Chapter 20: Six Years Ago pt. 14

"That won't happen, trust me." I tried to comfort her.

"That's why you should wear that bracelet. I also have one for myself." She lifted the red bag and showed it to me.

"This isn't just some ordinary bracelet with a screen." She sounded boasting.

"If ever I'm gagged and tied up or have been taken away, all it takes for me is a one press and you'll receive my exact location."

"It will also send you my body temperature and heartbeat rate so you'll know if I'm unconscious, threatened or have hypothermia and is already dying.", she jested which alarmed me.

She giggled looking at my expression. "Okay, okay, I'm just joking hahaha"

This girl really likes to catch me off guard.

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It was an excuse to give Xander that bracelet in case of emergency.

I just wanted to give him something tangible. The contract only lasts a year-roughly a month after my 18th birthday.

Who knows what will happen until then so I wanted to leave something behind that will make him remember me.

It might sound selfish, but that's really what I am.

After shopping for a bit, we went into a dessert house where we had ice cream sundaes and frappe.

I can spend more than before because Ms. Corpuz raised my monthly allowance per Lola's orders before falling ill.

She said that spending a lot of money is part of a granddaughter of a chairwoman's life.

"Aren't you eating enough sweets?" He asked me while I'm enjoying the strawberry frappe on the table.

"Why not? Sweets won't kill me." I jokingly said.

"But diabetes certainly will." He said sarcastically while dipping his spoon into his cup of mint chocolate ice cream.

I just laughed at it continued eating my frappe while ignoring his annoyed gaze.

"Then don't blame me if you'll get a toothache later."

"Heh, one of my greatest blessings is having a sweet tooth without experiencing a single toothache in my entire life.", I boasted.

He looked unconvinced but let me have it anyway.

From this day on, I have decided to break down the 'aloofness' facade that I am having.

Up until this day I stayed indifferent to those around me, afraid of being left and betrayed. But now, I found someone who's likely worthy to put my trust on.

From that moment I realized that letting your walls down with others isn't that bad at all.

Because you won't get to know about them and they won't learn about you if you'll keep your distance forever.

The reason of our loneliness isn't because people doesn't want to befriend us but because we isolate ourselves from others even before they start to approach us.

May it be a choice or a defense mechanism, may it be known to you that it is dangerous.

Thank you Xander. You made me realize many things that my mind have been unaware of before.

I came to know just how distant and cold I have been towards people before.

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"What do you mean you failed?" Mrs. De Castro's voice roared as she sprang up from her swivel chair.

"I-I am s-so sorry Ma'am." A weak trembling voice replied to her.

In front of her was the man whom she went to "take care" of Rian. But upon hearing his failure, her head is fuming in anger as her blood surges in her veins.

"How could you not subdue one bitch when you're a mercenary?" Her voice thundered in the whole room. Her teeth gritted as lines of veins on her neck began to bulge.

"S-she wasn't alone Ma'am. She was w-with a man."

"And so? Can't you take are of a single man?"

"He was an experienced fighter, it was hard winning against him, plus she sneaked into me while I'm fighting with him that's why I failed." He explained.

Sylvia De Castro chuckled in dismay.
*A man? So she was with a man. Looks like you're quite prepared for moments like this mom.

The man looked at her puzzled as she continued to laugh. As she stopped, she returned serious and pierced him with her sharp gaze.

"Haven't I told you not to bother coming back if you failed?"

"Please give me one more chance Ma'am, I'll promise to do my best this time." The man pleaded that he almost went down to his knees to show sincerity.

Sylvia inhaled deeply and exhaled a her pent up frustrations from earlier.

"If you planned to make up for your mistake, why did you come back only now?"

"I was taken by ome of them while unconscious. I was confined in an abandoned building. I don't know where that is. It was only last night that I managed to escape."

"By one of them? Did you the face?"

"No Ma'am, I was blindfolded almost the entire time."

*The old hag have more people on her side guarding that little bastard than I thought.

"Lay low for the meantime." She ordered.

"I'll send you money and hide for now. I'll contact you if it's time to strike again."

And like a dog, he followed every command she gave him.

"Mom, my card is frozen." She heard her son's voice near at the door.

She then quickly fixed her expression to greet him.

The door opened and a tall young boy entered still clad in his school uniform.

"Mom, do something about it. Dad froze my bank cards." He whined at her.

"Your dad must have a very good reason for doing that." She said very patiently very far from the expression she was wearing three minutes ago.

"But I can't hang out with my friends at this rate. They all laughed at me when the cashier can't swipe my card at the mall's counter this noon." He said like a kid who's throwing a tantrum.

The mom just listened at him feeling pity for her son's predicament.

"I even have to borrow some money from Erick to pay for lunch today." He pouted, "It was so embarrassing."

"Okay Nath, listen to me. I'll give you pocket money for the meantime. Go pay what you owe to Erick and then treat your friends to something nice." She encouraged him.

"Really?" The boy's eyes lightened.

Sylvia gently nodded. "I'll wire you the money. Check your phone later, but don't let your dad know, understand?"

"Yes! Thanks mom." He then rushed outside and headed to his own room in that mansion.

Mrs. De Castro sighed and took her phone to send her son the money she just promised him.

Nathaniel De Castro, the oldest son of Sylvia and Antonio De Castro. A third generation heir to the DC Group and also Rian's half young brother. He's eight months younger than her but is on the same grade level as her.

He's a spoiled kid who often undergo punishments from his father. One of that is his card being held stopping him from spending extravagantly.

Thanks to his family's business, he is studying at one of the country's most prestigious universities while receiving special treatment from the school management.

His circle of friends comprises of those who also belong to the high class society.

Unlike his half-sister, unbeknownst to him are the sufferings of being an illegitimate child who can only live in hiding and conceal her existence while continuously living in fear of being found.

He have this towering pride built with the help of his ignorant mother who blindly follows him.

But as long as their grandmother, Theressa De Castro, is still alive, he won't get to own the business easily for the seat was already reserved for a girl named, Marian De Castro.