Celia gaped at her son, and looked up at the sky as if asking for patience from the powers above then she looked at her son again “You figured?” she repeated then she looked over at Jason. The discomfort and chagrin she saw on the young man’s face as opposed to the assurance on that of her son were enough to set her off. Just like that with her eyes on Jason’s, she started laughing. She laughed so hard that she had to bend over, holding her stomach as her whole body shook in her mirth. Jason couldn’t help it. He smiled then his smile blossomed into laughter as Silas looked at the two of them wondering what was so funny. And that was it. Out there on the porch of the Rouarke’s home, a bond had been made. Between Celia and Jason. She had taken him in, though not with the simple acceptance that her son had exhibited. Long after her son had gone off to the garage to work on his latest hobby, robotics dance; Jason and Celia had a long talk in the kitchen that was fragrant with the smell
Misty-eyed without a word, her lips trembled with the tears she kept in check. Celia Roaurke opened her arms wide to the child of her heart. Grand patriarch or not. Jilted or otherwise, Jason put aside every other thing as he took the porch steps in two in his hurry to wrap his arms around his lifesaver. He breathed in the familiar scent of curry and jasmine as he held on for a moment too long. Celia patted his back over and over again, muttering “My boy, my boy” Jason heard her voice break and he leaned back in her embrace to see tears trailing down her eyes. He smiled as he blinked back the moisture in his own eyes as well. “Aww, come on. Don’t do that to me. You will get me pouring as well” he said in a bid to inject humour into the moment. Celia snorted indelicately as she cuffed him on his shoulder “Yeah right, as if you would cry over anything” Jason feigned surprised outrage “Are you calling me heartless?” then he looked back at Mia behind him, who was beaming from ear to e
Celia looked sharply back at Jason when her daughter turned firmly away from her, engrossed in her drink like it held the answer to global warming. “Jason, are you telling me that…that…that…” she struggled for the appropriate cuss word to use. Celia could be ferocious when it comes to her children and anything that could threaten their happiness. “That bitch?” Mia supplied helpfully with a shrug as Celia turned on her “Mummy, just say the word. The world won’t come down nor would your Koalas go extinct” “You leave my Koalas out of this! And watch your mouth before I wash it with soap for you. Don’t think I have forgotten that you hide this from me!” she said as she stood to pace. Mia wisely plugged her mouth back with her drink. Jason, in a bid to get Celia’s mind off what had upset her turned to Mia with a raise of his brow “Koalas?” “That is what she is saving these days. They have a group for it. Even branded shirts. “Save the worlds Koalas” She even made me wear it. I almost
Jason excused himself when he heard Theo’s voice and he went to the kitchen to speak freely with his bodyguard.The Rouarke’s home was an open-planned two-story with bedrooms upstairs and a living room, kitchen, and laundry room and a cloakroom. The kitchen doubled as the dining room. Jason could remember having so many fun moments in there since the day he entered the home. Celia had placed a steaming bowl of mouthwatering lasagna in front of him that day after getting his details. It was by far his favorite room in the house.He leaned against the counter, facing the door as he picked up his call in case anyone entered.“Of course, I am going to tell them,” he thought to himself in defense as he felt a bit guilty for not telling his family about his new situation yet. “I just needed to find the best explanation first”“Was I not specific enough, Theo?” he snapped into the phone “What situation warranted you to contact me in the middle of a conversation when I specifically said not
“First, tell me this” Jason said as he came to sit, facing Mia “Are you or mum being threatened? Second, why on earth didn’t you tell Silas if it is something he could do something about?”“No, we are not being threatened or anything. It had to do with me directly anyway” Mia said slowly then she sat upright to face him “Look, Silas wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Not against him. He had tried before and look where that got us”“So it is him? Who the hell is the person, sorry mum. Also, what did he do to Silas?”Mia went silent as she drummed her lacquered nail against her glass.“Mia?” Jason prompted her, wondering why on earth was his straightforward sister being edgy about the bastard’s identity. Whoever he was. Someone came to mind easily but then he dismissed the idea. That bastard did not even know his family so there was no way he could…“Okay, okay,” Mia said cutting off his thoughts. She confirmed his suspicions when she said “It is Matteo”“What?!” Jason thundered as
Jason couldn’t believe his ears. She was talking about the man that was about to marry Sonia days ago. Who would be married to her right now if he hadn’t arrived? It defied logic and he asked, “Even though he was about to get married?” Mia snorted indelicately with a look of distaste on her face “I don’t think that word holds much meaning for him, you see. When Aurora found out that he was an engaged man in one of the tabloids she loved to hoard and I threw it in his face the next time he blocked my path with his men, he merely laughed. I was so sure that would get him to back down especially if I told him that I would inform his fiancee and the tabloids about what he was doing with me. You won’t believe what he said” “What?” Jason gritted out. “My fiancee knew what she was getting by marrying me. I am a lady's man and I did not intend to stop but you could make me” she shuddered in revulsion when she remembered the oily grin on the face that had been a waste of such a rotten person
“What is going on here?” Jason asked when he got to Kalamaro mansion and he met the normally calm Mrs Sloane waiting for him outside, wringing her hands as she paced. She rushed forward as Jason came out of his car and handed the key to one of the men to park the car in its rightful position.“Oh, it is a good thing that you are back, sir. You are welcome” her wedges plopping on the asphalt, she halted at a respectable distance away from Jason, worry evident on her face.“What is the issue?” he asked again.“It is that new maid, the one you introduced, sir”“Why is everyone talking about that girl today?” Jason said in anger “Are you tired of your job now, Mrs Sloane?” his anger cut sharp like a jagged edge towards the middle-aged woman and she swallowed before continuing what she had to say. Mrs Sloane had always seen an amiable look on the new lord of Kalamaro and a smile from time to time. She wondered who angered him so and prayed that she was not about to lose her well-paying jo
“Why are you shouting at me?! I am not the one pressurizing you, am I?” Sophia shouted, then in her customary damsel in distress display, she made her lips tremble slightly. Her doe eyes shimmered with tears as she made her voice syrupy. “Do you know how much pressure I am going through as well, love? How much scorn do I have to endure from everyone? They are calling me the ghoul bride! Have you seen the tabloids?”She flicked back the tail of her long, shimmery gown when she saw that Matteo had stopped pacing and turned her back on him, fully expecting him to come to her, of course.Matteo let out an infuriated sigh and his response surprised her “Pressure? Do you call that pressure? Do you know how much my father now detested me? Do you have any idea what I have lost? All because of you?”“Because of me?” she squealed as she turned back to him, her coy look forgotten as anger welled in her. Who did he think he was? The bastard. Did he think that he was even worthy of touching her?