn''t found an interpreter yet so the position then was vacant. So that''s how she ended up going to Comis vige again after skipping a year of volunteering, not that she intended to drop the good deed as Comis vige always have a ce in her heart but with all that what happened to the Tang and how she was caught up with so many things, she had lost time for it.

    To avoid Hawk, Simione had been watching his every move at the corner of her eye and moved farther away when he attempted to approach her. She was able to catch up with the chasing for a few minutes not until some child took her attention and she lost track of Hawk. Soon, she found herself cornered by him and so she could do nothing then but face whatever he had to say. Hopefully he won''t go berserk or there will be chaos.

    "So you have a husband?" Hawk confronted as he pretended to get some food beside her. Simione, standing on the edge of the table, couldn''t leave on the spot because she was then handing kids some fruits one by one and the line was a bit long.

    "Here you go, little one, one orange and what else do you want? An apple?" She talked to every child that came in front trying to ignore the great Hawk Monsanto as possible.

    "Thank you Cat!" The kids all gave her thanks and she couldn''t be more thankful when the line ended.

    "Oh it looks like we don''t have fruits anymore," She told herself. She heard Hawk ask something more but all his words passed through her ears unheard.

    "There are still more fruits in the kitchen Cat," One of the folks heard her murmur and so she told him. "Why don''t you go with Hawk and grab another basket of it?"

    "Hmmm...Hawk can perhaps go on his own," Shit! Simione cursed herself. If she hadn''tmented about the fruits, she won''t have to deal with such a suggestion.

    "I don''t know where the kitchen is so you need toe with me," He smiled knowing that the girl had no choice then. If she thinks she can avoid him forever in that small vige, well, not a chance.

    "Then I can go alone," She was ready to grab the basket and turn but she heard some of the folks insisted on letting Hawke and so, Hawk took the basket and smiled down at her victoriously.

    Simione faked a smile at everyone and proceeded to walk away from the party. She was then walking too fast with not much concern if herpanion had coped up with her. She well wished she would be lost around the orphanage but that was just too impossible for someone like him.

    "So you have a husband?" He repeated his previous question.

    Annoyed, she chose to be sarcastic with him. "So what?"

    "Does he know?"

    "..."

    "Does he know you were dating a scumbag?"

    "Daniel is not a scumbag. He is a schr and he might not be as rich as you but he was a humorous man and all the more sensible. Unlike you, you are boring and most of all a goddam cheater!"

    "Describing yourself mi amor?"

    "Not so close to Hawk Monsanto," There was fire in her eyes but before she could punch the man on the face, she chose to banged the kitchen door instead and poured out all her frustration transferring the fruits she found in the table to Hawk''s basket.

    "I don''t understand mi amor, do you take me for a fool?" Hawk chose not to withhold himself. "Why did you even approach me in the first ce, seduced me and ruined my rtionship with Feather when you had a husband ina? Is that¡ª"

    "Brother Don is not my husband," She cut him off and looked at the man in his eyes wondering why he seemed all frustrated. Was it the source of all this frustration? She wanted to believe it was his venture with her, but the situation had so many options she couldn''t get past his facade. Was he frustrated because the violence in the concert ruined his somewhat good image? Or was it because Feather and him quarrelled or was it because he med all his misfortunes on her?

    "The old folks wouldn''t lie,"

    "The old folks knew nothing of the fact that our marriage didn''t happen," Simione exined. "And they were already old Hawk. I don''t want to cause the old folks some heartbreaks. They all see how and brother Don were and expected a lot from us and so I know they''ll be upset about the news that we broke up before the wedding happened,"

    "I don''t think I can believe you now," Hawk was somehow suspicious but Simione''s eyes were very clear and fixed when he looked at it, indicating she wasn''t lying at all.

    "You don''t have to believe me and I don''t really fucking care!" Simione retorted, her voice a bit louder than usual and she red at Hawk who was just standing beside her. Upset, she pushed her hair at his back and heaved a sigh frustratedly. "Look, I came here to rx. It would be good if you keep out of my way. Why are you even here in the first ce? God out of all the ces!"

    "I don''t want to argue either and like you I want to enjoy this ce with peace," Hawk announced. "It''s just that we have some unfinished business,"

    "I don''t want to deal with it now,"

    '' I don''t want to talk with you'' was what she was supposed to say but she was then afraid he might go berserk again and so she gave her the less harmful words.

    "Okay. Let''s not talk about it," Hawk clearly understood what she meant. After all he suspects she came here for the same reason she had¡ªto think, to unwind, to detoxify. Life in the city had been stressful for the both of them these days and thet so badly needed this vacation.

    "Let''s have a ceasefire," Simione suggested. "Well just keep pretending we don''t know each other and go with the flow. We will not have a single conversation about our affair and be casual friends for the rest of our stay. How about that?"

    "I can deal with that," Hawk ageed. He didn''t want to give in at first but she had seen how stressed she became and so he backed down with his confrontation. Was she troubling him that bad? Or perhaps she had been dealing with something elsetely?

 Chapter 113 - Bunbun

    Hawk stopped instigating Simione andmitted himself with their ceasefire. Afterall, peace was what he sought here in the Comis Vige. He carefully carried the basket of fruits with him and followed the girl as they headed back to the party. Simione was then very thankful that the great Hawk Monsanto didn''t make more fuss.

    They walked down the big garden back to the party but before they could, a foreigner, one of Simione''spanion rushed toward her.??

    "Cat! Me need you" The foreigner, who knew only a little english rushed toward her in panic. After she uttered limited words, she exined herself in full korean that both Hawk and Cat understood. Hawk had been learning severalnguages because of his business while Cat learned it because of her constant exposure to foreigners.

    Cat didn''t hesitate and just followed the foreigner down a great hall until the dormitory at the back. She was in a hurry, half walking and running until she heard a child''s cry filling the hallways of the children''s dormitory. Then with worry, she pushed open one of the rooms and saw a few adults trying to calm down a child who had been crying endlessly at their watch.

    "What happened?" Simione asked as soon as she entered the room.

    "Mimi!" A child jumped off the bed and rushed into Simione''s arms. He was tearjerked but his expression brightened at the sight of her. The girl picked him up and he immediately snuggled into her chest.

    "Bunbun why are you crying little boy?" Simione caressed his back tofort him. The child was one of the orphans who was one of those hard to deal with yet Simione was close to him.

    "The other children said he had nightmares and was up all night," One of the staff in the orphanage exined. "So this morning because they knew he hadn''t had much sleep, so the other kids didn''t wake him up for the morning routine and for the party. He just woke up now and had thrown a tantrum for several minutes already. None of us could calm him down so I had asked for you,"

    "I see," Simione continued tofort the child and looked down on him, who was then thumb sucking whilefortably leaning his little body to the girl''s soft chest. "Hey there little guy, care to tell mimi what''s making you so afraid? Is it true that you had nightmares?"

    The child nodded, then opened his mouth to speak. "Monsters eat mimi,"

    "Really?" Simione raised a brow. "Do you think monsters can eat mimi? Of course they can''t! Mimi will eat them instead!"

    "Wooooh? Mimi eats monsters, num num num," The child seemed to have been amazed by the idea. Suddenly his mood lifted and the volunteers that were there heaved a sigh. Bunbun was very picky on who to care for him and his tantrum was really hard to deal with but he was such a happy kid and very independent at times. It was just since he was just little, people always looked after him.

    "Okay, time to change your clothes. There''s a party outside, you don''t want to miss that," Simione put the kid back on the bed and took the clothes the staff had in her hands. They were in the process of dressing him up for the party but the kid had been very reluctant and ended up throwing tantrums.

    Under Simione''s watch however, Bunbn was very obedient. He even volunteered to dress himself up. When he was finished, he raised his hands up again, wanting to be carried to where the party was. Simione of course carried him again in her arms.

    "I''ll look after him," She told the others.

    "Cat are you sure? We had been bothering you a lot when you were only sent here as an interpreter. Also, the foreigners might have been keeping you busy," The staff was hesitant knowing how loaded Simione was.

    "Its okay, he''s not hard to look after anyway," She told them but before the conversation was over, Bunbun squeezed himself out of Simione''s arms wanting to be put down.

    "What''s wrong little boy?" Simione looked at him and saw that his focus was on something else. Cannot restrain him any longer, Cat put him down and saw him running toward the door with two open arms.

    "Didi!" Bunbun eximed and all of them inside the room turned to the person the child was calling. Simione raised a brow while herpanions blushed at the sight of Hawk Monsanto at the door.

    "Didi!" Bunbun repeated and reached out for him. Hawk was stunned at the child''s special treatment and how he was calling him Didi. As far as he knew, this was the very first time he met such a child and yet the little boy was acting like he all knew him.

    "Up pease¡­" He demanded and pouted a minute after when Hawk didn''t move. He flushed a tearful face. Hawk had no idea how to deal with him but one thing for sure he didn''t want was for him to try so he picked him up and scrutinized him as if he was some kind of species that needed a careful thought.

    "Didi," The child was delighted when he picked him up and immediately brought his face close to Hawk and kissed on the cheeks. He then turned his eyes back to Simione and pointed to her, "Mimi!"

    The staff who saw how cute the scene was giggled at it while Simione''s face couldn''t be painted. Did Bunbun just called Hawk Didi?

    "Bunbune here, I''ll carry you to the party now," Simione paced the room toward the door and attempted to take the child from Hawk''s arms but instead of being obedient, he wrapped his hands on Hawk''s neck tight and protested with a big no!

    "I can carry him, it''s okay," Hawk volunteered. He saw how close Cat was to the child and although he didn''t know how to handle kids, he wanted to use such an advantage. At least with Bunbun with him, he doesn''t have problems getting near Cat because it seemed that the child was his ticket to her.

    "No Hawk, he''s a handful. You''ll end up exhausted," Simione warned. She was about to say something more when she noticed the staff at her back giggling and pressing elbows at each other. They all found the view of Hawk and Cat with Bunbun so cute that one could not even control himself and ended up taking a picture of it.

    "Hey!" Simione chided when she saw the shes. Immediately the staff hid their phones and pretended nothing happened.

    "Cat, who is this young man? Oh you better not let brother Don see him or else he will surely be jealous!" One teased.

    "He is so handsome," Another whispered to herpanion but it was loud enough to reach Simione''s ears. Soon her face warmed up and before things would aggravate there, she just opted to leave.

    "You can carry him, just tell me if he is being naughty" Simione gave way to him and walked out of the door. She couldn''t stand the ambiance there anymore and so she preferred to leave.

    Hawk followed her behind with the child in his back. Earlier when Cat was called by the staff, he went back to the party alone to bring the fruits. Afterwards, he went to look for her and since he saw the direction they took earlier, it only took a few minutes before he found them. He was then worried what could have taken ce and why was Cat dragged in haste, not expecting that it was all about the child he was carrying in his hands.

    "What''s your name, little guy?" Hawk asked the child. He had never in his life held a child in his arms and he was just thankful that he was not as fragile as he thought or else he surely wouldn''t know how to carry him.

    "Bu bu," He replied looking at the new person he was doting on. His little eye was fixated on Hawk and blinked a couple of times with so much adoration.

    "Bunbun," Simione rified his name as she heard him.

    "He seemed to be attached to you," Hawk noted. He had seen how it became easy for Simione tofort and calm the little man earlier. While all the others were in panic, she was so rxed when she approached him, like she was used to such a habit for a very long time. He didn''t really know what''s with it, but the scene of Cat with a child in his arms warmed his heart so much as it spoke so much of her character. He wondered then what kind of woman she was in real life. His intrigued aggravatedly to the highest peak.

    "Not anymore," Simione replied and turned her head to get a glimpse of the two while walking. "He found a new guy now,"

    Hawk understood what she meant and only shook his head at how things went.

 Chapter 114 - Madam Razeila

    Devon City

    Gabrie had been missing Simione and if she wasn''t required to attend a family gathering, she would have gone with her. She wondered what Sisi could have been doing by then, she must have been enjoying the simple vige life. She had long wanted to go with her ever since they were in College but her mother Lilith forbade it so, saying the elders wouldn''t like it specially if they knew whom she was with. The Monterias don''t specifically like Simione as she was only an orphan and was believed to have only been able to study in the same school with Gabrie because of some schrships.??

    The Monteria''s then was to celebrate her grandmother''s birthday, Madam Raze''s. She was the current head of all the Monteria elders and was known as a very strict, religious and conservative woman. Being the head elder, her words were always taken with such high regard that even the Monteria men could not counter her most of the time. Because of her strong personality and influence, she was greatly respected in the elite circle and was friends with many significant personalities.

    At the party, everyone had been enjoying all the good food and music. Many elites came and celebrated with them but despite how enjoyable the party seemed, Gabrie sat on the corner alone without apanion. She wanted to leave already but her step mother forbade her so saying people might mistake her absence was a form of rebellion especially that the news about Erwan and Angelisa being together had already been spread all over the country. As nned, the head matriarch, Madam Razi told everyone how Gabrie and Erwan ended their rtionship a year ago and that Angelisa was not guilty of coveting Gabrie''s boyfriend.

    With such, they required Gabrie to be present to every gathering of the Monterias and actively participate in all of the wedding preparations. Knowing that she was now the future Madam of the Zhao''s, Angelisa received quite an attention from the media and had be significant in every gathering. Of course everyone wanted to be friends with the future Madam of the Zhao''s. With this, the table had totally turned between Angelisa and Gabrie. Now, it was Gabrie who''s been on the sidelines while Angelisa gets to the stage. Her covetous half sister was then going around with Erwan during the party, conversing with the guests and getting to sit on the front tables.

    Gabrie wanted to shrink with such humiliation. Even when her grandmother made it obvious they had long been separated with Erwan, she announced that it was Gabrie who broke the engagement and so the guests kind of mocked her for her bad judgement. They thought it was foolish of her to let go of Erwan and even thought she was the one who cheated that''s why she broke the engagement to abandon Erwan for another man. Seeing her alone in the party with nopanion and looking pitiful, they allughed at her stupidity.

    Gabrie was aware of everyone''s mockery but she was past the stage of caring for whatever other people thought of her so she just thought of something to pass time. She took Serafina from her bag and positioned her to sit on a table, looking at the center stage. She then took a picture of her and posted it in Serafina''s social media ounts. Since it was a party, she thought of making use of the mor and decorations to be Serafina''s background while she let her wear a pink princessy dress that suits the asion. She took more pictures of her doll and even had her change an outfit and because she was busy she didn''t notice that Serafina''s social media ounts blew up.

    (My God Serafina is at Madam Raziel''s birthday celebration!)

    (Serafina''s outfit was to die for! I want to see her in person but I could not find her at the party!)

    (Serafina you one lucky baby! Not everyone was invited to Madam Raziel''s birthday party and yet she gets to be invited! I''m so damn jealous!

    Because of the information that broke out¡ªabout Serafina being in the gathering of the Monterias, the socialites who were then a fan of the doll''s sophistication and mour went to search for her. The party suddenly became a treasure hunting event and it created a littlemotion in the crowd.

    The whole Monteria household and some older guests were bothered by this. The chaos only aggravated as time went one and when one guest finally caught sight of Serafina, she screamed in her lungs.

    "There she is!" When she pointed to where Serafina was, everyone ran and walked toward where Gabrie was busy taking pictures and the crowd of people immediately caught her off guard that, out of instinct, she grabbed Sefarina and hid her in her arms, as shes of camera showered them. Immediately the party which once revolved around Madam Raziel and the couple, Erwan and Angelisa turned toward Gabrie as if she was the celebrant herself.

    "Was that Gabrie?" Angelisa asked her fiancee who was with her. She had enjoyed the party greatly, especially now that she can get to speak with all the guests like Gabrie did before. It had been long that her beauty was put on the sidelines and hearing all their guest''s sweetpliments and the recognition of the significant personalities of her standing, made her feel so utterly victorious. She felt all the insecure eyes against her and seeing Gabria stand around the corner looking like a pitiful ugly duckling made her feel more happy. However, before she could drown herself with the illusion that she was now more significant than Gabrie in their family, all the attention for some reasons turned to Gabrie and she could only stare with angry eyes at that.

    Even their grandmother who was all absorbed with talking to the guest got disturbed by the guest''s chaos and when she saw Gabrie being surrounded by everyone, she was filled with annoyance. What did her good-for-nothing granddaughter do this time?

    "Grandmother, it seemed like my sister made a mess," Angelisa pacified her grandmother although she was so happy at how angry Madam Razi got. She knew then Gabrie would receive a thorough chiding and she was clearly looking forward to that. "I''ll go and see her. Please don''t be angry grandmother, I''m sure its nothing,"

    "Angelisa, make that sister of yours leave the party out once!" Her grandmother replied, already annoyed. She wanted her to avoid any suspicions from the guest but from how

    "Darling, why don''t we go and see Angelisa together?" She dragged Erwan into the conversation. Of course she didn''t want to go there alone as it would only look like Erwan doesn''t care.

    Erwarn hesitated a bit but knowing that Angelisa was pregnant, he went anyway. They paced the hall toward where the chaos was and when they both saw Gabrie, surprised and clueless as to what to do, Angelisa could only roll her eyes. Was she trying to be innocent of creating such a hype when obviously she did intentionally make a mess to get everyone''s attention. Was she this desperate to ruin her night?

    "Everyone, leave please leave Gabrie alone!" Erwan, to Angelisa''s surprise, acted on impulse the moment he saw her ex-fiancee being surrounded by almost everyone. Truth was he didn''t much care about her ex but they were all staging a fake news that their break up was a mutual consent and he didn''t want people to see he didn''t care.

    (Oh She''s Gabrie Monteria, the legitimate heiress of the Monteria Group ofpanies!)

    (Gabrie Monteria was as beautiful as Serafina! I wonder if she was the one making her dresses!)

    (I know it! Only a person with Monteria blood can pull off such a glorious outfit!)

    Angelisa for once did not understand what the people were trying to say but only realized that they were all talking about her sister''s doll¡ªThe one Gabrie was trying to protect with her life. News about a beautiful celebrity doll was going aroundtely but she was used to Gabrie being a good-for-nothing-heiress so she thought the crowd was just mistaken. For sure, Gabrie knew of the doll and used an imitation to lure everyone around.

    What''s with that doll anyway? Didn''t they all know that doll is ancient?

    Also, why was Erwan protecting her? Did he forget she was pregnant?

    "Erwan my love, don''t scare the guest off," Angelisa tried to reach for him as he was then in front of Gabrie and the guests who wanted to take as many pictures as they could get. The owner of the popr Serafina doll was revealed, who would not be frantic with that?

    Erwan seemed to have not heard Angelisa and her expression only turned sour at the sight of her very own fiancee protecting her ex-girlfriend. Angered beyond control, she went closer to Gabrie and snatched her doll away.

    "Everyone, this doll is really nothing," She dragged Serafina to everyone''s face while holding the doll''s hair. Seeing the doll hanging in the air like it was not worthy of anything, the crowd gasped. They all looked at Angelisa like she was a murder than instantly but she did not back down.

    "This doll is very old. I''m sorry if you all had been fooled by how she was portrayed in the media. I don''t know why my sister did this but I don''t want to fool all of you," She bbered all the way.

    She then turned to Gabrie who was still stunned behind Erwan about how everyone suddenly circled around her. How was Lucy able to handle such a crowd every time?

    "Gabrie, apologize to the guest," Angelisamanded her as if she was a lot older. "Why did you go on scamming people anyway? Making them believe this was a significant doll?

 Chapter 115 - Brielle Doll

    "Angelisa! Give me back my doll!" Gabrie tried to snatch it back away but the angry Angelisa refused. She continued showing off the pitiful Serafina, to make everyone think she was just an imitation.

    "This is not the celebrity doll" Angelisa continued shaming her sisters. "This is just an old toy that''s really not worth of anything,"??

    "But the picture of Serafina was posted in the legitimate ount of hers," One of the socialitesmented. "It''s impossible she isn''t the doll we all were looking for because she had the same outfit and look of Serafina the doll!"

    "Yes it''s true! How could you grab that beautiful doll in the hair!" One came forward to chastise her and Angelisa saw everyone''s eyes turn deadly. For a moment she retreated, one step back. The fans of Serafina were ready to defend the pitiful lifeless beauty, very upset that she had to go through such harsh treatment under Angelisa''s hands.

    "Besides, obviously you are not the owner of the doll. Why don''t you let Miss Gabrie speak," One noted and Angelisa helplessly turned to Erwan who also saw how the fans were bing harsh with his pregnant fiancee. Erwan who too became scared turned to Gabrie and pressed her.

    "Gabrie, your sister is being used of lying. Go and tell the truth now! You know yourself that that doll is nothing. It was just one of your trashy toys and I don''t know why you had dressed her up like a celebrity doll but you had to admit your wrong now and defend your sister," Erwan was then desperate. He ended up grabbing Gabrie''s hands so hard that it already hurt Gabrie.

    "Erwan let go!" Gabrie squeezed herself out of his grab.

    "I will if you go and apologize now! Tell everyone you are just making a scene to grab everyone''s attention!"

    "And why would I? Let go or I will tell everyone how you both cheated on me.." Gabrie said to his face in a low voice and in a moment, Erwan let go anxiously. It was the first time she heard him threaten him and he didn''t know how to deal with it. Was she serious about telling everyone about his affair? Does she know the severe consequences?

    Now that she''s free, Gabrie went to Angelisa and grabbed Serafina from her touch. Angelisa wanted to snatch again but Gabrie too threatened her, "One more grabbing off anything that''s mine and I will tell everyone how you and Erwan cheated on me!"

    "You!" Angelisa''s eyes turned big at the shock. "Go ahead and tell everyone and so grandmother will surely be mad,"

    "Well I can face my grandmother''s fury. How about you, can you face everyone''s insult?" Gabrie added and for a moment all Angelisa did was look at her who for the first time spoke ill against her. The Gabrie that she remembered was kind and naive, easily to be fooled but the one before her was somehow who sure had grown some balls. What happened?

    Seeing the only things her mother left her being called a trashy toy, Gabrie could not let things go. She had suffered enough humiliation tonight by watching Angelisa taking over her ce and now she had to use her of scamming? How far can her sister shame her?

    Gabrie took hold of Serafina and caressed her ruined hair. The socialites who there immediately inquired if she indeed was the owner of the doll.

    "Are you Serafina''s owner? Did you make her dress?" The fans insisted on answers and Gabrie could only nod at them.

    Angelisa who was now in the arms of Erwan didn''t want to ept defeat and so she insisted Serafina was fake. "Gabrie please don''t lie about your doll. We both know it is fake,"

    "I''m sorry everyone. You had been deceived," It was Erwan who spoke this time and since he was a Zhao, many seemed to have been convinced by it. The Zhao''s had a great reputation in Devon city and so many take Erwans words as the legitimate truth. "I too had known this doll and I know for a fact, it''s nothing. The doll isn''t the celebrity doll you are all looking for, besides, Gabrie knew nothing of sewing so she cannot make such exquisite outfits of Serafina the famous doll. Besides, I had been Gabrie for long and I know she isn''t a friend of singer Lucy"

    Many had believed Erwans words and turned to Gabrie with using eyes. Even when her doll indeed looked like Serafina the famous doll, it was indeed unusual for a Monteria to be friends with the liberated Singer Lucy. Of course the Monteria''s would not allow any of their heiresses to be friends with her as she was such the opposite for all they stand. They were conservative good people while singer Lucy was a provocative bitch.

    "Aww it''s fake!"

    "Erwan Zhao used to be her fiancee but she cheated on him, she must have regret seeing how lovely the couple looked together tonight and she had no one so she created such a hype to garner some attention,"

    "Well how petty for her to be such a faker. Is it true she was a good-for-nothing heiress?"

    Hering the insults and seeing how her sister shrieked defenseless, Angelisa could only smile. Done were Gabrie Monteria''s princess days, these days were her turn to be the queen and she could only grin victoriously at that. Growing up, Angelisa had a serious jealousy with Gabrie. Everything revolved around her around the house specially that their Mother Lilith prioritized her over everything, even over her and her twin sister. Now, it was her time to shine and not even Mother Lilith nor their father can stand against that. She had in her hand right now Gabrie''s previous ace card and that was Erwan Zhao. Now that the boy was in her grasp, Gabrie could be nothing less important than her.

    "I''m really sorry everyone for all of this," Angelisa apologized. "My sister has not been well these days. This probably was the reason why she brought a doll with her. As you can see its not normal for an adult woman to bring such a doll but it was always herfort when things doesn''t go well so please understand,"

    "What? She''s not well? Did Angelisa Monteria just reveal her sister was not well mentally that''s why she brought a doll?"

    "Oh no! Gabrie Monteria had mental health problems?"

    "True! Who brings a doll to parties? Especially such a worthless doll?"

    Gabrie just didn''t know what to do then but her instinct told her to leave and she intended to. She''ll just leave the party and face the chiding of mother Lilith and her fatherter because she could not anymore withstand the harsh crowd. She turned back and nned to leave but as she did, someone approached her.

    "Excuse Miss, can I please see your doll?" A very polite sophisticated old man appeared from the crowd. He was wearing a very expensive suit and was wearing gold eyesses that everyone knew was millions worth.

    The man was not only polite, he also stood with so much confidence. Just one looked and you could tell he was a very educated man and certainly not an ordinary guest.

    "Mr. Wandall," Erwan recognized him. Mr. Victor Wandall was a famous toy collector and the previous CEO of Wandall Toy''s Incorporated. He had long resigned as he was already old but many still looked up to him as he had a very outstanding reputation.

    "Mr. Wandall?" Angelisa and the crowd gasped at the mention of his name. Since he had long resigned from being a CEO, the old man spent his time travelling around the world looking for rare unique toys for his collection. Because of this, not many youngbloods recognized him and the sight of him not only amazed them but also gave them quite a big shock.

    "Mr. Wandall, I assure you this doll is nothing significant," Erwan intervened but the old man seemed to have not heard his words and just looked at Gabrie like he was begging for it. Gabrie could not refuse him then, not when he looked so desperate so in a moment, she stretched out Serafina so he can have a look.

    The old man took a closer look when Gabrie allowed him and his next words confused her, so were the crowd. "Indeed, indeed. Odd. How can this be?"

    Angelisa who was not enjoying the sight came forward to stop such nonsense scrutiny "Mr. Wandall please do not waste your¡ª"

    She swallowed her words when Mr. Wandall turned to her with a disapproving look. "I''m sure Miss you knew nothing of toys, because if you do, you should have not grabbed this doll carelessly without knowing how much it is worth,"

    "Mr. Wandall apologies, However I know for sure this doll...is ancient ...." Angelisa was so afraid of Mr. Wandall expression she could not almost finish her sentence,"

    "Ancient or not. This is Brielle Doll," Mr. Wandall expressed and educated her. "One Brielle doll cost almost one billion US dors worth,"

 Chapter 116 - Humble Profession

    Everyone knew what a Brielle Doll meant and it sure isn''t an ordinary doll.

    It used to be a socialite'' doll and once they became a trend a few decades ago when wives of significant powerful families around the world brought them to luxurious parties to unt their wealth. These dolls were considered as their mini''s and so they were dressed up expensively just like their rich mistress. Henceforth, Brielle dolls were then considered as a luxury item and a sign of status.??

    Around the world, only a dozen of Brielle Dolls were made and five were still owned by powerful families while six had been disyed in big museums. Only one doll had been missing and only now that Mr. Wandall had found it.

    "A Brielle Doll? Impossible!" Erwan looked at Serafina with great incredulity.

    "Even it was the great Mr. Wandall himself said it, it seemed surreal to me. How could the Monteria own such a treasure?" The crowd was frantic like how Erwan was feeling. It was true that the Monteria''s were rich but their level of richness wasn''t the type that could own a Brie Doll. Brielle Dolls were once owned by princesses and queens, something that the Monteria''s status could not match up to.

    "Mr. Wandall, are you certain about this?" Erwan almostughed at his conclusion.

    "Are you questioning my ability Mr. Zhao?" His frightening eyes shut him offpletely.

    "No! No! Mr. Wandall.. I''m just¡­"

    "May I know your name Miss?" Mr. Wandall heaved a sigh at the boy''s foolishness and turned to Gabrie''s side. He became interested in her specially because she owned one of the world''s greatest treasures he could only dream of having.

    "Gabrie Monteria, sir," She answered and this caused Mr. Wandall''s brow raised.

    "Interesting," hemented in a pleasant surprising tone as if he did not expect such an answer. Just like Erwan, he could not imagine how the Monteria''s could afford the girl such an extravagant treasure. "May I know where you got this doll?"

    "It was an heirloom. From my mother, the only thing she left me," Gabrie answered and Mr. Wandall kind of got the situation. It had been of everyone''s knowledge that the first Madam of the Gabbro Monteria''s household died after she gave birth to a daughter. While Mr. Wandall was still full of his thoughts, Madam Raze and the rest of the visitors, the significant ones, gathered toward them. The littlemotion earlier didn''t give them much of an interest so they separated themselves from the young blood''s chaos but the appearance of Mr. Wandall caught all their attention that suddenly they already wanted to check what the chaos was all about.

    "Gabrie my dear!" Mother Lilith immediately eximed when she saw that her stepdaughter was the center of attention there. She certainly did not expect she would be involved in such amotion since she had carefully instructed her not to cause it and wait at the sidelines.

    Gabrie''s father, Gabbro, was also surprised but instead ofing to her daughter''s aide, he chose not to, although his eyes very much wanted it. It had been a long time since his daughter had not returned home and it was only then that he had seen her but immediately he wished she should have not just attended the party.

    "What do you think you are doing?" Madam Lilith paced the whole room toward Gabrie and chided her gently. Then she turned to Mr. Wandall and apologized. "I''m very sorry sir. My daugther¡ª

    "Madam Razi, what a surprise¡­" Mr. Wandall turned his head to the matriarch of the Monterias. "Howe you had never told me your granddaughter owned a Brielle doll?"

    "A Brielle doll?" Madam Razi was confused. She flushed a rather hesitant smile not sure how to respond on such a statement¡ªnotprehending whether Mr. Wandall meant a mockery or apliment.

    "Your granddaughter, Miss Gabrie, owned a Brille Doll. She says it was her an heirloom from her mother," Mr. Wandall gave way a bit so that all the newers can get a view of Serafina. "The previous Madam of the Gabbro''s household must be a very great woman. Very interesting,"

    The guest and even the Monteria''s themselves was very surprised with Mr. Wandall said. They all looked at Serafina, the doll they all considered trash with so much incredulity. That doll had been with them for decades and yet they were all oblivious to its true value.

    "Mr. Wandall, I think you are wrong," Madam Lilith tried to discredit it as like her daughter Angelisa, she was convinced the doll was just nothing. "There is nothing of great value of this toy,"

    "A toy?" Mr. Wandall seemed to have heard an insult. He looked at Madam Lilith from head to toe and said, "Madam, it was obvious you have no eyes for good treasure. How can you conclude then that this was just a mere toy?"

    "I...I¡­." Madam Lilith shrinks at everyone''s disgusting eyes. Every guests and elites knew Mr. Wandall had keen eyes for treasures and no can simply discredit him unless you had great credentials that match up his profile.

    "My old daughter-inw was a very good hearted person," Hearing that what Mr. Wandall intended it as a purepliment and that unexpectedly, Gabrie''s heirloom was indeed of great value, Madam Razie used the situation to their advantage, so she praised Gabrie''s mother. "Someone must have given this to her as a reward for her goodwill,"

    Everyone nodded their heads in pleasure at the thought of how the Monterias suddenly owned a very controversial, expensive luxury item none of the significant families in the city can match. They then all turned to Gabrie and started giving her attention.

    "Hmmm¡­ this granddaughter of yours is very beautiful," A lot of the guestsplimented and it was true. Among all Gabbro''s children, Gabrie had the most exquisite unique features that most of them thought she was a foreigner.

    "The most beautiful among all the Monteria heiress I could say," The praises for Gabrie began that both Angelisa and Madam Razi could only fake a smile at it. Of course they cannot tantly criticize Gabrie or else the whole city will know how they were all bullying her and would only put Erwan and Angelisa to a negative spotlight.

    "Ah Erwan Zhao must be so lucky to have been engaged with her," One of the guests carelesslymented. Although the despicable couple was on the newstely, surely not all elites keep up with the news so some remained uninformed about the breakup of the original couple.

    "Pssst! They are not engaged anymore!" Someone chided and the ambiance sure went awkward. Angelisa then was holding her fist, almost could not withstand such a humiliation but the warning re of her grandmother halted all her ns to throw tantrums.

    "I am not anymore engaged to him," Gabrie cleared as she had seen the troubled expressions of all the Monteria''s present, specially all the elders.

    "Oh really how is that so my child?" The others then who were still not aware of the situation inquired. Some people could not just withhold their curiosity so they all went on asking without restraint.

    "I¡­.I¡­.everything...I mean," Gabrie just couldn''t bring herself to lie to so many people. She lowered her head hoping she could just provide the answer that would not bring her to a difficult situation especially that all the Monteria elders were there.

    "My granddaughter Gabrie wanted to be a nun," It was Madam Grazie who brought up the answer. She then turned to Gabrie with a victorious smile. "This granddaughter of mine wanted to dedicate her whole life to the church,"

    "Oww!" The crowd grasped at the answer. Rumours had been going around that one of the couple cheated but there was no official believable statement that had been released. Hearing such words from Madam Razi herself, then the crowd was surprised as the rumour did not say anything about Gabrie wanting to be a nun.

    "Ah so that was the real reason for the break up!"

    "Omygod! Gabrie Monteria wanted to be a nun!"

    "Don''t you think she''s too beautiful to be a nun? What a waste of her beautiful genes,"

    "Don''t say that, being a nun is a very humble profession. Besides it was not rather shocking for any Monteria heiress to pursue a humble profession at church as they were all good and religious people,"

    Gabrie could only smile half heartedly at the announcement. It was rather a better answer than people going around saying it was she who cheated Erwan but despite that, she felt intensely upset at this.

    Of course people did believe her grandmother and so all the elites now will think it was really what she wanted. They all surely expected to go into the nunnery very soon and that kind of put so much pressure to be one even when she didn''t really want to. Did her grandmother intentionally announce it so it would be hard for her to back out?

    Surely, she will get negative criticism if she backs out. What was she going to do now, should she really pursue such a profession?

 Chapter 117 - Humble Profession (2)

    "It''s such a humble profession. Given the standing of the Monteria''s in our society, it''s just reasonable that one of their children pursue a profession inside the church," Another guest interved, seemingly approving the idea of Gabrie pursuing a career in the Sta. Catalina nunnery.

    "I had always known my Gabrie belonged to the church," Madam Razi went on and even took the situation more to her advantage. All the Monterias had agreed that the daughter of Gabbro should go to the nunnery even against her will. There''s just no ce good for her but the Sta. Catalina and maybe when she''s ripe enough for the profession, she''ll be sent somewhere to the other end of the world so that it would be hard for her toe back. ??

    "Don''t you just love it there my love?" Madam Razie added as she turned to Gabrie, whose face then flushed a rather hesitant look. "I remember when you were a child you refused toe home and wanted to spend all your days in Sta. Catalina nunnery. If not of our insistence, you would have probably stay there all her life,"

    Gabrie just bowed and shut her mouth off. It''s not that she didn''t want to protest, but she thought it was not the correct venue for it, now that all the significant people of the whole city were there. Perhaps when they were all alone she could tell her grandmother she didn''t want to be a nun, no matter what. It''s not that she loathed the profession as she loved and respected it, especially that nuns were the one who basically raised her all her life. It''s just that deep within her, she knew she cannot be a nun, it''s not just her thing.

    "The Sta. Catalina nunnery is such a small church for an heiress like her," One specific guest whose appearance somehow made Gabrie shiver a bit came to join them. He was an old man, very sophisticated one like Mr. Wandall but probably much better looking. His features were somehow familiar but she could not remember where she had met him.

    "Senior Umbresio, it''s good that you came and joined us," Madam Razi''s face brightened at the sight of him. He was one of her honored and most anticipated guests as she greatly wanted to associate with him, but the old man as soon as he entered the party surrounded himself with the biggest personalities in the city. Although Madam Razie was the host for the party, the Senior''s circle was just something she could not infiltrate and so she could only hope for them to give her a small greeting for her birthday.

    Even the group of guests that surrounded Madam Grazie felt so little in his presence that out of respect, they all stepped back to amodate the old man. Senior Hugo Umbresio was a very domineering man and the Umbresio belongs to the top ten rich people in Devon City, something that the Monteria''s could only wish they had a connection with. Although they weren''t exactly friends and had no connections whatsoever, the elites always had in their tradition to invite the top rich elites as a sign of respect and for possible connections.

    "The Sta. Catalina nunnery is just a small church," Senior Umbresio repeated. He had caught the conversation about Gabrie wanting to be a nun and he found it amusing as it was kind of rare for an heiress to wish to be a nun. In fact there was no heiress he knew of in the city who had pursued such a career, so he took notice of her.

    Senior Umberio was a very dedicated phnthropist and now that he had long retired, he spent all his days organizing charity events. He had high respect for missionaries, nuns, priests and all church workers as he had always been with them and he knew how great of sacrifices they make to make the world a better ce.

    "I see...indeed the Sta. Catalina is such a small nunnery," Madam Raze''s words falter a bit, sounding nervous at the presence of a very powerful man. It was the first time in history that Senior Umbresio associated himself with anyone outside his circle and she felt really pressured to put up a good impression. "It''s just that this granddaughter of mine grew up in Sta. Catalina, that''s why she wanted to go there,"

    "The Missionaries of Monte Verde needed more fresh devotees this year," Senior Umbresio announced. "I think your granddaughter is best suited there. They are a big organization and they had the support of the top rich, your granddaughter would surely think of nothing there but her passion. We always makes sure they were all provided for, greatly,"

    "The Missionaries of Monte Verde had a strict application process," It was Gabbro who intervened seeing how his mother was pleased with the thought. He had agreed to the part that Gabrie should be sent to the Sta. Catalina nunnery as he thought it would be the safest ce for her to stay and since she knew all the nuns there and was used to their lifestyle, Gabrie would have not hard time adjusting. Sending her to another ce, with new people and with no acquaintance or friends deeply worries him and so he wanted to protest about it. "I don''t think Gabrie will qualify mama. Also she needs so much training and had to undergo so many transitions to be a nun, that already is hard, sending her to another strange ce might be harder and unbearable,"

    "Gabbro, the senior, is right. It would be good for Gabrie to be in the Missionaries of Monte Verde," Truth was Madam Grazie really didn''t care which nunnery it be so long as that granddaughter of hers will be sent off away. The farther away the better and she''ll do everything in her power so that child can''te back to Devon City after. However at that moment, she didn''t want to oppose Senior Umbresio and so he gave Gabbro a ratherplicated look, warning him to control himself.

    "I can rmend her and personally send her off if you would allow," Senior Umbresio volunteered and everyone could only raise their eyebrows at his proposal. What shocked everyone was not the fact that he had connections with the Missionaries of the Monte Verde but the fact that even if it was only a waste of his time, he volunteered to send Gabriell off himself like the heiress mattered so much. What''s with the Monteria tonight their fate was prone to luck. First, it was announced they owned a Brielle Doll and second, Senior Umbresio unexpectedly talked to the head matriarch of the Monteria''s and even volunteered to send her granddaughter off! How lucky was that?

    Madam Razie''s happiness could not be contained then. She smiled so big in front of the Senior as she couldn''t help it and almost could not believe the fact that Senior had given her not only some attention but even was willing to give her some favors. Even when such a favor doesn''t mean anything as sending Gabrie off really doesn''t mean much, but since it was the Senior of the Umbresio''s who volunteered for it, she felt heaven.

    "What do you think about it, my child?" Senior Umbresio turned to Gabrie this time. "I assure you you''ll be taken good care of there. That is the right ce for you,"

    Gabrie only gave the Senior a polite bow as if she was agreeing to him when the truth was she just wanted to hide her face. Damn! Out of all people that would send her off, why an Umbresio? She now understood why the old man looked familiar to her then as one of his kin, his grandson, was just with her a few months ago in Mondrew City and they had a rather good time in his yacht. So fucking good time!

    What a coincidence! What a very awkward coincidence.

    "Is that a yes or no?" She heard the old man speak again as he was demanding a clear answer from her. He felt her hesitancy but he thought it was because it was out of intimidation as it was very obvious in his eyes that everyone in the circle had gone intimate with him the moment he entered. "Do you want me to personally send you off to the nunnery?"

    "Ahm¡­ Senior¡­" Gabrie attempted to protest despite all the pressure. "Please don''t bother yourself anymore. I know the great Senior Umbresio had more important things to do. I can handle myself,"

    "Gabrie, what are you doing? Do not hesitate the Senior''s offer," Madam Liltih chided her gently, especially that she could see Madam Razi''s expression so desperately wanted the Senior to provide them the favor he was offering. Of course they don''t want to miss such an opportunity because not all elites were given such a provilege.

    "Don''t be shy, my child," Senior Umbresio encouraged. "It is my honor to send an honorable heiress to the nunnery myself. I will¡ª"

    "Thatdy you are talking to grandfather might be pregnant with your great grandson," Someone, daring enough, cut off Senior Umbresio''s words and when Gabrie looked up, she almost fell from her heels as a deep tigered eyed man caught her sight. He grinned when their eyes met and before she could melt away, the daring intruder turned to his surprised grandfather and added. "Now...do you really wish to send her to the nunnery?"

 Chapter 118 - Drop Dead

    All eyes were dragged in unison to the newly arrived guest, whom everyone certainly did not expect. El Tigre stood there with nothing but his ever handsome face that almost made the entire room full of socialites drop dead at his feet. Every woman in that room, except for Gabrie, wanted to immediately throw themselves up to him only if they could, but of course no one wanted to look that desperate.

    It was really unusual for him to appear at any party as he was always picky on all asions he attended and his time was too precious; he usually didn''t want to spend it socializing with others. ??

    However, just a few minutes ago, the pictures of the woman he had been looking for

    almost a month flooded the whole holding a Brielle Doll and that was when he knew she wasn''t Angel rcon. She was Gabrie Monteria and damn he certainly wasn''t expecting that.

    No wonder it was hard for him to find her, because he searched in the wrong ce. Who would ever thought a Monteria heiress would go on and spend a wild night when that family unted nothing but righteousness? Not that he wasn''t entirely pleased with it, in fact his desire for her only aggravated when he realized she was an heiress with a good standing and reputation, something that seemed unmatched to his hellish deeds. She was indeed an angel and he could only shake his on how lucky he was.

    "Primo?" Senior Umbresio certainly did not expect his appearance. Just like anyone in the crowd, he sure knew his grandson did like attending celebrations, specially those that were sent with people whom they had no significant connections with. "What are you doing here?"

    "Do you not wish to see me, grandfather?" Primo slightly bent his head as if a bit upset that his grandfather didn''t take his appearance in that party with joy. For all he knew, the old man had been pressuring him to socialize more in the hopes of getting him tied to any heiress and sire him a great grandson.

    "I do...I do," Senior Umbresio negated his grandson''s statement because if only he knew he woulde, he should have arranged and talked to a few heiresses to hook him up with. He had done many arrangements like that before and although some managed to get his attention for once, none of them got near him twice and in all those encounters, this grandson of his was always careful not to sire any illegitimate children. He was always on guard and made sure what he had with those women were nothing but just casual encounters in the name of his manly lust.

    Sighing, the old man added. "But this is new. Howe you never told me you areing?"

    "I didn''t n toe," Primo answered. The grandfather and grandson continued with their conversation in the crowd, not minding the crowd before them. They were just insignificant people for them that Primo didn''t even give anyone a nce or a single pleasantries, not even Madam Razi who was the host of the party.

    "But something caught my attention," He dragged his eyes back to Gabrie who only shrinked so little at his stares. The heiress wanted to run and escape but her shaking knees got her nowhere. The tiger had found her and she knew very well she couldn''t run away from him.

    "So I came," he added and the end of his lips twitch seeing how the girl became uneasy with his presence. Was she afraid of him? He certainly didn''t want her to fear him but he loved how beautiful she looked at that expression of hers. It just made him want to carry her in his arms, feel her softness and make her feel secure till her fears go away.

    Hearing these words, Senior Umbresio remembered what he said earlier and this got him so excited he almost lost his stance. The old man then dragged his eyes to the Monteria heiress and blurted away. "Is this true my child? Are you pregnant with my great grandson?"

    The crowd grasped for the second time and many could only hold on their gowns tight. How far could Gabrie Monteria''s luck today stretch? Earlier Mr. Wandall came to her aide, second Senior Umbresio went his way to talk to her and third, the heck? How precious was her uterus that she was given the chance to sire nation''s husband, Primo Umbresio''s child?

    In just a minute, Gabrie became aware of the eyes that shot daggers at her. It was not a secret that many coveted the El Tigre and if only they knew how she felt, they might not hate her that much. Unlike everyone, she didn''t want to throw herself at him, she would never ever do that. She had done that once but it was because she was drunk and she was so broken-hearted she needed such an escape but never thought her escape would only cause her more trouble.

    The Monteria''s however, unlike everyone in the room, shook with unexinable fear at the scene that flushed before them. They had done their best so that Gabrie would have no backing, that is why they all rooted on Erwan and Angelisa''s rtionship, very afraid that if it was Gabriell who would be married to the Zhao, she''ll belong to a family strong enough to tear them down.

    "Child, is this true?" Senior Umbresio asked the girl again, his smile was so wide that Gabrie felt so guilty of ruining his joy.

    "No sir it isn''t¡­." She denied. Damn! How could El Tigre ruin her reputation in an instant? If she would not deny his ims, surely her father will bring her home and spank her for being a slut. "Primo¡­. I mean Mr. Umbresio...I mean Atty Umbresio is just kidding,"

    "I am kidding?" Primo''s fascination surged to the highest peak. Seeing her deny their connection, he wondered what was running in her mind. Does she intend to push him away? It seemed he did really underestimate her.

    Thest time they met, he certainly thought she would give him a call that he even dyed his stay in the Mondrew city for a few days to wait for her. Since he thought she was an actress, he expected she might have some priormitments that dyed hering to him again. In the end, she didn''t contact him at all and Primo was forced to fly back to Devon City because of work and yet even then, he was still very certain she''de to him soon.

    When it urred to him that the girl had really no ns on contacting him, he sent some men to look for her in every entertainmentpany in the whole country but not one was named Angel rcon and so Primo was already worried she was a spy sent off by his enemies. He sent some men to look for her in other ces, even going as far as contacting the owner of the hotel she said she was staying but it turned out she lied. There was not a single footage of her in that hotel and none of their guests was named Angel rcon. Only few minutes ago did she resurfaced and fuck, she turned exactly the opposite of whom he thought her to be.

    "Yes you are kidding," Gabrie met his eyes and pleaded with him not to say anything more. All the Montera''s were there and her father too, she simply could not allow him to reveal her dirty secret.

    "Amusing," Primo smiled widely and paused for a moment to assess his beautiful prey. It was the first time in history that a woman didn''t want anything to do with him and he kind of liked that. He wondered then if she could continue with all this denying when they were all alone, then that would be a big challenge on his part. However, thinking about thest time, she also tantly denied him many things but still gave him all the pleasure he kept on dreaming almost every night.

    "Primo what''s all this?" Senior Umbresio was so confused about what was happening. Even the crowd was confused too. Primo was very clear with his words but Gabrie Monteria was trying to make it as if the man was only ying with her. Are they friends that the Monteria heiress can do that with?

    "Sir please believe me, your grandson is just trying to make everyoneugh," Gabrie pressed and even faked augh at the end. "He he he¡­.it''s so funny right?"

    "Ahm.. I really need to leave right now¡­." Gabrie added in haste. If she was only alert enough, she could have run at the very moment Primo appeared but it was not toote to escape right? Besides, she had already stayed enough, her mother Lilith will not be upset with it. "Ahmm...mother, father, grandmother...I''ll take my leave then. Happy Birthday grandmother¡­.Senior nice meeting you," She turned to Mr. Wandall who himself was stunned by what was happening. Gabrie also gave a polite bow at Senior Umbresio who seemed unwilling to let her go but she said her goodbyes so suddenly and swiftly no one was able to stop her.

    Gabrie then ran away even before anyone could make a move and Primo''s brow raised with more fascination at that.

 Chapter 119 - Lost Interest

    As Gabrie turned her back, every eye was with her¡ªfrom her family''splicated faces, from the guests'' rising curiosity, Senior Umberesio''s surprised mein and El Tigre''s wide grin.

    "Primo what is happening?" Senior Umbresio could not withhold any more of his interest. His grandson and the beautiful woman who just left surely knew each other and he was all dying to know if there was any hope, even a slightest one, that a grandson was indeed soon toe. He knew what he was asking was far too much but he had been hoping for it, for almost like forever now and had almost given up hope of seeing the day that Primo would take interest in any woman. Perhaps today was a lucky day for the Umbresio household???

    "Well grandfather, I seemed to have lost some interest in the party," Primo said, eyes still locked on the retreating Gabrie and even before he could hear any protest, he walked away, following the Monteria heiress footsteps, obviously chasing her.

    "Primo! Hey you child! Primo!" Senior Umbresio suddenly had so many questions that were yet to be answered but the only person who could give him all that just walked out too. He saw Primo waved a hand in the air nonchntly to acknowledge his call but didn''t look back and instead pulled a phone in his pocket then pressed it in his ears after he dialed some numbers. Senior Umbresio could only sigh helplessly at such a sight.

    In an attempt to know more about what''s between the Monteria heiress and his grandson, Senior Umbresio turned his eyes to the Monterias, but they all were very surprised too that they could not give him clear answers. Even Gabbro Monteria only shook his head, not sure what to say or what to feel about the fact that his daughter seemed to have been entangled by the intriguing El Tigre.

    "I don''t think they knew each other well Senior," Angelisa voiced out her strong protest about what everyone was thinking. Truth was she dropped jawed helplessly at the scene that just shed before their eyes. How could El Tigre know of her Gabrie?

    Worry surged into her heart immediately not only because she saw Erwan''s expression falter at the sight of El Tigre doting on Gabrie but also because the expression that she could see in her family''s eyes was very rming. It had not been long since she had be everyone''s favorite because of her uing wedding to the Zhao''s but just as soon as she thought she had trampled on Gabriepletely, her sister had gone another level higher, higher than she could ever reach. Will Gabrie be the Madam of the Umbresio''s now? Can''t be! That was too impossible!

    "I know my sister very well, I don''t think they had met each other before," Angelisa dared to speak even though she was not told so. She needed to clear things out, she needed to erase everyone''s suspicion that Gabrie had anything to do with El Tigre or else she won''t be able to regain her lost glory. Seeing that Senior Umbresio didn''t acknowledge her, she turned to her grandmother desperately, "Right Grandmother?"

    Madam Razi herself could not be sure so she kept her mouth shut and looked at Angelisa with hard stares. Then she dragged that same stare to Gabbro, her son who had promised her Gabrie won''t be of any trouble for them.

    "This is nothing mama," Mother Lilith was the one who answered for her husband because it seemed like Gabbro was drowned in his thoughts. She was very aware of the silent conflict between the son and mother because of Gabrie. In fact his husband had been in great dilemma for a few weeks now as Madam Razie and the rest of the elders had been threatening him with eviction in case he would not be able to solve the predicament they had with Gabrie. "I assure you this is nothing. Tomorrow immediately, I''ll go and ask Gabrie what this thing is about,"

    Madam Razie didn''t respond anymore but only swallowed her anger. She can''t lose face in front of everyone and most especially in front of Senior Umbresio who then was withdrawing from their circle back to his previouspanions. The crowd dispersed too but even when themotion had been finished, the tension still filled the room. That night, all conversation lingered about El Tigre and Gabrie that all the Monteria''s could helplessly listen to all of it.

    ***

    As Gabrie exited the great hall, for some reasons, she was half running, half walking. There was something inside her that said her night was far from over and that if she didn''t leave right away, she might not be able to leave at all.

    When she was near the exit, she noticed that aside from the usual body guards that she saw earlier when she arrived, few unidentified men were trying to block it. They were all on white cored shirts and she could only guess they were another set of bodyguards belonging to someone very powerful. Surely they weren''t hired by the Monteria''s because the way they stood and how unified they were, Gabrie was very aware they were something her family could not afford.

    As Gabrie advanced to the exit, all eyes were with her and only then did she notice that it was she whom they were all waiting for. Immediately all the hair at the back of her neck stood up as a chilling sensation went up her spine.

    "Please let me pass," shemanded them but they all just stood in front of her without saying anything. "Oh please not now¡­"

    Seeing the men not acknowledging her words, she knew she cannot do anything with it so instead of insisting on her freedom, she sought it herself. She walked back into the party and headed for another exit, this time, she went specifically into the garden at the right side of the hall and fervently hoped she could just leave the ce in one piece.

    "What''s with that man? Why does he make me feel so guilty for tearing up his calling card?" Gabrie mumbled to herself as she traversed the way to the garden. She was then shaking nervously as if any moment from then, something was about to happen to her and that she''d be doomed. Hopefully El Tigre did not reveal to everyone that they had a one night stand in Mondrew city or she''ll surely be sent to the Sta. Catalina nunnery right away even before she knew it. Shit that man! How could he show up and announce to everyone she was pregnant!

    Also why did El Tigre''s eyes earlier seem like he was mad? Was he mad because she didn''t call her? Why would she? Did it not ur to him that what happened between them was nothing special but just pure night of lust? Besides, she sure knew he had a lot of women to think of, more prettier and more wealthy than her so, she should not matter to him much right?

    Gabrie went on her way to the garden that was lighted dimly by fairy garden lights. She was walking in haste, very determined to leave the ce asap but before she reached the end, she saw another set of body guards blocking that path again.

    "Fuck off¡­" The girl knew could only curse in frustration. In an attempt to flee once more, she turned to another path in the garden but the same thing happened on every exit she knew off. The body guards keep appearing and no matter how much she insists, they won''t just let her pass. On thest exit she knew, Gabrie already pleaded.

    "Sirs, please let me pass," She pressed and even pushed her way out but the big men just stepped backward and fall in line neatly, being very cautious and careful not to touch any part of her skin. "I''ll pay you anything. Singer Lucy is my friend. I can even get you some tickets for her concert. VIP slots!"

    "Just give me one minute, I''ll give her a call. How many tickets do you want?"

    Gabrie rummaged to her little purse and looked for her mobile. Even when she had a very little purse and it was easy to find everything inside, it took her minutes before she pulled her mobile out of it as her hands were shaking tremendously, very aware that any moment from now, she''ll be sent to either hell or heaven. She immediately dialled Lucy''s number and prayed hard she was still awake and that she would pick up immediately.

    "I''m calling her now, how many tickets do you want?" She announced very determined to bribe the guards. However before the other end of the line opened, Gabrie felt some big hands wrapped around her waist and soon her back was pressed hard on some familiar warmth that immediately sent fire to her soul. She swallowed in an instant and the phone she was holding dropped to the ground.

    "Bribing off my men Dulzura?" She felt some hot whispers on her ears and she knew right away who it was. "Why settle with them when you are free to bribe me instead? Promise, I won''t demand a big price," She felt him grinned at her back and before she knew it, his lips were already on her neck nting hot kisses on it.

 Chapter 120 - In Terror

    Gabrie flinched at Primo''s advances and before she could stop any of it, in one swift motion, he pulled her around that in a moment she was already facing him as his unique tigered eyes dug on hers. Then without allowing her to breathe, he rammed his lips on her for one stunning assertive kiss. It was too sudden that Gabrie managed not to close her eyes and basically stared at his very close, handsome face. God! Was this El Tigre? The man everyone in Devon city was crazy about?

    Feeling his lips on her seemed surreal especially now that she knew full well of his identity unlike before when he was basically just a stranger to her. Right then, knowing how big of a powerful man he was and how it''s kind of unlikely that he had taken thorough interest in a regr good-for-nothing heiress like her, she felt like it was all a dream.??

    Primo''s kisses deepened in each moment that passed and his hands had gone daring that in that full open garden, unafraid that someone might see them. He started caressing Gabrie''s neck while his lips were still maneuvering within her mouth. A minute more and he was already at her shoulder, slowly and sensually touching it and even went as far as pulling off a sling of her spaghetti strapped casual gown.

    Feeling her one of her straps falling, Gabrie panicked and pushed Primo away but she only managed to break from the kiss, not from his grab.

    "Dulzura what''s wrong?" He looked at herplicatedly, more like upset because the girl broke the kiss. Did she not miss it the way he did? Damn! His lips were still burning and was still demanding the taste of her mouth.

    "They are watching us," She wanted to protest against him, but seeing his expression, it became hard for her to do so. So instead of directly telling the man to stop, she just used the bodyguard''s presence as an excuse and made it sound like she was ufortable kissing in front of them.

    Truth was, it was hard for her to chide El Tigre with such a stolen kiss that she can qualify as an assault. However, her body didn''t wee such a daring unconsented kiss as an assault, in fact her body responded to it naturally like it had long been needing it but the thought of getting caught by guests that would only aggravate people''s suspicion between the two of them kind of threw her off so she wanted not make it stop.

    Primo raised his brow at her words but after just a second he somehow caught what she meant and so he dragged his eyes towards his men who then were standing just a few meters from them.

    "Turn on your backs," Hemanded and the men in white cored shirts all did as they had been told without any questions. They turned their backs rather easily and Gabrie thought how nonsense her request was.

    "Now where are we?" EL Tigre was still determined to finish what he started but Gabrie did not allow him so anymore.

    "Primo, this is the garden. Guest randomly passes here," She slightly dodge the kiss and itnded on her cheeks. "Please...people might misinterpret our closeness and this would cause a huge scandal...I don''t want them¡ªGod! Primo!"

    He cut off her words by biting off the exposed flesh of her neck. Seeing her flinched and startled at his daring acts sent an audacious smile on his lips.

    "Hmmm dulzura, howe you only called me by my name tonight?" He marveled at the sound of it. Only did it ur to him that it was the first time she had called him by his name as if she only learned of it tonight. It sounded so heavenly, pleasing him in every way possible that he immediately wondered how good it would have felt hearing her scream it while he ravished her in bed. Ah! He very much looked forward to it!

    "I...I didn''t know it thest time," She reasoned wondering how the heck would that issue matter at this very instant when the thought of them getting caught threatens to cause a very huge scandal. "And please sir, I don''t want to have issues going on around us after tonight. That would just cause trouble and inconvenience to both of us,"

    Hearing her exnation gave El Tigre an instant impression that his maiden seemed unlikely pleased with his public disy of affection. Then it dawned on him right away that the very reason why she didn''t call him wasn''t because she couldn''t or because she was upied with many things, it was because she had really no ns whatsoever of doing so. Does it mean that what happened between them in Mondrew City was something unnned on her side? This conclusion was very far from what he had been expecting as he did think somehow it was a well sought n and yet he evenpromised and decided he''ll have her anyway.

    However, standing at her very presence with tant rejection and obvious dislike, although frustrating, made him want her more, more desperate than he ever wanted her. So the very first time they met was all a chance at destiny? Well, how amusing was that?

    "Dulzura, since you knew my name already, I guess you might have known by then that I don''t pretty damned care about scandals," The unexpected realization he had with their very rtionship didn''t make him lose his grip on her. He firmly decided she''ll have her anyway, whether everything was staged or not. It was toote to back out anymore, not when he had made her sleepless for many nights and knocked off his woman''s uncaring world for once, real hard.

    "So fuck all the rumors that will spread the entire Devon City tomorrow. I never once cared about them even if they speak nonsense truths. The more I will not care if they speak the truth," He added and pressed her hard to her, closer that their body could possibly be.

    "But I do care...please...my life is a total mess right now, I can''t have rumors going around. Besides, there''s nothing really going between us so please...just let me go," Gabrie was desperate. The girl was totally messed up and her heart was still so broken it was very unwilling to see that someone, far greater than Erwan would damned be interested in her. Her rtionship with Erwan had totally knocked off all her confidence about herself and made her too distrustful. "I''m not really worthy of your time, not even your attention, so please¡­."

    The expression in Gabrie''s eyes shook something in El Tigre''s heart. He never sensed such insecurity and hopelessness before when he first met her that all this time he never thought she was in this kind of misery. The woman he met in Mondrew City was an angel, perfect in all angles that he somehow forgot she was capable of hurting¡ªas hurt the way he saw her now. For a moment, he paused and just looked at how hurt, insecure and hopeless she was and an instant ball of anger rose into his stem. Who dared to hurt his angel and left her so broken like this?

    "Please let me go," El Tigre did as she requested because he could never make her beg again. It was just too frustrating.

    Gabrie was all relieved when El Tigre freed her. She stepped back from him and paused for a few seconds to breathe deep and immediately turned her back again, ready to leave. However when she attempted to pass through the guards again, they blocked her still.

    "Tell them to back off," She turned back to Primo to ask for his help. However, the man just stared at her without doing so as if he did not hear her request. "Primo?"

    The second time she called his name, something changed in El Tigre''s expression that made Gabrie immediately regret what she asked. His face turned real serious that even her feared it for once. Gone was the trace of amusement and yfulness that was beaming on his face earlier and what''s left was a stone hard expression, ready to kill whoever was going to dare mess up with him. True to his name, he just turned into the tiger he was the very instant.

    "It''ste. I''ll bring you home," His tone was so domineering Gabrie immediately felt the chills of it.

    Fuck! Now, the real El Tigre has awakened!

    "I can¡­.I can go home by myself," She mustered some real hard courage to speak out. She didn''t know where she got all that but the situation just so demanded it. She cannot let El Tigre know where she was staying, and hell no, she cannot appear in Allegria Penthouses with him or she''ll be dead by morning!

    Just thinking about how Lucy and Sisi would react made her shrink in fear more than how El Tigre was making her scared right then!

 Chapter 121 - Colder

    Gabrie prayed that El Tigre would just let her off but instead of agreeing to her request, Primo just turned his back and announced, "Either you''ll follow me to the car and allow me to bring you home, or I''ll take you to my house,"

    "What?" Gabrie could not believe his resolution. Was he threatening her? How dare this man! However even when she wanted to protest, knowing that he was El Tigre rendered her helpless to his demands and so she just stood there watching him walk away, undecided what to do. "You aren''t serious right?"??

    "You heard me Dulzura," Primo''s hard tone filled the ce and made it colder than it ever was. "Do not make me repeat myself,"

    Gabrie could just do nothing then but just followed Primo. Annoyance of his insistence and obvious pestering started to build in her heart. What does he think of himself? The King of Devon City? Why does he go around controlling her when clearly, she was not his subject. However, even when she was annoyed with him, she could not easily retaliate as he was the beckoned El Tigre and just like any sound person in Devon city was, surely she dared not to upset him. God knows what happened to all those who are against the Umbresio family. They just disappear with no trace whatsoever.

    The Monteria heiress silently followed El Tigre to his car and he opened the door for her like a real gentleman even when Gabrie knew he wasn''t. She just rolled an eye at his gantries in secret and sat in the back of his car.

    "Where to?" He asked as he joined her at the back.

    "Allegria...Allegria penthouses," Gabrie announced, almost not wanting to say it. However she knew for a fact that since Primo already knew her real name, she can''t hide from him anymore. She just fervently hoped that he''ll stop pestering her soon.

    Her address didn''t escape Primo''s curiosity. He knew for a fact that Allegria penthouses were one of the most exclusive residences in the city and not every rich man around can afford it.

    "It''s not mine," She announced when she caught his expression.

    "Who are you living with?" He didn''t withhold his curiosity.

    "A friend,"

    "Why are you living with a friend?" Primo sounded like a realwyer this time, instigating a witness in a courtroom and Gabrie could only sigh at that.

    "None of your business," She attempted to end their conversation with that because really, he was making her very ufortable with his presence and him asking her questions wasn''t helping in calming her tensed nerves.

    Primo could easily know the answer to all his questions by just one call but he wanted to start up a good conversation with her but Gabrie wasn''t cooperating. Seeing her ufort and distrust, Primo knew their rtionship needed much of a work. He didn''t mind taking an effort though, especially that an angel like her was the price at the end.

    To avoid Primo''s questions, Gabrie pretended to focus her eyes on the road outside. She could see from the reflection on the window on her side that Primo was all looking at her but she forced herself not to mind it. She kept her focus on the road and only did she notice that it was slightly raining and the streets had gone all wet. As if feeling the cold outside, she hugged herself unconsciously.

    Primo saw this and although he liked the view of her exposed skin, he still chose to keep her warm. So, he pulled off his suit and wrapped it all in her shoulder. Gabrie jolted a bit at the contact of his hand to her exposed shoulder, totally not expecting such a move but since she was indeed cold, she just epted it.

    "Thank you," She said and held his suit as she pulled the hem to cover almost all of her. Gabrie was petite and her height was only regr while Primo was a big man and so the size of his suit was soo enough for Gabrie to cover all her exposed top.

    Soon the Allegria penthouses became visible to Gabrie''s sight and she sighed with so much relief knowing she could finally escape the man. When the car halted, Primo opened the door for her and before he could say a word, Gabrie took her chance hastily.

    "Thank you and goodnight!" She said and in one swift motion, took off the suit, handed it to Primo and bolted through the Allegria penthouses entrance. It was so fast Primo didn''t expect it and the girl didn''t care to look back to see how El Tigre''s expression went. It was enough that she had escaped him and she decided right away she wouldn''t go out for the rest of the month to avoid the man. Although he was very powerful, he was awyer and so Gabrie knew he would uphold privacy. With that, she knew he wouldn''t dare to disturb her in Lucy''s penthouse without just cause. In case he would dare, she''ll just hide inside and beg her best friends not to sell her off.

    The thought of Sisi and Lucy got Gabrie thinking. As she entered the elevator, she started getting nervous and went on biting her nails. She wanted to stay positive and hoped the two had no idea yet what transpired tonight and hopefully no one saw them getting intimate in the garden, or else, ah! She doesn''t want to think about what her fate will be. Besides, she believed in their friendship and hoped the two would not kill her for what she had done.

    Soon Gabrie reached Lucy''s penthouse and slowly opened the door with her own key. She slid her head inside the door first to check whether someone was waiting for her and found that it was all dark inside. Thinking that Lucy might have been asleep already, she sighed with big relief. She then pushed the door full open, got inside and closed it again.

    "Good thing Lucy is already sleeping," She wasforted by the fact that she need not to worry about the her tonight. She was too exhausted already and she definitely needed a good bath and was d she could just do so without facing her best friend''s wrath. So with confidence, Gabrie turned the lights on expecting no blood and drama tonight.

    "O my god what a night!" She stretched and kicked her heels off as soon as she turned the switch but as she turned to her back from the switch, she saw Lucy standing behind the kitchen counter holding a knife.

    "Hi Gabbie," The singer greeted with a tone that resembled a psychopath, the one she always sees in films. "Come here, I had prepared some dinner for you," She invited and without warning, chopped the steak hard in front of her like she was butchering a hard meat.

    Gabrie jolted at the sound of it and immediately flushed a very scared face. "Lucy¡­.."

    "Hmmmm..e," Lucy waved at her, inviting her toe closer while her other hand raised the butcher knife in the air. She looked like a mad woman, especially that she was all dressed like it. Did she really have to dress up like one? Like those scary step mothers in horror films that were all nning to chop off her step children?

    "Come and taste the dinner I prepared for you," Lucy went on with the drama. "Sit here and tell me, as you eat, on how did you seeded on seducing him,"

    "Seduced who? I don''t know what you are talking about," She denied even when no name was mentioned yet. "Lucy I just came from a family gathering,"

    "Someone told me you left with someone,"

    "Ah Lucy, that''s just a friend. Someone I met¡ªWAHHHHHH!"

    Before Gabrie could finish her words, she saw Lucy made a hard grip on the knife and ran toward her and so with all the strength she had left, Gabrie ran for her life!

    She exited out the door screaming and ran barefoot in the hallway with nothing but herself. As soon as she reached the elevator, she mercilessly pressed it until it opened and prayed hard Lucy would not be able to catch her! Damn! Who would have thought Lucy was more scary than El Tigre?

    If she knew it, she should have just agreed to stay with him tonight! Fuck that man! How could she ruin her life in just one night!

    Gabrie kept running until she found herself in the streets. She was very aware that Lucy was just ying pranks on her but she took it too hard and ran in panic. At the end she found herself very exhausted and she held onto the metal pole in one of the street lights.

    "Damn Lucy, that was so scary!" She cursed, almostughing at their foolishness. She caught her breath at the same spot for a while before she decided to go back to the penthouses before the singer would run amuk to find her. She was about to head back to the building when suddenly it rained hard and she was left with no option but just to find shelter in the streets while waiting for the rain to stop.

    "Ah what a night!" Gabrie sighed suking at the heavens for being so mean. Suddenly she realized she was barefoot and had no phone to call her friends for rescue. She must have dropped her phone and bag earlier when Lucy scared her. "God I look so pitiful in here,"

    She dropped her head and looked at her bare feet that suddenly went sore. "This all El Tigre''s fault,"

    "How is this my fault?" She heard someone and when she looked up, she felt an instant panic again.

 Chapter 122 - His Intention

    El Tigre stood just inches from the pitiful heiress with an umbre in his arms. He came back just for her and was wondering why she ended up in the streets cursing his name.

    "You are still here?" Gabrie was really surprised to see him. She thought her long night dilemma had ended when she left him earlier yet there he was again, standing like he was his knight in shining armor and she was a damsel in distress. The only odd thing about such a description was that Gabrielle knew she was in a mess but she refused to be saved by him. ??

    "How could I not be here when you look so pitiful like that," Primo stated and his expression was nothing close to pleasant. "What happened? Did your friend throw you out?"

    He was a few miles from Allegria Apartments when one of his men called, stating the very fact that Gabrie ran out barefoot from Allegria apartments and was caught in the middle of the rain. As soon as he heard it, he asked the driver to turn back, very much worried about her.

    "It''s not like that," She denied and partly she was right. Lucy did throw her out, not directly though as she was the one who ran away from her penthouse but that was because of her foolish pranks and not because she did intend to totally throw her out. "Lucy will never throw me out,"

    "Lucy?" The mention of the name surely didn''t escape Primo''s notice. He knew for a fact that only one influential woman lived in the Allegria Apartment that has the same name and it was the country''s nightingale¡ªLuci Dimitri. "Lucy the nation''s nightingale right? She''s the one you are talking about?"

    "Well¡ª"

    The mention of Lucy''s name drew a more odd and dim expression in EL Tigre''s face. He knew Lucy. How could he not when the woman was so tant in her dedication for him. Singer Lucy had been his long time fan and she interestingly used that dedication to draw some attention to her advantage.

    Now that he was certain it was indeed Luci Dimitri, he somehow had an idea why she ended up in the streets cursing his name. The singer might have indeed thrown her out, especially that their pictures together and news about them being romantically involved had already been flooding the whole web.

    "Come with me," He invited, or more like he demanded. He didn''t ask again why she went on ming him for how pitiful she turned out. He was well aware of the fact how the singer wore mourning clothes in Starlight entertainment the very next morning he announced he had been taken and so it wouldn''t be a surprise if she''d damn throw a friend out as she turned out to be the very woman who was the reason for her heartbreak.

    "No. I''m okay here!" Gabrie refused him again but this time, he didn''t let her off. While waving two hands in the front of her to express her displeasure of hispany, Primo, without warning took the beautiful heiress into his arms and carried her petite little body in his shoulder.

    "Hey let me go! Let me go!" Gabrie protested as she was all carried away back to his car. She threw little punches on his back in an attempt to escape him but the moment she was thrown into the car''s backseat and Primo''s face turned real mad, sent instant shivers in her spine.

    "I am done being lenient with you!" Primo cussed in the air with an expression that Gabrie didn''t wish to see again. God he looked like a deadly animal, a hunting tiger when he was mad and she instantly feared him beyond anyone else.

    "You areing with me tonight whether you like it or not!" he added as he dragged himself back to the car''s back seat to join his recently caught heiress. He wasn''t particrly mad because of her constant protest but by the very fact that she was all bullied tonight by her family and now her friend, yet she acted like it was all okay.

    How could anyone be okay with that? With being thrown into the streets and being forced out into the nunnery? And why was she not defending herself with all these?

    "But...But sir¡­"

    "Sir?" Primo''s voice expressed his displeasure with that. "Just a while ago you called me by my name and now it seemed like you had forgotten about it. Dulzura, what is it really?"

    The girl was lost on his question. It went unclear on her what he was asking and so she ended up just staring at himplicatedly.

    "Tell me dulzura," Primo heaved a deep sigh and looked at Gabrie''s eyes. "How is it that you kept refusing me when I did nothing wrong to make you upset. Yet you cannot refuse the outright disrespect and bullying your family and your friend did to you?"

    The Monteria heiress was stunned with the question. What the fuck was El Tigre was talking about?

    "I don''t understand what you mean," Gabrie expressed. Obviously, El Tigre just misinterpreted Lucy''s prank tonight but about her family, it was true indeed that they were bullying her. However, she didn''t think Primo had to make a fuss about it. What the heck would he care about how her family was treating her?

    "Lucy is not bullying me, she''s a dear friend. As per my family, it''s none of your business really," She answered, trying to put an obvious boundary on Primo. For her, he was just a stranger she had spent a night of passion with and there was clearly nothing between them that should make him care about it.

    "None of my business?" Her answer only drove El Tigre more mad. Immediately he took Gabrie to his arms that in a moment they could feel each other''s breath already. Out of panic, Gabrie attempted to push him but in just a snap, her arms were locked on Primo''s big hands. "Are you saying you are none of my business?"

    "Look sir," Gabrie tried to reason. Truth was what Primo was doing then¡ªhis obvious attempt to be close to her and his concern tters her as any woman would. However, she doesn''t want to hope for anything about it, especially that their whole rtionship was based on a night of passion she did not even n to have. Her life was veryplicated already and she had been hurt by many, she didn''t want to take risk again on love or on anything, especially not with a man who she just met once.

    "What happened in Mondrew City was something I did not expect to happen. Really. If only I knew who you are, I would never, ever dare to climb on your boat and most of all not in your bed," Gabrie exined herself. "I was drunk then and I''m not in a good state of mind,"

    "But please can we just end it there?" She pleaded. "Can you just spare me please? I know you have all the time and luxury to go on ying around with all the women you have but I certainly don''t and as you might have already noticed, I have big predicaments I have in my shoulder right now I certainly don''t have time for all this¡­"

    "So you think I''m ying around," Primo loosened his grip on her, frustrated. "Dulzura, is that how you see me?"

    There was something in El Tigre''s voice that told Gabbrie he was upset but there was just no other reliable reason she could think of why the man was following her around. Since he was El Tigre, a man who was basically standing in a high pedestal that was none of her reach, she thought his interest in her was just out of his whim and pleasure.

    "I don''t know you sir," Gabrie stated and it''s a matter of fact they both were aware of. "The way I see you doesn''t matter. However, I do not think your interest in me lies on something that is serious. I''m not a fool to think I am worthy of such devotion,"

    "You are not worthy," El Tigre amused himself by repeating her own words. "This is the second time youbel yourself as nothing worthy, is that how you see yourself? Is that the reason why you are all allowing them to bully you tantly? Because you are not worthy?"

    "By now you must have noticed," Gabrie hid her eyes from him. "I am just a regr heiress¡­.while you are El Tigre,"

    "I see¡­" Primo now sees where her big insecurity lies. "I got your point dulzura,"

    "Well then, can you stop the car and let me go?"

    "No," Primo was the one who refused this time and Gabrie can only helplessly question him again.

    "But I think we had already agreed¡ª"

    "That you are a regr heiress, nothing significant while I am El Tigre," Primo repeated it, loud and clear. "I heard your point well,"

    "So¡­.." Gabrie wanted to push all the sense they had just discussed to him.

    "So I think you had to understand that it''s not the way I see things," Primo''s lips curled at the end. "For me you are not just a regr heiress,"

    "You are my woman," He simply announced and grabbed her chin so he could look back into her eyes. "You know the difference right? And in case that is not yet clear to you then let me make my intention straight. I want you and I''m serious with it,"

 Chapter 123 - Pampered

    The words that Primo told her shut the hell out of Gabrie and so she ended up so quiet and obedient the whole journey. She was stunned and was left thoroughly repeating over and over what the man had said.

    Did he just say he was serious with her???

    Like how serious?

    Now that he said something really weird¡ªat least for her, she felt so awkward around him then and for the first time in her life, she felt so conscious being around another man rather than Erwan. In their long years of being together, Gabrie had never thought about any other men aside from the Zhao''s young master and as her eyes were all fixed upon him and their future that somehow it felt so awkwardly different being subjected to another man''s attention.

    "Were here," Primo''s announcement stopped all her contemtion and when she dragged her eyes outside, she was so shocked to see the big property in front of her.

    "You brought me to your house?" Gabrie''s eyes couldn''t believe it. She was expecting he would bring her somewhere, a hotel or an apartment probably but not to his residence because she thinks the level of their rtionship had not yet reached that part where he can officially introduce him to everyone in his side.God! They don''t even have a formal rtionship yet!

    "Is there a problem?" El Tigre raised a brow at her question. Seeing how tensed she became he caressed her arms and said, "Rx dulzura, there''s no one else here butme,"

    His words only made Gabrie shrinked in total helplessness. If no one lives here other than El Tigre himself then that means he can do whatever he wants with her without no one intervening right?

    The moment they got out of the car, a butler and a few maids weed them at the door. They all lowered their heads but even so, they clearly saw Gabrie was deeply deeply surprised that their master had brought a woman.

    "You came early, sire," The butler said and turned to receive his suit that El Tigre gave him. "Do you wish us to serve you dinner?"

    "Do you want to eat?" El Tigre handed the question for Gabrie to answer and she answered it by shaking her head. Of course she didn''t want to bother the whole house for another dinner even when she felt a little hungry. Truth was she had not enjoyed the dinner at the party that much and so she ate only a few bites, right then she was hungry again but dare not to bother them.

    El Tigre just assessed her demeanor for a while and only sighed. He then turned to the butler and charged. "Just bring some food in my room and ask the maids to draw your miss a bath,"

    Your miss? Everyone''s eyes twinkled at the Primo''s words except of course for Gabrie who at the moment was oblivious to how frantic the staff in El Tigre''s mansion were when he said that.

    In the middle of silent stares and Gabrie''s hesitancy, Primo''s phone suddenly rang and so he excused himself while the Monteria heiress was left to the care of the servants.

    "You heard the master, draw the miss a bath and have someone serve some food," The butler announced and as if on cue, the maids behind him moved. The other one left to instruct the kitchen while the other led Gabrie upstairs. While climbing up, the maid that was left to tend to the heiress went and whispered some concern to the butler.

    "Sire, which room should I let the Miss settle in?" She asked the butler as she didn''t want to decide on her own.

    Her question made the butler think for a second but he immediately instructed upon careful consideration. "Let''s not waste the opportunity! Bring her to the master''s room. She must sleep there tonight no matter what!"

    "Yes sire," She answered obediently. The butler, who was kind of reminded of something, gave up apanying Gabrie and the maid and ran down toward the kitchen himself, which by then had gone chaotic because of the news that the master had brought a woman. Even when the instruction was only to prepare a dinner, the main chief himself rushed in to cook one of his specialties, making sure that the best food will be served.

    "Is it true? Is it true?" The mansion''sdy maid rushed in to hear the news himself from the butler. "Did the master indeed bring a woman?

    "This is not a time for words Marie.Go and make sure the master can have a sip of ginseng tea tonight," He went on instructing her. "Force it on him. He must have the energy all night,"

    "Alright leave it to me," Thedy maid felt everyone''s panic and so she moved ording to the rush. She had been in this mansion ever since Primo built it and for years, she had longed for the day he would bring a woman and God heavens! All their prayers had been answered just then!

    ***

    "Whose room is this?" Gabrie noticed that the room where the maid brought her was not a regr guest bedroom. It was just too big and too ssy for a regr bedroom that she immediately thought the maid had been mistaken.

    "Don''t worry about it, miss," The maid answered politely. "This is the room the master wanted you to sleep tonight,"

    "But, isn''t it too big for me?" Gabrie asked but even before the maid could answer, the door of the bathroom flew open and two other maids emerged. They all bowed at Gabrie and said in unison, "Miss your bath is ready, pleasee and let us help you,"

    "You''ll help me?" Gabrie raised a brow at it. What is she? twelve? Does she really look that messed up that these servants needed to help her bath?

    Even though Gabrie was brought up as an heiress, their lifestyle was very far from the Umbresio''s. If the Monterias lived with all thefort and luxury, the Umbresio''s however lived like royals and excessive wealth and so although she was used to having servants attend to her needs, she wasn''t used to having too many of them.

    The maids chuckled a little at her response, thinking she was making a joke. They all guided the confused Gabrie to the enormous big bathroom, carefully undressed her and untied her hair. Then the maids lead her to the tub that was filled with lukewarm water. As soon as she settled, the other maid attended to her hair while the other took charge of asking her what fragrance she wanted for the bath.

    Gabrie was so overwhelmed by the kind of hospitality the servants in the house gave her. She just basicallyid herself in the bath and did nothing, as all the servants did everything for her and all she did was just nod or shake whenever they asked her something.

    While her bath was going on, the door suddenly opened and Primo''s face appeared at the door.The servants all halted what they were doing and all lowered their heads to greet him. Gabrie however, knowing she was all naked, sunk lower her body to the water to hide it from him.

    "Master, the Miss isn''t finish it," The senior among the maids answered, very willing to go if Primo allows it so the two can have their privacy. They all made sure their miss was all filled with enticing fragrance, something that he could not resist. "But if you wish to join her we can leave,"

    "Does your miss want me to join her?" Primo teased looking at Gabrie who had gone red at his sudden intrusion. How shameless was he to enter a bathroom where a woman was taking her bath?

    "Miss?" The maid turned to Gabrie to ask her.

    "What?" Gabrie pretended as if she didn''t hear anything at all.

    "The master asks if you want us to go so you can have a bath together," The maid almost giggled at her own statement but chose not to. Even herrades hid augh as they didn''t want to disrespect their masters.

    "No¡­" Gabrie answered without a second thought and even went to grab the maid''s hand so she could not leave if she nned to. "I want you girls to stay here with me,"

    "Fine," Primo let her have her way but he remained standing at the door to watch the whole routine and Gabrie could only curse him in her head. Pervert! She thought and even made a conscious effort not to let any of her skin go above the bubbled water.

    "Primo," Someone called his attention and an old woman appeared to approach him with a tray in her hand. "What are you doing there watching a woman take a bath? Give the miss a break and drink this tea,"

    "Marie," Primo acknowledged her presence. She was the mansion''sdy maid, the one which the butler asked for help with the tea. She was one of the oldest servants in the Umbresio''s family and Primo''s primary nanny while he was young. Primo valued her a lot that even when he decided to be independent, he brought Marie with him to manage his household.

 Chapter 124 - Cornered

    Primo retreated to amodate the olddy''s request. He closed the bathroom''s door and went to sit on the coffee table near the veranda and have Marie pour him a ss of the ginseng tea.

    "I hope you didn''t scare the Miss a lot," Mariemented, knowing how Primo naturally scared the hell out of everyone he meet in Devon''s City, specially thedies. She can''t me them though, Primo''s reputation could naturally make a woman be scared at him even before their first meeting. He was known for being notorious, hard and scary being the youngest captain who had victoriously won over the dangerous rebel groups. Not only that, after he came out from the military, he pursued a career inw and had been known for being such a perfectionist boss and businessman. "If you are only half scary than you are, then I wouldn''t have to worry about you dying alone,"??

    "Marie, you should spend less time talking with grandfather," Primo told her as he sat and drank the tea she offered. "That old man is injecting many unnecessary thoughts on you,"

    "They are not unnecessary thoughts son," Marie pressed on it. "I''m already old, so is your grandfather. Would you let us die without seeing your heir?"

    "You''ll have it soon," Primo told her, this time his voice sounded determined and Marie sighed satisfactorily at the expression that went on his master''s face. It seemed that he had indeed taken some serious liking of the woman he brought because for the first time, he did give her an assurance they''ll have the heir they had been demanding of him for many years already.

    "Ah I''m so d to have heard that today," Marie went on and poured him another ss of the ginseng tea the servants carefully made for him. "Drink more, this will aid you in your goals,"

    Primo could only shake his head and heed Marie''s request. Even when she was only a servant, he treated her like his second mother and so she had all his respect. Primo wanted to chat with her a little longer but the bathroom door flew open and the servants who then were attending Gabrie exited.

    "Master, the Miss is finished," The senior of them announced and gave Marie a meaningful look before she opened her mouth again. "We shall take our leave so you and the Miss can have your rest,"

    "I''lle with you girls," Marie then was desperate to leave the two. She wanted to check on Gabrie personally but thought she can have time with her tomorrow so she''ll just dy it. Primo and his woman need their time then. She then gave Primo onest re "Finish that cup and do well,"

    Primo could only shake his head again at his old woman''s charge and watched the servants leave the room. Soon, Gabrie appeared hesitant from the bathroom door wearing a white robe as her long curly hair was neatlybed at her back. She looked like a real angel then that Primo could only helplessly stare at her for minutes.

    "Come and sit here," Primo invited as the coffee table was filled with food. Some servants ced it earlier while Marie was serving him tea. "Eat while the food is warm,"

    Gabrie did not refuse. Her stomach was already calling for her and the view of the delicious food only made it worse. The girl sat opposite to El Tigre and because she was really hungry, she wanted to devour all the food mercilessly but the man was making her conscious. She can even feel her hands shaking as she was charging her utensils in front of him but she tried her best to act naturally.

    Her tension didn''t go unnoticed in El Tigre''s eyes and immediately he thought of what Marie had said. It never bothered him once how women view him and so he was never concerned about him being fearsome, not until then when he can see Gabrie''s fears.

    "Dulzura¡­." He called for her attention as she had intentionally fixed her eyes on the food and ignored him. "Do I scare you?"

    The question hit the girl and for a moment. She slowly raised her head and looked at him, "I''m¡­.I''m trying not to be scared¡­"

    Primo was relieved at her words. Earlier when he told her his intentions, she went really quiet, and he ended up wondering what she thought about his confession. Her trying to make an effort to build a connection to him gave him enough assurance that although their rtionship needed much work, she was willing to cooperate. At least she didn''t reject him, so that was a good start to begin with.

    Gabrie on her part was honest with her words. Although she was still not sure about Primo''s intentions despite his words, something within her wanted to try it out. Who knows it might work out well? Besides, although he scares her¡ªa lot¡ªhe was somehow irresistible and he had given her enough warmth tonight that made her want to hope for something. Also, she was tired of resisting as he was so persistent so she wanted to give him a chance.

    "I''m okay with that. I''m okay with you trying..." Primo announced with a smile that only made him more irresistible than he already was. With the undeniable attraction she felt, Gabrie could only withdraw her eyes to shut off the rising sensation rising in her stomach. She then focused herself with the food until her stomach was full. When she was finished, Primo had someone clean up the table while Gabrie retreated to the bathroom again to brush her teeth.

    The girl stood up the big sink in the bathroom and brushed her teeth slowly, hoping to dy the routine so it would be toote to do something else tonight. She was very aware of the threat of another hot venture and she felt like she would end up being hypocritical for refusing him when at the end she would only sumb to the temptation. Primo, although he was scary¡ªwas a very handsome man and only a woman not of sound mind could resists him when he makes sexual advances. Gabrie then who was very aware how he was so good in bed, plus the idea that he got her all cornered knew very well it would only take Primo little effort for her to surrender into his arms so as much as she could, she dare not go to that part where he can seduce her to it.

    While she was all contemting how to end the night without them sucking each other, Primo entered the bathroom. He only gave the Monteria heiress a little nce before he passed through her and stood at the entrance of the shower. Since Gabrie was facing the mirror, she could all see him and in a moment, her jaw dropped when Primo, without warning, undressed¡ªlike totally¡ªas he readied himself for the shower. In a moment, his hot muscr muscles, so was his hot ass, was unting in front of her eyes.

    Shit man!

    Gabrie cursed under her breath that she ended up choking with the bubbles in her mouth. She coughed mercilessly at the sink and instantly lowered her head to spit all that she had. As she was doing so, she felt some hard hands caressing her back and she very well knew it was Primo. That only gave her more of the panic and immediately she dismissed him.

    "I''m okay," She said, trying not to peek at his nakedness. "Sorry,"

    "Careful," He said, still caressing her back and sure it felt so sensual now that Gabrie knew he had nothing on.

    "I''m really okay, go and take your bath," She pushed him away and since she was trying not to look at him, she did not see his devious grin.

    "Alright," Primo replied and went back to the shower. However, he made sure not to close the curtain and that the girl could see all of him.

    She had made him so hard since earlier and he wanted to really sleep with her tonight but of course didn''t want to force his beautiful angel. So he was trying then, perhaps a little seduction can make her want to reminisce about their sweet escape in Mondrew City.

    Gabrie could only sigh helplessly at the thought of Primo naked in her back. She already heard the shower being turned on and so she knew he was busy with his bath. Curious and already tempted, she could not help herself but check out the beautiful Adonis at her back. As she raised her head back to the mirror and continued brushing her teeth, she shamelessly peek at him. Her eyes firstnded on his ankles that sunk on the wet floor then slowly went up to his thighs where his big sex was standing proud and hot. Her eyes went so big at the sight of it and she immediately swallowed and withdrew her eyes. Her face went red.

    Very tempted, she peeked at him once more but wanted to skip the thing between his thighs since she cannot handle more of it. So the next time she dared to peek at him, shevished herself with his abs for minutes before she checked out his chest and was almost drooling at how beautiful of a man he was. Primo was well sculptured in all ces that for once she wanted to congratte the one who made him. God! What a jaw dropping beautiful being.

    Gabrie''s eyes went for more and this time her eyes travelled to his face only to be weed with his tiger-like eyes. Immediately, Gabrie''s heart leaped out of her chest as Primo''s lips twisted.

    "Did you like everything you see?" Primo said and Gabrie just wanted to die right away at his words.

 Chapter 125 - He Wants To

    Staring right through Primo''s eyes, Gabrie knew she was caught!

    Shit!??

    Immediately she retracted her stare and lowered her head cursing!

    <em>Idiot Gabrie! How could you be so shameless?</em>

    She chided herself and immediately, she finished her brushing in just a second and fled right out through the door. She closed the bathroom door hard and leaned at it to catch her breath, also her racing heart.

    "Shit Gabbie you are so one of a¡­..oh God!" she helplessly knocked her head with her fist and thought of anything that could redeem her broken pride. Earlier she went so hard on him, refusing all his advances and yet tonight, she ended up shamelessly peeking on Primo! Worst of all, the man had caught her and even made a slight mockery of it!

    Gabrie pressed her chest to calm her heart and helplessly gathered herself to the big bed at the center of the room. She tossed herself on the soft mattress and thought of nothing but all her misdeeds tonight. She spent a few minutes on it but flinched when she heard the bathroom door flew open. Not wanting to face Primo, as she had no more face to unt to the man, she slid herself inside the nket, rolled to her side and closed her eyes.

    Perhaps it was time for her to sleep and be the good behave girl she always was.

    While eyes closed, Gabrie could feel Primo''s presence in the room. She felt him moving, pulling one thing after another, walking back and forth and at the end, settled on the other side of the bed until she felt the mattress sunk to amodate another body into it. She knew Primo had joined her in bed and her eyes went big at that! Was he nning to sleep with her on the same bed tonight?

    <em>God I can''t believe this man!</em>

    "Primo what are you doing?" She couldn''t help but confront him as she seriously cannot stay with him in the same room, much more on the same bed.

    Primo''s brows curled at her question but decided to give the girl an answer anyway. "Lying on the bed,"

    "I know," She said, already annoyed at the man''sck of sensitivity. She was trying hard to be patient andpromising but him teasing her in the bathroom didn''t settle well on Gabrie''s pride and so right then, she was clearly not feeling Primo''s obsession to be close to her. "But what are you doing here? Can you at least have the decency to sleep in another room?"

    Her annoyance only entertained Primo. He loved talking to her but most of the time she chose to be quiet, so she speaking of her annoyance right then, amused Primo in all ways possible.

    "Well I''m not decent so I''m just going to sleep here," Primo answered with a wide grin that only made Gabrie hate him more. "Besides, this is my room, so I think I have all the right to sleep here,"

    "What?" Gabrie dragged herself around every four corners and realized that the bedroom''s color was of masculine theme and vibes and so Primo''s words seemed legit. "The maid didn''t tell me this. Are you bluffing me?"

    "Unfortunately not dulzura, why would I?"

    Gabrie felt like the issue didn''t bother Primo that much and so she squeezed herself out of the bed and stood then headed for the door.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I''ll ask the servants to bring me to another room," Gabrie went on without permission as if she was the Madam of the house. "This sleeping arrangement won''t do with me,"

    "You seemed to have liked our sleeping situation in Mondrew City¡­" Primo teased.

    "That was when I didn''t know you were El Tigre," She replied, almost as casually as if she did not fear him at all.

    "What''s the difference now?"

    "The difference is that you had every woman in Devon City gone crazy over you and that they will easily kill me if they''ll know what happened to us in another city,"

    "I won''t allow anyone to hurt you Dulzura, so rx. Sleep now if you want, I promise I won''t be of much burden,"

    "You beside me in bed is already burdensome," Gabrie couldn''t help but think about all the nights they spent together in one bed including all the wild things they both willingly did in the dark. She knew having Primo beside her on same bed would lead to nothing good since the man was fucking irresistible.

    "Me beside you is pleasuresome," Primo returned the rhyme as he kept on teasing her. Gabrie''s face this time had gone real red because of her annoyance on Primo who right then was very nonchnt about the rming situation they were in.

    Was he not thinking? Sleeping in the same room would only cast out suspicions and raise unnecessary expectations and this was one of the many things she wanted to avoid. She was a Monteria and she had a reputation to protect. Surely this scandal they were about tomit would only bring nothing butplications in the future.

    "Primo please...this won''t do," Gabrie was damned so seriously already and her eyes red at Primo once again. She put her two hands on her hips as she went on nagging. "We''re not married, we can''t sleep in the same room or else people will think I''m already something in your family,"

    "But you are already something to my family,"

    "What something? Can you not y with me dum¡ª"

    "The moment you stepped in this mansion, you broke the record for being the first woman to enter my residence," Primo gave her an assuring nce. "Promise. That record already made you more than something in my family,"

    "Why do you always have something to answer?" Gabrie was already frustrated. She had tried winning an argument with him and she had never once won. In the middle of her desperation and hope that somehow Primo would not act too weird, she remembered he was awyer¡ªa brilliant one¡ªso perhaps she''ll just give up arguing. "Can you not answer anymore and just bring me to another room? I really want to sleep alone¡­"

    Seeing her desperation, Primo heaved a big sigh but instead of giving her permission so she can go on with her request, he dragged himself out of bed and walked slowly toward her with his domineering aura. He, in just a minute, turned from the calm and nonchnt man into something else. Something scary, devious, tiger-beastly-like that staring in his fire lit eyes already made Gabrie want to bolt out of the door. Primo took his time walking toward his nagging woman and stopped just inches from her.

    Gabrie swallowed a mouthful of saliva at the view of him. Primo was topless and so his hard perfectly sculpted abs were all waving at her, ready to be explored and touched. Below, he was on trunks and she could not particrly tell whether the size of it was just enough of him or his sex just stretched far bigger that made his trunks look like it was short of size. Seeing him fully erected, Gabrie could only bite her lips.

    With their short distance, Primo stepped closer but Gabrie, who was already feeling all the tension wanted to evade it, so she stepped back as he was advancing. They did the step''s chase for a minute until Gabrie took the onest step she could as her back was already on the wall. In a moment she was pinned on it, while Primo was in front of her, giving her wild haunting stares.

    "Primo..." Gabrie attempted to stop him but her voice got lost after she spit his name. His eyes had drowned her and she had lost her senses for minutes. Primo took one more step that in a moment only a thin imaginary line was standing between them, only as thin as a chopstick.

    "Dulzura¡­." His voice came so alluring that Gabrie had to shake her head to remain her sanity steady. Goddam! What was Primo nning? In panic and super lost, she took the initiative of lowering down her head to escape his fiery gaze. Staring through him was like she was being hypnotized and she couldn''t bear the hotness any longer.

    However Primo took her chin and raised her head up again as he wanted to look into her stunning emerald eyes. She has that kind that reminds the man of all the innocent things in the world¡ªfresh, pure things that hecked in his life that was full of brutality and blood. Only with her did he find such soothing feelings, reminding him that somehow even with all his great sins, he can still be forgiven and most all be loved.

    "My angel¡­.." Primo called on her again and yet all Gabrie could do was sucked all her breath, not wanting to move. She was very aware how one reckless move right then, can lead to something and that she''ll break lose.

    "I want you to sleep in this room dulzura...with me..." he said, his breath ragged. " And I want to do you, would you let me?"

 Chapter 126 - His Name

    Gabrie doesn''t know what to answer. How could she?

    Not when the nation''s husband, the man everyone dreamed of having in all Devon City was the one who was asking for it.??

    Does she want it too? Yes. Obviously yes!

    It would all be total hypocrisy if she would deny the longing and desire she felt inside for him. In fact, if she was shameless enough, she could have run and had a wild sex with him at the bath when he was all teasing her.

    However things got a littleplicated right now with all the things that just happened¡ªfrom Primo showing at the party, his confession and him bringing her to his home¡ªall of this went fast and surreal to her she was afraid that if she would hold on to it, she''ll wake up next morning realizing it was all just a dream.

    As her thoughts filled her, Primo was waiting for her response but he wasn''t that patient tonight and so he dragged his lips to her ears and whispered. "I''ll take the silence as a yes,"

    Gabrie''s felt a jolt, her breathing went chaotic as she anticipated Primo''s touch and in a just a moment, while their eyes were transfixed to each other, Primo pulled ribbon of her robe and squeezed the linen out of her that she was left with the silk thin nightgown the maids had let her wore earlier. Primo''s gaze departed from her eyes and skimmed through the other parts of her, particrly her breast that went very obvious as she wasn''t wearing anything aside from her panties. She thought that having the robe was enough to cover her but now that Primo took it, there was nothing anymore to shield her from his protruding tiger eyes.

    Primo was pleased with what he saw but it wasn''t enough. He had missed her far too much and his desire cannot be fired out by just looking at her almost naked. And so, slowly while he was catching his breath, he pulled down both the strap of her nightgown and it fell right to the floor where her robeid and the view of the naked angel he had dreamed for many nights stood right before him, his inside twisted tight. His lips immediately formed a fascinated smile at the sight of it and thought if only the girl knew how she drove him crazy, she would never hesitate nor doubt his intentions.

    The man cannot withhold his hands from touching her but was lost as to where to start. So his hands settled on the curve of her waist as he bit his lips hard. He had waited for such a long time to have her again but seeing her so real stunned him for a few moments as his mind went nk.

    The feel of Primo''s hands on her bare waist made Gabrie break loose. She waited for Primo to take lead but he did nothing but just stared at her as a veryplex expression flushed to his face. She could see that he really wanted her but was lost as to why he didn''t make a move. Done with all the waiting and was already at the verge of her lust, she cut the veryst gap of their distance and overtook his lips. Damn! She was so aroused already she couldn''t help it!

    The unexpected kiss caught Primo off guard but he weed her daring move and amodated it. Her kiss woke up all the fire inside him and just seconds as the kiss started, he dominated her. Something inside his heart warmed up at the thought that she too wanted to be close to him, to feel him, to be intimate with him. He didn''t care anymore whether what drove her to initiate the kiss was lust or love, so long as she wanted him, that was enough to drive him more mad.

    Primo''s kisses went wild and he even cupped the back of her head to press her more to him. Her long wavy hair was caught on his hands and it''s strong rosy fragrance made its way to his nose, it was all in all addicting. As Primo explored the heiress'' mouth, his hands yed on her breast. He cupped and pressed it hard then in a moment encircled a finger to trace her nipple until Gabrie broke the kiss to moan. Seeing her respond to such a little touch, he let go of her mouth and rammed to her breast, licking and biting it.

    "Oh Primo¡­." Gabrie said his name and the sound pleasured Primo in every way possible. He continued ying on her mounds which were of regr size, not too big and too small, just enough but very pink and beautiful that Primo could not get enough of them. She did have the kind of breast that makes a man dream about it every night¡ªsmooth, surreal and very unique. He had never seen such a kind of breast in all the women he saw naked and the very first time he saw it, it convinced him thoroughly that she was an angel as she possessed such beautiful parts. Wanting to increase her pleasure, one of his hands went down until it reached the veryst piece of clothing she wore that was covering her thighs. Primo slid a finger down on it and he heard Gabrie gasp and hold onto his arms in an attempt to stop him.

    "Rx Dulzura, let me make you feel good," Primo cut the routine his yful mouth was doing on her breast and continued it when he felt the girl loosened. He then slid his finger deeper into her until he could feel her wetness. Realizing how damp her underwear already, he could only smile at the thought she had gone so wet at their forey. This increased his want, already wondering how it felt inside her with such overflowing moisture. "Ah you''re so ready for me my sweet angel..but let''s take it slow,"

    "Primo just please¡­." Gabrie didn''t know what she was asking him but she was so lost into the sensation she couldn''t bear any of his sensual tricks.

    "Please what dulzura?" he asked, smiling at the thought of her begging for more. "Say my name again and I''ll make youe,"

    Gabrie bit her lips as she sucked in Primo''s warmth and his promised pleasure. Breathless, she said his name again, "Primo, Primo make mee!"

    Just that and Primo hastily buried his finger inside her as he felt her grip on him tightened. He maneuvered inside until he could feel the walls of her most intimate ce and move madly intense. He circled, stroked, teased and rubbed, slid in and out and until he heard Gabrie''s continuous sweet moans that filled the room. Her moans travelled past through the open veranda until the garden overlooking Primo''s room so that some servants who passed by could hear her loud. They all just lowered their head and blushed then forgot they heard anything not wanting to disrespect their master.

    Soon, Gabrie''s toes curled in the carpet as she reached a heavenly bliss only Primo managed to introduce to her. She travelled to it with nothing but Primo''s name in her mouth and when she reverted back to her senses, Primo only became more aroused and aggressive. His mouth possesivlely licked and took her breast for onest time until he nted kisses on her stomach, licked her navel and pulled her underwear down to the floor. Before she knew it, El Tigre was already kneeling on his feet in reverence of her as he smelled the fragrance of her flower that was fresh from orgasmn. Then in one raw move, he licked her there in one slow but deeply pressed motion.

    The sight of Primo kneeling down at her was so raw Gabrie''s chest leaped out. She just looked at him as he was doing it and when the did was finished, he smiled and bit his lips under her gaze.

    "You taste so good dulzura," Primo''s voice was filled with pleasure. "Open your legs and let me have more of it,"

    Gabrie did as told and Primo grabbed her waist to keep her steady. Then once more, he licked her there, slowly at first again until the routine went wild and out of hand. Primo made its way into her, licking open her closed lips down there, delved into her heat, until such that he was already sucking and tasting her fresh nectar. He soothed her. Provoked her. His uncontrolled possessiveness drove him to write his name with his tongue, marking that very part of her as his.

    Gabrie was very aware of what he was doing as in that very moment she existed just for that sensation. She helplessly grabbed his lustrous hair then moaned as she followed the sinuous pattern of his tongue and anticipated each alphabet he daringly wrote in her wetness. Naugthy ash he was and very pleased at how his woman allowed him to execute his wild fantasies, he he went all the way writing his whole full name onto it¡ªPrimo El Tigre Umbresio.

 Chapter 127 - Scandal

    The scent of her most intimate part blended with the fragrance of femine skin kindled unbearable craving in Primo''s part. His woman tastes like heaven and if only he could bear it, he would stay kneeling at her all night.

    "Primo...I can''t take it anymore," Gabrie gasped frustratedly, afraid that her knees could''t support her anymore. However she knew she was close, as the threat of new orgasmn rose in her stomach. Soon her moans broke into sobs. She grabbed hard into Primo''s hair for support as everything inside her tightened and her orgasm exploded then her mind flew to heaven once more! Ah pure ecstasy!??

    When Gabrie finally came back to her senses, Primo was already standing, owning her lips for another kiss. It was deep, seeking, very raw that made Gabrie very aware that he wanted his share of the pleasure already. When El tigre broke the kiss, he looked at Gabrie with nothing but eyes full of desire and dragged her toward the bed that had long been waiting for both of them.

    Just as Gabrie climbed into the soft mattress, Primo paused to pull off his trunks and threw it at the floor. When he looked back to focus on Gabrie, he saw her taking initiative to position herself¡ªshe bent and crouched in all four, ready to wee Primo from behind. The sight of her in such a position was so sensual, Primo could only grin deviously as his wanting so increased. He immediately grabbed Gabrie''s soft ass, felt its softness and bit his lips trying to suppress his urge. He didn''t want toe right away as the view of her was so alluringly seductive he almost broke loose.

    "You love this position don''t you?" Primo''s hands were all feeling her behind that was rosy now because of his touches. Then he positioned his own hardness at her moist then slowly rubbed the tip of it and sighed with a painful pleasure. He had withheld himself too much. He was already aching and so, in just seconds after their first contact, he rammed himself intensely inside her and heard the girl cursing him.

    "Shit Primo!"

    "It''s not shit dulzura," He answered as he took in the devastating pleasure of her tight moist all covering him. "Its fuck and you are so fucking tight!"

    Primo''s room right away was filled with cursing, moaning, dirty talks and dark fleshly deeds. He rammed on Gabrie again and again, stronger and deeper each time. He couldn''t withhold himself from thrusting and for a few minutes, he was obsessively putting in force as he listened to Gabrie''s moans and gasps. He threw off many dirty words as he was doing her as it seemed like his woman loved hearing it and soon, he heard his own groanpeting with Gabrie''s loud scream as they both reached their peak of ecstasy. Primo spilled abundantly inside her and she could only swallow a mouthful when he felt his hot release,

    When the pleasure ended, Primo found himself panting beside his woman as he regained his senses. When his mind became clear, he gathered Gabrie in his arms and nted small kisses in her hair. He wanted to initiate another round but she was already exhausted so he settled with just another kiss, pulled the nket to cover their bodies and had her sleep under his arms.

    ***

    The next morning, Gabrie woke up to the scent of freshly brewed tea and the brightness of the room weed her. The sun was already up and birds were singing outside, celebrating the good weather.

    "I''m sorry Miss, did I wake you up?" A servant spoke and Gabrie found her just inches from bed, beside the coffee table where a lot of mouth craving food was neatly prepared.

    Gabrie shook her head and smiled timidly. She was very aware she was naked in bed and the thought that the servant found her sleeping in that state in their master''s bed sponsored a morning blush in her face.

    "Where''s Primo?" She asked but the way Primo''s name escaped into her mouth easily made her want to rephrase her question. She felt like it wasn''t right to call the man by his first name as she was not his equal, not by wealth and surely not by status. "I mean..where is¡­.ahmm¡ª"

    "The master took some early calls," The servants dragged her eyes to the veranda giving Gabrie a hint that Primo was there. "He''ll be here to join you shortly. Would you want me to help you dress up?"

    "No no," Gabrie shook her head in panic. Are the servants in this house too used to sights like this¡ªa naked woman lying on their master''s bed? Why does it feel like they''re all okay with it? It doesn''t even make them flinch.

    Not wanting to trouble the servant, Gabrie tried to find the clothes she worest night but after a few minutes of rummaging around the bed, she couldn''t find any. The servant who was then observing her, hid a smile, a bit amused before she coughed to get Gabrie''s attention.

    Gabrie helplessly looked at her again and she guided her sight toward one corner of the room, near a wall where all her clothes scattered, including her underwear. Gabrie could only curse inwardly at how shameless the situation went. How could Primo allow a servant in the room without cleaning off the trace of what they didst night? Damn this man!

    "I can get you a fresh set of clothes Miss,"

    "No...just...just give that¡­.please?" Gabrie just sucked in all the shame. "Would you please?"

    The servant amodated her request without much fuss and went to pick up her clothes then gave it to her. She even attended to her, helping her slip the clothes back to her naked flesh and grabbed ab from the drawer.

    "Let meb your hair Miss," She offered and Gabrie could only nod to give her consent. Although their recent conversation went tremendously awkward for her, the servant however was so warm and amodating she could not say no to her.

    The servant brushed her hair for a few minutes and stood when it was all done. "Your hair is so long and lovely miss,"

    "Thank you,"

    "I''ll go and prepare your bath. Just call me if you need anything," The servant told her, gave a curtsy and headed for the door. However before she disappeared through it, she seemed to have remembered something "By the way Miss, we don''t really have any idea yet of your style so we prepared a couple of dresses for you," She pointed to the hanger where many clothes had been hung. Gabrie surely did not see that hangerst night so she could only guess they prepared it this morning for her.

    "Can I just wear the one I worest night?" Gabrie thought that having another set of clothes was unnecessary. She was to go home anyway so better wore the thing she already owned.

    "You may if you want to Miss," She answered politely. "However, I don''t think its an appropriate dress to wear at to the ce where the master is going to take you,"

    "Take me where?" her head formed lines at the servant''s statement. She wasn''t aware she was required to go somewhere else than home to Allegria penthouses this morning. What did Primo prepare for her this time? Was he not going to send her home yet?

    "Let''s have breakfast first," Primo''s voice cut off the two girl''s conversation. The servant acknowledged Primo''s presence and decided to prepare the bath she told Gabrie earlier and so, the Monteria heiress again was alone with El Tigre.

    As he entered from the veranda, Primoid the phone he was holding in a coffee table then cued for Gabrie to join him. "Come here dulzura,"

    Gabrie paced the distance from the bed to the coffee table and sat in front of Primo. When she settled, Primo however stood and surprisingly dragged his chair toward where she was at so he could sit beside her. Gabrie immediately red at him and even moved away a little.

    "Aren''t you a little too close? Can you¡ª"

    Before she could finish her sentence, Primo''s lips were already on hers. He gave her only a short smack, enough to silence her.

    "What''s that for?" She raised a brow, still ring. Isn''t this man being too much already? He seduced herst night and now, early in the morning, even dared to steal a kiss?

    "A kiss of greeting, dulzura," Primo said nonchntly and moved to rearrange the utensils so they could start eating. "I head couples do that every morning and whenever they see each other,"

    "We are not a couple," Gabrie reminded him because it seemed that he wasn''t on the same page with her. Couple his ass!

    "Well, apparently, that is not what everyone in Devon City thinks," Primo smiled victoriously as he poured her ss of tea.

    "What are you talking about?" The mention of every person in Devon City got Gabrie thinking hard. What is Primo talking about? No one saw them snuggling in the Garden right?

    Did a scandal brew outst night while El Tigre seduced her? Good heavens!

 Chapter 128 - Rough

    "Primo what''s going on?" Gabrie repeated her question and yet the man only pushed to her his phone and let the Monteria heiress see for herself. She rummaged around the web and found several articles of her and Primo being linked together and the fact that they left the partyst night together.

    "Oh shit!" She cursed as she clicked one article and read through the news gossip. Immediately she frowned and looked at Primo, only to find him smiling at her face.??

    "You looked dreadful," hemented with a grin and snatched away the phone to stop her from searching more. He had seen how stressed she became and thought perhaps he should not have told her about it early in the morning.

    "Who would not? Everybody in the city is talking about us!" Gabrie cussed and she gave Primo an eye wondering why he looked so calm about it. "And you know what frustrates me even more is the fact that you don''t seem affected at all. How is all this okay with you?"

    "I have nothing to be upset about the media pairing me off to a beautiful woman," He answered simply and started cing food on her te. "Come one dulzura, am I not really a good catch that you seemed so upset about the mediabelling us as a couple?"

    "I am upset because I know that this isn''t true¡­" Gabrie answered. "I don''t want everyone to assume things and me it all to me at the end when their expectations fall out. Look Primo, I know my ce and people like me doesn''t belong to your kind,"

    "My kind? I was never aware I have a different kind from you, were just both humans,"

    "Your kind is the top rich, my kind is the regr rich," Gabrie exined further trying to make Primo see the obvious difference. "That speaks so many differences,"

    "Fine. We''ll talk about the differencester when we are done with our errand," Primo dismissed the whole conversation by dying its resolution. "Let''s eat now, we are runningte with the appointment,"

    "Where are we going?" Gabrie remembered the servant earlier did tell her they were about to go somewhere, so she asked. "I thought you are going to send me home this morning,"

    "Which home? To your friend''s house?" Primo raised a brow at it. "I''m not going to send back my woman to someone else house,"

    "But Primo¡ª"

    "Eat. We will talkter" He cut her offpletely and raised a spoon of food in her mouth. Her eyes went big, surprised at his unexpected gesture. "Come on, open your mouth,"

    "I can eat¡­" Gabrie took the spoon cautiously from Primo''s hand and was relieved when he let her have it. "I can eat on my own,"

    "Alright," Primo chose not to argue over it and let her eatfortably. He does acknowledge the fact that she was still not used to him and that it needed more time for her to adjust with hispany so he was determined to take things slow between them.

    The breakfast went on smoothly and Gabrie was so amazed on how good the food was in Primo''s house. Ever since she came, there was no single dish she disliked and she had been enjoying the food there more than anything.

    After breakfast, she had her bath and after an hour and half, she was all dolled up. The maids helped her choose a pretty good dress, a casual pink one that made her look fresh and young. They even helped braid her long wavy hair so it wouldn''t be much of a trouble for her.

    "Where are you taking me?" She asked for the nth time but until then no one was giving her answers.

    "You''ll see when we get there," Primo dismissed her question and ushered her through the backseat. The car then travelled through a familiar path, the one they tookst night until they reached the busy city main roads. Primo had been busy with his phone calls while they travelled and so there was no one to entertain Gabrie''s questions. She only held a deep sigh and thought about how stupid she was for leaving her bag and phone behind in Allegria''s penthouses. She wondered by then what had happened to Lucy and how worried she must have been, especially that she left her not a single note on where she went.

    She actually thought of calling the Allegria penthouses through thendline back in Primo''s mansion but she missed her chance this morning as she had been upied with the rush of taking a bath and choosing her dress. Right then, her only hope of contacting Lucy was to borrow Primo''s phone but he had his hands on it as calls kepting in. Was this how his days always started and ended? Through a series of phone calls? He must really be a busy man.

    Soon, their car stopped and when Gabrie looked outside, she saw that they were in Imperial hospital. She was left baffled for a few minutes, wondering what their errand in the hospital would be but waited for Primo to exin it to her. However Primo was still on his phone and so she could only follow him obediently.

    They entered the Imperia hospital through a ground floor level exclusive only for the hospital''s VIP clients and so when they exited the car, no paparazzi nor a single media practitioner weed them and Gabrie was so relieved at that. She was aware that Imperial hospital had exclusive facilities for the top rich but since the Monteria''s weren''t on that level of status, she had never experienced their VIP facilities. So this was how the top rich go to hospitals? They had their own exclusive well guarded parking space as well as a private elevator. No wonder it was hard for the media to stalk on their lives, they basically had ces to go where regr people cannot.

    Gabrie had no idea what they were doing in the Imperial hospital, not until she realized where Primo took her. The man was too engrossed with the conversation he had in his phone and so when medical personnel appeared to wee them, they took and amodated Gabrie and only gave Primo some curtsy. Gabrie was all hesitant to follow the nurses and Primo saw this, so he put on hold the person he was talking to for a moment to speak to her.

    "I''ll just finish this call dulzura, I''ll follow you right away," He said and reached for her hair to give it a kiss. "This won''t take long, I''ll be there before you knew it,"

    Gabrie only nodded and followed the nurses and in just after a few minutes, she had undergone a few tests and found herself lying on a white bed in the obygene''s office. Through the whole process, she realized Primo had taken her for a check up and she didn''t know whether to feel good or bad at that. Was Primo just concerned about her health that he had her checked or was he just making sure she was a clean woman? Either way she understood the need for it as Primo wasn''t an ordinary man, many people¡ªa thousand of employees¡ª depend on him and so his health was everyone''s priority.

    "Well you seemed pretty healthy," The doctor, a woman, smiled at her after she''s done with what she had to do. "Just a little bit more of a sexy time and you''ll manage to have a baby. I can rmend you some supplement to help securing chances of getting pregnant,"

    "Ahmm¡­." The words of the doctor surprised Gabrie. They had some small talks earlier but she doesn''t remember telling her she wanted to get pregnant. Who gave the doctor such an impression? "Doc, I think you are mistaken...I''m not nning to get pregnant. I''m not married yet so...,"

    "Oh?" It was the doctor who was surprised with her words. "I see. I''m sorry I thought¡ªAtty. Umbresio, good morning,"

    Gabrie saw the doctor''s eyes go from her to the door. She followed the doctor''s gaze and found Primo at the standing there. It doesn''t look like he just entered the door and so she wondered if he had been there all along.

    "Good morning doc. How is she?" He asked directly to the point, not wasting more time for pleasantries. He didn''t even bother to sit and just stood behind Gabrie''s back.

    "She''s good. Healthy. I was about to rmend to her some supplements for securing chances of getting pregnant but she just ryed to me she didn''t want to have a baby yet," The doctor ryed and Gabrie felt a little ufortable with the conversation. What''s with all these baby topics?

    "Truth is we haven''t talked about it. I just want her to get checked to see if we managed to make one," Primo was so tant with his words Gabrie wanted to evaporate out of sight. Also, the way Primo was caressing her hair and neck in front of the doctor was way too much public disy of affection for her. "We had been separated for a while since I had been busy with work and so I''ve been a little rough on her in bed when I came back. Just worried I might hurt the child if we managed to have one thest time. Also my woman really likes it rough so I can''t really help it,"

    Gabrie went red at Primo''s honesty and the way the doctor smiled at it only made her feel the worst. God! How tant could he be?

 Chapter 129 - Love

    Gabrie red at Primo, hard then turned her face back to the doctor with a pretend smile. Inside, it was like a bucket of cold water was thrown into her and if only they were alone, she would have choked the man to his death. Good thing they weren''t and the man is El Tigre, if not, nothing would stop her from killing him right away.

    "I understand. So what do you wish me to do? Rmended a supplement to ensure a pregnancy or rmend some contraception?" She asked. She just recently checked and had a small chat with Gabrie earlier that made her aware they weren''t using any at all.??

    "Well talk about it doc, right dulzura?" Primo looked with a devious grin.

    "Yeah," She answered as if she was all okay with whatever they were talking about when heck, she almost wanted to die of shame. "Yeah right¡­"

    "I''ll ring you doc once we had talked about it," Primo was so cool with the subject matter. The Monteria heiress was just thankful that it ended smoothly and the doctor didn''t ask further. She had prepared the worst already but was thoroughly relieved the conversation ended without Primo going through all the details of their sexy time as it seemed he was very willing to narrate it to the doctor.

    Soon, the couple was back to the car and Gabrie had her chance to confront Primo on his folly.

    "How the heck were you telling all unnecessary things to the doctor?" Gabrie started in time when Primo was about to answer a call. For a moment he was torn between answering the girl or his call but he chose thetter.

    He sighed, turned his phone off and faced Gabrie with his ever gorgeous face.

    "Which unnecessary things were you referring to?"

    "About us...doing¡­.whatever!" Gabrie blushed again as she recalled it. "You now what I meant already so stop pretending you don''t have an idea,"

    "Well it''s awyer''s character not to assume anything," Primo defended his side using his very profession.

    "You are not in the courtroom Primo! God! I hate it when you do that!"

    "Do what?"

    "When you answer things like that. You always return the question," Gabrie frustratedly leaned on the back seat. In a moment, her expression changed and looked away from him. "I also hate you for bringing me to the doctor without telling me beforehand. What''s there to hide about seeing a doctor? Were you afraid I wouldn''t be willing to go?"

    "I know socialites like me do that¡ªsleeping around the baceholers of the top rich. But I''m not...I''m not like them," Gabrie added in an expression that conveyed she was a bit hurt at his actions, "I mean...I did sleep with you but I''m not really that kind of a woman. Swear to God. I''m clean,"

    Primo was deeply surprised and bothered at the same time with what the Monteria heiress just said. It never urred to him that she would feel that way and he had no ounce of idea his actions that were meant to be good, actually looked offensive to her.

    "Dulzura, you getting checked was because I was worried you are pregnant already not because I wanted to make sure you are a clean woman," Primo exined. He felt utterly stupid for what he had done¡ªdragging the girl to the hospital and have her checked without her consent. He did think she understood his intentions, it didn''t ur to him it would be misinterpreted. "I didn''t use protection in Mondrew City. I was worried I could have gotten you pregnant. I just wanted to make sure you are okay and the baby in case,"

    Gabrie didn''t answer as she didn''t know what to say. She didn''t even know if Primo was telling the truth or he was all just bluffing her. Right then she was full of doubts and her heart was so guarded it was not easy for her to be convinced the man was serious with her.

    Primo sighed as he looked at the girl. Then he reached for her hand and kissed it. "My dulzura, would you forgive me? I apologize for it. I promise to be more sensitive next time and be a better a man,"

    "No need for that," Gabrie answered. Her eyes still refused to meet him "Actually I understand why you have to do it. Many people rely. It is thus necessary for you to be careful about your health,"

    Primo didn''t push more on it. He was very aware of her distrust and he wondered how far she had fallen and hurt from her previous venture with the Zhao''s young master that she became this guarded. Well, his men had already sent him the basic details of what was going on in the Montera''s household and although the reportcked some information, he somehow had a glimpse of her life. He was then aware of her previous rtionship with the Zhao young master and that their rtionshipsted for almost ten years. They were about to be married and yet, just a year after the engagement they broke up and Erwan was now the fiancee of her sister.

    "I was wrong for not asking your consent dulzura," Primo admitted his sins as it seemed the girl was just letting him off. Was this how her rtionship with Erwan Zhao went? Did she also let him off every time hemits a mistake and hurts her? "I really am sorry,"

    Another silence fell but Primo broke it right away. "Have you thought about it already?"

    "About what?"

    "About whether we should have contraception or a supplement?"

    "There''s no need for that. We are not going to do it again anyway so it doesn''t matter anymore," Gabrie then was determined to go home to the Allegria''s penthouses and chain herself in bed. By that she can fight all the temptation to go out and be able to secure herself from Primo''s advances.

    "We are not going to do it again?" His devious smile managed to grow back on his lips at what the heiress decided on. "Really?"

    "I shouldn''t go around sleeping with you. Last night was thest and we shall not see each other again,"

    "Says who?" Primo put a hard tone on that as if challenging her.

    "Says me who¡ªPrimo!" Gabrie''s protest went back to the heiress'' throat when suddenly in one quick sessive motion, El Tigre pulled her close and kissed her hard. It was too sudden, she had not even managed to close her eyes for minutes because of the shock. When she regained her senses, the man had already managed to make her sit on hisp and his hand was all over her.

    "Primo¡­ the driver¡­" Gabrie tried to protest thinking about the one maneuvering their car but when she tried to look at the front seat, a partition blocked her sight.

    <em>When did Primo set it up? She wasn''t even aware there was a partition in this car!</em>

    "Attention on me dulzura," He whispered, wanting to punish her for thinking of another man while he was ravaging her. Even when it was only his driver she was worried about, it still made him irritated knowing she can still think of something else while they were making love because he cannot. "Just on me¡­"

    "Oh Primo!" Gabrie gasped at the pleasure he was giving her. He had already managed to untie her dress and her brassiere that now he was all kissing her breast while his hands were caressing her legs. Primo was aggressive then that Gabrie felt like she was about to cum even before he could take her and the fact that they were doing it in a car on motion only made her more aroused.

    When she felt his hands on her bosom and found her wetness, she was already desperate. She glided voluntarily to each stroke of his fingers and demanded more of it. While her orgasm was building up, Primo smiled and started teasing her.

    "Didn''t you sayst night was thest? Huh, dulzura?"

    "Oh shit Primo more!" She begged ignoring his words and bit her lips as she sought satisfaction for her lust. Primo made sure he did her with his fingers, raw and deep. Gabrie skin turned crimson while her mind was imprisoned to the sensation Primo was giving her. "Deeper love!"

    "You shouldn''t go sleeping around with me dulzura," Primo smiled wildly as he repeated her words. His eyes were all on her, watching her as she moaned and begged for the sweet things he was giving her. "We should not see each other again..right?"

    "Shut up!" Gabrie was so done with his teasing so she took his lips and tasted him. Primo just let her and enjoyed her dominance. He stopped moving and just leaned on the backseat, giving her all the freedom to do whatever she wanted.

    However, in a while Gabrie broke the kiss and stared at him desperately, biting her lips. She wanted him to touch her more, to do more and finish what he started. However, Primo just idled, crossed his arms and just looked at her with his tiger-like eyes.

    "What?" Primo intentionally raised a brow at her. The end of his lips curled up as he very well knew what she wanted. However he was pissed off by what she said earlier¡ªabout her ns on not meeting him again and so he wanted to punish her a little. "Say it if you want it,"

    "Primo.." Gabrie''s voice was shaking, very hesitant to demand it.

    "Dulzura?" Primo called on her as it seemed that she had lost her tongue on her way to demanding it.

    "Ahhm...can you please finish it?"

    "Finish what?"

    "Finish making love with me," She ended her words by biting her lips again.

 Chapter 130 - Big Confession

    Primo''s pleasure could not be painted. Hevished himself with the sight of his woman begging for him to give her what he was most good at. It does give him a different kind of thrill and excitement when it makes him aware how much she badly needed him too.

    "Yes dulzura, we are making love," he said in her ears before hended on her back nake and startedpping it. Then his hands moved to unzip his pants and in a moment Gabrie could already feel his hardness squeezing through the garter of her panties until it reached her moist. She gasped hard at the contact.??

    This time, Primo took her lips and while he drugged her with it, he buried himself inside her slowly but deep until his manhood was all inside her. Gabrie moaned inside her mouth while Primo overtook him and when he moved to, she went lost. Primo gave her too many beautiful sensations she didn''t know she could bear. His lips went on, making fire inside her mouth while he held on to her waist and thrust on her like wildy.

    When she felt her orgrasm rising again, she broke from the kiss and moaned for helpless surrender. She swooned her hand over his neck for support and danced with the rhythm of his hard trust. Right at that moment, her mind travelled into a dizzying abyss where there was nothing but pure pleasure of Primo''s lovemaking.

    Primi gazed up into her lushful green eyes, his desire increased a thousand times at the sound of her voice and please. It gives him a deep satisfaction whenever he hears it, knowing full well that even when he was an evil man, he can make an angel moan at his caress.

    Soon, as Primo''s driving quickened and his thrust became more impaling, Gabrie reached satisfaction when something inside suddenly exploded in hot piercing pleasure. It went to every vein in her body and she was filled with unspeakable sensation and Primo was with her. Her spasm sped him and Primo''s hands dug into her skin hard, preventing her from moving as he too sucked in the pleasure.

    "I don''t think we will ever stop dulzura," Primo said, panting on her shoulder as his face was buried there. "You have to face it, the attraction is way to strong we''ll never be satisfied against each other,"

    Primo then dragged his eyes so she could look into her shining emerald eyes that right now flushed a hesitant plight. He pushed her loose hair to the back of her ears so there was nothing that would hinder his view of her angelic face and he brought a finger to her lips then yed on it. "You and I will continue making love, everyday, every night. That''s inevitable,"

    "So the predicament does not lie on the question of if we are going to make love or not again but whether or not you want a baby, because a baby is certain to happen with what we are doing now," Primo told her. He dared not to decide on it on his own because he had already made a mistake earlier of not asking his permission to have a check up. Besides this predicament was a much bigger conversation than the one they had earlier. "So tell me dulzura, do you want my baby?"

    Gabrie was certainly not ready for such a conversation but she knew it had to be decided on because it might be toote already. She thought about it for a moment and realized she wasn''t even ready for Primo, how would she even be ready for a baby?

    "I don''t want a baby now," She replied honestly. For a lot of women, having Primo''s baby might be a big aplishment but for her, this wasn''t the case. She was already having trouble epting the fact that Primo had taken a serious liking to her and was still distrustful that she dare not even take a little joy over the man''s affection, afraid that it will just fade away after he''s done with whatever he wanted on her. She was always thinking that Erwan Zhao who gave her love and devotion for ten years lost his love to her in just a split of an eye, how more will Primo''s love not fade when they had only been together for only few days.

    "Alright," Primo replied in a tone that didn''t give much emotion. In a moment he kissed her head and started fixing up her clothes and then gathered her to sit beside him again. "Would you be okay taking some pills or¡ª"

    "I can take some pills," She cut her off not wanting him to bother about it more. For some reasons, she felt the need to have control of whatever contraception they were going to use so she could decide for herself whether to stop it or not.

    "Are you sure? If you are notfortable we can have some other options. There''s many to chose,"

    "I''m sure with the pills. Can you give the doctor a ring and tell her to send me some?"

    "Si, Dulzura," Primo answered and pulled out his phone to heed her request. He talked with the doctor for a few minutes and when they were done he turned his attention back to her. "She''ll send some before the day ends. By the way, I''d like us to eat outside but I have a very important meeting this afternoon. I really can''t take you out. Will you be okay with us having dinner at home? I promise to be home early so you won''t be eating alone,"

    "No need for Primo. I''m going home already so there''s really no need for you to attend to me," She told him his ns.

    "Didn''t we settle this morning? You are not going home to your friend''s house?" Primo''s brow creased at the matter he thought was already close. "You are not leaving the mansion. You are not going to leave me."

    "Do you hear what you are saying? Primo? How can ady like me live in a man''s house?" She red at him. It never urred to her that the man had no ns of sending her home. She did think he only nned to make her stay there only for the night.

    "Why not? You seemed to have settledfortablyst night," Primo responded frustrated that until then Gabrie wasn''t giving her a chance. They made love twice already and yet she still refused him.

    "Primo it''s not proper!"

    "I''m not married and neither are you. So what''s not proper with us living together? There are many couples in Devon City that are living together, why can''t we?" Primo reasoned with her, trying to get through her head so he could slightly understand her.

    "We are not a couple!" Gabrie said it to his face. She told her this earlier but it seemed he took for granted the weight of it. "Primo, it does mean that because we had sex we are already a couple. People made sex for so many reasons,"

    "And what is your reason for having sex with me?" Primo dared to ask her and the girl could only gape open at him at his question. It took her off guard; she was not able to answer it, or probably she wasn''t willing to answer it.

    Seeing her lost expression made Primo upset, however he perfectly understood theplexity of their situation and did not expect her to adjust right into it. However he had gone berserk and insane for almost a month looking for her; he cannot just let her go.

    "Fine if you are not willing to answer then let me tell you my reasons having sex with you," Primo''s face went from being annoyed to being desperate. "I''m so fucking crazy with you Gabrie Monteria. You are always in my head. I can''t help it. You are like a drug to me. I need you because if you are not here, I''ll be more crazy,"

    Desperate, Primo took Gabrie''s hand and kissed it. Then he pulled her close again and snuggled on her neck, nting kisses.

    "I''m so crazy I want to make love with you again,"

    "Primo¡­." Gabrie was so blushing at Primo''s words. His one big confession pierced right through her heart and she softened at him. Something warmed up inside her for the man but it was a new kind of feeling¡ªsomething she had felt before. Something she had not even felt with Erwan in their ten long years of being a couple.

    Shit this El Tigre! He certainly knew how to get through her veins and to her heart!

    Primo raised his face to look her in the eye. "I''m so serious with us Dulzura. I know all of this went too fast, it overwhelmed you and I''m willing to wait until you''ll be able to see that we are something. However, searching for you helpless for a month without no avail made me crazy. I don''t think I can''t part with you ever again. So can you please, please, not leave me. Stay with me. I beg you,"

 Chapter 131 - Intrusion

    Gabrie stared at the man, not sure what to feel about his profound affection. Isn''t it too much with the fact they had just recently met? Didn''t they say El Tigre does not take women seriously and this was the main reason he only has asional dalliances with few socialites?

    "I know these are all new to you and if you are not thatfortable with me, you can stay in the other rooms. My house is big, you can have all the room you want including mine," Primo told her and even teased. "But of course if you stay in my room I can''t promise you''ll have a good night sleep,"??

    Her stares turned into res and but Primo did not retreat. "Dulzura, you can''t expect me to y nice if you on my bed,"

    Live in your house and have shameless conversations like this everyday? Heck no!

    "This is the exact reason why I don''t want to live with you," She rolled her eyes and Primo grinned. Gabrie felt his sincerity, especially with how serious he sounded earlier and as much as she wanted to deny it, she felt really strange drawn to him.

    "And you''d rather live in your friend''s house? How have you been living there? Why are you even living there in the first ce," Primo asked questions sessively. His subordinate had a file of reports sent to his office about the girl but because he didn''t go to work that morning, he had not read it yet.

    "We are friends for me to narrate my life story so casually," Gabrie brushed off his curiosity although she knew it wouldn''t take long for him to find out how a messed up woman she was. She thought then what his reaction would be when he learned she had a ten long year rtionship yet she ended up giving up her first time to him.

    "But we''re a couple," Primo tried to make her reveal it herself.

    "We aren''t. You are just assuming," Gabrie retorted with a fact.

    Hearing her denying him again, Primo sighed. "What does it take for us to be a couple then?"

    "Mutual feelings obviously," Gabrie could not believe what she was hearing. Wasn''t this El Tigre? The nation''s husband? Why does it feel like he had no real experience with handling women or any rtionship when almost half of Devon City''s poption ims to be his woman.

    "Don''t we have mutual feelings," Primo''s brows creased. "We seemed to always agree on everything whenever we make love,"

    "Primo I''m serious," Gabrie''s tone was telling him she wasn''t happy at all anymore with his folly.

    "And how many times should I tell you I am serious too?" He replied as upset as her and his expression went dim "God I hate it! I hate the one who made you this¡ªwho made you too distrustful!

    Gabrie fell silent. He was never a man hater but yes, she was distrustful of them. Would she not be with how things went between her and Erwan. Knowing that Primo wasn''t letting it all go, she tried to make him understand. "Men are men. Your interest in me will eventually fade away once you have your fill. I am not that naive Primo. I mean I had always been naive, but not anymore,"

    "Dulzura¡ª"

    "Myststed for ten long years. I was about to be married. Even so, that ten years long rtionship didn''t weigh much when he jumped into another woman''s bed," Gabrie had gotten so upset that she ended up telling him her personal feelings. Primo mader her feel like she was being too unreasonable and she was trying to make him see where her stand wasing from "How much more will ours be when we just met and you had my virginity like you just picked up some coins rolling on the street. I climbed and went to your yacht and you had your lucky night. All was too easy for you Primo and it''s not that I me you for it, it''s just that for me, it''s hard to believe that you''ll take seriously a woman like me¡ªa woman with basically nothing, not even a family to rely on."

    "I had never once thought that you were too easy," Primo was a bit surprised at the words Gabrie expressed. He never thought she felt that way on how things started between them and he never intentionally made her feel that way.

    "Come one Primo. Let''s be real and just let me go home. You are El Tigre, you can have all the women you want in Devon City. Just not me please, my life is a mess, I''m just even living in my friends house. I can''t have any moreplications," Gabrie almost begged. True, to live with Primo might be the most practical and smart thing to do but she had some conscience she couldn''t dare to use the privileges he was offering when she knew she wasn''t at all worth it.

    "Just let me go and find someone else that suits you" She added and for some reason she felt like crying on her own words. She sighed frustratedly and brushed her face with her hand.

    "Gabrie!" Primo didn''t like his words and although she said it innocently, it kind of hurt him in a way that when she called for, her voice went on heavily. Gabrie who was bit surprised turned to look at him and he returned her stares with deep devotions,"I just want you,"

    "I know I have been fast and I might have overwhelmed you. I just thought you''d befortable with this kind of set up. I admit I had been with a couple of women before but I never really have some sort of rtionship with them. I don''t know how it''s done but I am willing to adjust on how you prefer it to be. If you like it the traditional way, then I''ll give you my love. Just stay in my house, I''ll promise to court you everyday," He added in an expression that showed all his sincerity.

    "Primo¡ª"

    "Why don''t you let me prove it to you then," Primo frustratedly brushed his mouth with his hands and slightly shook his head before he looked back at her,"Take a chance on me. "

    Gabrie'' heart didn''t know how to take all of his assurances. She was almost close to believing him but she was uncertain¡ªnot sure of what she really felt and what she really wanted right then.

    "Live with me. I''ll show you I''m not just ying around. I''ll court you" He begged and took her two hands on his and gave it a one emotional, sincere kiss that warmed up Gabrie''s heart. I''ll make you see I am worth banking on,"

    Gabrie just looked at the man who was begging her to stay. It was such a bizarre sight because Erwan had never even apologized for what he did to her when all this time she was waiting for him to get down on his feet and ask forgiveness. However, such never happened. All she got from him after his betrayal was a nk look that bore no regrets and his shamelessness.

    "Gabrie please?"

    The Monteria heiress was about to open her mouth to answer when their suddenly stopped. She looked and saw that they were already at the gate of Primo''s house and yet suddenly, the car stopped a few meters from the entrance.

    "What happened? Primo pulled the partition only to see at the front window that something was going on outside.

    "There''s amotion sire," The driver told him and went to look more outside. "I think we have some uninvited visitors and they seemed upset. Do you have some home appointments set?"

    "Not that¡ª"

    Before he could answer, their car had been bangged and they all flinched out of shock. Who dares to assault them in the middle of the day? Gabrie tried to look outside but as she pulled down a little of the car''s window, she heard a very familiar, all demanding call.

    "Gabbie! Gabbie!" The call resounded to the bangging of the car that says whoever was there outside was so damn serious on seeing her. Who would have looked for her in broad daylight and how did they find out where El Tigre lived?

    Primo was about to exit the car to confront the assaulter but before he couldpletely mount down off, Gabrie seemed to have recognized who their assaulter was.Immediately she fled to the door and hurried to pacify the one who was calling her.

    "Lucy?" Gabrie was so surprised. How did she know where she went?

    "Ah you still remember me?" Lucy raised a brow at heel, ready to chastise her. "Did you know I looked for you everywhere sincest night because I thought you had been kidnapped! And yet you are just here, flirting around with that old man!"

    Lucy pointed to El Tigre''s face who was already standing next to Gabrie. She red at him, like a dog ready to kill and tear him down into pieces. Justst night, he was still her crush but the moment he had kidnapped her friend and brought him to his mansion, she had forgotten how she loved him. She sees nothing on him now than an old pervert who seduced her little poor Gabrie!

    "Come on! Let''s go home!" Lucy dragged Gabrie''s arms ready to leave the ce with her.

 Chapter 132 - Bloodshot

    Gabrie didn''t know what to do, she nced from Lucy to Primo, helpless. By the way it looked, it seemed that Lucy got over her obsession with Primo in just one night because of her. Should she just go home to Allegria Penthouses now and execute her first n which was to chain herself to bed and never go out?

    Just three steps away from Lucy dragging Gabrie, Primo''s men lined up to block the two of them, disabling them to advance.

    "Oh so you are resorting to violence now? How pathetic can that be?" Lucy turned to Primo, unintimidated by him. It was a rather a rare sight to see Primo being insulted by a woman and what was more shocking was that it was his number one fan who did it.

    Truth was, Primo disliked Lucy, among all others. She was the most tant and shameless among all his fanatics. He thought she was overexaggerating her adoration on him and was only faking it to gain attention. She was afterall a celebrity.

    "Gabrie is not leaving," Primo announced.

    "So what? So can you make her your woman? Then after you are done with her, you''ll just throw her out like all the women you had rtionships with?"

    "You have nothing to do with this Luci," Primo told her, emphasizing the fact that she was a stranger to his rtionship with Gabrie. If there was anyone who should decide on leaving or not, it should be his dulzura herself and not Lucy.

    "I am everything to this El Tigre," Lucy turned to her fully, her deep blue eyes met him head on. "Gabrie is my dearest best friend¡­.wait..not bestfriend at all...we are more like sisters¡­.and I had been looking up to her ever since she left the Monteria household,"

    "I know for a fact that my Gabbie is naive and she must at all cost be protected from men like you¡ªmen who take advantage of women. How dare you make a move on her? She is pure! She is innocent! She''s not like all those desperate women who climb on your bed! How dare you take her and ruin her!" Lucy''s voice was filled with anger and thorough resentment. She knew the likes of men like EL Tigre¡ªbecause they have many women at their use and disposal, they thought all others too, they can own.. "You''ll pay for it! I''ll make you pay!"

    Lucy was so hurt, tears rounded up her eyes. She cannot imagine what El Tigre did to Gabrie and she knew the man had taken her innocence already. Eversine she learned about the news of Primo taking an interest in the Monteria heiressst night, she had her suspicions. She prank Gabrie just for funst night but did not expect El Tigre woulde to pick her. Good thing she was able to pull up the street''s CCTV, if not, she could have turned the Monteria Vi down and made every Monteria confess why they kidnapped her.

    "I don''t think we have to exin ourselves to your friend Dulzura," Primo gave up talking to Lucy because he was very aware of her anger. She wasn''t faking it. It seemed that she and his woman had really deep ties for her to go berserk and brave enough to show up in his territory. He was really surprised at this thought, but d that Gabrie had a friend like her. It seemed that there was more to this attention seeker celebrity rather than her fame. "Tell her to leave and that you''ll stay,"

    "Gabbie, we are leaving," Lucy red at Gabbrie this time, trying to not make her feel intimidated by Primo''s words. "Don''t worry I got you. You don''t have to be afraid of him,"

    "Excuse me, she is not afraid of me!" Primo certainly did not like how Lucy perceived things. Does she think she was threatening his woman?

    "Oh really? She doesn''t look like she isn''t," Lucy took note of the way Gabrie hid at her back and was shaking. Only did Primo notice that indeed, if you looked closely, she looked very terrified.

    "Dulzura?" His woman''s appearance sponsored a guilt in Primo''s heart. Had she been afraid all night of him? However, she seemed very okay with how things went but why was she shaking in fear now? Already worried, Primo walked toward the two hurriedly to attend to Gabrri but he was halted by a few big men that suddenly came from nowhere and blocked his way.

    "I see you brought your men..." Primo noted as he tried to count how many there were with Lucy. Because he was all focused on Gabrie, he did not notice that there were indeed few cars parked at the front gate of his mansion. So Luci brought a battalion to fetch his woman? Whew!

    "Your reputation made me do so," Lucy noted again, hitting something in Primo''s pride. The celebrity was basically emphasizing to her how different his lifestyle was with Gabrie. He was like the king of hell while she was a princess of heaven. Primo didn''t like such truth, it made him feel very unworthy of Gabrie yet he wasn''t willing to lose her. Now that Lucy was trying to make boundaries, he didn''t like it, especially not because it was about his woman. He cannot make this pass.

    "Gabrie is not leaving me!" Primo''s voice then was on the tone his subordinates found rming. Primo was never a patient man and so him trying to hold of his anger was already a big leap on his part but he wasn''t use to such so his men were afraid he might break lose any moment then.

    "You wish!" Lucy cussed. "How dare an old man like you pick on Gabrie. How old are you? Thirty five? Thirty four? God! You are seven years older than her! You old fool!"

    Primo''s eyes went bloodshot, he squeezed his way through Lucy''s men ready to grab Gabrie. However Lucy''s men weren''t easy one either, so at the first contact, there was jabbing and kicking that happened in front of Gabrie and Lucy''s eyes!

    Immediately, Lucy''s men drew their guns and Primo''s men followed the same instinct! In just one second, gun''s were raised as eyes went sharp, ready for backup, while Primo was having a fight with one of Lucy''s men. In just once three swift moves, Lucy''s men fell on the ground hard, but the fight wasn''t over. The man, slumpy, stood however, there was blood on his mouth and Gabrie panicked at it!

    "Stop! Stop!" Gabrie shouted in the midst of them. How could the situation turn this worst? Can Primo and Lucy just talk in a peaceful manner? What''s wrong with these two?

    "Come here and I''ll stop," Primo demanded her to do so. Gabrie looked at him helplessly but Lucy was holding her other arm tight. She didn''t want any blood and was worrying about Primo getting hurt but she did not dare disobey Lucy too. Apart from all the people here, it was only Lucy she knew loves her the most. As per Primo, despite his confession, she had not yet checked whether his words were true or not.

    "Gabrie if you won''te here now, I promise you''ll see in blood," Prim threatened. The sight of his woman not fully trusting him was making him wild and insane. He had never felt this desperate before, more so with women whom he never really had problems with, not until heid his eyes on Gabrie. She was like a drug to him and her, not being around, would render him crazy.

    Seeing that the woman did not move and only just looked at him, Primo was furious. He took a minute to take off his watch, put it on the front of his car and made a stance. Then right away, he started grappling Lucy''s men. There were ten of them versus him and Primo cued his men not to get involved so they just waited at the sidlesliness and let their boss spend his frustration on their nemesis.

    Gabrie''s expression was terrified all the more. Although Primo doesn''t look like he was being beaten, she was still afraid he would get hurt.

    "Primo!" Gabrie tried to plead with him by calling his name. Why can''t he just let them go? She was only with Lucy anyway? Why does he have to push violence just because he cannot have his way on her? This man is really crazy! El Tigre is crazy!

    The worst, El Tigre had gone berserk. He was mad and furious that he was already exerting too much violence in Lucy''s men without mercy. His hands were bloodied so were Lucy''s men yet he seemed not satisfied. With bloodshot eyes, he picked on one of Lucy''s men who was trying to get on his feet and jabbed on him, again and again. Seeing one of theirrades being beaten, the rest aimed at him together.

    Wanting to end all the violence and to protect Primo, Gabrie looked at Lucy, her eyes begging. That way, Lucy was a bit stunned at Gabrie''s reaction and she immediately let loose her hold on her. Now that she was free, the Monteria heiress ran toward the El Tigre. Lucy''s men were alert enough to notice the change of positions and so they made way for her.

    "Have you gone mad?" Gabrie reached him and immediately cupped his face so he could look at her. His tiger eyes were on a hunting mode but when itnded on her, it quelled.

 Chapter 133 - Flavor

    "I am so madly in love with you," Primo replied whilst looking into her eyes. He was so damned serious Gabrie couldn''t bear to leave him but she could not also allow Lucy to go alone. For all she knew, the singer had looked for her all night.

    "Can you just let me leave with Lucy in peace?"

    "You can''t leave me," Primo held onto her hands desperately.

    "Primo, how about I just leave with Lucy right now...then I''lle back for dinner?" Gabrie thought of something to end Primo and Lucy''s war. "You said you had an important meeting this afternoon, right? How about you go to your office to work, then I''ll go with Lucy. I''ll be bored anyway, alone in your mansion. We''ll meet at dinner,"

    Primo looked into her eyes for a moment simply not trusting it. We''ll it not that he doesn''t trust her, only Lucy. He knew that that woman would do anything in her power to make Gabrie note back to her.

    "I need to talk to Lucy and exin to her some things. Besides I can''t just leave her house without saying my thank you''s personally," Gabrie added. "Just let me go with her okay?"

    "Does that mean you are going to live with me now?" Primo was hopeful.

    Gabrie nodded in agreement. "Don''t you dare break my heart or I''ll leave you,"

    Primo smiled at her threat. That was the sweetest threat he had ever heard. With his heart full of warmth and joy he took her hand and kissed it lovingly. "I won''t,"

    "Okay. I''ll leave with Lucy now, you go to work," Gabrie dismissed him, trying not to make his public disy of affection pretty obvious. For all she knew, Lucy was watching her every move and the singer might end up killing her for being such a flirt.

    Gabrie, with thorough relief, walked back to Lucy but just a few steps away, she heard the man called. "Dulzura?"

    The heiress turned to him confused. What does he want now, didn''t they already agree on things? However, before she could ask what he wanted, he saw Primo walked toward her with haste and without warning, nted one soft kiss on her lips.

    "My kiss," Primo smiled widely at her bewildered expression andvished himself over the look of her face for a while. When he was done, he turned to Lucy with a serious expression. "She''sing with you for now, but she''lle home tonight,"

    "As if!" Lucy cussed.

    "If she''s not at home by dinner, I''ll send an army to Allegria Penthouses," Primo threatened and Lucy only rolled an eye with him. She wanted to argue more but Gabrie took her arm already and dragged her to her own car.

    "Lucy,e on!" Gabrie hurried and closed the car''s door right away. She then turned to Lucy''s diver and instructed. "Drive.."

    "Gabrie, what''s all this?" Lucy confronted her right away. "Are you really with El Tigre now?"

    "Lucy...I don''t know how to tell you it happened so fast¡­" Gabrie told her very relieved that the war had finally ended without much casualty.

    "It happened so fast? Did you really fuck him in Mondrew City?" Lucy was triggered. Thinking about the newsst night of Primo suddenly showing up in the Monteria''s party and how he kidnapped Gabrie made her suspicions about the story of them meeting up in Mondrew City, real.

    "How did you know?" Gabrie was really surprised how the singer came to know about her secret.

    "You went on bbering with it previously when you were drunk!" Lucy told her. "And the heck you didn''t tell us all about this? What happened to us not having secrets?"

    "Eh? Lucy!" Gabrie went to hug her and appease her. "Lucy, the truth was I was just following your instructions. Remember what you told me in Mondrew City when we were at the bar? You told me to go and fuck someone that night. So I went and gotid with him!"

    "Hey! How dare you me this on me!" Lucy raised a brow as she kept on chiding Gabrie. "I told you to go and fuck someone but not El Tigre!"

    "I didn''t know he was EL Tigre then!" Gabrie confessed and Lucy''s eyes went big at that.

    "You didn''t?"

    Gabrie shook her head in confirmation. "Truth was I didn''t n on it. For all I knew I was just trespass some empty yacht to go stargazing and the rest was history,"

    "How could you know it wasn''t him? Everyone knows who El Tigre was!"

    "Certainly not me! Only you and Sisi were head over heels in love with him," She replied, trying to prove her innocence.

    Lucy thought about it for a moment and realized she was telling the truth. Gabrie indeed had never shown any interest to El Tigre before as her world only revolved around Erwan like he was the only male species alive.

    "So what happenedst night? Was your meeting coincidental?" Lucy was really curious. She knew for a fact that EL Tigre doesn''t show up at parties unless it was needed. So howe the man showed up at the Monteria''s party?

    "He imed he saw my pictures on the as people posted me saying they found Serafina''s owner," Gabrie narrated. "I don''t know if he was saying the truth but he said he sent people to look for me,"

    Thinking about it, Gabrie blushed. How could she not when she just realized the man indeed went through so much just to find her. "When we parted in Mondrew City we both don''t know each other and I gave him a fake name,"

    "How dare you blush over it," Lucy noticed. "Don''t tell me you have fallen into his trap! Gabrie, do you know what kind of person he is?"

    "He is the kind that makes you and Sisi fall in love," Gabrie emphasized what she had seen as the truth.

    "Gosh! How could you pull this on us!" Lucy was definitely frustrated. She didn''t know how to make Gabrie understand the situation she was in as she certainly had no ounce of idea what kind of man Primo was. "You know Gabbie, I know you had seen me and Sisi obsessing on him but that was because he was a well celebrated man in Devon City. He was a hero who fought rebels in the countryside and ended some war but that doesn''t mean being his woman is a great thing. His profile is too much for you to bear,"

    Hearing it, the brightness in Gabrie''s face faded. "I know Lucy. I''m not a fool to believe I''m good for him as certainly I''m not. I know it. You don''t have to remind me. It''s just that¡­.I don''t know I find him sincere and I kind of like it. But I know it can''t be, I''m just¡­.I''m just Gabrie and he is EL Tigre."

    "Oh Gabbie it''s not what I meant," Lucy regretted what she had just said. She didn''t intend things the way Gabrie understood it. "What I mean is that, because of his profession being a Lawyer and his previous job as a captain of the army, Primo had many enemies. His life entails so much danger and that danger extends to whomever he loves. I can''t let you suffer that,"

    "Because I am naive and weak," Gabrie thought so, sounding like she was self pitying over how weak of a woman she was. Unlike Simione and Lucy, they can tend to their own without depending on others and how she wished she could pull such strength. "I understand,"

    "Gabrie I''m sorry," Lucy apologized for her intrusion. She never thought all would end, making Gabrie upset about herself. All she ever wanted was to protect him from El Tigre''s grab as she knew how hard it was to be involved in such a man. She could see threat in all ways, not only with El Tigre''s nemesis but also with all the women who had long wanted the title of being a Madam''s household. Besides, El Tigre was a man who was used to having all the women he could demand, she was afraid he''ll just ignore Gabrie once he was done with her.

    "I''m really sorry Gabrie. I don''t know how to tell you this, but I am really afraid he''s not really¡ª"

    "That he''s not really serious with me," Gabrie cut her offpletely. Then after a while, she looked at Lucy helpless, "I tried Lucy. I tried all my best to shoo him away, I didn''t even gave him my real name because I just want to forget whatever happened in Mondrew City but its really hard to keep pushing him when he keeps on telling me how he was crazy over me and that he can''t bear to be away with me. He wanted me to stay,"

    "I know I might just be his vor for the month, that''s a big possibility," Gabrie added. "But.. I know this sounds totally insane, but I wanted to try it and experience his devotion even for a while. Even if I know it might notst,"

 Chapter 134 - Song

    Comis Vige

    Although they were in the same Vige, Hawk and Simione didn''t get to spend more time together. Hawk spent most of his time farming, while Simione went on attending the foreigners and the orphanage needs. After All they both went there for other reasons other than getting along with each other.

    However because Hawk cannot keep his eyes off with Simione, he had been watching her closely every time there was a chance. He was curious how she was with her rtionship with other people and was amazed at what he had found¡ªSimione was a very sensitive and consideratepanion, and all the more, she was very kind. Perhaps kindness was innate to her because she was really making an effort¡ªa huge effort to help everyone in the vige aside from him. He didn''t know why but he felt even with their ceasefire, Simione was still avoiding him, or probably she was really busy enough that she didn''t have time to mess up with him.

    If there were any good rtionships Hawk was able to build, it was with Bunbun. The child got so close to him that even the folks in Comis Vige were already making fun at how inseparable they were. On the first few days, the child was obsessively tailing Hawk to the point that he was almost irritated by it. He had never really had real life experience raising or dealing with kids, so Bunbun almost dried out his patience. However, as days went by, Hawk got used to him and found his affection somewhat amusing.

    e afternoon while Hawk was resting in the temple, Mario with some of their fieldpanions came to see him. He asked if Hawk somehow knew how to strum a guitar because they wanted to go and court ady in another vige by rendering her a song. Marion, although already old, was still a bachelor and because he had a love interest in another vige, he went there from time to time to court the woman he had his interest on.

    Hawk really found it amusing and since he had really nothing to do that night aside from joining Butler Gah in his prayers he agreed. The other vige was miles away but it almost took them hours to walk there by foot. They had to cross one big stream too whilst going there and Hawk realized how hard it was to fall in love when you are from these viges. Deep inside, heughed at how unusual these things were.

    "Hawk you are the one who is going to strum the guitar, then leave the singing to us okay?" Mario had instructed all hispanions when they were already close to the vige. He had kept repeating this instruction their entire journey Hawk had already memorized every single word he said. Soon, Hawk could already see the glittering lights from afar and realized they were close. Since it took them a while to get there, the sun had already set and there was nothing lighting their way aside from the oilmps hispanions bought. However, despite the hassle and the inconvenience, Hawk really enjoyed the journey specially that they were singing on their way and listening to each other''s stories.

    When they entered the vige, many noticed them especially that they were so loud on the streets. Many of the people living there exited their hut or opened their windows to check on them and were thrilled to see that there was young blood with them. So when they reached the house of Mario''s love interest, they were shocked to see people flocking on the sidelines.

    Hawk and hispanions stood in front of a regr hut. It wasn''t so big and the lighting from inside could tell the one who lives there was still awake. Mario let them stand in an open area facing the window and cued for them to start the music so Hawk strum the first beat on his guitar until a good melody flowed in.

    ~The brightness of you face cannot be forgotten ~

    ~Woman, you light up my world~

    ~oh-oh-oh~

    Just at the song''s entrance, the window opened and three women stood there to wee their warm song rendition. There was an old woman, almost the same age as Mario and Hawk could only suspect it was Mario''s love interest because he became more emotional when he saw her. To her side were two young women that didn''t look like they both belonged to such a vige. They both beamed and blushed at the sight of Hawk Monsanto''s beautiful facade.

    ~There was something in your eyes that mesmerize me~

    ~There was something in your voice that made me fall~

    ~Something in your love that warms me~

    ~I know you are my ultimate soul~

    The song went on and although Hawkpletely thought everything was perfect, there was an odd feeling he felt in his chest. It was beating loud and thundering that made him shake a little. Was it because of the two lovelydies that were beaming at him interestingly or was there something else. Hawk looked around and saw everyone''s expression, especially the onlooker who unlike in the Comis vige, was then full of young adults. He looked up and met the eyes of the women they were rendering the song at and saw the two young women beside Mario''s love interest, flinched and looked at each other with pleasure. They were certainly enjoying the scenery of a handsome man offering them a beautiful melody. However, after thorough observation, Hawk caught something beside the three. In the left side corner, he saw some strands of hair flying through the window and he realized someone was hiding beside the three. He looked more closely and saw the reflection of the hair as the window wasn''t that far from them. It was copper.

    Hawk smiled. He didn''t know why but he was certain it was Cat. For how she ended up in that other vige was a mystery but he thought everything about her was a mystery there was nothing unusual to it. Besides, he knew his heart well and he knew that the kind of thundering he felt inside was something he felt whenever Cat was around and so he was very certain.

    "Come one Cat, look at them! They all look so cute," The other girl''s call only confirmed his suspicions and in just a while, Simione emerged through the window with a faint smile. She looked at the Comis vige folks but tried not to check on Hawk who at that point was staring at her. Soon, the music stopped and Mario went on to extend the flowers they picked on the way through the window which the olddy epted with all heart.

    "What a good song that was," The old womanplimented as her smile brightened the night. This wasn''t the first time Mario went to see her and rendered a song of love but only tonight did it feel a little special, perhaps because there was a youngblood there that attracted almost everyone''s attention. "It was specially good that a young boy was with you,"

    Mario looked at Hawk with so much gratitude. He knew his presence would draw up such drama and attention that why he specifically brought Hawk with him. Seeing how his love interest took special mention of it, he was really d.

    "Young boy, since you are here already. Would you rather be kind to sing us all a song?" The old man requested as she smiled sweetly at him. She was aware everyone was looking forward to hearing him render a song and since she had youngdies with her so seemed very interested in him, she took the initiative. "I have youngdies here with me too. It would be such an honor if you would sing for them,"

    Sing for them? Simione raised a brow at it. If only people here knew who Hawk was, they would never ask him such. However, it would really be such an interesting thing to hear Hawk render a song like a regr vige boy. Would it?

    Hawk was really surprised at the request. He looked around and saw that indeed everyone was anticipating it. He wanted to refuse as he had never really done it before, especially in such a crowd but when he looked up and saw Simione got intrigued, he smiled. Well, if she wanted a song from him, why not?

    "Well if that''s what everyone wants," Hawk dly took the challenge. He looked up right into Simione''s eyes and gave her a curtsy and everyone sure did notice that. The twodies beside SImione thought the curtsy was for them since Simione seemed to have not taken interest in it and so they both blushed at the thought.

    "O my Hawk, thedies are very pleased. Make sure to sing a good song," One of hispanion''s whispered, thrilled at the thought that Hawk had many youngdies'' hearts leaped out from joy that night.

 Chapter 135 - Memory

    In one moment more, Hawk started strumming and singing a song. His deep young voice echoed through the night, making all onlookers breathless but not Simione. Unlike everyone who seemed very pleased at the song, Simione stiffened and was stunned to hear it, as aplicated emotion rushed to her heart.

    Hawk yed a beautiful promising melody, something that was just right for the night, something a bit old fashioned too but full of heartfelt words.

    ~Don''t worry if you would lose everything~

    ~Cause I will be at your side,e what may~

    ~even if the whole world would turn its back from you~

    ~I will be there to hold your hand~

    The music Hawk sang was an old song, written by a localposer that wasn''t popr in their times. It became so popr decades ago that only old folks became familiar with it. These days, this song was like a melody that had already been forgotten by many and only those who had special love for the song sang it. Its title was "By your side" and it was a song of promisedpany and devotion.

    This song had always been Hawk''s favorite as it was a song his grandmother used to sing to him. Growing up, he had special attachment to the song and had good beautiful memories with it and so when he sang it then, he sang it with good emotions, just right to draw everyone''s interest.

    ~So let it rain, let the cloud cover the earth~

    ~Even so, I''ll be in the rain and thunder with you~

    ~I''ll dance with you under the cold, under the darkness~

    ~With a promise to never leave your side~

    Simione however, heard the song a long time ago and she specially buried the melody in her brain to forget some hurtful past. Hearing it then was like remembering an old pain and making it fresh again¡ªthe hurt, the sadness, the brokenness¡ªcame rushing into her like a boiling water that crushed her insides. As she couldn''t take it anymore, she casually left the window, not drawing anyone''s attention aside from Hawk and ran secretly into the kitchen of that house as she raised a palm to her mouth to suppress a cry. Yet, when she was all alone, tears flooded her eyes and she sobbed all alone.

    Hawk was the only person who noticed that Simione left. He saw the unusual expression that registered in her face and was left wondering why she acted that way. However, because of the crowd before him, he really couldn''t go and chase her, nor make any move to raise suspicions from the crowd. So, he sang continually and finished the song to everyone''s content.

    Simione however had to endure the song and all the hurt that came with it. While everyone else wasughing and cheering for Hawk outside, she was crying secretly to herself. That song was beautiful and it will always have a special ce in her heart and right then when her tears continued falling, she realized even after decades had passed the pain of losing him¡ªthat childhood friend who promised to stay by her child forever¡ªremained a painful memory. It was the memory of Spin, the boy who chased her everywhere, the boy who remained hers even when things had been taken away from her, the boy whom she buried in Somerset vige long ago.

    His death was far too painful for her, especially that she had never gotten to see him for a while and when she came back to fulfill her promise to him, his house was broken down to ashes with him. She was left with nothing but ashes and there was nothing left for her to do but just to bury him there with all her whispers and regrets. His death by far was the second painful thing she had undergone when she was young and probably one of the most hard to bear. So whilst growing up and to cover the hangups of her childhood, she tried to bury his memory and the memory she had with him in Somerset vige into her heart, buried deep and untouched. Only with such a song, the song that Hawk Monsanto sang, did such a memory open up and hurt her once more.

    Simione wished she had never heard it from him because hearing such a beautiful special melody from Hawk made only her feelings for him intense. She always had a weak spot for Spin and knowing that right then Hawk reminds her of him only made her feelings for him obvious and uncontroble. Out of all people, why does it have to be Hawk Monsanto?

    She had thoroughly decided to drop and ignore her lingering feeling she had for him, knowing that was pure covetousness to do so and yet that fucking song only made her want him more, more that she ever want him before. With that she could only curse her heart and she held it and wished she just never had daringly ventured her way through Hawk and met him. For at the end, instead of getting back at Feather for revenge, she ended up falling into the trap she created and harbored an impossible feeling for a man who already belongs to someone else.

    "You are such an idiot Sisi!" She wiped off her tears. "Oh God Spin, if you were here, things wouldn''t have gone this far!" Sheughed and cried at the memory of him. "I should have never thought of that Feather Project in the first ce,"

    "Do you hate me now for being such a fool?" She whispered questions for him in the air, hoping somewhere he could hear him. "I''m still such a fool right even though many years have passed?"

    "You said when you grow up you would marry me. Would you still want to marry me now? This foolish one, I''ve made too many mistakes already to deserve you but I know you wouldn''t mind. You would still like me anyway. You should have not gone to heaven early and just waited for me. You should havee for me,"

    Sisi cried for him. It had been a long time since she did. Even then, remembering Spin was always as painful as it always was. At the end, the girl offered prayers for him and assured the boy, no matter what, she will fulfill her promise to him to be okay and to live a good life. If there were one of the things that had kept her from going on despite all the tragedies she encountered in her life, it was this promise.

    Simione wiped off her tears for good, drank a ss of water and headed back to where everyone was in order not to raise any worry. When she appeared from the door, she found everyone happily conversing with each other. People had kept teasing Mario and the old woman who owned the house. She was named Sunny and she was a local midwife. She had been serving her vige and the nearby vige for years and because of this, whenever doctors from the city came to do a medical mission, they always drop by her house to teach her new skills and also provide her stocks of medicine. The two young women with her were her guest, a doctor and a nurse. They both came to see old Sunny for the same reasons and Simione apanied them to lead the way as no one was avable in the orphanage to do so.

    "Oh here''s Cat!" Mario noticed hering in and so he acknowledged her.

    "Hello everyone," Simione replied with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. Hawk noticed that her eyes were a bit sullen and realized she cried. What made her cry then, he had no idea and although he was worried, he could not give her special attention then. Everyone in the vige thought that Cat was a married woman and so Hawk had been very careful in his dealings with her as one wrong move can cast a doubt on her reputation. "Have you met the doctors?This is¡ª"

    "They had already introduced themselves to Cat," Old Sunny told her and looked at the two women whose eyes were still with Hawk. They were both not from Devon City and so even when they knew how Hawk Monsanto liked, they never thought the man in front of them was him. Hawk''s skin then got super tan and he was wearing some regr vige clothes. He was barely recognizable as the great Hawk Monsanto. "Cat was so kind enough to apany Doctor Sora and nurse Lea here. Its their first time in this region, they don''t know their way much,"

    "Yes, thank you Cat for your services. You really are a great help," Doctor Sara expressed her gratitude to her which Cat responded with a polite bow. "Also, thank you Hawk for such a wonderful song. I''ve never heard of it before. It was really beautiful,"

    "Your wee," Hawk replied timidly as if he was not really used topliments with regard to his singing skills. Besides, he was not really not interested with the pleasantries as his wind was wondering why so suddenly, Simione had gone so sad. Did something bad happen to her?

 Chapter 136 - Suffocating

    It''s not everyday that people in viges had visitors and so they had been very warm and weing with the Hawk and Cat''spany. Old Sunny set up dinner for them and so they all sat down to eat together. The meal was just a simple one,posed of boiled potatoes, fishes, vegetables and some vige delicacies. Old Sunny had been expecting the doctor''s visit and the vige was having a small celebration to mark the end up nting season in their vige. That''s why she had cooked some delicacies and prepared a good amount of food as aside from the doctors that came, she was also expecting Mario''s visit.

    "I heard some beautiful lively music outside, what''s all that about?" Doctor Sora asked as they were about to finish the meal. They had talked about several things as they ate but only then did she raise her curiosity about the activities outside.

    "Oh, it''s a dance gathering," Old Sunny announced. "The vige was celebrating the end of the nting season for our vige and so we always have a dance gathering to celebrate it. Also a nice way of entertainment for our farmers,"

    "I see. There are really so many interesting things I have seen here," Nurse Leahmented, dragging her eyes at Hawk, thenter to Doctor Sora to express her great excitement. "Right Doc? I think this would not be thest we wille and visit,"

    "Surely," Doctor Sora beamed at it. Out of all the interesting things she found in this little venture of her in these mountains, Hawk became her favorite. Nurse Leah knew this and so she was teasing her silently as she was pairing her up with Hawk. Although Hawk looked like one of the vige men, he was particrly handsome even with such tanned skin.

    "Didn''t Sisi also find her love here?" Nurse Leah turned to Simione this time. "I heard from the orphanage your husband proposed here,"

    Simione only smiled to acknowledge it.

    "Sisi people from the orphanage said your husband had been sick. Was this true?" Nurse Leah couldn''t withhold her curiosity. Although she and Doctor Sara dropped by the orphanage, it was actually their first time in these parts of the country and had only met Simione a day ago.

    "Miss, I don''t think it''s nice to ask questions like that," Hawk cut her off in a tone that was rather emphasizing that she was being overly nosy and insensitive.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. My fault," She apologized. A little bit of shock from Hawk''s intervention as she certainly did not expect that from him. Earlier, Hawk had never directly talked to her and he only talks when necessary so she thought he was naturally a quiet man. However because she thought Hawk was a native in Comis vige, she thought it was only natural for him to speak for Simione as people in Comis vige seemed to have their favors on with the copper haired girl.

    "How about we go to the dance gathering?" Doctor Sora tried to cut off the awkwardness that went on Nurse Leah because of Hawk''s chastisement. "I had never seen once before, I wonder what it looks like,"

    "Good idea," Mario thought so and looked at old Sunny, beaming.

    "Let''s all go together before we head home," Another of theirpanions agreed. Dance gatherings were one of themunity entertainment in viges and so they all knew how happy such a gathering would be.

    "If we stay for the dance, wouldn''t it be toote for us to go hometer?" Simione raised a question. They had never talked about staying for the night in Old Sunny''s vige and she had other things to do in the orphanage tomorrow so she thought it wouldn''t be good if they stayed upte.

    "We can stay until midnight then head back home together," One of Hawk''spanions suggested. "There are many of us anyway, with all our oilmps, it wouldn''t be that dangerous in the woods,"

    "Or you can stay for the night," Old Sunny suggested. "There''s an empty hut nearby we built for guests. The men can stay there and the women can sleep with me here in my hut,"

    "Well that would work," Mario liked the idea. Of course he didn''t want to go home yet as he was hoping he and Old Sunny could have a private talk together. Such talk wouldn''te when many people are around them, perhapster when everyone has settled they can have some.

    "To the dance then," Doctor Sora announced, very well pleased with it. Simione however didn''t want to stay as she was feeling a bit emotional and wanted to stay away from Hawk''s sight until she could control herself. It was really hard to calm her insides especially when Hawk managed to awaken something deep inside her and with the fact that he was also sitting there on the same dinner table, just a few meters from her reach made her feelings unbearable. However, because she was tasked to apany the doctor, she can really do nothing at this point.

    Soon the group headed over to themunity ground and saw the beautiful set up the vigers made for the dance gathering. They surrounded the ground with coconut leaves that had weaved in a beautiful pattern and they also adorned it with flowers. It was like a wedding reception, a simple one yet alluringly beautiful. Inside, the old folks were dancing in the center while the vige musicians flock in one corner to y beautiful songs. The song that they were currently ying was sweet music so the dancers on the center dance in pairs and were clinging to each other intimately as they swayed to the melody.

    "O wow, this was more than I expected," Doctor Sora was amazed with it, so was Nurse Leah. Hawk however had seen such a set-up before as he was well travelled and Sisi had been volunteering for a long time she was used to seeing such kinds of gatherings.

    "It''s very romantic," Nurse Leah giggled at it and blushed. Obviously the one dancing in the center were all couples and the sight to it looked thoroughly romantic. "Perhaps we should join the dance. Hawk would be kind to dance with Doctor Sora, she seemed really so into it,"

    "Wooooooooh," Hawk''spanion started teasing them. Doctor Sara made it very obvious in her gestures that she was interested with Hawk even at dinner time and so the teasing for the pair¡ªHawk and Doctor Sora started. Right then when the idea of them dancing was raised, Hawk''spanion couldn''t help but teased them further.

    Hawk of course couldn''t refuse such a plea specially that Doctor Sora seemed to have contributed greatly to the viges these days and had garnered some respect. In remote viges, doctors were always given importance so they were greatly celebrated and respected there.However what everyone doesn''t know was that Hawk was a known woman evasive bachelor and so he handled the woman pretty well.

    "I think all thedies wanted to experience the dance, so I''ll dance with each one of you just to be fair," Hawk replied with a dry smile. He was aware of the doctor''s interest in him and so she took her offer in his favor. She did want to have an intimate dance with him while he wanted to dance with Simione but couldn''t invite her since she was a married woman. If he would ask her for a dance, of course that would intrigue the rest of hispanions and might start up some unnecessary misunderstandings and rumours.Such wouldn''t be healthy so Simione''s reputation then and so he made use of Doctor Sora''s offer so he could dance with Simione without raising any intrigues.

    "Wow, Hawk is really such a gentleman. He wouldn''t let the other twodies go home tonight without being able to dance," Mario was greatly impressed at Hawk''s consideration without suspecting it had other intentions.

    Doctor Sora certainly wasn''t all happy with Hawk''s fairness as she wanted him all for herself that night. However, she didn''t want to look that desperate so she pretended to be d with it. "Well so¡­.."

    "Come on. Your first, " Hawk told her and walked to the dance floor without waiting for the woman. His actions then raised a red g at Doctor Sora, making her somewhat aware their feelings weren''t mutual. However she lied to herself and said that Hawk was a vige man who didn''t know how to be a gentleman so she just smiled and followed him awkwardly.

    At the dance floor, Hawk held on to her waist and she of course responded by clinging to his neck to lessen their distance but as she pressed herself forward, Hawk bent his upper body away and raised a brow at her. "Not too close please. Your smell suffocates me."

    Doctor Sara was so shocked at his words she ended up gaping open at him. Never in her life was she treated that way and only a simple vige man was that brutal to throw her such insulting words.

    "No offense meant. I don''t like the smell of hospitals and you smell like one. I guess you can understand that. That''s the main reason why I decided since I was young that I will never ever marry a doctor,"

 Chapter 137 - Relief

    Doctor Sora ended up not saying a word to him and their dance went awkward. She never expected Hawk''s rudeness and right then she felt like she was not an ordinary vige man. He had some aura in him, something she could not bear then. With such, her long anticipated dance didn''t go well and she ended up looking at theirpanions with a fake smile. All of them thought they settled somewhere and went on dancing with other women that nobody seemed to have cared about them anymore.

    When the music finally ended, Doctor Sora breathed with relief. She let go of Hawk right away and went to go somewhere, feeling very humiliated. Nurse Leah however who didn''t know what happened went to Hawk to demand her turn. Unlike Doctor Sora, she wasn''t really trying to seduce Hawk as her superior had already expressed her likes on him and so she didn''t make extra efforts to be close to him and just enjoyed the dance like how others did. She finds Hawk''spanion somehow boring though as the man seemed very uninterested to start up a conversation that their dance went a bit awkward as the dance advanced. When the music ended again, Nurse Leah faked a smile at him and said, "Thanks Hawk!"

    She withdrew and went to Simione who was sitting on the sidelines. There were chairs put on the side of the dance ground and this was where she sat alone. "Cat it is your turn now,"

    "No thank I don''t feel like dancing," Simione refused but then nurse Leah was persistent.

    "Come one Cat, Hawk was trying to be fair with the women. Just cooperate and have fun," She said and turned to Hawk who was standing anticipating Simione''s eptance.

    Cat didn''t want to appear a killjoy so she stood and went to Hawk whose eyes shone bright at her obedience. Hawk took her hand carefully, rested it on his shoulder and pressed her close to him like the men and women were dancing. Hawk even dragged her to the side of the dance floor that was somewhat not visible to theirpanions.

    Simione just sighed and glided with him, not really much interested about dancing nor with the man who was trying his best to keep her steady on his arms.

    "Have you been crying," Hawk asked, really curious what she was sad about.

    Only then did Simione notice the man was looking at her. She red at him and responded in an annoyed tone, "No and if ever I was, it''s totally none of your business,"

    "Come on Cat, you can tell me what''s wrong. Had the girls been bullying you?" Hawk asked again, obviously referring to Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah.

    "No!" Cat denied it as it was the truth. The two, although she didn''t like their vibe, didn''t really treat her wrong. "Of course not Hawk. Besides, do you think I can be bullied?"

    "Not sure," Hawk studied her face, trying to find some cues of what was running through her little head. "Perhaps. Perhaps not,"

    "Well I tell you I can''t," Simione said straight. She was not a child anymore that people can poke on to and lie upon. She''s an adult now and she has gone through so much in life that other people''s bullying won''t matter nor crush her bones anymore.

    "Then who made my beautiful Cat cry?" Hawk asked, very tempted to caressed her cheeks. However he didn''t want to take a risk and let hispanions know how he treated her, they might find it offensive since as per their knowledge, Simione was married.

    "Nothing. Seriously Hawk? Can you stop these?"

    "Sto what?"

    "Stop these pretenses," Simione was getting mad over his concern. Did Hawk Monsanto forget that he had rejected her and choose Feather? What the heck was he doing then, trying to be a gentleman when her heart was a mess? Hawk Monsanto should stop or else she''ll fall hard for him more. "Stop these ''you care for me act'' and stop being annoying gentlemen to me because just to remind you, you had a girlfriend whom you chose over me just a week ago. Let''s not forget that,"

    "Cat¡ª"

    "I am so done with you to be honest!" Simione cussed and squeezed herself out from his grab even before the dance ended. Very annoyed and displeased, Simione left hurriedly before anyone would notice they had been arguing. Hawk however chased her as she walked through some offbeat path back to old Sunny''s house.

    "Cat wait let''s talk," Hawk tried to reach her and he was able to, when he sessfully outran her and grabbed her hand. "Stop for a moment and let''s talk,"

    "What is there to talk about Hawk Monsanto?" Simione was already pissed at his insistence. Truth was she was fighting hard to control her feelings for him and this was the very reason why she wanted to be away from him. Because of that fucking song Spin used to sang to her¡ªwhich Hawk Monsanto just sang an hour ago, her feelings for him were aggravating that she was bing upset about it. Upset about her own feelings. "I want you. You don''t want me. End of story,"

    "Cat that''s not it. I wanted you too, I just to make you understand that things on my side¡ª"

    "Hold it there and say no more," Simione got only more annoyed. "You wanted me even when you chose Feather already. Seriously Hawk? What do you want? To continue having me as your ''other woman''? And how about if you two get married, what am I then? Your mistress? Paramour? Your second choice? Ahahahhahah" Simione ended upughing it. "I can''t believe how outrageous you can be!

    "Look Hawk," Simione flipped her loose hair back and put her hands on her waist. "I know I was the one who went up to you and started this crazy affair. It was my fault, I''m sorry. I was bored and I''ve got nothing and thought it would be fun to seduce you and that was it. Few weekster I started to feel something and for fuck sake you made me believed you felt the same! I don''t know, perhaps I was just hallucinating. I told you I want you, for real. I want to be your woman because I was falling already and I don''t want to make things real with Feather on the line so I made you choose. You didn''t choose me! You didn''t¡­"

    "...and so I walked away and epted my defeat with grace," Simione added. "I just didn''t ever fucking believe that I want I considered and almost fell for was this shallow that even when he made his choice, he still kepting back and wanted to sin against her partner more. How pathetic is that? I''m sorry but I''m not that low, I finally had woken up and I don''t want whatever you wanted,"

    Simione''s words struck right through Hawks chest. It was hardly an insult, it was all facts but he still couldn''t see his way through it. "Cat, I need to understand that I did not intend to hurt you and whatever we have...this friendship...I wanted to keep it,"

    "We are not friends, Hawk!" Cat was trying hard not to scream at him, "Clearly we are not. What we have is an affair and I''m so done with it,"

    That was thest words Simione uttered and she went on with her path, leaving Hawk on the way yet Hawk still followed him, persistently.

    "God!" Simone wiped her face frustratedly. She turned back at him, looked at him helplessly with her honey-colored eyes that drowned Hawk to its beauty. Even when it was dark in the part of the vige, he saw her clearly.

    "Cat listen, if you would just listen¡ª"

    Hawk did not anymore finish his words because right then, he saw Simione walking¡ªhalf running to him, cupped his face with her two soft hands immediately and kissed him unexpectedly. Simione''s warm mouth covered his hat for a moment, he lost his breath and what was left was the girl''s smell. She smelled like abination of honey and lemon. Her lips were warm and wet, signifying indeed that she had been crying a lot. She kissed her deeply, passionately and modestly. Unlike all her previous kisses that were always wild and hot, her kiss this time was slow but tasteful.

    Hawk wrapped his hands on her waist right away, making sure she would not withdraw as her kiss was something he did not expect he could again but desperately wanted so. He pressed her hard on him and answered her kisses the way she had been kissing him. They tasted each other''s mouth and sucked in each breath as the moon above beamed at it. It was such a perfect night for a lover''s kiss and the breeze brushed into both of their shoulders with a little cold that immediately evaporated into their hot sophisticated kissing.

 Chapter 138 - Bath Situation

    Simione took the kiss for one reason, she wanted to feel whether her feelings for her were real. Sometimes she doubts her own words and feelings as all her words started out as all pretenses because deep inside her she knew he would never choose her. All these times she thought she was bold to express she wanted to be his woman to test him¡ªwhether or not he would grab her confession and take her instead. However tonight, her feelings for him somehow changed and she felt like there were no pretenses anymore. Her heart was no longer pretending.

    Hawk''s love for Feather was sincere and deep, she no doubt knew that and this was the only one thing she was jealous of Feather of. She knew the ballerina well, she can pretend to be nice and kind but her act cannot get past a Monsanto like Hawk. If Hawk wasnt inlove with her, he should have already seen her true colors by now, and yet after everything, after all her ws and her constant seduction, his love for her never falters. It was a genuine love.

    Right then she needed the taste of his lips. She needed to know whether she really wanted him for herself or she just wanted him because she was jealous of his and Feather''s true love.

    Under Hawk''s kiss, Simione felt all the longings she never thought she had. It was like she had found a person she had long lost and that kiss was their ultimate make up. She poured her heart into it, pretending that for one good moment, Feather did not exist and that Hawk and Hawk were some old long time lovers that had gone separated and now reunited. She felt like she had gone a few years back and was running in that lively Somerset vige, down in the field of pure green where summer flowers grow and bloom. However before she could fool herself onto that dream, she forced herself to break the kiss and the moment it did, reality hit in¡ªthere was no more Somserset vige, Spin was no more and the old little girl Cat had long been lost and gone.

    "What is it, Mi Amore?" Hawk was confused as Cat''s kiss felt entirely different that all the kisses they shared and although it started as sweet, he tasted her salty tears after. Simione was crying.

    "I am not the love of your life," Simply said, backing away shaking her head. "And you are not the one I am longing for,"

    Her words somehow made Hawk shatter into pieces. What does she mean when she said he was not the one she was longing for? Does it mean all this time, she was just longing for someone that''s why she approached him? Was she sad and had used him to ease her sadness and pain? Her words means many things and yet the meaning Hawk could tell his head, burned his heart down into ashes.

    "Let us not be together with Hawk Monsanto," Simione added. "Let us not dare cross the line until we both don''t know what we wanted from each other,"

    With that Simone ran away from Hawk once again. This time, she left him more miserable than thest time she left him.

    ***

    The next morning Simione woke up surprised to find herself alone in the room. Where is Nurse Leah and Doctor Sora?

    Although she came home earlier than everyonest night and had gone to sleep early, she was expecting that the twodies would join her in bed as certainly, there was no other space for them to sleep in old Sunny''s house. Didn''t want herself to bother more about it, she pulled herself up from bed and headed through the kitchen to drink some water. There she found Old Sunny cooking and greeted her good morning.

    "Do you know why Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah leftst night?" Old Sunny asked Cat as she was wondering about it.

    "They did?" Cat was really surprised to know. "Oh no! They left without telling me?"

    "Oh sure they did Cat," Old Sunny turned to her then surprised that the two didn''t even bother telling Cat who was supposed to be their guide. "They insisted on leaving and we had no choice but to let one of Mario''spanions apany them back to the orphanage. Perhaps because you were already sleeping that why they didn''t bother waking you up,"

    "Oh they should have woken me up," Cat was really confused. Did something happen to the two that she did not know? But in case there was, wasn''t she supposed to be the first person they should have told about it?

    "What could be their problem?"

    "I''m not sure about old Sunny, but I''m worried. Perhaps I should go and chase after them now,"

    "Oh no Cat, don''t do that. They left around midnight so I''m sure they are by the orphanage by now. Also, it is still so early and I can send you on the way alone. Wait till the man wakes up so you can go home altogether," Old Sunny stopped her from doing so. No matter how familiar Simione was with the mountains and the viges around it, she still didn''t want to send Cat off alone in the woods.

    "Perhaps you are right. I''ll just wait for the boys to wake up," Simione thought then that was the best option. Besides, she doesn''t want to make Old Sunny worry about her. "Let me help you with the cooking,"

    "No more Cat. I got this," Old Sunny refused. "You are still my guest. Why don''t you take your bath now so that when the boys wake up, they won''t have anypetition in the bathroom,"

    There was only one working bathroom in old Sunny''s house and another one in the ce where the men slept. Since there were a number of them, Old Sunny knew that if they needed to care for themselves in the morning, they might need to line up to use the bathroom.

    "Perhaps I should do that," Simione agreed. "I''ll fetch some water first,"

    Simione grabbed the pail in the kitchen and nned to head through the nearby river to fetch some water. There was no water system in the viges and so in order for the people to use the bathroom for water, they had to fetch the water they were going to use. Simione was aware of this, that''s why she went to the river first. However, while she was on her way, someone grabbed the pail she was holding and the tall big frame of Hawk Monsanto came to her sight.

    "I''ll fetch the water for you," He said without giving Simione a chance to protest. He knew she would, so as soon as he grabbed the pail, he went on his way fast without looking back as if he knew where the river was.

    "Hey!" Simione called on him but he was fast and so she ended up just sighing on it and just let it go. She knew nothing can stop him from doing what he wants so she bothered not to argue and ruin her morning with it. She went back to her room, grabbed some towels and went to where the bathroom was.

    The bathrooms in the viges were usually made separated from the hut and it was always in the back of it. The structure of it was just simple¡ªthe walls were created from threaded coconut leaves and only a portion of it was covered so that when one enters it and stands straight, people can see one''s head popping out. Therefore when Simione entered, her head down to her neck were all visible to anyone who goes to the back of Old Sunny''s house. Simione was used to such a setup so it didn''t bother her, in fact when she entered and saw that there was a stocked pail of water there, she started taking a bath. After she undressed herself, she used a dried coconut shell, cut in half, that people in the vige use to haul a small portion of water to shower her whole body with the cold water.

    "God it''s so cold," Simione shivered as she poured water on herself. Of course there were no water heaters in these areas and so she had no choice but to endure it or she''ll not have a bath that day. Of course, she chose the first as she had already skipped her bath yesterday and she certainly smelled stinky already.

    Soon, Hawk came, carrying a pail of water and the scene of Simione taking a bath in such a scandalous situation made her eyes bulge out. It was his first time seeing such and he certainly did not expect she could take a bath almost visible to everyone. He was certain she was naked as he could see her shoulder and the top of her chest visible when she moved. God! How could she be so confident taking a bath like that?

 Chapter 139 - Valuable Property

    "Cat, what are you doing?" Hawk asked, his eyes were like telling her he was ready to pick her inside and cover her with nkets. Manyyers of nkets to be precise.

    "Taking a bath?" Simione was surprised with his presence but she managed to return the question. She saw him with the pail of water that looked like it wasn''t weighing a few kilos the way the man easily carried it. "Wasn''t it very obvious?"

    She was then rubbing and massaging her scalp while all of her was wet and naked. She was a bit rmed though that Hawk Monsanto was standing already just an arms length from the fragile wall of her bathroom, knowing very well that just one more step and he can be in a position where he can see almost all of her intimate ces.

    "Stepped back," Shemanded as she dragged her hands to her breast to cover it.

    "And now suddenly you''re conscious," He argued although he did step back to head her request. "How can you even think of taking a bath in such a scandalous situation?"

    "FYI Hawk Monsanto, this is how every woman in the vige took their baths," Simione replied back with indignation. Jeez? Do they have to argue early in the morning just because of how she took her bath? How petty is that?

    "You are not one of them,"

    "I''m also a woman, what''s the difference?"

    "The difference is that¡­.you look...I mean you look really¡­" Enticing. That was what he was about to say but decided not to push with the word as it sounded more like apliment rather than a criticism. At least to him.

    "Look what?" Simione red at him and decided to pour herself with water to continue her routine. What she didn''t know was that such an act made Hawk swallow a mouthful. Simione in a wet look made his stomach turn and his inside twisted. How far was this woman going to torture him?

    "Simone, I''m getting aroused just by seeing you now," he said tantly, which almost made Simione vomit because of his shamelessness. "And I guess every man who sees you right now will feel the same. Now, do you get what I am talking about?"

    "Not every man is as lustful as you. The old folks for example do not see the way you see things and they are used to seeing a woman bathing like this, they''ll only think of it''s a natural thing,"

    "Your problem is not everyone''s problem, Hawk Monsanto," Simione added, more like insulting. "You should exert more effort in controlling your libido,"

    "God you are impossible!" Hawk cussed right through her honey-colored eyes.

    "God, you are so annoying! Does Feather refuse to give you some sexy time that your lust seems to be untamable?" Simoine mocked him as she was now rubbing her skin with the soap that was avable there. She was not even sure if it was body soap but it sure does smell nice and she was not in the position to choose anything right then.

    "I''m not that bad as you thought," he said vaguely that Simione could not understand whether he was trying not to drag Feather into the conversation or he was particrly talking about his unsatisfiable urges. However, not wanting to talk about Feather, she just chose to interpret his words with the second option that she just spoke.

    "Really?" She took her word lightly and even raised a brow at him. He was iming then that his lust was under his control but she begged to disagree. Wanting to prove him wrong and was already annoyed, she positioned herself in a seductive way to tease him. He imed she was being scandalous anyway so why not make it real?

    In just a second, Simione hauled some handful of water again and showered herself with it... slowly...while eyes fixated at Hawk Monsanto. While doing so, she bit herself and seductively pushed her hair to her back so that none of it was covering her front.

    Damn! Hawk was caught in a situation wherein he was almost going to burst. It was still so early in the morning and men as they are, they were usually fully erected at the first light of day. Him, for example, who had just dreamed about the kiss they sharedst night, woke up with his manhood proud and Cat showering herself in front of him with such a seductive look was so very hard to resist.

    "Stop it," He let off a warning, his voice almost groaning.

    "Why?" Simione asked, smiling this time. "Didn''t you say you got things under control?"

    "Cat I''m telling¡ª"

    "What?" The girl dared toe closer to him so that her once fully covered breast became more visible at their short distance. Hawk couldn''t help but stare at it. Didn''t he say prior it was his most favorite part of her body? Such statements rung to his head again and again. "You dare to challenge me, Hawk Monsanto?"

    Hawk faltered for a few seconds but immediately regained his full self. He was so done with her winning in every game of seduction and so he was ready to win this time and take his lot.

    "And you dare to mock me?" Hawk dared to step forward, the pail of water already forgotten and he advanced in a way that there was nothing between them but the wall of the bathroom. From his sight, there was nothing that hinders him from looking at her very naked body although he dared not peek and only looked right through eyes. He needs to get even with her, or else, she''ll keep on winning and mock him over and over again.

    Simione''s shoulder shuddered at their distance. She expected nothing but for him to walk away but it seemed that he had other ns in mind. They looked at each other for a moment and then suddenly, their consciousness went away and when they regained it both, they were already kissing passionately again. Hawk''s hand was already at the back of Simione''s head, pressing her close to him while hepped through her lips and tasted her morning breath. Simione herself couldn''t withhold it, her body so wanted it. She wanted him. They both knew what they had right then was a dangerous venture because boundaries had been made and lines had been marked already, yet they both took it for granted and both their resolutionsst night evaporated through the thick air.

    When the kiss broke, they were both panting, eyes still fixated to each other. They were very aware of what they were feeling and theirplicated situation, but they cared about none of it. It was obvious from their eyes and the glowing red on their skin, as they were catching their breath, that they wanted more of it and so, in a split second¡ªthey were both torn as to whether to make a move to stop it right away or just finish it before anyone notices. For some reasons only their heart could tell, they both chose the second and so Hawk hesitated not to enter the bathroom where Simione was, grabbed her naked body and pressed it against him as he took her lips once more.

    Hawk''s kisses didn''t linger long on her lips as he was very aware of how short their time was and so in just a minute, his mouth was already on her neck, licking, sipping and biting her soft skin. His lips then descended to her breast and tasted it before his tongue took over and yed with her pink nipples.

    "Oh God Mi amore!" he groaned as hevished himself with her softness. Her big breasts were his guilty pleasure, something he''d wanted to have and y with at any time of the day if only he had the liberty to do so. Truth be it, right then, he took his time there as if making up for all the days he did nothing but just dreamed of it.

    Soon Hawk''s lips descended once more, this time it went past her navel and after ying with it for a second, it continued its journey further below.

    "Ahhhhh!" Simione moaned when she felt his mouth on her most feminine part and when he inserted a tongue to taste it, she moaned further.

    Her knees suddenly felt weak and she needed something to support her and ended up grabbing Hawk''s hair. She was afraid to get strength from the walls that cornered them both as it was made of coconut leaf only and she knew it would be too weak to endure their secret scandalous venture. Hawk''s tongue then moved again, this time he exerted more effort to taste her down below and Simione lost all her sanity. God it had been a while since thest time he had tasted it and although she was afraid to admit it, there were many nights she thought of nothing but the pleasure he had once he gave her while making love with her valuable intimate property.

 Chapter 140 - Shamelessly

    The morning breeze suddenly was no more cold. With Hawk kneeling at her feet, Simione''s skin and insides went burning hot. Hawk kissed her in there and brushed his tongue at her flesh, very much enjoying the sound of her constrained moaning. In the midst of such an early scandalous venture and while Hawk wasvishing with Simione''s most innate part, Old Sunny suddenly opened the back door and saw Simione inside the bathroom.

    "Cat? Are you okay?" She asked. She heard something strange outside and went to check the girl whom she knew was taking a bath.

    "Ahmm¡­.yeah¡­.yes," The surprised Simione tried to put up a natural demeanor and face although she was very unlikely to be natural at the moment when Hawk''s tongue continued digging inside her even when he heard some threat. "I''m okay¡­.the water¡­.ah.. is just so cold,"

    "Oh it is really cold here in the mountains," Old Sunnymented. "I bet this is your first time taking a bath on mornings in the mountains right? You should have told me, I should have heat up some water for you,"

    "No I can manage this," Simione, with her very strength, held Hawk''s head tight and restrained him so he could stop. How shameless was this man that he can still think of his lust when they were almost caught already. If not for the fact that Hawk was kneeling and he was not visible from the outside, for sure Old Sunny would know and be frustratedly surprised at their scandalous behavior. What was she thinking anyway? How could she let Hawk Monsanto do this thing?

    "Do you need more water? I can fetch some for you," Old Sunny volunteered as she knew one pail wouldn''t be enough for Simione especially that her hair was very long, it needed more water to be washedpletely.

    "No no, not anymore," Simione shook her head in panic. Old Sunny was about to move close to her and she was afraid that once she advanced more, she would see Hawk kneeling right between her thighs. "I still have a bucket full," She dragged her eyes to the pail that L Conglomerate President fetched earlier for her that was ced on the ground just a few meters from the bathroom she was in.

    "Oh I''ll carry that for you inside the bathroom if you want," Old Sunny already turned to the pail and carried it. She was about to enter the bath when SImione asked her not to.

    "Old Sunny, please don''t bother anymore. I really can do it on my own," She reduced this time wearing her most genuine smile in an attempt to make the old woman stop insisting. It was effective though as Old Sunny did not press on it much and just let go of the pail. "You can go back to cooking now, I''ll finish in a bit then I''ll help you,"

    "Okay fine. As long as you are okay," Old Sunny settled and went back to the kitchen. Right away, just a minute after the old woman went back inside, Simione grabbed her towel, wrapped her body and exited the bathroom as fast as she could.

    Damn! A minute more inside there with Hawk Monsanto was only inviting scandal and trouble. When she did exit, she was in such a haste that rendered Hawk Monsanto''s protest futile. He was not even able to voice out his protest because Simione managed to retreat in a sh.

    "Cat¡ª" She heard the man called her but she dared not to acknowledge it. God! Didn''t she tell himst night to stop already? Why was it that even with so many things that had already been said, they still continued to lure each other back to their scandalous deeds? Simione right then could only curse, frustrated that she herself cannot even withhold her feelings for him.

    ***

    The next time Cat and Hawk met was during breakfast and Simione was so silent everyone worried she had gotten sick. She just smiled at them and told them she was okay. When the breakfast was over, they packed up some snacks that their group could share together on the way. The road back to Comis vige was long and since the sun was bright and shiny today, they were already expecting it was going to be so bright they''ll sure exhaust and hunger themselves on the way.

    Soon, the group bid their farewell to old Sunny and her neighbors and started their journey home. On the way, the group talked about Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah who went home ahead of them.

    "Lolong still wanted to spend the night but the two women were insisting to leave already," Mariomented as they were passing through the thick forest. He too was wondering what happened to the two and what was the reason that so suddenly they both decided to leave. "He could not say no to both women then so he just apanied them home,"

    "You should have woken me up. I knew the way very well. I could have taken them back to the orphanage safely," Simione joined the conversation then, also wondering what could be the two medical practitioner''s problems.

    "Oh, they insisted on not waking you up Cat," Mario answered. "They might be too shy to disturb you,"

    "But I am theirpanion. The directress entrusted them to me," Simione said, already worried. Why does she feel like something happened to the two? She hoped it was nothing serious and there was only indeed some missed activity Doctor Sora needed to finish or other reasonable things.

    "I don''t know, Cat," Mario expressed. "Perhaps when we reached the orphanage we can ask them why they had to leave like that,"

    The conversation about the two lingered not long and the topic went off smoothly and had soon been forgotten when other more interesting topics hit off their group. With too many things to talk about and entertain themselves, they had reached the Comis Vige after a few hours of walking. Time does fly fast indeed when people are having fun.

    Their group dropped by the orphanage first to drop off Cat. When they reached the ce, someone came running to them with aplicated expression.

    "It''s good that you had arrived...especially you Cat,"

    "Why? Is there something wrong?" Simione asked immediately. The woman''s expression answered her question right away. Wanting to know it, she asked again, "What is it?"

    "I don''t know how to exin it to you guys but it would be best that you go to the directress office," She told them, "The Vige head, his wife and some significant folk gathered there since earlier,"

    "Is there a meeting or something?" Mario was curious. They just came from the other vige and they needed rest but it seemed that they needed to dy such for the meantime. What seemed to be the problem then? Perhaps it involved Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah.

    "Just go to the directress office all of you," The woman said and walked away.

    The group looked at each other confused and so they all decided to go to the directress office. When they reached the room, all their heads formed lines at the situation. Indeed all the significant old folks were in there aside from the vige monk, Hawk''s adoptive father who chose to do his prayers again.The folks gathered around the directress table while Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah were at the corner, both red faced.

    "Cat," Old Susan right away walked to Simione and dragged her away from her group to a corner a little away from the others. The directress room wasn''t that big so even when they were in the corner already, everyone could still hear their conversation.

    "Cat, I know your situation is hard at this time. I know very well, trust me," The Vige head''s wife started withforting words that Simione somehow did not understand. Well, she perfectly understood what the old woman was saying but she was wondering why she was saying it all right then. "Your husband is sick and he cannot fulfill any of his obligations to you but he does love you very much. He had been all devoted to you. You must be patient and not lose hope. You must be patient and not find some warmth on someone else, that is a sin Cat..a sin my child,"

    Herst statement sponsored a shudder in Simione''s shoulder. "Old Susan, what are you talking about? What is wrong with you guys?" Her eyes turned from the old woman to all the people who had all their eyes fixated on them. "You are making me feel worried,"

    "How could you pretend to be innocent at this point?" Doctor Sora''s annoyed voice echoed through the whole room. "Was it not enough that you made such scandalous things and now you are lying in everyone''s ces? How thick-faced can you be?"

    Simione and herpanion who was oblivious to what was happening looked at the indignant Doctor. What was she annoyed about? She seemed to be coolst night? What could have happened that changed her moodpletely?

    "I don''t know what¡ª"

    "You are having an affair with that man!" Doctor Sora cut her off, ring as she pointed a finger to Hawk who was then standing at the back of all theirpanions. "I saw you two both kissed shamelesslyst night!"

 Chapter 141 - Split

    Doctor Sora''s words suddenly brought an intense ambiance all throughout the room. Everyone turned into looking between Simione and Hawk who both were surprised at the moment.

    "Hawk, is this true?" Mario asked, worried that indeed the words that the doctor uttered were true. Now he finally understood why Doctor Sora and Nurse Leah went home early like that, they probably felt very ufortable with the situation.

    "It is true, I''ve seen it myself too," Nurse Leah added although she was lying. However Doctor Sora needed someone to support her statements and so they both decided to say they saw it both, although it was only Doctor Sora who had seen it. Last night, things really went hard for her as he had truly been bothered at how Hawk treated her. Coincidentally, while she was tending to her shame and hurt, she saw the two kiss scandalously.

    Mario felt thoroughly betrayed at the confirmation. He turned to Hawk and with aplicated emotion, expressed, "But Hawk, you know Cat is a married woman. Also you are a son of a monk, you should have¡ª"

    "There might be some misunderstanding here," Hawk cut him off calmly. "I know you people saw it wrong but, it isn''t really,"

    "And how can you say that having an affair with a married woman is not wrong?" Doctor Sora red at him. Now, it''s time for a payback and if the man thought he was above her that''s why she refused her and treated her without respect, then now perhaps he should learn to respect her. He was so naive to refuse her advances, doesn''t he know who she was? She''s Sora Luanco, a daughter of one of the highly recognized elite in their city. She should not be shamelessly treated like Hawk treated herst night.

    "And why do you seem so affected by this? You seemed utterly mad.." Hawk almost grinned at how red her face was. "As for the vige folks, I understand their concern and rage because they were Cat''s long time friends. As for you, you only arrived here few days ago and is still a stranger to all of them, so I don''t get the reason why you seemed so upset,"

    "It''s because¡­." Doctor Sora''s confidence flew away. She couldn''t give any reasons at all and became very conscious at how everyone turned to her to also question the fact. "It''s shameless that''s why. How dare you question this and turned the entire thing on me,"

    "I was just curious about it, woman. You had certainly no reasons to be upset and be mad and here you are throwing the worst fit among everyone," Hawk added. "Ah I think I know now. Was it because I rejected your advancesst night? You are jealous of Cat, are you not?"

    The doctor''s face went red at his Hawk''s tant usation. Her face grimaced and her hands shaking with anger. This man was good at turning tables. Was he really from here? He seemed very educated and smart to be fooled around. She did expect that like all the other folks, he will just go on and be guilty without thinking of getting back at her. She was utterly long and she sure had not prepared for such a blow back she was having hard time rebutting it.

    "Is what he says true Doctor Sora?" It was Nurse Leah this time who spoke. The great Sora Luanco had been rejected by a vige boy? How cruel could that be. Now she understood her intentions clearly.

    "Shut up!" Doctor Sora could not hold her frustration, she ended up shouting at Nurse Leah, more to her shame. The old folks and directress now immediately see through her character then and they could not help but stare at her indignantly. All shamed, the doctor bolted through the door to escape everyone''s eyes.

    "Doctor Sora!" Nurse Leah called on her but when she saw that she had no ns ofing back and was crying mercilessly, she bid farewell from everyone to chase the doctor. "I''ll just go and talk to her. I''m sorry she was just shocked, please forgive her," The nurse then headed through the door and went on her way.

    The room then sank in silence, a little intrigued at Hawk''s im of refusing the doctor''s advances. It urred to them then that Hawk was indeed a woman ma that even a reputable doctor had to make schemes just to capture his attention.

    "What a revtion Hawk," The director broke the silence. "However it does not erase the fact that you and Cat had an affair," She sighed with frustration, "I certainly did not expect this from both of you. You both were good people,"

    "I''m sorry, directress, if this troubled you. This is my fault, Cat had nothing to do with this," Hawk defended Cat''s reputation. He knew the people of Comis vige were dear to Cat and he didn''t want to be the reason for them to hate her. They can hate him all they want, but they should leave Cat alone, it wasn''t her fault anyway. He was the one who chased and seduced her into doing so.

    "But Cat is a married woman," The directress turned to SImione with a bitter smile. "You child should have been more careful. Being a married woman as you are, you had the obligation to protect the sanctity of marriage. I thought you this Cat and it frustrates to know that despite everything I thought you, you willinglymitted such a scandalous venture,"

    "Directress I''m very sorry," Simione regretfully expressed. Only then she felt the weight of what she did and her ventures with Hawk Monsanto. Her expression then did not please Hawk as it only looked like she regretted everything they had together. She shouldn''t, he will not allow it so.

    "I apologised to you directress and to all of you¡ª"

    "Cat, stop it. I don''t really think you need to apologize for this," Hawk cut Simione offpletely and gave her a look that was rather telling her it was foolish of her to do so.

    "Hawk, just please let me. We both know it was wrong,"

    "How could it be wrong?" Hawk confronted her this time that the old folks who were there can feel both their tension and hidden hurt. It seemed that the two had deep understanding and thatst night wasn''t the only time they had been intimate. "Just tell them the truth. It''s about time. You can''t keep hiding and pretending to them,"

    "Wait, what''s going on?" The directress herself was lost and confused. It was very obvious that Simione and Hawk knew each other well and this surprised everyone. Was there anything behind this that they had no idea about. "Do you two know each other? I mean, did you know each other already before meeting here?"

    "Yes," Hawk answered without hesitation and this only drew more surprised sighs from theirpanions.

    "You mean your affair had been going on even before you both came here?" Mario asked desperately. All this came as a shock to everyone as they did not expect that the two already knew each other. Did they perhaps agree toe here so they can secretly meet each other? "Is that why you both came here? To hide this affair from your families in the city,"

    "No, of course not!" Simione denied. This wasing hard to her. The situation obviously was calling for her to tell the truth about her and Brother Don. That predicament there got Simione conflicted as she very much wanted everyone not to know because this ce¡ªthe Comis Vige was a reminder of their great love and happy times.

    For years, whenever she missed their great times and the warmth of Brother Don''s love, SImione always came to this vige to fool herself that their love was existing because only in this ce did brother Don remained hers. Only at the Comis vige can she be his woman, only in that ce can she feel like the old Cat she was before.

    "Then Cat, how can you exin all this to us?" Mario confronted her. They had all thought Cat and Brother Don were a great couple, they were always their standard of romance and love. Whenever the couple were brought up to every conversation, they had nothing but all admiration for them so this issue right here tore all their hopes about love apart. "I have always thought that you love brother Don. I had but pure respect for you because even when he was sick, I had always thought you did nothing but just care for him. And yet now¡­.you and Hawk¡­"

    "Cat..my dear...you understand why we are frustrated right?" Old Susan added on as she held Cat''s hand. She too was upset but couldn''t bring to hate Cat for it. "I know this hard for you and you and Hawk might be¡ª"

    "I''m not married!" Cat announced and her words cut everyone''s chastise. "Brother Don and I had long split up,"

 Chapter 142 - Her Marriage

    "Cat, what are you talking about?" Old Susan herself couldn''t believe the word that she uttered. It simply cannot be, they had long known the two had gotten married already.

    "Brother Don and I never got married. That is the truth," Simione repeated her words. "However we cannot tell you guys about the break up because we knew how much you doted on us, so brother Don decided not to tell it to you. I went with the flow because I also don''t want to make you feel bad about it,"

    "Oh Cat!" Old Susan dragged a hand to her mouth, as she couldn''t believe it. Now she understood why whenever Cat and Brother Don were asked about the wedding, they just smiled and answered vaguely. Of course, they knew the two were lovers and that they nned to marry when Cat reached the legal age and so one time when they came back here and Cat was already eighteen, they all thought the two had been united already.

    "But Brother Don used to tell me about your marriage. How grand it was, how many came and..."Mario bbered, recalling everything that Brother Don used to tell them. However only then it urred to him that Brother Don tells these things to them whenever Cat wasn''t around. Was it really because all of it was lies?

    "Please don''t me brother Don," Simione somehow defended her old lover. "He just didn''t want to make you guys sad. Besides, the break was a mutual decision,"

    When she said her second statement, Hawk saw that her shoulder shuddered and her honey-colored eyes flickered with sadness. This was how Hawk understood that herst words were lies. The break up probably wasn''t mutual and it was a sad one. Something that Simione probably didn''t want to remember and go through again. Did this Brother Don hurt her?

    "I''m sorry everyone," Simione''s voice filled the room with so much coldness and Hawk thought it wasn''t right for her to go through this alone specially that it wasn''t her who initiated the lies. From what he can see, Hawk was sure it was the guy who lied about it and Simione was only caught with the situation. Her only fault was that she didn''t exposed his lies and let him continue fooling everyone in the Comis Vige. Now that the lies had been exposed, Cat had to bear all this consequences alone? How pathetic can that be?

    "So I guess there''s really nothing wrong with your affair with Hawk," After a thorough contemtion, the directress spoke. Her once tense eyes were calm now as she looked at Simione with pity.

    She was the person who both knew Cat and Brother Don perfectly understood the situation and she was aware, Simione couldn''t dare to lie this huge. It must be Brother Don who did it and Cat had no choice left but to defend the honor of the man she once loved so dearly. Thinking through the whole ordeal, there had been no signs of the two''s breakup as they had both acted normally whenever they were here. The directress then thought, how hard could things be for Cat for she had to endure all of those pretensions that their love still existed when the truth was no love lingered between them anymore. The directress secretly knew some of Simione''s history and saw how she longed for some love and all these years, Brother Don had been her salvation. How hurtful could it be that the one whom you thought was your savior, put you on such the same struggle again. The Directress could only sigh helplessly at it. She then turned to Hawk, who was standing there at the door that moment, looking at Cat with a balled fist. Was he mad at how hurt Cat was?

    "Hawk," She called on her. "We''ve never get to talk privately so I didn''t really knew you well but I have an impression you are a good man,"

    "You can''t rely on impressions most of the time," Hawk countered. He knew she was a calcting woman and so reminded her not to be easy on him or he''ll end up being frustrated soon.

    "Very well. I had the impression that you and Cat already knew each other prior toing here," The directress asked. "May I know what is your rtionship with Cat?"

    Hawk looked at the directress in aplicated way, wondering what her intentions were. For him, it wasn''t really her ce to ask anything about other people rather than their willingness to volunteer in her orphanage and their basic qualifications. The questions she had then were more than what was required for her knowledge so Hawk tried to understand her intentions. It appears to him then that the directress probably knew some of Cat''s history. Does she know her well?

    "I am her lover," Hawk announced and Simione''s cold heart fire up. She was still in the state of being apologetic and yet Hawk suddenly said such a thing to all of her shock. How could he be that tant? Even the folks in the room dragged their eyes to him with incredulity. Did he just think he was Cat''s lover?

    "We''re not a couple," Simione tried to discredit him.

    "Of course we are not. It was one sided love," Hawk admitted without faltering and Simione could only swallow all of her words. "Last night was a product of my insistence. Cat never agreed to it, in fact the kiss didn''tst long because Cat cut it off when she was able so,"

    "You mean you had been rejected?" Mario''s previous tension went from being angry to pitying Hawk.

    "Many times," Hawk admitted and all his words piled up in Simione''s heart, making her annoyed. Why was he saying all these things? He was making it look like she was a hard woman to pursue. "And yet here I am. I even came here when I learned she was to volunteer here,"

    Another lie. Simione wanted to re at him hard but she couldn''t right then, now when everyone''s eyes was with them both. What was Hawk Monsanto doing?

    "So you came here not because of your father but because of Cat,"

    "Fifty-fifty. Half because of my father. Half because of Cat," Hawk told them all. "So please stop instigating Cat. Nothing of this was her fault. It was mine. If I didn''te here, brother Don and her love story wouldn''t be exposed and ruined in front of all of you. I apologize,"

    Hawk bowered apologetically at everyone. For the first time too, a fire in his heart built for Simione. A fire of desire to protect her from further pain. He didn''t know what happened but seeing how miserable she was and helpless, he cannot allow it so anymore.

    When he met Simione, she was a strong woman. So strong that he never once thought she could be subjected to anyone''s bully or violence, even emotional violence. This was her difference with Feather and the reason why he had always been drawn towards Feather side. He saw that Feather needed him while Cat didn''t. Her old childhood friend Cat was also a strong girl, never bending but she was miserable too and weak inside like how Feather was. He had always thought that perhaps of his long absence¡ªmaking the little girl Cat go on with her life alone and unprotected, she became weak and too needy and that exins Feather''s personality. He didn''t like it though as he loved the old person she was but then that change in her became his guilt and responsibility because he promised toe back for her but it took him many years to do so, long enough to make the girl miserable on her own.

    He was a man after all, and being needed by someone was something all men desired. This was something he never felt on Cat before, he never felt like she needed him that''s why he never felt the need to protect her. However now, he had seen her in her natural light, on a side her had never seen before. It urred to him that he was like her old Cat, strong and untamable outside but actually a once miserable woman. Seeing her right then alone with no once to protect her, it was like the universe calling onto him to be her protector. Perhaps, this was the time he had to change the course of his path, after all it had be shaky ever since she entered his life.

    "Damn man! How could you be so martyr," Mario pitied him and at the same time adored his devotion. Right then just by looking at Hawk and his one sided love, he forgot about Brother Don''s gantry and looked up to Hawk''s martyrdom. "Cat must have been traumatized about her and Brother Don. Just be patient man,"

    "Mario, how could you say such a thing," Old Susan chastised him as she turned to Cat again. Truth was, she too sees that indeed Cat had some hang-ups with what happened to her and Brother Don and so she could say nothing but just feel pity on her.

    "Cat my child. I''m sorry about all of this, if only we knew, we should have not been a¡ª"

    "It''s okay Old Susan. I understand," Somehow, Cat''s eyes lost its brightness as her thoughts had been clouded with nothing but all the memories she had with Brother Don on this ce that has now been ruined. Although she don''t say it, it was very obvious she was all affected by it and everyone noticed this, most especially Hawk whose heart felt a little tingling because of the realization that Cat still loved whoever this Brother Don was. He had been curious then what really happened with the two.

    "Would you please all excuse me, I had really gotten so tired with our journey back. I need to rest,"

    "Of course Cat, you may go now," The Directress dismissed her and she immediately left her office and rushed toward her room. When she reached her chambers, she locked the door hard and let herself fall into the soft bed that had been herfort for many days and years when she cried secretly about how she and Brother Don ended. It had been such a long time and yet she still cried about it every now and then. It wasn''t as hurtful with how she lost Spin but all her life, she thought he had found redemption on him. She ced all her hopes to be happy on him and she became the most important person in her world after she left all the hurtful memories she had in Somerset. In fact, for him, she tends to forget who she was and revolve around how to be significant in Brother Don''s life only to be ruined in the end.

    When they broke up, she didn''t only lose his love. She lost all the hope she had to be happy, she had lost all the life she had ever known. It was such a tragedy and if not for Lucy and Gabrie, she might have died a long time ago because of the pain.

 Chapter 143 - Young Love

    After Simione left, the group that was in the directress office dispersed minutes after. Hawk however, asked permission to see the girl and he had been allowed to do so by the kind directress. The group acknowledged the fact that Hawk and Cat needed to talk privately about what happened, especially that it caught them both off guard.

    The directress asked a staff member to apany Hawk to Simione''s room but when they reached there, they heard her sobbing through the door. The staff then left Hawk, giving him the free choice to go andfort Simione or just leave her all alone.

    Standing at her door, Hawk felt a deep thorough guilt. He knew he had nothing to do with her past that she was all crying about but he felt guilty for failing to see such a side of her. Isn''t she always a strong woman? Why all the sudden she was crying like she was a hopeless one?

    Perhaps she had loved that Brother Don so much and thinking about such a thought pierced a sharp arrow in his heart. It was obvious Cat was still longing for him, but why did she courageously enter into his life, make him feel like she was so into him and that she wanted him when the truth was, she hadn''t moved in yet from the man who had hurt him. What was he then? A rebound? That fact sponsored a tingling pain in his heart but ironically, he wasn''t mad about it. If Cat needed him to heal her broken past, then he would dly be his rebound.

    "Cat¡­" His voice faded through her cries and he knew she had not heard him. He wanted to go inside andfort her but he knew she needed to be alone, so like the staff, he left her room and went away.

    When he left the orphanage, Hawk found Mario waiting for him in the front gate. The man waved a hand on him, making it obvious that he was indeed waiting for him.

    "I thought of waiting for you, all the others left," Mario told him. He wanted to leave like the rest of the old folks but Hawk was hispanion, in fact he was the one who invited him to go to Old Susan''s vige with him so it would appear rude if he would just leave him there.

    "You should have gone with them, I''m okay," Hawk told him and thetter shrugged.

    "How was Cat?"

    Hawk only shook his head, signifying the fact that he wasn''t able to talk to her.

    "I feel so bad about what happened, apologies for the things I''ve said young man," Mario put a hand on him for encouragement. Since he imed to be Cat''s lover, Mario thought it was hard for him to see Cat being hurt because of a previous lover.

    "It wasn''t your fault. Just that Cat and his ex didn''t tell you so, it was just right for you guys to react like that," Hawk answered and he was honest with it. It amazed him actually how this ce had changed him so much and how his patience improved overtime. Because if what happened earlier took ce in the city and he was still the Hawk whom he knew himself used to be, then everyone who had said hurtful words to Cat should have suffered severe consequences. However, the old folks chastise earlier and Doctor Sora''s schemes, although it went inside his skin, made him act reasonably without violence and threat which was always his form of retribution.

    "But my heart is with you young man. It must be hard for you to see her like that because of Brother Don," Mario added as he pressed much force to his shoulder. "How hard must this be all for you. Cat sure did love Brother Don so much, it would be hard for her to move on and yet here you are, trying to pick up the broken pieces of her shattered heart,"

    ''I wish I could have done that sooner. If only I knew, because for thest couple of weeks, I did nothing but just broke her even more''

    Hawk said in his head. He really felt bad as the scene of Cat asking to be his only woman shed in his mind mercilessly. It was the most shattering part of all their ventures and that must have hurt Cat severely and made her more miserable than she ever was, knowing that she was rejected again. Why did he even withhold his feelings for her when all these times, it was very evident she had managed to steal his heart and attention away from Feather the moment she appeared in his life.

    However, he was so devoted with such a childhood love he had dreamed to have all his life. He had been so upied with such fantasy that some childhood promises were destined to be fulfilled but only then did he realize that the path with Feather he was trying so hard to keep was a path that only led them both to doom. He loved the young Cat, the young Feather but such a persona of hers probably died already in Somserset Vige, together with the life he had left there. His Cat had been gone a long time ago and the one that was left was no longer the same girl he loved. Perhaps it was time for him to ept that some love cannot be kept and that some dreams weren''t meant to happen.

    "Are you okay Hawk?" Mario asked as he saw how drowned he was with his own thoughts.

    His question brought Hawk back to their conversation and he only smiled bitterly and sighed. "Yeah I am,"

    "You seemed very sad," Mario took notice.

    "I just realized some things weren''t really meant to be," Hawk told him. "It was just sad that my whole life revolved around a promise that I can no longer keep anymore,"

    "Humans as we are¡­.we are not perfect," Mario replied although he had no ounce of idea what Hawk was talking about, "We cannot always fulfill a promise. The important is we tried our best to keep it,"

    "I did all that I can to keep it," Hawk honestly answered. For the name of the promise he kept with the old Cat, he betrayed even his own heart. That was how important such a promise to him¡ªhe was all willing to give his all for it, even his own happiness and the woman who managed to awaken his heart. That was how badly he wanted to keep it.

    "But I cannot keep it anymore," Hawk admitted badly. He felt very ipetent and irresponsible with such a statement. That promise he made with the young Cat, gave him all the power to survive death and all of life''s challenges. Such a promise made him who he was today and such a fact made him want to give his all, even probably his own life for it and yet right now, his heart was grieving because he knew he had to let it all go now. He had to let it go before it could destroy him and Feather¡ªYes Feather. He had to be honest with her now. He cannot keep hurting her anymore just because of his old childhood hang-ups and fantasy of being his knight and shining armor.

    "I have to let it all go now," Hawk added and Mario could only sigh with him. The two continued on their way and only separated when thetter reached his home. Hawk then was left walking alone back to the temple and at the gate, he was weed by Butler Gah.

    "Papa," He greeted.

    "It looks like you have chosen," Butler Gah read through his eyes and saw his determination. There was no more cloud of doubt in it and he knew him pretty well to know what it meant.

    "My heart is grieving though, it''s not easy to let go of something you held on all your life," Hawk stated. Indeed his stay in Comis Vige cleared his head and made see the things he couldn''t see before, or probably he refused to see.

    "I trust that you had decided well," Butler Gah impliedly told him he had never been disappointed with all his decisions. Ever since Hawk became independent, he had seen all his struggles and witnessed how he got through it all. He trusted then that the one he had been struggling now, he''ll find a way out of it too.

    "I still think it''s kind of selfish papa," Hawk expressed his worries. "I''m worried this might cause some damage to Feather,"

    "I''m sure such damage wouldn''t be as bad as going on through a loveless marriage," Butler Gah tapped his shoulder and handed him some candles. "You love the young Han''s heiress. Unfortunately, she''s no longer the same girl. The one you love is here no more"

    Butler Gah turned and walked through the prayer room. Hawk followed him carrying the candles his papa gave him. His heart was still heavy but hoped that sooner, he''ll be able to ept that the young girl he once loved, can no longer be with him forevermore. Right then, he wished to pray and say goodbye to his young love.

 Chapter 144 - Climb

    Later that night, heavy rains and thunder poured down on Comis vige. The weather was so bad Hawk had barely a good night of sleep. Because of it, he chose to join his father in his prayers and even help him prepare something for a ritual he was about to do that night. Butler Gah predicted the weather right that night and he even predicted it would be worse the next day. His prediction did not fail him, because the next morning, the rain continued and the two were unable to leave the temple.

    Nearly lunch, Mario came running into the temple looking for Hawk. When he came, he was all wet and worried that Hawk understood his errand might be something important.

    "Mario, what made you run in here like that?" Hawk weed him. He was near the entrance when the old folk came, as he was then trying to fix some broken roof in the pathway.

    "Hawk! Cat have note back yet! We are all worried!" He told him immediately.

    "What? Did she leave?" Hawk was confused and surprised at his announcement. The rain startedst night so how did Cat manage to leave? Besides where did she go?

    "She leftst night" Mario narrated what he had learned from the orphanage. "She went to Mount Sun to pick some herb for a tonic,"

    "What?" Hawk got more confused. Why would Cat go on picking herbs at night? Is she mad? "Why would she do that?"

    "Bunbun got an insect bite. It was a cow killer," Mario announced. "The effect on him was so bad that he needed to be brought to the hospital. However, probably because of the rain, the rivers were flooded and no one could cross, so staff at the orphanage had to bring the boy back here,"

    "But they had doctor Sora right?"

    "Doctor Sora said she is not the kind of doctor that can treat insect bites. Also they needed some medicine to treat him so they were all helpless in the orphanage," Mario exined further. "Also Doctor Sora isn''t familiar with a cow killer insect so she could not really treat Bunbun,"

    "And how did all this lead to Cat going to Mt. Sun in the middle of the night?" Hawk asked further. He certainly did not understand what was happening and why of all people, Cat had to go to Mt. Sun alone at night.

    "There''s an old folk here that makes tonic. He is very familiar with cow killers and his tonic was very effective. We alle to him whenever someone is sick, especially that doctors onlye here rarely," Mario said to him. "However he cannot make the tonic for the cow killer because hecked some herbs for the ingredients. The herbs can only be found in Mt. Sun. You see, none of us old folks can go to Mt. Sun because it''s a very stiff mountain. Most of us here cannot climb such a mountain anymore. Our legs can''t endure the journey"

    "So Cat went alone?"

    "She wasn''t alone. She was apanied by some old folks but when the road went stiff and slippery, the old folks gave up because it was too dangerous. However Cat insisted on going and since they didn''t want to burden her with their presence, they allowed her to go alone and waited for her all night. This morning one of herpanions came and told us Cat had not climbed down the mountain yet. Everyone was worried,"

    "Also apart from all the staff at the orphanage, only Cat volunteered to go to Mt. Sun, probably because she was the only one among the staff members who had been there. All the others were unwilling specially the foreign volunteers because they understood it was very dangerous, not to mention the weather was so badst night,"

    "You should have called on me," Hawk said and proceeded to grab some raincoats and anything that he thought would be useful for the journey to the Mt. Sun. "You should have not allowed her to leave alone!"

    "Everyone was in panicst night. They were all worried about Bunbun, the directress wasn''t even aware Cat left. Good thing some of the old folks saw her leaving and so they volunteered to go with her. You know Cat, she''s unstoppable when she''s determined to do something,"

    "Can you draw me a map of the way to Mt. Sun and the possible ce where Cat went to gather herbs," he instructed Mario as he continued preparing for his errand.

    "Sure," Mario grabbed some pen and paper he saw nearby. They were inside the temple then as Hawk did grab some things there. After a while, Mario handed Hawk the map he drew and saw Hawk sealing off his raincoat. Hawk epted the map then and took some stic to cover it so it wouldn''t be ruined by the rain. Just after a minute he left the temple together with Mario.

    "I''ll go and try to find her. Don''t tell my father yet where I went," Hawk instructed him again. "If don''te back in your estimated time frame, only then should you tell him,"

    "Alright. Let me apany you to the old folk who came to report Cat''s situation. He ns to go back to the foot of Mt. Sun to wait on Cat again. He was then reloading of some supplies for hispanions who was still there right now waiting for the girl,"

    "Okay," Hawk replied. His heart was then racing fast and he was cursing on why in the world he did not know about this. If they hade to inform himst night, he should have apanied her to the mountain and made sure she was safe. Right now, he could only pray she was alive and well. God how could she be so careless? How dare she go alone without calling for his help.

    Soon, Hawk met the person Mario was talking about and the two went together to the foot of Mt. Sun. When Hawk saw the way, he greatly understood why the old folks were having a hard time climbing it. It was very stiff and judging from the map Mario drew for him, he knew it would take hours to reach the top and the old folks surely could not survive it. People in the Comis vige were old people and although they were very helpful, no sane person would waste their life climbing on such a dangerous cliff.

    "We tried to climb with her, we only made it for an hour," Hispanion told her. "Cat was very strong and she knew Mt. Sun very well so we know she can make it. However it was taking her too long toe back. She must have some challenges on the way,"

    "We are really worried, Hawk. We were expecting her to return after six hours, afterall, she only needed to pick a few herbs and Mt. Sun is full of it. If nothing happened to her, she should have climbed down before morning came. It''s past noon time now," He added looking at the Mountain whose view was covered by ck clouds.

    "Let''s stay positive. The weather might have dyed her," Hawk said calmly although his inside was all messed up. God, he hoped she was all doing fine!

    "Are you sure you can climb up?" The old man looked at him. Since he was just new in their vige he really wasn''t sure if Hawk could make it through. The volunteers in the orphanage all refused because they knew the dangers such a venture entails and so Hawk was their only option then. Besides, didn''t they say he was Cat''s lover? He should go and save her then.

    "I''m certain I can climb but the wind is howling bad," Hawk looked up and saw that aside from the rocks being surely slippery, the raging wind might be his big challenge.

    "Last night only the rain was our challenge yet we had a hard time. Cat had to go alone as we couldn''t make it," The man narrated to him. "The situation has gone pretty bad since then. I''m suspecting too this was the reason why Cat wasn''t able toe down. However, we had to be certain so someone had to climb. Besides, I don''t think Cat had enough food tost until tomorrow. She had to go lightst night and we had not time to give her our share of the food we brought,"

    "I''ll try it," Hawk was determined already. Besides, he can''t just wait for her to climb down on her own because every second that passed without him knowing she was safe was killing him.

    Hawk tied his backpack on his body securely and tightened his raincoat. He then went on his way and bravely fought his way up. Indeed the wind was making things difficult for him. He already considered himself strong and had gone several challenging mountain climbs before but what he had experienced then was surely the worst of all his climbs. The wind was so strong it nearly knocked him down but he thought of Cat and continued on his way.

 Chapter 145 - Trunk

    The climb to Mt. Sun wasn''t easy, not even for a strong man like Hawk Monsanto. His way was rather too dangerous as a thick cloud covered his view and the strong wind mmed him now and then against the big hard rocks which he relied on to climb. There were times he had stopped, not because he was tired but because he had lost his sense of direction and the signs that Mario marked on the map didn''te handy as he couldn''t rely much on his eyesight right then. However, knowing how bad the weather was and how short Simione''s supplies, he went on his way without the slightest thought of giving up.

    After three long hours, Hawk stumbled on the part of the mountain where he found an empty backpack. Nearby some human things scattered like a torned raincoat, spoiled food, damaged goods and a shoe with no pair. The shoe looked like it was owned by a woman and so Hawk immediately suspected it was Cat''s.

    "Cat!" Hawk called her name although the howling wind surely would render his effort futile. He tried to look around to find the girl, hoping she was nearby talking shelter but he hadn''t seen any. No one also responded to his calls. What could have happened to Cat? Did she fall on the cliff or something?

    Hawk looked more but there''s just no sign of her and so he continued on his way up, hoping she was somewhere up there very okay. Soon, after such a hard challenging climb, Hawk found himself in the clearing. The climb had been finished and so he looked at the map and scrutinized, trying to check what Mario marked for him. When he somehow knew where he was, he walked for minutes and called for the girl. He knew it wouldn''t be long until the night struck as he had spent all afternoon climbing through such a dangerous way. Hawked looked and looked but to no avail and when the day bright started to withdraw, he became overly worried what could have happened to her.

    "Where the heck are you Cat?" Hawk cursed, already frustrated. He didn''t climb such a mountain for nothing and so he hoped she would just appear from wherever. Hawk then searched and searched, almost like a wild man when soon, he heard something unusual from somewhere. He stopped his tracks and listened. He heard such a sound earlier but he thought that it was just a whistle of the wind but soon realized it wasn''t. It was definitely man made and so he followed such a noise until he found himself near a river bank. It was flooded with rushing already brown water and fallen branches. Hawk was transfixed on how chaotic the sight was, he almost didn''t notice the girl that was stuck on the water a few meters away.

    "Hawk," Simione thought she was dreaming, nevertheless she called his name. To her shock, the man ran toward her side and when his hand touched her shoulder, she realized he was real.

    "Why on earth are you here?" The girl''s eyes bulged out of shock. She knew the situation at the trail up to Mount Sun so she never expected any help. Someone could die climbing up as she almost did when she attempted to climb down and so Hawk''s presence seemed very impossible then.

    "I came for you!" Hawk saw that Simione''s lower body was submerged on the riverbank, suspended by a big trunk of tree that fell on her. She was stuck. "What happened here?"

    "I tried to fetch water to drink," The girl narrated. "What I remembered next was that something fell on me and I wake up with this,"

    She was referring to the tree that fell on her. It was really a good thing that she was in the riverbank, so when that trunk rushed on her, her body just merely submerged in the water with little force. She bumped her head though into some stone as only half of her body fell into the water and so she fainted for a few hours. When she woke up, she was cold and terrified, especially that the water was rising as minutes advanced and she was afraid that she might drown any moment then. As she struggled to free herself, she heard someone calling her name and even though she knew it was just purely hallucination, she dared to make a sound using the whistle that hung around her neck and that was how Hawk found her.

    "Steady," Hawk asked her not to move as he attempted to get off the big trunk and free the girl. It was such a big piece though and the howling wind and striking drain drops made the job moreplicated but with his eagerness to save the girl, he was able to somehow make the trunk move a little bit in enough distance to free the girl.

    Simione was relieved when she felt everything around her loosened but her lower body, most specially her feet had gone numb because it had been in the cold rushing water for many hours, making her unable to move well. Hawk noticed her struggle and so he picked her up with his strong arms and gathered him somewhere safe. He settled on a big tree that had lustruss leaves as he tried to cover them both from the rain.

    "Thank you," Simione told her, and only when she was already safe did she feel how terrified she was. She was all shaking and even wanted to cry, which she was unable to do earlier when she was on the verge of death. Heck she was in the same situation twice that day. First, when she attempted to climb down this morning, the wind knocked her off and she fell down. She was lucky her body was caught in a big bush, or else she could have died. During that time, she lost her backpack and all her necessary things, she was left with nothing then but only the one she was wearing in her body, minus her other shoe.

    Hawk had seen how terrified she became. She went pale and she was shaking nervously that the man had to embrace her hard to calm her off.

    "I thought I was going to die," She said as she held onto his warmth. "I...I thought I might not be able to go back to Devon City...my grandpa...brother Don,"

    "Shhhhh.." Hawkforted her. "I''m here Cat. I won''t let you die like that. I''ll make you safe,"

    "Thank you," That was the only thing she managed to answer him as her mind was preupied with the thought of death and all other negative things that struck her. Hawk realized then that with her current situation, it would be hard to bring her home. Also, the weather had gotten so bad that even when they were already taking shelter from the tree, he felt very unsafe. With such, he knew he had to find a shelter for them.

    "Cat you have been here before, do you know a ce where we can take shelter?" Hawk tried to ask her although he knew she was not in the right mind to answer. Luckily Cat did give him something as she pointed in a certain direction, iming there was a cave there, which the mountaineers used as a camp site whenever they stayed here. Mt. Sun was popr to hikers and mountaineers, especially because it was one of the mountains that was difficult to climb in their country. Many enthusiasts thereforee once in a while to take the challenge of climbing it and so that was why a camp site was made.

    Hawk carried Cat to the direction she told him and soon, Hawk found himself in a cave-like space in the pile of big stones attached to a rocky hill. Bamboo benches were made there and there was a space for fire. In one corner, an old dusty tent was standing.

    "I''m afraid we have to stay here for a while. We need to wait for the weather to calm down," Hawk announced as he put Cat on the bamboo bench. He then went inside the tent to find something dry to cover Cat and was d he found a thick nket inside. It was so dusty though and so he had to dust it off and make it have no insects before he put it over Cat.

    "You''d better take off your clothes," He instructed before he went to make a fire. The surroundings were getting more dark and gloomy, without the fire, they couldn''t see anything anymore. Good thing, Hawk''s backpack was still intact and so his goods and tools were safely tucked inside. He took the lighter and started making fire with the leftover wood that he found in the fire area. He thought he had to thank whoever was the one who camped there before them because they sure left enough firewood for them tost the night. Plus the tent and nket was really helpful.

 Chapter 146 - Warmth

    After a few attempts, Hawk was able to light a fire, just at the right time that the darkness sumbed. When the fire started heating up the ce, he turned to look at Cat who was at the bench and saw her wet clothes neatlyid on the bench she was sitting just next to her. She had covered herselfpletely with the nket and was still shivering then.

    "Are you okay?" Hawk asked and rummaged through his bag to find a bottle of water he had tucked inside. He unsealed it and opened the lid before he went to Simione and offered her the water. The poor girl drank as much as she could and only remembered then how thirsty she was. Earlier she decided to climb down at sunrise but with the ident that almost cost her her life on the way, she decided to climb back and stay in the clearing until the storms wore out. She did n to take refuge in the campsite but she lost her goods and back pack, so was her supply of water that''s why she went to the river. Unfortunately, a big branch fell on her and the rest was history.

    "I think so," She answered, already clear headed. She really did think she was going to die and she was very thankful Hawk came to rescue her. With such a huge storm, she could not imagine the hardship he went through in his journey up. "How did you manage to climb up with such a storm?"

    "I have my own set of experiences enough for me to get through it. However I had to admit it was the most challenging and dangerous out of all my climbs," Hawk told her and took her hand. "Come sit with me by the fire. You need some warmth"

    Cat tried to stand because of Hawk''s invitation but as she did, her weak feet outdid her and she somehow lost her bnce. Good thing Hawk was able to catch her.

    "Careful. Is your injury that bad?" he asked, starting to worry.

    "I don''t think so. I guess my feet just needed some rest. I had been in the water for a while," Simione answered honestly. She knew her body was okay and just needed to recover. Phew! What a big relief that nothing happened to her despite her sessive near death experience.

    Hawk assisted her, or more like carried her to sit beside the fire and when she had settled therepletely. He took her clothes one by one and hung them near the fire to let them dry.

    "Thank you," Simione was very grateful with his consideration, more so with how he saved her life. "You did save me today,"

    "You should have not gone alone," Hawk chastised her gently while he was starting to heat up some canned goods he brought. "Why didn''t you ask for my help,"

    "I didn''t want to bother you, I know the temple keeps you upied," She reasoned but Hawk could see through her eyes that she was lying and so he just shrugged at it.

    "You just don''t want to see me after that happened yesterday," He stated the obvious and the girl could only bite her lips with the truth he sttered. "You have some serious pride mi amore,"

    "Alright I don''t want to see you after what happened," She admitted then. "However I also did thought the problems in the orphanage was none of you business and the fact that there''s a storm, I bet you don''t want to leave you father alone,"

    "Seriously?" Hawk turned to look at her eyes. Is that really how she sees things between them? "Mi amore, between my father and your safely, I''d choose thetter and you know that,"

    "And between me and Feather?" She braved to ask. Truth was it wasn''t really the most important topic then but Simione was trying to shift her focus from her shaking veins and terror that day she needed something more intense¡ªlike the conversation about Feather¡ªto help herself calm down.

    Hawk was surprised to hear it but when he saw that her eyes didn''t give her question some determination, he knew she was just trying to keep the conversation up. However, since she brought it up and wanted to touch on such a very sensitive topic, he''d rather brought up some things too that he was curious about.

    "How about between me and your ex?" he returned the question and only then did Simione''s eyes gained some focus. Hawk''s lips twitch frustratedly knowing that indeed the mention of her ex was more of a trigger than the name of Feather. Simione quieted right away.

    Leaving her to her thoughts, Hawk busied himself with the routine of heating up their food. He didn''t have any cooking pot and so he did what he could with what he had. When the food was ready, he gave Simione a can of pork and beans and a spoon. "Eat it while it''s hot,"

    Simione took it and helped herself with the meal. She was really hungry since she was not able to take a bite the entire day because she lost her backpack and supplies. When Hawk noticed how hungry she was, he heated up more food and gave her some more.

    "You tried to climb down this morning, right? I saw your backpack and shoe," Hawk told her while she was still chewing her share.

    "Really?"

    "I thought you fell on your way down. I was really worried," Hawk added as he schemed at the girl who seemed not very interested in the conversation. Was she still terrified or perhaps she was not done reminiscing the memory of her ex-boyfriend. "I left your backpack and shoe in the clearing. If the storm calms down tomorrow, I''ll get it,"

    "And if it doesn''t?"

    "We still had supplies tost for another day," He told her and was relieved he had brought some extra food. "The only problem I see is the supply of firewood. I''ll pick up some tomorrow even the damped and wet ones, we''ll try to dry it with the fire,"

    Simione didn''t answer anymore and just ate. When she was done Hawk handed her a toothbrush that only surprised her. "You brought an extra truthbrush? What are you? Doraemon?"

    Her question made Hawk smile. Truth was he had his share of camping trips and in all his experiences, he knew one of the most useful things to bring is a toothbrush. This was because previously, when he was a bit young and can still travel well, he joined a camping trip with some strangers and one of them forgot his toothbrush. For some reasons, he realizedter the man used his without consent and since then, he kind of made a habit of bringing something extra for scenarios like that.

    "I''m just oozy," He joked about it and handed the toothbrush to the girl. "Will you be okay alone here? I''ll just gather some firewood to dry. I won''t be far,"

    Simione just nodded and let him leave. She saw him fixing up his raincoat, gave her onest nce and hurried through the rain. Hawk Monsanto did surprise him that night as the way he was handling things then made the girl think twice whether he really was Hawk Monsanto. Wasn''t he too rich to be ustomed to some difort like this?

    She remembered Brother Don who had been born rich and how he wasn''t used to such inconveniences. In fact, whenever she and Brother Done and visit in Comis Vige, he eitheres dayster than her or leaves early than her because he can''t stay in the mountains for long. Unlike Hawk too who does tilling and hardbor with the farmers.

    However, at first she thought that Hawk was just trying to blend in and wanted to learn hardbor but seeing how he seemed to know everything he needed to do when being pushed to the edge, it seemed like he wasn''t trying to learn how to be poor and simple¡ªit was all natural to him. How unusual could that be? They say the Monsanto''s were already rich before so she knew he was born like Brother Don¡ªall with a silver spoon in their mouths. But why does he seem very different from Brother Don? Right in Comis vige, there was no trace of him being rich and wealthy, it was just like he was a normal viger with an unusual handsome face.

    Simione finished her brushing and when she was done, she tried to carefully drag herself into the tent to rest. Right then, her feet seemed to have recovered slightly so he reached the tent without falling. However she realized the ce was all dusty so she cleaned up for a moment, made sure no crawling insects were resting inside andfortablyid herself down. The flooring of the tent was still intact and there was aforter attached to it, so when Cat plunged on it, she was so relieved at howforting it was. Also the fire Hawk fired out seemed to have reached the tent and warmed it allpletely and that only eased up her cold and lubies her to sleep.

 Chapter 147 - To Hell Even

    When Hawk came back from picking woods, he didn''t see Cat around but when he opened the tent, the girl was sound asleep. Giving her time to rest and recover, he went on and cleaned the mess he did beside the fire earlier when he cooked andter piled off the woods he picked beside the fire, with the intention of drying them up. Perhaps by tomorrow he can use it already. He intentionally just picked up small twigs and branches that he found nearby as he thought they would dry out more easily than those big fallen branches.

    When he was done with his chores, he realized how messed up and dirty he was so he took shower in the rain. The weather was still as angry as it was but the wind somehow calmed down and what was left was the rain and thunder. Hawkvished himself with the cold rainfall for a few minutes and when he had enough, he took some extra shorts and wore them. It was very cold but he thought the fire in the campsite was enough to warm him so he decided to be shirtless though. Like what he did to Cat''s clothes, he also hung them beside the fire to dry them. Soon, he was left with nothing to do but just sit in the fire and think of many things.

    If he didn''te on time, Cat might have been dead and Hawk could only sighed heavily with that. He was really so afraid of what he would find here and was foolishly praying to God, whom he never prayed ever before, to spare Cat and take him instead. He had never been so afraid in his life and he was never that desperate to sacrifice himself for someone. What''s with Cat that he was so afraid of losing her?

    He rejected her already, but part of that was the very reason he could not see the truth in her eyes. Cat never wanted to be his woman¡ªthat''s what he always sees behind her eyes, rather she had some hidden intention God only knows what.

    Since the first time she took a step toward him, he knew there was something, something about her that made him suspicious of her intentions. However through all those encounters they had, she managed to capture his heart even when he knew she was more than she says. What could her intentions be? Would it be really wise to pursue her now and give up Feather when everything about the woman Cat was all a mystery?

    Perhaps this was his challenge, this was the risk he had to take. Afterall, love wasn''t an easy thing, many people made sacrifices for love, perhaps he should take this path and sacrifice his doubts to be with her. Besides, wasn''t it pretty clear¡ªwith what happened now and how she almost died¡ªthat he cannot live without her?

    As for Feather, he needs to fix things with her. He knew she would be very upset but things between them don''t make sense anymore, she knew that already. It was like they were just going onto the rtionship because it was expected but there was indeed no feeling in it. Feather will always be special because he was his first love, but things were very clear now and he knew that he had to go and be with Cat or he would be miserable all his life.

    Soon, Hawk found himself in front of the tent, watching the girl sleeping. The thought of her being all naked in there grew instant desire for her warmth and after minutes of restraining, he just couldn''t take it. He cautiously entered the tent and slid through the nket she had covered her naked body in. Couldn''t help himself, he grabbed her for a warm embrace and her fragrance slid past to his nostrils, making all of the inside twitch in convulsion. God, how can she have this tremendous effect on him?

    Cat''s skin was so silky and smooth that an embrace couldn''t be enough.His desire lured Hawk to touching her naked flesh anywhere in her that his hands wanted to explore. He took special liking in her long legs that she had curled into and the manvishly caressed it over and over as he nted feather-like kisses at the back of her neck. Cat then was facing sideways and Hawk had embraced her from the back. Just as minutes flew, Hawk''s unconsented invasion woke up Cat and the first thing he heard was her gasped of pleasure.

    "Hawk...." Simione called his name not knowing what for. Did she want to stop him? Hell no, not when everything including her heart was so cold and his warmth was soforting. Her fears too were still lingering somewhere in her heart and the man was the only thing that was making her feel safe. So, she clung to his warmth and let him do what he pleased.

    "Turn to me mi amore," Hawk whispered into Simione''s ears and pulled her to his side so that he could have a look on her ever beautiful face. When their eyes met, it was only for a second because they were both thirsty for a kiss. When their lips met, it was fire and Simione felt the burn of Hawk''s mouth melting all her longing and caress away.

    She had to be honest, all her intentions toward Hawk Monsanto weren''t all pure but her body never lied to him. Whenever she moans and takes pleasure of all his touch, she honestly feels it¡ªshe was honestly taking all the pleasures in and this was the very reason why she became vulnerable to him. There was just something different with Hawk Monsanto''s touch, even before he saved her today, she always felt safe within his grasp. It was like, out of all the people he met in her life, he was the very first one who will protect him from harm. He didn''t even know if he was capable of such, but Spin, the same person who made her feel the same, was just a young boy and yet, she made him feel very safe and hopeful too.

    Hawk meticulously explored Simione''s mouth this time, as if he had never been into her before. However, every kiss with the girl for him felt different each time and so it was like he was kissing her for the very first time again. He slowed down the kiss and tasted her explicitly, it was so slowly and deep that they both could hear the sound of their tongue licking andpping inside their very lips.

    While he was owning Simione''s mouth, Hawk''s hands reached for her silky legs and had her wrapped it to his waist. He then pressed himself hard to her, making her very aware of how ready he was for her. His engorged manhood pressed deep into Cat''s middle hips but soon, Hawk positioned it lower, at the very front of her wetness so she could take pleasure in it.

    "Ah shit!" SImione broke the kiss to curse at the pleasure. Hawk was still on his shorts and so the linen pointing hard to her was rubbing her front, giving her some half small pleasure that had to be filled. Hawk was teasing her purposely, torturing her as he owned her lips once more and let her struggle with the anticipation of him fulfilling her own desires. Hawk''s hand then settled on her smooth ass but he was only pressing so she can be as close to him and to control the movement of the thrust he purposely did to torture Simione more. He moved thru and fro, teasing her while his lips made separate pleasure that the girl couldn''t anymore decide which to give attention to. Both his lips and the movements he made were making her crazy and she could only do nothing but moan for it under his mouth.

    Hawk rolled on her when he thought she had enough of the torture andvished himself with her beauty as soon as he was on top. His two hands case her while her copper colored hair sttered on theforter making her look like a seductive lioness that needed to be pleased. The man couldn''t help himself smile at how beautiful of a prey she was and it just took a minute before his lipsnded on her two beautiful mounds, his most favorite thing in the world.

    He yed on it, both his lips and hands and the pleasure she gave Simione was so raw that she ended up clinging to his dark curls. What she didmunicated the girl''s consent to Hawk''s tant trespass and it only increased his urges and lust over her. How could she be this obedient tonight? All their counters weren''t as such, as if Cat was either protesting his touches or taking over the lead, but right then she was unusually obedient as if he so wanted him to please her thoroughly. Whatever her intention was, Hawk still wanted her no matter if she''d take him to heaven, or to hell even.

 Chapter 148 - Exquisite

    The tent was filled with Simione''s moans and when Hawk''s lips started traveling down on her blushing body, the moan became constant and intense. It was raining hard outside and so the sound Simione made blended into the rain as it flew into the air, making a melody that sounded so sweet and alluring in both the lovers'' ears.

    When Hawk''s tongue slid past through her most intricate part, Simione lost it all. She bit her lips hard and arched her body desperately wanting to feel more of it. His tongue was so hot and was giving her both pleasure and promise that right then, the supple power of her body suddenly awakened at it. Simione''s naked flesh moved to each of Hawk''s strokes, dancing to the rhythm it made, like a dancer executing a routine graciously in bed. Not long, something inside her burst and she reached a daze of exquisite sensation only Hawk was able to make feel. Her orgasm rose and broke slowly and the sound she let while drowned on it made Hawk felt so manly.

    With how Simione moved and moaned for him, Hawk was having hard time controlling himself so just as her orgasm fled and her panting died, the man took off his shorts and let go of his erection. His woman was all sttered in bed, covered with covers and was bushing red from the undeniable sensation he just gave her. Knowing how beautiful she was, Hawk pulled the covers up to see her naked splendor hidden between it and what weed him was her surprised mortified face, as well as her ever magnificent curves and silky soft skin. Thoroughly exposed, she tried to cover her body with her hands but Hawk snapped it away before she could.

    "Don''t," He chastised gently and swept his gaze across her. "I want to see all of you mi amore,"

    Simione bit her lips feeling too vulnerable and exposed at Hawk Monsanto''s advances and yet even when she felt a littlefortable at the way he looked at her, he let him have the favor. Besides, although there was a fire outside, it wasn''t bright enough for him to see everything. However knowing that she was there with him, ready to be taken and tasted, Hawk still took much pleasure in it.

    Not wanting to deny himself any longer, he positioned his full erection at Simione''s intricate entrance and Simione readied herself for whatever was next. The mentor that Lucy hired warned her that her first would be very painful but she had to endure it no matter what. The lust and pleasure had already taken over her and right then, she couldn''t think of anything but anticipate the man''s next move.

    Hawk gave Simione one lustful look before he bent down a little and pushed but just as his engorged manhood entered her a little, Simone groaned in a little pain and Hawk became aware of the barrier he had to cross to own her. This rigidly surprised him and so he withdrew immediately.

    "Shit!" He cursed frustratedly at what he had found and he turned away from her and took the pain of not being fulfilled. He grimaced at the pain of wanting but held it off as he didn''t want to take her then. "You are a virgin¡­"

    "What''s wrong?" Simione was utterly confused. She sat at the tent and asked Hawk who was still tending his pain and suppressing his urges. "Didn''t you like it?"

    Hawk didn''t respond for a moment as he was crumbling in pain and he needed to let the pain die out, so was his urges.It took a while though and Simione was already feelingplicated at how he chose to stop at a very crucial moment. In the end, the girl took the covers, covered her naked and turned her back the way Hawk did so with her. When Hawk recovered finally and realized how Simione misunderstood it, he went to her and appeased her.

    "Mi amore¡­" Hawk gently caressed her but Simione shoved off his touch.

    "I get it, you don''t want to take responsibility," The girl spatted and Hawk let go a frustrated sigh at her words. He chose to bury his head at her shoulder for a while as he cursed at how things went. He honestly did not want things to end this way tonight but then again, he messed up.

    "Mi amore, listen," After a while, as the tensions went low, Hawk tried to make her understand what happened.

    "I want to rest now, go away," The girl pushed him away and rolled to the sheets, very determined to be alone. She wanted to cry at this time but she thought she had no reason to, or perhaps the reason wasn''t worth it so she swallowed her tears.

    Hawk however was determined to appease her so even when she was already annoyed and pissed, he continually tried to soothe her anger but Cat wasn''t having it, she aggressively pushed him away until Hawk was left with no choice but rolled her with force back toward him until the girl was lying down under him and her hands being pinned by his. Hawk looked at her thoroughly, begging to just ease off for a moment and be willing to listen.

    "Screw you Hawk Monsanto! I hate you!" She threw at him and resisted but he was just too strong for her.

    "Can you just listen?" Hawk''s voice was so madly frustrated he sounded like a mad man then. It was the very first time Simione heard him that loud and hard that in an instant, that she somehow flinched in fear. God! Was this the real Hawk Monsanto? His grey eyes were burning mad and his face was so rigid as a domineering aura came out from him. Cat silenced in fear as if she was a little cat in front of the Lion, ready to be his very own supper for night.

    When Hawk saw that he had been a little too much and saw Cat''s fear, he softened right away. He was just so frustrated at many things then he hardly had his emotion under control. His unsatisfied need already dried out his energy and Simione''s bacsh only made him more frustratedly exhausted.

    "I''m sorry mi amore, I didn''t mean to scare you," Hawk drew his face close to her and kissed her gently on the head. He nted more gentle kisses on her face further until all the tension died down and Simione was no longer resisting and their breathing went steady.

    "Let me go now," Simione asked gently then, wanting to withdraw to her own private space and not argue with him anymore.

    "No love, we have to talk about it,"

    Simione sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to sucked in the remaining pain. "You already told me a few weeks ago that you don''t want me. Tonight was my fault, I should have known where to ce myself. I just got...I got lost for a moment, I''m¡ª"

    "No love..no.." Hawk shook his head gently as each of Simione''s words struck his heart hard. He did reject her, but right then he was regretting it the most.

    "There''s no need for much of an exnation Hawk," Simione went on, "You are going to get married soon, it''s only natural you resist such a temptation like me,"

    "God Cat! That is not what I intended, okay?" The man couldn''t hear anymore of her conclusion because it was only making him feel guilty even more. "If only you knew how much I wanted this...I wanted you so badly...I''d give anything just to have you tonight..but I''m trying to hold it..I''m trying very hard not to touch you especially now that I know that no one had ever done it..that your first time will be me... Do you get that? Do you understand my frustration now?"

    "Take it...why don''t you take it? I was willing to give it you...are you that dumb to not know I wanted to?"

    "I know love," Hawk''s expression then was so full of gentleness and warmth that Simione felt like something wasing that she wasn''t prepared for. Oh God! How could she continue to hate him if he continues to look at her like that¡ªlike she was the love of his life and the one who owns his heart. What''s happening? Why does she suddenly feel very nervous about what''s going toe next?

    "I don''t want to take your first time, Cat, not like this," Hawk was so soft and sincere Simione''s heart flew away surprised. "Not when you everything is veryplicated between us, not when until I fixed things,"

    Hawk''s words sent shivers into Simione''s spine. Her breathing somehow raced with how her heart beat fast and she could feel her hands shake at it. The next thing she wanted was to cover her ears then because what Hawk said next, didn''t prepare her for what was about toe.

    "I''m already in love with you Cat," Hawk sincerity took Simione''s breath away. "And I''ll take your pureness not when you just want to give me your body, but also your heart. Now tell me, do you love me too?"

 Chapter 149 - My Sisi

    Simione felt like she was at the edge of a cliff and that someone was after her and that she had to choose between jumping off to her death or surrender to safety. Hawk''s confession of love was something beyond all that she had nned and she never thought that instead of victory, she''d feel defeated at it. Her thoughts then sttered like spilled matchsticks that she couldn''t think right and clear.

    How could Hawk Monsanto confess love at this point when she was torn between her desire for revenge or move on for a better life? How did things end with love anyway when it was all nothing but pure seduction?

    And most of all, does she love him?

    "You made it clear you wanted to be my woman," Hawk told her, remembering all the times she told it to his face like she meant it "But do you love me Cat? Do you love me that''s why you want to be my woman or because there''s something else you wanted from me?"

    Hawk''s next statement only made things worse and SImione felt the realness of the situation more than it had ever been. If she was the Simione a few weeks ago whose desire to get even with Feather was still at the peak, she''d really grab the opportunity and use it to her advantage. But things were different now, her conscience had been bothering her for weeks making her moreplicated than she already was and she had seen Hawk in a different light now specially that he reminded her of Spin all the time, she can''t use him now for all her selfish intentions. She can''t love him, not when all her intentions started with a lie!

    She knew she had something for him, but is that even love? Didn''t she choose to stop all her ventures within before she fell into such a love trap? She knew love was inevitable on her side because she could feel it already and she honestly tried to stop before her own emotions could defeat her. How could she stop now when it was him who was taking over the seducing and chasing part? Can she endure his wooing?

    Seeing the hesitation that went to her face, Hawk''s heart sank a bit. He had always known there was something deeper than Cat''s intentions to be his woman but even with such a knowledge, he couldn''t help himself but fall for her even more. He was already at her mercy and so there''s nothing of a choice on his part but to pursue what he had started. This was his share of punishment for his fooly of going into the midst of two women. Now that he had chosen, he needed to fight for he had decided on it no matter what or everything he gave up for it would be useless. He could feel the connection anyway and he knew, if she had not fallen in love with her then, he can somehow make her. He was very hopeful.

    "What are you even talking about, I already said before I want you," Cat replied but her voice faltered and she wasn''t able to stand Hawk''s gaze. As she looked away, Hawk took her chin and made her face him again, transfixed to his hard gaze.

    "You''ve always said it loud and clear, but your eyes don''t tell the truth," Hawk for some reasons felt like he knew Cat very well and he knew that previously, she was just toying with his heart and that there''s something far deeper intentions she was hiding. He wished he could just see through it but he was left with nothing at all.

    "Was it not enough that I wanted to be yours?" Simione was totally lost as to what was happening and her words then were all just nonsense. She did want to be his woman but not like this, not when she wasn''t being honest with him and not when she was hiding away the real her, afraid that if he''ll find out the truth, she had to suffer the wrath of a Monsanto. Lucy had seriously warned her not to cross this part, not to get into Hawk Monsanto''s life and be always definite on her boundaries but today, she broke the line and she was very afraid any moment from now, all will break loose.

    Hawk''s face then was inscrutable that Simione couldn''t imagine what was running in his mind then and for once she feared the things that Hawk could do to her when the timees. He was a Monsanto afterall, and she was sure that the payment for her sins against him was something even her life wouldn''t match for a price. He might end up killing her and ruin what''s left of her for good, probably more than the Han''s did.

    "You know very well that it''s not enough," Hawk''s eyes be more protruding this time that Simione felt he can already see her soul. "You told me to pay the price, I am now willing to pay the price. I can give up Feather for you and start over. That''s how serious I am with this Cat. How about you mi amore? Can you pay me the price of being my woman?"

    Simione felt like something was stuck in her mouth but she managed to ask, shaking. "What is your price?"

    "Your honesty," Hawk named it and Simione could only quiet at such a demand. Can he take off her mask and let him see the real her?

    "I want to know you, Cat. Not that it matters because I know I love you very much I can overlook anything but I want to make things right for you and only with your honestly can we make this all work,"

    Everything just fell away in Simione''s heart and the very first thing that struck her when Hawk bid his prince was guilt. When she nned the Feather Project, Hawk Monsanto was just a passive character she and Lucy just wanted to y with and it was very easy for her to do that because she doesn''t know him. Her descriptions of him all came from what Lucy knew and she never did ever once imagine that Hawk Monsanto was more than all that those that had been said about him.

    Yes, Hawk did manage to break her heart once or twice, but it wasn''t as shameful and sinful as the things she did. She used him, she yed on him and worse, she had made him fall in love with the character she portrayed that doesn''t exist in real life.

    The Cat that Hawk knew all this time¡ªthe woman who danced in her engagement party, the one who danced on the fountain, the one he dated with¡ªwas a woman she only portrayed to get his attention and turn him from Feather. She was not real.

    Now that Hawk was demanding the truth, can she tell him that the woman that he had fallen in love with wasn''t real? And that she was just pretending all these times?

    Simione''s thoughts jerked back to reality when she felt Hawk''s tender lips on her head. She had gone quiet and tense for minutes that made Hawk guilty for asking. He thought what he had been asking was too much and so he didn''t want to bother the girl desperately.

    "You don''t really have to give me any answer right away," Hawk told her. "I know things might be hard on your side. It even took me quite a long time to decide on this and I perfectly understand if you can''t give me an answer now. I can wait for it, I will for it,"

    "Thank you," Simione was deeply relieved and was really grateful at his thoughtfulness because indeed her dilemma wasn''t something all easy to decide on. She needed to think about it, she had to weigh things over because she wasn''t only dealing with Feather Han now, Hawk Monsanto was already dragged into the foolishness she started.

    Hawk rolled to Simione''s side but didn''tpletely let go of the girl. Instead he made her face him and pressed her head to his chest forfort and warmth. The girl caught the smell of his masculine scent and she rxed into it. How odd could it be that the man who can make her mind stter like a mess was the same man who can ease up her head.

    "I''m sorry," Cat said under her breath knowing that she had done something totally disheartening tonight.

    "It''s okay mi amore. I told you I can wait," Hawk assured her and caressed her hair. "It''s just right anyway. Just think of my waiting as part of the courting process. Don''t normal couples go through that?"

    "Courting does not include hugging naked," Simione stated and this broke Hawk into some littleughs, firing off all the tension between them that was left. Very amused at the woman in his arms, he started nting kisses on her again.

    "And kissing," Simione added to her previous statement when Hawk''s kisses became intense.

    "Alright," Hawk gave up and just stared to her honey-colored eyes. For some reason he felt very rxed now that he had confessed to her. It was like all the predicament, confusion, loneliness and fatigue he felt over the weeks that made him retreat to Comis vige evaporated in through the thin air in an instant. Even when she didn''t give him her yes yet, he felt genuinely happy then.

    "Can you at least tell me your name mi amore?" Hawk asked, hoping she could start opening up. "I don''t need a real name. Just something that is yours. Something that people close to you calls you,"

    "Sisi," Simione gave away. "My love ones call me Sisi,"

    "Sisi," For some reason, Hawk smiled at it. "My Sisi, I love you,"

    Then, he kissed Simione again, for a long time that night.

 Chapter 150 - Stones

    Morning came and the first thing that weed Simione when she opened her eyes was the sound of humming birds indicating that the rain had finally stopped and that there was already some sunshine.

    Hawk was still sleeping peacefully by her side and she couldn''t help but smile at the sight of him as it was rather such a rare sight. His face was so calm and soft as if he wasn''t a raging lion in real life who had the blood of a Monsanto. Right then, he was just a normal person with no big name and big responsibility attached to his being.

    Staring at the sleeping Hawk made Simione remember the confession he madest night and it only hurt her head. God was it not a dream? The thought of it only made her panic once again and many thoughts rushed to her head right away. To ease her tense nerves, she decided to go out and take a morning walk.

    She went out of the tent, the calm weather and bright sunlight weed her. She heaved a sigh of relief that finally the weather had passed by and that they could finally climb down the mountain safely. As she was still naked, she first picked her clothes that had dried up already near the fire that Hawk madest night. When she''s finally dressed, she went to the clearing right ater to breathe more of the fresh air and get heated up by the sunlight. Simione explored the area and decided to pick again the herbs that she needed for Bunbun. It had been two days that the boy was suffering from the bite he got. In her estimate, if they can climb down safely today, then the medicine he needs will be avable before the day ends. Hopefully it''s not yet toote.

    When the girl finished gathering herbs, she was already too sweaty and so she decided to drop by the river to check how it was. Yesterday, it had been flooded and she was curious if it had already calmed down by then. Luckily, the river then wasn''t as bad as yesterday. Right then, although still rushing, it was not anymore brownish like it was. In fact the look of it only tempted Simione for a swim and when she saw an area that was perfect for a safe swim, she took off her clothes and dived in it.

    "Hmmmm,,,the water is so refreshing," Simione rxed as she plunged her body more into the water. The temperature was just enough to soothe her aching body brought by the exhaustion and minor injuries she got from her ordeal yesterday. Thank God she survived it and that Hawk had found her before anything happened to her. Speaking of Hawk, just as she was enjoying her swim, she heard him calling her name.

    "Right here!" She answered him. Had he been looking for her for a while already? Shoots! She had really forgotten about him.

    When Hawk caught the sight of the girl swimming safely, he was relieved. When he woke up, she wasn''t by his side anymore and he worried something had happened to her because she did note back to the camp even after he had finished heating up some food. He went to look for her then and couldn''t find her, good thing she answered his call.

    "Sorry I forgot," Simione apologized knowing that she made him worry. She remembered how she too had made him worry yesterday and how terrible his expression went when he found her. God he must have worried a lot!

    Hawk didn''t answer and just looked at Simione thoroughly, which made her wonder whether he was angry or not. However, before she could react or ask him, he saw Hawk Monsanto stripping naked in front of her. Her eyes went huge at it!

    "What do you think you are doing?" She immediately looked away and blushed at the things that she saw. Well, she had been intimate with Hawk for several asions already but she had never seen him as hot as he was then. Him standing on one rock without nothing but his well sculpted muscles, abs and his big hard sex was so carnal and ourageously sexy. How could this man be so shameless?

    "Hawk stop it!" Simione warned him when he saw the man move to where she was at. A moment more and he was already in a pile of stone near her, standing above her head unting off his naked splendor, obviously teasing her.

    "What? I''m just making you see what you are missing because your dyed answer," Hawk smirked at how the girl blushed on it. "Besides, you''ve seen and touched mine already a couple of times, so¡­."

    "Those times are different," Simione tried hard not to look. She turned her back at him and tried to swim away but as she did, she heard him dive and the water beside her sshed hard. In just a minute, Hawk was already standing beside her in the water, his naked flesh hiding away in the deep like hers and what was visible to her was his chest and his ever gorgeous face.

    "What''s the difference mi amore" Hawk smiled deviously at her and the girl felt his hands on her hips enclosing her.

    "Are you not done yet? You''ve had enoughst night," She looked sideways to meet his eyes as he was at his back right then.

    "We did nothingst night," Hawk reminded her in an expression that was full of wanting. Simione saw the fire in it and she could only swallow hard at the thought that he wanted some sexy time again. "We only kissed and touched," Hawk added and decided to rest his face on Simione''s shoulder, missing not to nt some kisses on it and her exposed nape.

    "Don''t start anything," Simione closed her eyes to feel the sweet little sensations he was giving her. Hawk was so good at always setting up the mood that Simione was already feeling something forming up in her stomach because of his presence. "Hawk I''m trying to take a bath,"

    "I''ll bathe you with my love, how about that?" He grinned and started kissing her nape intensely this time. His touches too be more sensuous and soon both his hands reached Simione''s big breast and started ying on them.He was so yful that Simione could only bite her lips at how good she was feeling at it. His hands were so warm that each of his hard circle strokes against her busty soft front made her feel so sexy and desirable. She never felt so honestly good about herself, only then when Hawk was surely taking his time to appreciate her body, most especially her front, while whispering how much he took pleasure in them. He was cursing so bad in her ears how soft she was and how much he wanted to kiss and suck it all day long.

    A momentter and one of his hands daringly moved downward with haste and even before SImione could protest, he felt his warm finger in between her legs and slipped passed through her natural already moisten slit. Simioned''s body arched immediately at the tingle of pleasure he gave her and he moaned loud right there and then. As if not enough, Hawk moved deeper and started stroking her inside so that the woman continued moaning desperately at it. The river then was flooded not only with the sound of rushing water but also with Simione''s moans and asionally uncontrolled screams as Hawk made sure to make her lose control of it.

    The girl could already feel her knees weakening at Hawk''s advances and thetter noticed it. Wanting to continue giving her more, Hawk made his woman lean into one of the smooth hard stones nearby to support the body. He rolled her around then and made hery on her back before he took her lips and tasted the inside of her mouth with so much wanting.

    Shit! He really wanted her so badly that he was already regretting his promise not to take her virginity before she said yes to him!

    "Oh God woman, I badly wanted to do you now," Hawk broke the kiss to make her aware of his wanting. With lustful eyes that were transfixed to her, he added, "Right here, right now. I want to make you mine,"

    "But you promised," Simione giggled at it. She didn''t even know how she managed tough with all the raging emotions and sensations he brought to her being that moment on.

    "Fuck it!" Hawk cussed in desperation. He knew he couldn''t have it then as he himself didn''t want to break the promise he made. And so, he just went on with the things he can have without breaking the promise. Wanting to punish her for being too utterly irresistible at his sight, he moved his mouth down until he was already in front of her womanhood and started punishing her. He kissed her passionately right there with his hard tongue, exploring her deeply and ravenously till she ended up screaming his name again and again. Simione felt like she was going to be crazy with all the surprising emotions Hawk gave her that time and when she had her orgasm, it was the most carnal and satisfying thing that ever happened to her for a long time.

 Chapter 151 - The Flood

    Simione was still panting hard, fresh from orgasm when Hawk leveled on her gaze. There was something in his eyes that told the girl they were far from over and when he overtook her lips again and crushed himself over her, the hardness of engorged manhood made the woman be very aware of his unsatisfied wanting. He was ironed hard and the feeling of it, crushing into Simione''s stomach made her overwhelmingly curious on how he must have felt right then. She very well remembered how he groaned painfullyst night because he tried to suppress it. Would he do the same thing now?

    The thought made her mind fly away and brought her back to earlier when she saw him dashingly naked as he undressed himself. God! Hawk Monsanto was a very fine gentleman and well built that he looked like the perfect portrait for Adonis. The gorgeous muscr lines of his body,his taut chest, firm abs and even his manhood was so alluring, Simione almost didn''t believe he could be that beautiful without clothes. He was already handsome with suits on, but when naked, the word handsome became an understatement already. He''s just impossibly perfect and too damn hot that only if she was as shameless as all those women who wanted him, she''d sure take time looking at it.

    In the middle of their fiery kisses, Simione was tantly surprised when Hawk took her hand and made her touch and wrapped it around his sex. She quivered at the burgenouning shape and for a moment she didn''t know what to do. Didn''t she give him a hand job a few weeks ago when Feather was fitting her wedding dress? Why does it feel like she didn''t know what to do now? The feeling of it in rigid manhood in her hand made her very aware of how big it was, she almost couldn''t wrap her hands around it and it was so shiny and silky that unintentionally, it went in and out her hands making Hawk groaned hard at it.

    Hawk broke their kiss and took her chin then caressed his thumb on it as he made her look into his fiery grey eyes.

    "Take responsibility for what you did to me," He told her with an expression full of desire and wanting that SImione couldn''t help but bite her lips in front of him.

    "I did nothing," She responded viciously as she made a hollow in her hand and moved it in and out Hawk''s engorged manhood. Just as she started the routine, Hawk''s expression becameplicated and he jerked back, closing his eyes to feel a very much awaited pleasure he didn''t think she would be willing to give. However what he didn''t know was that Simione was taking pleasure in how she could make him suffer and bend before her, because when ites to their sexual ventures, he was always at her mercy.

    "Sisi¡­." Hawk had been containing himself too long, he couldn''t endure much of her teasing. Under SImione''s touch, he felt so weak and defenseless that in the end, he had to held into the same stone he made her lean for him to support his very own self because the pleasure that the woman was giving was far too much his knees was almost giving up.

    As Simione moved her hands up and down on him, something inside Hawk was brewed up hard and each stroke stung leaving him desire for more of it. He held his breath and readied himself for a release just when Simione intensively fastened her pace. When it broke, ecstasy overtook him and he repeatedly called her name as the pleasure broke and made him spill violently on her stomach. Hawk then buried his face at the crook of Simione''s neck and shoulder, cursing. Her giving him a release was so dreadfully pleasant and was much better than what he had anticipated nor dreamed it would be.

    "If only you would say yes to me mi amore, I''ll do you hard and loud right here," He threatened when he recovered from the bliss that overtook him. "I swear it, we''ll make love here and I''ll make you feel more better than we did just right now,"

    Hawk was tempted more to make more advances at the girl, but Simione who was very aware that Hawk was about to lose himself about their constrained lovemaking pushed him unexpectedly that his bodynded on the water at his back. When he was able to even his bnce, he sshed water on Simione as a retaliation.

    "Stop it," Simione giggled and begged him to stop but Hawk wasn''t giving her a break and in the end, she too did the same to him. They end up sshing water against each other as if they had all time to y in the river after their hard ordeal yesterday.

    "I said stop it!"

    "Retreating now? You are the one who started this?" Hawk smirked at her but the truth was he was loving the sound of herughter that thundered in the ce together with the rushing of water and the asional singing of birds. He had never heard Simioneugh that yfully and he was loving every minute of it.

    "I didn''t mean to push you!"

    "You are such a one big liar mi amore," He stopped his ssh attacks and immediately crossed their distance so that in a moment Simione was on his arms again, giggling like a child over ytime.

    "What now?" She raised a brow at him when their faces were so close again and their bodies pressed against each other.

    "Let''s y something else," He smiled devilishly at the proposal and even before Simione could protest, he brushed his mouth again, licked them open and delved right into it to taste her addictive taste.

    The couple''s whole morning was spent on the river and when they got back to the camp, Hawk had to reheat the food as it had gone cold. They had a delightful breakfast together and talked about so many things that they love in Comis vige and how bad the storm was yesterday. Right after, Hawk prepared to leave while Simione took the remaining time she had picking up the herbs again until Hawk called her attention.

    "Ready?" Hawk asked as he took thest of the herbs and tucked them in his bag and sealed it close and tight.

    "Guess so. Do you think it''s safe to climb down now?" she asked. She remembered the ident she had yesterday and certainly didn''t want to experience it again. It was very traumatic.

    "I had checked earlier, the road isn''t that slippery anymore. The hot morning sun managed to dry it," Hawk announced. "Just hold my hand, you''ll be fine,"

    "Alright," Simione took his hand and held on to his promise that she''ll be safe with him. Deep inside she was really afraid she''d end up in a near death experience again and Hawk was the only one that was making her feel safe at this time. So even though she felt that she was a bit extra clingy and dependent on him while climbing down, she brushed off her pride and held tight on him.

    Hawk was very considerate though as he neverined normented on how she was acting extra distrustful on the road and never let go of her hand even at the mostplicated part of the climb where holding hands was inconvenient. Instead, he found ways to make sure she was safe all the time, at the safe corner, stepping at the safest stone, walking on the safest parts and assuring her that everything will be okay so long as he was with her side. Unknown to Hawk, that day was the only day in Simione''s life that she depended on anyone after a very long time.

    After a few hours, the sight of the two climbing down became visible to those who were waiting for them at the mountain and they all shouted and cheered happily knowing that the two survived. Last night was the strongest of the storm and they did worry about the two. Right when they arrived, someone took the medicine and ran back to the Comis vige fast so that the two could rest for a while and only when the afternoon was threatening to wear off did the rest of the group go home.

    When arrived at the vige, the tonic was already made and Bunbun had finally drunk some of it. The directress was extra thankful to Simione for risking her life for it and for Hawk, for saving Simione. The tonic dide very helpful specially that even when the rain had stopped already, no one could still cross the river to bring Bunbun to the hospital as the flood had not stopped yet. They learned that the dike at the northern part was damaged because of the storm and it would take a while to be fixed so right then, people from that part of the mountain, specially the Comis vige folks, were hindered from going into towns and leaving the vige.

 Chapter 152 - The Phone Call

    Simione spent the rest of her days taking care of Bunbun while Hawk got himself preupied with the repairs he had to do in the temple as the storm left some casualties not only with the old folk''s houses but also on their recent crops. Still after a few days, there was no improvement on the flooded river that the foreign volunteers were already worrying they might not be able to leave Comis Vige as scheduled.

    One afternoon, after finishing up some work in the fields, Hawk went to the orphanage to see Simione, camouging the fact by pretending to bring some newly gathered potatoes from the fields. Due to the storm, some old crops that were already nted by the old folks were prematurely harvested and since they couldn''t sell everything because the quality wasn''t that good and also because they cannot cross the river, they ended up dividing the harvest among themselves and sent some to the temple and orphanage. The one that Hawk had in his sack right then was the one meant to be given to the orphanage.

    "Hello Hawk, it''s good that you came," One of the staff weed him. "You rarelyes here that everyone was already spreading rumours that it was because you didn''t like the staff in the orphanage,"

    "I had been busy with the field madam. The aftermath of the storm left me so much work to do," Hawk defended himself although the staff was very aware of the vige folks and were only teasing him. "By the way, this is from the fields,"

    "Thank you Hawk," She thanked him and saw how the man looking around trying to catch a glimpse of something, "If you want see Cat, she''s in the children''s dormitory,"

    "Alright," Hawk stopped his search and just dragged his sack of potatoes in the kitchen and went to help some staff store what he just brought. When everything was set, he asked permission to go where Simione was and soon, he found her ying with Bunbun in his bed.

    "Didi!" Bunbun called on him when he caught the glimpse of the man silently watching them from the door. His call made Simione turn her head to where he was at and she gave her a polite smile of greeting.

    "How is he?" Hawk entered to cater the boy, who right then had managed to run to his side and was calling up for him to carry him. He stretched his two little hands to him and was expecting Hawk to responde. In a moment then, Hawk gave him what he wanted and he was already in his arms.

    "He''s doing fine as you see," Simione shrugged. "Bunbun,e up here and don''t bother the uncle. He just came from the field, he must be very tired,"

    "How was the work in the field?" The girl added as he saw the two, Hawk and Bunbun sat together on the other bed, just in front of her. "The storm left so much work to do,"

    "It did but the vige folks were all doing well. I''m amazed of how positive they were even when such a loss in the crops,"

    "They were used to it. This thing ismon to them already as during these seasons, storms were really expected toe," Simione narrated but broke into smiles as the sight of Hawk Monsanto with a child really amazed her. It wasn''t the first time he had seen the man with Bunbun but he was always acting very awkwardly at him, so with the other kids in the vige. It was obvious that he wasn''t used to children but he was trying his best to be gentle with them.

    "Why are youughing?" Hawk noticed.

    "Nothing," Simione refused to say at first but then thought perhaps she should let him know. "You look so well with children these days, it''s such a rare sight for a Monsanto to be so close with a child. I don''t know probably because whenever people say the name¡ªMonsanto, they always tremble in fear but seeing you now with Bunbun, it does look like he was just sitting with a Monsanto"

    "Do I?" He took pride in herpliment. The Monsanto''s weren''t family affectionate, especially the men or probably they were used to hiding their emotions away; he had never seen any of his family before being so close with children. Even his very own father wasn''t affectionate with him as he remembered but he knew he cared for him a lot, especially when he had seen the look in his eyes the night he was sent off with Butler Gah to hide. "I think rather the opposite because as you see only Bunbun isn''t afraid of me, the rest of the kids however¡­"

    "Hahahah," Simione giggled when he added such thoughts in their conversation. Right, how could she forget the fact that indeed only Bunbun was close to Hawk. All the other kids were afraid of him because aside from him rarely smiling, his domineering aura scared everyone away. "Its because you never smiles, you are a scary man,"

    "I''m aware of that. However, Bunbun¡­.he seemed not afraid of me," Hawk looked at the child and saw how his hair was covering his eyes. He pushed it off his face gently and smiled at the boy who right then was sittingfortably at hisp while ying with his hands and asionally biting it.

    "He''s different from the other kids, he sees things differently too," Simione told him. "However he had a very traumatic past that''s why until now, he''s having a hard time connecting with other kids. You must have noticed he rarely ys with anyone,"

    "It''s because he is a smart child, he might think he''s ymates aren''t as smart as him," Hawk announced and tapped Bunbun''s head. "Right Bunbun?"

    The boy looked at him and nodded his head in agreement to Simione''s surprised. That was the very first time she saw Bunbun responding to other people because most of the time, he only ys with himself and ignores everyone around. He asionally calls people however when he needs something but when ites to conversations, he rarely responds aside from her.

    "See?" Hawk bet on it. "I told you he had his reasons for not being so sociable,"

    "How could you make him respond so easily to you?" Simione was really impressed. On her side, it took her a few visits before she got Bunbun to respond to her while the rest of the staff was having hard timemunicating with him. However with Hawk, it only took like a few days for him to gain his trust.

    "I think it''s because we are the same," Hawk smiled at it and remembered how he was as a child. For him, he knew Bunbun wasn''t a socially challenging or impaired child. He just really is not unto people who were not able to keep up on how he thinks. This was the reason why he liked Hawk because the man can see right through him perfectly. "Don''t worry, Bunbun is fine. Just let him be a child for now. When he grows a little, you''ll be surprised on how brilliant he was,"

    Cat raised a brow at it and wanted to ask more but before she could open her mouth, someone hurried through the door.

    "Cat, the telephone line had been fixed already and someone rang in the directress office looking for you," The girl who came announced.

    "For me?" Everyone then was curious, especially Hawk.

    "Yeah, I believe it was from Imperial hospital, go and check on it now," The girl added with haste.

    Imperial hospital?

    As soon as Simione heard it, she ran hurriedly to the directress office and when she entered, the directress was still on the phone but immediately gave it to her.

    "Hello?" Simione was so worried and was praying that nothing was wrong. She had been stuck in the vige for a while now and so she was not able to get news on how everyone was doing back in Devon City.

    "Sisi, it''s me," The caller was Madam Silicia on the other line. Her voice then got SImione more worried because it felt like she was having a hard time and was all exhausted.

    "Grandmother, is everything okay back there? We had a storm here and so our phone lines were down for a while. I hope everything is fine," The girl said it all in one go anxiously. Something about this call was making her very worried.

    "Sisi, actually something good happened but..but...but¡­ oh, can youe home right away?" grandmother Silicia was almost crying at the other end.

    "Grandmother, what is it?"

    "Your brother has woken up¡­" Madam Silicia announced and everything around Simione stopped at the words.

    She was stuck in the phone call for a minute more and when it ended, everything around her changed. Her honey colored eyes steadied with thorough determination, her ears couldn''t hear a thing but only the voice of Madam Silicia announcing Brother Don''s dilemma repeatedly and before she knew it, she bolted out the door and hurried to her room with the fixed ns to leave Comis vige right away.

 Chapter 153 - Riverbank

    Everything happened so fast around the orphanage that when Simione bolted out the door, the directress and everyone whom the girl met on her way were all rmed at how she acted. She didn''t respond to all their questions and her demeanor tells something was up. The Directress who was all worried followed her to her room and saw that she was packing up.

    Hawk who was waiting for Simione at one corner saw how all things went but because he was then still carrying Bunbun and saw the directress confronting the girl, he chose to let them talk first. He however handed Bunbun to another staff member and followed the two right after. When he was in Simione''s room, he heard them talking.

    "Cat, what is happening?" The old woman asked, confused.

    "I need to leave," She answered in the midst of her chaos. "Brother Don needs me,"

    "Did something bad happen?"

    "No..no..it''s actually good. He had woken up," When Simione said this and it ran to Hawk''s ears outside, something inside him panicked. He didn''t know what but inside him, he harbored some jealousy on the man and right then it only intensified.

    "Then why are you like this? Why are you leaving?" The directress was all the more confused. Cat was telling her good news yet, it seemed that she was more in distress than happy about it.

    "He is hysterical. Grandmother doesn''t know what to do and how to calm him up, he needs me," Simione exined and put everything she had in one bag, took a jacket and readied herself for a long journey back to Devon City.

    "Cat are you out of your mind? The river is flooded," The directress reminded her just in case the girl forgot.

    "The old folks were able to set up a rope toward the other side, I''ll try to cross," Simione countered.

    Indeed earlier in the morning in the hopes of being able to gather some supplies from the nearby town, the old folks tried to set up some ropes where they could cling on while crossing the river, one end was tied to a big tree on their side, the other was tied on the other side. Of course, the nearby vige on the other side was aware of their situation and to help them tied the ropes on the other end. However, despite the presence of the ropes, the old folks still failed to cross and were not sessful in their attempts because the intensity of the rushing water was just too much.

    "Cat, the vige folks were not able to cross! How are you going to do it?" The directress became more worried about her ns. She knew the girl had her mind fixed on it already and so when she said she would cross she would really do it. "The river is very dangerous, you''ll get killed for this foolishness!"

    Simione didn''t answer anymore and just left the room even with the directress'' protest. At the hallway she saw Hawk, shooting daggers at her but she too ignored him and went on her way. There was something in her eyes that night that made Hawk aware she wouldn''t just easily back down.

    "Cat! Cat!" The directress hurried toward her but Hawk stopped her from following the girl.

    "I''ll talk to her directress," Hawk tried to ease up the already panicking woman. "Don''t worry,"

    "Oh Hawk, make here back," The old woman begged. "When ites to Brother Don she is really like this. She had always been like that ever since, she can do anything for him,"

    The directress words only cut deep through the hurt that lingered on Hawk''s heart. It only made him very aware how deep and tight Simione''s connection was with her ex lover. He wondered then what exactly was their story that the girl can lose her mind like that just at the thought of him needing her. Why would she be all willing to risk her safely and even her life to cross a dangerous river just for him?

    "Make here back Hawk, she can''t continue doing this to herself!" The directress didn''t know what to do anymore. She herself wanted to stop the girl and all her foolishness but how could she just do it so? She knew Cat and she knew Brother Don, she both watched the two grow up together and fell in love and so she knew how deep their ties were and so was the love that once bound the two. In fact even when Cat confessed that she wasn''t married to Brother Don and that they had long broken up, the ties that bind them both were still there. She knew their love for each other remained intact so was Simione''s foolish devotion!

    ***

    Simione was determined to Cross the river that even when the sun was about to wear off, she stubbornly went on her journey. Right then, she really couldn''t think of anything but Lyndon. She was really worried, especially that grandmother had to call her up desperately for help. Something is not right with him, she had to go and see him now. Looking back through the past, it had actually been years since she hadn''t seen the man.

    How long was it? Six years? seven years? And after such a long separation, at the time when Simione was ready to see him, at the time when she was trying to rebuild her life and the rtionship with the Tangs, after all those longings, Lyndon came back with his life hanging around the edge. He encountered an ident even before he reached the Tang''s mansion, leaving them all, especially Simione with another heartbreak. How could fate be that cruel?

    Now that Lyndon needed her, she had to be there. She had to be there for him because as far as she knew, she had never really paid him much of all the things she owed to him. Even though she struggled so much at their separation, she couldn''t deny the fact that without him, she could have not survived it all. After all, it was the man himself who saved her from the streets and the one who defended him from everyone. When Simione was young and defenseless, Lyndon had been a good brother to her and when everyone refused to love and acknowledge her, he did. He loved and defended her up to the point that the whole Tang household had to give up their friendship with their longtime family friends.

    This was how Simione ended in the Tang''s. It was because of Lyndon. He was her saviour.

    Simione reached the river after a long exhausting walk. The sound of gushing deadly water lingered on, warning everyone not to cross or one will lose their life. There across it was thick rope tied from one edge to another, hoping to help everyone who would cross but despite such promising support, one could easily see it was never safe to cross.

    However, instead of stepping into safety, Simione readied herself to cross. She sealed her backpack on her body and held her breath as she took a grip on the thick rope. She was about to be submerged into the water when she felt very strong arms, jerking her back to edge and when she looked back, he saw Hawk Monsanto''s angry mad eyes.

    "What do you think you are doing?" The man was gritting his teeth when he said it. He was so mad that his grip dug into her skin, immediately hurting the girl. It prevented Simione from moving back into the water and to cross it by herself.

    "Let go of me!" Simione retorted, trying to free herself from him. However, as Hawk was one heck of a strong man, it didn''t take much time before he was able to carry Simione back to the dry area, away from the edge of the riverbank that was ready to swallow them both alive.

    "Cat can''t you see the water? It''s going to kill you! Does your life mean nothing to you?"

    "My brother needs me," She pressed, not willing to listen to him. She never expected Hawk Monsanto to follow her and intervene in her business. Why would he? He literally had no interest in it.

    "Your ex. Your ex who broke up with you already," Hawk spat to her face because it seemed like she was not admitting to it. "So I don''t understand Cat why the heck would you be willing to sacrifice your life to cross this river just because of a fucking man who already left you!"

    "You don''t have to understand it!" Simione was already annoyed at his intervention. "I just to go, I just want to see him now,"

    "How could you treat him as superior in your life! How mad can you be for him? Does he even deserve it?" Hawk''s anger became evident in his voice now. He looked at Simione with thorough frustration and disgust, very much disappointed on how she was risking her safety and all the more her life just because of a man. "Does your life mean nothing to you other than his? How pathetic is that Cat? Why do you even have to do this in the very first ce!"

 Chapter 154 - How Shallow His Love Is

    "It is none of your business Hawk Monsanto," Simione''s told her in an expression that didn''t much of a damn about everything he said. It was rather such a sight to see Simione in this character as the girl had never disyed such a tendency of him before. Yes there were moments that she had been angry at him, but never cold. Never this cold.

    "When ites to matters involving you, it is my business Cat," Hawk looked through her cold stare trying to push in some warmth, hoping it would melt whatever thing that went on to her that made her look this desperate. Does this Brother really mean a lot to her?

    "I cannot lose you over this," Hawk added, with no ns of letting her go.

    "This isn''t your choice to make¡­."Simione retorted, twisting her arms around his grab to free herself. Her own move brought some pain in her arms and yet she continued as if she wasn''t feeling all the pain. "It''s mine...and I want to go. You don''t understand all this...you won''t ever understand..so just...just...please¡­.let me go,"

    "How could you be this foolish?" Hawk chided her with all the frustration that went on him. He had never been so frustrated in his life, only when the woman he finally got to love was tantly refusing his call for her self protection.

    "Do you love him so much you are willing to die for him?" He dared to ask after a moment when he finally got the courage to. Truth was, for a moment he was hesitating it as Simione''s actions already proved it so. However, he wanted to hear it from her, he wanted her to tell him the truth about her very own feelings with this matter, more so her very own feeling with the man whom everyone thought was her husband.

    Simione''s eyes faltered a bit. She hesitated for a moment as her thoughts darkened and became chaotic. Things were running in her head, spinning endlessly like a wheel with to direction. She was clearly not in her right mind.

    "Answer me!" Hawk screamed it at her face because clearly, she wasn''t giving him a good answer to start with. His voice somehow woke up the daze Simione was in and without even thinking over things, she blurted out words that tore every hope in Hawk Monsanto''s heart.

    "Yes!" Simione almost gasped at it, as if she herself couldn''t believe she said it. However after seconds of self scrutiny, she answered again. This time more determined. "Yes! I love him. Now what does it have to do with you? You knew nothing of love, Hawk Monsanto!"

    Nothing could define the hurt that Hawk felt right then. It was like he was brought to the past, at the time when he went on running, chasing someone whom he never wanted to lose. However despite all he did and her will to catch up, he still ended up losing it.

    "You might be right. knew nothing of love," He scoffed, but after a while Hawk seemed to agree on it after pondering for seconds. However, even so, he confidently brought his grey eyes to look at her. "But I know I love you,"

    "Love isn''t like this, isn''t like us," Simione pointed, almost like crying. Truth was, things went so bizarre right after she said about how she felt about Lyndon Tang. Deep in her heart, she knew she had told Hawk the right words. She indeed still loves Lyndon. She had always loved him.

    However, looking at the pain that rushed to Hawk''s eyes, something inside her cried for it. It was like she had made one of the greatest betrayal she did in her entire life, more shameful and sinful than what she did with the Feather Project. It was like this time, she had finally been lost, lost something she didn''t even know what.

    "How could you even say that after everything," Hawk''s voice went unfamiliar.

    "We actually don''t have anything rather than this shamelessness," Simione closed her eyes for a moment trying to hold off her words but her confusion and her longing for Lyndon right then got mixed up and she ended upshing it all out to Hawk. "You see? We''re illegal. Whatever happened between us should have never happened. I''m sorry okay.It was my fault. Now, I''m trying to fix things, let me,"

    "How? By going home to the boy who abandoned you?" Hawk could feel more anger rising in his veins yet he was trying to suppress it all for Simione''s sake. He didn''t want to break loose in front of her, he shouldn''t or he will lose her forever.

    "I belong there Hawk, can''t you see?" Simione answered, her voice then was full of something¡ªpain, regret, unsureness. However she herself was full of emotions right then as the man whom he thought will never be back again, came back after a long time, alive. God must have heard her answer right? To make Lyndon live? If so, then she should not waste any time away from him.

    "Listen Hawk. You told me you love me, but do you really know love at all?" Simione started exining things over. "You are not the kind of man who can be dictated by others so I know very well your rtionship with Feather isn''t fake, nor was it arranged. You choose her because you liked her and this time, you choose to marry her because she meant something to you. Yet, even after all this, even with Feather by your side, you easily get attached to me. That only means you haven''t loved her at all, you haven''t love at all. How can you then im that you love me?

    "That man abandoned you, Cat! For Christ sake! How can you be that martyr?" Hawk shouted, ignoring her previous long statement because it was hurting him in so many ways. How could shepare what he has for her to his rtionship with Feather? However, she was indeed right. He did get attached to her easily even when the woman of his dreams was already by her side and he was dearly guilty at that.

    "Because that is how love is Hawk!" Simione shouted back at the same intensity at him. If he was frustrated with all this, she too was. If only he knew! "It''s supposed to be unconditional! If you love a person, you''ll continually love them no matter how much they''ve changed, no matter how much they had hurt you, no matter how much things between you got worst every time...you will always and always end up loving them,"

    Simione''s tears fell this time. Hawk''s words totally made sense but how can her foolish heart be so cruel to her? Why indeed was until then, she was still feeling all this love and responsibility to Lyndon when he indeed had hurt her. But Lyndon was just young at that time, so was she. Perhaps if they had been a little bit older, like now, perhaps things could have changed.

    There was dead silence after that and Simione took a step back to remind Hawk to let her go. However, he didn''t.

    "Did you just y on me? All those times that you came to me, was that all a game to you Cat?" Hawk''s voice bore resentments he had right then. He couldn''t believe it. After the fact that he had finally chosen¡ªthe girl whom he chose managed to break his heart overnight and chose another man¡ªInstant karma right?

    "I don''t know," Simione''s throat went bone dry. She somehow did not expect such a confrontation that it caught her off guard, unprepared to whatever he was asking her. In the end, she said words to end the conversation and be gone because honestly, their conversation right there was giving her more scarce than the river in front of them. "I just wanted to be your woman...once...but that doesn''t matter anymore now. We have quit ying games and face the truth,"

    "The truth that you are choosing another man over me?" Hawk pointed, feeling thest line of his patience going thin.

    "The truth that I knew love and you don''t," Simione looked away.

    Her answer made her smirked and he felt utterly insulted at that. "How could you treat my love so shallow Sisi,"

    "Am I not supposed to?" Simione dared to add more insult to his injury. "You didn''t love Feather, how could you love me?"

    Hawk didn''t answer anymore but Simione felt that his grab on her tightened. The glow in his eyes went darker too, just like how the surroundings between them as the sun had already set. Feeling his intensity, Simione shakes a bit, scared. He was a Monsanto afterall and he said unforgivable words to him just right then. Would she hurt him then?

    "Hawk!" Simione was surprised when all of the sudden, Hawk pulled her to him and carried him on his back like a sack bag. Shit! Was he really determined to keep her then?

    "Let me go¡ªWhat are you doing? Hawk!" Everything right then went unexpectedly different from what all Simione thought. Hawk did carry her, but he didn''t carry her back to the road to Comis Vige, instead, the M Conglomerate President carried her to the river, grabbed onto the rope himself after he positioned the girl in his back steadily, like he was piggybacking her.

    "Hawk! What are you doing?"

    "Showing you how shallow my love for you is," Hawk sarcastically replied and started moving to cross the river, with Simione at his back¡ªdeadly terrified.

 Chapter 155 - Dangerous River

    Hawk didn''t hesitate to plunge into the river and in just a minute, both him and Simione were already in the river, wet and struggling. The water was chest high and Hawk held onto the rope with all his strength so that current wouldn''t sweep them away. Thankfully, the rope the old folks set up was a very strong one and Hawk knew he could rely on it.

    "Hawk stop this! You don''t have to do this?" Simione shouted when they were already in the water, her arms tied tight on Haw''s neck, pleading with him to just go back to the bank and let her do it alone. This was her business after all and was not a privy to the situation at all.

    "Don''t you dare move! Bring me back to the riverbank!" Shemanded, almost deafening the man''s ears but he didn''t heed her requests. Instead, he slowly advanced, gliding his hand to the rope slowly and dragged his body off with it, together with the girl that was on his back.

    "Hawk, listen to me! Do not do this! Go back!" Simione''s heart raced chaotically when she saw that the man was then determined to cross with her. She panicked and tried to squeeze off back to the riverbank but when she moved a little, she realized that the current was very strong and harsh. Instantly, she feared for their life!

    "This is not your duty! Hawk Monsanto! Listen to me now!"

    "Hawk go back! Go back please. You''re making me scared! Hawk please!"

    "The river is very dangerous Hawk, let''s go back already"

    "Hawk please¡­."

    "Please¡­"

    "Please¡­."

    "Please don''t die for me!"

    Simione was crying already while the man seemed to be oblivious of all her pleas. Hawk was clearly risking his life for the girl and Simione at the moment she felt like it was too much for him to do so. He doesn''t have to, he clearly didn''t need to.

    Who was she anyway?

    She was just a woman who rejected him, he did not need to sacrifice for her.

    Hawk ignored her, not that he intended to do as clearly her cries pained him probably more than she had. However, the deadly water, the heavy current as well as the things and craps that were swept mercilessly by it¡ªsharp branches, big stones, bulk of leaves, some garbage, ¡ªwas choking him, drowning him and making it hard for him to cross. He was trying to kept his head steady but the current was making it hard for him, plus the fact that the ground beneath him was unstable as once in a while, it was washed away by the current and his body with it. Truth was not if not because of the rope, he would not be able to support himself and Simione.

    The duo slowly advanced on but the dangers in the river were so unpredictable that they both went unprepared when a big trunk with sharp branches was swept away by the water and crushed to both of them!

    There was a loud thud at the impact and Hawk was forced to let go of one of his hands on the rope!

    "Hawk!" Simione screamed in horror. Good thing she was alert enough to hold onto the rope too and support Hawk while his head and body twisted in pain. The brown water was immediately tainted by red, the impact left Hawk wounded and bruised.

    "Ar-rrrrrr-ggggh!" She heard the man growling in pain and for a moment Simione panicked but abruptly dismissed it off and calmed herself because she knew¡ªif panic will drown her in this very crucial situation¡ªthey won''t make it. Instinctively she looked at the other edge of the river that they were aiming for and pinned her hope into it. They will be able to cross. They''ll survive this!

    "Let go," Hawkmanded when things gotplicated already. They were stuck in the middle unable to move while Simione struggled to hold onto the rope and support Hawk''s body as fought the current that was ready to sweep them off to their deaths. Although Simione was strong, she''s not as strong as him and so Hawk knew she had to go on by herself so cross safely. She can''t drag them both.

    "I won''t," Simione refused.

    "We will not be able to move with this position," Hawk told her, his voice was going weak and it was obvious that he was struggling with the pain.

    "I won''t let go. I won''t," Simione refused to do so. Clearly Hawk wanted her to go on and continue moving without him but she cannot leave him that way. Guilt already took over her and thest thing that she would do was to leave him to his death.

    "If you won''t, you''ll die. I can''t hold on longer¡­.." Hawk was giving up on it. Simione saw that red in the water was getting darker and she knew the man was bleeding hard. "Let go Cat, let go now!"

    "I can drag us both," She hard headedly refused, no matter what she won''t leave hm.

    "Damn you woman!" Hawk was already mad at it. Simione refusing to go safely was only making him upset. "Why do you always choose other people than yourself! Go and save yourself or I promise¡­.."

    "If you''ll die then I''ll die too. So either you''ll hold on and continue or I''ll drag us both. To die together is also an option," She can feel his anger and seriously, it scared him in any hell possible. She had never seen Hawk Monsanto that mad, nor that frustrated. However, she feared his death more than his anger so she refused to obey his madness.

    "Hold on my neck then," Hawk''s breathing wasn''t stable anymore. He was short of breath already but since Simione was refusing to let go, he used thest remaining strength that he had to drag them both. However, such a move required great strength and when he did such, the wound in his arms and side chest opened, causing him unbearable pain. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Seeing that he was trying his best despite the injury, Simione trusted and let go of the rope then chose to tie her arms around Hawk''s neck again. She can hear him screaming in agony but she took it all and trusted him. He had to cross with her, no matter what it takes! Knowing that the chances of surviving were low, Simione closed her eyes and repeatedly apologized.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry," Her tears went with her apologies. She never meant for him to suffer, she only wanted to cross alone. However her actions and words made Hawk Monsanto mad and do such an incredulous thing. She should have not told him his love was shallow, because obviously it''s not¡ªrisking your life for a woman who already rejected you¡ªsurely isn''t a shallow love. It was a deep foolish devotion!

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Hawk spent all his remaining energy and felt his side chest break, like something opened up and gave away. Then he ck out. The river was full of craps that crushed into him, beating every part of his body up until at the end, he just fell. He went unconsciously immediately as his clearly weak insides sumbed to darkness.

    "Hawk! Hawk!" Simione was crying as he dragged the man to safety to dry ground. Now that they were out of water already, the girl can see his injury now and she was left speechless at it. A sharp branch was struck to his right side chest while his hands and arms bruised in red.

    For a moment, the girl was left idled, she gaped in horror in Hawk''s dreadful circumstance. Because she was at his back, his body took all the things that crushed on them, like a shield that protected her. He protected her, he knew she wouldn''t make it out alive if she crossed, so he went with her so he could protect her.

    "God! Hawk Monsanto, are you a fool?" Simione screamed at him but the man wasn''t conscious anymore. The girl checked his pulse immediately as she wiped off all her tears and did some first aid. He was still breathing, thank God! But Simione knew he wouldn''tst long like that.

    "My phone¡­.my phone¡­" Simione immediately rummaged through her backpack as she remembered her mobile. They were already out of the biggest river and she knew that this part of the mountain, there''s already a reception and so she hoped to make some calls. Her bag was all wet but she was already expecting it so while she was packing up, she sealed her mobile earlier in stic to protect it somehow. And God, it did pay off, because when she unsealed it and took her mobile out, it was working perfectly fine.

    "Calm down SImione, calm down!" She cussed andforted herself as she was having hard type dialing because she was shaking. She turned her head to Hawk and saw him lying idly on the ground and he couldn''t do anything about it so she put all her hopes to ask for help.

    When the line opened up, Simione gasped with so much relief.

    "Lucy!" She cried. "Help!"

 Chapter 156 - You Had Finally Come Home

    It didn''t take long before a chopper came and picked up both Hawk and Simione. Straightaway, the two were brought to one of the nearby hospitals and the M Conglomerate''s president was taken to surgery right away. In the end, Simione just had to wait outside the surgery room for hours with Lucas, who came right away to make sure Hawk was well taken care of.

    Of course Lucas was surprised to see Simione there as it did not ur to him that Hawk was with his woman when he went off to clear his head in the mountains. Did he call for the woman there secretly, that was why they were together? Because of his curiosity, once in a while, he took a glimpse of Simione who right then was gripping hard at the hem of her dress. Earlier, he asked someone to get her a fresh set of clothes and had her be checked by the doctors too. Since she was their President''s woman, of course Lucas took care of her too as he knew she would be the very first thing Hawk would ask about when he wakes up.

    Lucas wanted to ask her what was going on and how his boss got hurt. However, they weren''t particrly close as he remembered and so he was hesitating to ask her. Besides, he felt like she was not in a mood to talk about anything.

    "It''s not what you think," Simione chose to answer even when not asked because she could see that Lucas was curious. It had been a while that the man had been staring herplicatedly and she knew she wanted to inquire about how they end being together, "I went to volunteer in the vige orphanage, I didn''t expect he was there,"

    Lucas just nodded at it politely. She didn''t really have to exin anything to him as clearly he had no right to question why they were together. However, he was really wondering what happened to Hawk to make him end up severely hurt.

    "May I know Miss how the president got hurt?" he couldn''t withhold his curiosity then.

    "We crossed a dangerous river. Hawk got hit by a big trunk," She narrated, taking all the guilt. If she only had been calm and rational, the man would not have ended up this bad. Why did he ever interfere in her business? Now he is severely injured.

    Lucas wanted toment more as it was very un-Hawk-like to cross a dangerous river and risk his life. Perhaps this was more to the story, reasonable enough to believe on why their President risked his precious life crossing some rivers. As he knew the man, he was always calctive about everything and the only one he wasn''t calctive off was Feather¡ªof course, she had been an exception to everything ever since she became their President''s fianc¨¦e. So it was rather odd for Hawk to cross a heavy flooded river when he knew the dangers of it.

    Lucas wanted to ask more but his phone rang and went to answer it. While he was onto it, he slightly turned to Simione, somewhat hesitating. "I understand," He told the other person on the other line.

    "Miss, Miss Han ising over," Lucas told her. He cannot drive the girl away and so he just told her about Feather''s presence so she can choose for herself whether to stay and face the Han''s Heiress or leave quietly.

    "Okay," Simione answered. She perfectly understood what Lucas meant. She had to leave or the situation would get worse. Of course, Feather will not back down when she finds out another woman was the cause of her fianc¨¦''s injury and with all that had happened, of course she cannot face Feather now. She had to go.

    Simione slowly turned her back and left quietly. Her steps were heavy as she didn''t want to leave Hawk at this time when there was still no assurance of how he was doing. However, Lucas had somehow managed to make her feel like she wasn''t at all entitled to wait for him as she was not a family, more so his fiancee. For all they knew, she was just the other woman and just like all the other women in every rtionship, she had to know her ce. She had to leave then as the real fiancee was about toe.

    Right then, the girl felt not only guilty, but low, second rated¡ªwhatever was all that other people do called other women¡ªa pathetic bitch with no conscience and dignity. Yup, walking away to give for Feather was like walking through a path of shame where there is no redemption. How could this hurt so bad? Didn''t she all willingly ept all these when she nned the Feather project? Howe things feel different now? It was like finally, she had woken up and got fried by the very own spot she was heating up for Feather.

    "What happened???" Simione heard Feather''s voice filling the other end of the room. She was already far from Lucas and when she turned to look, she saw Feather and her assistant confronting Lucas. They clearly didn''t see her as the two seemed too uncaring to care about anything. They were here for Hawk afterall.

    "I thought he went on vacation, howe he got wounded and was sent here?" Feather''s question started hitting off one by one. Simione could see that Lucas patiently answered her but since his voice was low, she could not anymore hear it. At the end, she just watched Feather take the previous spot she was standing outside Hawk''s surgery room and just like how she did earlier, she worried about him.

    Simione didn''t long anymore, especially that she knew Feather was there and so she left. When she got out of the hospital, she immediately took a cab. In the car, she still couldn''t quite get a hand of the feeling of guilt and worry.

    "Feather is there, he''ll be fine," Sheforted herself. She closed her head and took in all the guilt she had on what happened, cried a little more until she realized that she was nearing the Tang''s mansion. Knowing that she could not appear with red eyes in front of her family, she decided to fix herself up. She was told that since Lyndon was already fine and was sent to the Tang''s mansion as per his request. The doctors were hesitant to let him leave as he had a series of therapy to go through but Madam Silicia then worked things out. It was then decided that he can go home and have all his therapies at home.

    When she reached the Tang''s mansion, Simione immediately headed off to Lyndon''s room and in the hallway, she already saw a few servants flocking in his room and soon was weed with Lyndon''s shouts and screams.

    "Lyndon, my child, please calm down!" Madam Silicia''s voice can be heard all over pleading with her son.

    "Leave me alone! You should have just let me die!" Lyndon retorted with rage. "How could you expect me to live with this?"

    "My son, please don''t say that. If only you knew¡­."

    "My future is ruined now! How can I get back to the stage with this? I''m hopeless!"

    "But my son¡­."

    Madam Silicia was crying already. Ever since Lyndon woke up, he had specially been extra hard on them. He was always throwing tantrums and was wishing death. The ident had caused him a big injury on his legs and so when he woke up, he couldn''t make them work. He cannot walk and could not feel anything with it. This of course ruined his sanity.

    Lyndon was a ballet dancer and he spent all his life chasing such a dream therefore him not being able to use his legs was very disheartening. He had a promising blooming career in London and he had sacrificed so many things for the sake of ballet already only to end up being cripple.

    "I don''t want this life! I don''t want to live! I don''t want this anymore¡­..how could you let me live like this? Who the heck wanted to leave me like this?"

    "Me¡­.." Simione, with all her courage, appeared through the door. The sight of her of course silenced Lyndon for a second as his heart raced with his breathing. It had been a long time since they had not seen each other and theirst conversation was so emotional Lydon still remembers every bit of it. Seeing the girl right then, confessing to the fact that she cannot make him die did warm his heart even when he knew he had done things that didn''t deserve her devotion.

    "Sisi¡­" Lyndon spoke her name slowly. There was a part of him that had a tinge of guilt, but the bigger part inside him was specially touched to see her right then. Simione looked so beautiful then that the sight of her made him remember all those times that he spent with her. Her innocence, her kindness, her courage¡ªthose things that once made him fall in love with her came back all the sudden giving him different kinds of emotions.

    "You had finallye home," The man added as he flushed a bittersweet smile.

 Chapter 157 - She Came

    Simione slowly walked toward his bed while Madam Silicia sighed in relief. Indeed, Lyndon would calm down if he saw his sister and this was the very reason why she called for her help. Lyndon had always been careful with his actions whenever Simione was around, this was because, growing up, he had considered himself as her older brother and thus he must always act up right because the girl looked up to him. The two were very close and if not of what happened eight years ago, their rtionship should have remained the same.

    "I''m sorry it took me a long time toe home," Simione replied and sat in his bed to look at the man lovingly. Lyndon had always been the same¡ªblonde hair, green eyes, deep dimple on the right cheeks and looks that could take all women''s hearts away. He had always been so handsome that even when they were young, Simione had always been attracted to how he looks and his lively caring character.

    "Sisi¡­" Lyndon reached out for her hair as if he was having a hard time believing that she was indeed home. He had caused the girl to stumble and ran away eight years ago and ever since that, his guilt had hunted him all over, never able to rest.

    When Simione left, she cut all theirmunications and evaporated into thin air that he himself couldn''t find her. He thought then that she must have been so hurt about what happened and this made Lyndon''s heart be full of guilt. Such a guilt followed him to London that for years, when Sisi refused to be found, he drowned himself with unending ballet performances and concerts that for once, he did note home evern on summer breaks. This was the very first time he hade in Devon City and in the Tang''s household eversince Simione was gone. "Are you really home for real?"

    Simione shook her head, "I have a ce to stay and besides the Tang mansion is very far from my workce so it would be inconvenient for me to live here. However, I am on leave these days and so I''ll be here to take care of you,"

    "Sisi...you must have heard, I can''t walk anymore. Do you think this was my karma?" Lyndon smiled bitterly as he reached out for the girl''s hand. "Fourteen years ago, when we were young, I¡ª"

    "Brother Don, it''s been a long time, I don''t remember much anymore," Simione told him but she was lying. She knew what he was intending to say but such narrative would only caused some unbearable loneliness in Simione''s heart and so she just wanted him not to mention it. She had buried such a past and didn''t want to reminisce about it because it was a painful one. "Besides, the doctor said that your walking difficulties might only be temporary. There is still hope and hopees to those who believe it, so please brother have faith. Before you know it, you''ll be dancing ballet again,"

    Indeed his injury was temporary. This had been exined to him already but he couldn''t quite ept what had gotten through him and so he was extremely displeased. His career in ballet was on the peak before the ident and he was afraid then that because he had been gone in the limelight for such a long time, the people might forget about him. The ballet business for all he knew was like show business, it needs constant appearance of you''ll be left behind and be reced.

    "You don''t understand Sisi,"

    "Of course I understand Brother," Simione pressed on it. His answer somehow caught Lyndon off guard and realized how careless his words were. How could he tell the girl that she doesn''t understand when apart from all the people he knew, she was the very first person to know how he must have felt by then. Looking through their past, Lyndon could only close his eyes with guilt.

    "I''m sorry Sisi, that is not what I meant. I didn''t intend to¡ª"

    "Brother Don, you had been in aa for months now and all of us were all waiting for you toe back. Seeing you right then, even with such an injury, does make our heart d. Please remember that," Simione told him so. Perhaps Lyndon had forgotten how important he was from all of them, that''s why he had lost his sense of concern about everyone. She knew that the true Lyndon Tang wasn''t a weakling, in fact he was then everyone''s source of strength and hope. Now that it was him who was in such difficulty, Simioneforted and wanted him to know, they were all here for him. "Please be well for us. Please be well for our sake,"

    Simione felt like she was crying then. Seeing Lyndon in such a situation breaks her heart. Even with the things he did that crushed her before what happened to him right then was just too much, he certainly did not deserve it.

    "I''m sorry my little Sisi," Lyndon tapped her head. Seeing her enter the door with such a worried face and eyes beaming with tears melt his heart away. Even when they were young, Simione always had that effect on him and this was the very reason why he was so fond of her. "Brother should have not said those words I told earlier, I''m sorry,"

    Simione just smiled, feeling a bit relieved now. In a moment, the two hugged as they were unable to hold off their longing toward each other. The sight of themforting each other and Lyndon being calm andposed warmed all of the onlooker hears¡ªespecially Madam Silicia''s. It had been a long time since the two children had been home that somehow the view of them together felt surreal. However, she and the servants were all happy then and hoped things will be better from now on. Wanting to give the two some privacy, Madam Silica stepped out of the room, bringing with her all the servants.

    "Did you juste from the city?" Lyndon asked after a while. The Tang''s mansion was situated not in the main city of Devon but somewhere in an exclusive subdivision right outside it. Since the main City was all filled with big buildings and infrastructure, most of the exclusive subdivisions were located at the suburbs just outside it and so Lyndon asked them if the girl came from the center of the busy city.

    "Yeah I did," Simione slightly lied. She didn''t want to tell him she went to Comis vige because she didn''t want to concern him about it. Besides, so many things happened in the vige, she was not ready to talk about it then.

    "Why do you ask?" The girl added when she noticed that he was curious about something or there was probably just something he wanted to ask but was hesitating to do so.

    "Nothing really," Lyndon replied but in a moment, he sighed deeply and went on with the thing he wanted to ask anyway. "It''s just that...grandmother said I had been in Imperial Hospital for a long and when we travelled home I saw some advertisement for Feather''s uing concert,"

    Hearing Father''s name tore down Simione''s heart again and she bit her lips under Lyndons''s arms.

    "Feather is home too right? I was just wondering if Feather came to visit me. She did, right?" Lyndon wanted to confirm and Simione''s was quiet for a second, didn''t know whether to tell the truth or not.

    "Sisi¡­" Lyndon called on her name again when she refused to answer. "I know mother doesn''t like her and so I know she''ll not care to tell me at all if Feather came or not and so it''s only you I could ask for these things. Now tell me, Feather dide to see me right?"

    Lyndon''s voice was desperate then that Simione somehow didn''t want to break his heart. She had seen how he lost himself earlier about the situation about his feet and so how was she going to expect him to ept the truth about Feather now¡ªthe truth that right then, Feather was already engaged to someone else and that any day from now, she was bound to marry Hawk Monsanto.

    "Yes, Feather is in Devon City and yes, she dide to visit you," Simione lied and swallowed her guilt. She doesn''t want to break his heart now with the news that¡ªhis long time girlfriend, Feather Han and the same woman whom he cheated on with Simione eight years ago had now abandoned him for another man.

    ''I''m sorry I had to lie to you now Brother Don. I had to lie until you''ll be fine!''

    "She dide but mother did not allowed her so she had no choice but to stay away," The girl added, her conscience breaking with so much guilt but when she pulled her head to look at Lyndon''s eyes, he saw how content and happy he was with her answer that somehow, she felt an instant relief at it.

    "I knew it," Lyndon smiled. "Thanks for telling me Sisi,"

 Chapter 158 - Her Old Lover

    Eight Years Ago

    There''s something good about today that Simione was quite happy about. Probably because it was her eighteenth birthday and because Lyndon promised toe home today to celebrate it with her. It had been a year already that her man had been abroad, continually chasing his dream of bing a famous ballet dancer.

    She met Lyndon when she was about the age of seven or eight, it was the same year when her world was shaken because of the sudden announcement that her grandfather was alive and that she had other family members rather than her grandmother and father. Ever since she remembered, there were only the three of them, her father, grandmother and her and so her world revolved only around them. When her grandmother started getting sick, Simione and her father moved to the white mansion to care for her and one day, her grandfather¡ªwhom she had never met before came and the rest was history.

    Her grandfather introduced Simione to a world she had never known before, the world of elite and luxury that at first she gaped open, amazed as to how new, beautiful and shining such a world was. Together with the new world came new acquaintances and Lyndon was one of them. In one of the parties her grandfather brought her, she met Lyndon who was eight that time and they became real good friends and her guide to the new world she was introduced to. Their rtionship started as just inly friends butter she knew that the Tang''s were kind of a close family to her grandfather and so Lyndon and her frequently met. Everytime they do, Lyndon has always been considerate with her and made sure she never gets out of ce. He had always been her escort.

    Fast forward, the rtionship between her grandfather and Simione turned bad and ended up in a state that it became irreconcble. Simione, who was then under his grandfather''s care, ran away from everything and ended up in the streets. She had no home or friends left tofort her and so she thought she''d live on the streets forever alone. She has no more home to return to, no more family waiting for her, no friends. In fact at that time, she thought no single person cared about her anymore, not until Lyndon came. It turned out when Simione ran away, Lyndon looked for her and when he found her, the boy brought her to the Tangs mansion. This action of Lyndon caused amotion and chaos, yet the boy insisted on keeping Simione despite all the consequences. Simione then lived in the Tang''s mansion eversince and the Tang''s became her family.

    Not long after, Lyndon proposed his love to Simione. He confessed when Sisi was sixteen years and even when they were still teenagers, the girl of course gave him her heart. Out of all the things that Lyndon did for her, how could she not fall for him too? Even when she was young that time, she knew very well how many things Lyndon sacrificed for her. He basically saved her life from the streets and so with all her sincerity, she entrusted him with his heart and things ever since had been great. Now, Sisi was to celebrate his eighteenth birthday and as always, even no matter how busy Lyndon was in London, she knew he woulde home to celebrate it with her.

    When Simione entered the Tang mansion, she was half walking, half running. She had seen Lyndon''s ride¡ªthe car that Madam Silicia instructed to pick up Lyndon from the airport and so she knew her beloved was already home. She personally wanted to pick up her lover but then, that morning was her final defense for her thesis and since she was a graduating student, she couldn''t skip it.

    The Tang''s actually decided to throw Simione a debut party but Simione declined because she thought it was unnecessary and asked only for a private family dinner. So right then, Madam Silicia was already at the restaurant to make sure the dinner was set while Old Master Williams was on his way to the venue. It was agreed that everyone would meet at the venue but Simione couldn''t wait so much, she decided to drop by and see her lover first before heading out. Besides, she needed an escort for the dinner, didn''t she?

    When Simione was climbing up the fabricated stairs of the Tang''s mansion, she was really nervously excited. She held onto the books she was holding and hard and bit her lips for a while wondering how Lyndon would react to seeing her early. Suddenly she was reminded that she had gone from a very tough defense and that she must look horrendous and so she stopped at the middle of the stairs, fixed her hair for a while and made sure the dress wasn''t crumpled before she continued on her way. When she was at the second floor of the house, shepletely ran tiptoed toward Lyndon''s room, hoping to surprise him but when she opened the door¡ªshe was the one surprised!

    "Simione?" The voice of a woman whom she did not expect rang to her ears like a fireball. In front of her eyes, she saw Lyndon lying on bed naked while a woman, also naked was on top of him glowing in crimson.

    "Shit!" Lyndon, who seemed to have woken up from daze, looked at the door and saw Simione stunned. He stood immediately while the woman he was with dragged herself to the other side of the bed and pulled the nket to cover her naked body. Lyndon grabbed some of his clothing on the floor, hoping to exin this all to Simione but when he managed to have his clothes on, Simione was no longer at the door.

    "Omigod Don, I''m so sorry I didn''t expect this to happen," The woman at his bed immediately cried as if feeling so guilty at what took ce. Seeing her tears, Lyndon reached for her.

    "It''s not your fault," He sighed and gathered her in his arms tofort her. "This isn''t your fault, it''s mine. I should have told her about this, it''s just that¡­"

    "Oh please don''t me yourself. I knew you didn''t want to hurt because she had been through a lot already and honestly, seeing her face a while ago and how she was, I too am feeling so utterly guilty," The girl cried. "I am so sorry. I should have nevere back with you today. I should have just waited for you to tell Simione. I should have never insisted oning home with you, it''s that its too lonely to be alone in London and I just wanted to be with you wherever you are¡­.Lyndon please don''t hate me,"

    "Of course I won''t. What happened today wasn''t your fault," Lyndon tried to appease her as she was crying hard then. "Don''t cry anymore. You know how I hate to see your cry,"

    "I can''t help it. Simione had been through a lot already and now this..." The girl''s face became more worried and Lyndon had to pat her back and kiss her to ease her pain. He nned on chasing Simione but with his new lover like this, he can''t just leave right then.

    Simione however ran as fast as she could. She left Tang''s mansion and soon found herself in the park a few miles from their home. There in the park, there was a pond that was surrounded by ck railings and the girl held on to it as her heart slowly broke into pieces. That park was inside the subdivision where the Tang''s mansion was built and so because it was an exclusive one, not many frequent there. That time, Simiome was all alone and she was very d that she was as she needed a ce to cry on and pour out her heart.

    What just happened?

    Did she just see Lyndon in bed with another woman?

    Yes she did and what''s more heartbreaking was that he brought that woman inside the Tang''s mansion. Their ce. Their heaven. Their home.

    Simione could not believe it but what she saw was enough evidence that he somehow cheated and worse, with the woman who betrayed her too. She knew that girl well and even though she had always known that girl was up for many schemes, she did not expect that Lyndon could be a subject of it all. Worst, she did not ever expect Lyndon would fall for it. Perhaps, it wasn''t just a scheme this time, perhaps they really did fall in love!

    "What''s all this?" Simione could not help but look up and ask God how cruel he was to her. First he took away from her all her loved ones, one by one. The next he took her dreams and now, she took her hope. With all that had happened in Simione''s life in the past, there was only one thing that she looked forward to now and that was having a happy peaceful life with Lyndon in the future. However now, even that is no longer possible. She was basically left with nothing anymore.

 Chapter 159 - Instant Regret

    What happened that day left a pretty bad scar on Simione and to be able to think well, she had note home to the Tang''s mansion. She just had no courage to do so and so she politely phoned the couple¡ªMadam Silicia and grandfather William to cancel their dinner that day. Of course the couple knew something was up and it wasn''t long until the servants in the Tang mansion told them about what happened. Lyndon Tang didn''t deny the thing and told his grandparents the truth however, that he had outgrown his lover over the girl and that he had found a new love.

    Of course the couple chided Lyndon for a while and was worried about Simione but knowing that she had gone to tend to her broken heart, they just let her mourn for a while. They knew Simione woulde home eventually as she had really no ce to stay apart from the Tang mansion. Besides, Lyndon promised he would bring home the girl no matter what as even though he had found new love, he cannot let go of the fact that the girl was still his responsibility. He felt obligated to care for her specially that whatever happened to her life, he had some share of contribution to it.

    After a week of looking where Simione went, Lyndon found her in Comis Vige. The girl somehow managed to travel that far after what she discovered in the Tang''s mansion and had gone to the remote mountains where the two of them used to frequents. When they were little, it was always the girl''s wish ever summer to go and volunteer in the Comis Vige''s orphanage and so the couple¡ªMadam Silicia and grandfather William''s thought it was a good activity for the two and so instead of allowing Simione to go, they always send Lyndon with her. Such activity continued until they had gotten old and so Comis vige had been somehow closely rted to their life. It was a sentimental ce too because right in such a ce, Lyndon confessed his love for the girl two years ago. Simione was sixteen years old at that time and Lyndon who had been fond of her for long realized that the seed of brotherly love he had kept for her had turned into love and for once, thought that the girl was sent to hise to be his wife.

    And so, this was how their rtionship bloomed. Simione, who was then so naive of everything, had easily fallen for him too. How could she not? All her life, Lyndon was always her dear brother, her protector and the man who had shown him the most importance in her small little world and so when Lyndon confessed, she epted it and entrusted the man to her heart.

    "Sisi," he started. He had found her in solitude under an old oak tree just inside the backyard of the orphanage. The girl, even when she knew he had arrived, refused to wee him and withdrew to somewhere where she could have her peace.

    "Hi," Simione returned coldy, eyes fixated at the greenery before her. She had told nobody about what took ce in the Tang''s mansion and so everyone in the Comis vige thought nothing was wrong with the couple.

    "I''ve called you...a hundred times," Lyndon sighed and decided to sit beside her under the old oak tree. Simione''s apathy of his presence right then for some reasons made him ufortable as she had never treated him that cold before. Whenever he came home, Simione was always warm and full of smiles like nothing in this world can make her ever happy but him. However right then, there was no joy in Simione''s aura and he definitely did not excite as he previously did.

    "Sisi, what I did is beyondprehension," He admitted and was sincere with his apologies. "I should have never done it with you but¡­.I was so cowardly of telling you the truth. I fear that you would hate me like you are right now. I certainly did not want this to happen with us,"

    Simione did not reply, did not even give him a glimpse of concern. It seemed that from the two of them, it was Lyndon who was having a hard time with their broken rtionship because just seemed to not care at all.

    "Sisi...you can hate me. I will ept all your hate but please don''t hate her," The mention of the woman he loved then was unavoidable but he cannot let this thing happen between them cause more scar and chaos. The two women, his current love and Simione had a long history of unpleasant affairs brough by issues of family and Lyndon doesn''t want what happened between him and SImione caused moreplications on their alreadyplicated past. "This is entirely not her fault. She did not intend to hurt you, it was all my doing. I just fell out of love and I one day I realized how I much I loved her,"

    "But of course I couldn''t hurt you...and so I kept this for a while. I didn''t mean to lie forever, I was just trying to find the right timing," Lyndon reasoned further. "I know you hate me so much now but please Sisi don''t me anyone on this but me,"

    "I am not ming anyone," Simione answered after a while. To hear Lyndon pleading for her forgiveness was making her soft toward him but what he did was something she could just forgive easily. He did not only break her heart, he broke her trust and whatever was left of their good rtionship. She felt like she had been betrayed and no matter what his reasons were, he did hurt her beyond words. "I just wished you could have been honest with me. After everything, if you can''t keep your promise and your love to me, you could have kept the trust that I reposted on you. However, you chose to betray me instead,"

    "I didn''t want to hurt you Sisi,"

    "You know I''ll eventually be hurt anyway so you could have gone straight and be honest with me than ying fire behind my back with that shit of a woman,"

    "Sisi didn''t say that. She had done nothing wrong and she was just¡ª"

    "No matter what you say, you can never erase the fact that she was the other woman. She knew about you and I and if she couldn''t keep her hands away from you, she should have the decency to wait until the two of us was over,"

    "Sisi! I never thought you could be this shallow. I know you and her had not been okay but if you think she did this to piss you or to betray you, you are wrong. I was the one toe to her, I was the one to made her do this," hearing Lyndon taking all the me for that woman hurt even more yet Simione could do nothing but just swallow all the pain.

    "Perhaps you are right, perhaps you aren''t. You had never really believed me about the things she did all these years, nobody believes me really, so I can''t really me you. I just wished that one day, you''ll never get to find the truth of what I say because it surely it will break you a thousand times than it broke me,"

    "She isn''t like Sisi. I knew you both. I saw you growing both and even before you came, we were already friends.She isn''t like what you are saying everyone she is. It''s just that you and her had been at great odds because of some circumstances beyond your control. No one was to be med for it but just fate. Please Sisi, I wished someday, you could learn to ept the fact that she really had nothing to do with that happened to you,"

    "Perhaps you are right brother Don, perhaps you aren''t," Simione replied. She had long epted the fact that no one was going to believe all her side of the story. She had no evidence of anything anyway that could prove all her ims were right. All she had were hunches and assumptions and Brother Don was right, perhaps she was really wrong about everything, "Whatever it is, I wished you a happy life with her,"

    "Do you really mean that?" Lyndon asked desperately. He never quite expected that Simione''s being angry with him would turn out to be this frustrating and bothersome. When he was in London and was thinking about how to end things with her, he thought that her reaction would be something bearable. Seeing her fury and hurt right before his eyes, Lyndon knew he underestimated the frustration he got out of it. He never expected to hurt like this¡ªlike something inside your stomach and heart was being painfully flocked out slowly and right then he thought if Simione felt the same, or worse.

    To be honest, he had never been so sorry, as much as he was then and yet, even when he was, Simione'' seemed like she didn''t care¡ªand that only added up more pain to what he was bearing in his heart. Right away, a big portion in his heart was regretting what he did.

 Chapter 160 - His Remedy

    "Yes, I mean it," Simione answered after a very long time. She did think that letting it all go would cause her more pain but surprisingly it didn''t because her heart then went numb. She couldn''t feel a thing, not hate nor pity, just regrets. Regret for their love, for the love she thought had a promising future but now, there wasn''t left with it.

    "Do you hate me Sisi?" Lyndon asked. He was feelingplex then, like for once he was relieved that Simione already knew and that he didn''t have to keep hiding his woman away yet there was also a part that feels empty and some fear, fear that in the future, he might regret the thing he sacrificed now.

    Simione looked at the man in his eyes and saw the flicker of desperation. She did not understand theplexity she saw in his eyes. Why was he doubting? Why was he hesitant? Perhaps she did see wrong because right at this moment, she was pretty sure he was all relieved that he didn''t have to keep hiding away.

    As per his question whether or not she hates him¡ªthere was a part of her that does hate him yet a big part of her heart loves him more than anything else.

    "I don''t," Simione replied mncholy. Not that she was lying but because she was saddened by the fact that no matter how much he hurt her, she could do nothing but just forgive him. That was how much she loved him, she was willing to overlook all the wrong and forgave the man yet it was such a pity that he doesn''t feel the same way anymore. What happened to the love he once promised her? Was it that easy to forget and leave behind?

    "If you don''t really hate me, then can you pleasee home with me? Lyndon asked. He didn''t know why but seeing how Simione felt right then, he felt like he was going to lose her. Something that he never thought he''d fear of until now. Initially, when he started feeling for another woman and started wooing her, he only thought that Simione would always stay in his life no matter what would''ve happened. That she will always be his as he had always owned her. He always has her. Ever Since they were young, saving Simione was always his specialty and he always took pride in it as it makes a man out of him. Seeing her trusting him with all his heart, he knew their bond was forever tied, he was after all her savior, didn''t she always say that? Therefore he will always have her heart and respect.

    However the Simione that Lyndon saw right then wasn''t that girl anymore. The one sitting beside him right now had unfaltering and unbending eyes. It was like she had turned into a wild flower in a snap of a finger. He cannot predict him anymore and so his previous assurance that she won''t leave was bing a hope now that he wanted to believe.

    "Sisi? Pleasee home with me," Lyndon was like begging her. He always felt like Simione belonged to the Tang''s mansion, that was her home and will forever be hers. "Grandma and grandfather is already worried,"

    Simione thinks through it for a while. She was eighteen now and was graduating anytime soon. The Tang mansion too was getting a bit little for Lyndon, his woman and her. She thought right then perhaps she should no longer go back there. Back then, she stayed in the Tang''s mansion because of Lyndon''s favor. Now that she no longer has it, perhaps she should no longer stay. However, how about Madam Silicia and grandfather Williams? The two had always been so good and generous with her that all these years, they took her in their care without asking for anything.

    "Sisi¡­"

    "I''lle home¡­" She wasn''t sure of it but she had said anyway. "I want to stay here in the vige for a while, I''lle home if I''m ready,"

    "But..isn''t it your graduation already? You need toe back to Devon City and¡ª"

    "Brother Don, starting from now on let me think of myself. Don''t worry about me anymore," Simione cut him off now that he was trying to remind her of school and all the things she needed to be. Simione had not seen this before and it only became apparent now that she and Lyndon had been on different sides, it felt like all her life, she had chosen to be the person he wanted.

    Lyndon thought she needed to know how to bake, so she learned how to.

    He thought she would be an asset in the Tang''s corporation, so she studied business.

    He thought it would be good for Simione to take care of Madam Silicia and grandfather Williams, so Simione stayed in Devon City ignoring all the schrships she had abroad.

    Whenever there was something that Lyndon suggested or would want her to do, she faithfully did it for him without question.

    Only then did Simione realise, her whole world revolved around him and so she had barely had anything for herself. Not even some dreams. She was hopeless. Futureless.

    Had she not given him too much? How was it that after everything, he still chose to break her heart? And yet at the end, this foolish heart of hers still beat for him, only and only him. Perhaps it was because of the absence of anyone who cares for her did Simione find Lyndon''s presence very important. At the point of her life that she lost everything, orphan and unlovable, the boy came, rescued her and loved her. It was him who made her continue to this hopeless life and for that, she was somehow grateful to him, even when he cheated at the end.

    Perhaps, it was time for her to build a life of her own now.

    "Brother Don?" Lyndon couldn''t help but repeat the call that Simione used for him. Brother Don. It had been a long time since the girlst called her that, perhaps two years ago, when they weren''t lovers yet. It was an old call but why does hearing it bring some pain to his heart?

    "Yes, Brother Don. You can leave now," Simione knew he just came to Comis Vige for her and so she told him to go. She knew his new woman, she wasn''t as patient as he thought she was and so she wouldn''t appreciate it if the man stayed here in the mountains for long. "I''lle home after my time here. You can leave first,"

    "I...I¡­." Lyndon did think of leaving right away with Simione. He knew she would easily forgive him. The girl was always forgiving with him. However, she somehow changed and from the look of it, he knew he cannot insist on leaving with her right away.

    "I''ll stay for a couple days," He continued. For some reason, he didn''t feel like leaving Simione alone yet. It''s like once she gets out of his sight, he will lose her forever and he wasn''t sure then if he can deal with that.

    "Are you sure?" His decision instantly formed lines at Simione''s head. Him staying was like asking for trouble with his new woman, nevertheless, it wasn''t her business anymore. She also doesn''t own the ce so she cannot force him to leave even when she really wanted to be in a ce far away from him then. Seeing him around was crushing her heart, especially when none of the people in the Comis Vige knew yet that they had already ended their rtionship.

    "Yeah I''m sure, I haven''t been here for a while anyway," He confirmed and felt satisfied with his decision. He was very aware that whoever was waiting for her in Devon City won''t like him being away for long, but he can''t help it. He can''t help being away from Simione then and so deep inside his heart, he knew he cannot just leave and lose her in the process. He certainly didn''t expect things would turnplicated on his part and even when he wished he could just pause and turn things back to how they were, his pride made him unable to do so.

    Clearly he was regretting how he hurt Simione but he was a coward to admit the truth, the only thing left of him then was make sure the girl forgives him and that no matter what happens, she would still go home to the Tangs. Only by that he can be eased, only by that he can remedy what had already been said and done.

    "If that''s the case, you should tell them," Simione reminded him. For a moment, he thought what she said as he was not able toprehend it but slowly, he understood it. The people in the Comis Vige didn''t know that they already broke up and so Simione was asking him to personally tell everyone that they had broken up.

 Chapter 161 - March Up

    "Alright," Lyndon didn''t feelmitted to what Simione asked him yet he could not refuse her. Of course they had to tell everyone because it wouldn''t be good if they keep such a break up hidden. However, back in Devon City, his grandparents had already been disheartened about the couples break up that he almost wanted to deny it. If only not because his new woman was with him, he should have not said so.

    Just when he promised her, Simione left the oak tree where they had talked like nothing had happened. Lyndon could only shake his head at it, thinking how Simione had seriously taken such a break up to heart. He never had really thought about it when he was in Lyndon but seeing how things get prettyplicated within his family and within his rtionship with Sisi, he understood he must have underestimated such a break up. It didn''t only caused the heartbreak with his grandparents, it also scarred his perfect rtionship with Simione and right then, he was to face the frustration of the whole vige who believed that he had the perfect fairytale like love story. Surely, they would all be frustrated with this.

    Full of thoughts and regrets, Lyndon took a stroll in the woods butter on found himself in the fields where the old folks gathered. He did not mean to go there honestly, but his mind was upied; he did not notice his legs brought him toward the fields.

    "Brother Don!" Mario called on him when he caught the sight of the man. They had been working in the fields the whole afternoon and they were about to retire together with the rest of the folks if only Lyndon did not show up.

    "Oh look who''s here! Brother Don, it has been a while!" Another vige folk weed him. Indeed, because he had pursued a career in ballet, Lyndon had not been able to visit for a while.

    "Hello everyone, how are you?" He went on and gave them a polite bow. He noticed that they were all sweaty and dirty, so he looked toward the fields more and realized it was time for nting.

    "We had been good around here brother Don," Mario told him. "How''s London? I know that Cat is here because she went to bring us some delicacies from the orphanage yesterday. However, she did not mention you,"

    "I just came," Lyndon announced.

    "Oh, you must be here because of Cat. Did you surprise her this time?" Mario teased and everyone beamed at it. The old folks had been fond of Cat and Lyndon''s rtionship ever since. They both saw them grow up as the two frequent every summer vacation before and saw how their friendship blossomed into love. Apart from that, the two¡ªLyndon who looked like a prince charming with his blonde hair and green eyes and Cat, who was a sweet and a kind maiden, do look so perfect for each other they couldn''t help but adore it.

    "Ahmmm¡­" The mention of Simione made Lyndon''s throat run dry. Seeing their faces, he knew they were expecting a positive response and he couldn''t just deny them that. So, instead of answering he just smiled.

    His smile was soplex that Mario thought there was something peculiar that had happened; however he did not think it was a break up but rather something else.

    "Wait¡­..wait...let me guess," Mario thought of it. Lyndon had always been abroad this time and had never set foot in the vige for a long time. They said that he had been working real hard in London to make Cat proud and that he was starting a good career there. Seeing him then made Mario suspicious as he knew, the man would note here if there was nothing special.

    "Did you guys¡­.."

    "Did we, what?" Lyndon shook a little and although he was smiling, the corner of his lips shook. He never thought telling these people about him and Simione''s break up would make him feel so guilty, nervous and frustrated. He feared their reaction more than anything else that time and when he realized that Mario had finally figured it out, he felt so little and ashamed.

    "Oh God!" Mario gasped. "Cat had turned eighteen right? Did you get married already? Is that why you came home? Did youe to tell us personally about it?"

    "Indeed, Cat had turned eighteen already! Congrattions brother Don!" Another hollered joyfully. Hearing Mario and some other folks talking about marriage, the rest of the vigers came to congratte them.

    The situation got so pretty out of hand that Lyndon was not able to deny it, nor tell everyone the truth. He never expected that Mario would conclude his silence and presence in the vige that way and so he found himself just epting everyone''s congrattions.

    "Congrats Brother Don! You must have been very happy. Seeing how much you are for Cat and now, finally marrying her makes me adore you so much. What a great man!"

    "Congrattions Brother Don!"

    "Happy marriage to Brother Don and Sister Cat!"

    ***

    After the news of Simione and Lyndon''s marriage got out, the news of it spread like wildfire that it became uncontroble. Even Simione was caught pretty off guard but was forced not to say a word specially that the whole vige was celebrating about it. The farmers stopped the nting for a day and went to the orphanage to celebrate with the two, bringing gifts and food.

    When Simione confronted Lyndon about it, the man just simply asked her not to ruin everyone''s happiness and promised her that sometime in the future, when the hype about their marriage died out, he will personally tell everyone. The girl then who was still trying to ease her broken heart just let it go as she had more matters to think of so every time someone approached her about it, she just smiled and avoided it.

    Just that and because of the marriage celebration, Lyndon did not notice that he had spent an entire two weeks in the Comis Vige already. He still wanted to stay for a while, giving time for Simione to change her mind ande home with him. He was hoping that when she was ready to give him a chance perhaps, he could make it up to her. However, Simione had been avoiding him and when he told her about going, she just gave him a nod. She didn''t even bid him farewell.

    The man had only two weeks off which he originally wanted to spend with family and his new lover in Devon City but because of what happened, it wasn''t realized. Also, he had never enjoyed his stay in Comis Vige unlike then and so although his ns were ruined, he felt really satisfied with spending his entire vacation in the mountains. Unfortunately then, he already had to go as he needed to get back to London right away for he had a concert scheduled. So with a heavy heart, he said goodbye to everyone and went back to Devon City alone.

    Few days after he left, Madam Silicia called Simione in the Comis vige, assuring the girl that Lyndon had gone off and asked her toe home already. She was really worried about her and wanted to take care of the girl now that she was suffering from a heartbreak.

    Besides, although Lyndon wasn''t talking about it, she had seen how Lyndon regretted what he did and so, she was very positive the two can still mend their broken rtionship. She thought that perhaps his grandson was just so pressured in London and had been missing Sisi so much that made him lost for a while, hence the cheating incident. However, even after everything, Madam Silicia knew, his grandson still loves the girl, if not he would never be desperate to make here home and would never be so saddened about Sisi noting home with him.

    After thorough convincing, Simione then finally agreed toe home. She thought about her graduation and didn''t want to miss it. Afterall, her education was what''s left with her all these times and might be the only thing that could help her get through everything.

    If there was one thing she was thankful for, it was the fact that she had studied so hard to be a good match for Lyndon Tang. Since she had no rich family to lean on to and was only an orphan, she was very aware that she had to work hard to be on the same level with him. She thought then that if she could ace all her grades in the university, it would be easy for her to start a career and be sessful. Hence, Simione made sure she graduated with good grades and with an outstanding record.

    In fact, that year, she was to graduate with honors and was to graduate earlier than everyone. While her ssmates went on with their regr sses,she took many subjects at once that she ended up graduating earlier than her batch.

    So, even when she was still not feeling well, she forced herself to go back to Devon City and march up for her graduation day.

 Chapter 162 - Tantrums And Fears

    Simione didn''t have someone to pick her up when she decided to go back to the Tang''s mansion. Not that Madam Silicia did not arrange someone for her, it was just that she told the Madam she was to go home alone. So she took a service car and had the driver drop him off in the main entrance of the subdivision. After the drop off, she decided to just walk toward the mansion barefoot. It was still afternoon then and she wanted to enjoy thete autumn breeze.

    Right then she tried to brush off any memory of Lyndon and whatever she saw the day she caught him cheating and focused on what she should do next in her life. She was to graduate already and since there was marriage waiting for her, she nned to get an employment somewhere with a good decent sry so she can support herself. Now that she was sure she won''t be part of Lyndon''s future anymore, she should find her own future alone. Perhaps she''ll be okay someday.

    When Simione reached the mansion''s gate, she was immediately surprised to see Lyndon''s woman waiting for her. She was riding a ck tinted, purposely waiting for her and Simione then understood she must havee for her.

    Lyndon''s woman and her knew each other a lot. How could they not when they were always at each other''s odd. Besides, the other woman was quite famous in their city as everyone adores her. She was Feather Han, a world renown ballerina whom everyone in Devon City loves. Perhaps because of this poprity of hers made her too overconfident about herself, not remembering the very fact that in reality she was no match for her.

    "I don''t know you could be shameless," The woman rolled the window of her car to give Simione a thorough look before she herself mounted her car. "After what happened, you dare still showe home here in the Tangs,"

    "This is my home," Simion dismissed her off. She wanted to just walk past her and ignore her but her expression tells her how angry she was. Was she mad because Lyndon took a while to return to Devon City? She could only sigh helplessly at it.

    "Home? Your home?" The woman shoots daggers at her. It was rather such a shame Lyndon was not there to witness her pretty good attitude that perhaps he had never seen before, You knew yourself this isn''t your home. Perhaps you had forgotten you are an orphan and that you had no home to speak of,"

    "Out of all the people in this city, you among others knew well what you are saying is true," Simione stopped her tracks and chose to pissed Feather off just this time. The girl had always been harsh to her ever before and since Simione wasn''t in the good mood right then, she faced her head on. "I do have a home but such a ce was full of shameless leeches I could do nothing bu just leave,"

    "Leeches? Are you describing yourself?" Feather replied, more annoyed now that Simione was retorting back. "You are the one who had been leeching off the Tangs until now and even when Lyndon had already thrown you out, you stille home shamelessly,"

    "I don''t remember Lyndon throwing me up," Simione chose to hit back at her this time with something that she knew would make Feather Han go more angry and berserk. "In fact, he did chased me in the mountains and begged for the whole duration of his vacation for me toe home,"

    Her words immediately drew aplex expression in the ballerina''s eyes that Simione couldn''t help butugh at it. "You should see how ugly your face went,"

    "Lyndon was just kind. He knew you had no ce to stay and so he still allowed you toe home,"

    "That is not what he told me," Simione challenged her. "Do you wish to hear what he told me? Do you wish to hear the words he told me when he was begging for my forgiveness?"

    "You are lying! Lyndon loves me! He chose me already. You are just making up things,"

    "Then why do you look so upset?" Simione spat at her face. "Oh let me guess. The directress told me you had kept calling everyday while Lyndon was in the orphanage because he refused toe home to be with you. I assume to you set up many schemes to make hime back but he didn''t and when he dide back, he left without appeasing your tantrums so here you are, trying to push your frustrations on me,"

    Feather was silenced with Simione''s words because it was all true. When Lyndon chased Simione to Comis vige, he refused toe back without the girl and ended up spending his entire vacation in the mountains while she desperately waited for him. Finally he came back after two weeks but he only stepped in Devon City to pack up his things and immediately left to catch up on his flight. He didn''t even bother to call her.

    "hmmm¡­I wonder how it felt," Seeing that Feather was left with no words to say but just her misery sttered all over her face, she pushed more insults at her. Afterall, she was the reason why she and Lyndon broke up, she must share with the pain of her shamelessness. "Imagine¡­being so desperate¡­the famous Feather Han, going to low to seduce a man whom she knew belong to someone else already¡­yet the end¡­he still abandoned you,"

    "He didn''t abandon me!" Feather was so mad she was ready to pull Simione hair but she had done such previously and ended up hurting herself more than she could ever hurt the girl and so she didn''t dare then. Besides, she was a ballerina, she could not risk an injury on her body or she would end up losing her career. "How pathetic can you be that even when you already see how inlove Lyndon was with me, you still choose to cling onto him! Have you an ounce of shame Simione? Lyndon had been taking care of you since you were young and it was because of you that Hans and the Tangs weren''t that close anymore as they were before!"

    "I didn''t ask Lyndon to take care of me,"

    "Sure you didn''t but he is very kind and considerate. So he took you and our family''s had been in great misunderstandings because of this! How long are you going to keep being a burden to him?"

    "For Lyndon I wasn''t a burden,"

    "Of course you are!" Feather shed a tear this time. If Simione thought that her and Lyndon''s rtionship went smoothly, she was wrong. All this time, both of them struggled to keep their rtionship low because their family''s weren''t on good terms. "He was worried that my father and grandfather would not ept him as my boyfriend because of what happened before!"

    Simione knew what Feather was talking about. She was very aware of the Tang''s and the Han''s misunderstandings because the reason for it was her. The Han''s didn''t want the Tang''s to care for Simone but Lyndon chose not to heed them. He too refused toe home with Simione and so the Tangs were left with no option but to care for the girl, as of course they couldn''t let Lyndon live in the streets with the girl.

    "Do you understand now how hard this all was for him?" Feather tried to wake up Simione''s conscience. She knew very well she had a deep one. The girl just acted up pathetic and strong, she was always like that. However, beyond that strong personality was a soft heart and such would only smoothen more when ites to Lyndon Tang.

    "We had been together for long a time already and yet he cannot tell the world he loves me because he was afraid the past would be a hindrance to our rtionship, plus there was you," Feather added, all tears, pressing all fault to Simione even when thetter was the victim in the first ce. "Can''t you see Simione? Lyndon had been sacrificing a lot for you already! It''s time for you to stop being shameless and think of him at once!"

    Simone''s expression didn''t falter, instead, she only raised a brow at the crying Feather, feeling too disgusted. Now the ballerina bitch was changing her strategy, she opted to use her tears now to make her leave the Tangs. Ah! She did n to leave even when Feather wasn''t in the picture yet but seeing how desperate she was to make her leave. Well, hell no. She wouldn''t give her the satisfaction.

    "Hmmm¡­.As you said, I''m very shameless," Simione just rolled her eyes then. If one could see the two of them, everyone would definitely think Feather was the one that had been wronged where in fact, she was the one who took someone else''s man. "So..my answer would be no. Dream on Feather Han but I won''t leave Tang''s mansion. Afterall, Madam Silicia and grandfather Tang love me so much. Also, just as much as I did enjoy being Lyndon''s beloved, I also want to enjoy being his sister. He was after all a very good brother to me,"

    "You¡ªahmmp!"

    Simione turned her back to purposely let her long hair hit Feather''s face as she turned. The ballerina was caught off guard and shrieked at the surprise pain. When she recovered, she saw the girl entering the mansion''s gate already.

    "Simione!"

    "By the way, Feather Han," Simione halted and turned back to face her. "Since you purposely ruined me and Lyndon, make sure to make him very happy," She gave an eye, something that sent instant shivers in Feather''s spine. "If not, then know that I''lle for you to make your life hell,"

    Just that and she continued, leaving Feather with her tantrums and fears.

 Chapter 163 - Lyna

    Feather was not able to make Simione leave. Not that she wasn''t capable, as Simione knew she could easily make schemes to ruin her but thankfully, the rest of the Tang''s¡ªMadam Silicia and grandfather Williams disliked her so it became hard for the ballerina to infiltrate the Tang''s mansion and nder Simione. The only option she could do then was pressure Lyndon who was abroad to settle the matter about Simione and make her leave the Tang''s family but even such effort of her remained futile.

    But she isn''t helpless. If Simione thinks she can keep her hands on with Lyndon in delusion that he still loves her that''s why he begged her toe back, well, she''s digging her own grave. Lyndon cannot let go of her for some reasons, and for those reasons, Feather knew them well.

    Lyndon and Simione''s rtionship was just a fraud. Feather knew very well that Lyndon doesn''t love Simione, he never did. What he had with her was purely guilt. He was showering her with favors to shut his conscience off.

    However, their love¡ªhis and Lyndon was the real one. They were meant for each other at the very beginning. She, the Han''s Scintit heiress was meant to be for the Tang''s young master. That was their fate. Simioneing to the picture and going on between them was just a test of time. She was the ''other woman'' in this story, the mistress, while her¡ª Feather Han was the one meant to be.

    Besides, she and Lyndon shared something deep. Unlike Lyndon''s rtionship with Simione, their rtionship was more than those pretty things and romance. What they have was more than love, more than passion, more than lust.

    They were each other''spanions, aplices, vices and most of all, they kept receipts of each other''s dirty secrets.

    Yes, dirty secrets. Their dirty little secrets.

    Life after all is full of lies.

    ***

    Graduation Day

    The crowd was full of people in ck toga and graduation hats. The ambiance was a happy one, peopleing to and fro, congratting all the graduates for such a job well done. There wasughter in the corner, cries of joy, proud hugs and most of all fulfilling smiles. Even with such a broken heart, Simione made sure not to be sood soft on such an asion. She freely mingled in, went to her friends and epted their handshakes, bouquets and congrattions.

    Soon, the graduates were called in to settle as the graduation ceremony was to start and the long marches, name calls and cheers began. In the middle of the program, the host stepped onto the podium and with all smiles, announced something.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduate with highest honors of this batch to give her graduation speech. Everyone, Simione Roux Abreo, Magna Cuude,"

    The call of her name made Simione very emotional. There was something about it that reminded her of the most important person in her life and knowing that she had graduated with highest honors without such a person to witness her sess she could only sighed deeply at it.

    When she stepped onto the podium, she went on saying how she hated speeches as for her it was the most boring part of the program and everyoneughed with her. She said many things more after but what made her almost cry, was when she rendered her gratitudes for her sess.

    "My name, Simione Roux Abreo, sounded so grand in this school. When one hears it, they would always be reminded of that smart girl who can ace all her school exams but the truth is, my name isn''t grand. Simione Roux Abreo is an orphan¡­." When she said it, the crowd fell into silence. Tears were beaming at her eyes but she tried too hard not to cry. She wasn''t particrly crying because she was an orphan but she was very emotional because right at this time which she considered as the highest peak of her life, she was able to wear the name her father left her. Simione Roux Abreo was more than a name, it was her father''s legacy to her, it was what was left of him. Without it, there was nothing for the world to remember that once he existed and lived humbly, "and yet this orphan, after so much hardship stood and proud at all of you. May you take inspiration in my story,"

    "To my papa who had long rested with our Father. Finally, papa, I have made you proud!" Simione forced a smile to it, imagining that her father was just right across the corner cheering and very proud of her. "I thought I can never make you proud anymore but here I am, standing here being proud of who I am, on my own right, on my own name. I know you are cheering all the from heaven for me! To everyone, congrattions. Let''s keep dreaming and achieving more in life!"

    When her speech ended, everyone either cheered or sniffed a cry. Nobody knew that she was an orphan and so they were so touched. Simione had a good reputation at school but because herst name didn''t sound interesting¡ªas none of the elite families in Devon City had a name Abreo, no one took notice of her at the beginning. As days went by and she became popr because she was very pretty and smart, she had found a very exclusive circle that others had hard time to infiltrate. Besides, Simione was always busy studying, it was hard to keep up a healthy friendship with her and her two exclusive friends¡ªGabrie Monteria and Luci Dimitri were someone you can''t just make friends with, so in all her life in university, nothing was known about her, until now.

    Soon, the graduation ended and the graduates threw all of their graduation hats, a sign of their sess and freedom!

    "We love you Alma Mater!"

    "Congrattions'' ssmates!"

    "Congrattions batch 20**!"

    Simione exchanged congrattions with her ssmates first and thanked her professors before she went to find Madam Silicia and Grandfather Williams. At one corner, the two were talking to a professor and they beamed to her side when they saw hering.

    "Congrattions my dear!" Madam Silicia went to hug her first after she excused herself from the professor''s presence. She was really proud of how the girl seeded in her academics and wished then that Lyndon could have done the same. However, Lyndon was all obsessed with ballet and they could just do nothing but support him with that.

    "Sisi, how you made me so proud," Grandfather Williams'' went to hug her next. He was really amazed at how she ended up very sessful with her academics and for once, it made him feel so satisfied that he took her in.

    Years ago, her presence in the Tang''s mansion caused such a ruckus not only with their rtionship with the Hans but also within their family. Lyna, Lyndon''ste mother, strongly protested to fostering Simione and even his wife, Madam Silicia was hesitant at first. He however longed for a granddaughter and ever since he met the girl, he was always amazed with her courage and determination. So he insisted on keeping her since Lyndon wanted it to. Now, yearster, he felt so proud of his decision then.

    "Thank you grandfather," Simione felt really good then. The two, Madam Silicia and grandfather William''s presence then was enough for her. Afterall, she knew, despite the fact that they weren''t her blood ties, they gave her love and treated her as their own.

    "Sisi," The smile in Simione''s face went away when Lyndon somehow appeared. The way he looked so handsomely so clean with his freshly shaven face and white buttoned up shirt made Simione want to curse her heart for adoring him. If only she can ''unlove'' a man. He would have done it right away.

    "Sis, Lyndon had a concert yesterday but he made such an effort to fly back to Devon City just to be here on your special day," Madam Silicia announced, hoping that somehow it can soothe Simione'' heart. Lyndon made a terrible mistake and his grandmother, she too cannot tolerate it. However she was hoping the two can still fix things up as their rtionship was once so beautiful and admirable it would be such a waste to throw things off away.

    Grandfather Wiliam however felt the immediate difort Sisi had then and so he gave his wife an eye for pulling such a terrible surprise. He himself was not informed that Lyndon wasing home today and he did tell the boy not toe home anymore. He was really upset with him, he never did think that his very own blood had that tendency, perhaps sending him to London and tolerating his ballet dreams was a bad decision.

    However, he can''t me his grandson for such a lucrative dream.. Afterall, it was Lyna, Lyndon''s mothersst wish for him to be a sessful ballet dancer.

 Chapter 164 - The Invitation

    The expression that went on Simione''s face, hurt Lyndon in so many ways. Unlike before where she would practically throw herself up at him, the girl right then only gave her a nd smile.

    "You don''t really have toe home brother Don," Simione replied politely and the ambiance went down awkwardly.

    "My grandson, is that for Sisi?" Madam Silicia took special notice of the bouquet of flowers that he was holding. Lyndon then for some reason felt lost and unconfident, as if he didn''t know how to act right in Simione''s presence anymore.

    Truth was, all these years, he was so good to Simione because he felt like he owed her something. Even after so many years, he felt so guilty for her. The moment he took Sisi to his home, he became her world. The girl looked to him in a different light, previously, he was just like a brother to her but the moment Lyndon saved her from the streets, he became her savior. Pressured by Sisi''s adoration for her and her grandparents'' fondness of the girl, Lyndon made her his girlfriend and promised her a future with his name and protection. He was all willing to do this, hoping to ease the guilt in his heart but it didn''t depart from him.

    All these years, Lyndon''s conscience haunts him and this feeling followed him everywhere and this affected his well being. This was even the reason why his once flourishing career in ballet became just acent one and if not for the demand of male ballerina''s in London, he would have no projects of whatsoever. This was actually the opposite to what he dreamed for and yet he was too proud to ept defeat and so even after his so-s0 ballet career, he refused to give up.

    It was because of this guilt that he became more close to Feather. Alone and struggling abroad, Lyndon was lonely and miserable and this was where Feather took in and gave him warmth. His guilty conscience was something he could not tell his family, all the more Simione and so Feather, who knew everything, took charge offorting him¡ªby words, by the warmth of her body, by thepany of a woman. Feather made him forget his guilt every night by warming his bed and so this was how his affair started with her. Feather gave him her all, her virginity, her love, her devotion. She even helped flourish his dying career in London . How can he refuse her then?

    However now, when Simione knew of his betrayal, Lyndon somehow woke up from his foolishness. It was also this time that he learned that right then, she wasn''t just someone he loved out of guilt. He loved her. He learned to love her overtime and even with all his ventures with Feather, just one tear from Simione''s eyes melted his heart and wanted him to be better. When he left Devon City weeks ago after their breakup, only then did Lyndon realize he made a serious mistake. Indeed, Feather was the one keeping his bed warm and wasforting him, but it was only with Simione that he could see his future. It was only with her that he could find hope out of all his misery. However, he had hurt her already and so he wished then to reconcile with her.

    "Yes, these are for you Sisi," Lyndon stretched his hand to give Simione the bouquet which the girl epted yet even then, the awkwardness didn''t die out.

    "Hmm¡­we made reservations to celebrate Sisi''s graduation. How about we go there now?" Grandfather Williams told Lyndon with the intention to alleviate the awkwardness.

    "Right. We should go there now. Your friends areing too Sisi right?" Madam Silicia asked. The two children obviously didn''t look alright so the old couple just tried their hardest to make them somewhatfortable.

    "Yes, grandmother. Gabrie and Luci will head straight to the venue," Simione ryed. She had seen the two earlier but prior to this day, Lucy had told her that he couldn''t stay long because he had an appointment with a client while Gabrie had some things to take care of in the Monteria household. However, they both promised to celebrate it with her and that they will just head straight to the restaurant that Madam Silicia booked. The two girls were actually her batchmates but Simione took more subjects than them every semester so she ended up graduating one year ahead than the two. Hopefully next year, the two can graduate together.

    "Let''s go then," Lyndon concluded and walked toward Simione to escort her. However before he could, Simione locked her arms toward grandfather William''s arms to avoid his charge and so he retreated. With how Simione ignored him in the Comis vige and how she refused tomunicate with him right after, he already knew wooing her would be hard. He just hoped that he could still forgive him for what he did.

    The family went out of the graduation venue and waited for their ride in the entrance. Grandfather Williams had already called to inform their driver that they will wait for him there but before their car arrived, a familiar car halted just in front of the four of them. Feather immediately climbed down and approached them.

    "Good noon to you, grandmother and grandfather Tang," She greeted.

    "How shameless could you be? Today is Simione''s graduation and we are celebrating it and your presence was only ruining our happy asions. Could you really be this desperate?" Madam Silicia immediately chided her. She really disliked Feather. Even before when they were young, she did not have an inch of love for this heiress. She didn''t even know why Lyndon ended up having an affair with her as even when she had a pretty innocent face, Madam knew well of her bad temperament. They were after all friends with the Han''s for many years prior to Feather''s birth.

    "Feather, what are you doing here?" Lyndon immediately grabbed her elbow with the intention to grab her away. God! How did she even know he came home when he specifically did not talk to her after he left.

    "Don, It hurts," Feather felt wrong by how he treated her. The boy had never treated her like that before and had never ignored her. However, after he went to Comis Vige and left the country, he ignored all her messages and refused tomunicate with her.

    Was he seriously throwing her away? However, she did think he loved her already because he willingly cheated on Simione to be with her and their affairs went on for years. Feather made so many sacrifices for him, even went as low on entertaining big sponsors and VIPs in London that demanded her presence just so she could build a connection for him. So most of Lyndon''s sponsorship in ballet was because of her and her efforts and yet at the end, he still cannot let go of Simione.

    "How care youe here. It''s Sisi''s graduation," Lyndon red at her and Feather''s face went into a mess.

    "Lyndon," Grandfather Tang chided him. He was always against violence so even when he himself didn''t like Feather, he can''t just let someone hurt her, not even Lyndon himself. "Let go of her. Perhaps she came to apologize,"

    "That child didn''t know how to apologize," Madam Silica was tempted to roll her eyes at it. If only she wasn''t keeping a sophisticated character.

    "Grandfather, grandmother, I know you don''t like me. However, I really came here for good intentions," Feather exined herself. "My grandfather already learned of my rtionship with Lyndon,"

    "Don Benedicto you mean?" Grandfather Williams shook a little upon such words. The Don was his long time friend and he had not spoke to him for a long time as he was thinking he had forgotten about their friendship already when he decided to take Simione into his home.

    "Yes. I guess he got worried and so he flew to Devon City today to take care of this. He wanted to have lunch with Lyndon and you, grandmother and grandfather,"

    "What?" Madam Silicia dropped jaws at this. She never expected in her lifetime for Don Benedicto to ept the Lyndon for Feather. Don Benedicto was the richest in their circle and he was respected by everyone. "You mean he is here in Devon City?"

    "Yes grandmother and he wants you meet you now, both of you,"

    "William?" Madam Silicia turned to her husband trying to signal him something. Truth was, it had been long that grandfather Williams wanted to talk to Don Benedicto about business. Previously, before their rtionship was strained, Don Benedicto always advised and helped grandfather Williams with his business. Now, they kind of need his help again and so Feather''s invitation was thinking.

    "We are to have lunch with Simione," Grandfather William pressed on it. "We were not able to celebrate it because of you and Lyndon''s shamelessness," the old man pointed at Feather. "And you daree here and invite us today. Despicable woman,"

    "Grandfather just came home and he will be leaving first thing tomorrow," Feather reasoned. "I just volunteered to send you the invitation,"

 Chapter 165 - The Tangs Suffering

    "William" Madam Silicia clung to her husband then, trying to make him reconsider. "You can go and I''ll take care of the kids. After you had your lunch with him, you cane to Sisi''s celebration,"

    "Grandmother , I''m afraid my grandfather will be offended if you and Lydon do note," Feather reasoned. Simione was just listening to their exchanges as her heart was too numb then to feel anything with Feather''s schemes. "I believe grandfather invited you both so you guys can talk about Lyndon and I''s future. You know my grandfather, I''m very precious to him. He even came home when he learned I am in a tight spot. This might be the chance to redeem your old friendship with him,"

    "Feather just go. Our family is busy, we can''t¡ª"

    "Grandfather Williams, I know yourpany needs investment now. I know I had wronged you unintentionally by hurting Sisi. I know you love her but Lyndon and I had been together for quite some time now secretly," Feather flushed her innocent face, taking over the conversation to fight the love she had desperately built in London with the Tang''s grandson. "However could you really be mean to me and Lyndon. We love each other and we have struggled so much with this. To prove my love for Lyndon, I had begged my grandfather to make amends with you,"

    "Feather, just go now and leave," Lyndon was starting to be angry with her although his heart did smoothen a bit knowing that she was doing this to fight for him. "Tell your grandfather my apologies but you see it is Sisi''s graduation. I know he will understand,"

    "Simione, are you surely going to let this happen? The Tang''s and the Han''s had been friends for ages before you came. Now they have a chance to be friends again, can you bear it in your conscience that this chance might be wasted? Do you really love Lyndon? How could you make things hard for him?" Feather''s honey colored orb went to Simione now who was just standing at the sidelines watching her drama. She knew what Feather wanted. She just wanted to ruin her graduation celebration but it wasn''t the one running in her head then. She was wondering why Don Benedicto came home when he loathed this country very much? Was it really because Feather requested him so?

    "Don''t listen to her Sisi,e on now let''s go," Grandfather Williams'' dragged her off as he already saw their ride parked at one corner and waited for them.

    "Grandfather, grandmother, why don''t you just go with Feather?" Simione didn''t want to give in but it was only then that she heard of grandfather William''s difficulty in business. She was aware that Don Benedicto was the one helping him before and so she think, he really needed to see him. "It''s actually alright,"

    "No Sisi," Grandfather Williams refused as he let the girl step into the car. Madam Silicia and Lyndon were still talking to Feather and so only the two entered the car first.

    "Grandfather, have your businesses not been okaytely?" Simione inquired. Truth was she had no idea what was going on in the Tang''s corporation and so she immediately became concerned with it. She was so young when she was fostered by the Tangs and so although she was aware that the Tangs and Han''s severed their rtionship because of her, she was not aware how this severance affected their business.

    "The executive manager''s report says our business is good," The old man replied. Grandfather Tang was very active in public service and so he left the management of their family business to executive managers. It was supposed to be Lyndon''s job to take care of it but their grandson chose ballet over anything.

    Hearing her answer, Simione was not convinced. She knew something was going on and she must have missed this fact over these years. The Han''s were the Tang''s reliable ally in business so when they severed their rtionship, the Tang''s must have suffered.

    "Grandfather, why don''t you go and talk to Don Benedicto?" Simione encouraged him. An immediate worry rose to her heart simply because she had never thought the Tang''s had problems like this.

    "Why would I?"

    "He is your friend,"

    "Sisi, if you are worried that¡ª"

    "Grandfather, your family has sacrificed enough for me. Feather is right, I can''t keep ruining you,"

    "Simione, you are not ruining us, believe me," The old man assured her. "Don''t listen to Feather. You already know her personality, she always makes up things. Today is your graduation, we ought to celebrate,"

    "Grandfather, tell me honestly, did Don Benedicto do something in your business?" Simione was suspicious. He knew the Don loathed her and so he must have hated the Tangs when they took her in. Hearing all these business predicaments from Feather, she thinks the Don had something to do with it.

    "Simione¡­the Don had never been home for years. How could you even think of such an idea,"

    "He is a powerful man. He can do such things remotely," Simione worried, especially that grandfather Williams was trying to evade the conversation. Seeing Madam Silicia''s hesitation earlier and her panic when Feather mentioned their business predicament, Simione could only guess there was indeed a problem in the Tang''s corporation.

    "Sisi, don''t think something like that. Even when how things ended, he was still your family,"

    "I''m an orphan. I don''t have a family aside from you and grandmother,"

    Hearing it, grandfather William only sighed and chose to tap her head. "You always have someone Sisi. You always have a family,"

    Just when grandfather Tang said it, Lyndon and Madam Silicia stepped into the car. The old madam was then nagging at how desperate Feather was about her invitation and was thinking whether she was telling the truth or not. It was very impossible for Don Benedicto toe home, even so, he must understand that they can''te.

    Lyndon on the other hand was silent on the corner. He wanted to make it up with Simione today but Feather just ruined everything. Although he was deeply touched at how the Han''s heiress was taking so much effort to keep him, unlike Sisi who at this moment wasn''t even batting him an eye. He wondered then whether or not, there was still hope for them because it''s like Simione wasn''t anymore interested.

    "Lyndon, look what kind of a woman she was?" Madam Silicia continued nagging. "She''s as shameless as her mother. I can''t believe she''s Don Benedicto''s granddaughter. She should be thankful she isn''t that popr yet these days because if she was already, people might have recognized her. Ah, that girl! She''s too reckless!"

    "Enough my wife, let''s just forget about the Han''s heiress," Grandfather Williams tried to silence her. "Let''s not ruin the mood, we have great things to celebrate,"

    "Alright, I won''t talk about it anymore," Madam Silicia withdrew, shaking her head.

    Simione however fixed her eyes on the road. She was thinking about the recent conversation she had with grandfather Tang. She knew she was hiding something from her and she was very sure that it involved Don Benedicto. That old evil man. How could he not give up ruining her life until then? Does he really need to torture the Tang''s just because they took pity on her?

    She understood why the Han''s severed their rtionship with the Tang''s, especially Feather''s immediate family. They really felt robbed when Simione stepped into the picture and her presence suppressed all of Feather''s favors as the Han''s heiress. What can she do?

    She was really better than her. That ballerina bitch ever since was just her desperate copy-cat. Too bad really, cause when they first met, she was really happy she had found a friend. Turns out it wasn''t a friend she found but a back biting snake.

    But now, Lyndon and Feather really were trying to make a good rtionship. Did she not reveal they had been together for long? Aido! She''ll just ignore the fact that Lyndon had cheated on her for such a long time but she didn''t want to make such a fuss anymore. They had broken up anyway.

    Yep. They had broken up but even so, her presence kept pestering the man. Not only the man, his family too were being persecuted and condemned by Don Benedicto just because of her.

    Thinking all of those, Simione just wanted to shriek. She had never felt so burdensome to the Tang''s until now. Was she this burdensome to them ever since she stepped into their mansion? All this time she thought it was only the friendship of the two families that had suffered because of her. It turns out, there was more to it.

    Perhaps, it was really time to go.

    She had to leave the Tang''s already.

    She was such a burden to the Tangs over these years and she didn''t want them to suffer anymore Don Benedicto''s wrath.. That old man was very dangerous, even though she was afraid of him.

 Chapter 166 - His Gift

    The simple restaurant party for Simione''s graduation went good and well. The family had a good conversation at dinner and each gave Sisi some gifts. Even when the momentum was broken when Feather practically came to ruin their good day, it ended happily however.

    Simione enjoyed as much as she could as she was thinking then that it might be thest time that she was to spend a happy asion with the Tang''s. Even when she wasn''t sure about Don Benedicto''s intervention with the Tang''s business, she can''t take risks anymore. The Tang''s had been good to her and knowing that they were just being harassed because of their good deeds, Simione couldn''t bear it with her conscience anymore. So she has decided then to leave. She wasn''t a little girl anymore unlike before, so this time, she knew she had some chance of surviving well outside the Tang''s mansion.

    "Have you talked about this to the old folks, Sisi?" Lucy asked her as she was washing her hands in the sink. They girls went to excuse themselves to go to the bathroom and so they talked about it there.

    "No, I didn''t," Simione admitted miserably and an instant guilt rose to her face at that.

    "So you n to leave without telling the folks?" Lucy''s eyes went big at that. Lucy texted her the ns she had decided on while she was on her way and so she opened it up checking how determined the girl was.

    "If I tell them, they won''t let me leave," Simione replied. "I even slightly opened this up with grandfather earlier and he just brushed it off. Besides, you can''t expect me to live there anymore with Feather unting off my face that she had sessfully snatched off brother Don,"

    "Wow Brother Don," Gabrie who was just listening on the sidelines couldn''t help but take notice of the new name Simione addressed her ex-boyfriend. "So Lyndon Tang got demoted to being your brother now,"

    "I''m not a martyr Gabbie,"

    "Nobody says you are, but you love the man I can tell," Gabrie pointed. "Was just wondering, Lyndon arrived just today?"

    "Obviously," Simione just brushed the question off.

    "So he came to your graduation," Gabrie concluded. "Why does it appear so to me that he was trying to reconcile with you?"

    "Reconcile your ass, don''t do it Sisi. Once a cheater will always be a cheater," Lucy said with full conviction before pulling off a lipstick from her pouch and starting applying it to her lips. They had a good dinner with the Tangs and she got so hungry during the meeting she had with a client so she seriously ate up so much and ruined her makeup.

    "But Sisi still loves him¡­" Gabrie expressed nonsensically and Simione silenced this. Lucy immediately looked at Simione''s expression at the corner of her eyes and saw the flicker of tears of her honey-colored orbs.

    "Well.. you can''t just not love a person you loved your whole life," Simione replied and smiled bitterly at the two. "I do love him, but I don''t think I can forgive him now. I''m a human after all, I bleed,"

    "Ah Sisi," Gabrie rushed to hug Simione andforted her. "Don''t worry Sisi, someday your soulmate wille and heal all your broken heart,"

    "Or hurt you again," Lucy rolled another at it. The singer had a fair share of men and she knew very well love was something they didn''t know. They like women, but they don''t know how to love. Such do not exist in their vocabry.

    "Don''t be so negative Lucy," Gabrie gave her a hard look. "I don''t understand why you are so bitter at love when out from the three of us, you like men so much,"

    "True. I like them so much so I know very well they are ruthless and heartless creatures," Lucy replied as she pushed some loose hairs at the back of her head. She was so done with these boys'' drama and so she wanted to have the conversation closed right away, "You two finished? We should go back. The Tangs are waiting,"

    The tres marias then went back to the private room that Madam Silicia reserved for them and continued to celebrate Simione''s graduation. However soon after, the group dispersed and the Tangs went home to their mansion to retire for the day. They had so much fun that they didn''t notice that it was already night time when they exited the restaurant. As soon as they reached Tang''s mansion, the old couple excused themselves to tidy up while Simione headed straight to her room. She was about to take a shower when there was a knock on the door.

    "Hey," Lyndon pushed the door open and smiled timidly at the girl. With him was a nicely wrapped little red jewelry box.

    "Hey," Simione responded ndly and shrugged, ignoring the gift that Lyndon was carrying. "Do you need anything?"

    "I came here to give you my gift," He said and flushed an excited face, trying to alleviate the awkwardness that filled the room. "I wasn''t able to give it earlier¡­no¡­actually I meant to give it to you now¡­in private,"

    Simione opened her palm to ept the gift with a sigh, expecting the boy to just hand it over and leave, however what happened next was totally beyond her expectations. Her eyes went big and her chest went wild when Lyndon, falling on his knees, opened the box that contained a silver ring. On top of it was a perfectly carved diamond, enough to make Sisi stand in awe.

    Confused, she bbered instantly, "What are you doing?"

    "Sisi, I have thought about this well and with all that happened, I think this is the best way to show to you that I still love you and I still want us," Lyndon''s green eyes glowed with so much sincerity that Simione pushed herself to stepped back, afraid that she would ended up saying ''YES'' to him.

 Chapter 167 - His Promise

    Simioned had been dreaming of it her whole life.

    This day.

    The day that the man she had loved would fall on his knees and proposed to her.

    However, no matter how much she took constion about the fact that Lyndon still loves her and still wants to pursue their nned wedding, she took no joy at how it went. If only she had not seen her naked with Feather at their home, she would have been the happiest woman then.

    "Simione, I know you still love me. I can''t see it in your eyes. I swear to you, I will never ever hurt you again," Lyndon swore on it. He had thought about it so much in London¡ªwhen the fear of losing Simione became real hit him. He realized he cannot go on without her and so he wanted to save it. He knew that no matter what he would say, Simione would not believe him anymore but now that he could make her see that he was all willing to marry her and be tied, he was very confident she would change her mind. It was her dream anyway and he was making all her dreamse true then.

    "Sisi, please marry me," Lyndon begged mercilessly that Simione had to close her eyes, take a deep breath and control herself. She had to pause to think it through carefully as her decision right then will determine her future.

    "Brother¡­Don¡­" Simione''s voice was shaking and it took her a very long time before she was able to shook her head no. "I can''t,"

    Her answer tore Lyndon''s world apart. He couldn''t believe that when he humbled himself down at her desperately, she would still refuse him. Doesn''t Simione love her so much? Why was it that no matter how much she asked forgiveness, she never gave him a chance.

    "Sisi, did you even love me?" Lyndon''s voice was full of hurt. It was like he had been scammed when all along he was the one who cheated on their rtionship. "Why does it felt like you had never loved me at all,"

    "I love you, I do," Simione felt like crying. The pain that rushed to Lyndon''s face hurt her too but she could do nothing about it because her heart was also bleeding. How can she tend to her pain when she herself couldn''t tend to hers. "But love is different from forgiveness and I don''t I can forgive you now,"

    "I had never made a mistake only now,"

    "And yet it was the most painful one,"

    "Sisi, can''t you not forgive me this once?" He pushed on it. "I''m here already begging at your feet. I''ve given up my pride just so you could forgive me,"

    "I''m really sorry brother Don,"

    Simione was about to step back more but Lyndon grabbed her hand tight. Lyndon looked at his ex-girlfriend helplessly. How could she change so much? Simione had treated him so well previously he always overlooked his failed promises, his constant absence and sometimes temper. So the man had always beencent on her obligations as a lover to her. Yet, even then, whenever hees home, Simione never resents. However now, it seemed like Simione''s heart had no more room for him.

    "I''m really sorry brother Don. It''s a very beautiful ring, give it to your future wife," Simione saidst and was ready to dismiss him but Lyndon instead of backing off, stood on his feet and mmed his body into the girl and wrapped his arms around her.

    "Sisi, you know for a fact that you are the only one I wanted to marry," Lyndon''s tears were threatening. He felt a rush of panic and pain in his heart and so he hugged Simione hoping she could ease it. "I understand that you can''t forgive me now,"

    "So I''ll wait until you can forgive me," Lyndon added. "No matter how long it is, I will wait for you and I promise you by that time I''ll love you better than I did a fews years a go.

    "Brother Don, please don''t¡ª"

    "No Simione, I''ll wait," Lyndon took the ring from the box and pulled Simione''s hand, palm open. He put the ring in the middle of her hands carefully. "Take this Sisi, take this and carry my love with you. As long as you carry it and not leave this house, I will always wait for you,"

    Simione closed her hands and felt the ring inside it. She held on to it as she tried to control her emotions and her heart. What Lyndon did right then was totally unexpected. She wondered then what could have happened between her and Feather, because it seemed like he had changed his mind overnight.

    Why would he do this now when she was already nning to leave? He was only making things more painful andplicated between the two of them.

    "Simione, I regret what I did. It was only now that I realized what I lost, I would do everything to get it back," Lyndon told the girl with an expression that bore all his regrets. "If you say yes, I will marry you and I will stay here with you,"

    His next words became more tempting. During the time that Lyndon pursued his dreams in London, he was always abroad and so she missed him all the time. His grandparents had been asking him toe back and work for theirpany while Simione silently tucked all her longings for him, hoping someday he''ll just choose to stay by her side. However she was very aware that such a dream of hers was very selfish. She knew firsthand how the boy worked hard to be a ballet dancer and to make him stay just because she kept on missing him was total nonsense on her part. She loved the boy, she should always support him and control her longings.

    Now, he was trying to tell her he would quit going to London to stay with her. Does this mean he wanted to stop ballet for her?

 Chapter 168 - Crushing Tornado

    "You are willing to give up ballet for me?" Simione asked, her chest beating so rapidly out of anticipation. She couldn''t believe that a day woulde that Lyndon Tang would sacrifice ballet just for her. Would this day finally be the reason that all of Tang''s frustration about Lyndon''s chosen career would end? Would he finally leave ballet, be with her and work on the family''s business?

    "Yes," Lyndon''s answer did not falter. He said it straight,municating right through the girl that this predicament was something he had thought of carefully. He was seriously going to give up all his dreams for her.

    Simione didn''t understand what she felt. She looked at the boy, half curious, half frustrated about what made him so desperate to do this. Was he really afraid to lose her? Why does it feel like things don''t seem believable now?

    Lyndon believed that thisst act of his would finally melt Simione''s heart. Didn''t she always want to be with him? Now, he was finally going to give up ballet for her. However, what Simione and his grandparents didn''t know was that Lyndon had been tired of ballet. Ever since that incident a few years ago where he willinglymitted a crime at the expense of someone else so he could move forward with his dream, things had been thought and dark. His conscience haunted him all the way and he just wanted to give up now.

    The boy realized that since he was so done with the world of ballet and all the dark things that goes with it, so he was then trying to fix himself and was hopeful that Simione''s love, which he slightly ignored and neglected for few years will be his salvation now. He clung to her and hoped that with her warmth and the new life they would cross together, things will finally have some sense.

    He was confident that his decision would finally change the direction of her life.

    But he was wrong.

    Because Simione didn''t take any more pleasure with his promises, surprisingly.

    The girl didn''t understand why but it felt like she missed out something all these years. When she lost Lyndon''s love and favor a few weeks ago when she was with Feather naked on bed, she did lose everything and so she was forced to see a life without him in the distant future. That life that she had a glimpse on gave her some sense of freedom and seemed to be more exciting than going back to Lyndon''s arms. Perhaps her broken trust made her unable to find joy in his proposal or simply, she didn''t believe anymore they can still be fixed right now.

    "Lyndon," Simione shook her head and for some reason, Lyndon felt threatened by it. "I¡­I¡­"

    "Simione, please¡­ didn''t you always want this?"

    "Yes¡­.or so I think," Simione replied honestly. She herself for a second did think that what Lyndon had offered her was the redemption she would be most happy about but unexpectedly, she felt no joy nor healing with it. Instead, she just became more miserable knowing how Lyndon loved ballet so much and that since he was going to give it up for her, she had to face the responsibility for it. She doesn''t think she can handle that. What if Lyndon wouldn''t be satisfied with living with her after he gave up ballet for her and cast the me on her? She doesn''t think she can handle that. So, she stepped back out from all that the Tang''s young master was offering.

    "What do you mean?" Lyndon was confused and became more miserable than he already was. How could Simione do this to him? How could she be so hard on him? He onlymitted a mistake once, shouldn''t he deserve a second chance?

    "I don''t think I can say yes to your proposal," Simione took the courage to refuse him even when the expression in his eyes broke her heart. She never did in her entire life except that one day, she was going to refuse him.

    "How could you be this cruel Sisi?" Lyndon charged at her holding her tightening chest. "Do I not deserve a second chance? Was I that bad that you can''t consider the fact I am basically doing everything in my power right now to fix us and yet you are not cooperating. What do you need me to do?"

    "Nothing," Simione''s tears unconsciously fell at his words. This was the first time Lyndon had said something like this to her but she willingly took the hurt that came along with it. However, no matter how painful things were between the two of them right now, Simiones heart however took constion at the fact that this time, she was finally giving herself some chance to love herself more than anything else.

    She had many realizations in the past few weeks and one thing she learned from what happened between her and Lyndon was to reserve some love for herself. All these years, she had given Lyndon everything he asked her to do and be the person he wanted her to be. And so when he cheated on her, she crumbled hard and deep. She thought she couldn''t escape the hole he pushed her in but luckily, her brave self who had been hiding all along inside her dragged her all the way out from the pit and gave her a chance to survive. Now what she was doing was just protecting herself from more agony and if Lyndon could not see that, then she can do nothing about it anymore. She chose to love herself now more than she loved the boy, afterall, she gave him her everything already before.

    "I''m so sorry brother Don," Simione apologized for it. "I can''t give you what you seek right now. I''m too broken to give something more, i have nothing left,"

    Hearing it was like a series of tornadoes that crushed into Lyndon''s inside, tearing his heart, his pride and his ego.. Without saying anything, he stood with indignation and stormed out of the door.

 Chapter 169 - Devious Grin

    When Lyndon left mming the door, Simione lost all the strength she had left and fell on the floor. Damn! What just happened? Did she just throw their love out the window?

    She herself could not believe where she got the courage to refuse the boy when all her life she did nothing but to give him all the things that pleased him. How could she depart from such a goal now?

    She does love him. She felt it in her heart that she does yet the pain that clouded her heart was too painful she could not bear it. How could she love him again when she hasn''t even healed yet?

    Perhaps tomorrow, things will be okay. However, knowing howplicated her rtionship with Lyndon now only made her feel miserable. How can she even continue to heal when she can see him everyday?

    Simione looked around her room, the room that gave her warmth for many years. She was lucky that the Tang''s took her and treated her as their own and so she had never felt alone all these years but now, with what happened, she felt like she didn''t deserve the warmth of the Tang''s anymore. Not when she had hurt Lyndon tonight.

    She can''t stay here anymore. For her sake and for Lyndon, she has to go now. She has to leave this ce, the ce she called home.

    "I''m sorry grandmother, grandfather," Simione whispered with her tears overflowing. "I''m sorry brother Don,"

    The girl let herself cry that night and when her tears dried up, she packed up her important things. She took only the things she needed and left everything behind.

    ***

    It was four in the morning when Simione had the courage to leave Tang''s mansion. She only had one bag with her and because she can''t take the risk of waking everyone one up, she took the back door and walked until the main entrance of the subdivision. Exactly when the rays of sunshine started lighting up the sky, she was by the main road, waiting for her ride. She stood at one side of the street with her bag hung on her shoulder and her heavy heart.

    She didn''t know what Madam Silicia and grandfather Williams would feel about her leaving. She left them some letters of gratitude and told them to reconcile with the Han''s especially now that grandfather Williams had some challenges in business. For all she knew, she was the only reason why the two families were in conflict. Now that she has left, they should reconcile with them, especially that Feather and Lyndon are now a couple. Herst thought gave her heart a sting but she was used to such feelings now and so the pain doesn''t anymore make her flinch.

    Simione''s thought was pulled right back to reality when an unfamiliar vehicle stopped in front of her and before she could even move, two men in masks dragged her in!

    "What are you doing?" Simione was full of shock and she was not able to defend herself. She did not expect such a turn of events! "Help! Help! Help¡ª"

    One of the men who dragged her in covered her mouth and in just a second, she was mmed into the backseat of the van.

    "Who are you people?" The girl was all in fear but she tried hard not to panic, especially that she needed to think sharp that time. "What do you want from me?"

    "A beautifuldy alone in the road. How foolish," One of the menmented. Simone couldn''t read their expression nor was she able to see their faces specially with their masks on. The only thing she could see was their eyes and it didn''t feel familiar so she knew she never met these people before.

    "I don''t have anything but if you would negotiate with me I can settle some money for you," Simione was shaking but she tried to trade with her abductors. The vehicle they were in moved so fast and the sound was so loud she needed to shout so the men could hear her.

    "We are not buying your tricksdy and do you think we even want your money?" Her abductorsughed. "Well we kind of in need of money right now but I''m sure what you are offering cannot match the offer our clients have for beautiful women we take,"

    "What do you mean?" Simione shivered at their words. Clients? The women they take? Was she meant to be trafficked? The thought sent an instant coldness onto her spine but she took her fears in control.

    "You know what we mean," One guy responded and they allughed again.

    "Brother she''s really beautiful. I would be such a waste if we dispatched her right away.." One man not visible in Simione''s eyesmented. She was sitting beside the driver so the girl could not see her.

    "Well, azjxhchc¡­never said we can''t touch her¡­.xhahsusua¡­.they only said to make sure she won''t be able toeback,"

    "They want her dead,"

    "They only want her not toeback,"

    "That''s what it means,"

    "We can double the ie if we make use of her or you know, we can take her for our own¡­she''s very pretty,"

    The people''s conversation got Simione lost her control and so her panic rose to her stem and she ended up bangging the vehicles'' window shouting for help.

    "Shut up!" One of the men gathered himself toward the girl, grabbed her in his arms and pointed a gun at her head. "I said shut up!"

    "Please! Let me go!" Simione was shaking then. She didn''t know what''s going to happen to her but she knew she''d end up in ruins. "I can give you money, please let me go,"

    Simione''s tears ran on her cheeks and the man who just grabbed her was deeply enticed by it. The girl wasn''t only pretty but her natural charms and innocence was so alluringly seductive his eyes instantly filled with desire.. He shed a devious grin then.

 Chapter 170 - Pray For Her Fate

    The man filled with evil lust grabbed Simione harder so that he could feel more of her soft skin. The girl who felt the threat immediately squeezed herself out and ended up throwing the man at the other side. She didn''t know how she was able to dodge him but he mmed so hard that when he recovered, he looked at Simione with fury.

    "You bitch!....." The man grabbed Simione''s hair and pushed her off the vehicle''s window. Simione was pinned in a way that she couldn''t move and the only option she had then was to pray hard. "ying so hard bitch¡­do you think you have a choice here? How about I punished you now so you would know where to ce yourself,"

    Simione felt the bend over her back and sniffed her. "You smell so nice, didn''t they say she was an heiress?"

    Her words didn''t skip through Simione''s sharp mind. "Someone paid you to take me?"

    The men silenced her question. They just looked at each other but didn''t feel threatened by her knowledge of it. She was at their disposal anyway so whether she knew that someone paid for her abduction was nothing to worry about.

    "Who paid you to take me?" Simione''s voice was filled with anger yet when sheshed on them, the man who pinned her on the window tightened his grip on her hair.

    "You are not in the ce to ask,"

    "Didn''t the person who paid you told you I am an heiress?" Simione was in pain but she still tried her best to negotiate for her life. "I can pay triple than what they gave you. Just name your price,"

    The men silenced again but in a moment, one of themughed. "Ahahaha¡­.if you are that rich, you shouldn''t be in this situation now. Besides the people who asked for your life are influential people, if we fail to deliver, there will be consequences,"

    Influential people? Simione didn''t remember offending anyone who is influential but someone crossed her mind right away that was cruel enough to cause something like this to happen to her. Could it be that person?

    "And you think there is no consequence in taking my life?" She asked them, trying hard not to make her voice shaky or she would lose the deal. People like these do not deal with the weak and so she tried hard to trade as if she got the upper hand.

    "Hardly," The menughed again. "You woman have some brain but we knew more in this business that we are aware there is more consequences in betraying your first client,"

    "So what our agreement with this woman?" The person who was pinning her down asked impatiently. "A close look at this bitch you''ll think twice of sending her to hell without tasting her, she''s so¡­.." The man bend her head down with the intention to lick Simione''s neck but even before he could, he was cut off.

    "Hold your ground," One of hispanions stopped him. "We only make deliveries, we don''t taste it,"

    "Bute and see her¡­."

    "If she''s that beautiful then we can make a good price of her. Don''t leave any marks on scratch on her. Just think that with the money we can earn you can pay off a good prostitute who''ll give you more satisfaction than that. That''s pretty convenient that making a scene here,"

    "Fine¡­" The man who pinned Simione down let her go and moved away from Simione. "So it''s decided then, we are going to sell her off?"

    "Somebody has to check if she''s a virgin,"

    "We''ll arrange that,"

    The conversation wanted Simione to shrink but she was a bit relieved that her agony will be dyed a bit. She did think it was her time then and so despite her impending ruin or death, she was a bit thankful. With constrained tears, she hugged herself at one side crying. She didn''t dare to make a fuss, afraid that her abductors would change their mind and decided otherwise. In her deep thoughts, she was thinking of ways to escape but with the five big men that were in the vehicle right then, escape wasn''t possible.

    "Didn''t they want her dead?"

    "They didn''t want her toe back, we can point that out incase they will know it. Besides, it''s impossible to escape the ring so she''ll not be able toe back no matter what,"

    Simione followed through their conversation. She wasn''t naive to not understand what they were talking about. They were all nning to sell her off to a prostitution ring and as per her little knowledge of that world, it was said that people or women who fell in their would not be able toe out. Chances of escape are rare and if ever she will, she will be hunted all her life. In reality, death was a better option.

    "How much do you think this one would pay?"

    "Depends on whether she''s experienced or not but with her beauty, she''ll end up in the bidding arena," One of them took note and when he said it, the othersughed excitedly at the thought. The bidding arena is where big clients bid millions for thedies that were auctioned there and knowing how pretty the woman they got right then, she''s definitely going to end up there. She looked like a decent woman, too bad she had bad luck following her.

    "Shall we get her checked up by the doc," One asked.

    "Call for the doc right away,"

    "And the one who paid for her life?"

    "Tell them the job is finished," The man who seemed to be the leader of the group instructed. Simione, who was just listening, took courage to raise her head and look up her abductors, no one gave her any attention then except the man who pinned her earlier.. He was giving her a look, a look that Simione felt so disgusted about and to avoid it, she just lowered her head again and prayed for her fate.

 Chapter 171 - The Doctor

    Simione wanted to escape so bad but it was just impossible.

    The men who took her brought her somewhere that she had no idea about, it looked like an old condominium or a building in a remote area. The moment she alighted the car that was used to kidnap her, the men took her in and imprisoned her in a certain room where she had nopany. However, on their way, she saw many girls like her roaming around freely while some were like her, being dragged about and were crying in fear.

    In her room, she did nothing but turned everything upside down, hoping there was something that she could use to help her escape, like a pin or something she could use to unlock the door. She didn''t even know how to unlock it with a pin but there was no harm in trying. Unfortunately not a single thing she found there gave her hope.

    When Simione got so tired, she was tempted to retreat and cry again but she only did the former. Her tears ran dry already and there were no more tears to let off. In fact, her eyes had gone sullen already, especially that she had cried hard the night before too. And so, instead of crying, she ended up falling asleep.

    When Simione woke up, it was because someone opened the door of her room and the man who came dragged her again, but not out of the building, but rather somewhere which Simione thinks of as a clinic. In her suspicion, such a clinic was built for the prostitution business.

    "This is her," The man pushed Simione off to the woman in white gown and mask. There were few others who were off the same attire with her but in what Simione thinks, she was the doctor among them. The rest however were her nurses or subordinates.

    "Be careful with her. The boss is aiming for this one to go in the bidding arena," The womanmented and she then carefully grabbed Simione out of the man''s sight. She took her to another part of the room that was covered with all green curtains.

    "Wear this andy there," She instructed Simione who right then was hesitant.

    "There''s no point in resisting, you must know that already," She told her. She didn''t sound demanding or harsh, it was rather odd for Simione that the woman sounded so gentle with her.

    Simione after a minute took the clothing the woman gave her and undid her clothes. She was very aware she had to take all of her clothes as she suspected the doctor was to check whether she was a virgin or not. After she stripped her clothes and wore what seemed like a hospital gown, shey on the bed where the doctor started checking her.

    "The girls here, unlike the other areas, are well tended. So long as you won''t resist and won''t do anything that would piss off the bosses, you are good," The woman started sharing her some ideas about the ce where she was at. "It''s not that I''m telling you that younded in a good ce but¡­.sometimes we just turned unlucky and so we have to get by¡­"

    "I had always been unlucky my whole life," Simione didn''t think she''d cry when she said that but she instantly wiped the tears when she felt it in her cheeks.

    "Don''t cry, your eyes have gone pretty sullen already," The doctor noted. In this ce, your beauty is the one who''s going to save you. "Take care of it. Besides, you are going to be sent to the bidding arena. The clients there are nothing less than billionaires so at least you won''t end up being ruined by filthy losers,"

    "Losers or not, they are all filthy,"

    "But the billionaire had some perks. They are pretty choosy with women and so you''ll be exclusive for a while. Who knows he might even decide to free you after. I heard there were those who ended up here and were being freed by their bidders. Some of them even used their bidders as their backing in show business or the careers they choose after their life with their bidders,"

    "Should I be happy with that?"

    "As long as you''re alive. That''s the most important," The old woman replied with a sigh. "There''s no hope of happiness in death. It''s just a cold hole without even a grave in here,"

    After herst words, the doctor stood from her seat and took off her gloves. She did something more but Simione got busy dressing up and she didn''t notice anymore what the woman had done.

    "You''ll be sent to Gina," The doctor told her. "She''s very strict but since you are precious she won''t risk making a scar on you. However, she might not feed you if you mess up so better just do as told,"

    "What is Gina for?" Simione asked.

    "She trains someone like you," The doctor told her and went on to type something on herputer. "She trains virgins,"

    "What kind of hell is this ce?" Simione couldn''t help but asked. This ce she knew was very illegal but the way people do business here, like a doctor who speaks of trafficking as if it was nothing and girls roaming around like nothing was being done to them, made Simione want to vomit and loathe it even more.

    "This is a ce where you shouldn''t ask questions and do as told," The doctor warned her with a tone that threatened the hell out of the girl. "And more importantly, don''t ever escape of you''ll not see tomorrow,"

    Simione wasn''t able to answer anymore. How could she end up in such a ce? They should have just killed her. Right then she would want that rather than being sold like a property to perverts.

    "Please help me," Simione tried to ask the doctor''s help but her plea went unheard. The doctor who was all aware of how everything works there knew for a fact that it was rather good for her to just pretend not to see or hear anything rather than helping the girls there.. For if she does, she and the girl she would try to help would end up dead.

 Chapter 172 - Im Tired

    Indeed the doctor was right, Simione was sent off to Gina. The new woman was a person of her mid thirties¡ªbeautiful, exquisite, seductive and very temperamental. She was like a trainer for the new girls to be sent off to the bidding arena or to VIP''s.

    If there was one thing that changed in Simione''s situation this time was the fact that many young women joined her under Gina''s training. However, unlike her, they all came very willingly, or perhaps that''s what she supposed but all the girls that trained under Gina were beautiful, willing girls whom they think of themselves higher than all the other girls in that building. In her few days of stay in the building, Simione knew a lot like the fact that girls in that building had rankings and some of them take whatever they the organizations have for them as a profession and not as involuntary servitude. She didn''t know if they were being paid good for it but the way they looked and how grand they were wearing each time they had a session, she knew they were well funded.

    Simione of course didn''te here willingly and so no matter how natural Gina''s training was for the other women there, she cannot loathe the fact that they were doing. Gina basically trains them how to seduce men, please them, make them happy emotionally and sexually. She even teaches them how to act, like a scary little rabbit being hunted or a tiger who is taking charge. However, their acting wasn''t on stage but in bed. They were taught that since theirck of experience and fresh bodies were the thing that made them special from the others, it doesn''t mean they shouldn''t be trained. They were trained for one reason, to make sure aside from giving their bodies and their first experience to their highest bidder, they also know how to keep their attention to them still on fire after the first night so that the organization still takes percentage on them on all their sex business after that and until the few years time.

    It had never urred to Simione that the prostitution ring had this type of face, a face that was rather telling one that it was a luxurious business but Gina kept on saying the world is naturally owned by men and women take it off their hands by winning them on bed. Basically what she was telling them was that, no matter how powerful a person a man is, he can never defend himself against a seductive beautiful woman.

    Simione for a day or two lingered on Gina''s teaching, not that she wanted it but she didn''t have a choice. However, as the days went by, the girl lost all her reason for leaving that each day she became dull and numb. Gina, who had a very bad temperament, didn''t like Simione''s act¡ªwhich she thought was just a drama and so she punished her by not feeding until she got a hold of herself. However, Simione did not get a hold of herself and so the punishment lingered for days until one day the girl copsed.

    When Simione opened her eyes, she was back at the clinic and she cried knowing that she didn''t die. She thought finally she could be in heaven with her father, but it turns out she was only dreaming and the truth was that she was still in hell.

    "You should have allowed me to die," she said when she noticed the doctor at her side checking on her.

    "I told you, you can''t find happiness in the grave," The doctor reminded her. "Besides, you are far too valuable, the boss was already anticipating the profit you can bring in,"

    "You are so cruel," She told her. "How can your conscience take the fact that the girls here are being taken advantage off, in the most cruel way,"

    "Most of the girls heree here willingly, others like were forced to pay off their debts. You however were sent here so you can have a second life," The doctor took note of the fact.

    "How did you know?"

    "Nothing much but the gang who sold you here were murderers," She replied from Simione''s query. "You should have been dead but decided to sell you here because they know your beauty is worth a ton of money,"

    "They should have just killed me.."

    "And let off the people who paid to murder you?" The doctor raised an eyebrow at it. "Are you seriously going to let them win? Now that you have been given a second chance at life, you should not waste it. Wasting it is like making the one who paid for your muder win at you twice,"

    "As if there was something I could do!" Simioneshed out at the doctor who was the only person in that whole building who seemed a little human from all those who were in there. "They said once you get here, there''s not going out,"

    "I told you the way out¡­." The doctor hinted.

    "What? I don''t remember¡ª"

    "The highest bidder. That is the way out. Didn''t I tell you were lucky from among all the others? Not everyone is being sent to the bidding arena right away,"

    "The highest bidder is a pervert, a maniac, or even a sadist!"

    "Or a lonely person who needed warmth. You can get a shot at it, you''ll never know!" The doctor replied to her with the same tone she gave her. "Besides, the highest bidder brings you to his ce, he owns you then. Unlike this ce, the ce where he might bring you might have some source of telmunication. You can ask for help! I''m telling you to have more chances when you can be sold to the highest bidder!"

    "I''m tired!" Simione broke down this time. "I''m tired of fighting! You should have just let me die! You have let me rest! I have been fighting for everything my whole life!"

 Chapter 173 - Make And Break

    "Then are you going to die like this? Seriously?" The doctor told her so.

    "I''m soo done with everything," Simione answered weakly. For some reason she got super tired, almost ready to doze off. "Why are you even pushing me to hold on? Can''t you see I messed up already,"

    "Then how about those who had been waiting for you out there?"

    "I have no one. I''m an orphan," Simione revealed. "I want to be with my father already. I should have been with him a long time ago,"

    "Then do you think your father would be happy and proud of how your life turned out?"

    The question got Simione thinking. Indeed if she was to see her father right now, would he be happy with how her life ended? Just a few days ago standing on the school''s stage made her utterly proud and confident that her father too would feel the same in the afterlife but now that she ended up in a remote area somewhere, ready to be trafficked helplessly, would he be happy with it?

    "He would not me me," Simione replied unsure. She closed her eyes and swallowed her exhausted to be able to think well. Many days had gone by when she was first brought here and although she knew where she was right now was a very dangerous ce, she was very lucky enough not to have been ruined or hurt until now. Ironically, she was considered a valuable property here that people treat her delicately. She was indeed lucky after all.

    "Has somebody gone out before after being sold to her bidder?" Simione got interested in the doctor''s words.

    "I told you before. Once you are sold, your fate will be at the hands of your bidder," The doctor exined again. "So either you work to change that fate and seize the opportunity or be forever miserable,

    "How good are my chances?"

    "Apart from everyone, you have chances. Whether it''s a good chance or not at all, there''s nothing wrong with hoping for it," The doctor answered. "Sometimes, hope is all we need to keep going. If you fail, at least you tried than doing nothing at all,"

    "Why are you saying this to me?"

    "I always have something to say to all the girls thate here in my office," She sighed and looked at Simione meaningfully. "This is the only way I can help them,"

    "Rather than helping them, you choose to give horrible advices,"

    "I''m not that powerful to help them and I also have a family to feed and protect," She added. "We do horrible things for many reasons ,"

    "What can I do to make the highest bidder free me?"

    "Take him under control,"

    "How do I do that,"

    "That is what Gina is for. Told you to learn from her,"

    After that strong conversation, Simione somehow managed to ovee her misery and began thinking again. What Gina taught them was indeed shameless but there was no harm to it. She was teaching each one of them how to use their beauty not only to entice their clients but also to keep them satisfied. Above all to make sure they fall for you.

    Perhaps she can endure it. It maye hard because she had never had any sexual encounters with anyone before. She and Lyndon didn''t have anything more than a kiss and so she was pretty naive when ites to sexual things. If she could manage to open her mind and be willing to take Gina''s teachings, perhaps she can escape such a ce.

    ***

    Three months had gone by and Simione''s got better as the days passed. Nothing about her situation improved but at least Gina was less harsh to her now and even was praising her now. She had taken her lessons and threw away her morals and learned all the things a woman should learn about men¡ªtheir weakness, their lust, their ego, their desires and most of all, how to make them desire you.

    The lessons did note easy as Simione was very conservative since she was brought up by the Tangs so at first, she couldn''t swallow all of Gina''s teachings. Of course the methods of teaching in the prostituion house were extreme and they got live samples on it, making Simione want to vomit every time. However she held it all in and believed that if she could learn this all, perhaps she can go back to Devon City and continue the life she left.

    Sometimes she was hoping that someone was looking for her but knowing that she left notes in the Tang''s mansion of the reason for her departure and the fact that she chose to leave peacefully, he was sure Madam Silicia and grandfather Tang respected her wishes and chose not to find her as per her very own instructions. As for Lyndon, he was mad at her when she left and so she was pretty sure he went to Feather''s arms to findfort. If there were only two people who would be thoroughly worried, it would be Luci and Gabbie but they must have thought she had gone somewhere where she could forget everything and so they might not look for her too. Besides, they were only college students, what can they do?

    "She''s ready," Gina announced when she talked to one of their brokers. Simione was currently sitting with the rest of thedies in the make up room, practicing their make up skills when the broker came and asked queries about the girls.

    "Good, just in time for the quarterly bidding," The broker smiled satisfactorily. "Is she behaving well?"

    "Very well," Gina seemed proud of it. Truth was Simione worked so hard to be good. She took all of Gina''s teachings so well that in just a month she felt like she wasn''t the innocent Simione anymore. Although still inexperienced, Gina had filled her mind with all the shameless things one professional prostitute should have in mind and she felt like she wasn''t pure anymore.. Only her body is, but her mind was well equipped on how to make and break a man in bed.

 Chapter 174 - Where Love Brought Me

    "Take a good look at her," The man turned to Simione who pretended to be upied with her make up, although her ears were on the two people conversing. "I still don''t trust that one. If you felt like she''s going to break lose, take precautions,"

    "I know what to do," Gina told him but that was what Simionest heard. The two left the room still talking and she can''t follow them. So her mind just lingering what precautions can they be talking about.

    "They are talking about drugging you if you show any sign of resistance during the bidding day?" Thedy beside her exined and Simione turned to her side confused.

    "That''s the precautions they are talking about," She added when she saw that Simione was lost on what she was saying, "You don''t look like you belong here so I''m sure you don''t understand what they meant. When they send girls to the bidding arena, she should not cause much of a ruckus or the clients will be displeased. So if she resist, they drugged her so she could nothing more but stand dizilly while clients bid on her,"

    "Does it make any difference at all?" Simione asked and dragged her face back to the mirror to finish her makeup. "I mean if you are drugged or not, you would still end up in the same bed,"

    "True. However if you are drugged you lose your chance of taking control of the situation. You might not please your client and he''ll end up ditching you the next day. You don''t want that,"

    "What happens when you are ditched off?"

    "They gave you to their men. Who knows whates after next, they might sell you off again in another prostitution house and since you aren''t virgin this time, you might not have the same benefits as you have now," Thedy exined and Simione held a deep sigh at it. Of course she feared that she might end up on the path thedy just said. "Although with the kind of beauty you have, I don''t think the client will ditch you the next day. You might be good for him for a couple of days. You are lucky with that face you know,"

    "I''m feeling like it''s a curse," Simione meant what she said but no expression went on her face at that. All these times she managed to train herself to hide her emotion because Gina told them it would be very beneficial in this kind of profession to only act ording to what your client likes. Right then she hid her fears.

    "If I''m only half as beautiful as you, I wouldn''t have problems taking a client in control," Thedy continued. "But you are right. Your beauty can be cursed because I don''t think a client would ever get you out of their sight once theyid eyes on you. There might be no freedom for you,"

    "You also dream about it?" Simione paused this time. "Of freedom?"

    "Everybody here does. It''s not bad to hope you know,"

    "How did you end up here?" Simione right now was curious.

    "I came here willingly in exchange for my boyfriend''s debt," She revealed. "But just after a day, he went off with another woman. That jerk..I should have not sacrificed for him but that time, I was in love and this is where that love brought me,"

    Simione''s eyes went big at that. The woman beside her noticed that and so she turned to her and just gave her a shrug.

    "We take wrong choices sometimes in the name of love," Thedyughed it off as if it was some kind of a joke but Simione knew very well she was only putting off a happy mask to hide her sorrows, "Now I''m here, taking my chances, as if I have a choice. But they say many of the girls here end up living afortable life being side women of their bidders, some even became their wives, so perhaps I might end up in the same fate. Who knows,"

    "Doesn''t it bother you? I mean being just a side women or¡­."

    "Being a prostitute does it bother me?" She continued the things Simione couldn''t say. "Rather than begging on the streets and being taken advantage of lousy drinks there, I''ll rather be ruined in a luxurious way. Money can''t buy happiness for the rich, but for us the poor, money can buy everything,"

    "Perhaps you are right," Simione replied, thinking it through. This ce, the prostitution house unexpectedly was giving the girl too much of realization in life. Funny because although she knew this ce is thest ce any woman would want to end with, it was the ce which gave her so much learning and gave her so much awakening. Here she learned that there were many people who were more unfortunate than her. This was where she learned that as long as you knew how to hope, you can always look forward to tomorrow. That life is a matter of survival and only those who fight can make it through. Most of all, this was where she learned that, even at the dirtiest ce on earth, there are still things that can be considered valuable, like her.

    Funny because she had never felt her importance until shended in the prositution house. However, it taught her that if you are important, people would always take extra care on you like how all the staff in the prostitution house took care of her. Even when her importance there was founded on her being a valuable property being a beautiful virgin, it still gave her a very important lesson¡ªthat if you are very important to someone, they would take extra care not to hurt you.

    See that Sisi? If you are somehow important to those people you expect to care for you, they should have at least never hurt you.

 Chapter 175 - The Bidding Price

    Bidding Arena

    They were confined in a room, wearing ttering sexy outfits. Simione stood in a mirror nearby thinking how she had changedpletely, especially physically. Gina of course subjected them to many diets, thorough physical exercise and made sure their skin was well tended so that Simione saw the difference in her features. She looked really well but knowing that she was about to be sold and lose her dignity, she didn''t feel good about it.

    She was really so alluring then, so alluring she didn''t know she could be. Back in the Tang''s mansion, she had never worn anything revealing and didn''t put up much makeup. Besides she was too busy at school and taking care of the old Tang couple, she barely had time to fix herself. Right then, the one standing in front of the mirror with her wasn''t really the Simione that was adopted by the Tang''s, it was a different kind of Simione, someone that had been born out of circumstance.

    Inside her was more changes. She wasn''t innocent anymore, in fact she might have known many things about sex than a regr person had. She knew what to do and not to do as the situation requires. But all of this of course was nothing but a show off, something she had to do in the hopes that perhaps one day when she can get out, she can go back to the old Simione she once was..

    "You are next," Gina called on her. "Siena will be your name and make sure to pose the way I had taught you,"

    Simione only nodded obediently.

    "Well if you want to mess it up it''s your choice," Gina added. "If you go on the live arena looking weak and crying, you''ll be appealing to the sadistic clients . The weak ones are their types and so think first before messing up. You don''t want to lose that beautiful face. I heard those who had been sold to the sadistic clients were never seen again,"

    Simione''s throat went dry. She was not dumb. She knew what Gina said made sense and truth in arena''s like these, clients are the worst so she better act right or she''ll be the prey of those kinds of clients.

    "Good luck girl," The woman whom she spoke to in the make-up room a few days ago came and pat held her shoulder. "Axa"

    "Axa¡­what?"

    "My name is Axa¡­." She gave Simione aforting smile. "Yours?"

    "Simione¡­"

    "Simione, I hope to see you outside. Fine and free," The girl sent her off with wishes. Simione understood that once they will be sold to their bidders, their fate will be in their hands but one sure thing, the chances of getting back to the same prostitution house is slim and all the girls she saw there, she might not see ever again.

    "Axa, may you be fine and free too," Simione bid her goodbyes. "If we both get out here fine, lets go and send your ex-boyfriend to hell,"

    Axaughed at it. She then kissed Simione in the cheeks and smirked, "Sure thing. Goodbye Simione. Don''t ever give up,"

    ***

    When Simione''s turn came, she was pushed through a room full of nothing but mirrors. The light was centered on her, dazzling her skin as well as the diamonds that were attached to her costume. They let her wear a two piece suit that had been adorned by jewels, specifically diamonds because ording to Gina, it matched up her skin perfectly. Her long honeb hair then was ironed up while Gina made sure she wore only the slightest make up. She looked like a goddess dazzling in diamonds then, especially when she wore an expressionless face like a model and started posing like Gina taught her.

    Ironic was it because even if there was no other person in the room but herself, she knew malicious eyes were on her. She suspects the clients can see her through the mirror judging by how they surrounded the room. She wondered what type of clients were hiding behind those mirrors and what type of person they were.

    Soon her mind went nk, especially when she saw her expressionless face posing through the mirror. The stage in the center where she was in slowly moved in a circle, only conforming her first theory that clients indeed were hiding in those mirrors, if not, then why did her stage turn in circles? Her seller made it so the clients can view her from all angles.

    "50 million," She started hearing numbers from somewhere. Did the bidding start? She wondered how it was done and how rich their clients were that they could start bidding at 50 million. Should she be happy that she was that expensive? Was that really just her value? 50 million for her dignity?

    "60 Million,"

    "61 million,"

    "80 millions"

    "95 million"

    The numbers started going higher and higher until Simione finally believed what the doctor and Axa told her. Her beauty indeed was something, a curse or a gift, making men so desperate to have her.

    Shameless men! Their race was nothing but pervert assholes!

    "100 million,"

    "Going once, "

    "105 million"

    "150 million!"

    After thest offer there was silence.

    "Going once, going twice! Sold for 150 millions euros!"

    Simione''s body shook. The amount that she was sold in scared her in so many ways. How desperate could this client be to pay such a huge amount? Would he really go that far just for pleasure?

    Something inside the girl made her tremble hard. Now that she was sold, what will her fate be? Immediately she felt some panic, her chest started to tighten and her legs felt weak. Thankfully someone came to fetch her and so she was supported on because she could fall. She was brought to an exit and someone in a business suit fetched her there.

    "We''ve made the payment. I''ll take her," The man announced and looked at Simione from head to foot as if reassessing whether they bought the right thing or not.

 Chapter 176 - The Highest Bidder

    The man whose grab was at Simione was doubtful and so he waited for the confirmation before she let go of her. The confirmation however came a minuteter through a phone call, instructing the man to turn her over to the man in suit.

    After it was confirmed, Simione was handed to the man who fetched her, the man in a suit. The man then had two of hispanions dragged Simione away and knowing that she had no choice then, she only swallowed her panic and fear. Their group walked hastily in an empty hall and they made many turns before finally Simione finally saw the sun. She looked up and squinted at it, realizing how much she missed sunlight after a few months that she was locked in that big old building she was first brought in.

    Looking around, Simione noticed that they were in a big ship and the men who were dragging her had to climb off down to the port. Instantly she realized the biddings took ce in that ship and so if one escapes, they''ll have really no option but to jump into the water and take risks.. Very clever yet very devious!

    Right at the port, Simione was brought to a car parked nearby and was tossed again at the backseat.

    "Where are you taking me?" She had the courage to ask when the car moved and hit the road. However, no one gave her an answer and so Simione, just like before, retreated to one corner biting her lips in fear.

    "Where is this ce?" She added in panic as not a singlendmark and scenery that she saw on the car''s window seemed very familiar. With that she knew she wasn''t in Devon City anymore, she was either in another City now or another country she basically had no idea about.

    Her questions were not entertained and remained unanswered. Her buyer surely isn''t a kind of employee-lover type of boss, he did not even acknowledge her question. It was as if she never existed in the car.

    Seeing how insignificant she was, she shrunk low and she hated the feeling. She hates the feeling of being such a helpless fool and how she was sold off mercilessly. She looked at the road through the tinted windows and saw that it was raining outside, but apart from that, she knew she was no longer in that old building in a remote area. The road they were traversing now suggests that they were in a city, a city she had never been before. She looked further and saw the dark gloomy clouds and no matter how gloomy it turned, she somehow found relief with the fact that they were in a city, a crowded city .Unlike thest ce she had been brought, it was so remote that when she thought of escaping, she couldn''t be sure how she''d survive in the woods. Now that she is in the city, in case she can escape then, she''ll have no hard time asking for help.

    When their car stopped, Simione noticed it was in front of what looked like a five star hotel. To avoid somemotion, the man in suit had Simione ride a VIP elevator and so no one was with them aside from the man''s bodyguards.

    This of course frustrated Simione, she was hoping that she could associate with people on the way since this was a hotel. Perhaps she could ask for help but then she didn''t even know where she was. Who knows this ce might still be controlled by the same organization who took her or worse, perhaps this new ce was run by her highest bidder judging the way his subordinates could easily glide into it and use its facilities without hassle.

    Soon, she was thrown into a room without a word and Simione knew then, this would be the ce where she would say goodbye to her purity. She had been bought and brought to her bidders territory. She was now his property and he can use her ording to whatever suits him.

    His property

    The thought made Simione panicked more. What was she to do then? Would she just allow a stranger to take her dignity and just follow the flow of her fate ording to what Gina and the rest of the people in the organization expected her to do?

    Certainly at her situation right then, there was no escape.

    The room she was brought in doesn''t even have an open window, just a ss one and so no matter where she looked she knew there was no chance of escape. She couldn''t even see a phone anywhere or perhaps she was just too scared to even roam around the room and find one. That time too, she was all feeling exhausted as the waiting in the bidding took a very long time to finish.

    With her dooming closer and closer, Simione''s chest was about to burst out with fear. She dragged herself to a sofa nearby and held onto her heart. She had no tears this time as she had learned for the past few months that no matter she''ll cry a bucket of tears from it, her situation will never change.

    Minutes more and Simione started hearing somemotions outside the door. She heard people conversing for a while until there was silence. A deafening silence that made Simione feel very uncertain about everything. The girl remained seated on the sofa carefully assessing what to do and at the same time praying hard she won''t meet her end this time.

    When the door started to crack open, Simione almost lost her breath. She tried to stand in anticipation of her bidder even when her weak knees clearly shook in fear. She tried to support her body and be calm about it remembering what Gina had said previously¡ªdisying fear is only a disadvantage. However she must admit, such fear cannot be helped, especially when you don''t know what''s waiting for you at the end, either death or redemption.

    The door flew open in full and a person came in, a person that made Simione''s heart stopped. In a moment, even when she tried hard not to, every part of her shakes and immediately tears flooded her eyes.

    "You¡­..please...don''t¡­."

 Chapter 177 - Her Husband

    "You¡­.please¡­.don''t be a dream," The sight of the person who entered the door made Simione break down. It was only then that she felt like she had travelled so far away, got lost in a sea of dangerous hosts yet at the end, had finally found her way out.

    "Simione," The person called her name, also crying. She ran to the girl who looked dashingly beautiful but was helpless and all in tears.

    "Ly!" Simione wailed. Never in the world did she expect Lucy toe and rescue her. She knew the girl loved her deeply as a sister but to get through such a dangerous pit just to find her was something she didn''t know Luci was capable of. They were just college girls after all.

    "I''m sorry Sisi¡­...it took me a long time to fetch you and it also took me a very long time to find you¡­please don''t hate me¡­" Lucy cried with her. Her words reminded Simione of the day she was kidnapped. Lucy was actually the one who was supposed to pick her up, it was she whom she was waiting for on the streets.

    "How did you even know I was kidnapped?" Simione asked, clinging into Lucy''s arms like a child. "My abductors boasted of doing a clean job and so they told me nobody will suspect I got taken by them,"

    "I just knew you wouldn''t leave without saying goodbye so I had a hunch something happened to you," Lucy told her. "When I came to the area to fetch you and you weren''t there, I felt bad. Tried to ring the Tangs but they were pretty convinced you ran away. I also reported it to the police and they said it was just a normal case of running away since you left handwritten notes for the Tangs. Nobody believed me. I went to ask for the street''s CCTV and conveniently, their copies got deleted. That''s the time I was pretty convinced something happened to you,"

    "Oh Lucy," Simione''s throat went pretty wet she could barely utter a word. "You saved me Lucy! You came to save me!"

    "Hush Simione," Lucy wiped her own tears andforted the girl. She allowed her fearful and shaking friend to cry and be able to calm herself. "I''m here already, I won''t go away. I won''t allow anyone to take you again. I promised that,"

    Simione couldn''t believe that she had been rescued. Lucy was so real in her arms she knew all of this wasn''t a dream. She''s finally free and back to her friends. When she recovered a little, she asked to go and leave the ce as she felt very ufortable there. She was afraid that someone woulde and take her from Lucy.

    Lucy allowed the thing but that was after she had someone checked Simione''s health. A doctor was then brought to the hotel and Simione had an overall check up. Lucy obsessively examined every part of her, making sure she had no scratches anywhere. Although someone promised her she won''t be hurt, she wanted to be sure about it. She can''t just rely on anybody''s words now, especially that it took her a very long time to find the girl.

    "Lucy, did you just buy me off from the bidding arena?" Simione asked when they were in the car already. She stopped crying already and was thinking about how Lucy was able to help her. Right then, she was eating the food Lucy bought from a fast food nearby, thinking she must have been very hungry.

    "Ahm, yes¡­" Lucy answered. "Eugene said it was the best way to get you without messing around with the organization. I don''t want them running after us in case,"

    "You were my highest bidder?" Simione asked again with wide eyes. "You bought me for a hundred and fifty million euros?"

    "Technically it was me, but it was Eugene who handled it all," Lucy exined. "Eugene got an intel that you were the organization''s biggest bet for the auction. They say you were uniquely beautiful and inexperienced so Eugene promised me that if that was the case, the organization won''t hurt you. So if we want a smooth transaction, we should just buy your from them as the highest bidder,"

    "Eugene?"

    "The one in the suit. The one who took you from the ship," Lucy exined but Simione saw her hesitation and she fully understood that there seemed to be something that Lucy didn''t want to open more about. "He was the one who help me all through it,"

    "Eugene is your friend?" Simione continued asking.

    "More like an employee," Lucy corrected and was clearly avoiding Simione''s eyes. There was something about this transaction that she didn''t want Simione to know, something about her past that she was forced to forget. If only not because of Simione, she would never in her life dreamed of contacting Eugene again.

    "If your employee had ess to an organization like that and biddings like that, it means you are a dangerous person," Simione bbered. "Lucy you scare me to be honest,"

    "He''s not my employee okay?But he can''t say no to me for some reason," Lucy red at her. "I just saved you and now you are nagging at me! Ungrateful brat!"

    "Is he one of your lovers?" Simione squinted at her ignoring her second statement. She took a bit of the burger she had in her hand and added while her mouth was full. "Did you cling to your lovers again to save me?"

    "Nope," Lucy denied. "He won''t dare to be one of my lovers. He''ll get killed if he will be"

    Simione raised a brow at how Lucy''s voice shook when the topic hit at that. She wondered by then who was this person behind Eugene that she made Lucy falter. "By whom ?"

    "By someone you don''t want to met,"

    "Who exactly are you referring to?"

    "....." Lucy silenced.

    "Lucy????????" Simione pressed into her like a mad woman. She really hates it when Lucy keeps something from her.

    "My husband,"

 Chapter 178 - Who Wants Her Dead?

    "Your what?" Simione wanted Lucy to repeat her answer because for some reasons it didn''t make sense.

    For a moment, the two stared at each other without saying a word but after a while, the car was filled with Simione''s loud guffaw!

    "Hahahahahhahahah" Simioneughed at it hard. "Silly¡­. You don''t have a husband!...all you got were lovers everywhere¡­how could you have a husband!"

    "Hahahah...yeah right.." Lucy tooughed about it.

    "Your family is just so rich and powerful, I always knew it!" Simione continued, connecting all the dots she had with her because Lucy was being silly. Perhaps her friend just wanted her tough and he was very effective in doing so. The joke was about a husband, did work.

    Thinking about it, Lucy''s background was very mysterious. On her first day of school, everyone dropped jaws at how expensive her ride was and how her school bag was very expensive. Instantly, she made an impression that she was from a very rich family. However no one could tell which family in Devon City she belonged to and because her ent was somewhat different, it was first assumed that she was from a rich powerful family overseas. It was said that she was sent to Devon City for her safety as her parents didn''t want her to be a target to abductions in their home country knowing how rich they were.

    However, after just a few months, a rumour came around, saying Lucy wasn''t really rich. She was just pretending so and that her luxurious lifestyle was brought by his many rich lovers in Devon City. She was suspected to be a high end prostitute with so many lovers supporting her and since Lucy did not refute these rumours, as she never really seemed to care, everyone just thought it was true.

    Simione however could see through her personality. She treated Lucy as a regr person with no prejudices and this probably was the very reason why they clicked. They became good friends and although Lucy wasn''t very open about her background, Simione was pretty convinced she wasn''t all those things people were calling her about. Also, even if she was, she too doesn''t care. Lucy after all is still Lucy, her dearly beloved friend.

    "Whatever¡­" Lucy rolled an eye at her. In a moment they fascinated themselves more with the joke of Lucy''s husband until their conversation got pretty serious.

    "Simione, do you know why you got kidnapped? I don''t think you were just taken randomly," Lucy asked then. Now that Simione had calmed down, she wanted to dig deeper into her situation.

    "Now that you''ve asked. I remember the person who kidnapped me meant to kill me. Someone hired them but they thought of earning double from me so they sold me off to the prostitution house,"

    "Meant to kill you?"

    "Yes. Someone paid them so,"

    "Who wanted you dead?" Lucy thought about it. "How cruel is that? I don''t remember us messing with big people in Devon City so I don''t think someone would do that to anyone of us,"

    "Actually Lucy, I don''t remember telling this to you before but¡­he came home that time¡­."

    "Who?"

    "The Don¡­.he was in Devon City that time¡­" Simione exined. "Before we came to my graduation celebration, Feather came saying Don came home so he could settle Lyndon and Feather''s rtionship,"

    Lucy was silenced for a moment as her thoughts drowned her. There was something to this story that didn''t make sense.

    "I am not convinced that the Don would hurt you Sisi, he is your¡ª"

    "You don''t know him, but I do. I know how cruel of a person he was. Perhaps he became aware of what Lyndon did the night before and feared her favorite heiress will get hurt. So he wanted to get rid off me,"

    "What did Lyndon do that night?" Lucy was curious. That time, she remembered asking Simione what happened in the Tang''s house that she wanted to leave right away. The girl called her, asking to be picked up but she didn''t tell Lucy why.

    "He proposed to me," Simione revealed.

    "He had some balls to propose? My that man! He''s so full of himself," Lucy instantly cursed Lyndon at his foolishness. "What does he think of you? That you are that easy?"

    "I think that was the reason why the Don wanted to get rid of me," Simione concluded. "It was for Feather again,"

    "God, that family seriously has some problems," Lucy''s head almost ached at how pathetic the Han''s were. "I can''t believe they even tried to kill you,"

    "Lucy, I can''t go back to Devon City anymore," Simione thought about it and realized that for the Han''s she was dead already and so it would not be safe for her to unt herself in front of everyone anymore.

    "Devon is your home, you are going toe back with me. Nobody can stop me," Lucy swore to her, especially when she saw how Simione became very sad at the thought. "I promise you Simione, I''ll take care of you. You don''t have to worry about the Han''s,"

    "But I might only be implicating you in this matter," Simione was worried for Lucy too. "I don''t want them to hurt you too and Gabbie,"

    "They can''t hurt me, all the more Gabbie, she''s Monteria," Lucy confidently spoke. "As for you, I can protect you or I can conceal you from the Han''s so you don''t have to worry about it. They can think you are dead forever but they can''t stop your from going on with your life in Devon city,"

    "Besides, I don''t think the Don is still there. He might have left already. The rest of the Han''s however were very easy to fool, you need not to worry about them," Lucy added thinking about the family that they suspected to have hurt Simione. Of all people in Devon City, only that family knew who Simione was and so they were all certain they were the ones who had her killed.

 Chapter 179 - Her Nightmares

    Lucy thought Simione''s dilemma was over but she was very wrong. That night when she tucked the girl to sleep, Simione screamed all over for minutes because of a terrible nightmare.

    "Simione!"

    "No please! No please!" The sleeping girl rolled over and over on the bed. Her voice was filled with fear and panic as if some horrible monster visited her dreams.

    "Simione, it''s me! Simione wakes up!" Lucy, with her strength, woke the girl and when she did, she was crying again all over.

    "Lucy, help me! Help me Lucy," Simione wailed restlessly. She was dreaming about the whole ordeal of her abduction¡ªhow fears, her uncertainties, her wishes of death and hopelessness. Only when the night came and her body rxed did she realize the trauma that was brought by what she had gone through thest few months. It was horrible, specially than she had learned and saw so much in the prostitution house, things that she should have never learned and saw as an inexperienced woman.

    "Simione¡­..I''m here¡­hush now¡­" Lucy had been warned about Simione''s trauma. The doctor who had the girl checked earlier told her it was prone to her to have one especially with all the things she experienced. Filled by guilt of not being able to save Simione right away, Lucy could help but shed a tear in secret. Of course she can''t let the girl know she too was very affected and that she was very hurt by what Simione experienced.

    ''Damn the Han''s! I hope they never have a good life''

    Lucy cursed them. How could they be this cruel to do this to Simione? They were supposed to take care of her and yet they treated her less of a human being.

    That night, neither Simione nor Lucy was able to anticipate the impact of the kidnapping, not until many days had passed and Simione became more restless. When they came back to Devon City, Lucy hired a therapist for Simione but her recovery took years, two years to be exact. Her abduction caused so much damage in her emotional and mental health and so she was thoroughly unwell and struggled to function well on her own.

    To make her upied and as part of her therapy, Lucy made Simione her personal assistant for two years so that she could be wherever she was. During the day, Simione tails the singer wherever she goes, taking the role of her assistant in the entertainment industry and at night, the girl would do all of Lucy''s school stuff.

    Lucy this time was still a graduating student, as Simione graduated ahead of her and since it was also this time that her career as a singer started and flourished, she had gone pretty busy to keep up with her school. It was Simione then behind the scene who made the whole thing possible.

    With regard to the threat in Simione''s life, being under Lucy''s care, she made sure the Han''s wouldn''t know she was still alive. Besides, her circle was pretty tight as she was a singer and so she had guards everywhere. She also had Simione keep a very low key profile, disguising as a simple assistant where in fact the girl was totally overqualified for the job. However, since Simione was still unwell and Lucy had to watch over her, she forbade her from taking any other job.

    After two years, Simione recovered well. This was the time that Lucy started teaching her how to fend for herself and how to make sure nobody could recognize her, nor track her. She had someone teach Simione some basic self-defense and other stuff that woulde in handy and help the girl if someone attempted to hurt her again. After that, Lucy allowed Simione to go on with her personal ns and pursue whatever she wanted in her life.

    Simione was always thankful for Lucy with all the help she did for her. Gabrie too supported her and helped her in any ways she could.

    When she started getting back on track, Lucy suggested that Simione would pursue her first n on going into El Tigre''spany. She heard that the benefits and sry there were excellent and that their employees were kept very confidential and so Lucy thought it would be the perfectpany for Simione.

    Besides, it had always been Simione''s dream to work with El Tigre and be mentored under him and so she did pursue such a n. Luckily because of her good academic background, she was epted into El Tigre''spany and got promoted after a few years until shended on being one of El Tigre''s many research secretaries.

    After a few years of working under El Tigre''spany, she became interested withw, especially that the department she was in was working under El Tigre''sw firm-Umbresio Law Offices. Soter on, she took thepany''s sponsorship and studiedw, taking only night sses. Her life then went well, she became very independent and was able to fend for herself more than Lucy expected. Simione''s sry too was verypensating and even her job was envied by many. Lucy and Gabrie could have never been more proud.

    However, Simione''s peaceful life was disturb when she saw the news of a famous ballet dancer¡ªLyndon Tang meeting an unexined car ident, followed by grandfather William''s being used of embezzlement.

    Of course, Simione couldn''t just bear to ignore that the Tang''s then specially that they needed help and so she reconnected with them specially when she realized that no one was helping them now. Grandfather William was involved in embezzlement and so none, even his close friends wanted to help him afraid of being implicated. It was such a serious offense apanied by public hate and so no one should want to share with the public''s hate.

    The Tang''sfortable life crumbled just in one night and all their assets were frozen and so to help them, Simione paid off for Lyndon''s medical fees and spent the rest of her savings helping with grandfather Tang''s case.

    Later on, another news came that made Simione very angry¡ªit was Feather and Hawk''s engagement. This made Simione suspicious about what happened to the Tangs and realized their misery was because of Feather wanting to get rid of Lyndon so she can have a clean start with Hawk Monsanto.

    Enraged, Simione created the Feather Project.

 Chapter 180 - The Lawyer

    Back to Present Day

    Simione stayed with Lyndon for a while talking about many things about the past, skipping of course the hurtful things. However, before the day ended, Simione had to rush to prison again because of grandfather Williams. Thewyer she paid for called her saying that the judge now had a resolution for his judgement. So, at the time that Lyndon had gotten asleep, Simione excused herself from the Tang''s mansion to see thewyer.

    On her way, Grabrie called her to check. Lucy told her that Simione was already back and asked her if she could apany the girl for a while. Lucy was very busy that''s why she could not meet Simione but she understood that SImione was going through a lot right then with all the Hawk and Lyndon''s drama so she asked for Gabrie''s help. When Gabrie heard that she was going to see grandfather William''swyer, she asked toe with her.

    "You was held guilty by the judge. The properties of the Tang''s will be taken by the government," Thewyer calmly told Simione while she was reading the resolution in her hand.

    "This can''t be! You know he was being judged wrongly.. We should file a motion for reconsideration for this," Simione went on as she mmed the paper on the table. "I thought we were nning to summon some papers from the intiff''s side as evidence, what happened with that?"

    "Well¡­..the intiff for sure will not give it¡­besides those documents surely don''t matter," Thewyer told her.

    "How sure were you that those don''t matter? And why worry about the intiff not giving it, you should have asked the court for a subpoena for it," Simione was confused about thewyer''s answer. It was obvious he didn''t take grandfather William''s case properly. Through the resolution she was reading, she could tell right away he had not done his job well. "I am paying you millions for this,"

    "Are you saying that I am not capable?" Thewyer was insulted at what Simione told him. "Be careful of what you are using me of, you know this is an embezzlement case and that the chances of winning are slim!"

    "Hey don''t talk to Sisi like that," Gabrie red at thewyer. "Even if it''s an embezzlement case, as awyer you should do your job especially when you know your client is innocent. Besides, Simione''s is right. She is paying you millions and you are not doing your job well,"

    "You guys do not understand how this works¡­.you are just pretending to know anything," Thewyer tried to sway his position off.

    "Excuse me, Simione is aw student and she works in El Tigre''sw firm," Gabrie defended her friend. "She knew a lot of these things, you can''t fool her,"

    For thewyer, what Gabrie said was a revtion. He certainly did not expect Simione to have some knowledge inw and so he thought he could just fool her around.Truth was he was just there for the money specially that Simion unexpectedly was paying off good and didn''t take the case seriously.

    "Then why don''t you ask El Tigre to do the job for you since she''s his employee? Do you think you can fool me around?" It was thewyer''s turn to defend himself. Now that she knew that Simione was aw student, he knew his chances of fooling her in the future is small and so he can''t just easily milk off on her. He certainly expected that the woman who came to her was a smart one, all he thought was that since she was desperate he could make money from her.

    "You are just here for the money," Simione crumpled the paper on her hand out of anger. "I''m going to sue you for gross negligence in this case,"

    "Go ahead. I''ll resign too. I don''t want to be involved with this case anymore," Thewyer said and walked out. Simione, who was surprised that he just easily dumped a case like that, wanted to go after him but Gabrie stopped her.

    "Sisi, let it go.." Gabrie said. "If you keep hiring him, grandfather William''s case will be prejudiced,"

    "But we need to file a motion for reconsideration Gabbie," Simione worriedly replied. "I need him for that, it''s toote to hire anotherwyer now,"

    Gabrie looked at Simione pitifully. It had been years since this case was going on and it already dried up the previous savings Simione worked for many years. The one she had now was the money she got from dancing in front of Hawk Monsanto and yet, nowyer was taking her seriously. It was an embezzlement case afterall, cases like that really are hard to sustain.

    "How about we go home so you can rest for a while," Gabrie suggested. "You just came from Comis Vige, I don''t even think you have slept at all," The circles in Simione''s eyes confirmed it.

    "Gabrie I''m okay," Simione told her but in a moment, she slightly stumbled her bnce as a big headache crushed her head. Good thing Gabrie was able to catch her immediately.

    "See this is what I''m taking. Lucy said that Hawk and you had an ident in Comis vige, I should have you checked," Gabrie reprimanded her and carefully assisted her to sit back onto her previous seat.

    "This is just nothing,"

    "Simione above everything, your health is important," Gabrie replied. "I''ll bring you to a hospital,"

    "Hawk''s assistant had me checked already, I just needed some rest." Simione didn''t want to be brought to the hospital anymore.

    "Don''t ever lie to me,"

    "I am not. Just bring me home. I just need some sleep. I was not able to sleepst night because I was worried about Hawk," Simione confessed as her exhaustion hit her. Her headache worsened as every second passed by and she knew she needed to drink some medicine for it. "Let''s go now,"

    "Alright," Gabrie assisted her and they left the ce. Good thing El Tigre assigned a ride for Gabrie and so they didn''t need to hire a cab any longer.

 Chapter 181 - Gabriellas Plan

    Gabrie brought Simione to Allegria penthouses and tucked her to bed after she drank some medicine for the headache. When Simione was asleep, Gabrie looked at her friend pitifully and felt extra weak for not being able to help her.

    Simione had been so problematic about the Tangs for more than a year already and as much as she wanted to help her, she really didn''t have the resources to. She''s just an abandoned heiress now, she can''t even ask help from the Monteria''s for Simione''s sake.

    However, earlier, thewyer they talked to pressed an idea to Gabrie''s head.

    "Then why don''t you ask El Tigre to do the job for you since she''s his employee?"

    Gabrie was aware that even when you are an employee in El Tigre''s corporation, you can''t really expect Primo to help you in your personal businesses and so it was really rude for thewyer to say that.. Simione had not even met Primo yet even when she had worked for many years in hispany. So, how can she ask for his help?

    However, Primo, the great youngwyer in this countryes home to her every night and is always good to her. Perhaps she can asked his help for Simione''s benefit?

    Thinking about Primo now, an immediately blushed went to Gabrie''s face.

    ''Shit! How could I think of those shameless things we did right now? I should be thinking of how to help Sisi,"

    Gabrie casted away those dirty thoughts and thought of something. Simione said that she needed thewyer right away since she needed to file a motion for¡­ whatever. She can''t remember it anymore. However it seemed the matter was urgent so she had to talk to Primo right away.She can''t anymore wait any longer, especially that Primo told her this morning he''ll be veryte. What should she do then? Should she call him?

    But this matter needed to be talked about face to face. She felt it was rude to make requests like this through a call.

    Gabrie bit her nails while thinking through it. She didn''t really know what to do, all she knew was that to help Simione she must make a solution before she wakes up.

    "Perhaps I should call Marie," Gabrie said to herself and so after a moment she dialed the mansion''s number. The line was answered right away and she asked the one who picked it up to call Marie.

    "Mydy, what is it?" Marie''s gentle voice weed her through the line.

    "Marie¡­.hmmmmm¡­..I¡­I¡­"

    "Do you need anything mydy? Say it I can help you with anything,"

    "I need to speak to Primo¡­"

    "But mydy, you know the master isn''t here. He is in the office, he''lle home however tonight,"

    "What I mean is that¡­I need to speak to him right now¡­but it''s something I cannot say through a call¡­is there anyway I can meet him¡­or is it even possible?"

    "I see¡­" Marie paused a bit also thinking about how to make it happen. "How about you go to his office,"

    "Ehhh? Am I even allowed to go there?"

    "Mydy, I think the master will be very delighted if youe and visit him.."

    "But I don''t want to go and disturb him¡­" Gabrie hesitated for a moment.

    "Just go and meet him. I''m done cooking lunch right now. How about you bring him some? He''ll surely like to eat with you for lunch," Marie''s face brightened up in the other line.

    The idea just passed through her and she was really happy that she was able to think about it. She always had problems with Primo with his eating habits. He always missed some meals and Marie couldn''t make himmit to eating regrly. Perhaps with thedy around, she can have himmit to it specially that ever since Gabrie entered their house, Primo always makes sure toe home and eat dinner and breakfast with her.

    "I think that''s a great idea," Gabrie was somehow convinced.

    "Okay, I''ll have the food delivered to the entrance of the Umbresio building so you won''t have toe here for it. Just head straight to his office, okay?"

    "Alright. Thank you Marie," Gabrie ended the call and turned to look at the sleeping Simione. "Don''t worry Sisi, I''ll make sure Primo will take your case, you don''t have to worry about it anymore,"

    With that, Gabrie fixed herself and leave Simione''s room. Before leaving, she talked to Lucy''s housemaid and instructed her to take care of Simione while she was out. Lucy had housemaids but they did not stay in and so they were just there during the day to do some cleanings. It was still round eleven in the morning that time and so Gabrie was still able to catch them cleaning at the penthouse.

    The driver that was assigned to Gabrie took the less hassle road and so within just twenty minutes, they reached Primo''s office. Right when she alighted, a familiar servant from the mansion approached her.

    "Miss, Marie said that I should escort you inside. She was afraid that the security and the receptionist might not give you a hard time so I''m here to make sure you can go in conveniently," The servant told her and she noticed that he was carrying something with him. It must be the lunch that Marie promised.

    "Alright, thank you for apanying me," Gabrie sighed in relief. She really thought she had to go inside alone and seeing how big the building was, she wasn''t sure she could find her way to Primo.

    The servant took charge of escorting Gabrie and so they passed through the security without a hassle. Even the reception gave them a go immediately but Gabrie saw that everyone inside was looking at her. She also saw the receptionist whispering against each other and giggled. Some raised an eyebrow while some just looked at her without expression.

    Shit! Did her presence cause a scene today?

 Chapter 182 - Primos Office

    Gabrie just held her ground. She felt very shy abouting into Primo''s office, especially that it was obvious everyone in the reception arena glued their eyes on her. The servants soon led her somewhere and she was shocked to be escorted into a VIP elevator.

    "Are we allowed to use this?" Gabrie''s eyes went big.

    "Yes Miss, you are actually allowed to use anything here," The servants replied with a smile. The man looked at Gabrie who looked like an angel fallen from heaven with her white dress and a pretty white ribbon on her hair. Jezz, why does the Miss love to wear white all the time? She really looked like a supernatural heavenly being with it. He felt so unworthy to be escorting her.

    Soon the elevator stopped and when it opened, Gabrie was weed with so many eyes on her. The floor they were on was the floor where Primo''s office was seated and so his personal secretaries¡ªa lot of them actually were also there. Their office was just right in front of Primo''s office and just as the VIP door opened, their eyes all turned to her. Not that they knew that she was Gabrie Monteria and that she wasing, it was just that the VIP elevator was only meant for Primo and since their boss was already inside, they was curious who came and used his personal elevator.

    "Is that Gabrie Monteria?"

    "I think so. I have seen her in a magazine before featuring the Monteria''s. She''s looked like an angel,"

    "So it''s true? That the boss and her are¡­"

    "Shhhhhhhhh¡­don''t mention it,"

    "But she rode his personal elevator and the person she was with, isn''t that Marie''s personal errand boy? Does it mean Marie approved of her?"

    "Is he living in the boss mansion already?"

    "Is she going inside now?"

    "Someone should stop her or there will be huge mess,"

    "Gardon¡­." Someone dared to call the man that Gabrie was with. They were already in front of Primo''s office door and were ready to knock.

    "Yes?" The man looked at her with head forming lines. He had never been called out ever before by any of Primo''s secretaries so he wondered what this one wanted.

    "The boss, I think he isn''t avable,"

    "Can''t you see I''m with thedy? Get back to work. You shouldn''t be calling out on us," The man reprimanded her. He was Marie''s personal assistant and since Mairie was Primo''s second mother, she was somewhat influential around. Even the secretaries cannot go against her, nor so with Gardon, the man that Gabrie was with.

    "But someone is¡ª"

    Her words were cut off when something inside the room broke and in a moment, voices were raised inside that Gabrie thought something was wrong. There was an intense arguing coupled with sses broken here and there.

    Worried that Primo was hurt, Gabrie''s instinct led her to open the door immediately and the scene that weed her took all the color in her face.

    Primo was there standing safe at one corner, his right hand was pressed on the neck of a woman whose shirt was ripped open showing off her voluptuous breast and their lips were on each other¡ªthey were kissing!

    Of course the sudden opening of the door made a sound so surprised, the two¡ªPrimo and the half naked woman dragged both their heads to the door and they both saw Gabrie who was stunned on the spot, surprised. Primo fidgeted.

    "Dulzura¡­"

    Primo''s voice snapped Gabrie away from her surprised state and her eyes immediately warmed up with tears. She looked terribly surprised then but before her tears fell, she swallowed it up and balled her fists. "I''m sorry I should have note here. Please excuse me,"

    That was what she managed to say and Gabrie left the room. Outside, Gardon too was surprised too but he hurriedly chased hisdy, as Marie entrusted her to him.

    "Gabrie!!!!!!" Primo''s call filled the whole room making everyone shrink in fear. Even the secretary who approached Gardon and Gabrie earlier ran away back to her desk, very afraid of Primo''s expression. They knew what such a face meant and so they hid in their desks trying not to draw even the slightest of Primo''s attention.

    Even without permission, took the VIP elevator again but before it closed, Gardon was able to squeeze himself in. What just happened?

    "Lady.. I think you should¡­"

    "Close it.." Gabrie''s tone was so hard that Gardon was shocked by it.

    "Lady, the master is¡­"

    "I said close it!"

    Gardon saw that Gabrie was about to cry with anger and so hesitantly he pressed the button for close but Primo''s big hands immediately pushed the door back open. In a moment, he was hovering on the Monteria heiress and the way he went speechless made Gardon want tough. It was the first time he saw Primo not being able to know what to do.

    "Dulzura¡­"

    "Fuck it.." Gabrie cursed and squeezed herself out of the elevator. With Primo preventing it from closing, it was a waste of time staying there. She saw another elevator earlier and so she walked toward it or perhaps she''ll just go for the exit stairs, that way Primo could not stop her.

    Primo however followed her behind and everyone in the room saw how Primo''s face went helpless with the girl. Gabrie on the other hand put up a hard angry face¡ªhalf angry, half crying face¡ª and everyone could only raise a brow at how she looked more beautiful in such a state.

    "Dulzura¡­" Primo attempted to call her again but¡­.

    P-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-c-k-k!

    Gabrie, without some warning, pped Primo in the face and everyone''s jaw dropped at the scene. It was like heaven fell at that moment and everyone wondered what''s going to happen to the Monteria heiress with her audacity to p the infamous El Tigre.

    "Don''t you dare call me that, or even my name!" Gabrie was gritting her teeth at it. "You don''t deserve it!"

 Chapter 183 - Gullible Heiress

    Primo was so surprised at the small tinge of pain that snapped into his face. Caught off guard, he wasn''t able to stop Gabrie when she bolted to the exit stairs running. Primo was left stunned and in a moment he traced the part of his face that Gabrie just pped and let go of a mockingugh.

    Not augh to mock Gabrie''s audacity but augh for his foolish self. How could this happen?

    "Right..that woman," Primo was reminded of the woman who was still in his office right then. "Gardon¡­."

    "Master," Gardon, who was at his back, answered immediately. Primo''s tone and expression turned devil-like and even feared him.

    "Take that woman to your twin," .

    Gardon gulped with his instruction. "Master, are you sure with this?"

    "You dare ask me again¡­"

    Gardon''s knees went weak immediately. "I was only thinking of you master. Ifdy Gabrie will know that you had killed a person for her, you might have problems reconciling with her,"

    Primo balled his fists. Grabbing some vase nearby, he threw it off the wall immediately, very frustrated by the fact. "Take her to your twin still. Just instruct him not topletely kill her,"

    Gardon only closed his eyes in frustration but then he dared not to question his master''s instruction again. It was enough he pleaded with him once, the second time might cost him his head. Not waiting for further instructions, he went to Primo''s office and grabbed the woman who was shaking in fear.

    "What are you going to do with me?" She asked, trying to put off an unafraid face when obviously her body was.

    "Tsk¡­you had been warned already Olivia¡­you still dared to cross the line," Gardon told her so and immediately grabbed her.

    "I was only trying to put a sense on him," She reasoned. "I''m the one he was supposed to be with, it''s already been destined from the beginning,"

    "Well master, don''t believe in destiny," Gardon replied and started dragging her away. "Don''t mess around anymore, you know there''s no point to it,"

    "Where are you taking me?"

    Gardon sighed. He hated this side of his job especially when he was dealing with women. However his twin brother''s job was the worst so he was kind of thankful with that. "To my twin,"

    "To Gerdon?" The girl''s expression turned dreadful immediately. "No! No! Please! Don''t bring me to him,"

    However, her pleas weren''t heard. Gardon dragged her in front of all the secretaries horrifyingly that everyone only lowered their head to avoid such a scene. On this floor, whatever happens and what they see, they were instructed never to speak about it.

    Some of the secretaries only shook their heads, some wondered why. That woman Gardon just dragged out had long been bossing around their floor. She was one of the secretaries of Primo, rumoured to be his long time lover. This was the reason why even when many women imed to have been on Primo''s bed, they all knew those women were just nothing. Olivia was the real deal, or so they think.

    If Gabrie Monteria didn''t show up and make the fool out of Primo, everyone in that office would still think Olivia was the queen.

    ***

    When Gabrie reached the ground level, exhaustion went on her. She''s from the thirtieth floor after all. She dragged herself carefully through the exit and when she was outside, she hid in one corner and thought about what happened.

    It didn''t take long when her tears started falling one by one and soon she was crying hysterically. She sat on the ground and hugged her knees as she let go of pain inside her heart, like a child.

    "I hate you Primo!" She announced while crying. "How dare you break my heart!...your so full of shit¡­.making false promises¡­shit you¡­.you are a scam¡­.fuck you! Fuck you!..."

    Gabrie couldn''t believe she had given her heart again to another cheater. How could she be so unfortunate to have been fooled in a row. Is she really that gullible?

    That scandalous scene of Primo kissing a half naked woman in his office was so painful and her stupid mind keep shing it on her head. Helpless, Gabrie knocked her head a couple of times cursing.

    "Stupid Gabrie¡­.stupid! Forget it! Forget it!....He''s just another scam¡­.." Gabrie cried even more. "Lucy was right afterall¡­.you can never really trust a man¡­foolish Gabby¡­.but at least he is not a pinky finger worth¡­."

    "At least¡­." Gabrie took constion in the fact that somehow even when she was scammed again, it''s not that bad. Primo was worthy of her little time at least and his big¡­ big ¡­.muscles and hard ¡­hard ¡­.gulped ¡­.whatever. She didn''t want to think about it anymore. How could she think about anything so shameless now?

    Gabrie was done crying after a while. She picked up herself and wiped her tears before she walked off. However when she was about to go, a group of men surrounded her and she recognized them as Primo''s men.

    "Don''t you dare stop me now or I''ll hate your master more," Gabrie warned.

    "Miss you are not allowed to leave the premises," One of them answered.

    "You dare defy me," Gabrie sulked. Knowing that she had no escape, she took her phone and rang Lucy. "Lucy, I hate Primo now. Send me your men. I''m at Primo''s office on the ground floor at the exit. His men isn''t letting me go, I want to go home,"

    Just that call and it didn''t take long for Lucy''s men toe. The ground level went chaotic as the two groups fought over taking Gabrie. However the fighting didn''tst long as Gabrie had already thought about how to escape Primo''s men and soon, she was already riding Lucy''s car, traversing down the busy streets back to Allegria penthouses.

    "Fool¡­" Gabrie said thinking about Primo. "I won''t be fooled by you again..shit you Primo Umbersio, you are one hell of a son of a bitch..."

 Chapter 184 - Escaped His Grip

    When Primo heard that Gabrie escaped with Lucy''s men he was ready to kill his own men. His anger couldn''t and frustration got a hold of him and so the wholepany went horrifyingly chaotic at what happened today. Everyone did not dare to leave their desks and stayedte for overtime, not knowing when it was safe to leave. Good thing Simione was on a long leave, or else, she''ll suffer the same deal her colleagues had.

    "Master, forgive us, but thedy took a gun to her head and threatened us all to hurt herself if we won''t let her go," The head security exined.

    "Did she?" Primo''s eyebrows raised angrily at it. Gabrie pping him and threatening his men with her life was something he never thought his angel could do. He always believed Gabrie wasn''t strong or daring to do some bold things, yet he was wrong. Her angel knows how to be angry and when she is, she bes smart and daring she even dares to p him. Did she know no one had pped him before?

    Yet, he could never bring himself to be mad at her. How could he at this point when the fact of her leaving him happened under his watch. Where was he even at that time when Gabrie chose to leave?.

    He was there. Hiding in an office room nearby trying to think of something to appease her. He certainly was lost about what to do, especially when he saw the anger in her eyes. So while he was thinking how to fix it, he asked his men to watch over her and she broke free.

    "Shit!" Primo brushed his hair frustratedly and cued everyone present at his office to leave immediately. He never thought having a rtionship was hard as he never had one before. All he had after all were those men he had a one night stand on¡ªsomething that barely qualifies as a rtionship. Technically, Gabrie was his first and he thought all he had to do was shower her with affection and beautiful things but then again he was wrong. He never once thought appeasing an angry woman was part of it, and guess what, he had never appeased any woman before. In fact, every woman he met had never been angry with him once. Gabrie again was the first one.

    How was she to deal with her anger?

    What happened earlier was uncalled for. Olivia came into his office to pretend to give him some documents, he did not expect her to daringly strip her shirt and unt his naked front on him. He got very mad of her audacity and so he choked her hard, pinning her on the wall. Unexpectedly because of their close distance, the shameless woman managed to squeeze a bit and forced a kiss to him right when the door opened.

    Olivia Chang. How dare you upset my woman? He wanted to kill her to be honest.

    However, he must admit he''ll suffer some consequences fromying a hand on that woman. Olivia Chang was the daughter of one of their leaders. His family the Umbresio had long been involved in rebels and different underground fractions hidden from the world.

    Olivia''s faction, ''Trenta'' was captured by them ages ago and their leader pleaded for their group''s life, in exchange, they will serve the Umbresio''s for life. Olivia was the daughter of the recent leader and since birth, she was trained to serve Primo. That was how shended being her secretary, to be one of his assets and protector. However, recently, he realized that the woman had some delusions of bing his woman and in respect for his faction, he had warned her and given her a chance. Right then, he regretted the chance he gave her before, who could have predicted she would go this far?

    And Gabrie¡­.He certainly didn''t expect her presence earlier. Why did shee by the way? As far as he knew, Gabrie wasn''t thatfortable with him yet so he''ll surely note except in exceptional circumstances. Does she need him for something? He was dying to know then.

    "Gabrie¡­I swear I''m going to¡­." Primo could only sighed in desperation. Gabrie was making him crazy. Real crazy.

    Curious, helpless and left with no choice, Primo took his phone and swallowed his pride. He texted one of his trusted assistants first and asked him to get something for him and for a few minutes, he walked to and fro in his office impatiently.

    When he received the answer to his errand, his assistant texted him. He blew off some serious air from his mouth.

    The thing he asked his assistant was Luci Dimitri''s number because right at this time, she was the only person he knew who could answer his curiosity. He really didn''t like that woman from the beginning, she was just outrageous but what can he do then? He was basically at his mercy.

    So, he dialed the number that was given to him and waited for the line to open. When it did, Luci in her usual seductive tone, answered.

    "Who''s the lucky guy who desperately wanted to talk to me?" Lucy answered from the other line. The number that went on her screen was unregistered and so she knew that whoever was on the other line, his a big fish as her personal number wasn''t something ordinary people can have.

    "It''s me.." Primo took a long time to answer. He felt like this was the most foolish thing he ever did but what he did. He had to do something about Gabrie''s or he might go crazy thinking about it.

    "Unfortunately I don''t know you" Lucy mocked. His answer only gave her an idea that he wasn''t one of those people who wanted to be her lover and he was calling her because he had some serious business with her.

    "It''s me Luci, Primo," He answered, hating the fact that he had to talk again with the singer.

    There was a silence in the other line, for a moment.

 Chapter 185 - The Call

    Lucyically raised a brow at the other line. Truth was that she was already suspecting he would call, but never thought it was that fast. It''s just thirty minutes ago that Gabrie texted her that she''s home in the Allegria penthouse.

    Was Primo that in love, he couldn''t bear such a thirty minutes separation? God this man!

    "Hmmm¡­you are doomed," Shezily told him.

    "Give me back my woman," Primo''s voice bore some threats.

    "She has free will Primo," Lucy rolled an eye at him.. "You upset her. Suffer the consequences,"

    "Luci do not try my patience,"

    "Gabrie''s patience is short too. You sure you want to upset her more by hurting me?"

    "I didn''t say I''m going to hurt you!" Primo cussed so angry that Lucy was taking shields on her woman. How could she use Gabrie so he can''tunch fire at her? This singer was so shameless!

    "Whatever, I''m busy. I don''t have time for cheaters¡­" Lucy was done with him. She really didn''t know what happened but if Gabrie says he cheated, then she believes her.

    "I didn''t cheat, okay? It was a misunderstanding!" Primo was very frustrated as the conversation was going. Luci was obviously making a fool out of him, mocking him in every way. "Talk her out of it, tell her toe home,"

    "No," Lucy refused.

    "Can''t we negotiate on that?"

    "No," Lucy repeated with a hard tone. "I don''t help men fool my friends,"

    "Luci I told you¡­."

    "I only believe Gabrie unfortunately," Lucy replied indignantly. She was very aware there was more to the story, especially at how Primo got so frustrated, almost like crying at how he had gone pretty helpless with Gabrie. It seemed like he was really serious about making amends with her.

    "She''s¡­.that woman¡­.Fuck Luci! Why don''t you just go and investigate it since I know you are that capable," Primo told her because it seemed that she''ll never believe whatever he was going to say.

    "So you admit I''m capable?" Lucy takes pleasure in it. "I''ll take it as apliment. Are we over now? You see, my time is very precious and I have one friend at home who is crying because she got heartbroken with the El tigre so¡ª"

    "Wait!" Primo cut her off. "Do you know why Gabrie came to my office?"

    "I do,"

    "Tell me," It was more like amand and Lucy let go of a soundlessugh at it.

    "Oh El Tigre, I thought you''ve heard enough about me. You should have known, extracting information from mees with a price,"

    "How much?" He said without hesitation.

    "Oh I like that¡­" Lucy was very ttered at the thought he was very willing to spend on it. "Unfortunately I''m very rich, I don''t need your money,"

    "Then what is it that you want,"

    "Help me conceal someone," Lucy sttered her business with him.

    "What happened to Luci?" Primo kind ofughed at it. "Conceal someone, seriously? I thought you were capable. This should go easy on you,"

    "Of course it is against Hawk Monsanto," The mention of Hawk''s name got the conversation pretty serious.

    "Luci, you are digging a grave,"

    "Are you that afraid?"

    "I''m not afraid of Hawk Monsanto," Primo meant what he said. "However, I''m not also a fool to mess up with him. You know that man, he''s out of everyone''s touch. His name is Hawk for some reasons,"

    "Your name is El Tigre for some reasons too,"

    Primo''s expression went heavy. Lucy was proposing a very dangerous liaison, it needed to be carefully thought. With that, he sat back on his seat and flushed a dangerous aura even when he was alone in his office. "Let''s just say he is the king of the sky, I''m the king of the ground. We don''t cross each other''s boundaries to avoid each other,"

    "Boring. I thought hitting on Hawk Monsanto is fun," Luci was trying to get him into saying yes. "Besides, it''s for Gabbie. She''ll be very delighted if I tell her you had help,"

    The mention of Gabrie''s name erased all of Primo''s concern about making clear boundaries against Hawk Monsanto. "Tell me whose the person that you are referring to,"

    "Simione Roux Abreo, she''s your employee," Lucy revealed. "I tried hiding her off from him but he was getting serious this time and you know what happens when a man like him gets serious, he can turn all tables down and break them,"

    "Got it and the answer to my previous question?" He demanded from her information about why Gabrie went to his office.

    "It was also for Simione. She was the foster daughter of the Tang''s. The head of the family is involved in an embezzlement case. I think she wanted you to help Simione. From what I heard, thewyer Simione paid was being ipetent,"

    "Seems like she is my woman''s dear friend," Primo thought about it. For Gabrie to be so desperate to see him right away, she must have left with no option. "Simione Roux Abreo, intriguing,"

    "Of course she''s intriguing," Lucy smirked at it. "Something I wanted to add just in case¡­"

    "What?" Primo asked, thinking it was not that big. Damn! He was wrong.

    "Simione is Hawk Monsanto''s woman!" Lucy said and turned off the phone right away.

    She knew the revtion would trigger a long conversation with Primo and she was so tired she didn''t want to deal with it anymore. It was enough that Primo said he would help. He was a man of word after all and so his previous yes should do. He would certainly help concealing Simione''s identity.

    Primo on the other line however gritted his teeth, angered by the fact that he was tricked by Luci into saying yes. Ah that singer! He really knows she''s one hell of a trouble!

    "Luci! You''ve got to be kidding me!" Primo was mad but the thought of Gabrie being delighted with his help was soforting he was very willing to take such risks. Besides, he can endure a man to man war with Hawk Monsanto rather than the war he had with Gabrie then. Thetter was more troublesome.

 Chapter 186 - Mr. Blue

    A weekter

    Lucas was seriously sweating in front of Hawk. Even when he just woke up, a little bit weak and was still attached to an IV drip¡ªsuch a thing didn''t stop him from being the dreadful beast everyone feared him to be.

    "What do you mean you can''t find her?" Hawk''s was infuriated. The moment he woke up, he asked Lucas where Simione was and thetter ipetently told him he couldn''t locate the girl.

    "I tried someone to follow her but someone interved on the way, she basically got lost from our men''s sight," Lucas shamefully replied. Truth was he never expected Hawk to wake up looking for the girl so he did not take her disappearance as something big. He was ultimately focused on Hawk''s health for the few days he even forgot about her existence. Besides, she isn''t Hawk''s fiancee. He could not expect him to care for her right?

    How wrong he was on that because the moment Hawk opened his eyes, Sisi was the name that escaped his mouth.

    "Why did you even let her go in the first ce?" Hawk growled in anger, making his personal assistant flinch.. "Lucas how could you be this ipetent?"

    "But President I sent her away because Miss Han came by and of course you can''t expect me to keep her," Lucas reasoned but when he saw the amount of anger that went Hawk, he regretted hisst statement. "She is not your woman anyway,"

    "I think I had been too lenient with you, you keep crossing the line already," Hawk said right through his face that made Lucas shrink in fear. The President had always been good to him because they grew up together and because of that, Lucas had been toofortable around him; he forgot that when ites to work, Hawk doesn''t take bets on outside rtionships rather than an employer-employee one.

    "I''m sorry President, I''ll look into the matter right away," Lucas pleaded for his position on him. Seeing Hawk''s fury he knew he couldn''t escape his wrath this time.

    "This is yourst chance Lucas, if you won''t get this right. I''ll send you to our mining site in Africa so you could think about your ipetence," Hawk scoffed, his harsh tone went so unfamiliar to Lucas as he had never seen such contempt before. Did he really mess up that bad this time?

    "Go away. Don''t appear in my presence to me until you''ll learn everything about her," Hawk instructed and sent him off. Lucas sighed in relief when he exited his room. God! Hawk Monsanto went mad and more devilish when he woke up. What exactly happened in the mountains? And why is that woman so hard to catch? He seriously did send someone to tail on her but someone intervened and they lost her. Was someone protecting her?

    Shit! This was harder than he thought.

    When Lucas turned to the hallways to leave, he caught sight of a familiar man with a dangerous aura.

    "Mr. Blue," Lucas whispered but it seemed that the man heard him and he dragged his eyes onto him after a moment.

    "Did he send you off?" Asked the man. Mr. Blue wasn''t his real name but that was what everyone called him. He was one of the oldest trusted subordinates of Hawk but as per Lucas knowledge goes, he was sent off abroad to handle some matters.

    "He woke up mad,"

    "He''s always mad. He had just been lenient with you all this time," Blue told him as he cast him a suspecting look. "Told you to be careful. Even when he treats you as his brother, you should separate work from personal business,"

    "He''s gone crazy over a woman," Lucas sttered on.

    "See that? You telling me about the President''s confidential circumstances is totally not a good sign," Blue clicked his tongue at Lucas'' childishness. "You need to eat more, kid. I bet he gave you a job and sent you away, that job is yourst chance to redeem yourself. If you can''tplete that then he''ll sent you abroad and just take you as a brother, no more hiring you as an assistant,"

    "I know," Lucas replied and hastily went away.

    Mr. Blue walked toward Hawk''s room and the moment he opened the door, the not in a good mood Hawk Monsanto weed him with an errand. "Find me the woman,"

    "I will if that''s what you want," Mr. Blue obediently replied. "But do we really need to find her? I had this impression you can make here out from where she was hiding. Don''t you think that''s more convenient to us?"

    "Mr. Blue can read my mind," Hawk smirked at it. Truth was as his subordinate told him, he had indeed some ns on how to make Sisie to her, he was just so mad he wanted to keep his cking of his assistants upied on things.

    "Move my wedding to Feather at an earlier date. I''lle to every fittings and meet ups with the wedding nner. In all these events, make a big publicity on it. Make sure all the whole country know about it,"

    "Yes President," Mr. Blue already anticipated this n. It seemed to him that the President was really so desperate to make this womane out. He was even nning on using his association with Miss Han for it.

    "Let''s see if she won''te back to me when she hears it all," Hawk sneered, fuming with rage. "Lets see if the Cat won''te out when she hears all the mouse partying at her absence,"

    How could you leave me Sisi while I''m still injured? Is that man really more important than my life? Howe you leave me behind fighting for my life?

    You can''t do this to me.

    I''ll make youe back no matter what.

    You can''t escape me.

    I''ll see to it that you know your ce is by my side.

 Chapter 187 - Using Feather

    "How about Miss Han, President?" Blue inquired about his recent fiancee whom he thinks had already fallen from Hawk''s favor. "How do I deal with her?"

    "Is she still outside?" Hawk asked. Lucas told her earlier that Feather was waiting for her and that she had always visited the hospital to care for her.

    "Yes. I did not allow her entrance because I don''t think you''d want to make her experience your temper," Mr. Blue exined. "Afterall, she had been acting with grace and great concern for you ordingly,"

    "Mr. Blue, tell me, would it be very harsh for me to break up with Feather today?" Hawk asked his opinion. Truth was Hawk had never thought of Feather until then even earlier when Lucas mentioned her, he didn''t dwell much thought on it. Now that Mr. Blue seemed a bit concerned about the Han''s heiress, so he asked for his thoughts..

    "I think that to dy a breakup would only cause more injury. However, in this situation, where we still needed Miss Han''s cooperation till the woman you are looking for shows up, there might be a need to dy it. Also President, Feather Han is your childhood friend, I advise you take it slow a bit,"

    "You are somehow right," Hawk thought about it. He still needed Feather so that Cat would show up. Also he felt really bad about how things turned out between them but he didn''t want to hurt her more so he nned to bid farewell to her as soon as possible. "I''llpensate with Hans by making sure the venture I promised will continue and while waiting for Sisi toe out, I''ll spend time with Feather. I''ll leave her some good memories before Ipletely leave her. She had always been good to me afterall,"

    Hawk''s heart aches for Feather. He knew he still had something big for the Han''s heiress but with his obsession with Sisi and how he kept hurting her, he can''t make her suffer anymore. He still wanted to fulfill his promise to her but thinking about the Feather now, how she was and how different she was with the fuzzy cat he once loved, he knew he cannot make such marriage work. Better end it before they hit the altar. That perhaps was the best thing he could do for her, for the sake of their old friendship and for the sake of his old love.

    "So should I let here in now?" Mr. Blue asked.

    "Yes you may," He allowed it and soon, just after Mr. Blue left through the door, Feather came in crying.

    "President¡­.I''m sorry I should not have acted frightened thest time at the concert hall," Feather wailed beside her bed, expressing her guilt. "You should have not feel bad and left for the mountains,"

    Hawkughed a bit at how pitiful she looked then reached out for his head and tapped it. Feather wasn''t that tall and so he was able to reach for her head without much hassle. Thinking about his ns to break his rtions with her, he wanted to be good to him before he left, especially that he also needed her cooperation, apart from the fact that she took care of him.

    "Don''t worry about it. Me going to the mountains has nothing to do with you, don''t feel guilty about it,"

    "It''s not?" His answer upset her. She really did though that he went away because he had gone pretty ashamed at how he acted in front of her. Perhaps he was just lying about it because she could note up with real good reasons why he went away. "Don''t lie over it. It only makes me more guilty,"

    "Don''t cry anymore," Hawk smiled at her, hiding his guilt. Wasn''t he too harsh on her? Shamelessly using her before breaking her heart. "I heard you had another concerting by, what gift do you want?"

    "Oh that?" Feather was reminded of it. "Actually it''s another pre-wedding conceirto. I begged the sponsors to let me do another one because thest time¡­.it didn''t go well," Feather purposely paused to remind Hawk of what happened thest time. "As per the gift, you had given me too much already,"

    "I want to buy you something more," Hawk insisted, knowing that it was only through it he couldpensate with her.

    "I''ll just ept whatever you give, I know it''s going to be special, whatever it is," Feather replied but then Ami, who was silently standing behind the door knew very well what the girl wanted.

    "How about a ck card President Hawk," Ami suggested shamelessly. Feather promised her that if she can make Hawk give her a ck card, she''ll buy her some luxury bags so she pressed on it right away.

    "A ck card?" Hawk lost on what she meant.

    "President, it''s verymon with the socialites to talk about ck cards among the socialites," Ami exined, trying to appeal to Feather. "It''s like a bottomless credit card which thedies can use to buy anything they want. Whenever there are socialites gathering, they always ask Miss Han if you gave her a ck card since she had been your fiancee for a long time. When Miss Han replies that she didn''t receive one, thedies looked at her with contempt,"

    "Oh that one," Hawk was reminded of what she meant right away. Truth was, Hawk was not the one who was handling his finances, he had a financial manager for that. Also, he doesn''t go shopping as someone shops for him and most of all, he never uses credit cards. Well he has some cards, but none of those were credit cards, he was not really a fan of them as he always wanted to pay ordingly. Unlike all the other businessmen, Hawk started out with nothing and so he had always been so responsible with his spendings and that habit went on with him.

    "I''ll get Feather one if that''s very important," Hawk promised. If this ck card can make her happy, then he would willingly give it to her. He just hopes that when the timees, she will not hate him that much.

 Chapter 188 - Feathers Happiness

    "Yay! I told you Miss Han the President just forgot to give you one," Ami hollered excitedly. Her eyes then could imagine the luxurious bag that Feather promised her and so she too beamed with extra happines. Gosh! Hawk and Feather was still on it!

    "Thank you but you really don''t have to. Those girl¡­they don''t upset me," Feather lied.

    Of course those girls upset her beyondprehension. However, with how things went shaky with him and Hawk recently, she lost some confidence to ask. Now that she had shown him how very understanding she was¡ªstill rushing to the hospital to take care of him even after what happened in the concert of Luci Dimitri, she knew he''d be touched.

    "It''s okay. I nned topensate with you anyway," Hawk flushed her again with another bitter smile. Feather saw the bitterness in it but the excitement she had of having a ck card made her not dwell on it longer.

    "You make me very happy always President Hawk,".

    "Feather, I''m d you are happy," Hawk replied with a deep sigh.

    ***

    Few dayster Hawk got discharged from the hospital. With Mr. Blue around, he didn''t pester on going out earlier than what the doctor suggested as his subordinate does make him satisfied with all his instructions. Well, Mr. Blue is verypetent with his job, very far from how Lucas was doing. However, Lucas was still new and he was still learning so he had been easy on him but not anymore.

    The verypetent Mr. Blue of course was able to move the wedding on an earlier schedule and everyone in Devon City celebrated at that. After what happened in Lucy''s concert, the talks about the wedding got lost in space but now, everyone was at it again. It seemed like the couple did get through that dilemma and was now pushing for their happy ending.

    Since Hawk was still recovering, most of the meeting and fittings was conducted in his condominium¡ªin Reign Skyline. Fara Han, who saw another opportunity, suggested that Feather should stay with Hawk so that she can take care of him and attend all their wedding events conveniently.

    Mr. Blue allowed the thing as Hawk also wanted to spend time with Feather until the day of their separation came. Making the most out of it, Mr. Blue made sure that all the events that took ce in Reign Skyline were being featured and that every media outlet¡ªtelevision, newspapers, magazines and everything was flooded with it. Mr. Blue had gone pretty serious in making it known, making sure every single soul in Devon City knows it.

    Fara Han on the other side thought of making schemes to ensure Feather''s marriage to Hawk. However, some things also rted to Feather got her pretty upied that she lost her attention to Hawk. Feather however thought schemes were no longer necessary because Hawk''s seemed to have warmed up again on him. He was always extra sensitive to making herfortable and made sure she was happy in everything. The moving of the date of their wedding to an earlier date and Hawk being very cooperative with all the preparations for their wedding got Feather well assured that Hawk still was so into her. Besides, the woman she feared for had not made her presence since, she bet Hawk had already disposed of her.

    If there was one thing that Feather wasn''t happy about was their sleeping situation. Hawk''s nurse insisted that the ballerina sleep in the guest room so as not to disturb Hawk''s sleeping patterns, especially that he was still recovering. This got Feather suspicious and since Hawk''s nurse was a beautiful woman, she thought she was scheming against her and wanted Hawk for herself. Enraged, she wanted to do something about it, making the nurse see who''s the real deal in Hawk''s house.

    So one night, she nned on seducing Hawk again. With the threating from the nurse, who in truth had really no intentions rather than Hawk Monsanto''s welfare, Feather shamelessly took a bath inside Hawk''s room.

    While the man had her nap, Feather slid in his room and went to the bathroom. She intentionally breaks the shower handle in her room so that she can have a good reason to take another room''s shower. Right then, she intentionally made sounds in Hawk bathroom to wake him up and sessfully did.

    Hawk groggily dragged himself out of bed when he noticed that something weird was happening in his bathroom. Is someone using it? Confused and thinking something was wrong, he checked on it and just as he walked past the shower area, the door of it opened revealing Feather wet and naked. She flushed a surprised face upon seeing him and in a moment withdrew back to inside the shower without closing the door as if retreating could cover her body.

    Hawk raised a brow at her and in a moment his expression changed. With how it looked Feather knew she had sessfully enticed Hawk specially that his eyes were glued to the thing between her thighs. She blushed red immediately and intentionally bit her lips.

    "Hawk¡­." Feather called him with a hoarse voice. "I''m sorry did I wake you up?"

    She flushed an apologetic face but deep inside she knew that she had won. Of course if something happens with them right then¡ª which clearly was happening but the way Hawk''s eyes shone at her naked body¡ªhe cannot anymore escape her grip and not even the nurse who was acting like the queen of the house can get in between them. She can only dream about it!

    In a moment, Hawk was already inside the shower with her,ing closer and closer as Feather''s breathing fastened. It seemed like this time, she got him all aroused and that a lovemaking was inevitable. Feather chuckled a victoriousugh and when Hawk stood right in front of her, just inches away, she dared to reach for his lips.

 Chapter 189 - Cross Examination

    When their lips were about to meet, Hawk sighed in wonder as his hands reached Feather''s thigh, just a few inches from her woman''s glory.

    "You''re so wless¡­.you don''t have a scar¡­" Hawkmented as he continued caressing Feather thighs which the girl took as a good sign. She thought that just a little bit more and she''ll end up at his bed.

    "Oh¡­I''ve been a ballerina for a long time, I always take care of my skin," Feather replied, biting her lips. She does find it sexy¡ªHawk hovering toward her caressing her thighs as if looking for something.

    "I don''t have a scar anywhere," She replied proud but little did she know that his answer hit something in Hawk, making him confused a little.

    "Your heart shaped scar?" He said as if asking a question, this time it was Feather who was confused on how weird his questions were.

    Immediately, Feather noticed that Hawk''s expression was different, it wasn''t like he was enticed to her, he was searching for something in between her thighs and legs. Does he remember some identity marks on that little orphan?.

    "Oh I might have a scar, but you know the ballet industry, we are meant to be wless so I might have got itsered when I was young," Feather rectified her previous statement. Shit! Did he take her exnation well?

    Hawk dragged his eyes to Feather in an expression that couldn''t be read and after searching through her eyes, he retreated from the shower area and left the nervous Feather.

    The girl, who was initially thinking of seducing him, got so pale white at what just happened. What was he looking at again? A heart shaped scar? How could she not know that? She didn''t remember that orphan mentioned it before when she usually told her everything. That bitch!

    Angered and worried, Feather hurriedly took her shower, afraid that if she didn''t, it might raise another suspicion in Hawk. As she exited the bathroom, she saw the man lying on his back on his bed, sleeping so peacefully again. This time however, she didn''t attempt to do anything and just left the room.

    "I should have been very careful," She whispered to herself. "The wedding is soon. I must not make any mistake until then,"

    ***

    Simione and Gabrie were busy in the kitchen. The tres marias had been away from each other for quite sometime since Simione went to the mountains and Gabrie was taken by Primo. Hence that time, they thought of having a good dinner together. Gabrie then did some cooking, while Simione was helping her with the ingredients.

    Soon, they both heard a loud knock on the door and because Gabrie''s hands were full, Simione volunteered to open the door. She remembered Lucy saying she might be a littlete so she wondered who it could be, perhaps the singer managed toe home earlier?

    "Lucy you said you''ll bete¡ª"

    Simione''s eyes went big at what she saw by the door. She was stuck for a moment before she was able to bring her hands to her mouth.

    "O-my-gosh-!-!-!-!-!-!" Simione couldn''t hold her schock. "A-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!"

    "Simione, what is it?" The worried Gabrie hurried through the door with her apron and thedle she was then using, stirring the food she was cooking. However when she saw who was at the door, her expression turned hard.

    "Close the door, we are not epting visitors," She instructed Simione and went back to the kitchen, tempted to pull the sharp knives and throw at Primo who was looking so dashingly handsome at the door.

    Shit! How could hee here like that? So f*cking handsome! I hate him!

    Simione, who just recently heard Gabrie''s instructions, got intrigued immediately. Why did Gabbrie seem so mad at their visitor? Doesn''t she recognize him? He is the famous El Tigre!

    "Ahmmmm sir, are you lost or something?" Simione bbered stupidly. Primo''s presence right there got her so shocked she somehow didn''t know what to do. Does even Primo know she was his employee? Guess not!

    "No I''m here for Gabbrie," he replied stone faced. Gabrie''s open rejection did hit something in his spine as his hopeful effort in bringing her home tonight got shut down immediately. "Can Ie in?"

    "You''re here for Gabbrie?" Simione blinked a couple of times about what he just said. Did he just say he was here for the Monteria heiress who just snubbed him seconds ago.

    "Yes, I already told Lucy I''m going to pick her," Primo answered. He did talk to Lucy but she disagreed on intervening with him and Gabrie and just said the girl has her own free will. Well, that means the singer won''t intervene too if hees here and beg for his lover toe home right?

    "Ah¡­uhmm..uhmm¡­" Simione was confused not knowing what to do. Would he let Primo in or would he throw him out? It was obvious Gabrie didn''t want to see him? Besides, what does he want in Lucy''s house? Should she perhaps ring Lucy informing him of Primo wanting to check her house? Is he perhapsunching an investigation and Lucy''s name was dragged into it.

    Oh noh!

    Wait¡­but he did say he told Lucy he was going to pick Gabrie. Was he taking Gabrie for some cross examination or anything rted to an investigation.

    So¡­wait¡­what?

    "What''s happening?" Simione held onto her chest not able to grasp the situation. She was smart at connecting dots but Primo and Gabrie were so hard to connect. She looked at Primo helplessly in one moment and in another second, she could hear Gabrie''s temper in the kitchen.

    Primo saw Simione''s confused estate and understood that maybe he needed some introduction. It does look like Gabrie has not told her friend yet about him because she looked totally lost.

    "I''m Primo Umbresio¡­"

    "I''m very aware of that sir¡­." Simione assured him.

    "I''m Gabrie''s boyfriend¡­"

    "Ah okay¡­I see now¡­" Simione seemed to have taken it lightly but when it hit her brain, she almost fell on her feet. "Grabrie''s whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

 Chapter 190 - Implied Rule

    "He''s not my boyfriend¡­" Gabrie denied the whole thing while she was murdering the food she was cooking. Her expression was smoking, just like how the recipe she was cooking was smoking hot too.

    "You and Gabbie¡­.." Simione''s expression was dreadful. She put her two hands on her head and squeezed it as it felt like the whole thing was making her go crazy beyond repair.

    "Dulzura.e now¡­let''s go home and talk," Primo intentionally raised his voice so Gabrie could hear it. The kitchen was just nearby so he knew she could hear him.

    "I''m already home and I don''t f*cking talk to jerks! Go away!" Gabrie cussed and it only made Simione want to shrink. Does she know what kind of person she was cursing? How could she treat the El Tigre this way!.

    "Gabbie¡­I think you guys should¡ª"

    "Stop Simione, I told you to close the door!" Gabrie cut herpletely. "That man is a cheater just so you know. I caught him this morning!"

    Hearing the usation immediately got Simione''s eyes grew big and she dragged it into Primo''s face who instantly grimaced at guilt. Sensing that what Gabrie said was true, Simione red at Primo hard and immediately closed the door at his face.

    mmed!

    Faced with a closed door, Primo''s eyes went hard. He knocked once again hard but the two marias inside didn''t open the door for him again. Frustratedly angered, he was about to summon his men to crash the door down but a voice dragged his attention away.

    "Disying your evil temper won''t work on her," Lucy arrived carrying a red bag with her that perfectly matched her red stilettos. "You dared show up in here,"

    "I''m going to get my woman no matter what it takes,"

    "Okay fine," Lucy smiled deviously at it. "But don''t me me if she will hate you more. Can''t you see she''s an angel, she''s not used to violence,"

    Primo''s face only became more angry. In regr days, no one was able to stop him from whatever he wanted to do, not even a woman but how was it that his woman¡ªGabrie, teamed up with this singer¡ªLucy, can make him shamelessly stop in his tracks. Damned!

    "I respected Gabrie''s decision when she chose to stay with," Lucy reminded him. "As a man of honor, you should do the same,"

    "I didn''t agree to any terms or honor,"

    "It was an implied rule created by Gabrie herself," Lucy pointed. "Respect her decisions and your life will be a lot easier. She''s not a doll you can tossed and just y with,"

    Lucy''s warning bore so many meanings but all of them hit Primo''s pride. Luci knew where to hit him and indeed his guilt blurred his mind and he knew right then he can''t indeed force himself on Gabrie. His fist balled shakily at that.

    "You know Primo''s just an advice," Lucy walked past him and pulled her keys to open the door. "Gabrie is an angel and a devil like you shouldn''t dream of having her. If you cross the line, be ready to burn with the divine light,"

    That was all and Lucy carefully opened the door, slid herself in and closed it once again, leaving Primo pondering in his thoughts.

    "A devil like me¡­." He repeated Lucy''s words and became more pissed than he ever was "Do you really wish to see how devil am I, Luci Dimitri?

    Primo stayed turned to the closed door with all his anger. His evil self was looming in, ready to call back, smashed the door and dragged his woman back to his mansion. However, just as he pulled his phone to instruct his evil n, a message popped up right away.

    It was from Luci and when he dared open it, she was weed by the video of Gabrie crying on the floor miserably.

    "Fuck it!" Primo cussed as his anger melted away. Swallowing his hurt, he sighed and closed his eyes before he decided to just peacefully leave the penthouse.

    ***

    "Gabbie don''t cry anymore," Simione felt so guilty when she saw the girl. She went on earlier and confronted her about Primo but Gabrie ignored and continued cooking obsservively. However, just after a while, when she pestered her even more, surprisingly, Gabrie just broke down and cried.

    "That man¡­he dared show up here¡­sniff¡­.sniff¡­He just broke my heart and..sniff¡­sniff..he''s acting like nothing had happened¡­sniff¡­.sniff¡­"

    "But at least he came¡­Erwan never came to appease you when he cheated on you," Simione noted but her words only made Gabrie cry even more. "Oh, I''m so sorry Gabbie,"

    Lucy only shakes her head with the two and holds a deep sigh. "Simione, you are so bad andforting our friend.."

    "Eh? Lucy, why don''t you just help me?"

    "Why would I?" Lucy red at the both of them. "I already did my part warning you two about men. I told you their kind are nothing but filthy animals but you dare both fall in love with the worst kind of them¡­the wild ones ...."

    "Why do you keep saying that when you yourself are so fond of them," Simione retorted back sulking because obviously, Lucy was making the truth obvious.

    "I''m not fond of them, I''m ying with them, there''s a difference," Lucy pointed.

    "So you''re allowed to y with them and we can''t?"

    "You don''t know what you are talking about Simione," Lucy''s expression hardened. "Just in case you don''t know, before I yed with men, I lost in their games first a million times. I don''t want you two to experience that,"

    Lucy said so and left the two in the kitchen. She gracefully climbed the stairs as if there was nothing to what she said but the truth was, her heart, which had long been dumbed, ached suddenly for a moment. Secretly, she held into her heart and whispered in a way that only she could hear.

    "Luci you had been through with this already¡­.it''s been so many years already.."

 Chapter 191 - The Heart Shaped Scar

    Twenty years Ago- Somerset Vige

    The young Hawk Monsanto had been ying a spin top in an old dusty road by himself. He was there for several minutes already, getting bored on his own and so to cut his boredom, he took the spin top he was hiding in his pockets and started ying.

    He was there not to y actually, in fact he was waiting for someone. Cat had promised she''ll pick berries with him today and that''s why he was there alone.

    Few minutes more and he got upied with his toy, watching the wood ball spin to the fastest speed and bncing on its needle-like tail that had grinded the dusty ground. He was so into it that he did not notice the girl, tiptoeing in the bushes and giggling while looking at him.

    "Ah I''ll go ahead and scare him," The little Cat said to herself as she was watching the boy from afar. Thest time the young Spin made a visit, they weren''t really able to y much as she was too sad that time that the boy justforted him the whole afternoon. So, she promised him she''ll pick berries with him today. Things in the white mansion had gone a little loose these days and so she was able to escape once in a while. Besides, these days, someone had been covering for her so she was confident she won''t get caught escaping..

    While Hawk was focused on his game, Cat sneaked behind his back and when in a split second, she shouted, surprising the young boy mercilessly.

    "Bwwaaaaah!" - Cat

    "Wahhhhhhhhh!"- Spin

    Spin, who was very surprised, ran at first instinct but his panic made him fall on the ground instead, sliding clumsily. His feet then hit the spinning toy¡ªhis spin top and it leaped through the ground and immediatelynded on the girl''s thigh, its spinning sharp metal end grinded in her skin. She fell on the ground just right after, bleeding.

    "Ahhhhhh!" The sudden rushes of blood on her pants made her scream.

    "Oh no! Cat!" Spin, who just recovered from his fall, was immediately weed by a casualty. Immediately, he took off his little shirt then pressed it on the girl''s wound to stop the bleeding.

    "I''m so sorry I didn''t mean to," An instant guilt overtook the boy. If not for his carelessness and cowardly instinct, he should have not run away and caused the girl some wounds.

    "It''s bleeding¡­I''m going to die¡­I''m going to die!" The girl cried, she was after all just a girl of six, almost seven and her tolerance for pain and blood wasn''t that high. "Spin¡­huhuhuhu¡­it hurts!"

    "Hold on," Spin this time wrapped her legs with his shirt that was not already covered by blood. Right after, he carried the girl on his back and hurriedly asked for some help. He didn''t know where to bring her but his house was nearby and so he brought the girl home. "Just hold on to me and trust me, I''ll make sure someone will treat it,"

    Cat nodded and wrapped her little hands on Spin''s neck. The boy carried her in his back bravely and treaked an old unfamiliar road to her. However she already had an idea where he was going to bring her as she was very aware that the boy''s house was just nearby.

    "Papa! Papa!Papa!" Spin rushed through their wooden gate screaming and immediately someone came to check them, it was butler Gah who was then very surprised to see his young master carrying a girl.

    "She was wounded," Hawk exined hurriedly and of course Butler Gah who immediately noticed the traces of blood on Spin''s hands and clothing gasped the situation right away. He took the girl from Spin''s back and carried her to a room but when he saw that the girl was wounded near her private part, he somehow hesitated to treat her. Besides, the bleeding had already stopped and so he was aware the wound wasn''t that fatal, although deep.

    "I''ll clean what I can but you need to go to get Mindra," Butler Gah told Spin. "She needs a woman to treat her,"

    "Alright!" Spin hurried away to call for the woman his papa was asking. He knew her as the town''s local physician as his papa had called for her several times already, especially when he got sick.

    "Spin! Send a word to the white mansion too," Butler Gah added an instruction when the boy went on his way already. "They must be informed!"

    ***

    Hawk went first to Mindra informing her that his papa wanted her immediately and she went on her way. Hawk however didn''t escort her to his house as he took the errand of informing the people of the white mansion personally. The same guard at the entrance weed him but he told him to leave right away but promised to send someone to pick up the girl.

    The guard didn''t want to create a ruckus so he wanted Hawk to leave as nobody in the mansion knew the young miss left. Knowing that it''s going to cause trouble in the house, he secretly told her father about it when Hawk was already gone.

    When Hawk reached his house from the white mansion, he could already hear people talking in the kitchen. It turns out Butler Gah had prepared a meal for Mindra and Cat, whose wound had already been taken care of and joined them.

    "How was your wound?" Spin worriedly asked when he saw Cat sitting at the wooden table with the adults.

    "She is a fine Spin, her wound is only little but a bit deep that''s why it bleeds so much," Mindra exined. "She is alright now. Besides, she needs to eat so the medicine I gave her won''t upset her stomach,"

    "But but¡­she should be lying in bed¡­"

    "I''m okay now¡­" Cat replied as she was enjoying her food. "Besides the food is too tasty it got me too hungry,"

 Chapter 192 - Bandaged Tigh

    "Spin, why don''t youe and sit here with us?" Butler Gah invited. The little boy obediently followed his butler''s request and sat just beside the girl.

    "Are you sure you are okay?" Spin creased his brows very suspicious. He felt like she should stay more in bed and probably rest more. "Don''t me me in the future in case you''ll hurt more because you pushed yourself hard today,"

    "Well Miss Mindra said I''m fine," Cat pouted at the boy, "but she said this will definitely leave me a scar because its very deep,"

    "A scar?" Hawk turned to her again and looked down on her bandaged thigh. "But you shouldn''t have a scar because you are a ballerina,"

    "What could I do, you caused me an injury today," Cat added, making him feel more guilty about it.

    "It''s a deep wound Spin, it will definitely leave her a scar, a heart shaped one probably," Mindra joined in the conversation. "Judging by how the wound was shape, it would definitely leave a heart shape one,"

    "Aido, you caused me a scar," Cat acted like she was ming him although the truth was she was just ying on him because his expression really did looked funny with such a frown..

    "If you didn''t surprise me, I should have never tripped and glided," Spin recalled what happened. He was really surprised with what the girl did, went into a panic and lost control of the situation.

    "But still you caused me a scar," Cat pressed hard. "You never got a scar before,"

    "Liar you always y with dough and y with basketball," Spin pointed and looked at girl from head to foot, trying to find some obvious scar on her, "It''s impossible you don''t have other scars,"

    "But I really don''t have other scars,"

    "Enough of that you kids. Finish your food first before arguing," Butler Gah told the two, then he turned specifically to the girl. "By the way child, you lived in the white mansion right? You''re a Han?"

    Weirdly, the girl''s expression changed and timidly replied, "I am not a Han,"

    "But aren''t you the daughter of thendlord in the Leam hills? I saw you two going to the white mansion. The vige folks says you live there now,"

    "Yes, thendlord in the Leam hills if my father and we live in the white mansion now," Cat confirmed. She and her father originally lived in Leam hills, a distant hill in the east part of Somserset vige that is full of rice fields. Herte mother''s family owned a few hectares ofnd there which they inherited and her father had been maintaining thosends ever since. In thosends, they also havend tenants who helped them maintain it, making her father andlord.

    She lived in the Leam hills all her life and came only to the main vige when necessary or when her father brought her to visit her grandmother which rarely happens because his father doesn''t like staying long in the white mansion. However, when her grandmother got sick, her father was the one who took care of her and so they started living in the white mansion. They had been trying to leave after her grandmother died, especially as it turned out they had other rtives whom she had never met before and her father never got along well with them.

    "Well the white mansion belongs to Hans and your father if I''m not mistaken for Mauro Han, right?" Butler Gah asked again because it seemed like there was something off with the girl''s answer. Why isn''t she admitting that she was a Han?

    The girl sighed deeply and looked at Butler Gah. She wanted to answer him, however, there was a sudden call from the outside gate that made the former stand on his feet and leave the kitchen to look out for their sudden visitor.

    "Hello, I was told my daughter had been injured and that she is here," Cat''s father stood by the gate looking worried. When Cat heard her father''s voice from the kitchen, she immediately stood up and slowly walked limping toward the door.

    "Papa!" Cat called on him, looking happy that it was him who fetched her.

    "Oh kid what happened to you?" Her father immediately asked and Butler Gah was kind enough to open the wooden gate for him so he could check on the girl.

    "The kids were ying and she got injured," Mindra exined. "Her wounds aren''t serious but it will leave her scar,"

    "Thank you so much madam for taking care of her," Her father apoligized. "This kind really is trouble sometimes but she''s a good child,"

    "I know, I know," Mindra smiled at him.

    "Sir, thank you for letting my daughter stay. I''m sorry if she had bothered you," Cat''s father then turned to Butler Gah.

    "It''s alright Mr. Han¡­." Butler Gah replied but his address to him got the man stunned for a moment.

    "You know me?" He asked.

    "Ah yes, yes!" Butler Gah somewhat regretted his sudden clumsiness. How was he to exin to him that they were from Devon City and that he knew him because he was popr in Devon City? He and Hawk were hiding and so no one should know they were from there. "I once worked in Devon city when I was young and you know you''re family is kind of popr there specially you, hehehe"

    "I see," Cat''s father seemed convinced and so Butler Gah was relieved. If he had not been able to rebut his words then, surely the girl''s father would be suspicious of him. It might endanger him and his master.

    "We should get going," The girl''s father bid their farewell. "Thank you again for your help,"

    "Anytime Mr. Han," Butler Gah replied with a warm smile before he turned to his young master, "Spin say goodbye to your friend now,"

    "Goodbye Cat, we''ll just pick berries next time when your wounds have healed already," He promised her.

    "Alright," She replied and clung to his father''s neck since thetter carried her. Outside, a horse was waiting and so Cat was loaded there with her father. Before her father charged their horse, the girl shouted again "Goodbye Spin! See you!"

 Chapter 193 - The Fool

    Back to Present Day

    The news of Hawk and Feather''s marriage was all over the city. Every media outlet was filled with nothing but the wedding arrangements and fittings that the couple seemed to have attended happily. Even the streets were filled with tarpaulins and congrattory messages about them that one day, Simione found herself staring very surprised at one tarpaulin she saw on the street.

    Her feelings then were conflicted. One side of her was mad, the other was thankful that Hawk was okay. Eversine she left him in that hospital, she never really got any news from him and she was so scared to give him a ring. Many things have happened between them¡ªunsettled things and yet here they were both standing away from each other¡ªHawk getting married and she, still struggling with the predicaments of the Tang''s.

    Simione wanted to stay more where she was standing but her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Tang''s mansion and when she answered it, she could hear Lyndon''s angry voice in the background and the sound of breaking things.

    "Miss pleasee home right away," It was a maid on the line, thoroughly in panic..

    "Why what happened? Why was he screaming all the sudden?" Simione was confused. Thest time she checked, Lyndon was okay and he had been recovering well. What''s with this sudden twist of things?

    "Miss we all did not tell him about Miss Feather''s marriage but I think Madam Silicia identally left a magazine in his room featuring the miss'' wedding!"

    The maid''s words sponsored a sudden thrill on Simione''s spine and she closed her eyes frustratedly. Knowing that it cannot be helped anymore, she replied, "I''lle, just wait for me. In the meantime don''t allow him to leave his room no matter what,"

    "Yes Miss,"

    Simione immediately called for a cab and headed straight to Tang''s mansion. Her days had been pretty busy and stressful. She started reporting to work again and at the same time was working on with grandfather''s Tang''s case. Her hands were pretty full and yet it seemed like what she got right then wasn''t enough and another problem needed some attention. God! What was she going to tell Lyndon then?

    Half an hourter, Simione was already running upstairs to Lyndon''s room and can still hear him screaming angrily. When she pushed the door open, she saw Tang''s young master on the floor with his weak legs tearing a magazine down into pieces while pieces of broken things were being carefully picked by the maids one by one. She could also see one of the maids bleeding signifying that Lyndon had thoroughly lost his mind over it.

    "You!" Lyndon immediately pointed a hand at her. "You lied to me! You lied to me,"

    "Brother Don," Simione held a deep breath and held onto the sling of her bag. "You understand why I have to do it right? Look at you now, how are you going to get better with this,"

    "How am I going to get better at this?" Lyndon repeated her words. "I won''t get better anymore Sisi! I won''t! Howe you hid these things from me? Howe you betrayed me?"

    "It wasn''t a betrayal," Simione''s voice went hard on his usation. "I did it for your own good. Besides, you didn''t believe your own grandmother when she told you Feather didn''te and so do you I have an option then? If I say she didn''te you''ll just use me of lying like how you used grandmother,"

    "But Sisi¡­." Lyndon seemed to have woken up from his blurred senses by Simione''s words.

    "Besides, it was Feather you betrayed you but why is it that it was us who you are ming for it," Simione couldn''t help her tears anymore. It''s not that she was hurt by Lyndon''s usations, it was just that she had gone through many thingstely¡ªwith Hawk, with grandfather''s case, with so many things she couldn''t help but let her frustration out. "What did we ever do to deserve this and yet Feather, despite all her betrayals, she seemed very okay and you, look at yourself,"

    "I should have not woken up! You should have just let me die!" Lyndon went on with his self pity. The truth was he had been utterly frustrated about his life ever since Simione rejected him a few years ago. The girl refused to marry him and left Tang''s mansion the next day leaving him with nothing. To prove to Simione that she had been wrong in leaving him, he tried to be better and be happy with Feather. The Han''s heiress had been all over him anyway so why would he need someone who doesn''t want him. So for years, he had fixed himself with Feather and thought of nothing anymore but just lived a happy life with her. They had been happy and sessful together and thought that when he meet Simione again, he can can boat on her on how happy he had been without her. However now, he couldn''t think of anything to boast about with the girl, not with his career that was surely halted when his legs could not function anymore but also with the woman whom he cheated on her with, who apparently at this time was already with someone else, someone much more bigger and richer than him.

    "Fine!" Simione screamed at his face frustratedly. She immediately then threw her sling back on the sofa and grabbed one of the sharp pieces of a broken vase then immediately went to Lyndon. "Here! Kill yourself! I am so done with you! I am so done with your pathetess! I am so done with your selfishness! Go ahead! Kill yourself and let Feather be happy with what she did to you! Go ahead!"

    "You fool!" Simione added while staring at Lyndon''s surprised eyes. The man had never seen the girl break down that much and so the sight of her bing like a wild woman gave him not only fright but instant realization of things.

 Chapter 194 - Monsanto Mistress

    "Sisi¡­" Lydon seemed to have calmed down, especially that he saw Simione bleed with the sharp piece she was holding. She was terribly frustrated and angry. She didn''t realize she held onto the thing with too much pressure and got hurt. "Sisi your hand¡­."

    "It''s very easy for you to say we should have allowed you to die," Simione continued resenting him. "But how did you think what would happen to your grandmother and grandfather when you are gone? They will die in so much guilt for allowing you to be with Feather when she just dumped you at the end. They''ll die alone in sorrow knowing that the Han''s heiress just used you and when you aren''t useful anymore, she just throws you away. How could you let Feather do this to you,"

    "Simione.. I don''t think that¡­"

    "You don''t think that Feather would hurt you?" Simione continued his very own words. "Of course she didn''t mean to hurt your, she wanted to kill you,"

    Lyndon''s eyes went hard on that..

    "Do you think she could have let you live if she had a chance? She was marrying Hawk Monsanto now and she wouldn''t allow anyone to taint her reputation now," Simione added. "You had to be shut,"

    "How long has this been going on?" Lyndon asked suspiciously. He had never thought of the fact that Feather hurt him so she could go with another man in a clean te. He did think that Feather only abandoned him after the ident but thinking about it now, when SImione made it very clear, it seemed like it was her who really did this to him.

    "I don''t know. When I was informed about your ident, the news of Feather''s engagement had been on the news already,"

    "That sudden?"

    "Perhaps," Simione answered and let go of the sharp thing in her hands. "And Perhaps you were right, she might not be the reason for your ident and it''s not a coincidence that the Tang''s household went crumbling down after that,"

    "Sisi what do you mean?"

    "I''m tired of lying to you because it''s useless anyway," Simione just went on with everything, "grandfather is in prison, he was used of embezzlement just right after your ident and all of Tang''s assets were frozen. We are left with nothing,"

    "Impossible¡­." Lyndon somewhatughed about it in horror. "But Sisi, that''s very impossible, grandfather is¡­."

    "No you are lying.." The man couldn''t finish a sentence. "If were left with nothing how can we still afford to liver here, the servants, my medical expenses,"

    Simione closed her eyes to suppress her cries. "It''s my money¡­.I can''t bear to see grandmother struggling...I can''t bear grandfather being thrown to prison¡­I can''t bear to see die just because you choose to love the wrong person¡­"

    "Sisi...¡­." Lyndon became speechless at this. She had always known Simione was a filial child but they weren''t her family at all. They just took her in for some reasons and she had already cut ties with them when he broke her heart before. Yet, right now, he just realized how great her love was for the Tangs that even when they weren''t her responsibility, she took the obligation right away without hesitation "You should have not done that¡­."

    "And what? Leave grandmother alone with all this? Seriously brother Don?" Simione looked at him with thorough disbelief and frustration. "You know what for a time, I took constion about the fact that I just need to get this through until you''ll wake up. That when you wake up, everything will be fine¡­that you would take responsibility and that you will save grandmother and grandfather from what they were in right now¡­.How very wrong I was with that¡­.because until now, you haven''t thought about your responsibility as the Tang''s young master and just throw tantrums like a child whenever things doesn''t suit you¡­.you are very childish and pathetic,"

    Lyndon sighed regretfully. He didn''t really have an idea about how hard things went for Simione after his ident. He thought things were okay and that she had juste home because she was worried about him, turns out it was more than that and Simione once again took charge of his responsibility like a real Tang when it wasn''t necessary for her to do so.

    "I''m sorry Sisi¡­I didn''t know¡­"

    "Of course you didn''t know. That''s the thing you always say when things getplicated and inconvenient. When we were young, I''ve always told you to be careful with Feather¡­you never listened to me. Look what happened to you now,"

    Lynon was silent again. Simione was so good with her words it hit right through his very own heart. It even came as a surprise for him because the truth was, Simione had never broke down this way in front of him, she had never been this miserable.

    "And there''s something more that you didn''t know¡­." Simione''s face was filled with thorough disgust, not for the boy but for the thought that went on her head. "You didn''t know how I became stupidly foolish for chasing after Feather to get revenge for you¡­.You didn''t know how I took all my pride and morals and became Hawk Monsanto''s other woman so I could break Feather''s heart!... I leveled down myself to a whore¡­.a slut¡­a bicth¡­.so I can at least make Feather pay¡­." Simione was crying again at this point, remembering how she yed fire and death just to get even with Feather Han, "And now¡­.seeing you like that¡­.It makes me regret everything that I did! You are so unworthy to fight for! Damn you¡­I be a slut just for you ...."

    "I became a Monsanto mistress for you!" Simione shouted it all to Lyndon''s face. "And you so¡­. not worth it!"

    Hearing it, Lyndon was shaking¡ªout of fury, out of pity. He never did believe how far Simione''s love and dedication for him and his family brought her. She suffered for them. She took revenge for them.

 Chapter 195 - The Reason

    There were so many things Lyndon wanted to say that he couldn''t even dare to open his mouth. His room was filled with Simione''s cries and regrets, yet there was nothing he could do to appease her.

    For years, he had resented Simione for rejecting his marriage proposal, thinking she doesn''t love him enough. For years, he had always taken it as a childish nagging when she constantly told him about Feather''s schemes and doings. He never believed her, no until now.

    After all these times of self-righteous anger believing he was the wronged one when in fact Simione was the real victim, Lyndon was faced with the fact that all this he had brought upon himself and that he had to face it. It was just such a pity that he only realized it now, after Simione suffered unimaginable horrors on her own.

    There was a part of him that said perhaps she was just wrong. That Feather was just forced to marry Hawk Monsanto knowing how her family was struggling in their business but it was so hard to ignore the truth that he just learned now. Besides, he already knows to what extent Feather''s insecurities can do, yet he chooses to ignore it for a long time and believes that she has changed. That what she did when they were young was just something she did out of childishness. .

    Was he really too blind then?

    "I''m sorry Simione," That''s all that Lyndon managed to say as things rushed into his head.

    "Yeah right," Simione however was so done that just right after she heard him, she took her sling bag and bolted out through the door. She can''t bear to stay there anymore, not when she had told Lyndon all things out of anger. She was cursing herself then for doing so but she never regretted it. It was time for him to know, it was time for him to grow up.

    Yet, her heart was then aching and so instead of hurrying away, she paused at the stairs as she calmed her heart. She had cried too much already and yet even when a bucket of tears had been shed, she had found no redemption for her. Howe her life was this miserable? Howe she was never given a chance to be happy at all?

    Simione wiped her tears and deeply breathed. What''s going to happen now? Just as she was contemting on her next step, she noticed Lyndoning to her in a wheelchair, pushing himself carefully toward her side.

    "Simione¡­.please hear me out," His voice had gone calm and controlled. Simione thought that perhaps some sense went on him. She was hopeful.

    "Brother Don¡­I''m sorry for what I said..I spoke out of¡ª"

    "Sisi¡­do not apologize anymore," Lyndon replied with a bitter smile. "It was me who was wrong. I should not have made things more difficult with you..I am sorry Sisi¡­I''m the older brother here¡­I should have been the one taking care of you¡­ of grandmother and of grandfather.."

    "Just focus on getting better¡­that''s all I ask," Simione told him with relief. However there was something, something about Lyndon''s expression that got Simione a little ufortable. It was like there was something he wanted to say more.

    "No Sisi¡­.I can''t just sit here and watch you do all the work¡­do not think about me anymore, I promise from now on I''ll tend to myself well¡­" Lyndon started with a promise.

    He had realized he had been too much of a burden already to her and his family and so he was trying to make up for his folly. "I still have some money left in London, I had been working afterall for many years. That moneyes from my ballet career so it has nothing to do with Tang''s assets. I''m sure it cannot be frozen by the gov''t. So worry no more about the Tang mansion''s expenses and about grandmother. As for grandfather, I''ll look into it. Sisi..do not anymore worry about us¡­"

    Lyndon looked at Simione with a reassuring smile. "I am very sorry Simione for everything. Looking at you now and how me¡­.us¡­made you suffer¡­.I could only hope one day you''ll be able to forgive me¡­"

    "Brother Don, you did nothing so big that would not make me forgive you¡­" Simione replied. "You had been so good to me when we were young¡­what I did now, it wasn''t enough topensate,"

    Hearing about their past only made Lyndon feel gut sick and guilty. Seeing how Simione had suffered and done so many foolish things for him, he felt the need to free her from all the lies of the past.

    All these years, he imprisoned the girl in believing that it was about his kindness that made him save her from the streets when the truth was, there was more to the story but his kind heart had nothing to do with it. It was more like his guilt.

    "Simione¡­please do not think about that anymore¡­." Lyndon''s voice was shaking. "I don''t deserve your loyalty and gratefulness¡­." He closed his eyes for a moment to suck all the guilt and swallowed hard before he leveled her eyes again. "What I did when we were young¡­.saving you from the streets¡­isn''t because of my kindness¡­it''s because of my conscience Sisi¡­."

    "Brother Don¡­." Simione was confused. Nothing in Lyndon''s words made her feel like there was something wrong yet but the guilty look that went on his face made Simione confused.

    "I didn''t save you because I was kind Sisi, I saved you because I did something wrong to you," He confessed making Simione''s head spin upon the sudden transition of emotions. For a moment a fog rushed into her head that she felt the need for a pause to find rity but the words Lyndon were throwing wasn''t giving her some break.

    "As for what you did to Feather¡­." Lyndon added in a soft voice but a determined one. "Don''t regret it. You did it to get even with her as you should¡­.but do not think of it anymore as something you did for me so you won''t regret the fact that I was unworthy of all the efforts. Think of it as something you did for yourself¡­"

    "You did it to get justice for yourself¡­.so don''t feel bad about it¡­even a little," Lyndon gave her a look that bore all his hate and fury for how things went too bad with him, with the Tangs, and with Simione. His jaw hardened thinking through it. "I just wished that at the end, you''ll find it in your heart to forgive me for the things I did¡­."

    "Brother Don, you are scaring me," Simione''s insides were shaking then. She doesn''t know why but it felt like his words contained a venom, poisoning her slowly until she had no breath left. "What the hell are you talking about¡­"

    "The ident¡­."Lyndon felt like there was a big sharp thing hitting his throat when he said that. Yet he pushed the words through despite the pain, "The ident fifteen years ago in Mara Ballet Company¡­the one that caused you an irreparable leg injury and made you lose your ballet career ¡­."

    "It was Feather who did it¡­" Lyndon looked away this time as he couldn''t bear to see the sudden reproached that went so Simione''s eyes. "And I just watched her do it¡­"

    "It was Feather, Simione" Lyndon repeated, ready to take all of the girl''s me and hatred.

    "She was the reason why you couldn''t dance ballet anymore,"

 Chapter 196 - Pinocchio

    Mara Ballet Company-Fifteen years ago

    When thest note of the music stopped, everyone stood on their feet and pped their hands proudly for the young ballerina who danced on the stage. Today, Mara Ballet Company guests requested to see the young Simione dance as they already received reports about her exquisite skills. Indeed with how she danced mboyantly with her fluid graceful movements right then, every guest that was there was determined to offer contracts and schrships to Europe.

    "Bravo!"

    "Bravo!"

    "She''s really one of a kind," One of the guests, a representative from Voltaire Balletpany, couldn''t help but praise her. "She''s going to be a prima ballerina, I can see it,"

    "She''s young but I can tell her future in this career is going to be great," Another guest, Mr. Eaveson from another academy agreed. Every guest right there had their reasons for seeing Simione dance, all contracts and offers ready in their briefcases. However the very reason for this performance today was the n for her debut, which Voltaire Ballet Company wanted to sponsor. She was basically sought for because aside from extraordinarily talented, the fact that she was an heiress of a well established businessman surely would attract more interest. Imagine the news highlighting the debut of the first ballerina heiress to ever get to be acknowledged by Voltaire Ballet Company in Devon City, sure thing, that''s going to sell.. In fact, news of a Han''s heiress going to debut had already spread around the city.

    Soon, the guest gathered in a hall for an after concert party and the guest started approaching Simione one by one. Beside her was her grandfather who was deeply pleased with her ballet achievements and career. Don Benidicto Han was a stage grandfather and he made sure Simione did nothing for thest five years but train ballet harder than anyone should.

    Five years ago, she met the girl for the first time in Somerset Vige and found out about her passion and skills. Despite his son''s protest¡ªCat''s father, he was able to somehow bring Simione to Mara Ballet Company and she had been training eversince. For five long years, the girl did nothing but ballet and her hard work did pay off. Right now, she was acknowledged as being the number one talent of Mara Ballet Company whose offers for major roles and big theater''s abroad flock on every single day.

    "Congrattions Sisi," Lyndon Tang went to give her a bouquet of flowers to congratte her. They had been good friends, especially that the Tangs were close to Don Benidicto. Lyndon was also one of the best dancers in Mara Ballet Company, however her sess wasn''t as grand as that of the girls.

    "Thank you brother Don," Simione epted the flowers heartily and stepped forward to say something to the boy in her ears. However before he could even talk to her further, someone grabbed the boy by hand. It was his mentor.

    "Lyndon, Do you see that man with a long beard?"

    "Uhm Yeah,"

    "They say he was the representative from Stardust Academy, the one who had been regrly making Pinochio ballet productions. You should go and impress him, I heard they are going to get one male ballerina from our theater this year," His mentor told him and since they were in front of Simione, she could hear everything. "I believe he is here to announce that they are going to have auditions for male ballerina''s. This is your chance,"

    "Really?" Immediately the boy''s eyes brightened up. He had been waiting for such an opportunity and wanted to really perform on the big stage this year. Not that he couldn''t wait for a chance, it was just that, his mother had long been sick and the doctor said she might not live long.

    His mother, Lyna Tang, was a ballet advocate. She always loved ballet but couldn''t learn it because of her health. So, she put pressure on her son and wished that before she leaves this world, she would get to see him seed in the ballet industry. Because of this, Lyndon was very adamant to find an opportunity for the big stage this year so just to fulfill his mother''s dying wish.

    "Look, he''s going to this corner. He must have spotted you," His mentor warned and slightly touched Lyndon''s back to straighten it. "Be at your best, he must being to talk to us,"

    Unfortunately however, even when the guest they were eyeing for went in their direction, they weren''t the ones he wanted to talk to. He was interested in someone else.

    "Don Benedicto Han, my greetings" The man bowed in front of Simione and her grandfather. "Mr. Val, from Stardust,"

    "Nice meeting you Mr. Val, I believe you came not for me but for my precious granddaughter," Don Benedictor replied and gave way to Simione who gave the man a curtsy, "This is ballerina Simione, I believe you know her already,"

    "Her reputation exceeds her. Such a graceful child," Mr. Val returned Simione''s curtsy by bowing back to her.

    "So I''m actually here because you know we make big productions every season," Mr. Val started his business. "We want Miss Simione toe and join us for a performance. Of course her name highlighted, big and bold," Mr. Val made gestures when he said the thing that delighted the Don. However Simione, who just recently heard the conversation of Lyndon and his mentor immediately felt bad for the boy and so he gave her an apologetic look.

    "Excuse me Mr. Val¡­" Simione interjected politely. "If I''m not mistaken, this season you are going to make the Pinhio productions right? So which part are you offering me to y?"

    "Ah, Miss Simione is very well knowledgeable in this matters," Mr. Val was impressed that she knew some details. "However, since we wanted to highlight you in this season''s production, thepany decided we will not be making the Pinhio but another performance, something that''s made only for your my dear Senorita,"

 Chapter 197 - Deserve Better

    "Whaaat?" The shock of Lyndon''s mentor brought all eyes to their direction. Seeing how he messed up, he immediately apologized. "Forgive me Mr. Val," he dragged his feet toward Simione and the guest thinking that since the attention was already on them, he should just voice out his concern. "But Pinhio had been a traditional performance of Stardust this season, aren''t you afraid this will cause a ruckus with your regrs?"

    "Actually Miss Simione had been the talk of the towntely," Mr. Val entertained his question even when he find his intrusion very impolite, "Many are curious as to the rumoured Han''s heiress beauty and skills,"

    "But she''s not Han," Lyndon said outburst. He was really frustrated about what he heard but he didn''t mean to hurt Simione then, he was just emphasizing the fact because he knew Simione didn''t like such ast name.

    "She''s my granddaughter, howe she''s not a Han?" Don Benedicto''s voice filled the room. He didn''t like it when their private matters were being opened in the public, it seemed like the Tang boy lost his manners tonight. When they heard the Don''s voice, everyone fell silent. The Don had quite a reputation and influence, so no one dared to go against him, especially in the balletmunity..

    "Forgive my student Don Benedicto, he''s just a bit not himselftely because of his mother''s situation," His mentor defended and went away after he bowed awkwardly. He didn''t expect he''d Lyndon would offend the Don and so he tried to pull the boy away even before the situation got worse.

    "Why did you even open that little mouth of yours?" His mentor chided as he dragged him out of the party.

    "I''m sorry," Lyndon apologized but his mentor who was also upset couldn''t help but nag at him.

    "You should act right. Your mother is putting too much pressure on me already," His mentor bbered. "But what can I do? Simione had overshadowed everyone in thispany, the guest sees no one but him," He sighed heavily. "Tsk. tsk. Tsk. What am I going to tell your mother? A missed opportunity again? How can you not be as good as Simione when you came earlier in the Mara Ballet Company than her? Gosh!"

    "I''m sorry mentor, I''ve been practicing everyday and had even asked for Simione''s advice," Lyndon confessed. "I did my best,"

    "I know, but then the answer is not enough for your mother and it''s hard to exin things to her specially with her condition" His mentor brushed his already sweating head. "Stay here and stay out of Don Benedicto''s sight. I need to go back and find other opportunities for you, okay?"

    "Alright mentor," He obediently replied and waited in the corner like an abandoned puppy. Lyndon Tang was a good ballet dancer however Simione was extraordinary and someone as good as heres rare, this was the reason everyone was frantic about her.

    "If only Simione isn''t here," Someone said that made Lyndon raise his head only to be weed by another pair of honeybed eyes like Simione''s.

    "You shouldn''t say something like that, Feather," Lyndon immediately chided her. Feather Han is also one of the promising ballerina''s in Mara Ballet Company but like Lyndon, she was also nothingpared to Simione.

    "I pity you," Feather continued, ignoring the fact that the boy already warned her not to say i''ll things. "Well I don''t mind ranking below Simione and being her understudy. You on the other hand needed to get to a big stage this year. It is a must because your mom might not be there anymore to watch the next time around,"

    "I did my best," Lyndon told her so.

    "Simione is very ungrateful. You had always been good to her and had been keeping herpany to make her feel that she belongs to our kind, when she isn''t," Feather emphasized. "She should have done something so the Pinhio production should continue this season,"

    "It''s not her fault," Lyndon defended Simione although deep inside, some resentment was already growing but he tried so hard to ignore it knowing that it was wrong to me it all to Simione. "She''s also in a tight position knowing that your grandfather is very strict,"

    "She''s only making that up. The truth is grandfather had always been lenient with her," Feather told him. "She''s just very selfish, she doesn''t want to share the stage with us or even give us a chance. She''s suppressing our talents,"

    "Feather stop saying that¡­Simione is your family¡­"

    "She isn''t my family¡­you know that¡­" Feather refused Lyndon''s words. "She''s just a vige girl grandfather found in the white mansion. She''s so annoying,"

    "You know that''s not true¡­your father is her¡ª"

    "Stop! Stop it!" Feather didn''t want to hear it. "Simione is nothing but a vige girl. She should not be here. A person like her should have not been stealing the limelight from us,"

    "She worked hard for it!" Lyndon spat to Feather''s face. "She deserves what she have right now, her skills are iparable to anyone in here,"

    "She''s just overhyped. If people stop talking about her perhaps they''ll be willing to see our talents. She''s basically stealing out limelight''s! She shouldn''t be here!"

    "Feather why don''t you tell that to your grandfather instead ofshing out on me," Lyndon shoo her away. He had struggles on her own and she doesn''t want to handle Feather''s tantrums now.

    When Feather realized that Lyndon got upset, she lowered her voice and apologized. "I''m sorry brother Don. I was just feeling bad for you. If I am Simione, I would give up everything so you can have your ce. Unfortunately, I''m not her and all I can do isfort you,"

    Lyndon didn''t reply and so Feather knew he wanted to be all alone.

    "I''ll just leave. However, I want you brother Don that for me, you are a very good ballerina," Feather flushed a sincere helpless face. "You deserve better than this,"

 Chapter 198 - Feathers Confession

    Lyndon Tang was watching backstage as rehearsals were going on. He had some parts to y on the current performance but his act was only a minor one. At the sidelines from the back of the stage, he was watching Simione gracefully dancing like a swan, being carried to the airs by another male ballerina as both glided into the music. If only Simione wasn''t that tall, he could be a perfect match for her.

    He was thinking of many things then of how things would have changed if he could be a perfect partner for Simione in parts where she needed a partner. Just thinking about dancing beside her and sharing a little on her stage made him smile bitterly. How could he think of such foolish things? No matter what, even if he was Simione''s partner or not, he''ll still not be seen and acknowledged because everyone''s eyes were only with Simione.

    "Brother Don¡­" Feather appeared from nowhere. She too was part of the performance but her act was still after a few transitionster. Just as when the boy turned to her side, she walked toward him and looked at the same stage he was watching. "She''s a great ballerina," Feather speaks of the Simione who was currently dancing, oblivious to the fact that she had been the topic of them. "But do you know that she doesn''t want to be a prima ballerina? All she wished this time was to be a ballet teacher in the suburbs,"

    "She can be anything she wants," Lyndon replied timidly.. No matter what Feather will say, it can never change the fact that Simione will always be better than them.

    "But she doesn''t need all these. If she just wants to be a ballet teacher then why all this? She doesn''t need the offers and schrships in London to be a good ballet teacher," Feather emphasized which was actually true. For one to be a ballet teacher, you just need to graduate in a prestigious academy like Mara Ballet Company. To have performed in big stages is only a plus.

    "Feather even if we take her spotlight, she''s still better than us," Lyndon pointed. "Besides, what can you ever do?"

    "I can do many things for you," Feather looked in his eyes. Lyndon was not dumbed. He had long been aware of Feather''s affection for her, she never fails to let him know that. When they were young, because of the Tang''s and the Han''s friendship, both of them were somehow desired by their families to be each other''s partners but things changed when Simione came.

    Simione was a beautiful girl and even if she was from a certain vige, her beauty stood taller than the others. So were her skills. Therefore, when Simione arrived in the picture, the attention of Lyndon shifted from Feather to Simione and the former of course didn''t like it. Ever since then, Feather had resented Simione and had always long to catch Lyndon''s attention again.

    "Feather stop it already, you sound so creepy," Lyndon told her. The look in Feather''s eyes shone in a way that was making the boy afraid. As far as he knew, she was always sweet and loving when around him but these days, she was acting really weird.

    "Brother Don¡­.you know that I love you right?" Feather confession caught Lyndon off guard.

    "Feather¡­.we are teenagers¡­" Lyndon replied, hiding away his blush. Although he was aware of Feather''s likeness of him, he never expected that she would ever be so bold to confess. He felt ttered honestly, especially that he was just a young innocent boy without much experience this time. "Don''t say anything¡ª"

    A kiss on the lips halted everything that Lyndon had to say. It was his first kiss and honestly, he all imagined his first to be with Simione if she would return his affection. However he had long been making it obvious to her that he likes her but to no avail. Having Feather like him without the need to do anything and making him wait like a fool as Simione did, he was ttered beyond words.

    When Feather withdrew the kiss, Lyndon''s eyes were with her and the girl blushed right away as if she went shy. She stood in front of him for a few seconds flushing red before she showed him something she had hidden behind her costume.

    It was a sharp object, like a knife.

    "What is that?" Lyndon was surprised at what Feather had brought. "Feather, you shouldn''t be bringing anything sharp in here. It''s not allowed. How did you even conceal that to the guards?"

    "Brother Don, that is not anymore important," Feather replied. "What''s important is that tonight, I am going to show you how serious I am with my confession to you,"

    "What do you mean?"

    "I am so sorry but I cannot watch you being trampled down by Simione. Not when your mother badly needed to see you on a big stage," Feather looked at him in a way that calls for his sympathy over the matter as if what she was about to do needs a big forgiveness on his part.

    He then saw Feather step back from him until she was beside a big stage props that was to be used in the ongoing performance.

    "Feather,e back here, no one is allowed¡ª"

    "Brother Don, this is for you¡­after this¡­be the ballerina that you always wanted to be and make your mother proud," That was thest that Feather said and immediately, in front of Lyndon''s eyes, she cut the wire that keeps the big props steady and it slowly fell into the stage, so was everything that was with it.

    Lyndon did not understand what Feather did as he was very sure that the props even if it would fall will not cause a serious harm but when it hit the floor, something inside it went rolling in everywhere.

    "Marbles?" Lyndon panicked when he saw it and he immediately took a step to warn all the dancers on stage only to see Simione''s partner pick her up into the air for a leap. The male dancer unfortunately stepped into one of the rolling marbles and lost his bnce.

    He fell and Simione fell with him.

    It was a bad fall.

    Immediately, horror flushed into Lyndon''s face.

 Chapter 199 - His Choice

    An immediate chaos flooded the whole Mara Ballet Company. Simione''s cries and screams of pain can be heard all over and everyone felt terrified. Soon, an ambnce was called and Simione can be seen being carried over by a stretcher, Lyndon with her.

    "Sisi¡­." Lyndon was running beside the medics to look at Simione and he could see her tears, so was her pain. Immediately anger rose to his veins. When Simione was loaded in the ambnce, the medics forbade him toe so he could only watch the ambnce go with the girl in it.

    Horrified and lost, Lyndonbed his hair in frustration.

    "Lyndon!" He heard his mentor calling on to him. Everyone in Mara Ballet was horrified, especially that they all knew Simione was Don Benedicto''s granddaughter.

    "It was Feather!" He told his mentor right away and looked around to check on the culprit who immediately vanished into the thin air. "She''s the one who did it, I saw her!"

    "What are you talking about, it was an ident," His mentor bent over to look at him. "The stage manager already had a meeting with the team that made the props. It seemed like they had been negligent in putting marbles in it. Somebody missed to check it,"

    "It was Feather that cut the rope. I saw it, mentor!"

    "No sharp thing can cut such a big rope like that..how could you say this!"

    "Mentor!"

    "Shhhhh..." His mentor shut him off and looked around to see if someone had heard. There were people around them but he was d they were off a good distance. "Look, this is your chance. Remember your mother is dying,"

    "Mentor, what are you saying?" Lyndon felt utterly surprised at how the man acted. He never expected such a thing for him but it seemed like he already knew this but refused to acknowledge it.

    "This is the only thing that I can think of and Feather helped me¡­you should be thankful¡­"

    Lyndon''s eyes went big at the revtion. "How¡­how could you?"

    "Your mother¡­.." The mentor mentioned her again. "She doesn''t have much time, you have to dance on the big stage this time. Only Simione was making things difficult for you. With her gone, you sure be able to have a chance,"

    "This is a crime! Mentor, how could you do this?" Immediately Lyndon''s shoulder went heavy knowing the truth. "Did you force Feather to do this?"

    "Listen¡­.." His mentor dragged him to somewhere with less people this time. "Listen boy. If you think your mom was okay with all this¡­..you are very wrong. Just two days ago, she went to confide to Feather''s mother about how he wished you to y the Pinhio and Feather heard it all. She took pity on your mother. You should not me her. She did what he could for you,"

    "Did you give her that sharp thing?"

    "I didn''t know where she got that. But the marbles inside were my doing," His mentor confessed. "She just asked me to load it in secretly,"

    "Mentor, what you did is unforgivable and huge!" Lyndon felt more frustrated at this confession. "You asked me first if I want this! Look what you did to Simione!"

    "Simione already has everything while you and Feather don''t!" His mentor red at him. "Look boy, I did this so you could y Pinhio so your mother can watch you dance on a big stage. You don''t want to send her away with nothing right?"

    Lyndon went silent. Of course he wanted to dance on the big stage for his mother. That was the only thing he could do for her at this time but at the expense of Simione, he didn''t know if he could bear that.

    "But Simione¡­..what''s going to happen now? Besides, everyone in the props team might be fired¡­" Lyndon pointed. "Don Benedicto will sure not forgive this,"

    "This secret will only remain with the three of us. The CCTV cameras were taken care of besides, they wouldn''t suspect it was messed up intentionally. They will only think the cameras died down because of the falling debris caused by the fall of the props," His mentor assured him. "For those who have been fired, we canpensate them in other ways. As for Simione¡­.I honestly don''t know the extent of the injury. However, she''s Don Benedicto''s favorite granddaughter, and her future is bright. She excels in other things too aside from ballet. She''ll forget ballet soon. Unlike you and Feather, this is the only profession you had ever dreamed of. You and her should be in the ballet industry no matter what"

    "Mentor¡­..this is so evil¡­."

    "You canpensate Simione with other things if you feel bad about her," His mentor was now getting angry that the boy wouldn''t stop talking about Simione. "Lyndon, no matter what, you should stay out of this. Think of your mother!"

    "Besides, if you speak on it, it''s not only Feather who will be ruined," His mentor''s pleas now turned into threats. "Do you think only Feather will suffer? You are a smart boy, you should know that if you implicate Feather, the girl will point a finger at me. Since I am your mentor, then you two don''t escape everyone''s fury!

    "But I didn''t do this!" Lyndon''s mouth dropped at the threats as reality hit him. Indeed if things woulde out, his name would surely be dragged into it.

    "Prepare to say goodbye to ballet once you speak," His mentor''s threat went intense. "Losers and cowards will have no ce in it.

    His mentor then took Lyndon''s jaw and had him look at him. "You choose your fate, boy. Give justice to Simione or give justice to yourself? You choose!"

    "Besides, this is the real face of the ballet industry.. You should get used to it if you want to go far," His mentor told himst before he left the boy with his balled and shaking fist as well as his tears of anger that fell from his green eyes, hot and guilt consuming.

 Chapter 200 - The Negotiation

    Don Benedicto was sitting across the table with his baston. His expression was unreliable and he was silent since the meeting had started which made everyone nervous. The Mara Ballet Company''s executive was around him exining all the things rted to the incident that happened as well as Simione''s injury.

    "It was negligence on the part of the props team. We greatly apologize for this Don Benedicto. Rest assured that everyone from the props team will be fired and newpetent staff will be set. As for Miss Simione, Mara Ballet will pay for everything as well as ten millionpensation," Thewyer of Mara Ballet narrated to them. They had made sure to offer a goodpensation so as not to upset the Don and were praying hard that he would just let them off.

    "And the missing CCTV''s?" Don Benedicto''s associate, Mr. Teng asked on behalf of him. The Don had initiated his own investigation and learned that there were no CCTV footage for it.

    "The cameras got damaged during the incident because of the fall of such big props," Thewyer exined. "But there had been no signs of a sabotage,"

    "No CCTV''s and no witnesses?"

    "There are witnesses, it was Lyndon Tang and Feather Han," Thewyer exined, though Don Benedicto''s camp already knew such details. Don Benedicto even summoned Lyndon and Feather to ask about it but both swore it was an ident.

    The Don refused to believe Feather''s words but when Lynon Tang affirmed it, he believed it was true. The boy had always liked Simione and so there was no reason for him not to hide something about her granddaughter''s ident, especially if it would help Simione''s case.

    Don Benedictor''s associate did not anymore reply with that and so Mara Ballet Company was relieved a littleter. They reached out some papers to hiswyer then, wanting him to recheck about thepensation contract and hoped for him or Benedicto to sign it but the Don unexpectedly opened his mouth.

    "Ten millionpensation¡­..we are talking about an amount in euro''s night?" The Don asked.

    "Ahm Don, we are not talking about euro¡ª"

    "I won''t make a deal if it''s not euros. Simione was one of a kind ballerina and so her future in Ballet is very promising. You all witnessed that. So why in the world would you just give her ten million dors for your negligence? Is that how you think her skill is worth?"

    "The doctor said she might not be able to ballet dance again and so I think ten million is not enough unless it is in euros," The Don sttered to everyone''s faces making all their jaws drop. Ten Million euros? How are they going to give something like that to the Han''s? Such an amount that the Don mentioned will leave Mara Ballet with nothing.

    "So you think ten million towards is what her talents are worth?" Mr. Fend was terribly disappointed by it. "Besides, the people in Devon City were waiting for the Han heiress'' debut in show business. How are you going topensate for the shame that the Han''s were going to receive because of this?"

    "Mr. Feng, Don Benedicto¡­." Thewyer was already sweating hard. "We could not anymore change the rumours that had already spread before Simione''s ballet but they had already found a solution for it. "Thepany had agreed to pursue such a n of debuting the Han''s heiress¡­"

    "How could make it possible with Simione''s injury," Mr. Feng raised his voice above everyone. He could not believe how Mara Ballet was treating this like they do not care much of Simione.

    "The Don had two granddaughters with us," Thewyer started on his point, trying to ry what the executives have agreed about to make sure all their future productions would go off without much inconvenience even with Simione''s ident. "We can push through with Han''s heiress debut. Although this time, we''ll debut Feather Han insead. Afterall, she was Simione''s understudy,"

    "But their skills are iparable and you can''t just immediately rece Simione¡­" Mr. Feng was surprised by such a tant attempt. Does Mara Ballet Company think they can escape liability by recing their top ballerina with the second?

    "However as of right now, Feather Han is the only choice we have," The Lawyer informed them. "The doctor said Simion may not be able to dance ballet again and so we are willing topensate for it. As per the Han''s reputation, we think having Feather to continue with where Simione left at was the good alternative,"

    "It''s a win-win situation," The Mara Ballet''spany representative added, oblivious of the fact that the Don had gone too angry with their shamelessness.

    Mr. Feng only shocked his head. "But you are trying to lie over a big audience,"

    "It''s not a lie, Feather is Han''s heiress too." The Lawyer pressed on hoping to make the other party agree on it. "She might not be not the initial choice but she''s good and capable. She can be a good choice for a recement,"

    "You are so impossible!" Mr. Feng was fuming and before things would go worse, the Don stopped the conversation, hitting his baston off the ground twice.

    "Enough!" His strong loud voice filled the room enough to silence everyone and make them all afraid. The Don then stood from his feet and looked at each of Mara Ballet''s executives one by one. "Ten million dors for my granddaughter aspensation. We don''t have anything lower than that. I don''t fucking care if Mara Ballet gets bankcrupt out of it, you would be able to continue business after this anyway,"

    "Don Benedicto please¡­we are only trying to negotiate,"

    "There is no room for negotiation when ites to my granddaughter''s future," Don Benedicto replied, giving everyone some serious chills. "Even if you promised to give my other granddaughter her ce, don''t think I would let you off just as easy as this,"

    With that said, Don Benedicto left the room with nothing but a smirk. When he waspletely out of the room, he nced at Mr. Feng''s side who left the room with him and instructed. "Make sure Mara Ballet will be erased from the show business,"

    "Yes Don Benedicto," Mr.. Feng replied, already predicting such an instruction.

 Chapter 201 - Her Only Redemption

    The injury of Simione made a serious loss in Devon City''s ballet industry. Many investor''s turned their backs in Mara Ballet Company which at this time was the top prestigiouspany in Devon City for the sole reason that they failed to settle the matter with the Don.

    Afraid to meet the Don''s fury and bacsh, many pulled their supports out from Mara Ballet and news of it going bankrupt went on only after months of Simione''s hospitalization. In an attempt to appease the Don, they went on giving the limelight to Feather and secure a schrship for her for Voltaire ballet using their connections in such an internationalpany, but even then, such didn''t pacify the Don''s fury.

    Voltaire Company on the other hand, who receives annual financial support from the Don, weed Feather with open hands and made sure that the Han''s reputation would not be tainted by the ident. Since it had been long that Voltaire ballet as well as the Han''s boasted about having a talented heiress, they reced the injured Simione with Feather and pretended nothing happened. This was all done by Voltairepany to escape criticism and bacsh from the anticipating fans. So, Feather debuted in due time following the career n that was meant for Simione.

    As for the Tang boy, he got his chance in stardust as Pinochio in Stardust as thetter chose to continue their traditional performances because of Simione'' injury. This performance paved the way for Lyndon''s career in ballet and waster on offered some schrship in London like Feather had.

    Simione on the other hand, stayed in the hospital for over a year to recuperate and after that, was brought to the Han''s ancestral mansion to live with his grandfather.

    ****

    Back to the Present Day

    Simione was in an empty stage of Mara Ballet Company Theater. The theater had been closed for several years already because thepany went bankrupt and so this theater had not been used for a while. The current owners rented it for clients on a few asions but it had already lost its original glory. Besides, in Devon City, many ballet theaters had already been set up and people had forgotten about the once prestigious theater.

    The girl stood in the center after she wore an old ballet shoe she found in the back stage. It must have been owned and left behind by the previous ballerinas who used to dance there. The ballet shoe was a perfect fit and even without a spotlight, Simione started a ballet routine that she still remembers. As she danced and glided, she could hear some music in her ears the old days and dance harmoniously with it as if it was ying in the background. She tiptoed and turned, making exquisite and calcted moves as a real ballerina but a few minutes into the routine her legs gave up and she fell to the floor.

    The fall didn''t stop her however and so she got up again and danced until she fell one more. Again and again and again until she found herself deeply frustrated about her feet and started crying helplessly.

    "Foolish girl," Simione sniffed andughed at it like a mad woman. "How could you me such a tragedy to fate when he had nothing to do with it. It was Feather again. You had fallen hard to Feather''s schemes again unknowingly,"

    "Hahhahaha," The girlughed at the truth miserably. "The truth wouldn''t have hurt much, not until it urred to her that the love she found after the tragedy wasn''t love after all. It was a well thought of payment for the paths she paved way for both Feather and Lyndon''s career. How pathetic. Did Featherugh at her back at this?

    Was this why Feather Han was so confident that Lyndon doesn''t love her and tantly snacthed him away because she knew the truth? The truth that all what Lyndon did for here from his guilt of not confessing to the truth? Did the man even love him even once?

    So all of it was a lie? Perhaps the only constion she had this time was that grandmother Silicia and grandfather Williams had nothing to do with it and their love for her was real. Perhaps they were the only good thing she got out from the all of those things but even such a fact cannot prevent the raging fire that went onto Simione''s stem.

    With hands on the floor and tears falling off, all of the kindness that was left of Simione''s heart faded into dust. In a second, her once beautiful heart was clouded with fury and resentment that she could think of nothing then but revenge. Revenged for her broken dreams. Revenge for her broken feet.

    "Have I been too easy with your Feather Han?" She hissed. "Want to have a taste of my fury?"

    In a moment, she wiped off her tears and dragged herself out from the stage. Her mind was blurred and all she could think of then was the desire to see Feather in misery. She had nothing to lose now anyway, Lyndon had woken up and so someone could take care of grandmother Silicia and grandfather Williams. She had no more things to worry about.

    She doesn''t even fear what''s going to happen to her. At this point in her life, there was only one thing she wished and that was Feather''s broken heart. Not even the fear that Hawk Monsanto can kill her in the process so long as she can see before her eyes how Feather cries with blood.

    Feather''s tears. Just that. That was all she wanted. That was all she ever desired at this very moment. That was the only thing that can redeem her brokenness.

    Hawk Monsanto can kill her after. She''d dly hand him her life in exchange for his beloved''s broken heart.

    "Just wait for me, Feather Han," Simione promised under her fuming breath. "I''lle for you, that is a promise!"

 Chapter 202 - Bad Eating Habits

    Gabrie never came out from Lucy''s apartment ever since the incident that took ce in Primo''s office and without knowing, time had passed by so quickly that a week had already passed.

    Luckily this to her surprise, she wasn''t as broken as she was before, like the way she was when she found out about Erwan''s betrayal. Perhaps she had been used to the feeling already that the pain sumbed somewhere in her heart she couldn''t take time to visit. Or perhaps she had be overly busy ever since she came back so that she had no time to worry about her broken heart.

    These days, Sefarina had be an idol doll and Gabrie had been busy making new clothes for her. Lucy always brought the doll that she had been constantly exposed to the press that soon, many had requested for the doll''s presence in her interviews and photoshoots.

    Also, Lucy had been receiving requests and inquiries about Serafina''s outfits because many wanted to have custom dresses for their dolls too. The image of Lucy with a doll these days became a fashion and so many socialites bought dolls and brought it everywhere like a pet. However, because it was a new trend, the socialites had problems on where to buy ssy outfits for their dolls and so they all asked Lucy where Serafina got hers. Thinking that this could keep Gabrie busy, she asked the girl if she could make outfits for the dolls of some of her celebrity friends. Gabrie who basically had nothing to do of course agreed and thought perhaps she can make a business out of it.

    While Gabrie was cutting some of the materials, her phone suddenly rang. Not able to stop what she was doing, she had it on speaker.

    "Miss Gabrie," It was Marie and her call of course surprised the girl. This was the first time Marie had called her and she was worried something might have happened.

    "Is there something wrong Marie? Are you okay?" She asked and halted what she was doing to give her full attention to the old woman.

    "Miss, can you have dinner in the mansion tonight?" Marie asked, her voice hopeful that Gabrie would say yes.

    "Marie, I''m going back there again. I had nothing to do with your master, please understand," Gabrie replied politely. She knew Marie had always liked her, as well as everyone in the mansion but even she can''t just go back to Primo''s mansion and pretend nothing was wrong.

    "I understand Miss but¡­.." Marie sighed deep and Gabrie heard it. It seemed that Marie was not in a good condition. Is she perhaps sick?

    "Marie, are you okay?"

    "Miss, the truth is, I''m really worried about the master," Marie revealed. She thought of luring Gabrie into the mansion but she could think of any good thing to make here so she just spilled the whole truth to her. "Ever since you had a misunderstanding, the boss never took time to eat his food. He never eats in the mansion and her secretaries in the office told me they had never seen him eating at the office too. He just work all day and do nothing I''m afraid he will pass out soon,"

    "Marie, Primo is already an adult. He knows how to care for himself," Gabrie tried to ease her up but even when she said those, a strike of worry went into her heart. What''s wrong with Primo? She had heard that he had bad eating habits but didn''t think it was this bad. Does he want to die right away?

    "But Miss, the master is used to not eating because he was once a captain soldier," Marie exined. "When their unit is at war, sometimes they don''t eat for days so the master is used to it. However, in the army, he always celebrates with his men after the war, so he can eat after a few days of a forced fast. Right now, he doesn''t have men to look after and celebrate with so I was worried he might have no reason to eat,"

    "Marie¡­."

    "Miss, can you juste by and join the master for dinner? If he knows you areing then he''ll have reason to sit at the table," Marie convinced her, sounding so pitiful at the other end. "The whole Umbresio estate is at the hands of the master, if he will get sick or worse will die because he had not forgotten his meals, it would be the end for all of us,"

    Gabrie immediately got guilty at that. If Marie intentionally made her feel that way or it was an innocent attempt, well it was pretty effective because her heart was crushed right away.

    "Please Miss, I had never really asked you anything. Can you at least do this for me?" Marie bet on that. She knew Gabrie was a soft hearted person and she was hoping that this character of hers will make her return to the mansion. Besides, what she was really telling was the truth. She had never seen Primo take a bite ever since Gabrie left and she was really worried.

    "Alright," Gabrie was left with no choice but to say yes. She was really adamant to say no but was too polite to refuse the old woman''s requests.

    Besides, Lucy informed her this morning that Primo was reviewing grandfather William''s case and thought that he did it for her. Not that there was any truth to that because it''s too early to tell that it was for her but somehow her heart moved. Perhaps it was grandfather Williams'' case that was making the man busy and so she thought it would only be right if for her to be grateful of him. A little dinner won''t hurt right?

    "Miss, thank you so much! I''ll make sure to cook your favorite dinner," Marie announced from the other line excitedly.

    "I''d love to. Thank you Marie¡­"

 Chapter 203 - Dont Make Promises

    At Primo''s office

    "Sir, Mairie said that you shoulde early for dinner today," Florence told his master. He had been in the service of Primo for many years but he had never seen him this bad.

    The man had kept on working nonstop for several days already and had made everyone''s life hell in the office. Not only that his employees were forced to render overtime as they couldn''t leave the office, not when Primo was still around and hissing about many things, they too were all subjected to his untamable temper. He had not been liking everyone''s work since the incident of Gabrie Monteria took ce. His department then was on fire and not a single work or proposal got approved ever since that day.

    Many of his secretaries asked Florence when would this wild mood of Primo would stop because many had not been able to work with ease then. However Florence only told them to be patient and not to mess up because he himself couldn''t do anything about it. Helpless, he called on Marie for help and thetter delivered him solution only thirty minutes ag. The only problem left was that Primo wasn''t acknowledging it.

    "Where''s the file of Mr. Montemayor?" Primo hurdled between too many files that had been neatly ced on his table already. "I had been asking for the petition since earlier and nobody is telling me where the fuck is it."

    "Sir, I''m afraid you have toe home¡ª"

    "Florence, did you not hear me?" When Primo''s hard tone clung to his ears, Florence was torn between informing him or giving him what he wanted. "Sir you have read the files just two hours ago and you wanted it to be changed so the team that was assigned to it is still working on the changes at this moment,"

    "That slow?" Primo''s expression didn''t suit Florence''s answer. "This petition should have been finished today if they had not missed a very important part of the petition. Now you are telling me they cannot write a simple petition for Christ sake Florence! Have that team fired¡ª"

    "Sir Marie said you should be early for dinner today,"

    "Florence you''ve told that to me already a thousand times," Primo''s expression had turned more deadly, "Say it again and I''ll send you off to the South with the rebels,"

    "Tell Marie I had many things to take care of here," Primo instructed while Florence immediately shut off. Gosh! He couldn''t even utter Miss Gabrie''s name. Primo had seriously gone mad this time.

    Just in time, Florence''s phone rang and seeing that it was Marie who called, he picked it right away, "Marie, I''m sorry but the master says he had soo many things to care for here. So just tell Miss Gabrie to eat alone and not wait for him¡ª"

    Just before he could finish his sentence, Florence''s phone was already in Primo''s hands.

    "Maire¡­." Primo took over the call.

    "Primo came home already, do you want Miss Gabrie to eat alone? I invited her for dinner for you and yet you are doing so much foolishness there. Should I just¡ª"

    "I''ll be there in a few. Don''t make her leave," Primo replied and hurried through the door immediately leaving Florence alone in his office after the youngwyer threw his phone back to him.

    Florence who saw him retreating away that fast, heaved a big sigh of relief. Without Primo in the office, he finally had some hard stretches before he went off the door. As soon as he got out, he saw everyone''s faces at him, all eyebrows raised. They could not believe Primo went home early today and released everyone from their misery. However, they were unsure whether they should head home too. Who knows if their boss woulde back and find no one inside. That would only make the situation worse.

    "Oh, everyone should go home on time today, the master will surely note back," Florence announced and just immediately, everyone loosened. Finally after some hellish days, heaven had listened to their prayers.

    "Are you sure about this Florence? You aren''t bluffing right?" One of the senior secretaries asked.

    "I''m sure. The boss is having dinner with Miss Gabrie today and¡ª"

    Just when he said Gabrie''s name, everyone packed up their things, not allowing him to finish anymore. With Gabrie around, they knew their boss would take his time and would note back so they should just go and celebrate after so many hell days.

    "Hey guys!" Florence started calling for everyone''s attention but no one listened to him and so he could only roll his eyes upon them. However, thinking about how he was free too and that he cane home early to his wife, his eyes blinked with joy. Ah! Finally he can get to sleep with his wife without worrying about Primo''s tantrums and temper.

    Whistling, he walked happily back to his desk and started packing up too with everyone.

    In Primo''s mansion however, Gabrie sat quietly on the big dinner table while cutting with grace her steak. Primo had ge but Mairie exined to her that the subordinate had a hard time telling him because his mood wasn''t good these days. That not she care about it, she pretty much doesn''t care if Pirmo would note and join her tonight. Thinking about his absence, she almost murdered the meat in her te.

    "Dulzura," Primo''s call got Gabrie''s thought hurdled back to reality. She turned to him and acknowledged his presence but didn''t say anything instead she just continued murdering her already murdered meat. "Don''t be too harsh on your steak,"

    Annoyed, Gabrie put down her utensils and grabbed for the wine sitting beside her te. "You arete for dinner," She told him.

    "I''m sorry I didn''t know you wereing home tonight. This won''t happen again," Primo promised.

    "Don''t make promises you can''t keep," Gabrie''s words were hard and unfriendly, Primo almost felt like she wasn''t his dulzura then.. Inside, he was trembling with for the first time, afraid that she would just leave right away because he made her upset again.

 Chapter 204 - The Dinner

    "I know," Primo sat on the chair beside the Monteria heiress. His ce on the table should be on the other end of it where Marie prepared a ting for him but he just chose to sit beside Gabrie like he isn''t the head of the house.

    Immediately, the servants silently transferred the utensils and arranged a ting for their master. Whilst doing so, Primo''s eyes dug on Gabrie who chose to give her steak more attention this time. She took in some bites and seeing her lips touch the meat made Primo swallowed at sight. Ah shit! He had been missing her lips for a while but couldn''t own it then.

    Desperate to maintain the conversation, he started again with his apologies. "I''m sorry you have to start dinner without me,"

    "It''s okay, Marie is a betterpany than you anyway," Gabrie answered ndly. "Besides, I''m here because Marie invited me for dinner. Once I''m done I''ll leave right away,"

    Hearing about her leaving again stuck something in his throat. Nevertheless he somehow was thankful she showed up right then. Whatever magic Marie did to make here, wished he had the same. Gabrie had been too difficult to him, she didn''t even get out of Lucy''s apartment and allow him to see her. In just a week, he couldn''t make himself stop thinking about her and so he tried to work nonstop to cover up his days missing her.

    "I didn''t mean to upset this time dulzura," Primo said and reached out over to his ss of wine. He really didn''t have an appetite especially when he heard her saying she''d leave right away after dinner. Reaching the ss to his lips, he was about to drink it when Gabrie''s eyes went to him.

    "What are you doing?" For his eyes, Gabrie looked down over his ss. "You haven''t even taken any food and you are drinking that?"

    Primo was surprised. He wasn''t aware that she noticed because it seemed like she had not been giving him any attention at all.

    "I don''t have an appetite," Primo reasoned but didn''t dare to drink the wine. Instead he put his ss down and waited for her chastity.

    "Primo¡­there are many ways to die¡­" Gabrie started. "If you want to kill yourself, don''t do it by not eating and overworking because you are only making Marie and the rest of the servant worry about you. Just slit your throat and get it done instead of prolonging everyone''s agony,"

    Primo certainly didn''t expect those words. The servants who heard it all closed their eyes and expected their master to burst in anger with how he was ordered around in his house but the only worst thing that happened then was Primoughing sarcastically about his woman''s words. Truth was it didn''t ur to him that everyone was worried about his health. As far as he knew, he only skipped a few meals but couldn''t recall thest time that he had eaten.

    "I didn''t intend to make them worry about dulzura," Primo reasoned. "Besides, I can manage,"

    "You can manage?" Gabrie wasn''t pleased with this. "Primo even if you can manage your health¡­how could you make Marie make dinner every night for you and note home to eat all the food that she cooked? I''m suspecting she even sent meals to your office and you just ignored them?"

    "How pathetic¡­" The woman met his eyes head on and Primo wasn''t sure what to do. Gabrie''s voice went a little harsh and big that the servants wondered if she was even allowed to do that. Surprisingly, it seemed that Primo didn''t mind and just held a deep sigh while looking at the displeased woman and as if she owned the house, she added. "Apologize to Marie right now!"

    There was silence for a moment and everyone thought that what Gabrie did was thest straw and that Primo would never let her off this time. The youngwyer certainly didn''t like how he had been yelled at and everyone could see him balled his fist and soon, a loud bang was heard on the table!

    Primo hit the table with his fists with anger and his expression darkened, scaring everyone around!

    "What?" Gabre hisses when she sees what Primo did. "Do you think you could scare me with your temper? The heck I care if you would hurt me"

    Marie who knew that kind of expression knew that Gabrie was already in danger. She stepped in immediately to protect the girl. "Miss Gabrie¡ª"

    "Don''t intervene Marie!" Gabrie stopped her, eyes on Primo meeting his anger. "Let Primo do the thing he is best at!"

    ring, he challenged his woman far; she wanted to go with her audacity to defy him. Does she think he knows him that much already?

    "And by that you mean?" He asked, jaw tightened.

    "Making everyone afraid,"

    "So you are not afraid of me?" Primo immediately stepped forward ready and grabbed the girl''s arm so hard that Gabrie could feel the intensity of it. She flinched a little with the pain but didn''t sumb into it. "Perhaps you''ve not heard more about me, woman. Or do you think my patience for you has no end. So you are not afraid that I would hurt you, huh?" His arms dug more that Gabrie could feel like her arms were going to break.

    Primo had gone out of control. His eyes went devil-like, but Gabrie didn''t allow herself to sumb into it.

    "You''ve already broken my heart¡­" Gabrie said bitterly, right through his eyes. "What''s more painful than that?"

    Primo anger left in a split second, like ava-hot volcano that had been caught in a much bigger snow storm. His body chilled and never did his entire life feel so shameful about misdeeds. He had always been proud of being strong and evil but in front of Gabrie''s resentful eyes, he felt so ashamed of who he was.

    Immediately, he let her go, cursing himself for losing out of control in front of her.

 Chapter 205 - The Angel And The Devil

    Gabrie couldn''t anymore continue her dinner with that and so, when Primo stepped back as sense hit back on him, she pulled a napkin and wiped her lips. Ignoring Primo this time, she took time to look at Marie.

    "Thank you for a good dinner Marie," Gabrie told her and bowed in respect to her hospitality.

    "Miss your hand¡­Let me tend to it," Marie got worried when she saw the red marks on her hand.

    "I''m fine Marie," Gabrie tried to hide her arms. "I''lle and visit you soon. Don''t pressure yourself too much worrying about your master, he''s old enough to care for himself,"

    "I''m so sorry Miss¡­I invited you and you got hurt," Marie was very apologetic. If only she knew this would happen, she would have never made here. However, because they were so desperate to make Primoe to his senses, they sacrificed the girl for it and she ended up being hurt.

    "It''s nothing," Gabrie replied and bid her farewell. "Have a good night Marie,"

    Gabrie then started walking away, while Primo, who was so guilty he couldn''t even dare to open his mouth to stop her. He just miserably followed the girl as she gracefully walked out of the mansion. At the front door, the house butler approached her immediately.

    "Miss I''ll drive you home,"

    "No thanks, I''m fine. I want to take a cab this time," Gabrie refused politely with a smile as if her hand wasn''t aching.

    "Ahm¡­.how about I''ll call a cab for you?" The butler felt miserable knowing that Primo, who still was at her back, obviously wanted the girl to take one of his cars but couldn''t say anything. Primo felt like he didn''t even deserve to speak to her right now with what he had done. He never felt so away from her.

    "I can manage, have a good night to you," Gabrie didn''t reply anymore for his answer and just carefully walked away toward the gate. The butler could only give Primo a pitiful look and watched him follow the girl like a fool. Primo always had things under his control, but surely not this time. He wanted to reconcile with the girl so bad but it ended in the worst case he could think of. Only then did he understand there was really something when people say¡ªlove is hard and only a fool takes a risk on it, like he was right then.

    Gabrie was very aware of Primo''s presence but she didn''t have the energy to deal with him anymore. When she walked out of the mansion''s gate, she tried to walk as fast as she could to get away from him but with Primo''s long legs, it was so easy for the man to keep up with her.

    "Primo stop following me around, go home," Gabrie finally had the nerve to shoo him away when she had enough. They were on a sidewalk right then, just on the main street of the subdivision where Primo''s mansion was nesting.

    "I''ll leave when I know you are safe,"

    "I''m safer when you are not around," She retorted, crushing more pain to Primo''s fresh unhealing wound.

    Primo was about to answer but he saw a cab passing away so he waved for it until it stopped in front of them. Gabrie immediately mounted in not expecting Primo toe with her.

    "Allegria Penthouses please," Primo told the driver at once and it didn''t take long before the cab went off.

    The Monteria heiress only heaved an exhausting sigh when and rested her head on the backseat. She closed her eyes for a moment but it didn''t take long before she felt Primo''s hand caressing her swollen arms.

    "I''m sorry Dulzura," Primo''s voice was regretful. He certainly didn''t expect she would be hurt by his own hands.

    The man had always been the king tiger to his own realm so not once did anyone dared to defy him like Gabrie did. He wasn''t used to it, used to feeling powerless over something and perhaps that made him so mad. Yet one thing he was sure tonight, no matter how devil he could turn out to be, his angel can easily cut off his devil''s horn and make him miserable. She was his kryptonite, his weakness and he never felt so afraid of that as he never had any weakness before.

    "Could you please talk to me please?" Primo begged. "I can''t bear this anymore,"

    Gabrie was so tempted to give in specially that Primo sounded so sincere but her heart had gone so cold already. Besides, she was so afraid she''ll fall onto one of his traps again and leave her wounded again. She was so done with men hurting her that she was ready to promise that if ever she''d fall on it again, she''d just immediately go to Sta. Catalina nunnery and ept her fate as a nun.

    "Stay away from me Primo," Gabrie replied coldly.

    "Sweatheart¡­just¡­just please let me hold you and¡ª"

    "I said stay away from me,"

    Primo could do nothing but just leave her to her own. He retreated back to his seat and just watched the girl from his side, wondering when he would be able to touch her again. He was so miserable then that he felt like dying inside. Was this how deep he had fallen for her? He seemed like a helpless man already.

    Soon the two reached the Allegria Penthouses and like those many days that had passed, as soon as Gabrie reached Lucy''s unit, she closed the door to Primo''s face, leaving him no chance to at all.

    Primo, who was very frustrated, ended up sitting exhaustively at the front door cursing himself for how foolish he had been. If only he had been a little careful, a little sensitive, a little patient, things could have never gone this bad. Perhaps Luci Dimitri was right.

    An evil like him should not wish on loving an angel like Gabrie.

 Chapter 206 - The Call

    "You look so miserable," Lucy stood in front of Primo while the man was frustratedlyforting himself on the floor just beside the door of her apartment. "Let me guess, Gabbie ditch you again¡­ahahahaha"

    "Luci¡­." Primo immediately stood and towered the singer. "I escorted Gabrie home. We had a dinner at my house,"

    "Guess the dinner didn''t turn out well," Lucy responded and gave him a mocking look. "Poor you. Just go home, you won''t change anything by staying here,"

    Lucy turned her back on him and decided to go inside. If Primo was miserable outside, she was very sure Gabrie felt so bad too and she worried about the girl immediately. Aish! It seemed that this Primo-Gabrie thing was getting out of hand. Can they just call it quits? It was obvious things aren''t working out good for both of them, specially for Gabrie.

    The singer was about to unlock the door with her keys when she heard Primo say something unintelligible.

    "What?" Lucy turned to him with creased browns.

    Primo made a dismayed sound before he dug his eyes onto the woman. Has she not heard that she wanted to hear it again or she was just trying to mock him?

    "Primo, is there something you need to say? If there''s none, go hom¡ª"

    "Help me," He cut her offpletely and the words he just spoke immediately filled Luci with disbelief.

    "You?" Lucy was trying to analyze what he was saying. "Did you just ask me to help you?" She confirmed but without waiting for an answer she alreadyughed hysterically.

    "What''s so funny about it?" Primo hissed.

    "Nothing. Nothing, just the fact that the great El Tigre hade to ask the help of the a humble singer," Luci pointed, stillughing at it. "But I do remember this was twice in the row. Thest time you asked me what Gabrie needed in your office and now this,"

    "The one we had previously did not help. It was trade and I sure did my part of the agreement," Primo corrected her. He never once owed anyone and so he didn''t like it when Luci was trying to make it obvious that he needed her help that''s why she was trying to be friendly to her.

    "Fine, whatever you say it was" Lucy dismissed such an unnecessary topic but he was right somehow. He did his part of the job especially when dayster, they heard the man waking up and asked a serious look into Simione''s identity. Hopefully he will find nothing and things will just remain as it was.

    "So you are going to help me then?"

    "That should not be the question you should ask El Tigre," Lucy replied with a big wild smile this time. "You should worry if you can handle me. The help I will give may note conveniently,"

    "You are a crazy woman," Primo replied, shaking his head. "Just tell me if you want to help me or not,"

    "I sure can and I will, you know, just for fun," Lucy replied and left Primo at the door as she entered it. Inside, her smile turned wild and devious. Did he say he needed her help to appease Gabrie?

    Well, since he is El Tigre, she would dly help him but in an outrageous kind of way.

    "You wanted my help?" She giggled to herself. "Let''s see if you can handle the help I would give you,"

    The singer wanted to linger more in her thoughts about Primo that amused her but she caught the sound of the newssh that was running in the television and her expression changed drastically. She carefully walked toward the living room and found Simione looking at the news with bold fists.

    "Ballerina Feather Han was to conduct another pre-concierto concert for her uing wedding. Just recently it was announced that the couple''s wedding will be at¡ª"

    "Simione," Lucy called for the girl and just as she heard the singer speak, she turned the television off immediately.

    "Lucy, you''vee home," Simione replied, almost as lifeless as her nk honey-colored eyes. Something in it made Lucy chilled.

    "Sisi, whatever you are nning, now is not the best time," Lucy warned her. She had learned already of what Feather did and she felt really bad at it. However, when he learned that Hawk had asked for Mr. Blue came home, she felt the threat. "Hawk won''t let you off this time,"

    "I know what I''m doing¡­"

    "You are trying to kill youself," Lucy rushed to her and held her shoulder. "Well get back to Feather in some other way. I promised. However the Hawk Monsanto that woke up now, you can''t mess up with him Simione, he''s very dangerous. He''s twice dangerous that he was,"

    "I''ve already decided on it," Simione gave her a look that was untamable and Lucy knew that she cannot be helped anymore. Hatred had clouded her senses already and right at this moment, she cannot move on without ruining Feather''s life first.

    "Then let me help you," Lucy convinced her. "Let me help you like I always did. Don''t do this alone or you''ll not escape Hawk,"

    "I don''t want to drag you into this. You said it yourself, Hawk is twice as dangerous as he was, I can''t let you and Gabrie be dragged on to this," Simione refused. She didn''t know how Lucy knew about her ns but she already expected it. Lucy somewhat is all-knowing, she even wondered sometimes how she did that but there were many mysterious things about Lucy she was not surprised anymore.

    "But you can''t do this alone," Lucy told her. "Hawk will be right behind you once youe back and see him. I don''t think he''s going to let you off and if he will learn your intentions, you might not be able toe back alive,"

    "Then let him kill me," Simione spoke like an evil woman. "That would be a good end for me that the Han''s selling me off in a prostitution house,"

    "Sisi¡ª"

    "Lucy, this is my battle," Simione gave her a look that made Lucy have a glimpse of the misery inside her. "Let me do this so I can have justice for myself. Wherever this would led me, I''m ready for all the consequences,"

    "As for you and Gabrie," Simione hugged her this time, "Don''t make anyone hurt you or her because of me. You two are the only thing that''s left of me, make sure to stay safe and away from the Monsanto''s.

    That was all that Simione said before she left Lucy, unsure of what to feel in the living room. Knowing that she could not anymore convince her to with her ns, she only looked at Simione as the girl ascended into the stairs. While so, Lucy held on her fist tight.

    "Simione, you should just run away," Lucy worriedly said to herself. Simione told her after she came back from Comis vige of Hawk''s confession but the singer was snot confident such confession can save her friend once the M Conglomerate President learned of her true reason for approaching him.

    She knew that family well¡ªthe Monsanto are unforgiving. However Simione didn''t care anymore and she can''t trespass and go beyond what the girl wanted. She would always respect Simione''s decision over her own life but right then she was tempted already to send her off somewhere Hawk Monsanto can''t find her, nor so the Han''s. She had been very wrong to keep her in Devon City after all these years, she should have let her life somewhere out of everyone''s reach.

    Lucy was still full of her thoughts when suddenly her phone rang, when she pulled and read the caller id, an immediate frown went onto her face.

    "Yes?" She weed me from the other line immediately.

    "Miss Luci," A girl''s voice answered from the other line. "Mr. Crow wants to see you now,"

    "Why so sudden?" Lucy became worried and panicked a little. "Is something wrong?"

    "He didn''t tell me and I don''t think there''s something wrong," The girl answered. "Perhaps he just really wanted to see you. He asked me to let youe to his vi on Fare ind. You think you cane?"

    Lucy''s eyes surveyed around the whole corner of her home before she decided to go to the terrace and close the door.

    "Is it okay to meet this time?" Lucy asked worriedly. "Isn''t his wife and children here in Devon City? You know I don''t like crossing paths with them these days"

    "They are here in Devon City you are right and I don''t think they will be leaving soon. But what can I do? The senior really wants to see you Miss," The girl over the phone pleaded. "I have sent a chopper for you, it should arrive in thirty minutes,"

    "Alright then, if that is what he wants," Lucy sighed before she cut the call off. Immediately her head ached but instead of tending to it, she went to her bedroom and packed up.. Looks like she had to spend ind hopping for the next few days.

 Chapter 207 - Like A Goodbye

    "Revenge has always been looked upon as a sin and sometimes you feel like you had to sin to win"-Isaac Hayes

    Simione looked upon the mirror staring into her own reflection. She didn''t recognize the woman that was staring back at her on the other side but that was the least of her concern. People often say it was rather immature for a person to seek revenge but when you have been thrown into a dirty pit of destruction by the schemes of others, you be dirty yourself. It was easy to advise someone to go on and have a peaceful life but when life itself was taken out from you, what''s there to keep on?

    Nothing.

    Simione has nothing now.

    Not even love itself specially that the love that she once thought was the one who saved her, was nothing but lies.

    The girl sat in the mirror and slowly took a brush. She dragged it to her face and carefully brushed it to her pale face. She had to wear makeup to hide her misery¡ªthe redness in her eyes, the paleness of her cheeks, the loss of color of her face. She cried and mourned for her old self for the few days had passed while waiting for this day toe.

    The day when she would shatter Feather''s heart.

    She had made sure her revenge wouldn''t just be a dish served in cold, it''s with a rusty edged knife she aims to strike into Feather Han''s heart. The ballerina''s happy days will surely be over.

    Brush after brush, Simione finished her make up until she saw that same woman who lured Hawk Monsanto into dancing in his own engagement party¡ªthe woman in a silver gown. However tonight, she won''t need a mask. She intends for Feather to see her face so that for once she''ll know who caused her ultimately downfall. Perhaps the ballerina will be horrified to learn someone from the grave rose to collect her debts¡ªshe can''t wait to see her fear and misery!

    The girl then stood from the vanity and trached her steps into a closet nearby where a red gown was waiting for her. She chose red for this asion. A red sultry halter long dress with subtle glitters. The top only covers her breast while the rest is exposed and it would only take for someone to pull one single string to let it fall. Simione slid herself in the dress and tied the string behind her neck. She looked dashingly beautiful in it, more than enough to keep Hawk Monsanto''s eyes on her.

    She had to get him tonight.

    She needed him.

    She doesn''t care what''s going to be the oue and whether she''lle out alive but she can bet her life on everything just to see Feather cry. If she can have that, then she can leave this world in peace.

    She''s dead inside anyway. The Han''s had long killed her.

    It didn''t take long before Simione turned the lights off and left the room. Slowly, she walked down the stairs with all her courage and guts. She needed every inch of it tonight.

    "Lucy¡­" Simione found her friend with a wine ss waiting at the edge of the stairs. The girl looked at her with beautiful ocean eyes and flushed a bitter smile.

    "It''s rather too early for you to go, care to have a few sses with me? You need one tonight," Lucy invited, "You are so beautiful,"

    "Thank you,"

    Lucy just cued for her to follow in their wine bar and Simione did not refuse. Knowing she was going to a lion''s den, it might be thest wine she can drink with her dearest friend. How can she refuse it then?

    Lucy poured her some and handed her a ss before the singer poured some for herself. "A toast,"

    Simone raised her ss and did as invited. Their wine sses made a clunking sound after a second.

    "Is Gabrie still.."

    "Do not worry about her..or us.." Lucy told her. "We''ll always be fine Sisi,"

    "Don''t tell her yet, until¡ª"

    "Simione," Lucy cut her off as she grabbed her hands with hers. They looked at each other for a minute,municating things through their eyes. Things that cannot be said in words are too painful to bear.

    Goodbye is one of those words.

    They are both aware of the danger thisst act of Simione will be. They are very aware they might be able to see each other again.

    Lucy heaved a painful sigh, almost crying, which she swallowed right away. She then pushed a white small envelope in front of Simione.

    "This are tickets," Lucy started, hands pressed hard on Simione''s skin. "A red car is waiting for you at the east exit underground exit of the theater. In case you will make it out alive, drive that car and ran far away,"

    "Lucy I''ve told you not to help me anymore," Simione told her. Like Lucy she was swallowing a cry. Her life with Lucy and Gabrie were full of meaningful days. She will forever miss them. "This fight is mine alone,"

    "I''m not helping you in your revenge," Lucy dug into her eyes deep. If she can stop Simione she would but she knew that the girl had finally decided to take this path and she had no right to obstruct her way into it. This revenge is very personal to Simione, very dear and so she has to let her go. "I''m helping my best friend stay alive. This is thest thing I ask of you,"

    Simione didn''t answer anymore. If Lucy didn''t disrespect her decision to walk on this dangerous path, who was she to disrespect the singer''s wishes to keep alive?

    "Promise me you''ll try to stay alive Sisi," Lucy shed a tear which she wiped off right away, ashamed of it.

    Simione, who don''t want to see her tears, looked down and nodded to acknowledge her wish.

    "I should go," Simione took one big gulp from her ss and turned to leave. However, before she opened the door, she paused and looked back and found Lucy staring through her miserably.

    Simione flushed a beautiful smile to cheer her up, like she always do when previously.

    "Thank you Lucy," She saidst and headed off.

    When the door closed, Lucy cried silently alone.

 Chapter 208 - His Compensation

    A deja vu.Looking at therge crowd of fans in from the theater''s window reminded Feather of herst pre-wedding concierto. It ended badly but those days had gone by. Tonight, she felt more secure in Hawk''s affection than she ever was and so it was just right that a week before their wedding, she had this concierto set.

    Just a week more and she will be Mrs. Monsanto.

    She didn''t know what happened really but Hawk had been extra sincere and sensitive with her for thest few days. Perhaps it was his near death experience and their long separation when he left for the mountains that made him change. Perhaps his long solitude there woke him up from his foolishness and made a changed man. Whatever took ce in those mountains then, she was grateful.

    "Is everything ready?" Feather approached Ami who just entered the room. She went to check if Hawk was already there and her joyful smile answered the ballerina''s question.

    "Yep. Everything is set and your fiance is already here," Ami told her and jerked off happily to show the Han''s heiress the bouquet of flowers she was hiding at her back. "Surprise, President Hawk had these sent for you,"

    "Oh my God! He''s so sweet," Feather was greatly pleased. She epted the bouquet and sat on the sofa nearby to enjoy its beauty. "Oh Ami, I''m so happy. I''m soo happy I could cry,"

    "Hush now Miss," Ami sat beside her. "Hush now, you don''t want your makeup to be ruined,"

    "The past few weeks have been so perfect. Me and Hawk were so in love," Feather couldn''t help but tell it. Truth was, aside from Ami, Feather didn''t have many friends in Devon City and so, as much as she wanted to brag about their love story, she had no one to talk to but Ami. "I should have invited my foreign friends over but the wedding had been moved to an earlier date and so I also had to move the pre-wedding concierto. Of course since they are all busy ballerina''s too, they just choose toe to my wedding instead,"

    "Oh Miss, you shouldn''t worry about their absence," Amiforted her. "Besides, I think you have a more special guest tonight,"

    "And who do you mean?" Feather raised a brow at it. Aside from Hawk and a few of her rtives, the girl doesn''t have much to expect so she wondered who Ami was talking about.

    "I have heard that some international media person had been very interested in your love story so they are featuring it," Ami revealed. "I just heard Manager Rose talked to one of them downstairs,"

    "What????" Feather panicked in a good way at this. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes Miss!" Ami responded with assurance. "Didn''t you always want to be featured in an international magazine? Well, it never happened in London but here it is now,"

    Feather''s face flushed a one hell of a big smile. Ever since she had always wanted to get featured in international media but her ballet career in London wasn''t as grand tond her on one. Although she''s a major hype in their country and Devon City, that was because she was the first ever ballerina to have been a part of Voltaire Ballet so the nation celebrated for her. However in the international arena, she wasn''t that special to be treated like a queen. In fact, if not for major sponsors¡ªwho were revealed to be Don Benedicto and Hawk Monsanto, she would have never received solo performances in London.

    Unlike Simione when she was young, Feather''s entrance to Voltaire Ballet was brought by the previous efforts of the Mara Ballet Company to appease Don Benedicto''s fury. It wasn''t because she was chosen or that she was a rare talent like Simione, it was just all pure luck plus her schemes. However, in ballet, you can fake talent, so Feather''s career didn''t do well and all her poprity in Devon City was all thanks to the people''s pride of having one of their citizens enter into the international theater arena.

    "Omg! My friend will be vex and jealous if they hear this!" Feather imagined their faces. "Imagine I''m the first in our circle to gain such attention! Oh Ami! This is great news!"

    "It is, Miss. So don''t worry and just be great tonight," Ami told her so. "Tomorrow your face will flood the international arena!"

    The two were overjoyed and they both giggled happily at it. However their celebration had to be cut short because the show was about to start and Feather had to go backstage already.

    "Do your best Miss," Ami cheered for her. "Your fianc¨¦e is waiting and so is the international arena,"

    "I sure will, Ami," Feather assured her confidently before she went to her usual corner to wait for her entry. The smile even then didn''t evade her face. Finally her dreams were bing real. The title Madam Monsanto will be hers as well as the international arena. It was her destiny. Her very own destiny!

    ***

    Hawk was sittingfortably at his box when the lights of the theater went off. He ns to enjoy the night and Feather''s performance then. Afterall, it might be hisst chance to see her dance. Hopefully, after he breaks off with her, her ballet career will continue as it should.

    Hawk gave her everything she demanded the previous weeks. It''s a pity though she didn''t know he had hidden intentions behind it but he really did mean to give her beautiful days before they part. Afterall, she was his childhood best friend and he made her the man he was right now. He owed Feather so much, but things between them had to end before any of them was going to break.

    Hawk already nned a career for Feather and promised that even when they separate ways, she''ll have a good life. Aside from a hefty amount of marypensation she will be receiving, Hawk still nned to support her ballet career after and promised to still look after her.. All the things he got now was because of her so she just deserves every inch of the things he nned to give her.

 Chapter 209 - The Monsanto Trap

    The music started ying and the dancers flowed in seemingly moving like waters in a calm spring. The lights were subtle, so was the music that one could picture a scene of a warm evening beside the river where fireflies danced in the moonlight. It was serene.

    It was rather ironic because no matter how calming the scene the performance was trying to convey, Hawk was not at ease. Was it because he knew that this performance was made by the Han''s heiress¡ªa woman he once loved much and ended up betraying? Was this the reason why no matter how captivating the ballerina''s moved on the stage, he felt no joy, not even sadness in it?

    Hawk closed his eyes. He should not havee if he would just end up being miserable seeing Feather dance for him with all her heart knowing that he was about to break her heart. However, this was the only thing he could do for her.

    Time advances and the ballet performance bes lively and colorful. However, even when Hawk''s eyes were on the stage, his mind wasn''t there. It travelled too far away from the theater that night and travelled all the way to Somerset vige¡ªHawk''s most favorite ce in the world. He had never gone there for a long time, not that intend to, he just didn''t have time for it. Besides, Somerset had long been gone.

    Few years after Hawk and Butler Gah left that vige, a nuclear power nt which everyone did not know existed a few kilometers from the main vige had an ident that caused some fire and explosions. Although no one was hurt during the ident, it caused steamed explosions and released some radioactive reactor in the environment.

    Afraid for the health of its citizens, the government evacuated every family within the radius which they believed was contaminated and that includes the Somerset Vige. So in just a span of twenty four hours, Somerset became a ghost town and no one had been there ever since. The ce until then was considered hazardous and although few people are wee toe, they are allowed only for a considerable amount of time so they won''t be exposed too much.

    Hawk was still drowned with his thoughts when suddenly a familiar step started clunking in his ears. Attracted to it, his veins boiled up immediately in anticipation.

    Is she here?

    For a moment, Hawk paused and listened to the steps that were advancing and his lips immediately formed a vicious smile. He never expected her toe too soon but he was definitely thrilled. Wanting to give her a warm wee, he turned his seat away from the stage and into the curtain behind him. By now, the clunking had stopped and he knew she was standing behind the curtains, almost within his grasp. However, minutes had passed but the girl didn''t reveal herself.

    Impatient, Hawk called for her attention. "Are you just going to stand there the whole night?"

    "I am not lost this time," Simione replied to him after a moment. Behind the curtain she was actually taking her time as she pulled off all of her courage to charge such a difficult task. Her heart was breathing so fast she could hear it under her chest and she wished she could stop and calm it down first before she showed herself to the man. However, it seemed that he already knew she was there. "However I''m not invited so I was thinking twice,"

    "You always love to trespass mi amore. So why think twice now?" Hawk''s smile widened but his thoughts lingered on the fact that the girl''s tone seemed to be different now. He expects her to be warm, with some trace of worry knowing that thest time they were together, he was hurt badly. However tonight, her voice carried an unfathomed expression that felt so strange to him. He couldn''t connect to her then.

    "I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to control myself," There, surprisingly, she became seductive again and although this sudden change of tone made him suspicious, he couldn''t care more because immediately, his uncivilized urges woken up by her subtle temptation. His body warmed up in an instant.

    "I''m the one who should worry about control, love. Come," Hawk invited, wanting to know what''s wrong. He was very aware something was different with her and so he worried though his anticipation and lust grew above that.

    A ripple of nervousness suddenly went on Simione. Then heat came, a very familiar one, something that came to her whenever the man behind the curtain pleased her with his touch and kisses. Then she felt a little breathless, as if her gown was too tight and constricting that she just wanted to pull it off her and rushed to the man naked. Oh God! How could those thoughtse rushing to her right at this very moment when she was to exact revenge?

    However, she must admit, Hawk and her had been away for too long and her body, who became aware of his presence, immediately recognized him and anticipated his touch. The hidden longings, worry and desire that earned up in the corner of her heart woke up, trying to break lost, almost sessful.

    Hawk expected her to pull the curtain to heed his request, but nothing like that happened in a span of minutes only making his anticipation grow extra impatient. He had long been waiting for her, he cannot wait anymore. And so, without warning, he stood from his seat and rushed into the curtain, jolting Simione.

    When Hawk opened the curtains with his big hands, the surprised face of a beautiful woman weed him¡ªwith open surprised red lips making it ready for a kiss. Her eyes glowed something like worry or fear like she was caught in a raw state she never nned to make him see. However, even with such a state, she looked extremely beautiful and dashing, like a red rose that just bloomed.

    There was a long pause when their eyes met as if they both looked at each other in detail. Corner by corner, edges by edges until there was nothing left hidden.

    Simione felt like she had gone into war and was caught in the middle of killings and gnashing of teeths. Her insides burst up with panic, fear, confusion and chaos but in the middle of the brutal battlefield, her enemy who was supposed to kill her came, offered her a white horse together with his white g, ready to surrender at her feet even when his side was the one winning.

    Hawk on the other hand felt like he had been in a terrible storm ready to drown him and he was about to get killed by the water, a beautiful siren came and took him. Under her hands and spell, he willingly sumbed to herpany even when he knew the siren only wanted his death.

    And so, even when he knew he was going to die if he kissed a siren, Hawk willingly lowered his mouth to take the lips of poison Simione prepared for him and damn, it felt marvelous.

    Hawk''s lips brushed into Simione''s mouth with a subtle kiss and that was followed by his tongue licking it wet. He didn''t even go inside her mouth yet but her lips were burning wild.

    "Hawk..."Simione heard herself shaking. A big part of her wanted to step back and just ran as fast and far as she could. How could a kiss like that make her feel so weak and cowardly? Yet, her feet remained still and when he felt Hawk''s fingers on her lips, right after his tongue, she absorbed the pleasure of his touch.

    "You made me wait too long," Hawk told her, his face inscrutable. "Didn''t you not worry I would die without you?"

    Simione forced herself to swallow all the emotions that were running to her and the heavens was the witness on how it went too hard for her. However when she was able to gather her thoughts, her words went audacious, "With Feather around I don''t think you''d be willing to go down the grave. I wonder if she knows you confessed love to another woman and when you got rejected, you went home and rushed a wedding,"

    "I was left alone with a broken arm and heart, what else can I do?" Hawk eyes be more protruding that Simione felt like her soul was left open. He also took a step closer that Simione could already feel howrge he was, and how too close.

    The smell of his masculinity also engulfed her, making her so imprisoned in his presence that Simione felt like there was no more escape for her. There was something in Hawk''s presence tonight, clearly bearing a possessiveness that Simione feared would be her doom.

    Why does it felt like instead of hering to make a trap for him and his fiancee, it was her who had somehow fallen into Hawk Monsanto''s trap?

 Chapter 210 - The Fall

    Simione almost couldn''t rebut Hawk''s words as her insides were twisting, especially when just then, Hawk''s fingers slid through her waist, touching her so intimately.

    However, she charged all she could to push all the feelings aside. Wanting to keep her posture and pride, she chuckled sarcastically. "So you are trying to say rushing a wedding is just a backwash of your rejection?"

    Hawk only smirked at this and dragged his face closer to Simione to brush his lips on her cheeks, asionally putting feather-like kisses on it. He was inhaling her scent which ran so refreshingly addicting in his nostrils. Then he grabbed her waist hard and pressed her to him, feeling all her warmth which he had been dying to have ever since he woke up in the hospital without her.

    Truth was, he wasn''t really confident that Simione was going to show up because he thought she had been busy taking care of her ,fresh froma, pretend husband. When he woke up without her, he felt so resentful of her knowing that even at the verge of death, she still chose to run after another man than stay by his side. It left him broken and insecure but now that she was here¡ªall those negative feelings died off suddenly and what''s left was all his longings for her.

    "Ugh..you are like a woman throwing a tantrum," Simione added when she couldn''t bear anymore Hawk''s little movements that were clearly meant to seduce her.

    "Except that you know yourself I''m not a woman," Hawk replied and immediately slid the hands he used to caress Simione''s face earlier down to the slit of her dress, owning her silky long legs. The girl gasped at the unannounced intrusion!

    "I have no questions about your sexuality," Simione admitted. "I was just saying that your wedding¡ª"

    Everything that Simione had to say had been cut off by a ravenous kiss. Hawk couldn''t just take it anymore. He actually nned to do more sensible things than rushing to get intimate with her but what can he do? His body was craving her far too much already, so was his lips, his needs clearly cannot anymore be held.

    And so, he owned her lips and forced his tongue right inside her mouth. Suddenly a rush of sensual heat crushed Simione''s body and in a minute, she was already answering Hawk''s kisses. So eager, Simione even pushed Hawk back inside his box and the two continued such a forbidden kiss, forgetting the fact that a sea of audiences was just below Hawk''s theater box and it would only take a head turn for someone to see them. Luckily right then, everyone was focused on the performance on stage and so nobody really cared to look at what was happening to Hawk Monsanto then.

    ***

    The audience''s eyes were well glued to the center, Feather just appeared and she faithfully did her routines without mistakes. This was one of her most anticipated performances and knowing that some international media personnel were there to witness her tonight, she made sure she was very precise on stage.

    She had a vast audience tonight especially when her management decided to have discounts for her tickets as a gift to the fans in celebration of her uing wedding. Therefore, the whote theater was so flooded with guests that the ballerina could even see some people standing on the far end. Her management had already expected this, so they prepared a huge canvass just on the top of the stage giving the people from the far back a chance to see clearly what''s happening on the front rows. Knowing that she''ll always be the focus of the camera, she acted and danced with all her best tonight.

    The show was really going well, Feather was then smiling gracefully specially that the tempo had turned lively. While she was dancing, she was reminded of Hawk and decided to look at him only to find the man was at his back as if he was talking to someone in one corner. Feather''s face immediately contorted a suspicious grimace which she brushed off right away knowing that it might affect her performance.

    Instead, she acted fine and continued her routine ignoring the fact that Hawk again wasn''t giving her attention and was hoping that no one will notice him being upied with something else.

    The thing is¡ª Hawk''s theater box was situated on the very front row, just above the regr seats and it was an open space. Anyone who would like to take a glimpse of him should only raise their head to his box and would be able to see him.

    What was he doing by the way and why does he have to do it now?

    Didn''t he tell her he''ll have this night spent only for her?

    Looking at him now, he was clearly preupied with something else. Perhaps he did forget again this concert was for him because clearly he was not so appreciative with it.

    Feather just danced as if nothing was happening but since she was too damned curious as to what Hawk was doing, she tried to take a glimpse of him again until the view of another person came to her sight.

    It was a woman, wearing a halter dress and¡ª¡ªare they kissing?

    The realization gave Feather arge blow that immediately, she lost out of focus and lost her bnce. She stumbled and fell after that, right in front of her audience!

    "Haph!" the audience gasped in unison, surprised at her mishap!

    The audience certainly did not expect such a fall that they all immediately gasped a surprise¡ªhalf sympathetic, half frustrated sigh! Clearly they expected too much for her and seeing her fall on the stage felt like they had been robbed of all the tickets they spent on her concierto.

    Luckily, the audience were all professionals and elites and so no booing happened but the way her audience witnessed how her performance went from majestic to horrific gave them all a sudden strong dislike. How could such a mishap happen when she''s a well respected Voltaire Ballet talent?

    One big rule in ballet Academy¡ªthe fall of the Prima ballerina is the fall of herpany and so right then, Feather''s management was already in chaos preparing an exnation in preparation for the bacsh.

    Knowing that Feather was Hawk''s fiancee, everyone was curious as to Hawk''s reaction to Feather''s fall and so a lot of the audience turned to the side of his box and saw him kissing another woman that was clearly not Feather. The view left them a huge wave of shock!

    "Hawk Monsanto is¡­.."

    "Omigod is that really Hawk Monsanto? He''s cheating right in everyone''s view!

    "Who is that woman! I can see them kissing but the box was a bit far from here so I can''t figure her face,"

    "Umu! Hawk Monsanto is cheating right in front of his fiancee!"

    "This is clearly beyond my imagination! I almost thought Feather Han was so lucky for having everything yet there''s this,"

    "How can they not be so shameless kissing like that in public?"

    "How could things turn out so bad for Feather Han in just one night! She fell while dancing, this will surely be a turn off in her skill and just right after such an unfortunately fall, she immediately saw her fiance cheating!"

    The orchestra then was ying and so even when Hawk could hear themotion, the music was louder than it and Simione had already wrapped her hands around his neck, very unwilling to let go and so he just went on kissing her, oblivious to everything.

    Feather on the other hand felt so little under everyone''s mockery. She was aware of everyone''s stares and displeasure of her performance that for a moment she couldn''t drag her feet back into dancing. Her colleagues continued with their routine though and she was the one one sitting across the stage pinned down to her shame and disgust.

    Her fall would surely end her ballet career!

    And Hawk''s public disy of her cheating had only made things worse!

    What would people say about her now?

    And besides, what is Hawk Monsanto doing?

    Does he even know how big of a scandal he was doing? How could he be so reckless!

    Simione was very aware of the chaos, it was her n afterall.

    Hawk however wasn''t still aware of what was happening because clearly his untamable urges had not made him aware of anything rather than her scent, her enigma and her bloody sexy hell body. Simione, wearing such a halter dress hiding nothing but only her breast, which was very essible by just sliding off his hands into her slit -- looked so glorious that Hawk could not control himself.

    He pushed her body closer to Simione, feeling everything of her body while his handsvishly explored it and his mouth stuck into hers. He was lost in paradise and all that was in him was the desire to strip her off naked and make love with her.

    Damn! How could she just appear now! Was she enjoying taking care of her sick pretend husband that she left him on the spot?

    Now that she is here, not only his urges were anticipating her, his jealousy had gone berserk too.. He was so drowned into a deep sensual haze brought by all of it.

 Chapter 211 - Incredible Sight

    Simione was very aware of Hawk''s urges and she knew it wouldn''t take long before the man would strip her naked. So before the naked body would stter in front of everyone, she proceeded with the next step.

    The girl broke the kiss momentarily and Hawk ended up questioning the cut, giving her a stare that was rather questioning why? Before he could be aware of the crowd that was prying on them, Simione dragged him away from his box until they were out from everyone''s eyes and what''s left was the curtain closing behind, shutting all the disdainful stares.

    Simione guided Hawk in the long silent hallway. Her steps were fast and Hawk, who was still under her spell, followed her wherever she took him until he found both of them in a room that looked like a conference area, well lit and door shut behind. In the middle of the room was a big table and Simione gathered herself on the top of it and gave him a look that only made Hawk Monsanto more vulnerable in her advances.

    The girl was way too beautiful tonight he couldn''t resist her. Her red halter gown blended well with her pearl like skin, not to mention it was such a seductive dress. He missed this side of her, not that he didn''t like the simple Simione that ran along him in the Comis vige as he was really sofortable and at ease on that side of her but this side¡ªher sexy alluring side was damn to irresistible he don''t think any man would not like it, not even he.

    "Are you just going to stare at me?" Simione tilted her head and raised one hand to pull the ribbon that ties the halter of her dress. It would only take one pull for it to fall down and so in just a second, Simione''s breast was already exposed in Hawk Monsanto''s eyes as the top part of her dress fell.

    Hawk immediately sweated at the sight. The girl sitting sttered on top of the conference table, topless was a sight he would kill to have every night. Immediately, he went closer to her and held on to her waist then looked with gray hypnotic eyes to and imprisoned hers. Since Simione was sitting on the table and her height apparently was taller than an average girl, she towered Hawk Monsanto in that set up.

    From her waist, Hawk took her hand and kissed it gently while looking at her eyes. Something hit him then and he wanted to know what was happening and why she acted so aggressive tonight. Something about her was different as if this visit of hers was not like the others she had with him.

    "What''s with you mi amore. Did something happen?" Hawk asked gently, trying to connect with her because it seemed that even when she was so close to him, her heart was nowhere near.

    Simione didn''t give him an answer and just looked at him like he asked nothing. She didn''t give him any inch of expression too that Hawk was bing more suspicious of it.

    "Did something wrong happen with you and your pretend husband?" Hawk brought up. He expected her to be annoyed with the question but she didn''t. Instead she just gave him a sly seductive smile, the one she always does whenever she knows she''s got the upperhand.

    "Should I be mad that you can still think of someone else when I have already stripped myself naked in front of you?" Simione retorted as she hung her two hands on Hawk''s shoulder. "Would you really rather want to talk about him than make up with me?"

    Hawk let go of a smallugh and kissed her hand again. Then swiftly, he bit his lips and looked down at her two mounds that had long been waiting for him. Not wanting to make wait anymore, he delved his hands to her sweet breast and yed very carefully with it until he could hear his woman gasping at his touch. Knowing how pleased she was with his touch, he dragged his lips into her ears and whispered. "So you love this¡­me touching you rather than small talks?"

    "Ah yes love¡­I love it when you use your mouth for something else, " Simione moaned and voluntarily bent down a bit to continue the kiss they had started in his theater box.

    "Like this.." Simione cut it to say something but Hawk who was so eager he took her mouth back to continue it. It was such a hot devouring kiss and she wanted more of it. The more Hawk searched her mouth, the more she yed with his tongue and for minutes, it was almost like they couldn''t find a stable way to kiss each other because they were too eager,too thirsty, too seeking, too demanding.

    "Ah Sisi!" Hawk''s days of suppressed desire erupted, raging through his insides like wildfire. Simione''s aggressiveness increased his urges in lengths he couldn''t anymore tame.

    A moan of eagerness lodged in Simione''s throat as she gave herself up to the incredible pleasure of kissing the M Conglomerate president who at this time didn''t know his name had already been ruined by his illicit affair. She knew very well he would loathe her after this, knowing it was her intention to ruin him¡ªnot intentionally but it cannot be helped knowing that Hawk and Feather''s name had already been entangled together that hurting one would end up ruining another. So this pleasure that he had been giving her¡ªhe may not be willing to give her again and so she took in everything for onest time.

    Onest time before he would hate her and probably kill her by his own hands. It sounded like a gruesome unfortunate end on her part but she had epted her fate and it was toote to regret it anymore.

    Soon, Simione felt Hawk''s body pushing her toy down the table which she obediently amodated. Above her was a bright chandelier, giving Hawk more than enough light to see every inch of her skin and delicate body. To avoid the blurring lights and to feel more of the pleasure Hawk was giving her, she closed her eyes and held on to his wavy locks specially that she felt his lips moving downward.

    Hawk on the other hand couldn''t get enough of her softness and scent. She smells so heavenly then as if all her body was made of delicate petals¡ªtoo rosy, too soothingly additive in his nostrils. When his lips were in front of the thigh, he dropped a hard kiss in there making Simione jolt with pure hot sensation even when it was all covered with his long gown. In a second though, Hawk''s hand trailed off the slit of her gown and pushed the rest of the clothing away so that her silky long legs were exposed to him, so was her delicate thigh covered with a back lingerie. The man felt his sex stretched tight at it. However, he knew even when she was extra seductive, she was a virgin and so he didn''t want to rush things on her. Yet, he nned to y a little more and just to give in to his own longing and lust and hers as clearly, she too wanted it.

    He didn''t exactly know what happened. Why did shee and act like she needed him all of the sudden? Did her pretend husband hurt her again and she came running for him? Too bad, he doesn''t have ns to return her to him so he might not think of chasing her or he''ll end up in his death bed even before he knew it. He had to thank him though for making here back to him, for that at least, he should spare his life so long as he would not take her back.

    "Love¡­don''t stop," Simione called on him as he didn''t realize he had stopped moving to entertain such unnecessary thoughts.

    "Sorry, you are just so gorgeous I can''t help but stare at you," He replied and nned to take off thest piece of clothing that hid her most delicate part away from him. The room was too bright then, which he was extra thankful for because he really wanted to see everything about her. Thest few times he got her naked, it was always short of light¡ªfirst was when they were in his car, second was through a video call andst was at Mount Sun under the dark camp yard. It was the very first time he was to see her naked with direct lights on and he was specially triggered lustfully at the thought. Wanting to y a little with her, Hawk used his mouth by biting the garter of her lingerie and started pulling it off her ever long silky legs. Right then, his face was just inches away from her soft skin that when he had the garter pulled off, a very peculiar sight weed him.

    He jerked off a little in surprise and stared at it!

    "This¡­." He said as he tried to clear his head, wondering if he was seeing it right. "A heart shaped scar..."

 Chapter 212 - Salvation

    Hawk was stunned, confused for seconds of the familiarity of the scar. He might not have seen the scar of the young Cat he used to y with as he wasn''t there when she was cured by the local doctor but he was very sure the scar was located in the same part of her body¡ªon the left thigh, very close to her intimate part.

    "Oh that scar," Simione noticed he was looking intently. "It''s my lucky charm¡­A young boy did that to me¡­a dear friend of mine¡­"

    Her words only made him stiffened more as he dragged his gray eyes to hers, searing her, asking what the hell was she talking about. Well, he did wellprehend what she was saying but the peculiarity of the simrity of the situation was shocking to the senses if only she was aware of it.

    "A boy gave you a heart shaped scar?" That was all he managed to ask. Truth was for a moment Hawk didn''t like the way the conversation was moving, very afraid that the thoughts that were running in his mind¡ªimmactely impossible thoughts of mistaken identity wereing to reality.

    "Not intentionally. A bit boyish when I was young, the scar was caused by a spin top my friend was ying with," Simione conveniently replied, making Hawk''s knees shake off some feelings that were making him weak. The lust he had been carrying all these times died down and what was left was curses he seethed unspoken inside his breath.

    What the hell was all this?

    Simione saw the change of expression that flushed through Hawk''s face and realized that his thoughts were out of reach. She didn''t dwell much on what was bothering her then, especially that when she looked at the time on the wall clock hanging in the corner, she knew the time was toe. So, even when Hawk was suddenly flushing another aura and left speechless over something she didn''t know about, she took the initiative to grab him and kissed him again as she sat back on the table.

    She gave him a rather tasteful kiss, something that would probably wake him up from whatever was bothering him but when she heard a series of footstepsing closer and closer, she took the initiative of unbuttoning his suit and shirt and threw them off on the floor.

    ***

    Feather looked like a lost chick in the middle of a ballerina''s dancing. The stage manager around the corner was giving her a cue to stand right back up and continue the performance but she had no more strength to do so. All that she could see was the mockery, disappointment, concealedughter and disdain the crow before her was flushing at her face.

    Seeing all this, she crumbled and shook in despair. She had always feared what people would think of her and seeing how everyone was looking at her with mockery and insulting eyes, it felt like the world had turned its back on her.

    Ever since Han''s Scintialliait was taken over by her father, it had never been stable. They had to go through financial predicaments and so their resources went limited.

    Due to this, the Han''s Scintiit lost its influence on the elite and they became aughing stock, specially her father who had a very bad reputation because of her gambling vices. Right when all these started, Feather had never gained the elite''s recognition and acknowledgement that she once never felt she belonged to the Devon City''s socialites. She did gain recognition from the lower ss though because of the fact that she was admitted to Voltaire Ballet Company, however for the elites, this wasn''t enough to make her significant to them.

    This was the reason why Feather craved the socialites attention and longed for them to one day envy her which she was able to have when she became the fiancee of Hawk Monsanto. Wearing such a crown, she felt like she was on the top and that every elite in Devon City looked up at her, wishing they were the one''s standing at her ce.

    For months, she hadvished herself with the benefits and advantages of being one but now, it seemed like everything was about to change and she wasn''t ready for it.

    How could things go this far?

    She must not allow it!

    She must now allow anyone to steal the golden trophy for her.

    Feather who became only more agitated and restless dragged his eyes back to Hawk and the woman he was with. To her surprise though, they weren''t anymore in Hawk''s theater box! It seemed like the love birds went to some private ce.

    "God how shameless!" Feather screamed at her lungs without worrying that her current act would only ruin her petition more.

    Feather didn''t know why but the first thing that she thought then, instead of dancing to finish her routine, was to find Hawk. of course she can''t allow him to be out of her sight right this time. Not when some feisty bith dared to seduce him right in front of her eyes. Does that woman think she was easy to fool and y with? Didn''t she know she can do many unspeakable things to any who would dare steal her fiance?

    So despite the stage manager''s protest, Feather dragged herself out of the stage.

    "Miss Han, what are you doing?" The stage manager approached her immediately but she only pushed him away and ran to the corridors. With her costume and ballet dress still on, she went from room to room to find the two.

    "Hawk! Hawk!" Feather was like a madwoman as she shouted his name in the silent hallways. So many things were running in her mind then. What if something already happened to him and that woman? Thetter would surely ckmail him and would even pretend to be pregnant to stop their wedding. Or what if she would badmouth her to him especially now that surely her ballerina career would have a major blow because of her fall! She would surely use that to convince Hawk to leave her!

    "Hawk! Goddamn where are you!" Feather as she searched fervently. She must stop them no matter what. She would stop them or she might also lose her ce being the Monsanto future madam! She had already ruined her ballet career, she cannot let anyone ruin her dreams of bing Hawk''s wife now!

    Unbeknownst to the miserable Feather, a group of paid reporters had been following her, recording and documenting her desperate search. Her crying ruined her makeup, especially her mascara, so she really looked like a desperate fool searching everywhere. The live documentation immediately gained millions of views and racked the hell out of Devon City. If the Han''s heiress thought her fall was the worst that happened tonight, her foolish desperate search was actually the highlight sponsored by Simione. Her tearjerk ugly face flooded the whole social media sites gaining different reactions andments.

    The mass took pity on her.

    The regr workers in the ballet world and show business who knew how temperamental her tantrums were mocked at her.

    As for the elites in Devon City, she became aughing stock.

    "Hawwk!" Feather was screaming his name everywhere until her throat hurt. She searched more until she was joined by a bunch of media men and reporters. They were all tailing her at their back but even when they all went visible in her sight, she could care not about them. Her mind was filled with panic and all that she thought of was to find Hawk immediately before the woman he was with could take advantage of him.

    Soon, Feather found herself in front of one of the theater''s conference areas. This one was located at the far end and was rarely used because of its small size. Without thinking, she pushed the door right away and jolted miserably at the sight that weed her.

    In the middle of the well lit room, Hawk was half naked while a woman who was also topless was spread all over the table. Her legs were wrapped tightly at Hawk''s waist while the man was busy on something Feather wished she had not seen.

    "Hap!" Feather immediately covered her mouth, surprised at such a carnal scandalous sight but things didn''t end there.

    Just in seconds, the room was filled with rigid steps of peopleing in while the sound of camera clicking sessively filled the whole room!

    "Is that Hawk Monsanto!"

    "It is the President with his mistress!"

    "Ladies and gentlemen, Feather Han''s desperate search ends in a scandalous turn!" A person doing a live coverage announced and only did Feather became aware of how stupid her act was!

    She should have not allowed anyone to tail on her! Now they can have all the evidence of Hawk''s betrayal!

    The kiss earlier in the theater box was easy to deny and conceal but now¡ªeveryone was already taking pictures and video on it!

    Her wedding had no more salvation!

 Chapter 213 - Hunting Aura

    <strong></strong>

    The whole situation caught Hawk Monsanto off guard. He suddenly heard the door open and shes of camera started ticking, capturing the scene of him and Simione getting intimate. Immediately, he embraced Simione and buried her face in his chest so no one will be able to capture her face nor any intimate part of her. Thank God she only had her top so he only needed to cover her front and face.

    "President Hawk is with a woman!"

    "Who is this woman President?"

    "This is the Monsanto Mistress!"

    Hawk''s expression immediately darkened and he started shooting daggers at everyone, scaring the hell out of their lungs. His jaw set in and was gritting his teeth and an immediately hunting aura shed before everyone''s face, they all backed out a few steps back to the door. Just as they did, Simione turned her back to all of them and started ribboning back her halter dress. Since she was at her back, only her raw back skin was exposed to everyone''s sight.

    "Hawk¡­." Feather called onto him with full resentment and only did the Monsanto president be aware of her presence. He didn''t clearly see her earlier because his attention got too concerned with all the camera''s shing and all the media personnel that suddenly flooded in.

    "What''s all this?" Feather added and cried, ruining more of her makeup especially her mascara that had now created a pattern of parallel line her face. She looked dreadful then. "Who is this woman and why are you¡­.." She couldn''t say the word so she ended up swallowing them all to a cry.

    "Feather," Hawk''s voice was filled with worry. Now that he saw Simione already dressed and was looking sideways from him, he chose to meet Feather''s resentment. Her presence came as a huge shock from him because just minutes ago, the ballerina was on the stage and he was very sure that her performance had not ended yet. "What happened to your concierto? Why are you here?"

    "What happened?" Feather''s voice was almost bursting, "This is what happened¡­" She referred to him making out with another woman. "Who is this woman you are with!"

    Hawk was still not ready for her questions as he did not expect what happened tonight. As he was about to exin it, Feather however went berserk!

    "You woman! How dare you hit on an almost married man! I''ll kill you, I''ll rip out¡ª"

    Feather runs toward Simione aiming for her hair. She wanted toshed back at her physically so she would learn to ce herself. Doesn''t she know who she was? She was Feather Han and no one, even a Monsanto whore could shame her like this!

    "Feather stop¡ª" Hawk defended Simione by covering her away from Feather''s violence. In the end, he was the one who suffered Feather''s scratches and blows.

    Simione, who was very much liking the whole scenario, immediately acted hurt while Feather was reaching for her so that Hawk could do nothing but push Feather away to protect his other woman. The Han''s heiress immediately stumbled on the floor!

    "Omigod, the president was protecting his mistress from his fiancee!"

    "With what I am seeing, Feather Han seemed to be at a disadvantage,"

    Hawk still heard the media personnel''smentaries and he knew he had to dispose of them before he could remedy the situation. Luckily, just in time when he wanted them to appear, Hawk''s men came and started clearing off the whole scene. They first handled the media personnel and negotiated with them while all of those who had been paid by Simione already left the ce without traces. They actually left even before Hawk''s men came.

    Now that there was no single media around, things got a bit calmer and what can be heard was Feather''s resentful and miserable sobs. How could she lose everything in one night?

    First, her ballet.

    Second, her ce in Hawk''s heart.

    "What is happening Hawk¡­" Feather dared to question him again. "Who is she?"

    Her cries became heavy and she looked rather pitiful with her white ballet custom sttered across the flooring. Hawk had pushed her away so he could protect his mistress and so Feather stumbled hard on the floor. With a heavy painful heart, she couldn''t bring to stand on her feet anymore and so she just cried and cried worrying about everything that''s going to happen after this. They surely can''t cancel the wedding just because of this right? Well deep in her heart she was very willing to forgive him so long as she can be the Madam of the Monsanto Conglomerate!

    "I ask you who she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Feather screamed at it.

    "Feather, I''m sorry," That was all that Hawk was able to say to her at this point. She was really hysterical. She was shaking in front of him and she was terribly determined to know all the details of his betrayal.

    "I''m sorry?" Feather called on him from the floor. "You are just telling me I''m sorry? You should drag that woman out and ask her not to appear in front of you anymore! You should shoo her away right now!"

    "Feather¡­listen¡­." Hawk begged for her to let him say anything. Since things had gone out of control already, perhaps he could exin to her everything to appease her. "I''m really sorry but I can''t marry you anymore,"

    "What?" Feather''s eyes went frustratedly big at that.

    "I can''t do this to you anymore," Hawk told her. "We had been through tough times before and so I thought even when the attraction and chemistry wasn''t there, I had sincerely considered making you as my wife. However, things have changed recently and even when I know we could have been a better couple, knowing that my heart is easily shared by another woman, it means I cannot marry you. I had not been unfaithful to my vows to you so let''s just stop here¡­."

    "The heck, Hawk?" Feather waspletely shocked by all the things she had heard. There was a time when Hawk told her how shepletes him and how he was specifically thankful for herpany that never did she once thought that when faced with the mistress, Hawk Mosanto would choose that filthy woman over her. "Do you even know what you are saying? You are trading all that we had for that whore? Do you even know what she wanted from you? Because I do¡­"

    Feather who was desperate reached for Hawk even when she was kneeling. She grabbed him and took his hand. "Can''t you see? She just wanted your wealth and your fame¡­.but I¡­.but what we had¡­. It cannot bepared to anything¡­.we love each other¡­.we adored each other¡­.this woman is clearly ruining us¡­"

    Hawk felt an instant pity for the girl kneeling in front of him. Knowing that the same girl was the one he once loved and kept in Somerset vige, seeing her so miserable because of him did hurt him badly. To make her understand, Hawk gave her his attention and took her from the floor.

    "My heiress¡­this is all my fault¡­" Hawk felt utterly miserable about how things ended. He wished Feather had not seen this all as he wanted to have a clean break up with her, for her own good and for his peace. Yet, things just surprisingly exploded in the most scandalous way it could and he couldn''t do anything right then but just watched the Han''s heiress cry over her heartbreak for him.

    It was a sight most painful for Hawk.

    However for Simione, it was the most satisfying sight she had ever seen in her entire life and before she knew it, she was alreadyughing, surprisingly both Hawk and Feather.

    "Hahahahahahahahhahah!" Both Feather and Hawk''s eyes gathered in unison to Simione whoughed like a mad woman. Herugh filled the whole room¡ªloud, mocking, victorious!

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to break your dramatic break up," Simione apologized as she slowly turned her body to face Feather this time. As soon as she did, her eyes went and imprisoned Feather''s eyes that mirrored hers¡ªboth honey colored. The only difference was that, Simione''s eyes were filled with so much amusement while Feather was filled with horror!

    "You...¡­" Feather immediately went shaking when the woman whom she thought had long been dead raised from the grave. "No¡­..it can''t be¡­."

    Hawk who wanted not to drag Simione into his and Feather''s conversation nned to dismiss her for a moment but Simione''s mockingugh and Feathers expression made him suspicious "Sisi can you please¡ª"

    "What did you call him Hawk?" Feather turned to him with her eyes that went hell miserable and fearful.

    Hawk somehow read some of her thoughts, connecting the dots, he turned his eyes from both until he settled on Feather. "Do you know her?"

    "Of course she knows me Hawk Monsanto," Simione spoke again and this time, Hawk felt the change of her aura to him, it was like she came from a long mascaraed and right then, she finally threw her mask to unveil the true her.

    "This can''t be!" Feather stepped back. "No you aren''t¡­.Simione?"

    "Hahahahha," Simione smiled rather viciously.. "Hit right. Hi dear cousin,"

 Chapter 214 - Colors

    All the colors in Feather''s face evaporated in an instant.

    "This¡­.this isn''t true¡­.." Feather''s panic breaks loose in ways that her sanity couldn''t take. Immediately she grabbed Hawk''s two arms and kneeled begging. "Hawk¡­this woman is a very vicious woman! You can''t let her stay¡­Hawks she''s going to ruin us both¡­.she once ruined our family¡­she''s a devil¡­."

    Despite Feather''s desperate loud pleas, Hawk''s mind couldn''t ignore what he had heard. With rather questioning hard eyes, he looked at Simione trying to understand all the revtions that sessively hit his core. "Cousin? You two are cousins?"

    "You seemed shocked President Hawk¡­" Simione this time sat with a calming grace on the table and even crossed legged in front of her two surprised audience. "Didn''t your fiance ever tell you about me?" She then dragged her eyes to Feather who was anxiously shaking her head, begging Simione to stop her mouth. "Ah..let me guess¡­perhaps she didn''t want people to know there were two Han heiresses¡­."

    "You are not a Han''s heiress!!!¡­" Feather screamed at their faces, trying to stop Simione from revealing further. "You are not even a Han! How could you ever im to be Han''s heiress?...How shameless can you be, Simione? Don''t tell me until now you are so jealous of me that you are trying to ruin my life! How far can your evilness go?"

    "Just as far as evil you can be¡­" Simione smiled at her, very much liking the misery in her eyes and the fear.

    Fear? Is she really that fearful she turned out alive? Simione couldn''t be sure but such reaction from the Han''s heiress didn''t feel Feather¡ªlike.

    "Hawk¡­." Feather stood and held Hawk''s face in both her hands. She was very desperate this time. She knew the more Simione would speak, the more her position would crumble. "Listen to me¡­.this woman is nothing but a scam. She had been after me for many years using and scheming me of everything. Can''t you see what she''s doing? She clearly don''t like you¡­she just came to ruin us so she can make my life miserable,"

    Hawk just looked at Feather, his expression unreadable but misery was gleaming in his gray eyes. Clearly what Feather said was true, it seemed that the woman she took and loved was after him not for love but for revenge. However, his feelings for Simione didn''t grow overnight, it was a gradual cause. His love for her grew from every encounter they shared and in all those encounters, he didn''t feel any lies or pretentiousness ahead. He knew there was something she wasn''t telling him but he was certain that what she had shown him were all real. But, with Feather and Simione, who would he believe?

    Would he believe the woman whom she spent twenty years chasing and loving or the woman who she only knew months ago and had been lying to him all this time?

    "Feather calm down," Hawk took the ballerina''s hand and tried to pin her because her cries and begging only made his head hurt. With a deep sigh that he blew to control his raging anger, he turned to Simione again and demanded her exnation. "Sisi what''s all this?"

    "All of this is what you see Hawk Mosanto," Simione met him head on. In this situation, the girl did not expect him to side with her specially that it was she who lied on everything. She was expecting his fury, his violence, his resentment and all the dark things Hawk Monsanto was capable of doing. Henceforth, there was no point in lying to him anymore. "Your fiance isn''t as innocent as you think she is and so I am here to collect some of her debts,"

    "And you use me to get back at her?" Hawk''s eyes and expression darkened even more.

    "Clearly," Simione didn''t falter. He knew the love Hawk had for Feather wasn''t an ordinary love and with her history with Lyndon, she hade to ept the fact that when ites to men, she was nothing as close as lovable to Feather. Men always choose the ballerina. Feather always came out as the victim no matter how evil she was. So at this point, Simione didn''t have any expectations of Hawk but rather the same thing he was treating her, expecting even the worst.

    Hawk was enraged but his anger wasn''t because of Simione or her pretentiousness, it was of the fact that he had never prepared for this. Also, he expected that her intention ofing to his life was because of his wealth and power but not for revenge, most especially not for the woman whom he wanted to care for all his life. Simione had captured his heart but he cannot let her bully Feather and make her miserable. He had already wronged Feather for not being faithful to her, he cannot let him suffer further. He was afterall his first love.

    "How could you do this?" Everything that was revealed that night blurred all of Hawk''s reasons momentarily and what struck his instinct was the anger that came in. Not able to hold it off, he went grabbing Simione''s neck and pinned her with its intensity, making the girl gasped for breath.

    But Damn! Simione didn''t sumb to it, she did not even withdraw her eyes but rather met him with the same anger and intensity he had.

    They shoot daggers at each other and Hawk could only wish she would just give up her arrogance because clearly, he can''t hurt her further than what he did right then. In fact, his hands were already shaking because he put all the force in his hand rather on Simione''s pinned body and neck.

    How could he have never expected this thing? Was he really thatcent? Or perhaps he had been too in love with Simione, too addicted to her that he missed all these facts? What''s with this woman?

    "You can kill me now Hawk Monsanto," Simione said in a way that was rather challenging him. Her eyes glowed so much satisfaction and amusement that made Hawk more miserable. How could she feel victorious at the point of death. Is her revenge for Feather really more important than her life?

    Perhaps he should kill her.

    She had been nothing but a nuisance to him. She had been constantly in his mind haunting him every second that he couldn''t focus on anything good.

    For the past months that they had started their affair, Simione changed everything and made him break his own rule. She even made him a damned man, a man who foolishly threw off the love of his life in exchange for a woman who clearly gave him nothing but trouble.

    Perhaps ending her life would make things go back to normal.

    Would make him normal again.

    Would make him the man that he once was¡ªthe Hawk Monsanto who was in control. Cleary with her, he had lost control of everything and made him a ve to all of her whims.

    "What? Afraid to kill me?" Simione chukled like an evil woman even at the verge of death. "Oh God! Don''t tell me you have seriously fallen in love with me, Hawk Monsanto? That''s very unfortunate of you¡­"

    Hawk didn''t like her words and this made his anger rise beyond control making him grit his teeth, unmerciful. He was afterall a Monsanto and right then Simione was about to taste the consequences of hitting on one. She was to taste his fury!

    Hawk was ready to kill her!

    He pressed a hard grip on her neck, Simione struggled for her life!

    But¡­.

    as Hawk''s hand was about to dry out all the air in her lungs¡­.

    The man surprisingly and unconsciously shed some tears¡­

    Jolting both in surprise¡­.

    Why is Hawk crying?

    The heat of running droplets in his eyes caught him off guard, he wasn''t prepared to shed one in his way of killing an evil woman!

    Even Simione was surprised seeing it, for a moment she was stunned. But an unexpected memory ricocheted and shed in front of her eyes.

    It was the memory Spin.

    The memory of him twenty years ago, crying as he chased the car she was riding. It was the day she was to leave Somerset Vige. The day where the boy cried at her departure and vowed that one day, he''lle for her and marry her so they won''t get separated again. The memory of him calling out her name again and again until he was lost of breath.

    The scene that flushed caused Simione to shed some tears in front of Hawk and her tears ran down in the man''s hand that were on her neck.

    "Spin¡­." Simione gasped slowly. It was an unconscious call, something both she and Hawk did not expect and did not understand.

    Hearing the call made Hawk weak and his hands on Simione''s neck felt the warmth of her tears. It was like a hotva that creased on his skin.

    His heart remembered her tears.

    His unconsciousness recognized her.

    His heart for the first time understood why then he felt in love with a woman who came out of nowhere.

    It wasn''t betrayal. It was loyalty, an unconscious loyalty.

    Hawk''s tears which he ignored went heavy. He had never cried in front of anyone but his heart was crying and mourning for their unfortunate reunion. He felt numb but alive. So alive.

    As his heart beat fast, his mind came clear, running all the memories of his first encounter of Simione. The way her eyes felt familiar, the way she loved walking barefoot, her love for soup number four, her kind considerate selfless heart for beggars.

    The way she danced gracefully in the fountain.

    The way she made him feel like a man.

    The way his world fell when he looked at her.

    The way she made him fall in love.

    It was her.

    She was the love he had been searching for.

 Chapter 215 - Overboard

    Hawk immediately let go of Simione''s neck like he had done an unforgivable sin, his eyes that were full of questions imprisoned hers, searing through more of the secrets she hid.

    He had recognized her but his rationality which for a very long time failed him made it hard for him to trust all that he felt and saw tonight.

    What happened?

    Why did you be like this?

    Where have you been?

    What happened to your ballet dreams?

    There was no way Hawk could have missed this. He had made sure to follow all her journey from the moment she entered the Mara Ballet Company. She was their best dancer ording to the reports he received. She was to debut and expected to be taken to London and be the first ever Devon City ballerina to get epted in a prestigious ballet Academy. What happened?

    Why does it seem like she is not dancing anymore?

    And why in the world did her cousin take her ce?

    From which part of all this did he miss such a switch of identity?

    Hawk was drowned with thorough guilt under Simione''s eyes. Her tears were still falling and the mark of his hands on her neck only made his feelings worse.

    This isn''t true.

    She isn''t her fuzzy Cat.

    But his heart was certain, he just couldn''t ept he had gone wrong and had the wrong woman all this time.

    "Are you¡­are you also Don Benedicto''s granddaughter?" Hawk asked, wanting to be certain. His mind was aching with frustration, so was his heart. How in the world would he let her know his side of the story?

    She will not forgive him!

    He can never forgive himself!

    "Hawk¡­.." Feather desperately hugged him from the back right away. She did not see Hawk''s tears as he was at his back and so she did not catch the fact that Hawk somehow recognized Simione. In fact, she was thrilled because he had seen Hawk being violent with Simione and hoped he had killed her. But he backed out and so she wanted to fuel his anger so he wouldn''t be unmerciful with her cousins who strangely raised from the dead. "Don''t ask anything about that woman, she''s full of lies. She''s not my grandfather''s blood, she was just an orphan we took from before. Father had kicked her out because she was full of schemes and she was very ungrateful that was why she ended like that,"

    "Answer me¡­" Hawk demanded an answer from Simione, ignoring Feather''s words as he wiped his hot tears away. He wanted to hear it from her because for some reason, he wanted to hear her voice. Was she really his fuzzy Cat? If she is, everything just makes sense, an unfortunate sense.

    "Hawk, her goal is to ruin us, no need to ask that woman anything," Feather, who was desperate to cut off the conversation, glided in between Hawk and Simione. She then faced Hawk again and captured his face again, pinning his eyes on her. "We should not let her do this to us. We should continue with the wedding and show this woman she cannot ruin our love, this I ask of you Hawk, this I ask in the promise you made to me that you will love me and marry me¡­."

    "Hahahahahahhahah," Simione burstedughing at Feather''s stupidity. Damn! The situation she was in right now went from dangerous to funny but Simione didn''t care anymore. Eyes on Feather she clicked her tongue, "tsk¡­tsk..tsk¡­ I find it so funny how you canunch great schemes and yet you are very slow on understanding things¡­"

    "Shut up! You woman¡ª"

    "You''ll never get to marry him no matter how much you wanted it both," Simione casted them hard re. "Your love for each other will never work anymore, not with all this,"

    "Even if the whole media will feast on this scandal, Simione, Hawk and I will show you that you can never break true love," Feather met her eyes with certainty. She was confident that somehow she still had Hawk''s trust, especially when Simione was acting like the real viin right then.

    "Are you sure? Do you think I made this scandal for nothing?" Simione raised a brow to challenge Feather''s ground.

    "See Hawk? She said it herself, she made this scandal," Feather surely did not miss to make that obvious, "Did you pay all those reporters?"

    "Of course I did," Her smile went proudly. Hawk''s going to kill her anyway so why withhold anything? The couple had to know how disgusted she was with both of them.

    "Did you hear about my love?" Feather turned to Hawk. "She''s really vicious! She made this scandal so that our wedding will not push through but we won''t let her right? Hawk¡­we won''t let her ruin our love! Hawk!"

    "What happened to you, Cat?" Hawk''s tone went from angry to something else both Feather and Simione noticed. Suddenly the room chilled as Hawk''s one angry state turned cold, like his anger turned to morning and the raging fire that settled in earlier dragged an instant snowstorm.

    "I had always been this way Hawk Monsanto," Simione''s voice however didn''t falter. Her disgust for Feather and also Hawk didn''t abate and she loathed them both with all her being. "No need to act pitiful,"

    "And if you think your so-called love can make this wedding happen, you both are wrong," Simione added. She nned this scandal with something else in mind, not only Feather and Hawk''s ruin. "What happened today will shake the entire Devon City and probably the entire country¡­.do you know what that means?"

    Simione, who no longer feared anything, dared to walk toward Hawk and Feather. She halted just in Feather''s back and settled on her ears. "This means the Don wille home,"

    Hearing the Don''s name gives Feather and instant shaking.

    "You¡­.." Feather turned to look at her with eyes quaking with anger and disgust. Every part of her was shaking that she ended up grabbing Simione hard. "You¡­really¡­.are¡­.crazy¡­and¡­evil¡­."

    "I am¡­.wee to hell Feather Han," Simione''s lips twitch with instant satisfaction at the helplessness of her cousin. "Good luck begging the Don with your wedding,"

    The Don as Simione knew was a very powerful man and his character was very unforgiving. He sure won''t let this off. Not when the Han''s reputation was tainted, not even when Monsanto was his enemy.

    "I will beg grandfather for it, you''ll see," Feather rebutted, still shaking.

    "You know within yourself you can''t," Simione gave her all her attention, her ever so beautiful face gleaming in amusement of her cousin who was running delusional with her twisted rtionship with Hawk Monsanto, a man whom they both know was nothing but a foolish cheater. "Did you forget, I was once her favorite granddaughter. I kneeled and begged him in front of him for days, months and years yet he never gave me what I asked,"

    Feather swallowed a mouthful at this. She knew what Simione was talking about and she knew how far the Don could go with his evilness. She had no way around him.

    "Hawk can make him change his mind," Feather clung on that. "What do you think of my fiancee? He can make everyone''s mind change here in Devon City!"

    "And what do you think about the Don?" Simione challenged rather calmly. "Do you think he''ll have Monsanto tear up Han''s reputation? Do you think he will give his granddaughter to a man who cheated on her? You might not be her favorite Feather Han, but he is a damned prideful man, he''ll never allow such a case,"

    "As for your fiance¡­we both know how weak of a man he is," Simione added. "I don''t even understand why you are so obsessed with him when he clearly is¡­.hmmm¡­I don''t know how to describe it¡­gullible? Weak? Unfaithful? Not to mention one big liar¡­" Simione mocked both Feather and Hawk this time. Seeing the misery and shame that went to her cousins'' eyes, Simione continued. "Do you wish to know what we had been doing at your back? We''ve been making lots of fun¡­.lots and lots of fun¡­"

    "Right mi amore?" Simione dragged his eyes to Hawk this time who was only studying her. Hawk was taking in the view of her, her changes, her beauty. There were many traits that she retained but her being headstrong had gone overboard, she was more than she once was. "Should I tell your fianc¨¦ too how you confessed how much you love me and how you were nning to break up with her for me?"

    "Lies!" Feather gasped feeling betrayed. "Lies! You are on hell of a liar,"

    The Han''s heiress attempted to p her but Simione caught her hand and pushed it back to her with force, making her lose her bnce and fell on Hawk.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Feather screamed even when shended safely at Hawk. "My head¡­my head¡­I''m falling¡­."

    "Feather!" Hawk shook her when she instantly fell unconscious. Simione also saw it but she was too angry to care.. Feather had fainted and by the way her lips had lost their colors, Simione knew she wasn''t faking it.

 Chapter 216 - Black Suits

    Featherid unconscious in Hawk''s arms, even Simione stepped back a bit seeing it. She knew it was a serious breakdown and needed to be taken care of immediately.

    "Feather!" Hawk shook the girl again but she wasn''t responding and when he tried to check her breathing, it went so slow and weak. Knowing that it was a serious case, Hawk took the girl in his arms. "Call the driver! I''ll bring her to the hospital,"

    Hawk''s men started moving and Simione just watched as Hawk left the door with the ballerina in his arms. He was in a hurry, he didn''t have time to look at her and it gave her so much relief.

    She had thought she''d never had the chance to escape him yet now that he left leaving no instructions for her nor his men about her, she had grown a hope that perhaps she didn''t have to die under Hawk''s hands today.

    Seeing this chance of escape, she took no time to waste. She instantly headed for the door, full of hope.

    "Unfortunately Miss you can''t go," A man of not so big of a build came to her view. His face wasn''t that threatening like Haw had earlier, but his aura screams dominance.

    "You are?" Simione asked.

    "Mr. Blue," He replied and proceeded to block her way.

    "You work for Hawk Monsanto?"

    "Not sure if that''s what I do for him, but yes," The man answered. "Lets just say I work for him,"

    "You don''t look like his employee and I haven''t seen you before," Simione felt like saying it because there was something about the guy that hit different.

    "All I can tell you is that you cannot leave this ce," Mr. Blue replied and gave her a smirk.

    "You think you can stop me?" Simione blurted and even when the man had not yet given a response, she moved quickly out of the door. It was too sudden that she thought Mr. Blue was not prepared for it but she was wrong, the guy had read her eyes and before she could sessfully leave, the man was already in front of her again, blocking her way.

    "Hmmm¡­you''re so quick ,Missm even with that high heel of yours," heplimented her. "But not too quick for me,"

    Simione staggered a bit. She knew some self-defense skills because Lucy had trained her before but judging by the aura the man was disying and how quickly he caught her, it seemed like she was no match for him.

    "I didn''t remember Hawk saying you are not to allow me to leave," Simione reasoned, trying to confuse the guy.

    "He didn''t need to tell me, I acted on my own," He politely gave her a reply even when it was too unnecessary. Aside from that, the man also looked at Simione from head to foot as if assessing her.

    "I thought you were his employee¡­"

    "I thought I made it clear I am not his employee, it just appears so that I am,"

    "What do you get then for stopping me?"

    "Peace¡­"

    "Peace?" Simione was surprised by his answer as it seemed out of nowhere.

    "Yes, no need to ask why. I''m afraid I don''t have an answer¡ªugh!"

    There was in instant ckout that Mr. Blue had never thought of happening at such a crucial moment. When he had his full guards up and strengthened his other senses,he felt many men around him, waiting to attack . He immediately readied himself until the first fist was thrown at him.

    "Who are you guys?" Mr. Blue asked as he was dodging the attacks and at the same time defended himself. It was really dark at that corner of the theater as it had no windows and so fought blindly. Good thing he had gone through a thorough training so even when almost ten people alternately fought him, he was able to stand his ground.

    "I repeat who are you?" He asked again but received no reply. Knowing that they were definitely enemies, he tried to rummage his head for possible reasons why he had been attacked. It had been a long time since there was no incident like this as many were too afraid to fought with the Monsanto''s so Mr. Blue was wondering who was behind this chaos and why they were here.

    Are they perhaps here for the girl?

    That thought came to Mr. Bluete and so when he tried to sense Simione in the darkness, he realized she wasn''t there anymore.

    "Where''s the girl?" Mr. Blue''s attackers started bbering as they too noticed that the girl went missing. Immediately too, the lights came back on and what Mr. Blue saw a bunch of big men in ck suits and ck masks.

    "She was here just a second ago," Someone retaliated when their group became aware of Simione''s sudden disappearance. "Perhaps she went on her own while we were fighting this man," He pointed at Mr. Blue.

    Hearing their exchanges, Mr. Blue realized that the other group indeed was after Simione but they too lost her just like he did. Now that he can see his opponents, he realized there were many of them, at least two dozen.

    All in ck suits with half of their faces covered like bandits. They were all well built as if they had been training everyday all their lives. Their moves were calcted and very organized that he suspects were from the military. Even if they were wearing bandits suits, only military men would be this organized.

    "How serious is this kidnapping n that you guys had to bring many men with you?" Mr. Blue asked them, almost mocking.

    "Retreat¡­find the girl!" The leader of the other party ignored Mr. Blue and his one instruction cause his men to spread everywhere.

    So, Simione was really their concern and this made Mr. Blue raised some eyebrows at it. The girl seemed to be a very ordinary woman. Howe men like this were after her? Perhaps they had understated her connections at all.

    Mr. Blue finds it intriguing but just like a smart man as he always was, he suspects in no less than a minute that Simione intentionally fled from them so it means they weren''t her men, nor were they her lovers. If not, then they should have not panicked when they too lost her.

    Who are they then?

    He was really curious but knowing he too had things to take care of, he raised his wrist watch to his face to look at it and noticed the bruises in his hands. Well he had a good fight tonight but he shouldn''t linger in that room any longer, afterall, he too had a girl to find. Tsk! That girl seemed to be so good at escaping all the time!

    Hawk would surely ask where she was and expected him to give some answers so he had to remedy the fact of her escape before Hawk could cook him in the oven. Hawk Monsanto was always careless with women but he certainly knew who he wanted this time, it is hard to ignore his affiliation with his mistress.

    Knowing that he had no more time to spare, he took his phone and dialed some numbers. "Hey¡­. are you busy?.... track down the Hawk Monsanto''s woman ¡­she escaped my grip¡­.also.. There were men who attacked me in the theater while she was with me, find out who they are,"

    Just after he said all his instructions clearly, the call stopped and Mr. Blue calmly exited the door as if he was very certain he could find her.

    At the end of the night however, two groups of men were cursing for failing their missions.

    El Tigre was screaming at the top of his office, demanding where Simione went while Hawk''s head security was preparing himself to take Hawk''s fury.

    ****

    At the Imperial Hospital

    Four hours after

    Feather was lying idly on the white bed, she had been awake for a while but was too scared to open her eyes. She heard Hawk''s voice earlier talking to the doctor and left the room after but she was certain he left some men to look after her at the door. Inside the room, a nurse was still moving around and since Feather wanted not to bear Hawk''s confrontation then, as she was sure he had many questions prepared for her, she dared not to open her eyes.

    In a minute though, she heard the room open and Madam Fara''s voice asking the nurse to leave and so when thetter did, Feather immediately raised from her bed and clung to her mother.

    "Mother!"

    "Feather what happened? Where have you been?" Madam Fara asked right away. She was there at the concert and saw her own daughter fall from her routine and the scandalous moment of Hawk Monsanto kissing his mistress in the box, but that''s all she knew and nothing else.

    "You assured me before that Simione died! How was she still alive?" Feather blurted miserably.

 Chapter 217 - His Brother

    "Feather shhhhh¡­." Fara immediately shushed her daughter down. "How can you speak her name right here?"

    "Mama, you won''t believe me but Simione was Hawk Monsanto''s woman!" Feather revealed with horror. "She came back and seduced Hawk!"

    "Impossible!" Fara told her clearly not believing it. "She''s long been dead!"

    "No she isn''t. It was definitely her and she clearly told me she came for Hawk to get back at me"

    "No it can''t be..." Fara''s eyes widened at the revtion. "That''s really not possible, Feather! If she was alive then how could she didn''t reveal herself soon?"

    "I don''t know," Feather shook her head. "You should be the one who knows the answer,"

    "I don''t have any knowledge of this!" Fara panicked immediately. "Did¡­.did...did Hawk Monsanto recognize her...did he¡­"

    "No, I think he had no idea yet," Feather answered but she was hesitating her own words but couldn''t bring herself to tell her mother of this. For sure she would nag and make her more miserable if woulde to know it, "He even tried to kill her because of what she did,"

    "Good¡­.good...that''s good¡­" Fara held her heart and was ready to have a heart attack. Thankfully what he feared the most didn''t happen. At least they can remedy the situation before things get worse. "He should not know¡­.or else¡­"

    "Speak no more," Feather cut her off. "I think he had believed me when I said Simione came to get revenge on me and that she was trying to ruin our rtionship. That orphan was too careless until now, she admitted to the fact and so Hawk was very angry of her,"

    "Oh God Feather...you must make sure they won''t see each other again," Fara warned her to be more vignt. "So where is Simione now?"

    "I don''t know, for sure Hawk''s men took her,"

    "Will she be punished for what she did?" Fara asked curious as to what Simione''s fate would be. She just wished the Monsanto''s would dispose the girl so she won''t worry about her any longer.

    "Well I think so," Feather was confident. "Hawk never misses anything like this so I''m sure Simione will have to pay tremendously,"

    "I hope he cuts her tongue first,''

    "Well, no need for that. Hawk was so angry with her I don''t think she will ever believe whatever she says. She''s nothing but an orphan girl anyway" Feather assured her mother even when she wasn''t sure with everything now.

    "So what''s your n now?" Fara asked her because right then, her daughter''s wedding had been the topic of everyone and it would be such a shameful act for the Han''s to just push through the wedding when their daughter was clearly cheated on. "How about the wedding?"

    "I had to stay low on this mother," She told her. " Although Hawk Monsanto had no idea of everything, he was rather suspicious. He might ask questions now and then and me pressuring him with the wedding might not help,"

    "But Feather, do you understand the fact that this time was the most crucial time to get married right? A slightest mistake would send all of our ns crumbling down," The mother reminded her equally shameless daughter. "We can''t just let that happen, we are almost there already!"

    "I know...I know¡­.its just that things areplicated now," Feather admitted badly. "You and Father need to help me on this because I knew Hawk would raise questions about Simione, you have to tell father to not tell him the truth about that orphan! She''s going to end up ruining everything for us!"

    "Don''t worry about your father¡ª"

    "And the Don!" Feather was just reminded of him right then and another horrid expression went through his face. "Mother...do you think the Don wille home? Is there any way to make sure this scandal would not reach the Don''s attention? If he''s going toe, it might be the end of us,"

    "I''ll make something about that," Fara thought of a n. All these things got her too surprised she could barely gather her thoughts. How was it possible for Simione to be alive when they were informed of her death years ago. Then it urred to her that once he heard a rumour about Simione reconnecting with the Tangs and ignored it because she knew that it wasn''t possible. She even thought they were referring to another rtive of the Tangs, turns out it was Simione all this time?

    How did that woman rise from the dead?

    "Feather for sure, Hawk is going to ask some questions," Fara only repeated things that Feather had already mentioned as her thoughts were everywhere and her panic seemed to have swallowed her already. God, how could thingse out this bad? She thought falling on the stage was the most dreadful thing that happened tonight, she never expected that Don Benedicto''s rebellious granddaughter woulde out from the dead.

    "I''ve already prepared all my answers," Feather thought of all that she needed to tell him. "Don''t worry, I won''t let this pass out of my control. Simione can never get Hawk from me, I will not hand her my ce so easily. It''s either I get it, or she''ll not get it at all!"

    ***

    When Feather had been settled in the hospital, Hawk went back to his office expecting his men with Simione but when they ryed that she went missing all of the sudden, he had gone berserk.

    However, even before he could either kill or fire someone, Mr. Blue came with an expression that made him calm down right away.

    "I expect you have the answers to my questions," Hawk was still smoking angry when he had dismissed all head security to have a private conversation with Mr. Blue.

    "I don''t," He replied honestly. "But someone has,"

    "You called for him?" Hawk rxed at his seat as he gave an audience to the man standing in front of him.

    "Right away,"

    "Good..where is he right now?"

    "His hideout I guess, he just arrived when I called him,"

    Hawk smirked at the thought. "Did he tell you where he had been?"

    "Nope¡­" Mr. Blue decided to sit and have a good conversation with the M Conglomerate''s President. "He doesn''t even tell his own brother his whereabouts, I don''t think he would take time to tell me,"

    "He seemed to listen to you,"

    "At times," Mr. Blue replied as he tried to feel the edges of Hawk''s long table.

    "Did he find out where the girl was?"

    "He doesn''t know where she was heading but he knew where she was right now," Mr. Blue started conveying. "She''s a driving a red car towards the east exit of Devon City,"

    "Who is she with?" Hawk was curious. He didn''t really understand why Simione would always slip through the hands of his men but he knew he was near to the truth. Right now, she was settled with the information about the fact that he had eyes on her.

    "Alone," Mr. Blue revealed with a rather proud look for the girl as if she had done a really great job escaping everyone''s grip. "Surprisingly alone,"

    Hawk held a deep sight. His woman was driving toward the east alone clearly with the intention of leaving him. Damn! Things went really out of hand earlier and he needed to bring Feather to the hospital himself knowing that he was the reason for her copse. He was expecting to have a word with Sisi when he got Feather settled yet she chose to escape that wait for him. The thought made him want to break all the ss windows surrounding his office but he tried to withhold it.

    He had to be clear headed to think well. Simione had already called him a weakling and a gullible, he can''t continue keeping up with such a reputation, not with all the things he found out that night. He needed to know everything and it looks like he needed to take a step higher on this.

    "Who were the men who attacked us?" He asked when he remembered it. His head security did reported earlier that there was a group of bandits that came to disrupt them and they were one of the reasons why Simione slipped from their hands.

    "Military," Mr. Blue replied. "Run a search on them, I''m sure they all worked for the Umbresio''s"

    "The Umbresio''s¡­" Hawk''s eyes grew deadly. "Interesting...do you know what they want?"

    "The girl¡­."

    "What''s the name of that man again?"

    "El Tigre,"

    "Ah¡­." Hawk recognised him. Primo had arge reputation in Devon City that Hawk surely had heard of him. "Look into the details why that fucking man wanted the girl. See his intention¡­."

    "What if he is her lover?" Mr. Blue raised the question as right now it was the only believable answer. He had been trying to connect the dots of why the other party wanted the girl but for them to be that desperate and attack the Monsanto''s for such a mission only meant the girl was one heck of a special woman for them.

    Hearing his conclusion made Hawk mmed on his table right away. It shook at the intensity of his anger.

    "Then kill him¡­.." Hawk instructed without hesitation.

 Chapter 218 - Felip

    "You''d kill the tiger for a woman?" Someone intervened and both Mr. Blue and Hawk turned to the door to see a young man slid in. His steps were very light and his movements smooth, that both almost did not expect his presence.

    "ck," Mr. Blue acknowledged him as he took full strides toward Hawk''s table. His eyes were dark deep and had a very tannedplexion. He had a full envelop with him which he threw to Hawk''s table right away.

    "You didn''t inform me prior to your arrival," Hawk ignored the thing thatnded on his table and had his attention on the neer. "When did you learn to defy me?"

    "I knew I was needed here," ck replied, meeting his eyes. They looked at each other for a moment but ck pulled away and apathetically sat on the sofa right at the corner.

    "I told you, you can''te here," Hawk was still looking at him with hardened jaws.

    "I got bored there, I''m rather useful here," He replied.

    "Felip.." Hawk''s voice went hard on his name.

    "Brother..." ck cut him off before he could send him away. He knew for a fact that Hawk didn''t want him to step on Devon City for many reasons but he had stayed abroad for so long he just decided toe home anyway. "I will stay here no matter what. If you fear about me getting into yourpany, fear not, I have no ns of sharing on it,"

    "That is not my intention of keeping you abroad," Hawk replied, almost as angry as he was when he heard that Simione left.

    "Then what?" He dared ask. "If your intention wasn''t because you are afraid I will take part in the Monsanto wealth because I am your brother, then what is it?"

    "First, there is no more Monsanto wealth," Hawk cleared the fact. "Whatever we have right now was all the fruit of mybor, it is not a Monsanto wealth, it is my wealth. Second, if I did not want you to inherit from anything, then I should have not taken you under my care and fed you,"

    "You''ve taken me because it was the request of a dying mother,"

    "Your mother is a mistress. So tell me, if you are not my brother then why would I take a mistress child?"

    "No matter what you say I''m staying here," ck strongly protested. "I''m already old. I can take care of myself,"

    "I have a lot to take now other than your tantrums Felip," Hawk replied in a way that was rather threatening. He did not like the fact that his illegitimate brother hade home as it would create not only a scandal but more tensions but it seemed like he cannot throw him back to where he used to be right now. The child had grown up and he must admit he does a great job. Perhaps he should just make use of his skills since he was there. "Make sure no one knows who are you,"

    "Right," ck replied impassively. "Read what I''ve got you, it all contains the information about the girl,"

    Hawk took the envelope and started pulling off what''s inside it.He took time to read the documents and the pictures that were there and it only took a minute before his head formed lines. "So it was Luci''s men who grabbed her away?"

    "It was only one woman and yes she works for Luci, probably one of her trained underground cats," ck expressed. "She took advantage of the chaos that took ce and grabbed the girl but she only sent her until the exit. The girl drove away on her own as if things had been nned well,"

    "She went on her own?" Hawk queried more. "Are you sure she was alone and no one was taking her?"

    "She went on her own, she''s going to Find," ck continued. "Saw a copy of her ticket and the name she was using to cross the border. She was to ride a boat from the east port and be transported through the back door, an illegal immigration unit,"

    "In short, she fled from you," ck added.

    "Shut up!" Hawk didn''t like the words he uttered and it clearly pissed him off.

    "Shut up?" ckughed if off. "Why? Are you afraid everyone will know you got the wrong girl?"

    "I think I shall excuse myself," Mr. Blue decided to retreat because he knew it wouldn''t be too long before the two would be more violent with each other and he wanted to avoid it. It''s hard getting into a brother''s quarrel afterall. A Monsanto versus another Monsanto.

    When the door finally closed, ck smirked and continued mocking Hawk. "Ahaha...how could you not notice you had the wrong girl all this time?"

    "You don''t know what you are talking about Felip," Hawk breathing went heavy and he balled his fist already. "I had followed her journey all throughout and don''t go mocking me on this. You two did not notice it,"

    "I don''t deny that," ck retorted. "However I had no personal interactions with the girl so you can''t me me, but you¡­.she was your childhood love and yet...you''ve mistaken her for someone else,"

    "Were not sure yet,"

    "You just don''t want to admit you were wrong," ck bent his head and rested on his right hand that he had settled on the edge of the sofa. "However, it was rather a good trap. The Han''s clearly intended for you to have the wrong girl, have you not checked with them?"

    "I''m not sure about that," Hawk refused to acknowledge the fact even when it was pretty obvious. Truth was that, he wanted to be careful this time as it seemed that he really did got the wrong girl however as to where the disconnectes from¡ªwas it with him carelessly assuming the Han''s heiress that debutted years ago was the woman he was looking for or it was really the Han''s intention to lure him. He was not sure yet what really took ce before and what was each of the Han''s involvement in it. Did Feather know all of this?

    However, he had spent a pretty good time with Feather and it seemed that she was well versed on all the things that took ce between him and his fuzzy cat and so he wondered how did she all know this if she wasn''t really his fuzzy cat? It was impossible that one could know everything if she did not experience it herself. Was he missing some good points here?

    Besides, why in the world did no one know there were two Han''s heiress?

    Also, if Feather and Sisi were cousins, then whose daughter is his fuzzy cat? Did Benedicto have other children than Mauro Han? Or perhaps he had sired some children outside and had some illegitimate children like his father had?

    "Did you look up the girl''s information?" Hawk asked, full of his thoughts. "If you want to stay here then make yourself useful,"

    "There was no information as to Don Benedicto having other children," ck revealed to him. "She might not be a Han, perhaps she''s a cousin of the Han''s heiress on her mother''s side. I''ve looked up every single one of them but it was all a fail. She might be a hidden illegitimate daughter of Mauro Han or the Gao''s,"

    "No, I think she''s really a Han," Hawk believed. "She might be an adopted or I don''t know. Find a way to know the truth or I''ll send you back,"

    "Alright. Alright," ck rolled an eye on it. "As per the girl, her name is Simione Roux Abreo, she works in El Tigre''spany, bestfriend to Luci Dimitri and an foster daughter of the Tang''s,"

    "Foster daughter of the Tang''s?" Hawk suddenly remembered the person Simione called Brother Don. Is he perhaps a Tang?

    "Yes, they had taken her one day as to where she originated, there was no information into it," ck thought of everything he knew carefully not missing a fact of his brother might find a fault and be displeased enough to send him back, "The Tang''s master had an embezzlement case, El Tigre just took over the case few days ago and the Tang''s youngmaster was a ballerina, but he recently suffered an ident and got injured pretty bad,"

    "His name?"

    "Lyndon Tang,"

    That''s it. He finally knew who her pretend husband was, it was that Lyndon Tang. Now all seemed to have unfold in his eyes one by one. "Did you just mention Lyndon Tang was a ballerina?"

    "Yes,"

    "Find out more about him and the Tangs," Hawk instructed carefully.

    "You are just wasting time you know brother," ck shook his head. "Instead ofunching an investigation on it, why don''t you just ask the Han''s themselves about that woman. They certainly knew a lot about her,"

    "I had to see first if Feather had something to do with it," Hawk pointed. "I need to know whether she lied to me all this time or it was just an innocent mistake on her side,"

    Hawk had taken care of Feather for a long time. He was supporting her and had taken all of her whims and requests. He couldn''t ept the fact that he had been lured upon by a petty ballerina but he wanted to be sure about it. He had to know what her involvement was in all these lies and how deep it was. If it turns out she did lie, he doesn''t know what he can do with her anymore.

    "Whatever, I''ll do as you say," ck closed the conversation and left Hawk''s room...

 Chapter 219 - Simiones Pet

    Hawk was lost. He was torn between his ego and the truth. His ego was like telling him that this was all nothing but a lie, that he did not create a mistake yet the truth was waving and fluttering in front of his face.

    Wanting to have some redemption, he went to clear up things with Feather and to ask for the truth but knowing that the girl might not be willing to give him anything at all, he chose to not demand it outright. Instead, he went to Feather and checked with her for anything that might help him with his dilemma.

    "Hawk¡­." Feather called for his name weakly when he entered her hospital room. She looked so weak and pale but her eyes glimmered with so much brightness when she saw him.

    "How are you feeling?" Hawk asked, unsure how to treat her. For many years he had treated the woman as his fuzzy Cat, giving her almost everything he could offer and all his devotion only to find out at the end that she might not be the one.

    "I''m okay now," She smiled weakly. Hawk''s calm behavior assured her that he had gone there out of his worry and that there was nothing to worry about him knowing the truth about Simione. "Have you dealt with that woman?"

    "That woman¡­" Hawk repeated in an odd tone and Feather immediately became guarded the way he said it. It was like he was reminiscing about something, something that might push her into the pit. "That woman Feather¡­.what''s her name again?"

    "Si¡­Simione¡­" She replied, shaking a bit. "She''s not rted to me. Our grandfather once bring her to our home as an adopted granddaughter but before she can officially be part of our family, she got evicted because of her bad deeds,"

    Feather tried to thread a good convincing story for Hawk to believe and added, "Well I had always known she''s going to turn as a bad egg but I took pity on her so I did not make any protest when she was brought to our home,"

    "Where is she from?"

    "I don''t know. My grandfather never told us where but as per my assessment before, she mighte from a remote poor area. You see she had rather bad habits then and her demeanor wasn''t pleasing. We all had a hard time because of her, even my parents suffered for her mischiefs,"

    "Where did she go after she was kicked out from the Han''s?" Hawk continued to ask but he had already noticed that Feather was faltering and realized she was hiding something.

    "I don''t know¡­she just went away," She answered wanting to end the conversation because she felt like she was sitting on the hot seat and Hawk''s eyes were searing through hers like a hot radar.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes I''m sure, Hawk. You see, I never got to see her after she left. Besides, I was taken abroad to Voltaire Ballet Company and I got so focused on ballet I didn''t have time to care where she went," Feather exined.

    "So you haven''t seen each other since when?"

    "Since she was like a teen,"

    "That long? Then howe you recognized her earlier?" Hawk''s questions got Feather nervous. What is this man trying to get from me? Was Hawk Monsanto cross examining her?

    "Well, we have the same eyes¡­.that''s what I remember so when I saw her, I assumed it was her," Feather lied on it. God! The conversation was getting intense at each moment that passed and Feather just wanted to scream for help to save herself because the face of Hawk Monsanto while questioning her was really terrifying. He was like a hawk on a hunt.

    "Feather¡­.." Hawk called her attention again as if he was giving her a clear warning.

    "Hawk, I promise I knew nothing so much about her. All I knew is that if she seduced you, then she did it to get even with me. Perhaps she had not moved on from the fact that she almost became a Han and before things could be official, she messed up and lost such a chance. Being the only heiress of the Han''s, she must have been upset for not having a part of it when she almost did when we were young," Feather gave another conversation a go hoping that the problem will just clear off without giving it much of a thought.

    "I promise you, she''s nothing but just a jealous bitch," Feather pleaded for him to believe her. "I had been your lover for a long time, you must believe me Hawk. You know I loved you so much and I don''t want anything to be ruined just because someone choose to revenge on me,"

    "Alright," Hawk wanted to end there. From what it looked, Feather was always consistent with her words but things just didn''t sound right on him. With all theplications that took ce, all he ever wanted was to finally end his search which seemed to have not ended when he found Feather Han.

    "Do you believe me now?" Feather wanted to clear it all. "You remember what she said, right? She made this scandal to get back at me and also, she intentionally ruined us. Therefore, I won''t me you for having an affair with her because I knew for a fact that she was good at making schemes as she did that previously when she still lived with us. I know that you are just one of his victims, so don''t worry about the scandal, this would not make me back out on the wedding,"

    "There is actually something that I wanted to ask you, Feather," Hawk got to her eyes this time and it made Feather swallow a big lump in her throat.

    "If its about Simione¡­"

    "Fuzzy Cat," Hawk cut her off.

    "Huh?" Feather did not understand why he said that. She knew it was something he used to call her but months have passed already that he had not mentioned such a word to her, nor called her that name anymore.

    "When we were young, you always wanted to be called Cat," Hawk started, eyes still with hers. "You even forced me one time to call you fuzzy Cat¡­however, I could not find in my memory the reason why¡­.the reason why you wanted to be called fuzzy Cat,"

    "Oh¡­" Feather thought of it. She did think that the world fuzzy Cat was something Hawk created for her, so it turns out it was something that the orphan wanted to call herself. Fuzzy Cat? The Heck! Such a cringey name!

    "Can you tell me now perhaps¡­.I had always wondered why you wanted such a name so badly when we were young," Hawk lightly pressed her.

    "Well¡­." Feather''s mind was in panic. What could be the reason why that orphan wanted such a name? God! The question surely was a trap! Hawk Monsanto surely was trying to check whether she was the real Cat or she was just a fake one!

    "Well¡­." Feather wanted to evade the question as her mind couldn''t find a good answer to his questions but while she was roaming in her mind of the past memories she shared with Simione and all the stories the orphan told her about Hawk and their adventures together, she somehow found an answer.

    "It was because of my dear pet that died," Feather''s eyes glittered with victory. She couldn''t be wrong! This should be the answer as she remembered that day so well.

    Few years ago Don Benedicto brought her to the white mansion of Somerset Vige where she met Simione. When they first met, they clicked right away probably because they were the only children in that house and so they yed everyday and shared stories together. As each day passed by, they got closer and closer that they ended up sharing secrets.

    Feather told Simione about her crush for the Tang''s young master while Simione shared stories about her friend Spin outside the white walls of their mansion. They used to be super close and inseparable until one day, Feather found out that Simione was going to be a Han and share her title as a Han''s heiress.

    Feather got so pissed off that she started resenting Simione for it. One day, as Don Benedicto was to bring both of them to a socialite party, Feather refused to go with Simione. She didn''t want her to be a part of their family, of course she didn''t want her grandfather to bring that orphan to the elite parties too.

    So, on the day that they were about to go, Feather poisoned Simione''s pet Cat. She asked their gardener to do it and ckmailed him so the man could do nothing. When Simione found out about her pet, she cried endlessly and wanted to hold a burial that Don Benedicto chose to not bring her to the party as she was so miserable that day.

    That must be it! That Cat was a fat one so it does fit the fuzzy Cat description clearly!

 Chapter 220 - Sweet Smile

    "A pet?" Hawk asked to confirm it.

    "Yes, my cat," Feather smiled wide when she said it. "When I was still in the white mansion, my dear pet Cat died so suddenly without reasons and it broke my heart. This was the reason why I had always loved that name. Also, my cat is a fat one so I always wanted to be called fuzzy Cat,"

    Hawk did not reply but had rather looked at Feather with nk expression. In his mind were further questions that he wanted to ask but Feather''s answers made him choose not to.

    "Hawk¡­" Feather called for him because his eyes went more searing and she cannot stand against his gaze anymore. His call seemed to have woken up Hawk but instead of answering her call, the man immediately stood and slowly went for the door like he was lost.

    Seeing this reaction, Feather was confused, "Wait¡­"

    "Rest for now, I''ll get back to you when in time," Hawk told her and went out the door. Outside, he silently traced the long hallway, helpless and miserable.

    He was wrong. Very wrong.

    In a moment, the hallway seemed to have moved and made him feel dizzy that he staggered for a few minutes. He held his aching head and supported himself by cing a hand on the wall. It felt like he was losing all the life in his body.

    "President," Mr. Blue who apanied him that time saw this and immediately got worried. "What''s happening? Do I need to call your doctor?"

    The man thought that since Hawk just recently recovered from his injury, he might have gotten dizzy because of it.

    "No," Hawk halted his attempts. "I can bear it,"

    Hawk attempted to walk further like normal as he didn''t want to be assisted but when he did so, his mind went turning and after a few minutes, he copsed.

    "President!"

    ****

    Hawk didn''t know what was going on. He could hear some voices but couldn''t understand what everyone was saying. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was blinding lights and blurred faces. He wanted to get up and checked what was happening but his body was so weak. Also, there was a strong force that was pulling his eyes to close, pulling him to sleep.

    Before he closed his eyes however, the face suddenly became clear and what he saw was the face of the young Simione looking down at him with a smile. It was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen and it felt soforting.

    "Cat," He called.

    "Hi Spin!" The girl replied and ran away from him. Not wanting to be away from her, Hawk got up and followed her through his eyes. He saw her climbing on the wall and evaporated through the thick branches. It was the tree that connects to the walls of the white mansion, the one he used to climb to be able to get to her.

    With the intention to follow the girl, Spin charged all his might to run and climb, wanting to follow where she went and when he was able to climb safely, he saw her at the corner looking carefully at the leaves of the big tree.

    "What are you doing?" He asked as he noticed that she was dedicatedly checking on some random leaves as if there was something in there that was worthy of her attention.

    "Shhhhh¡­." She hushed him down. "Come here and see this,"

    Without hesitation, Hawk walked slowly to her and looked onto the thing that caught her attention. There in the leaves was a thick skinned caterpir that wasvising itself from the leaves to feed himself.

    "Hey, stay away from that!" Hawk tried to pull the girl away as he knew it was a dangerous creature. It might look tiny and cute but when it gets into your skin, you''ll definitely have an allergy. "If your touch it, you''ll get hurt,"

    "Shhhh¡­I know," Simione told him. "I was just watching it,"

    "That is one hell of an ugly creature, it''s not worth watching," Spin expressed as the girl seemed to be unbothered by the harmful insect. "Besides, it''s dangerous,"

    "I know okay," Simione pouted and allowed Hawk to pull her away from that corner. Sighing deep and frustrated, she settled bored on the floor and yed with her feet that were hanging on the air.

    "You shouldn''t take interest in things like that," The boy told her as he sat beside her.

    "Caterpirs are interesting creatures, you know," Simione replied, ring at him. "I just wanted to see it transform,"

    Herst words pique Hawk''s interest and so he tried to ask her about it, "Transform?"

    "They became butterflies at the right time," She replied, now with a smile. She had read from her books about the life of caterpirs and how they be butterflies. "Don''t you think that''s a wonderful thing? Just imagine that fuzzy ugly creature¡­at first it looks for ugly and nobody wants them¡­but when the timees and they transform into a beautiful butterfly,...everyone suddenly likes them and the best thing in all that is that they can fly¡­.fly and flutter beautifully¡­"

    "You like caterpirs that much?" Hawk asked as he noticed how delighted she was when she told him the story. Her honey-colored eyes were glimmering with thorough amusement and adoration while the smile in her lips did not fade even once.

    "Well I just love the idea that something so ugly can transform into something beautiful," She replied.

    "I see.."

    "This is the reason why I wanted to be called Cat," She added to Hawk''s surprise.

    "Huh?" Hawk''s eyes went big. "I thought Cat was your real name,"

    "Well, I don''t like my name so I need to have another name, we are all entitled to the names we like afterall," She reasoned. "Besides, the boys here don''t use their names. If I''m not mistaken, Spin is not your real name right?"

    "Hmmmmmm," Hawk refused to answer, not that he didn''t want to tell her the truth but he was afraid tomit another mistake. Even though Simione and him were close, he had not constrained for fully revealing himself and who he was knowing that he and Butler Gah''s life were in danger. One wrong move from him could lead to something dangerous and so as much as he wanted to, the situation does not allow him to.

    "You don''t need to answer if you like," Simione replied. "I know the boys does that all the times, even Dough''s name is not Doughs but he used that because he doesn''t like his name,"

    She made himfortable by referring to their other friend whom she knew. Dough actually was the grandson of the white mansion''s caretaker and he knew Simione very well. They were great friends as when Simione started living in the white mansion when her grandmother got sick there was no other child in the mansion aside from him. Dough was actually older than her and because he was fond of the girl and felt pity that she can''t y outside, he found ways so that she can be friends with the other vige children without jeopardizing her identity. Afterall, the people in the white mansion had strange identities he himself did not understand.

    "So your name is from the word caterpir?" Hawk chose to confirm this rather than give an answer to her question.

    "Uhmmmm¡­yes¡­" Simione proudly replied and went shaking her head slowly.

    "Well suits you," Hawk replied but then went on teasing her. "But I think I shall call you fuzzy Cat from now,"

    "Why is that?" The smile in Cat''s face went away because Hawk''s voice suggested that he was thinking of something funny.

    "Because ¡­." Hawk answered but hisughing only made his next statements fall into a mumbling.

    "What?" Simione''s face grimaced, not liking Hawk''s sillyughter.

    "It suits you well since your cheeks are ever so chubby," Hawk teased and even went as far as pinching the girls two cheeks to emphasize the stored fat in there.

    "Ouch! Stop it!" Simione frustrated and flushed an angry look. "I''m not a fuzzy Cat!"

    "Yes you are! Ha ha aha aha!" Hawk made fun of her and this time pointed a finger in front of her nose.

    "I don''t care!" Simione pouted this time and acted hurt, ready to cry. She was still a girl of seven right then and so her tolerance for Hawk''s teasing wasn''t really that strong. Besides, she felt bad being called chubby, especially that she wanted to be a ballet dancer.

    "I was just kidding," Hawk withdrew his teasing when he saw that she was about to cry. He ten patted her head continuously tofort her. "Besides, you shouldn''t feel bad being called a fuzzy cat because you see, they transforms so ever beautifully afterwards,"

    "Into a beautiful butterfly,"

    "Do you think I will be a beautiful butterfly after?"

    "You are already beautiful to me," Hawk replied and gave her one sweet smile.

 Chapter 221 - The Weakling

    The next morning, the whole Devon City was filled with a scandalous uproar. Many pictures and videos leaked online about Hawk Monsanto''s mistress and how Feather, the most celebrated ballerina in the whole country fell on her dance routine.

    The news outlets and social media sites were flooded by Hawk Monsanto''s pictures with his woman and images of the crying Feather as she miserably searched for her fianc¨¦ after her fall. It was a bad shoot and peopleughed at how Feather looked that day but some also felt an extreme pity on her knowing that after her fall, she found out instantly that her fianc¨¦ had a mistress. She even caught them in the act.

    "I''m frustrated at how Hawk Monsanto turned out to be a two timing animal! I always have high respect for him!"

    "Feather looked terrifying in her white tutu and ruined mascara! She''s turning into my nightmares!"

    "Don''t say that! Miss Han must have been extremely hurt about what happened that time! Imagine her making a concert for her fianc¨¦e who ended up cheating on her!"

    "Who is this mistress? What a lewd shameless woman!"

    "Yikes! Her face should be revealed!"

    "Right!"

    The scandal did not only stay in the inte, it spread to all media channels that one afternoon while Gabrie was cooking at Lucy''s apartment, she saw the news. Immediately, the knife that she was holding fell and she ran to heightened the volume of the tv as the news sh was shing.

    "Hawk Monsanto, the known woman evasive bachelor who was engaged to ballerina Feather Han was caught cheating with herst night on her concierto¡­" The announcer started and this made Gabrie''s heart panic.

    "No!" She covered her mouth with her two hands as she tried to put herself together. She was aware that Simione was not home because she had checked her bedroom just this morning and thought she might have gone back to work or might have picked some errand for the house.

    However the news that was shing on the screen gave her the fact that Simione wasn''t around or at work, she had gone to the concierto of Feather and went without her knowledge!

    What was Sisi thinking?

    Now that this news blew up, she wasn''t sure then if she could still see Simione again and she was certain it was hard to escape Hawk Monsanto''s grip especially if you made such a huge trouble.

    "Oh God Simione, what have you done?" Gabrie cried instantly. "Why did you do such a stupid act? Hawk Monsanto will surely not forgive you this time!"

    ****

    When Hawk woke up, he was already at his chateau. He found himself half naked in bed, head still a bit hurting. Round at the corner he saw Felip, his illegitimate brother sitting on a chair, crossed legged.

    "What happened?" Hawk asked as he caught his head trying to remember what took ce before he lost his consciousness.

    "You fainted. What a weakling," He replied with mockery.

    "What are you doing here?"

    "Lady Beatrice weed me," The young man replied, referring to their aunt. The chateau was Monsanto''s ancestral house and so most of their immediate rtives lived there. Thedy was one of Hawk''s respected aunt whom he entrusted with the management of the house.

    "Felip, I told you to stay low,"

    "I told you I''m not here to take anything from you," ck replied with a smirk. "Have you found out the truth yet? About that girl?"

    "It''s none of your business. Stay out from it," Hawk threw the bed covers away from his naked top and gathered himself at the end of his bed.

    "If not for me, you''ll not be able to find the girl," ck replied. "You should be thankful,"

    Hawk did not reply but rather raised his head to look at the sky that he could see beyond the window ss that was standing tall on the corner of his room. His hurting head was bothering him but the thought of his foolish mistake was more bothersome than it.

    "Hawk¡­." Felip knew he was miserable. Hawk Monsanto was always apetent man but ever since that woman emerged, he got lost on his track. He understood it must be very important that she drive him mad. His brother had never confided to him with this but looking at his face then, he knew it was not his hurting head that was killing him but rather his heart.

    "Just leave me and have Mr. Bluee here," Hawk instructed him as he got up in bed and walked toward the window to contemte more.

    "I know you messed up, you had the wrong woman," ck chose to ignore his instruction. "However I don''t understand why you had to be that miserable. It was an innocent mistake. Instead of feeling guilty about it, why don''t you just fix it?"

    "Fix it?" Hawk chuckled at his brother''s suggestion. "You don''t have any idea Felip,"

    "Then make me understand," ck dared.

    "This is not your problem" Hawk sighed deeply. "All I ever wanted was for you to go back to school and be good at your craft,"

    "She''s already in Find. At this time, she might have unloaded from her ne," ck continued, discussing Simione even when Hawk certainly wasn''t weing his suggestions. "You can go to her and exin things. I''m sure she''ll understand,"

    "You don''t know her Felip," Hawk''s expression went helpless, "She will never forgive me,"

    The tone of hisst words went so rigid that ck could feel the intensity of such a dilemma. Hawk needed not to exin more to him then why he was feeling that bad even as surely ck immediately got the point.

    Truth was it was indeed for Hawk to apologize to Simione and tell her the truth but he was so afraid that this mistake would only make the girl hate him more. He promised toe back to her. She must have been waiting all her life.

    Hawk remembered the way she called his previous name ''Spin'' in the theater and it was like she had called such a name from the dead. He felt her longing, her pain, her resentment.

    "She will never forgive me Felip," Hawk repeated, seemingly mumbling then, as the pain in his heart became pronounced on his face. "She will hate me. She had already run away from me even when she did not know the truth yet. What do you think she would do if she found out the man who had promised her everything betrayed her and even went as far as attempting to kill her?"

    "You didn''t know it was her," ck said as gently as he could but he was an inurate judge of his own tone so it sounded like he was casting a mock on Hawk.

    "That is not an excuse!" Hawk surprised the boy with another hard tone. His nerves almost burst as he held his fist tightly, so tight that ck thought he would break his own bones. "I should have known! How could have I not known it? But¡­but¡­."

    Instead of finishing his own words, Hawk charged a hard punch on the ss windows, almost breaking it. The sound of his charge filled the room, almost making everything shake, including ck himself.

    "Foolish¡­." Hawk gritted his teeth so angry with himself. "Foolish man¡­how could you be so blind! How could you not recognize her!"

    "You did recognize her," ck butt in in Hawk''s self confrontation. "In another way. Now I understand why the woman evasive brother whom I think had already fallen in love with the Han''s heiress, took a mistress,"

    If ck thought that what he told Hawk made him feel less guilty, he was wrong because when Hawk remembered how Simione became the mistress when she was supposed to be his queen, got him more angry with himself.

    "I ruined her," Hawk couldn''t believe how far his foolishness went. "I made her the other woman¡­I made her miserable¡­.I pushed her into such a shameful mud,"

    The pain was rather unbearable. Hawk thought of all the times Simione had to go as far as seducing him just to get his attention. How she swallowed her morals and used her body just to give justice for herself.

    All his life, he wanted to give her all the good things in life that was why he worked hard to be the man he was now. Yet, the woman whom he loved did not taste a single drop of his hard work and love. Instead she became the other woman, the one who was always short of his time and attention. The one who once begged him to choose her and instead of sheltering her, he chose to break her heart too many times.

    "Then should you just continue on ming yourself here?" ck inquired as he tried to put some sense into Hawk''s self guilt. "If you act foolishly again, you will lose her forever,"

    "That''s not going to happen," Hawk rebutted and looked at ck intently. "Tell Mr. Blue to book me a flight right away,"

    "To Find?" ck stared right through him as it seemed like his brother''s bore something more than following the girl wherever she nned to flee.

 Chapter 222 - Dirty Secrets

    Hawk was ready to leave that day when Lucas arrived. The boy had been gone for long as he made sure toe back with something at hand. He had heard of what happened as the scandal had really be uncontroble this time. It had been the talk of the whole country and pushed Hawk Monsanto''s reputation at the edge.

    When Lucas entered his room, the M Conglomerate President didn''t even look up to meet his eyes, but he could feel Lucas'' anxiousness for some reason.

    "Tell me you''ve got something for me . If there''s none, just leave before I throw you off to Africa," Hawk warned.

    "I didn''t daree here empty handed," Lucas politely replied. He knew Hawk had so many things in his table right then because of what happened in Feather''s concierto and his expression only confirms the fact.

    "Good," Hawk replied as he made full strides into one of his drawers to pull something and threw it off in his luggage. He was currently packing up for his trip and wasn''t in the mood to have someone do it for him. "Tell me what you''ve got about the girl,"

    "Nothing about the girl honestly," Lucas was honest although he kind of regretted the way he started his report. Instead of giving Hawk the bad news, he should have started with the good news first. Right then the only thing he could do was swallow a lump on his throat wishing that his master won''t be that mad. "Nothing yet¡­"

    "Then what the fuck are you doing here?" Hawk gathered his gray eyes on him with full intensity, very annoyed by his useless appearance.

    "I''ve got this however¡­" Lucas showed him something. It was a picture. An old uncolored picture of people which Hawk could not recognize. He even went as far as squinting his eyes as he tried to remember who those people in the picture were but it seemed like it was a very old one, taken at the time when there were still no colors to all pictures people previously developed.

    "I don''t recognize anyone here," Hawk told him and his tone was rathermanding him to just answer what he found out.

    "This is Don Benedictor''s family," Lucas revealed. Pointing to the adult man in the center, the boy continued his exnation. "This is him,"

    "And the woman?" Hawk immediately raised a brow at it. He was very familiar with the family of Don Benedicto''s wife¡ªThe Yang''s. However it seemed like the woman in the picture didn''t resemble any of the Yang''s nor did she resemble his wife.

    "His wife," Lucas revealed.

    "C''mon Lucas," Hawk shook his head as he refused to believe it. Though he wasn''t close to the Yang''s, he was very aware of who their madam was as he had talked to her a couple of times already before. "She doesn''t look like the old madam of the Han''s"

    "I investigated and found out that this woman was his real wife," Lucas continued. "It seemed that Lorena Yang wasn''t his first and that their marriage should have not existed because I found a marriage document that proves Don Benedicto has not severed her marital affiliations with this woman. She was the real wife,"

    "So Lorena Yang is a¡­." Hawk was confused.

    "She is a mistress," Lucas went on. Everyone in Devon City knew that Don Benedicto married Lorena Yang before and since she has a kin in the higher elites and her family was rich too, it had been told that she was the one behind the previous president''s sess. Don Benedicto''s sess.

    "Lucas, the Yang''s had a great reputation, we can''t throw rocks on them unfairly," Hawk chided his subordinates even when he knew it all made sense. However this got his attention and so he looked at Lucas and demanded he proved his case further.

    "This must be the reason why they hid the first wife," Lucas gave his view on this. "I believe they hid the true wife because she refused to sign the divorce agreement. It seemed like she and Don Benedicto were in love. However, I am very sure of my ims that the madam of the Han''s that you knew wasn''t the real madam. She is¡­" he pointed again to the woman in the picture.

    "Also¡­." Lucas took the picture and pushed it in front of him. "Look closer Mr. President¡­.this is not only the weird thing that this pictures depicts,"

    Hawk had his eyes on the picture and realized that it wasn''t only Don Benedicto and his supposed legal wife who were there.

    "They have a child?"

    "Children," Lucas corrected. "They had two boys¡­.and they are twins,"

    Hawk collected the picture from Lucas'' hand in an instant and stared right through it. Indeed both Don Benedicto and the woman he was with were carrying a child in each of their arms and they had the same features, almost the same face.

    "I think it''s not Mauro Han you met years ago in Somerset Vige," Lucas said tly, his voice ringing with distaste. "You met his twin brother¡­Meuro Abreo"

    "Meuro Abreo?" Hawk repeated the name with so much confusion but then it dawned on him that this information was the one that he had been missing all this time. One of the reasons why he did not doubt Feather''s identity was her father, Mauro Han, as he had met him before when he was young.

    He remembers his face clearly and so even when he thought that there were many things that have changed with Feather, he had never been suspicious because she was Mauro Han''s only daughter.

    So it turned out, Mauro Han wasn''t the person he met?

    "How could he have a differentst name if he was Don Benedicto''s son?" Hawk went more miserable at this. Damn! He never thought the Han''s had secrets on their own as big as this.

    "There''s no exnation to that," Lucas was troubled. "This information is not avable anywhere. There was no record of any connection with Meuro Abreo and Mauro Han in the civil registry, nor Don Benedicto''s name attached with Meuro Abreo. It seemed like all the records had been cleaned. I believed the Han''s or the Yang''s have buried every dirty secret of their family.

    "Mauro Han never told me about this¡­.he knew I was looking for the girl¡­" Hawk''s breathing became heavy and hot.

    "He tricked you¡­.I think they knew who you were looking for," Lucas was very sure of that. "Han''s Scintiit was in a serious mess, he used his daughter to make you invest on it¡­,"

    "They knew it all along," Hawk''s anger was only bing deep. The Han''s¡ªwhat kind of family are they? What kind of people were hiding behind the mask they wore in front of him?

    "Find more about the Han''s history," Hawkmanded Lucas. "Find out what happened to my fuzzy Cat all these years. Find out why she stopped ballet and when did she left Mara Ballet Company,"

    "Alright. I''ll see what I can do," Lucas inhaled back all his relief. He did think his dilemma was finished as he had brought some good information to Hawk. He never expected that he would ask more of it. "By the way¡­.I saw your brother is already here,"

    "Watch him closely," Hawk added more instructions to him. "Make sure that nobody learns about him,"

    "Are you going to Find?" Lucas asked again. He was made aware of the situation when he bumped into ck earlier and told him Hawk was leaving to attend some errands abroad. He assumed his errands were about chasing Simione right away. "Do you seriously think she would forgive you,"

    "I don''t think she will forgive me," Hawk replied.

    "So you have another solution in mind?" Lucas saw a different gleam in his eyes and realized that his errands abroad were more than what he thought they were. What could Hawk Monsanto be thinking?

    "Time will tell," Hawk answered. "You''ve met her Lucas and you know how strong willed she is, she won''t back down at me easily,"

    "If you tell her you are sorry and that you are his childhood friend, she might change his mind," Lucas expressed. "You told me once she was so fond of you and that you two were very close. I''m sure if you tell the truth, she will forgive you,"

    "If she will know the truth, she will hate me more," Hawk worried and sighed frustratedly at it. "I didn''t recognize her, Lucas. I attempted to kill her too,"

    "Then what are you nning to do?" Lucas asked this time. Although Hawk was very strict with him, he pushed past their personal issues and thought of Hawk''s feelings. He was afterall a brother to him, he owed him a lot. "I''m sure you have something in mind,"

    "I don''t know," Hawk admitted. "I''ll cross the bridge when I get there. For now, it is very important that I should leave immediately,"

    "Alright, I won''t take much of your time. I''ll stay here and watch over your brother while I also dig on some facts about the Han''s"

 Chapter 223 - Court House

    Find

    Weather was a bit cold and Simione had double her clothing to be able to go outside. It had been a week when she arrived there, in a small town miles away from the city. The house that she lived in was a regr Finnish house, with arge window overlooking a sereneke and was covered by woond that was filled with wildberries. Every afternoon, Simione explored the woods but most of the time she just sat there at the edge of theke, drinking some coffee while missing her friends and the life she left behind.

    She wondered what''s going to happen with her school now? With her work? She had no time to settle those before she left. A new semester was fast approaching while the work leaves she took in EL Tigre''spany would be over after a few days. She sighed thinking all of those were just wasted because of her desire to make revenge on Feather. However, seeing Feather suffer was really a satisfying sight that even until then, it was hard for her to regret what she did no matter how big she sacrificed for it. Apart from that, her revenge gave her some sense of aplishment and satisfaction, something that she never thought she''d take as a constion from all that had happened.

    What''s going to happen now?

    Did the Done home?

    Did Hawk Monsanto send men to find her?

    Well, the man''s anger was inevitable and his connection plus wealth was something one should not underestimate. For sure, he will be able to find her soon but before he does, she''ll flee from him again and if therees a time that she ever gets tired, she''ll just let him have her and die in his hands. She owes him that after all because she ruined his life.

    Whilst thinking, Simione took a sip of her coffee only to realize that it had dried out and so, she stood from where she was at and hurried back to his house. Lucy had this arranged for her and from time to time, someonees to check on the girl. Also, this house wasn''t that far from the caretaker''s house and had a good security system and so she wasn''t slightly fearful of her safety. Besides, she''s a thousand miles away from Devon City, all those after her will have to search deeper and harder for them to find her.

    Simione opened the door and immediately closed it before she pulled her boots off and took some indoor slippers. When she crossed the living room toward the kitchen, something caught her attention. In a minute then, the hairs at the back of her hair stood as an immediate panic rose into her!

    Something was wrong!

    She is not alone in the house!

    Out of instinct, Simione ran toward the kitchen to take a knife but before she could grab one, something covered her mouth and made her feel dizzy. She tried to struggle as she felt someone grab her but her body had gone so weak and sleepy already that just after a few minutes, she sumbed into darkness.

    "Who are you?" She mumbled before she lost consciousness.

    ***

    It was another court day for grandfather Williams and since Simione wasn''t around, Gabrie initiated toe on her behalf. She knew how important this case to Simione was and so she vowed to continue fighting for it as she mourned for Simione''s disappearance. She had asked Lucy about the girl''s whereabouts but the singer refused to tell her anything. She said it was better for her not to know anything rather than be involved in such aplicated situation.

    When Gabrie arrived in the court house, she immediately asked around where the trial for grandfather William''s was but the recent development of his case got her surprised.

    "Miss if you are asking about the embezzlement case, the court had already dismissed it this morning," One of the staff there told her.

    "Dismissed? You mean the case is no more?" Gabrie inquired. She had only limited knowledge about how everything works in the courthouse and so she wasn''t sure about her conclusion.

    "Yes, If I''m not mistaken the suspect should be released right away," the staff added. "Try going to the prison house, you might still be able to catch up with the release as the suspect''swyer just recently got the papers. I believe they were heading there now,"

    "Alright," Gabrie didn''t know if she should be relieved or not. She had seen Simione struggle on winning such a case and didn''t understand why it had to go easy this time. Did something happen that they didn''t know? Or she should just believe that justice was on their side right this time?

    Immediately, Gabrie went to the prison house and checked if what was ryed to her was indeed true. Since Simione was the one handling this case and she wasn''t here, she was sure that none from the Tang''s knew yet about this recent news. She might be the only one to wee grandfather Tang as he would get out of prison.

    As soon as Gabrie walked in, she immediately caught a sight the old Tang''s master near the reception standing alone as if waiting for something.

    "Grandfather Williams!"

    "Gabbie?" The old man was surprised by her.

    "Ahmm¡­Simione is out of town because of school stuff so I came here to check on you. However I had heard that you are going to be released today. Is this real?" Gabrie took excuses for Simione''s absence.

    "Oh yes dear, I couldn''t believe it. Thanks to you, Gabbie. Simione is really so lucky to have a friend like you," The old man went on thanking Gabrie instead for reasons thetter didn''t know. She was actually confused on what grandfather Williams was talking about yet she didn''t make it too obvious in order not to ruin such a happy day for him.

    "That''s good to hear," Gabrie forced a smile. "Are you free to go already? I''ll go and apany you home, Madam Silicia will surely be surprised,"

    "I''m just waiting for the papers dear, mywyer is taking care of it,"

    "I see. Should I go and check on yourwyer? Perhaps I should also asked him if there are other things that needed to be done in your case,"

    "Well he''s here already¡­" Grandfather looked through Gabbrie''s back to acknowledge the person that just arrived. Even when she had not seen his face yet, Gabrie could already smell his perfume and was very sure it was Primo.

    Shit! She should have known! No wonder why grandfather Williams thanked her! Did Primo introduce himself as her boyfriend to the Tang''s master?

    "Dulzura¡­"

    "Give me grandfather''s papers," She demanded as she slightly turned to him.

    Primo studied her for a while but in the end, handed her the papers she demanded.

    "Is this it?" She inquired.

    "Yes. He is free to go," Primo said casually, ignoring the fact that the girl wasn''t looking him in the eye and not even giving him full acknowledgement. "He''s clean¡­my team had already taken care of everything and if there''s some problem that would ur after, they''ll take care of it,"

    "Thank you," Her voice was short of gratitude. Immediately she turned into grandfather William and changed her tone. "Grandfather, let''s go. I''ll bring you home,"

    Grandfather noticed the tension and so he just thanked hiswyer and followed the girl. However, before they could hire a cab, a familiar car stopped in front of them. It was a car owned by the Tang''s and in a second, Madam Silicia went out teary.

    "Williams!"

    "My wife," The old master went to hug his wife tight as she cried in his arms. It was such a touching moment that Gabrie couldn''t help but shed a little tear. It had been a while that Simione''s grandparents had separated and seeing them reunited again without bars warmed Gabrie''s heart. If only Simione was there, she knew she''d be too happy to see such a beautiful touching sight.

    "Gabrie is that you?" Madam Silicia noticed her standing just behind her husband. She then went to hug her tightly. "Thank you Gabbie. You had always been kind to Simione and even now, you have helped her with this. We were told it was your boyfriend who took over the case. Oh you child, we didn''t even knew El Tigre was your lover,"

    "It''s nothing grandmother," Gabrie replied politely as she wiped away the little tears she shed. "I''m just d grandfather is free now. You should take him home, he needed some rest and make sure to cook him his favorite food,"

    "Of course my dear, thank you so much again," Madam Silicia smiled at her gratefully but then her attention was turned to the man who was just standing just inches away from Gabrie. "Thank you sir for your great service. This must have caused you a lot,"

    "It''s nothing," Primo answered and only Gabrie noticed that the young attorney had followed her again. "I''m d to be of great help,"

    "We owe you a lot sir. We know for a fact that you don''t handle cases like this,"

    "Your granddaughter is my employee, besides, she''s also a friend to my Gabrie. This case is of my great concern," Primo answered and turned to look at the girl who had been ignoring him.

    "Child you are so lucky, you have found a great partner," Madam Silicia turned to Gabbie again.

    Gabrie only faked a smile before she bid her farewell. "Grandmother , you should go. Grandfather is tired. I''ll visit you with Lucy one of these days,"

    "I''ll be looking forward to it dear," The old woman replied before she went back to her husband''s arms and leave the ce.

 Chapter 224 - Her Kidnapper

    When the Tang''s left, Primo had the courage to speak directly to the girl who was standing near him.

    "Have lunch me," His voice was begging but it wasn''t enough to get Gabrie''s attention. Instead, she walked away from him as if she had not heard him.

    "Dulzura.." Primo chased and called his woman. Gabrie consistently ignored him and he was left with no choice but to chase and grab her. "Please have lunch with me at least,"

    "Have lunch with your other woman," The girl rebutted and forcefully squeezed herself out of Primo''s grab but with no sess. Primo was too strong for her and surely was hard to push away.

    "Do you really think I have another?"

    "I didn''t just think it out of nowhere. I''ve seen it first hand," She replied and evaded his eyes. "Please let me go, Lucy will be picking me up. Her men is always with her, I don''t want any chaos,"

    "Won''t you really forgive me?" Primo was desperate. He was already living miserably without her and wanted to bring her home but the girl wasn''t giving him any chance at all. "Don''t you love me anymore?"

    "I don''t remember telling you that I love you," Gabrie corrected. "You are just assuming things,"

    "But we already¡ª"

    "Its just sex okay," Gabrie said it like it was nothing. "Just get over it. I won''te back to you,"

    When Primo heard her answer he was dumbfounded. He had been wooing her for many days and nights yet she was always consistent in rejecting him. Worst of all, she sounded like whatever happened to him wasn''t anything special at all but just for fun.

    Helpless, the youngwyer frustratedly brushed his air. He wanted to have more conversation with her but in a moment, a familiar car stopped in front of them.

    "Gabrie hop in," The singermanded as she opened the window from the backseat. Without waiting for anything, Gabrie charged all her might to be free from Primo and immediately ran inside Lucy''s car.

    The man however who had lost a grab on his woman instinctively chased her but Lucy''s men immediately block his way.

    "Give me back my woman or there will be bloodshed today," Primo threatened, eyes shooting daggers at Lucy''s men "How dare you block my way,"

    "Boys¡­" Lucy stepped out of the car and had her men withdraw so she could talk with Primo.

    "I thought you''d help me," Primo confronted the singer right away. "Why does it seem like you are hiding my woman away? Are you taking me as a fool Luci?"

    "I didn''t promise I''d help you with Gabrie," She denied.

    "Luci, Hawk Monsanto already knew we were both involved with your friend''s escape," Primo was like telling her he had already pushed the trigger just so he can have his woman back with the intention to make Lucy cooperate with him.

    "Fine. I''ll help you. I''ll make sure she goes back to your mansion," Lucy decided on it. She was really impressed at how Primo helped her with Simione and how he was very consistent with Gabrie so she wanted to fulfill her part of their agreement. "However, don''t push yourself into her today. Wait for the right time,"

    "I have been waiting for many days already," Primo nagged.

    "Your wooing would do nothing," Lucy assured him. "Just wait for it. She''lle home to you soon. Trust me on this,"

    Primo wasn''t amenable with what the singer suggested but what could she really do at this time? Gabrie was so serious about ignoring him and he just can''t find a way back into her heart. He really had nothing then but to just Lucy on whatever she had in mind.

    "Alright,"

    "Nice doing business with you then," Lucy winked at him. "Goodbye El Tigre"

    ****

    Simione does not anymore remember what happened. When she woke up, she was already blindfolded, tied and was on transit. She knew she was being shipped off somewhere because she could feel that she was in a vehicle. She was also aware that there were men with her but all of them were unusually quiet and not none did give her attention. Perhaps because they all thought she was still asleep.

    Where could they be taking her?

    How long did she fall asleep?

    Who are these men?

    She wanted to shout and probably fought back but being with several men in one car wasn''t really the best ce to do that. She had to be patient and find the right timing on when to execute her ns. Perhaps when the transit was over and she had regained her strength.

    Hours and hours went by until they arrived at their destination. Simione had really no idea where she was brought but when soon, she had smelled a familiar scent of garden flowers she used to know.

    Wait.

    Are they taking her to¡­.

    "We are here," One of the men announced and immediately loosened Simione''s blindfold. As long as they did, Simione saw four big men all dressed in brown uniforms in the same car she was in and already.

    "Get her out," The leader instructed and soon, Simione was dragged into the ground of a big ancestral property. Seeing it, Simione''s previous fear and nervousness faded and what rushed into her heart was loathe.

    That man. He dared to drag her back here.

    The mansion that was before them was something that Simione was very familiar with and at the very foot of the entrance an old man was standing, proud and tall, with honey colored eyes and an antique walking stick on his right hand. His aura immediately got everyone intimidated, except Simione.

    "So it''s true! That child is really alive?" Madam Fara gasped at the main entrance of the Han''s mansion together with her husband and Feather who was just released from the hospital.

    Her words somehow caught the Don''s attention and so he gathered his eyes to her sternly that made her instantly shut up. She lowered her head with fear and shame.

    "Why? Who told you she was dead? I don''t remember having a funeral for her," The Don straightforwardly answered, trying to question Madam Fara''s words.

    The scandal about Hawk and Feather broke out uncontrobly and reached the ears of the Don. As a proud man as he was and because of how terrible the scandal was, he was forced toe home and clear the matter, most especially that the name of the Han''s reputation was at risk here. When he arrived, he certainly did not expect all the things that weed him and knowing that it had to be remedied immediately, he had to act on it.

    "Why did you bring me here?" Simione asked.

    "It was you who hit on your cousin," Don Benedicto pointed a finger on her. "Do you expect that I will just let you off after the mess you did?"

    "Yes! You broke my wedding! You deserved to be punished!" Feather acted pitifully in front of her grandfather. When he arrived, things had been difficult for her parents but she had washed her hands clean from everything and pretended to be the victim as she was. Of course her grandfather would not me her for anything she had not contributed for, just like how Han''s Scintiit was these days.

    "Hahahahah," Simioneughed at it. "Oh no cousin, I just saved you from a two timing animal. You should be thankful,"

    "Hawk is not like that!" Feather defended him. She still wanted her grandfather to approve of the wedding so she wanted to clear off Hawk''s name on this. "It was you who went to him and seduced him. Slut!"

    "If a man truly loves you, they should have not betray you in anyway," Simione responded then dragged his eyes immediately to the Don, "Right Don Benedicto¡­.oopps! I''m sorry¡­I forgot that you knew nothing about love too¡­you left your wife in Somerset Vige just so you can be rich¡­.ahaahaha¡­then you built the white mansion to woo her back¡­how pathetic¡ª"

    "Pcckkkkk!"

    Simione''s insult gained her a p from the Don. "I am still you ascendant. Learn some respects,"

    "Respect is earned. Not given" Simione snapped back, not minding the pain that rushed to her face.

    "Is that what the streets taught you? To be disrespectful?" Don Benedicto continued chiding her. "You left home and became like that? An ill-mannered ingrate? Look at yourself¡­you left here with pride and now youe back with nothing, not even dignity"

    "At least I get to own my life for once! Besides, this ce is not my home!" Simione looked at him with disgust. "It was never a home!"

    "Father¡­" Mauro Han cut the two''s argument because he could already see the Don''s fury and he was very afraid that his argument with Simione would only create more chaos in their household. As much as possible, he had to keep the Don calm andposed or things would only lead to moreplications.. "How about we all talk about this inside? I had the maids prepare some tea. The wind outside is not good for your health,"

 Chapter 225 - Getting Married

    "If you care about my health then you should have taken good care of Han''s Scintiit!" Don Benedicto directed his anger to his son who immediately jerked back, surprised by the former''s anger. "So ipetent!"

    Before his head would explode of anger, the old man decided to leave the ground and head to the office. It was not wise to handle things in clear view of all their servants and associates so he decided to continue this conversation in their family office. The rest of the Han''s followed him, as well as Simione who was forcefully dragged by her abductors.

    Soon, the Han''s were in a closed room, sitting around a big wooden table where they could clearly see each other face to face. Of course, all eyes of disgust and hate were on Simione.

    "Grandfather, I implore you to punish Simione for this. If not for her, Hawk and I would have no problems at all," Feather started trying to convince her grandfather to me everything on her hated cousin.

    "No problems? Hahah¡­once a cheater will always be a cheater," Simione mocked her. "By the way, Feather, years ago before I left, it was the Tang boy that you are so obsessed about. What happened to both of you then? How was it that you ended up with Hawk Monsanto when you had desperately chased Tang''s young master?"

    Feather''s face immediately was filled with panic. "Lyndon and I had a good break up. He say he wanted to quit ballet and return home,"

    "Funny because Lyndon''s version of things are so different from yours. You called up on him one night and asked him to go to where you are. Before he arrived, he had an ident and a few monthster, you suddenly got engaged to Hawk Monsanto. Isn''t that quite a story? What a coincidence¡­"

    "Are you suggesting Feather had something to do with Lyndon Tang''s ident?" Madam Fara surely addressed the fact right away. "Besides, how could you just bber nonsensical things like Lyndon having his own version of everything? That boy was still in aa. He couldn''t lift and eyelid, more so his mouth,"

    "Lyndon had woken up already," Simione revealed. "He narrated to me clearly how he ended up having an ident. To be honest what happened to him reminds me of what happened in Mara Ballet Company years ago, an ident happened and I lost my ballet career. This time, it was Lyndon who had an ident and worstes to worst he could have died,"

    "Enough!" Madam Fara eyes red at Simione, almost ready to choke her. "Feather had nothing to do with everything you are using her of. You have no evidence either¡ª"

    "Lyndon told me it was Feather who caused the ident in Mara Ballet Company fifteen years ago," Simione cut her off by Lyndon''s confession that immediately shoved some terrible expression on the mother and daughter duo who was present then.

    "Ingrata! How could you make up lies now!" Madam Fara cussed, so angry at Simione.

    "You should be thankful I only took his fiancee and not her strong feet!" Simione snapped her hands on the table intensifying the argument.

    "Silence!" Don Benedicto screamed at their faces and they all shut up. Simione sat back on her chair while Madam Fara reclined her back to the wooden frame, heart beating wild and nervous.

    "What are these schemes and petty quarrels?" Don Benedicto was greatly disappointed on how this turned out. He had been gone for a long time; he did not even know most of the things Madam Fara and Simione were talking about.

    Truth was when he came home, he had been so shocked by the news that came out. About Hawk cheating on her granddaughter when and how Feather fell on her concierto. Then the fact that it was Simione, his runaway rebel granddaughter was the source of all the chaos. The Don couldn''t just ignore it, he had to make something to put things back in ce specially with all that he had learned recently.

    "Grandfather, Simione has to go," Feather was begging him. "She had always been like this. She''s picking on me all the time and has been using me of too many things I didn''t do. She''s ruining my life,"

    "Is it true Feather that you pushed away the Tang young master so you could go on with Hawk Monsanto?" Don Benedicto turned to her. Of course, he can''t just stay quiet about what happened to the Tangs. They were afterall his long time friends.

    "We had a clean break up," Feather acted innocent. "I swear grandfather, his ident was not connected to my rtionship with Hawk or anything,"

    "That better be the story Feather," Don Benedicto confronted her. "Few years ago Simione and the Tang''s young master had a good rtionship and you came between them. Simione didn''te to me and nag about it and here you are trying to y the victim,"

    "But Grandfather¡­"

    "Father, please don''t be like that to Feather. She had done nothing wrong," Madam Fara made a plea for her daughter. The Don had always been like this that most of the time it was hard to know what was running in her mind. Earlier, she felt like his favor was on them when he pped Simione but now, it seemed like the tables had turned.

    However, for Mauro, he understood what his father was doing. His father had always been strict and hard but he was always reasonable. He is not the type that can be swayed by any words or be fooled by any schemes. So, he knew that none of them at that table could get his favors and so all of them had to suffer his temperament then.

    "Nothing wrong? Your daughter stole the Tang''s young master from Simione because she told me she was so in love with him. I let her. Turns out yearster she''ll trade him for another man,"

    "It was Lyndon''s fault that we broke up with grandfather and Hawk came after him. I swear grandfather, Hawk had nothing to do with this," Feather was crying then. She wanted the Don to take side on her but it seemed that none of it was working. She still wanted to be the Madam of the Monsanto''s and she can''t let her grandfather go against her wishes. She had to marry Hawk''s still whatever it may cost.

    "Crying about a cheating man? Oh Feather you are something," Simione was really amused. Seeing how Madam Fara was giving her hard res but couldn''t do anything, it was like she had won the jackpot that day. Who would have thought this day woulde?

    "Grandfather please¡­" Feather ran to the Don and kneeled at his feet. "Please let me marry Hawk. I really love his grandfather and he loves me very much. I promise he will be thest man I would have my eyes on. Just please, please let me marry him,"

    "And make the whole Devon Cityugh at us?" The Don was furious at Feather''s request. "Are you even thinking, Feather?"

    Simione chuckled at the sight. She can read the Don very well and she knows how his pride and reputation takes priority over family. This was the reason why she made the scandal, she knew he would not allow Feather to marry Hawk at all cost.

    "Dream on Feather. Did you know what Hawk Monsanto told me? He told me he''s going to break you up for me," She added the words to deepen Feather''s injury and heartbreak.

    "Liar! He loves me, he swore he was going to marry me," Feather was wailing still at her grandfather''s feet. "Please grandfather,"

    "Feather stop it!" Mauro called on her but when her daughter didn''t heed his call, he himself moved from his seat to drag Feather away. "Get a hold of yourself or you won''t really have the chance to marry that Monsanto," he whispered to her whilst she dragged her back to her previous chair. He also gave his wife a look in the eye, warning her to take a grip on Feather.

    "Father, things had already gone out of hand," Mauro then started the conversation again after that Feather drama. "Also, the venture that we had with Hawk Monsanto¡ª"

    "That venture Mauro had put us all at the edge!" Don Benedicto told him. "Although I don''t like that Monsanto boy, we all know he is a powerful man. He can shut us down even before we blink. You fool!"

    "Then what should we do, Father?" Mauro could do nothing but just ept all of his father''s insults. He was used to it anyway. "If we were to cut the deal with them, we would have to pay damages. It''s either we marry off Feather to Hawk to pay billions as damages,"

    "Do you really expect me to let Feather marry him?"

    "I can''t think of any better solution than that," Mauro answered but when he saw the expression that went on the Don''s face with his words, he lowered his head in fear and shame.

    "Simione," The Don then turned to her in a voice that immediately made Simione aware that he had something in mind and it might either outrageous or dangerous. "Since you are the one who started all this, you had to pay for it,"

    "As far I could tell Don Benedicto, I had no wealth to pay for the damages for a contract your son had started. But if you wish for Hawk Monsanto to have me as a payment, well I think I had no other choice but to just go with it. Afterall, my life is nothing to you,"

    "You child¡­."

    "What? Don''t tell me you had forgotten how you let my papa die without seeing me? Even at the verge of his death, you imprisoned me at the ballet theater and let me dance endlessly without knowing my father was dying ....Just for the sake of your ballet dreams¡­.you separated a child from her father!" Simione spoke without control and met Don''s eyes head on. She had lost everything already and so not that Don, not even Hawk Monsanto can make her crumble in fear then.

    The Don looked at his rebel granddaughter with a balled fist. His anger was rising sparingly. It had been years since he and Simione had a face to face conversation and as always she had no respect for him.

    "You had never changed," He replied in fury.

    "You are as evil and selfish as you are," Simione replied back with indignation.

    "Well then, let''s realize your words," The Don stood from his seat and was still looking at Simione, he announced. "As a punishment for what you did and to pay for the damages you caused this family, you, my dearest granddaughter, we''ll be sent off to get married. Your soon to be husband will pay in behalf of you,"

    The words that Simione heard only made her loathe the Don more.

 Chapter 226 - Her Soon To Be Husband

    "What?" Simione''s was shaking on it. Did she hear Don say she was to be sent off to get married?

    "Hahahahaah¡­" Simione end upughing on such cruelty. Who would have thought the Don would lean toward this kind of resolution. However he was the Don and this decision right there was one of the cruelest things he was best at doing "Shameless¡­..after you used me to fulfill all your ballet dreams for many years¡­now ¡­you are going to use me to save your reputation¡­Is there any end to your cruelty?"

    "You started this Simione. I had no choice but to make this decision," Don Benedicto ignored Simione''s resentment. "I had already made the arrangement for your wedding and your husband wille and pick you up.."

    "Who are you going to marry her off?" Madam Fara was curious. The Don was a very influential person and so if he sold Simione for a marriage it should be with a very wealthy man. However, knowing that there was no bachelor as rich enough in Devon City to match up Hawk''s Monsanto''s wealth, then was it possible he was going to marry Simione to one of his friends? Friends of the same age as the Don?

    "You''ll get to meet him soon," The Don promised the rest of them.

    "That''s just right grandfather. I think this is indeed the best solution for all of us," Feather was extremely overjoyed at the news that Simione will now be sent off to get married. Perhaps when she''s not around, she and Hawk can continue on wherever they left at. "You should be thankful for this Simione. At least grandfather is still thinking of your future. I''m sure he married you off to someone very rich,"

    "Father¡­.who did you arrange for Simione to marry?" There was some hint of worry in Mauro Han''s voice. Although he had never really cared about his niece, he was still worried that her husband would have more influence than him and would get to be involved with all the Han''s estate. Right then, it was this legitime he was most worried about.

    "Be patient¡­you''ll meet him one of these days," Don Benedicto replied nonchntly before he turned to Simione. "Simione, you''ve got to do this,"

    "No I won''t!" Simione screamed. "I swear I''m not going to cooperate in this wedding even if you''d kill me!"

    "You have no choice but to do this, or all of the Han''s will suffer," The old man added, emphasizing the fact that what she was about to do was for the sake of their family.

    "I don''t care if all of the Han''s will suffer!" Simione rebutted aggressively. "I don''t care about your family!"

    "Simione!"

    "I loathed this family! I don''t want to be a part of it!"

    "Sir¡ª"

    "What?" The Don''s voice went high at the butler who just came in. Thetter stepped back afraid, thinking it was him the Don was angry about.

    "Mr. Brown is here to fetch the Miss," He announced politely despite his shaking legs. "He hade to pick up the bride,"

    "Very well, had someone escort Simione out," The Don replied now in a neutral tone before he went off the room, leaving Simione and the rest of the Han''s. In a minute, big men came to dragged the girl away despite her protest.

    "Who is going to be his husband?" Madam Fara immediately ran to the window to check who was in the front yard. The butler mentioned someone whose name is Mr. Brown and she were thinking maybe he was waiting outside.

    When she looked, she did find a few people standing in the front yard while an extravagant car was parked right in the center. So he indeed married off his granddaughter to a rich man?

    "I''m sure he is old and ugly," Feather also walked toward the window to see what''s going on outside. Seeing a man in a suit standing just at the foot of the car that was parked, she thought it was Simione''s husband. "Is that him? O my God¡­well at least he is not as old as I expected,"

    "Who is this Mr. Brown?" Madam Fara asked as she tried to remember whether she had heard the name somewhere. "I don''t remember anyone in Devon City with such ast name,"

    "He might not be from this city," Mauro came to join the observation. Soon he saw Simione being dragged mercilessly and thrown into the car that was waiting for her. The Don stood in front of this so called Mr. Brown and had a few exchanges with him before he mounted back to his car. "It must be someone that father knew from abroad but looking at the man, he is indeed old. Poor girl,"

    "She deserves that," Feather snapped out. "If she didn''t hit on Hawk Monsanto, she should have ended this way,"

    "Feather, don''t be too happy. Don''t you forget your grandfather had not approved of your wedding to Hawk yet and the damages for breach of contract can already be paid in full by Sisi''s husband so there was no more reason for Hawk to be attached to you," Madam Fara reminded her.

    "Grandfather will make it happen," Feather promised as if she was meant to swear for her future self. "If he won''t, then I''ll do it on my own,"

    "It''s not wise to defy your grandfather these days, Feather," Mauro Han advised her daughter about all the things she was nning. "You might lose everything we worked hard for before we know it,"

    "But papa, he didn''t disallow my marriage. He refused to talk about it, which means he surely doesn''t mind me continuing my rtionship with Hawk. All I had to do was assure Hawk that I still wanted us," Feather was feeling so good about it. Now that her Simione dilemma had already been taken care of, she had nothing to worry anymore. There was no one who could go between her and Hawk Monsanto now.

    "Don''t worry about it Mauro, I''ll make sure Feather won''t mess up this time," Madam Fara tried to make him calm down from all the stress that was brought by the sudden appearance of the Don. "Besides, the Don had no other son. You are the only one he had so you shouldn''t worry about Han''s Scintiit being taken away from us,"

    "I can''t believe you can still say that after what happened," Mauro shot daggers at his wife. How could she still be willing to support their daughter with her ns in ying fire with that Monsanto President?

    "Do not forget that all this happened because you messed up with Han''s Scintiit," His wife reminded him. "If you had been a little responsible with yout gambling habits, then we should have not worry of the Don taking us out from your family''spany,"

    "Please stop arguing¡­" Feather get in between them. "That is not the most important thing now. Father, you should help me with my rtionship with Hawk. If the venture will push through then you won''t have this conversation anymore,"

    "He is our only hope now," Madam Fara pressed in. "Simione''s husband is a rich man and for sure he will be very willing to pay for the damages. If this will happen, the Don will continue favoring Simione''s husband and might give him Han''s Scintiit. Our hope now is to reconcile Feather with Hawk so that payment for damages won''t be necessary and the nned venture will pushed through,"

    "Father will not allow the wedding," Mauro was very sure of it.

    "Then we can do the wedding in secret," Madam Fara suggested. "The Don will surely go back abroad. When he''s not here, we should push through the wedding of Feather and just invite him to attend it. If everything will be set in ce, he won''t mind it anymore,"

    "And if he would end up minding it?" Mauro raised the fact. "What''s going to be the end of me? You and our daughter?"

    "Then just let it be. If that happens, you are already the Father-inw of Hawk Monsanto and so there will be greater things waiting for you than the Han''s Scintiit," Madam Faraid all her ns thoroughly.

    "I promise to ask Hawk to give one of hispanies to you then Father," Feather added, luring her father to agree to her ns. She knew that she could never get past all of the Don''s guards and eyes without the help of his father and it was a necessity to include him in such a n. "All you need to do Father is tell Hawk how the Don had imprisoned me here and ask him to save me. He will surelye and take me,"

    "Feather¡­"

    "Father please¡­do this for me once," Feather begged. She had sacrificed so much just to be a Monsanto bride. She can''t just let go of waste like that. If she had to defy even her own grandfather for it, then she will.

    She will be the Madam of the Monsanto, no matter what.

 Chapter 227 - Mistress

    Simione was loaded into a car despite her protest. There was just no way for her to be able to escape such strong men. As soon as she was pushed inside safely with no escape, a man who was dressed in all brown came in and sat beside her. Disgusted, Simione gathered herself to the corner.

    "To the Haze mansion¡­" The man with her instructed the driver as he sat like a boss at the other corner. Although he could see Simione''s indifference, he was not slightly bothered by it and sat like he wasn''t forcing a woman toe with him.

    "I refuse to go with you," Simione blurted out in his face.

    "That is not an option for you this time madam," The man replied without giving her a look.

    "How much did you pay my grandfather for me?" She asked, trying to see how much Don Benedicto profited from her.

    "I am not the one who settled those things madam, I''m afraid I don''t have that information with me," The way the man answered made Simione suspect that he wasn''t the husband who brought her.

    "Are you not the one who brought me?" Simione immediately asked.

    "I am just a subordinate madam," The man replied and turned to her this time. "I am Mr. Brown. At your service,"

    "Who is the man who brought me?"

    "You shall meet him soon," he replied. "At the moment, you are to stay at the Haze mansion until the wedding is settled,"

    "Tell him I want to make a bargain with him," Simione sat straight and tried to plead for her freedom. "My friend will be willing to pay him the same price he brought me or more. Besides, I''m very sure he doesn''t want a troublesome wife like me,"

    "I''m afraid that I cannot tell him that," He politely refused. "He already told me you would surely do some bargaining and he wished me to tell you in case you do that he isn''t interested in any bargaining agreements right now. You shall marry him at all cost,"

    "What?" Simione was surprised to learn that.

    "He meant to marry you madam," He made it clear and for some reason Simione felt nervous at that. There was something about this whole situation that doesn''t seem right that made Simione curious as to the identity of the man whom Don Benedicto chose to be her husband.

    "Then he''ll regret it," Simione promised and withdrew to one corner wondering what kind of person was behind this all. However, she feared no one then and so she was nning ways to escape this marriage even before it started.

    ***

    It was probably exhaustion that made Simione sleep and so the journey became quite along the way. When she opened her eyes, the car hade to a full stop already and when she looked outside, she found a very huge property that looked like a castle. Instantly, she knew whoever her husband was, he must be a very rich person.

    Curiously though, her head formed lines at the thought of how foolish it was for a very rich person who owned this property to resort into things like buying a wife. Was he that ugly that no one wished to marry him despite how rich he was?

    "Wee home madam," Mr. Brown opened the door for her and Simione stepped out, she saw a line of servants bowing their heads at the entrance. She raised a brow at their pleasantries but didn''t say a word. Mr. Brown walked ahead of her and like a sheep unfamiliar of her new pasture, she followed him diligently. She still wanted to be free and escape but by how huge the garden walls were, she knew she had to n things carefully before she could throw herself out of those walls.

    "Your husband sends his greetings but unfortunately he isn''t home right now," Mr. Brown added and a housemaid came with a bunch of beautiful roses and handed it to Simione who was certainly not expecting it. She even stared at it for a moment, not able to move.

    "If you don''t like the flowers madam I can have it reced," The maid told her as she suspended her hands in front of the girl as she was offering the bouquet to her.

    "Oh no, it''s fine," Simione took it and looked around as she couldn''t believe where she was at then. Just an hour ago, she was in Han''s ancestral home arguing with her grandfather and then suddenly, she was in this beautiful castle and got to be the queen of someone she doesn''t know.

    "Get the madam something to eat," Mr. Brown instructed the maid and turned his attention back to Simione, "Madam do you wish me to bring you to your room so you can rest? I can have your food be brought there,"

    "Yes please¡­" Simione agreed easily as she was too tired she couldn''t anymore manage to argue at the moment. Mr. Brown walked further and she followed him until she found both of them walking through beautiful fabricated stairs. Then they turned to the right side where exquisite paintings were disyed. "So many paintings," she unconsciously breathed out.

    "The master of the house is an art collector. He loves painting and other unique items," Mr. Brown exined the fact. "Does the madam love paintings too?"

    "No. No I don''t," Simione lied. Truth was she was very aware that the paintings that were disyed were no ordinary ones. Most of them in her estimate cost millions of dors worth and this only made her more scared of who her husband was. If he can afford paintings like that it meant that he really was too rich. Could he still escape the grip of such a wealthy man? For sure his wealth is also as good as his connections and his influence.

    "This is master''s room madam," Mr. Brown opened one big door and the view of a dark red themed room disyed at her sight. Everything in it breathes brilliance and artistry from the furniture to the bed that made Simione lose her breath for a moment. She took in the sight for a few minutes before she finally got a hold of herself.

    "Is this where I am staying?" Simione stupidly asked when the answer was too obvious. Good thing Mr. Brown was a very patient man.

    "Yes madam, this is the master''s bedroom," The subordinate replied. "If you wish to take a bath, just ring a bell and the maids wille to help you. As for the food, I will have it brought here so you can eat,"

    "Well¡­thank you," Simione answered gently. Truth was her mind was still processing all the things that was happening to her then that she couldn''t think well. Besides, the house that she was at was just too beautiful and too perfect for her. How could a prison be as beautiful as this?

    She knew very well this was a prison. With how high the walls were and how guarded the pce was, she knew she couldn''t escape and the only thing she had left to escape this situation was to beg her husband not to push through the wedding or divorce her after.

    She wondered then what is he like?

    For sure he was an old man as there were only a few bachelors in Devon City who could possibly own this kind of estate and most of those bachelors were either taken and the rest were surely not interested in marrying such a girl like her.

    God! Her situation then was worse than death. Hawk Monsanto should have just killed her on the spot during the concierto of Feather.

    "Madam?" A small voice pulled Simione''s mind back to the present as she found herself sitting at the bed while a maid called for her at the door.

    "Yes, its open,"

    "I brought your food," She said and smiled politely at her as if she was a real madam of the house.

    "What is your name?"

    "Miranda madam,"

    "Miranda do you know my husband,"

    "I have seen him once, madam," Miranda admitted.

    "What is he like?"

    "I''m afraid I''m not in the ce to answer those madam," The maid politely refused as she dragged the tray of food to a nearby coffee table. "But he say he is a good man,"

    "He isn''t a good man I''m sure," Simione refused to believe it. "If you have seen him only once, then it means he doesn''te here regrly?"

    "Yes madam, that is true. This property I think was only one of his properties," The maid tried to answer all those that she was allowed to. "They say he was very rich and owned many properties here and abroad. The master I think is really a stable man madam,"

    "Then where does he live?" Simione thought of it. Does her husband have another family that''s why he hid her there? Then, what is she? A mistress?

    Oh God! That was more terrible than she ever thought it would be!

 Chapter 228 - Tending Wounds

    "I''m not certain where the master can be found at this moment," The maid replied cautiously. "Does the madam need anything else? If none then please excuse me,"

    "Alright. Thank you," Simione replied as she watched the girl leave. For a moment she was tempted to eat the food that was sttered in the coffee table nearby but chose to rather gather herself in bed and dropped her face in the soft pillows.

    "Oh God, what the heck is happening? What am I to do here?" The girl held a deep sigh as she sumbed to the emotions that went rushing into her.

    ***

    Primo just alighted from his car. He was on the foot of Allegria penthouses then trying to visit Gabrie, hoping that this time she can give her just a little time. Weeks had passed and her anger hadn''t dissipated yet, making Primo upset than he ever was. However, no matter what he does, he cannot just let go of his woman like that and so even when Gabrie mmed the door in his face all the time when he makes a visit, he still patiently goes there almost everyday before he heads home.

    With hands in his pocket and a bouquet of fresh flowers in his right hand, he walked steadily towards the entrance. His men were nearby, guarding every movement in the ground and was ready to give the youngwyer a backup in case he needed one. With his recent intrusion with Hawk Monsanto''s affairs, he knew he should be careful as thetter would not spare what he did and so he had doubled his men and security. Right then, there was no rming thing happening on the ground and so everyone was on steady.

    Primo held onto the bouquet he brought with the hopes that Gabrie would like it. He even gave it a nce and brought the flower in front of his face with the intention to smell it. He wondered how fragrant it was and if Gabriell would like it when she saw it. As the youngwyer was doing so, he somehow heard a little fuss and when he felt the danger, it was already toote.

    Psw!

    Just in a split second, he felt something hit him and when he looked at his chest, blood gushed in. Immediately, the bouquet he was holding fell and was tainted by his blood.

    "Sniper!" Someone warned and everyone moved ordingly. Primo himself stayed alert for a moment and took his gun as he dragged himself to a corner to take cover. He tried to locate the sniper and cued his men to go to his location¡ªa building, a block away from alegria apartment.

    With what happened and how Primo was attacked in the middle of the day, amotion took ce in front of Allegria penthouses. People panicked and ran freely toward every direction while Primo tried to get a hold of himself, pushing himself not to pass out despite his fatal injury.

    ***

    Primo was taken into the hospital to have his wounds tended. Fortunately, the bullet missed his heart and only hit his right arm. It seemed that the sniper had missed killing him, or perhaps he did not intend to kill him. What was rather suspicious was that, despite their immediate response and abruptness, Primo''s men were not able to catch the culprit and so until then they were wondering who did it. However, because of his recent intervention with Hawk Monsanto''s affairs, he was sure it had something to do with it. Did M Conglomerate President order him to be killed?

    "Don''t worry sir, we''ll keep looking," His subordinate promised him. They ultimately felt ipetent for failing to protect the El Tigre but was determined to seek revenge for him. It had been a while when nothing like this had ever happened and so this incident was immediatelybeled as red.

    "Check out the activities of the Monsanto''s," El Tigre suggested. "See if this is something rted to them. We hadunch a surprise attack on them and though we failed to take the girl, I''m very sure Hawk Monsanto knew it was us,"

    "That had already been taken care of sir," the man before him answered. "I''ll make sure nothing is left unturned. I will find who did this to you,"

    "Oh look who''s here¡­" A woman''s voice cut off their conversation. When Primo gathered his eyes toward the voice, a beautiful raven haired woman in doctor''s attire came in. She was carrying a tray in her hand as she smiled beautifully at her patient.

    "Mariam," Primo smiled back at ease with her. He was her colleague in the military and so they had been on missions together before. However, when he went tow school, the girl went to med school instead and pursued a career in medicine to advance her rank in the military. Primo right then was brought to a military hospital so it was not surprising that she was there.

    "I thought you were immune to bullets," She teased and dragged herself toward his bed.

    "I shall take my leave sir, salute," Primo''s subordinate excused himself as he wanted to give the two some time together. He knew they were good friends, everybody in the military was aware of that.

    "Salute," Primo answered and while the girl gave him a que.

    "Let me check your wounds, the nurse reported that it bled again," Mariam started checking and saw that indeed it needed to be taken care of.

    "You should have just asked the nurse to do it," Primo replied. "No need toe here to do it yourself,"

    "Are you pushing me away?" She pouted while Primo only smirked at it. Mariam was the only girl in their ss before and so she was used to all of the men''s admiration and respect. Primo however was neutral with her but they still ended up being good colleagues.

    "How''s work?" Mariam started being chatty as she carefully unbanded his wound while Primo decided to grab some newspaper nearby and held it on his left hand to read it.

    "Same," He replied in an uninteresting tone. Mariam however looked at him wondering if he was indeed uninterested or he was just trying to be mean to her. When he saw that he had his eyes focused on the newspaper, she just rolled her eyes and continued her job.

    "I heard you got yourself a woman," Mariam tried to make the conversation more interesting.

    "A girlfriend," He replied bluntly. "I''ll send you a wedding invitation in case, don''t worry,"

    "As if you are getting married, If I know¡­"

    "I''m getting married one of these days, that''s for sure," Primo was confident about it even though he knew his bride until that time was still ignoring him. The thought gave him a little displeasure and so his face grimaced a bit. Mariam saw this and giggled silently at such an interesting expression.

    "I said I want toe in!" A woman''s voice outside the door disturbed the two''s conversation and they both turned to the closed door surprised.

    "Miss, I''m sorry but this is a restricted area. How did you even managed toe¡ª"

    The door swung open and Gabrie''s angry expression came in full view upon Primo''s face. He was immediately delighted to see it even when she was smoking angry, already ready to grab and bite the officer at the door.

    When her emerald eyesnded on Primo and the woman doctor who was attending to him, her already red face went more crimson in annoyance.

    "Miss, only family is allowed¡ª"

    "I''m his fiancee!" She spat out at the officer''s face. Lucy actually made it possible for Gabrie to sneak into the military ground and be able to roam around the hospital. However, Primo''s room was guarded by officers and so she had to deal with them unfortunately.

    "Hahahah¡­" Mariamughed at the woman''s audacity to im such a title. She had no doubt she was one of Primo''s women. She might havee here to check out the famous El Tigre. "Well¡­El Tigre''s fiancee, please wait outside, I''m not yet done tending to him,"

    "Leave," Gabrie red at her, which the woman doctor met head on. Gabrie didn''t like her confidence and so she turned to Primo instead. "Primo, make her leave. I don''t like her,"

    "Hahahah¡­" Mariamughed even more and turned to the office. "Officer kindly drag this woman out,"

    "I''m sorry doc," The officer went and tried to grab Gabrie out but Primo cued him not to. El tigre wasn''t done looking at her woman''s beautiful angry face and his amusement of her entrance was still giving him some sort of a heavenly haze.

    "Primo¡­" Mariam confronted him but thetter only had his eyes on the woman that came.

    "Just go," He dismissed the doctor and cautiously leaned on the headboard and invited his woman. "Dulzura,e my love, will you tend to my wound please?"

 Chapter 229 - Expectant Eyes

    Mariam surely did not expect Primo''s response. Did he just dismiss her because the girl demanded so? Who is this girl by the way?

    She looked at Gabrie with thorough incredulity as she felt embarrassed at how El Tigre treated her. Not wanting to embarrass herself further, she felt the need to leave silently without fussing.

    Gabrie rolled an eye when the doctor left and went to sit in front of Primo to continue where the doctor left. She had some basic knowledge on first aid and so she was confident she could pull off the job but she was a bit still annoyed with Primo, she tended to his wounds harshly.

    "Uhmmm..." .Primo blurted some sighs of pain and in response, Gabrie gave her an angry stare.

    "Who did this to you?" She asked angrily even but the truth was she was actually worried about what happened to him. In fact, she pleaded with Lucy to help her get to him because she was dying to see him. "How did you even manage to get hurt? I thought you were a very skilled captain before¡­psssh.." She nagged and pulled the bandaged tight, making Primo grimaced in pain again.

    "I''m sorry¡­I had my guards down that time as I was thinking of you thoroughly," He reasoned, using his predicament on her as a cause for his injury. "I have been missing you a lottely, I can''t think well,"

    "Stop it," Gabrie wasn''t buying in. "I''m going home after I clean your wound,"

    "Are you not worried I''m going to be hurt again?" Primo slightly yed with the girl''s conscience.

    "You had many officers around you, you are fine," She pointed.

    "I also had many military bodyguards when I was in Allegria apartments earlier. Yet I was shot," He added to his defense. "All this time I had not relied on anyone for my safety, I only trusted myself. But these days, I''m not with myself because of you, that''s why I got hurt,"

    Gabrie did not reply and only swallowed some guilt.

    "Come home okay? Be with me," Primo pleaded when he saw that she was getting soft at him. He even reached out for her pale cheeks and tried tovish himself with her smoothness.

    "You shouldn''t have cheated on me if you want me that much," Gabrie withdrew her face away from his touch then went on to continue with tending to her lover''s wound.

    "I didn''t cheat on you. There''s a CCTV inside my office, you can watch it and see if I cheated," He revealed and took her hand. Lovingly, he kissed it with longing. "I miss you so much. All my nights had been so cold without you dulzura. Pleasee home to me,"

    "I can''t leave Lucy now," Gabrie pouted as she thought about it. "She''s lonely and Simione is not around,"

    "But I''m extremely hurt," Primo lied. "The doctor said I need to rest well and that I should be taken well care of. I can''t rest well without you. Besides, I don''t like doctors tending to me, I only my dulzura to tend on me,"

    Gabrie remained quiet.

    "Alright if it''s not really possible," Primo acted like he was letting the matter off. "I''ll just asked doctor Mariam to tend to me while you aren''t around,"

    "Doctor Mariam?" She raised a brow at the mention of the name of another woman.

    "The doctor that was here earlier. She''s doctor Mariam. She''s the one who had been taking care of me as she was the only I could trust with my body. You see, she had been a colleague of mine for a very long time and so I trust her,"

    "Heck no!" Gabrie protested on it immediately. She looked at Primo with resentment, hating the fact that he was nning to allow another woman to touch him. "I''lle home and tend to you,"

    Primo smiled viciously at her response. Who would have thought today was his lucky day. The thought of his womaning home was already making his inside twist and yearn for her tremendously. Not able to hold himself, he pulled the woman to him close and went for a kiss, which Gabrie refused to take.

    "I''m not done yet," She reprimanded him. "I can''t believe you can think of anything like that in this situation,"

    "I just want a kiss my love," Primo gently pleaded but Gabrie went to focus on her task rather than heeding his request. However, the moment she was done with it, Primo pushed for the kiss and the girl could do nothing and allowed him to do so.

    The kiss went slowly at first as Primo took his time exploring and savoring her mouth that he had been missing for a while. She was as sweet as he remembered, too sweet¡ªlike a candy that can make a kid go wanting it anytime of the day. He explored her mouth carefully until his kiss went deeper and deeper and his lust suddenly broke out and uncontroblypped her mouth with intense passion.

    "Primo," Gabrie was breathless and so she broke the kiss. Unexpectedly though, Primo''s other hand pulled her back hard again and made her sit on hisp even when he had an injury. "Hey!" The girl blurted especially when she felt the hardness in between his thighs. Primo''s naked top was burning hot, sending fire to Gabrie''s skin that brushed past on his.

    "I miss you, don''t you dare stop me," Primo replied in a hoarse voice as he was constraining himself. He didn''t want to go as far as making love with her specially that he knew anyone coulde inside his room any moment but he wanted to feel so close to her and kiss as much as he can.

    Wanting to taste more of her, he went on kissing her exposed nape and shoulder that became essible as she was wearing a short sleeve dress. He teased her there, licking andpping her smooth exposed skin and nted some love bites to mark her his.

    "Primo don''t give me hickeys," Gabrie protested as she could feel him doing so.

    "Alright," Primo stopped doing so but in return though, he pulled her shirt up to get ess to her hidden front that was pressed in between her brassiere. The view of her cleavage made him bite his lips as he gathered his eyes to her with so much wanting. "Did you miss me as much?" he dared asked and went to unsped her bra. In a second, it fell into her bosom and her beautiful breast weed Primo''s expectant eyes.

    "Stop asking me that" Gabrie looked away in red. She was really not in the mood to do this with him, especially that she knew officers were outside their door. However, she couldn''t say no to Primo on these things especially that her body missed his touch too, very much. She didn''t really realize it until then. "Just get on with it fast before someone sees us," She shyly asked, which made Primo grinned naughtily.

    "I can never do it fast with you," Primo whispered to her ears as he licked it and while his finger slowly traced the edges of her nipples and toyed with it. Too bad he couldn''t use both his hands at this point but he was deeply pleased that he got to hold her again intimately after a long time. "You know that,"

    "Primo, we are in a hospital. You had to do it fast or we are not doing it," She threatened but Primo only smiled wildly at it. Instead of arguing with her more, he chose to use his mouth to kiss her breast instead and so the moaning started filling the roam.

    Primo''s hot kisses burned Gabrie''s smooth skin and the feeling that goes with it made Gabrie yearned for it more. She arched her body with pleasure and held on his lover''s shoulder, giving Primo more ess to her naked chest. Primo settled his uninjured arm on her back, making sure their distance was just right and pressing her hard on him as he explored her mounds. Her kisses were with so much passion and yearning that Gabrie could feel how much he missed her.

    They were in the middle of pleasure when suddenly there was a knock on the door. In panic, Gabrie withdrew herself away from Primo while the man dragged his eyes to the door angrily.

    "Who dared to knock?" Primo demanded, very frustrated.

    "I''m sorry captain but there is a very important call for you," The officer outside reasoned. He knew he shouldn''t be disturbing them, especially that they could hear his woman''s moaning but it was an urgent rming call that he needed to ry right away.

    "I''ll go and return this to the nurse station," Gabrie who was all in red managed to fix herself in a minute and decided to go and let the fire she felt die out. She took the tray that doctor Mariam brought earlier and stood to leave. She however turned to Primo before she left the room. "Take your call, it might be something important. I''lle back right away,"

    "Alright. Don''t make me wait for a long time, okay?" Primo gave her a wink, implying that they were done yet which Gabrie ignored as she left.. The blush on her face stayed though as she was deeply embarrassed at what they had done.

 Chapter 230 - Peace Of Mind

    The officer handed Primo the phone and when he was on it, his face grimaced immediately upon the voice that weed.

    "Did you like my gift?" The female voice ran through the other line.

    "Lucy," Primo recognized the singer. "What gift?" He pursued his lips as he contemted on what she was implying. In a minute though, some things dawned on him. "Its you¡­you are the one who shot me,"

    "Bingo," Lucy replied with a wild grin. "So you know the drill. Make sure I''ve got my legitimate share of the business,"

    "You dare hurt me¡­" Primo chuckled inwardly, feeling insulted at the fact that it was a woman who managed to hurt him. "Do you know what that means?,"

    "Oh my dear El Tigre," Lucy expressed in a contrite way as if she was regretting what she did. "I feel bad that you were not able to evade my bullet¡­but hey look¡­your dulzura is home. If you dare hurt me because of what I did¡­then you''ll lose her again,"

    Primo sneered at that. His pride was hurt with the revtion that blew right at that moment but knowing that Gabrie''spany was at stake, he did not n on hurting Luci.

    "You are a scornful woman..." Primo told her and ended the call right away. "But don''t you dare y tricks again on me Luci, you don''t know what I''m capable of doing,"

    "You''re wee El tigre," Lucy replied, reminding him that he was supposed to be thankful to her because of what she did. If she did not fire a bullet on him and got wounded, Gabrie would not be forced toe to him. "Goodbye,"

    Lucy ended the call and threw her phone at the bed. It wasn''t her n to reunite Primo and Gabrie that day but she needed the girl to go away for some time until she would be able to figure out what happened to Simione. She had received reports of her abduction in Find and until then she had not figured out yet who took her.

    She was very worried these days and it wouldn''t take time before Gabrie will notice that something was wrong so it would be better for her to stay with Primo for a while. Besides, with Simione''s abduction, she was afraid that the next target would be her and so she pushed Gabrie to safety first so she won''t be implicated in the things she and Simione did. She had not contributed to it anyway, in fact she was the one who had been asking them to both stop the Feather Project who now ruined their little peace.

    ***

    The next morning, Simione had barely had any sleep. She was contemting all night on what''s best to do with her situation. Many days had passed already and thankfully, her supposed husband had nevere home and disturb her peace. Yet, she knew one of these days, she got to marry that stranger and be imprisoned in a loveless marriage.

    She had to do something. Thinking it through, she thought that perhaps the reason why she was chosen for this marriage was because she was one of Don Benedicto''s granddaughters. Her soon to be husband must have thought that she could be a very good asset to him since she was a Han not knowing the fact that she wasn''t really a real Han and that she wasn''t the beloved granddaughter that the man might have thought.

    The man who bought her might have been thinking she can be a perfect bride as she was an heiress when the truth was she was just a viger''s daughter. Perhaps if she could make him see that, perhaps he would change his mind. Also, she thought since her soon to be husband was after an heiress, he might have thought she was raised as one and had a ss like one when in fact she isn''t.

    Perhaps she should tell him the truth. But how was she to do that?

    Her husband, for the record, had nevere home ever since she stepped into this mansion.

    Simione''s mind was drawn back to reality when there was a sessive knock on her door. When she asked who it was, it was Mr. Brown who replied.

    "Come in," Simione let him as she sat on her bed not bothering to get up. She was really tired and weak, she had no strength to get up.

    "Madam good morning," Mr. Brown started with his greetings. "The master had send some word for you,"

    "Oh, that''s new," Simione thought so. Ever since she came here, she never received any word from him and no one even bothered to introduce him to her, not even some description or idea of what kind of person he was.

    "He said that you can go out from this mansion as long as you want and that he wants you to go back tow school," Mr. Brown started. "He had already sent someone to enroll you since the new semester is approaching. He wished you to study well,"

    Simione was greatly surprised by this. So her husband knew about herw studies? How much does he know about her?

    "However, he forbade you to go back to El Tigre''spany and work. He wants you to only focus on your studies this time," Mr. Brown added. "A resignation letter was already sent and it wouldn''t take long before it would be approve,"

    "But¡­my job is something that is¡­." Simione was hesitant to let it go but before she could even protest it, she realized that she was actually nning to escape again so it wouldn''t be wise to go back to work anymore. "Well¡­ never mind,"

    When Mr. Brown didn''t hear any protest from all the conditions he firstid, he continued. "He also gave you permission to visit your friends but you must go back to this mansion at the end of the day,"

    "You mean I am free to go out?" Simione certainly didn''t believe that. Does he not know she had been nning on escaping from this mansion since the very first day that she was here? Was he to dumb to ever believe she woulde back here once she goes out?

    "Yes you are Madam," Mr. Brown replied.

    "Then I should go," Simione suddenly had the energy to get up from bed. She immediately thought of going to Lucy and asked for the singer''s help so that she can get away from this marriage. "I''ll go and visit my friend now.."

    "Well Madam, I am not finished yet," Mr. Brown cut off her excitement. "The master also wants you to know that if ever you try to get away from him, the Tang''s will suffer,"

    Simione swallowed a mouthful at the thought. Did she hear it right? Was she wrong or she felt like what Mr. Brown said was a threat? A dangerous threat.

    "And your friends too¡­" Mr. Brown added that only made Simione''s face fell. God, how evil could this man be? For a moment she thought she had finally found her redemption only to realize there was a pit at the end. Instantly she realized that her soon to be husband, whoever it was, was a very dangerous man. It would be hard for her to escape him as one wrong move would mean the end to all the people she loved dearly.

    "I understand," Simione answered nkly. What kind of marriage was she going to be pushed in? The way her husband''s threat shunned all her hope was giving her some dangerous and terrifying glimpse of what her married life would be like.

    "Well¡­" Mr. Brown tried not to empathize with her. "If you want to go out today, I shall prepare a ride for you and some security."

    "Thank you," Simione thanked him and saw the man leave the door, leaving her alone with all her fears and apprehensions. God! What kind of hell did Don Benedicto send her to?

    Simione held a deep sigh and dragged herself to the bathroom. Despite her shock about what just transpired, as well as the fears that her soon to be husband managed to instill onto her mind even when he was not around, she still wanted to see Lucy. She knew she might have gone worried about what happened to her. She nned to see her then.

    As for her evil husband, she had to be very careful in treating him. There has to be some other way for her to make him change his mind and so perhaps she could talk to Lucy about how to make a man do that. If perhaps she can prove to him she is not really a good choice for a wife and that she would bring nothing to him but shame and trouble, there might be a chance he would let her go.. After all, she thinks he was a very rich man and so it would be very easy for him to deal with Don Benedicto again or just let her off for his own peace of mind.

 Chapter 231 - The Other Young Master

    Han''s Mansion

    It had been a few days when Don Benedicto left the mansion in peace. When he did, Mauro Han took no time and went to settle things with Hawk Monsanto. However, he was informed then that Hawk was abroad and so their predicament about Feather''s wedding had not been settled.

    Few dayster however, Feather received a parcel from the M Conglomerate.

    "What is it?" Madam Fara was shaking herself while her daughter and her assistant Ami unwrapped the big parcel. They had never been at ease with this whole Feather situation, especially that Simione had already been sent off to get married. They were then worried that even though Simione had an old husband, because he was very rich, he might steal all of Don Benedicto''s trust.

    "O my god!" Ami was shocked to see what it was. Even Feather locked her eyes into the thing as her hopes started to light up.

    "It''s a gown," Feather gasped with thorough unbelief. "It''s a wedding gown mother!"

    "Is that really a wedding gown?" Madam Fara herself couldn''t believe it. However when she saw it, her eyesnded clearly on a beautiful ball gown in pastel blue. Although it was a very unconventional color for a wedding gown, she herself could tell it was one.

    "He sent me a wedding gown, mother!" Feather gasped happily as she understood what it meant. "It means he still wanted the wedding!"

    "Indeed Miss! This indeed is a wedding gown. It''s so beautiful and morous," Ami held onto the gown as she carefully looked into the details of it. With how sophisticated and expensive it looked, surely it fit a Monsanto wedding. "This must have cost millions Miss. I believe the diamonds here are real,"

    "Hawk will never send me something not morous," Feather pulled the whole gown off the parcel and happily dragged it toward the mirror. "This looks so good to me. Hawk choose the best wedding gown for me,"

    "O my dear daughter your wedding is finally happening," Madam Fara was tearful when she joined her daughter in the mirror. The dress was so beautiful and heavenly she could already imagine how surreal it would look like on Feather, specially when she looked down the aisle.

    "Hawk still loves you Miss," Ami blurted, almost crying too. The beautiful gown got them too emotional. "I never doubted his love for you. He was until then so in love with you. I just couldn''t imagine how miserable he could have been after knowing that he had hurt the woman that he loved very much. Now, after everything, he still decided to push through the wedding to fight for your love. It is indeed a beautiful love story,"

    "I couldn''t be more thankful," Feather cried. "I''m finally going to be the Madam of the Monsanto''s"

    "Wait¡­.." Madam Fara thought of something. "If he intends to push through the wedding then it''s going to be next week already. What about the preparations?"

    "There were only a few small things that had not been taken care of," Feather tried to run all the tasks on her mind. "I should go and attend to all of it. I would not let Hawk worry about it anymore,"

    "Yeah you should, my love," Madam Fara agreed. "Your husband is in a tight spot right now because of the whole Simione ordeal. Until now the scandal had been going around like wildfire. Just go and do all thest touches of the wedding preparations,"

    "I intend to do that mother," Feather answered, determined. She felt like what Hawk did today was a big leap on his part knowing that he had been guilty of cheating. So, as a reward for his effort, she should do her part to make it less inconvenient for him.

    Besides, she really doesn''t like it when Hawk goes with her in all wedding meetings because she cannot do as much as she wants. When he is around, she tends to constraint her spendings and wishes for the weddings, afraid that Hawk might find it too much. Therefore, this time, since the tasks left were all justst touches, she intends to do as much as she likes to fulfill her dream wedding. Her gown afterall was a grand one, it deserves a grand wedding too.

    ***

    Hawk was back at Devon City. He had been abroad for a while because after hisst trip, some business emergencies emerged and he needed to care for it. Now that he was back, he was coping up with all the tasks he had left and had been at his office desk the whole morning, drawing himself with all the paperwork.

    "President," One of his secretaries approached him.

    "Hmmm.." Hawk acknowledged her presence but didn''t raise his head to look at her.

    "I was told by the wedding nner that Miss Feather went to her," She exined in a tone that was rather hesitating. Truth was the whole office didn''t know what''s the deal with Feather Han and their boss right now and so she wasn''t sure what to do with the call she received.

    "What does she want?" Hawk asked, eyes on the paper he was signing.

    "The wedding nner said she had requested some changes in the decorations," She ryed. "And some other things. The wedding nner wanted to know what to do with all her requests and with the preparation,"

    The secretary was tightlipped. She really didn''t know whether all the things she ryed matters still to her boss or on the contrary, it would make him mad. They were all aware of the bad press that was going around and the scandal that took ce. Outside, many reporters were flooding their building, hoping to get a statement about the scandal but Hawk remained phlegmatic about everything they all didn''t know what to do.

    Hawk paused a bit with what he heard. After a while, he chuckled deviously and smirked before he continued with his work. With a heavy resigned sigh, he raised his head to look at his secretary.

    "Send this to the finance department," He handed some papers to her. "As for the wedding nner, just tell her to let Feather do whatever she wants. Tell her the wedding will push through as nned,"

    The secretary''s eyes went big in disbelief but after a second, she snapped out of it as she was in front of Hawk. "Yes President," She answered without questions and left Hawk''s office feeling confused. Damn. Does it mean their boss still intends to marry Feather Han afterall?

    "What did he say?" Hawk''s other secretaries came forward to ask the one who just left Hawk''s office. They were aware of the call from the wedding nner and they were all curious about what their boss would say about it.

    "He instructed me to ry that the wedding will push through," She told the others. "It seemed like he and Miss Han had decided to continue the wedding despite the cheating scandal,"

    "Oh God, does he really want that?" They all gasped out of disbelief. "I mean, how about the Han''s? Are they still going to allow him to marry their daughter after what happened?"

    "The Han''s I think needed our President''s support," Onemented. "They will sacrifice their daughter for the sake of business. Poor Feather Han,"

    "The wedding nner told me Feather Han came to make some revisions for the wedding herself," The first secretary revealed. "I don''t think she was against this wedding. It seemed like she wanted it more than our President does,"

    "Did she forgive him that easily?" One of them raised an eyebrow at that. "I don''t know but if that happens to me, I won''t forgive my fiance just as easily as that.I might not even get back to him at all especially that the whole city knew and was able to document his affair with another woman,"

    "Psssst¡­ he still our boss," The first secretary shushed her.

    "Well I was only saying facts," She defended. "I mean¡­I think there is more to this story than our President''s affair with another woman. I don''t know but I felt like there was something in this wedding that didn''t smell right,"

    "I think our President and Miss Han had reconciled already," Another secretary of Hawk interjected. "Our president had been abroad for a while, they might have met secretly abroad. I saw that he brought Mr. Blue abroad this time, he might have let him take care of it,"

    "By the way, did you notice the young boy that recently appeared?" One took note of it. "Was it only me or he looked like our President himself,"

    "I believed he is the young master Felip," One secretary intentionally lowered her voice to make sure only them could hear it.. "I''m not sure since that boy had been warned not to step into Devon City. However, with how he looked and the way he bears himself around the President, I believe he was the young master,"

 Chapter 232 - Gallery

    Lucy woke up to a familiar warmth. She had no schedule to worry about that day and so she gave herself some break when ites to waking up early. However, the moment she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn''t alone in bed and so when she looked at her side and found Simione sleeping beside her, she gasped with relief.

    "Sisi!" She plunged down a big hug for the girl whom she had been worried about for the past few days.

    Simione moved and found the teary Lucy burying herself in her. With a warm smile, she called her name tofort her. "Hey girl, I''m fine,"

    "What the heck happened to you?" Lucy raised her head to meet her eyes. "Howe you are here? Hawk Monsanto is back in Devon City, didn''t you know? His goons is everywhere looking for you,"

    "He is the least of my problems now," Simione got up and started telling Luci all that happened to her. She told her how she got abducted by her very own grandfather and how the old evil wench sold her off to an old rich man to save Han''s Scintiit.

    At the end, Lucy herself could not believe how things went and ended up pressing a hand on her chest, worried about the sudden flow of events that they had never anticipated.

    "How do you know your soon to be husband is rich?" Lucy asked as she ran in her head all of the possible bachelors in Devon City, old and young. She was thinking one of them might be Simione soon to be husband but was having a hard time figuring it out since Simione had no other description of him rather than the fact that he bought her from the Don.

    "His house is extremely luxurious and his servants weren''t ordinary ones," Simione thought. "Also, the fact that he was able to afford thepensation for damage caused by the scandal¡­"

    "He must either be as rich or probably richer than Hawk Monsanto," Lucy continued Simione''s words. "However, I couldn''t really think of anyone really. I knew almost every rich man in the whole country, none of them would be fool enough to pay off apensation caused to Monsanto''s just for the sake of buying off an heiress bride. He must be new in this country, also, the house you speak off¡­.the property where it is located is actually and owned by the government before, I was not aware that it was a private property now and that some house like that is built in there. What a surprising revtion¡­"

    "Should I be scared?" Simione bit her lips.

    "To be honest I don''t know," Lucy admitted badly. "We should make an effort checking out who your husband is..or at least know something about him,"

    "The servants were tight lipped. They won''t tell me a thing," Simione was tempted to bite her nails out of worry but chose to settle her hands on her legs as she bawled her fists.

    "Do you want to try it out?" Lucy looked into her eyesmunicating clearly that she thought of something but it might be a dangerous idea.

    "What? Try what?"

    "Let''s test your soon to be husband,"

    "How?"

    "Well as of this moment, we can do nothing but just test his personality," Lucy told her. "I don''t really know why he bought you with such a huge sum so either he was really a devoted friend of the Hans who was all willing to help Don Benedicto or somehow he was interested in you thats why he bought you,"

    "Lucy, he''s no way interested in me," Simione was sure of that.

    "We couldn''t be sure of that. Because to be honest Simione, I don''t have a strong conclusion right now rather than the fact that he must liked you so badly he was willing to be met Hawk Monsanto head on for your sake,"

    "That version of things is extremely incredulous," The girl refused to believe it. "I don''t even know the man,"

    "So you don''t want to test him?" Lucy raised a brow challenging Simione''s belief.

    Simione thought about it. "But I think he is a very dangerous man.."

    "He is. However, I don''t think he is going to hurt you for defying him for the first time, especially when your wedding is fast approaching. Nobody wants a disfigure bride walking down the aisle,"

    "So what do you suggest?"

    "Do something that would extremely offend him," Lucy blurted away. "However, that mighte as a hard thing since you knew nothing about him,"

    "Right. I don''t really know anything that would offend him instead by running away which I don''t want to try out," Simione chilled when she remembered how extremely serious was Mr. Brown when he threatened her earlier with the Tangs.

    Simione stayed almost all day in Lucy''s apartment but before the sun went down, she obediently headed home to her husband''s estate. She and Lucy talked about many things and thetter promised her she''s going to help as much as she can however with the current situation she was in and the amount of effort that Lucy did to help her the past few weeks, she was then thinking perhaps she should just ept her fate. She had been such a burden to Lucy already and she feared that the singer will implicated badly on her current trouble.

    "...your life is thoroughly cursed, Simione¡­" She thought to herself. She was tempted to cry and be frustrated over everything but she couldn''t and so, she just went on and closed her eyes until their car pulled over in front of her new home.

    "Madam we had arrived," The driver announced and soon, a servant opened the door for her and the girl exhaustedly pulled herself out of the car and headed straight inside. She was so full of thoughts that she had not realized she had been climbing the stairs up while female servants rallied at her back.

    "Madam, your room is at the right," Someone called her attention when she was walking without direction on the second floor.

    "O...I''m sorry, " She apologized even when it was not necessary and decided to turn to the other side but before she could, she noticed the beautiful paintings that had been pasted on the walls. There were many of them, almost flooding off that hallway extravagantly and the way they looked, she knew they were at least millions worth each.

    "The master liked painting madam, do you like them too?" One of the maids thoughtlessly revealed as Simione busied herself admiring the paintings.

    "He must have liked them so much as he had so many of them. I noticed the house is full of them," Simione replied and looked at the servants at her back.

    "These are just a few of them, his priced collection is at the mansion''s gallery on the third floor, do you wish to see it?"

    "I sure do," Simione agreed and in no time, the maids guided her to the third floor and opened up a room where a massive collection of paintings were disyed. From the looks of it and the signatures she had seen, Simione realized they were indeed pricey. More expensive than she thought. She wasn''t ignorant about paintings and so she knew most of the famous painters in the country and abroad. Looks like her soon to be husband owned the most expensive ones. He must really be so rich.

    "You said he likes paintings?" Simione turned again to the maids as something hit her head.

    "Yes madam, all of these are his prized collection he fervently sought to have for years,"

    "I see," Simione smiled deviously at the information the maids gave her. "Hmmmm¡­.I want to rest now, please guide me back to me room,"

    "Alright madam. Shall we draw a hot bath for you?" The maids saw how Simione''s face brightened and they were pleased to see it, not knowing of the evil things that was running on their madam''s head.

    "Yes please," Simione blurted with a smile and walked away from the gallery.

 Chapter 233 - His Favorite Painting

    It was around ten in the evening when everyone in the mansion settled down. Simione had finished dinner and was then on her nightgown looking through the big ss window admiring the tranquility of the scenery outside. The moon was bright and the trees beneath danced gracefully in the night breeze.

    She was supposed to be in bed by then but her evil schemes couldn''t wait for the morning. So, she waited until such a time when she could be sure all the servants were resting in their quarters before she nned to execute her crimes. Hopefully, her dear beloved soon to be groom will be thoroughly surprised by her gift. It''s his fault anyway. For how careless could he be on putting all his prized possessions next to his prisoner?

    Grinning, Simione went and grabbed the iron rod she found in her walk-in closet. It was a hanging rod which she forcefully took from there and nned to use to aid in her ventures for that night. Carefully, Simione carried it with her and went to the third floor until she found herself in the room of her soon to be husband''s prized collections. First, she took time to adore all the beautiful paintings that were under her mercy before she positioned herself in one big canvass that was covered in a beautiful carved frame.

    Without allowing herself to think twice, she gave it a big blow with the rod she was holding and it only took two hits before the ss broke. Wanting to destroy the painting inside, Simione gave it a few more forceful blows until the whole painting was destroyed and the millions worth of art became a useless piece of sheets.

    Soon, the whole mansion was filled with the sound of breaking sses. It all went chaotic specially when the security team made an rm to wake up everyone as they all went surprised and shocked when they saw the new madam in the CCTV slowly ruining all of their master''s prized paintings. Mr. Brown was soon called off right away and when he arrived at the scene, he was greatly shocked and terrified with the amount of casualties. As panic hit him, he ran further and found Simione with an iron rod as she was tearing off another millions worth of art as if it was just nothing. Behind her were two female servants, the other one was trying to convince her not to ruin anything more while the other was worrying about her hurting herself.

    "Madam please, your legs had been hurt already," The servants blurted at Simione''s back daring not to touch her. They knew she was mad tonight and so they wouldn''t take risk of offending her by recklessly stopping what she was doing.

    "Madam, these paintings are the master''s priced collections¡­"

    "I don''t like it and I don''t like him, so I don''t f*cking care!" Simione angrily loathed off and hit another painting to vent out her frustration. "He can kill me if he wants after this!"

    "Madam, please don''t say that¡­" The servants pleaded with her but when they saw that Mr. Brown was already there and that he had charged some securities to stop Simione, they all gave way for them.

    "Don''t you dare touch me!" Simione shouted even before someone could get a hold of her. "I am the madam of this house, I own everything! What right do you have to stop me?"

    The girl''s expression was so intimidating that even the big men before her stopped at their tracks. She gave them an extremely hard re that in a moment, the men turned their heads to Mr. Brown who then was also surprised to see Simione at her badass side. Well, he kind of expected it but seeing it first hand was really not fun to watch especially when millions worth of art was being wasted in front of him too.

    "Madam¡­" Mr. Brown calmly spoke as if he was not concerned at all although inside, his mind was blowing a series of headache at Simione''s unexpectedly temperament shift. "Your husband might not like the fact that you are ruining¡­"

    "As far as I could remember Mr. Brown, he only forbids me to run away," Simione answered him head on. "I don''t remember him giving instructions about me not to mess up with his favorite paintings," Simione answered back shaking with fury. The more sses and paintings she breaks, the more her emotions break loose. She was extremely frustrated about everything and it was only a pity that she some millions worth of art to suffer because of it.

    Wanting to ruin it all, Simione walked further into the room and looked around for her next target. She had ruined a couple of framed paintings already but there were too many of them and so she found herself panting and breathing hard while holding into her iron rod as her eyes hunted for her next victim.

    "Which is the most expensive out of all of this?" She shouted as she directed her ring eyes to one of the female servants who were following her around earlier.

    "Madam I don''t know," The servants replied as she lowered her head. Simione''s expression then terrifies her and so she couldn''t dare to meet her eyes. "I knew nothing much of paintings so I don''t know which of them is the most expensive one,"

    "Then tell me which one is your master''s most favorite?" Simione demanded impatiently.

    The servants dragged his eyes to Mr. Brown helplessly, trying to see if she was allowed to tell Simione about it. To her surprise, the old man gave her a nod as if giving her a cue that she was allowed to tell their madam the information.

    With the permission she got, the servant carefully went forward making sure not to step into the pieces of broken sharp sses that scattered on the floor. She stopped beside Simione and pointed her finger to the right where a regr sized painting was pasted near a far end of the wall.

    "That one madam, the master painted that himself," The maid told her and with an intrigued expression, Simione made full strides until she was in front of the painting the girl pointed. She was thinking of ruining it to pieces like she did to all the other paintings but when she raised her head to look at it, she found herself ring at it in surprise.. Immediately, the rod she was carrying fell into the floor.

 Chapter 234 - Free Butterfly

    The painting speaks of a memory of the untold past.

    There at the canvass, a girl wearing a white ribbon was sitting on a tree house with a boy sitting by her side. The girl''s eyes were following a free butterfly with a purest smile painted on her lips. The boy on the other hand was fixated on the girl, with the warmest smile and eyes that scattered nascent rays. His eyes gave Simione some sense of familiarity, a warmfort, a color of home. She lingered in the feeling and soon without reason, a sudden tear crept through the girl''s eyes.

    "Madam¡­"

    The servant''s voice pulled Simione back to reality. Couldn''t exin her sudden tears that everyone surely noticed, she immediately stepped back and walked away without a word. Everyone who was left in the gallery followed their madam''s silhouette wondering what suddenly made her emotional but none of them dared to follow and bother her.

    "Clean this mess," Mr. Brown instructed and gave a big sigh of relief. The challenge he had that night wasn''t really about the madam going berserk or the fact that all of the master''s paintings were destroyed. It was the fact that the master fairly instructed them to keep Simionefortable and to make sure her overall well being was okay. Right then, clearly their madam isn''t.

    Simione however was back in her room and just when she thought she had things under control, a tornado ofplicated emotion sshed on her. She didn''t know why but the painting she saw in the gallery took her heart by surprise and filled her with things that she tried so hard to keep hidden down the deepest part of her heart.

    Was her longing for Spin getting out of hand now? But could she me herself if the answer is yes? Spin had always been her home and these days when things in her life surely don''t guarantee any happiness and security, her longing for him only intensifies. Perhaps she had just been missing him a lot, she should be able to get by.

    Like she always does.

    Without allowing herself to be drowned by her emotions, the girl climbed into the bed and slid herself into the soft covers of her bed. The night had gone cold and only with these covers she clung for some warmth. At that moment, it was the onlyfort avable to her. Soon, even with such a heavy heart, Simione fell fast asleep.

    When morning came, the mansion had gone extremely lively. Simione didn''t understand the sudden hype but when she got up from bed and looked through the window, she noticed a rally of trucks outside.

    What''s with all thismotion?

    Did her soon to be husband decide toe home after what she didst night?

    heck!

    The view of all the trucks outside suddenly gave her some chills as it looked like they were unloading some things. Things of her husband perhaps?

    Goodness gracious!

    What should she do then?

    Holding a big breath and letting it go, Simione convinced herself that she was just overthinking on things. There''s no way her groom woulde to her that day. He had been so determined on keeping her away from his sight. Her millions of casualtiesst night should have agitated him so much to make him not want to see her.

    With such, Simione confidently went out her room to see what was going on. She made full steady strides until she found herself near the fabricated stairs and was weed with people going in and out the mansion, carefully carrying big framed things inside the house.

    "Is that¡­paintings?" Simione''s eyebrows creased at the sight.

    "Yes madam," Mr. Brown appeared at her back, throwing her a sudden surprise. "Apologies if I surprised you. Good morning"

    "What''s going on?" Simione immediately inquired.

    "Nothing significant madam," Mr. Brown replied cidly. "The master just sent new painting for you,"

    "For me..???" Simione raised another brow at it, especially that the subordinate''s answer came quite a surprise for her. "Did you not tell him I ruined all his favorite paintingsst night?"

    "I sure did madam," Mr. Brown replied. "I told him that the you took special notice of the paintings and ruined them one by one,"

    "Then why the heck is he sending more?" Simione was appalled. "Is he not afraid I would end up ruining the new ones?"

    "Well¡­" Mr. Brown chose not to look at the girl this time and fixed his eyes to the men that were busy bringing in and out the paintings that his master had delivered to the mansion that morning. "He wasn''t afraid madam, we was instead worried the paintings in the gallery might not be enough for you so he sent more for you to y with,"

    "To y with?" Simione''s mouth formed a big ''Ah'' right after her question. "Is he serious?"

    Suddenly a sudden headache rushed into her as the tables turned. Last night, she thought she was the one who was going to give her groom a headache yet, not even twenty four hours had passed, the man hit back at her tremendously.

    "Is he aware of the millions worth of money he lostst night because of what I did?" the girl''s voice went above all themotion that heads had turned toward them in an instant. Mr. Brown however made a cue, reminding everyone to continue with all their errands and not be nosy about the conversation he had with their madam.

    "He is very aware madam I promise you that," Mr. Brown answered politely and camly that only made Simione more upset. How can these men be so rxed after what she did? Were they not concerned about the millions they are going to lose because of her? And heck what kind of person would allow another to waste his millions worth of collections?

    "But the master is more concern of your well being and preferences than anything else," Mr. Brown added much to Simione''s insult.. "So as long as you are happy with what you are doing¡­.or what you are going to ruin inside this mansion¡­he sure will be okay with it and this exins why he sent new paintings early in the morning,"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!